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Clarence Tabb Jr./The Detroit News/TNS

Pistons show no mercy to short-handed Pacers in blowout win

Sports / Basketball /

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons put together a convincing 121-78 victory over the Indiana Pacers Saturday night. The Pacers entered Little Caesars Arena missing seven of their key players because of injuries. As a result, the Pistons won from start to finish, securing their largest victory of the season.

Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson led ...Read more

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser lead Celtics in 132-106 rout of Hawks

Sports / Basketball /

The Atlanta Hawks sure could have used All-Defensive guard Dyson Daniels to defend Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown Saturday night. But with Daniels sitting out the game due to an ankle injury, Brown torched every other member of the Hawks who tried to guard him.

Brown, a Georgia native who certainly enjoyed his homecoming trip to Atlanta as ...Read more

Justin Berl/Getty Images North America/TNS

Pitt pummeled by Louisville in historic home loss

Sports / Basketball /

PITTSBURGH — Before the two programs had made four combined coaching changes, Louisville rewrote the Pitt record books with a 106-51 victory at the Petersen Events Center on Jan. 24, 2017. For nearly a decade, that game stood alone as the worst home loss in Pitt men’s basketball history, a low watermark for the already disastrous Kevin ...Read more

Evan Bernstein/Getty Images North America/TNS

Knicks lose to Suns in front of alumni, drop 8th game in last 10

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — With 9:04 remaining in the fourth quarter of a consequential matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, the Madison Square Garden crowd — peppered with Knicks alumni from years past and present — began clamoring for their home team to grab a hold of the rope.

“Let’s go, Knicks,” fans chanted in an attempt to will their...Read more

Heat push past league-leading Thunder, 122-120, to open second half of schedule

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — Amid a sea of doubt — and a sea of injuries — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sat before Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder as a voice of hope, as if seeing something out of focus for outsiders.

“I’m excited about the second half of the season,” he said, with his team opening the second half of its ...Read more

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images North America/TNS

How Nikola Jokic has helped Nuggets survive without him: 'Memorized this league's playbook'

Sports / Basketball /

DENVER — Like a quarterback reading the defensive coverage before the snap, Nikola Jokic barked orders to his teammates. He called out what he saw as the 76ers positioned themselves, signaling with his hands how he expected them to move.

Except that he wasn’t preparing to inbound the ball or defend a screen. He was dressed in a gray ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Mark Story: Put in a tough situation, Denzel Aberdeen is proving a lot of people wrong

Sports / Basketball /

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — When Kentucky went into the locker room at halftime Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena down 42-31 to No. 24 Tennessee, Denzel Aberdeen had the Volunteers right where he wanted them.

For the second-straight game, Aberdeen turned in a stellar second half and led the Wildcats to their second-straight improbable road comeback ...Read more

Heat's Spoelstra on Ware criticism: 'I didn't articulate that in a great way'; Ware calls kerfuffle 'crazy'

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — Two days after issuing a harsh rebuke to the approach of second-year center Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra walked back some of those comments prior to Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Kaseya Center.

“I didn’t articulate that in a great way, and that wasn’t fair to Kel’el,” ...Read more

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/TNS

Fears leads the way as Michigan State beats Washington in 80-63 rout

Sports / Basketball /

SEATTLE — Michigan State might’ve been more than 2,000 miles from home on Saturday, but Alaska Airlines Arena sure felt like home for the Spartans. From the time players trotted onto the court for warm-ups to the time the final buzzer sounded on a fourth straight victory, Michigan State felt friendly confines in Seattle.

Powered by a big ...Read more

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Second-half woes derail UCF's upset bid vs. No. 1 Arizona

Sports / Basketball /

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF students poured into the Addition Financial Arena about an hour before tipoff, bringing with them an undeniable energy that comes with the anticipation of what they were about to witness.

The student section filled up quickly, prompting the public address announcer to ask the students to pack in tighter to accommodate as ...Read more

Lydia Ely/Getty Images North America/TNS

Michigan knocks off short-handed Oregon to sweep West Coast trip

Sports / Basketball /

The Michigan Wolverines’ maiden Big Ten voyage to the Pacific Northwest was a successful one.

