8:35 AM ET TOM IZZO WAS busy studying the game footage on his flatscreen, rewinding and restarting one moment over and over again. The Michigan State coach watched the final play of regulation unfold, a star teammate clapping for the ball only not to get it. He examined the body language of two bickering teammates,
NBA
8:33 AM ET It’s that time! Rules: • I start from scratch. It’s more fun to try to identify the dozen best players of this particular season in each conference. Some colleagues, including pocket square enthusiast Kevin Pelton, place more weight on a player’s track record. I might use that as a tiebreaker, but I
12:31 PM ET ESPN News Services The NBA fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart $35,000 for his actions on Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in a statement Monday that Smart was fined “for aggressively pursuing an opponent in an attempt to escalate a physical
3:28 AM ET It was 93 days from the moment Luke Walton assumed the helm of his new team before the third-year coach got a peek at what L.A. could do. His team ran the gamut in that span — from the thrill of adding one of the greatest players of all time, to the
11:13 PM ET Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — Derrick Rose and the Minnesota Timberwolves needed this one. With 30 seconds left, Rose missed the first of two free throws and was kicking himself for failing to give his team the lead. “I kept saying, `You’re going to get another shot,” Taj Gibson said he told his
7:27 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Just when it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were turning the corner on an injury-riddled season, Lonzo Ball is expected to miss four to six weeks with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, the team announced Sunday. Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball was carried off the court by
6:00 PM ET Point guard Dennis Smith Jr. plans to rejoin the Dallas Mavericks for Tuesday’s home game against the LA Clippers, sources told ESPN. Coach Rick Carlisle informed the team about Smith’s pending return at Sunday’s practice in Milwaukee, stressing Smith’s value to the team and encouraging players to welcome him with open arms,
8:56 AM ET The Golden State Warriors have won seven straight games and just welcomed a four-time All-Star onto the roster. Sure, DeMarcus Cousins is working his way back from an Achilles tendon injury, but if his first bucket in a Warriors uniform is any indication, Golden State won’t be giving up its No. 1
2:40 AM ET Unseeded American Frances Tiafoe is making a name for himself down under, advancing to the quarterfinals at this year’s Australian Open. The 21 year old has captivated the sports world, not just with a series of upsets that has seen him knock off 5-seed Kevin Anderson and 20-seed Grigor Dimitrov, but with
1:38 AM ET HOUSTON — On a night when James Harden scored 48 points, which almost qualifies as ho-hum by the standards of the historical tear he’s on, Eric Gordon played the hero role for the Houston Rockets. Gordon scored 16 of his 30 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime of