2:09 AM ET HOUSTON — Coach Mike D’Antoni started to make an excuse for the Houston Rockets‘ recent struggles and then stopped in the middle of a sentence, saying he couldn’t do it with a straight face. The Rockets have dropped three of their past four games after a 117-107 loss Wednesday to the Portland
NBA
12:11 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — Kyrie Irving said “it’s glaring” that the Brooklyn Nets have more work to do in order for their roster to reach the level necessary for championship contention. “I mean, it’s transparent. It’s out there. It’s glaring, in terms of the pieces that we need in order to be
11:12 PM ET Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was helped off the floor by teammates and taken for X-rays on his left ankle after an awkward fall Wednesday night in Denver’s home game against Charlotte. He didn’t return to the Nuggets’ 100-86 win. Murray was defending a 3-point attempt from Hornets guard Terry Rozier when
8:00 PM ET ESPN News Services ATLANTA — Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler Parsons was involved in an automobile accident after practice Wednesday. The team says Parsons sustained a concussion and whiplash. Parsons will enter the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t travel with the Hawks for Friday’s game at San Antonio. The Hawks provided no additional
7:00 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — Eric Bledsoe flashed a smile an hour ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ tipoff against the Minnesota Timberwolves on New Year’s Day. The Bucks guard had just completed his pregame shooting routine, with his 4-year-old son, Ethan, at his side. There was a dunk contest on the ball rack,
5:05 PM ET Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Guard Damion Lee signed a multiyear contract with the Warriors on Wednesday as expected given his time as a two-way player had expired and Golden State wanted to keep him for the remainder of the season. The team also brought back forward Marquese Chriss as a two-way
1:55 PM ET The New Orleans Pelicans anticipate that rookie Zion Williamson will make his regular-season debut Jan. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, has missed the entire season thus far while recovering from October knee surgery. David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of
1:39 PM ET Dallas Mavericks power forward Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch before Wednesday’s road against the Sacramento Kings, delaying plans for him to return from an extended absence due to right knee soreness. This is the ninth consecutive game missed by Porzingis. The Mavs declared him available to play against the Kings, but
11:40 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Today was a good day for hip-hop legend Ice Cube. After countless calls and months of planning, plotting and strategizing, his Big3 basketball league has announced major changes for the upcoming season — continuing to bring innovation to professional 3-on-3 hoops. The league is now officially recognizing that athletes are
3:16 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard reached the halfway point of the season for the LA Clippers with his most explosive game, scoring 43 points in just under 29 minutes Tuesday night at Staples Center. But after helping the Clippers temporarily bust out of their recent funk and make quick work of the