The Minnesota Timberwolves had an eight-point lead with less than minute to go Friday night, talking a little smack to their opponents as a hard-fought, chippy game between Western Conference rivals came to a close.

Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 51 points, the first Jazz player to reach 50 in the regular season since Karl Malone in 1998, and Utah beat the Phoenix Suns 138-134 in overtime on Monday night.

Austin Reaves scored 20 points and Bronny James added eight while the Los Angeles Lakers lost their preseason opener 103-81 to the Phoenix Suns with LeBron James and Luka Doncic sitting out.

Pop Mart has struck it rich.

Two people with knowledge of the contract say the Phoenix Suns have signed star guard Devin Booker to a two-year, $145 max contract extension.

Adding a player of Kevin Durant’s caliber was too valuable an opportunity for the Houston Rockets to pass up, even though it meant moving on from Jalen Green just four seasons after they drafted him second overall.

Kevin Durant’s trade to the Houston Rockets is official and officially record-setting.

The Houston Rockets are acquiring 15-time All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal struck Sunday, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.

Labubu, the plush toy from China’s Pop Mart is a social media darling, but the toothy little monsters are not an overnight success.

The Golden State Warriors missed a chance to clinch the best-of-seven series on the road and they gave some momentum right back to the Rockets as red-hot Houston ran away for a 131-116 victory to stave off elimination.

Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series.

Jimmy Butler converted three free throws with 58.7 seconds left, grabbed the game-clinching rebound with 4 seconds to go and then made two more free throws on the way to 27 points in his return from a pelvic injury, sending the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 109-106 in a heated Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Players on the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets got into a shoving altercation midway through the second quarter in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, leading to three technical fouls before tempers flared again shortly before halftime.

Stephen Curry eventually found his shooting groove and got hot while Houston tried everything to stop him, finishing with 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Rockets 104-93 for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Warriors forward Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for Game 3 of Golden State’s first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets after he sustained a pelvic contusion in a frightening fall during Game 2.

The chippiness and chirping is beginning to heat up as it usually does during the NBA playoffs.

Houston faced the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs four times between 2015-19 and each time the Rockets were sent packing.

Jalen Green had 34 points, Alperen Sengun added 31 and the Houston Rockets snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 11-game winning streak with a 125-111 victory Friday night.

The Orlando Magic were beaten on Monday night by the Houston Rockets after Jabari Smith Jr. gained 20 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, helping the Rockets get their third consecutive victory

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 51 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets 137-128.

The Houston Rockets have been one of the NBA’s more surprising teams this season.

Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving is expected to miss one to two weeks with a bulging disk in his back, and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said a timeline for his return was not immediately known.

Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of six people ejected after a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, already ruled out of Thursday night’s game at Sacramento with a sprained right ankle, is expected to miss Saturday’s game at Golden State, too.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 17 rebounds, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks’ career rebounding leader, and Damian Lillard scored 39 points in Milwaukee’s 128-119 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Cole Anthony had 20 points and eight rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Houston Rockets 116-86 in the season opener for both teams.

Playing and coaching in the Basketball World Cup this summer seems as though it helped plenty of people get ready for the NBA season.

The U.S. played the bronze-medal game short-handed, and Canada sent the Americans home from the World Cup empty-handed.

No Nikola Jokic, no problem.

The Los Angeles Lakers kept two of their best guards.

The Memphis Grizzlies have no plans to bring Dillon Brooks back to the team when he hits free agency this summer.

Grizzlies sparkplug Dillon Brooks is being fined $25,000 for not talking to the media after some of Memphis' losses in its first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Memphis agitator Dillon Brooks believes his image as an NBA villain contributed to the decision to eject him from Game 3 of the Grizzlies’ playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers after he struck LeBron James in the groin.

Win Game 1, lose Game 2, win Game 3.

LeBron James finished with 25 points after Dillon Brooks was ejected for striking him in the groin, and the Los Angeles Lakers survived Ja Morant’s 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 111-101 for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Memphis Grizzlies agitator Dillon Brooks was ejected from Game 3 of their first-round playoff series after striking LeBron James in the groin.