A few days after beating Washington in Seattle, No. 4 Michigan completed the two-game swing with an 81-71 win over undermanned Oregon on Saturday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Elliot Cadeau scored 17, Nimari Burnett 15 and Aday Mara 12 for Michigan (16-1...Read more

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North America/TNS

North Carolina basketball loses to Cal, 84-78

Sports / Basketball /

BERKELEY, Calif. — Caleb Wilson isn’t one to hide his emotions. This California trip has been no different. Following Wednesday’s upset loss at Stanford, the freshman said he was “frustrated” and hates “losing when we don’t have to.”

The Tar Heels followed that up with their worst loss of the season Saturday at Cal, an 84-78 ...Read more

Carly Mackler/Getty Images North America/TNS

Florida wins at Vanderbilt behind Xaivian Lee, Rueben Chinyelu

Sports / Basketball /

Florida team managers forgot to pack Xaivian Lee’s jersey for the Gators’ visit to Vanderbilt.

But UF’s struggling shooting guard found his game to help deliver a 98-94 win against the No. 10 Commodores and finish on the road, where Todd Golden’s Gators have come up short late in games.

Lee’s 3-pointer with 45 seconds gave No. 19 ...Read more

David Berding/Getty Images North America/TNS

Minnesota can't keep up with No. 13 Illinois in 77-67 loss

Sports / Basketball /

After a couple of near-misses at home, the Minnesota men’s basketball team had a tough test back on the road against one of the Big Ten’s better teams.

The Gophers stayed close for about three quarters of the game, but No. 13 Illinois pulled away in the final 11 minutes for a 77-67 victory on Saturday in Champaign, Ill.

The victory was the...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Kentucky basketball completes comeback in second half to stun No. 24 Tennessee

Sports / Basketball /

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In each of the past three basketball seasons, the Kentucky Wildcats walked into Thompson-Boling Arena as underdogs and left as upset winners.

The Cats did it again Saturday afternoon.

Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh hit layups in the final minute to lead Kentucky back from a 17-point deficit, and the Cats stunned No. 24 ...Read more

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images North America/TNS

No. 3 UConn men's basketball holds on for another tight road win, defeating Georgetown, 64-62

Sports / Basketball /

WASHINGTON – The UConn men’s basketball team escaped with another tight victory on a rough shooting afternoon at Capital One Arena Saturday, holding on in the final minute to beat Georgetown, 64-62.

UConn built a lead of as many as 10 points in the first half but lost its momentum after point guard Silas Demary Jr. went out with foul ...Read more

Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bill Plaschke: After Rich Paul drama, fans favor Austin Reaves over LeBron James and you can't blame them

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — In a city where he has played for the longest stretch of his life, LeBron James should be considered one of the greatest Lakers ever.

Yet, by most accounts, he's barely in the top 10.

James set the career scoring record here, set the career longevity record here, and won a long-awaited NBA championship here.

Yet he is ...Read more

Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images North America/TNS

Timberwolves' sloppiness costly in 110-105 loss at Rockets

Sports / Basketball /

If you are the kind of fan who gets mad when NBA players miss free throws, Timberwolves-Rockets was not for you.

Neither team wanted to hit its free shots all game, and the loser was going to regret those missed points. It turned out to be the visiting Wolves, who lost, 110-105, on Friday.

The Wolves finished 20 for 35 at the line while ...Read more

Ishika Samant/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nets beat Bulls, 112-109, to end five-game slide

Sports / Basketball /

The Nets finally closed one out.

Behind a big night from Michael Porter Jr. and a major lift from its bench, Brooklyn snapped a five-game skid with a 112–109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night at Barclays Center, improving to 12-27.

Porter finished with 26 points and seven rebounds, scoring the go-ahead basket in the final seconds, ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Lakers star Luka Doncic to miss Saturday's game at Portland

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss Saturday's game in Portland because of left groin soreness, the team announced Friday.

Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer averaging 33.6 points per game, appeared to struggle with a groin injury during a loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. But he didn't miss games on Tuesday and Thursday ...Read more