Pistons take a step in forging their defensive identity, but Bulls firepower shows up late to claim opener

The video tribute displayed Bob Lanier’s entire offensive repertoire. Younger fans, who may have only heard of Lanier’s impact on the Detroit Pistons organization, received visual evidence of the feathery shooting touch, the offensive skill and toughness that made Lanier a true Pistons legend and a Hall of Famer.

Speaking with reporters postgame following their 120-102 victory over Charlotte on Monday night, Jazz head coach Will Hardy was asked about the dog days of January. It's widely known that the games following the turn of the new year until the beginning of the All-Star break are arguably the most difficult. It's when the day-to-day grind becomes extremely difficult, and mental/physical lapses become more apparent.

Ball and Hayward Both Return; Charlotte Holds Chicago to 60 PTS Over Final 3 Quarters. Following a shaky start on the defensive end, the Charlotte Hornets locked in over the final three quarters in their much-anticipated return home on Thursday night, resulting in a 111-96 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Charlotte Trims 30-PT Deficit to Eight, Can’t Match Suns’ Season-High-Tying 22 3-Pointers. Outside of a late surge in the second quarter, the Charlotte Hornets were simply just overmatched in the finale of their four-game road trip on Tuesday night, falling to the Phoenix Suns, 128-97. Terry Rozier led...

Few games are won or lost at the free-throw line. One of those rare instances just so happened to occur Thursday night at TD Garden. New York made its free throws during the final 30 seconds, and Boston did not. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. Julius Randle made...

ORLANDO - Normally, it’s the fans who are the ones cheering on their favorite sports teams and players. But sometimes, it’s the reverse. NBA players, specifically, will often say they love to get out in the community and cheer on their greatest supporters. The Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner...

ORLANDO - One of the big differences between this season and last for the Orlando Magic is their play down the stretch of games. Whether the games are close or not – and many have been this season – the Magic have thrived in the fourth quarter in most of their contests so far, especially lately.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Things didn't look good for the Pacers in the first half on Tuesday night against Chicago, as the Blue & Gold seemed on their way to an eighth straight loss. But Indiana mounted a furious rally in the second half....

When a player is in a zone, sometimes there's nothing the opposing team can do — and Utah found that out the hard way on Wednesday night. In what was a career night for Damian Lillard, the Jazz had no answer for the sharp-shooting guard as they fell 134-124 to Portland.

MINNEAPOLIS – The task of replacing Steven Adams in the middle of the Grizzlies lineup is as massive a challenge as any they’ve faced in a season of notable injury absenses. So much so, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins essentially unrolled a scroll’s list of intangibles the veteran, seven-footer...

New Orleans fans often complain that other NBA teams always make sure their best players return from injury stretches against the Pelicans, but the club has a chance to avoid multiple stars and high scorers during this week’s three-game homestand. Denver’s Nikola Jokic is questionable to play Tuesday; Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns is out Wednesday; Washington’s Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be out Saturday with a week-to-week injury. While the Pelicans are dealing with their own set of player-availability issues right now, the Nuggets have not had Jokic (hamstring) for the past two games. Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons) will not be available Tuesday; key reserve Bones Hyland (finger) is questionable.

With the seven-game skid now behind them, the Indiana Pacers can build on some positive momentum when they take on the Orlando Magic Wednesday at Amway Center. Two of the top rookies from the 2022 NBA Draft will square off, as the Magic’s Paolo Banchero is poised to play against the Pacers after missing the previous two meetings due to injury.

FINAL FROM INDIANA: Indiana 116 Bulls 110. (Bulls: 22-25, 9-15 on the road). LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: DeRozan: 33 pts. Indiana: Mathurin and Turner each with 26 pts. LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Vucevic: 8. Indiana: Duarte: 9. LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Vucevic: 5. Indiana: McConnell: 10. CCI STAT OF THE GAME: The Bulls...

The Lakers (22-26) complete their back-to-back tonight with a visit from the San Antonio Spurs (14-33). The game begins at 7:30 p.m. PST and will be broadcasted on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN Radio 710. Here are three things to know about the matchup:. Unprecedented King. In his 20th season (and...

Stops were nearly impossible to be found in the first half of this one, as both the Thunder and Hawks created not just lanes, but boulevards into the paint which resulted in finishes down low and kickouts for 3. By halftime of Wednesday night’s start of a three-game homestand for the Thunder, the game was tied at 77 all.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are starting to get key pieces of their lineup back as he makes his push toward becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Anthony Davis scored 21 points in his return from a right foot injury and Rui...

Coming off a perfect 5-0 road trip, the 76ers (30-16) return home looking to maintain momentum against the Brooklyn Nets (29-17) on Wednesday night. The Nets, who are 16-10 away from home this season (only Boston has more road wins with 17), captured victories at Utah on Friday and Golden State on Sunday. In their 120-116 win over the defending-champion Warriors, Brooklyn overcame a 17-point deficit late in the first half and finished the game shooting 54-percent from the floor and 52-percent (14-27) from 3-point range. They missed a season-high 11 free throws.

Today, the Sacramento Kings announced that the team has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with General Manager Monte McNair. The contract for Kings Assistant General Manager Wes Wilcox has also been extended. “This has been an exciting season and I’m proud to have the opportunity to continue building a...