NBA

7:47 PM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden did not play against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night because of what the team said was left hamstring tightness. Harden, who is averaging 37 minutes a game this season, was a late scratch a night after racking up a triple-double in Tuesday’s 106-96

12:26 PM ET As the NBA nears the fourth month of its investigation into the Phoenix Suns and majority owner Robert Sarver, the team is working toward creating a confidential internal hotline in the coming weeks for employees to report complaints, team sources told ESPN. On Monday, a Suns executive explained to colleagues that the

12:29 AM ET Trailing by 35 shortly before the half, point guard Reggie Jackson joked that the LA Clippers were “right where we want to be” against the Washington Wizards. Still, the Clippers could hardly believe what they had done when the buzzer sounded. Despite playing without the injured Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the

6:41 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Anthony Davis will play for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets after missing 17 games with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Coach Frank Vogel said there was no set minutes level for the All-Star big man, but the Lakers had a range they

8:03 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN The Chicago Bulls are getting one star back for Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, while simultaneously resting another. Zach LaVine is in the starting lineup on Monday night after missing the past five games with a left knee injury. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan will not play against the Thunder

7:22 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes was formally charged with domestic violence, resisting arrest and battery against a police officer stemming from his arrest last summer in Los Angeles, court records show. Hayes was charged with 12 counts in total, including three counts of inflicting corporal injury to a spouse,

8:00 AM ET The race atop the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be a wild one in the NBA’s second half. The Miami Heat are the current leaders after their win over the Los Angeles Lakers combined with the Brooklyn Nets‘ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, but plenty of contenders are right

11:39 PM ET MIAMI — Anthony Davis‘ left knee injury coincided with an offensive explosion from LeBron James, as his 33 points in Sunday’s 113-107 loss to the Miami Heat marked the 17th straight game that the Los Angeles Lakers star has scored 25 points or more. All with Davis out. With Davis potentially returning

12:36 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS — Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden does not believe he is getting the benefit of the whistle the same way he did in years past. The 32-year-old made that clear after getting to the line only four times in a 136-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. When asked

4:53 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN The NBA suspended the Milwaukee Bucks‘ Grayson Allen for one game on Sunday for his flagrant 2 foul on Alex Caruso that caused a fractured wrist for the Chicago Bulls guard. The league punished Allen, who was ejected from the Bucks’ 94-90 victory over the Bulls on Friday night after

5:40 PM ET ESPN News Services During the Tokyo Olympics last summer, when Damian Lillard‘s abdominal injury flared up, Jrue Holiday suggested it was time for surgery. Lillard finally took his fellow Olympian’s advice and had the procedure Jan. 13. The Portland Trail Blazers‘ star point guard spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time

8:44 PM ET MIAMI — Anthony Davis, out for the past five weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, has been upgraded to questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ game against the Heat on Sunday and is considered a game-time decision, according to the team. Davis missed the past 16 games since the

3:53 PM ET Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso will undergo surgery early next week for a fractured right wrist, the team announced Saturday. Caruso suffered the injury during the Bulls loss to the Bucks on Friday night in Milwaukee. Caruso was fouled hard by the Bucks’ Grayson Allen, who was assessed a flagrant 2 foul

3:30 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets sat with a tied score with just over five seconds left Friday night, Steve Kerr had a clear play in mind for their final offensive possession: “Get the ball to Steph and get out of the way.” They executed

1:09 AM ET Jamal CollierESPN MILWAUKEE — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan wants the NBA to consider further discipline for Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen after he was ejected in the third quarter of Milwaukee’s 94-90 victory for a Flagrant 2 foul on Bulls guard Alex Caruso. Caruso went up for a layup on a

8:00 AM ET Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook told ESPN that he was disappointed with his fourth-quarter benching in Wednesday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers but that he remains undeterred about how to “figure s— out and do what’s best for our team to win in the long run.” Asked whether he was surprised

8:00 AM ET As Kyrie Irving stayed away from his Brooklyn Nets teammates the past three months, he wondered what it would be like to venture out and watch a game like a fan. “I can’t really go out and watch at a local bar or anything like that,” Irving, who is still not vaccinated

11:58 PM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic said his neck was “pretty sore” due to a hard fall after a drive to the basket during Thursday’s 109-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns, but he was optimistic that he would not miss any time due to the injury. Doncic landed on his back after