LOS ANGELES — Joel Embiid is content to spend his All-Star break on a family vacation after the 76ers’ standout center was not selected as an Eastern Conference reserve by the NBA’s coaches.

“I don’t need any validation from anybody,” Embiid said following the Sixers’ victory over the Clippers on Monday night. “I’m happy where...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For my money, Otega Oweh’s performance in Kentucky’s 85-77 men’s basketball upset of then-No. 15 Arkansas Saturday night was the best all-around game of his UK career so far.

Offensively, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Oweh played downhill and with high efficiency. The Newark, N.J., product scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of...Read more

James Harden is headed to Cleveland.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Harden to the Cavaliers for for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, according to ESPN.

Harden, 36, is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game this season, his third with Los Angeles.

After slumping to a 6-21 start, the Clippers have rebounded ...Read more

With Thursday afternoon’s NBA trade deadline growing closer, teams are officially open for business.

The Utah Jazz pulled off the first major acquisition of the week, agreeing Tuesday to acquire forward Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies for a haul that includes three first-round picks, according to ESPN.

In addition to those ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — James Harden has played a key role in helping the Clippers become one of the NBA’s hottest teams over the last six weeks despite a disastrous start to their season. He may not be around, however, to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Harden and the Clippers working to find a ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons are sending guard Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade, a source confirmed to The Detroit News on Tuesday.

Ivey will be part of a deal that lands the Pistons guard Kevin Huerter, forward Dario Saric and a 2026 first-round protected swap from the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN. ...Read more

BOSTON — Anfernee Simons’ encouraging Boston Celtics tenure lasted just half of one season.

Boston reached an agreement to trade Simons to the Chicago Bulls for 35-year-old center Nikola Vucevic, according to a report Tuesday from ESPN’s Shams Charania. The teams also will swap second-round draft picks in the deal, which comes two days ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It was a close call, but No. 14 North Carolina avoided falling victim to a pre-Duke trap game that’s proven dangerous for the Tar Heels in recent years.

Since 2020, UNC held a 1-5 record in midweek games ahead of the first UNC-Duke game of the year, losing three straight. Well, make that 2-5.

The Tar Heels evaded a late...Read more

This week can be one of the most difficult weeks on the NBA schedule for players: trade deadline week. Uncertainty surrounds a lot of their futures, and that can affect their play on the court.

That could especially be a factor for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are at the center of rumors regarding former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Just call it Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day.

If ever there was a situation that perfectly depicted how things have been for the Charlotte Hornets lately, it was Monday afternoon. Inclement weather, highlighted by the leftover snow and ice from the latest winter storm to hit the region, forced the tipoff of their matchup with ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors will be without their top player for their final game before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline.

Steph Curry was ruled out of Tuesday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, which came as little surprise after the team diagnosed him with patellofemoral pain syndrome over the weekend. Known more ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The following is a list of players who began their NBA careers with 1,500 minutes, 650 points, 225 rebounds, 175 assists and a .534 true shooting percentage in their first 43 games.

— Oscar Robertson

— Larry Bird

— Magic Johnson

— Michael Jordan

— Chris Paul

— VJ Edgecombe

This shouldn’t need to be said, but...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan might have won Friday night’s game against Michigan State, but the flames are burning as hot as ever between the two rivals on the other side of the weekend.

In his regularly scheduled Monday press conference, Michigan coach Dusty May leveled sharp criticisms against MSU point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who he ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball team has won 17 in a row, is out to a perfect 11-0 start in Big East play and sits at 21-1, with its only loss to the nation’s No. 1 overall team in Arizona.

Yet that wasn’t enough to keep its No. 2 ranking in the country on Monday.

Michigan, which had previously been ranked No. 3, ...Read more

MIAMI — Although legal battles remain, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has received a victory of sorts, with the National Basketball Players Association successful in its arbitration that Rozier’s salary cannot be withheld by the NBA.

In the wake of Rozier’s Oct. 23 arrest as part of the FBI’s gambling investigation, the NBA moved to have...Read more

Flushing? Flushing would be too kind.

Burn it. Shred it. Nuke it. Most of all, learn from it. And the most important lesson should be this: Whatever David Adelman’s gameplan for the Nuggets was against Oklahoma City Sunday night should never, ever happen again.

Denver got cute. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got nasty. Cason Wallace got open. Lu ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — After multiple delays caused by travel issues stemming from a winter storm in North Carolina, the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs finally took to the court inside Frost Bank Center Sunday night.

Despite flying the day of the game and having tip-off pushed back five hours from its originally scheduled time, San Antonio wasn�...Read more

NEW YORK — Sunday marked the first-year anniversary of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks.

Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted he felt “stressed” knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night.

While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn’t have ...Read more