7:29 AM ET The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers — basketball’s two best teams at the moment — face off on Thursday in the premier matchup of the 2019-20 NBA regular season so far. What are the biggest things to watch in this game? Where are these two championship contenders weakest? And what is
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12:52 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers entered Wednesday night as the only unbeaten team at home in the NBA. It turned out, however, the Miami Heat had just the thing to trip the Sixers up: zone defense. Miami employed the zone liberally Wednesday night, using it on 39 possessions, per Second
10:53 PM ET Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — Brandon Ingram scored 34 points and the New Orleans Pelicans snapped their 13-game losing streak with a 107-99 win against the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Jrue Holiday had 18 points and Lonzo Ball added 10 points, six rebounds and six assists off the bench for New
7:16 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — Over the course of three years, two trades and 765 minutes together on the court, Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic forged the NBA’s most enduring friendship. Or did they? “We don’t have a relationship no more,” Harris said. “He’s replaced me with Luka Doncic.” After a moment, his
8:00 AM ET THE OBSESSION STARTED a long time ago, in a state far, far away, when they were just the size of Ewoks and not the Wookiee-sized big men they are today. Brook and Robin Lopez grew up with a love of Star Wars. They were fascinated by the struggle between good and evil,
8:53 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Initially, the last time Steven Adams could remember wearing proper pants — non-sweatpant division — he was about to be drafted into the NBA. That was in 2013. But though Adams later remembered putting on a suit in 2016 for Russell Westbrook‘s Oklahoma Hall of Fame event — “That
6:34 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — Sitting among a group of incarcerated individuals, Bucks guard Sterling Brown shared his personal testimony about the events that led to his ongoing civil rights lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee on Tuesday. He said his decision to reject the city’s $400,000 settlement offer after alleging police offers
4:41 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his 25th birthday during a blowout Dec. 6 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be 11 days away from turning 35 on Thursday when they face the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Even as fierce competitors,
3:57 PM ET The New York Knicks announced that they hired David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant. “I look forward to the next step in my career as I officially retire from coaching,” Blatt said, in part, in a statement released by the Knicks. “I’ve long been intrigued by working in a front office.”
7:11 AM ET NBA Insiders Who is the favorite for MVP — LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Luka Doncic or another contender? Who is winning the Finals: One of the Los Angeles teams or the field? We polled the ESPN Forecast panel of experts for their votes about a third of the way through