1:02 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — So much of this season for Kawhi Leonard with the Toronto Raptors has been spent on the topic of load management. Well, load management went out the window Sunday night. With his team’s season on the line, Leonard played a career-high 52 minutes Sunday night — almost all
NBA
8:00 AM ET ONE OF THE first items on Enes Kanter‘s schedule when he joined the Portland Trail Blazers in February was a meeting with agents from the local FBI office — just one among many ways Kanter’s life is vastly different from any other NBA player’s. Kanter told the agents about the Interpol red
7:14 AM ET Last month, the NBA sent a memo to all its team owners detailing a series of new rules about owning sports betting companies and related businesses. In a nod toward gambling, referee transparency rules have been gradually implemented over the past decade, from announcing officiating crews in advance of games to the
8:57 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN The Houston Rockets and coach Mike D’Antoni have had preliminary discussions on the framework of a contract extension that would keep the two-time NBA Coach of the Year from entering the final year of his deal. “I’ve let (GM) Daryl (Morey) and (owner) Tilman (Fertitta) know that I’m energized to
5:31 PM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — As the Golden State Warriors attempt to become the first team since the 1960s Boston Celtics to go to the NBA Finals for the fifth straight season, Warriors forward Draymond Green said the group is motivated to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of the Western
4:44 PM ET Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard confirmed Sunday that he separated his ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors. Lillard discussed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5-of-18 from the floor and finished
5:39 PM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard does not want to use his separated rib as an excuse for his struggles in the Western Conference finals. Lillard confirmed on Sunday that he suffered the injury to his left side when Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney fell on him during a
5:19 PM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — Golden State Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala is questionable for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night after an MRI on his left calf came back clean Sunday. Iguodala initially left Game 3 in the first quarter and was checked out by
3:53 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN With a plan to partner him with new coach John Beilein, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as associate head coach, league sources told ESPN. The Cavaliers will make Bickerstaff one of the NBA’s top paid assistant coaches, league sources said. Cleveland is working with Beilein — a highly
5:16 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans have hired Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon to serve as GM under new executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. “From the moment I met with (owner) Mrs. (Gayle) Benson and her team, it became clear that her commitment to the success