4:30 PM ET Kyrie Irving returned to a Brooklyn Nets‘ practice for the first time since the preseason and said he understood why the team decided to have him stay away because of New York City’s vaccine mandate. “I understood their decision and respected it,” Irving told beat writers Wednesday at the Nets practice facility
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2:34 PM ET Former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas has agreed to a 10-day hardship deal with the Dallas Mavericks after the team had two more players enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources told ESPN. Center Boban Marjanovic and guard Brandon Knight entered the protocols Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, sources said. Thomas,
1:21 AM ET Starting at center for not only the first time of his 19-year career, but for what he said was the first time in his life, LeBron James keyed a 132-123 victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Houston Rockets. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for an L.A. team that
1:02 PM ET ESPN Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, becoming the fifth coach to do so and third in the past two days. Assistant coach Mike Wilks will serve as acting head coach Tuesday night against the Kings. Daigneault
12:44 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday that Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge had cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Aldridge has been in the protocols for two weeks, while Durant and Irving both entered them 10 days ago. Brooklyn had a massive COVID-19 outbreak across its roster, with
11:46 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will not play Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets and is expected to miss several games after entering health and safety protocols. The Warriors made that official Monday in an injury report that includes three other players who remain in the protocols. Green’s absence
4:15 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Baxter Holmes Close ESPN Senior Writer Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and
8:00 AM ET Health and safety protocols continue to be a concern around the league. Several stars sat out their teams’ Christmas Day matchups, including Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant, though James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action for Saturday’s slate of games. Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks past the Boston Celtics,
12:47 AM ET ESPN News Services SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry lashed out at his team after a 127-102 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, calling its performance “absolutely ridiculous.” “It’s the most disappointed I’ve been in 34 years in the NBA, I can honestly say that,” said Gentry, who
5:22 PM ET Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell will miss at least the next two games due to a left lower back strain, the team announced Sunday. Mitchell will remain in Salt Lake City to receive treatment during the Jazz’s two-game road trip to San Antonio and Portland. Mitchell suffered the strain during the
1:46 AM ET LeBron James passed Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Christmas Day. James’ 13th point of the first half, coming on a free throw with 3 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the second quarter, gave him 396 career points on the holiday, eclipsing Bryant’s 395. James
1:28 AM ET When the NBA schedule makers locked in the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets to play on Christmas Day, the vision was to pit L.A.’s big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook against Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in a star-studded affair. Thanks to a left
9:04 PM ET There’s renewed momentum for the creation of a future in-season NBA tournament among the league’s 30 teams, sources told ESPN. The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have been discussing elements of the tournament, which could become part of the calendar as soon as the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 seasons, sources said. Negotiations
10:40 AM ET Amid a dramatic franchise transformation, Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has agreed on a long-term extension that will keep him under contract through the 2026-27 season, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Bickerstaff and general manager Koby Altman have worked together to reshape the Cavaliers around a young core — including guard Darius
5:20 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print The Boston Celtics had another five players officially enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols Friday afternoon, further battering one of the hardest-hit rosters in the league as the omicron variant of COVID-19 sweeps through the NBA. Guard C.J. Miles, forwards Aaron Nesmith
1:23 PM ET After clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols, there’s optimism that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the lineup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, sources told ESPN. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, planned to get on the court Friday for a workout. He will make a decision on
1:23 PM ET Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and could play Christmas Day against the Boston Celtics, sources told ESPN. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, planned to get on the court Friday for a workout. He will make a decision on Saturday’s game prior to
3:00 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors roll into a Christmas Day showdown with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, they do so with a little frustration. It’ll mark their second straight year being on the road during the NBA’s biggest regular-season showcase day. “Generally I like playing on Christmas,” Warriors coach