LeBron James declined to respond to Dillon Brooks' taunts before the Los Angeles Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 22 rebounds, Dennis Schröder added 17 points and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers moved into ninth place in the Western Conference with a 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

A fight broke out and punches were thrown during the game between the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks was suspended one game without pay by the NBA and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell fined $20,000 for their roles in an on-court incident on Thursday night.

Darius Garland scored 32 points shortly after being left off the All-Star team and carried Cleveland following Donovan Mitchell’s ejection, leading the Cavaliers to a 128-113 win over the slumping Memphis Grizzlies.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was ejected in the third quarter against Memphis for throwing the ball at Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks after the players tangled under the basket.

Hall of Fame football player Shannon Sharpe apologized after getting into a heated courtside conversation with Memphis Grizzlies players Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks and Morant’s father during Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hall of Fame football player Shannon Sharpe had a heated courtside conversation with Memphis Grizzlies players Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks and Morant’s father at the end of the first half in a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kyrie Irving returned from his suspension with 14 points, Ben Simmons tuned up for his trip back to Philadelphia with a season-high 22 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 127-115.

C.

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane scored 38 points each to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 134-124 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Steve Kerr is out of the NBA health and safety protocols and preparing to coach the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals after missing the last three games of the semifinal round against Memphis with COVID-19.

The NBA’s youngest team to reach a conference semifinal in the past 25 years has wasted little time turning disappointment into motivation.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are cherishing this playoff run a little more given they spent the past two years watching the postseason instead of their familiar position chasing championships.

Klay Thompson knocked down eight 3-pointers on the way to 30 points, Stephen Curry scored 29 with six 3s, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96 in Game 6.

The Milwaukee Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination and force a sixth game in the Western Conference semifinal.

The Memphis Grizzlies say All-Star guard Ja Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the postseason after an MRI and further evaluation revealed a bone bruise in his injured right knee.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is out for Game 5 with a bone bruise in his right knee.

Stephen Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors’ fourth-quarter comeback for a 101-98 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is out for Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Warriors with a right knee injury.

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is unlikely to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Golden State on Monday night after injuring his right knee on a play with Jordan Poole that the teams are debating from Memphis’ 142-112 defeat Saturday night.

Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Klay Thompson had 21 and nine rebounds and the Golden State Warriors shut down Ja Morant’s supporting cast to embarrass the Memphis Grizzlies 142-112 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Stephen Curry had a message for Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after the Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Memphis Grizzlies into a tie in the Western Conference semifinals with a 106-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Memphis forward Dillon Brooks has been ejected for a hard foul on Warriors guard Gary Payton in the opening minutes of Game 2 in their Western Conference semifinal.

Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks each scored 23 points to steer a third fourth-quarter comeback victory in the series by the Memphis Grizzlies, who eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 114-106 victory in Game 6.

Karl-Anthony Towns rebounded from two rough games with a career playoff-best 33 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves pull out a 119-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Scoring has rarely looked so difficult for Kevin Durant.

Ja Morant scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies looked much more like the team that posted the NBA’s second-best record, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-96 to even up their first-round Western Conference series at 1 apiece.

Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in his postseason debut, and the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 to grab home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round Western Conference series.

Ja Morant had 21 points and nine assists in his return from soreness in his right knee, Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the New Orleans Pelicans 141-114 on Saturday night to tie the 2012-13 franchise record for victories in a season at 56.

Kyrie Irving is finally going to play a home game for Brooklyn again on Sunday.

Desmond Bane scored 23 points, including nine straight as Memphis rebuilt its lead in the fourth quarter, and the Grizzlies beat Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets 132-120.

Ja Morant plans to give Memphis Grizzlies much more than the memorable highlight 360-degree dunk during his first All-Star Game.

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, including a driving layup with 26.4 seconds left in overtime that put Philadelphia ahead for good, and the 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-119 without Joel Embiid.

The Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record with their ninth straight win, getting 16 points and a breathtaking block from Ja Morant in a 127-119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ja Morant scored 41 points, Desmond Bane added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 on Wednesday night.

Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane scored 21 points each, and the surging Memphis Grizzlies beat the Miami Heat 105-90.

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 of his 30 points in the first half and the Utah Jazz advanced to the second round of the playoffs, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 126-110 on Wednesday night in Game 5.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the top-seeded Utah Jazz grabbed a 3-1 lead by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113.

Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and the top-seeded Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

Virtually all of Canada’s top NBA players, excluding those who are injured, have accepted invitations to attend training camp next month in advance of that country’s last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points in his much-anticipated return from a sprained ankle and the Utah Jazz overcame Ja Morant’s franchise-record 47 points in a 141-129 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, tying the first-round playoff series at a game apiece.

Dillon Brooks had 31 points and seven rebounds and the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies beat the top-seeded Utah Jazz 112-109 in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.

Ja Morant made consecutive jumpers in the final 48 seconds of overtime and scored 35 points, Memphis had an answer for every Stephen Curry flurry, and the Grizzlies are headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years after holding off the Golden State Warriors 117-112 in a thrilling play-in game.

Dillon Brooks scored eight of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help put Memphis ahead to stay and the Grizzlies eliminated the San Antonio Spurs 100-96 on Wednesday night in the first Western Conference play-in game.

Stephen Curry became the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan in 1998, finishing with 46 points as the Golden State Warriors held off the Memphis Grizzlies 113-101 in a regular-season finale that determined the play-in tournament’s eighth and ninth spots.

Julius Randle scored 28 points, Derrick Rose added 25, converting 11 of 15 shots and the New York Knicks held off the Memphis Grizzlies 118-104.

Cole Anthony made a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining, giving him a career-best 26 points, and the Orlando Magic defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-111 on Saturday night.

Dillon Brooks scored 20 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 14 points and 15 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Orlando Magic 92-75 on a poor shooting night for both teams.

Nikola Jokic scored 47 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the second overtime, and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-137.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James complains about the lack of a foul call during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)NEW YORK – LeBron James was warned Saturday for violating the NBA's anti-flopping rule after a play in which the superstar appeared to fall dramatically with little or no contact. The league also warned teammate Kyle Kuzma for flopping in the same game, the Los Angeles Lakers' 115-105 victory over Memphis on Friday. James was between two Memphis players when teammate Anthony Davis took a shot from the other side of the court. Kuzma was defending against Dillon Brooks when he spun all the way around and tumbled across the baseline.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, right, wears a boot on his left foot after suffering an injury during the team's NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in New York. The Grizzlies earned their first victory of the season, outlasting the short-handed Brooklyn Nets 116-111 in overtime Monday night. Morant was hurt late in the first half when he leaped to block a shot by Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and landed on the Nets forward's foot. Morant watched Brandon Clarke score the go-ahead basket on a follow shot with 41 seconds left in overtime before the Grizzlies put it away with free throws. “Early in the season I think guys are still acclimating to back-to-backs, let alone an overtime back-to-back,” Nets coach Steve Nash said.

Portland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance. They had a chance, up eight in the final quarter, before Portland did what Portland does in the bubble find a way at the end. The Grizzlies' 42-point third quarter matched the second-highest scoring period of the season for Memphis and was the second-highest scoring third quarter in franchise history. LOOKING AHEADThe Lakers went 2-1 against the Blazers this season, with the road team winning all three games. Anthony Davis (32.0 ppg) and LeBron James (24.7 ppg) led the Lakers; Lillard (36.0 ppg) and Whiteside (22.0 ppg) led the Blazers.

8 team two straight times to advance to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a second straight season. The Grizzlies were eighth in the West with a 3 -game lead over the rest of the pack when they arrived at Florida. TIP-INSBucks: Starting guard Wesley Matthews missed a second straight game with a sore right adductor. UP NEXTThe Bucks will face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs.

Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. It was a weird game," McCollum said.