ISAIAH THOMAS

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 10 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics coast to a 134-112 over the Minnesota Timberwolves and take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Devin Booker continued to distance himself from a hamstring injury that cost him seven games, scoring 24 points with nine rebounds and seven assists as the Phoenix Suns earned a 108-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers Timberwolves Basketball Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) works past Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) (Bruce Kluckhohn)MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the depleted Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season, 110-92 on Friday night. Isaiah Thomas made his season debut with 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 14 points and Kent Bazemore matched his season high with 11 points. The Wolves, who beat the Lakers 107-83 in Los Angeles on Nov. 12 without James in the lineup, had a 61-36 rebounding advantage. MEN DOWNThe Lakers had Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves in the protocols.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the depleted Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season with a 110-92 victory.

Russell Westbrook had a short stay in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Lakers Mavericks Basketball Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates after sinking a basket as fans look on in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) (Tony Gutierrez)The NBA and its players have agreed to enhanced health and safety protocols through the holiday season in response to rising virus numbers, with additional testing coming and a return to mask usage in many situations. The upgraded mask rules will be in place “until agreed otherwise by the NBA and Players Association," according to a memo shared with teams Thursday night and obtained by The Associated Press. The exceptions: during on-court basketball activities for players, and for head coaches during games. Chicago had a league-high eight players known to be in protocols, one more than Brooklyn.

Lakers Mavericks Basketball Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates after sinking a basket as fans look on in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. Westbrook played 42 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in their overtime win at Dallas. The Lakers said he would not play Friday night in Minnesota, along with four other players because of virus issues and two more because of injuries. All that means the Lakers would have no more than 10 available players on their roster for the game against the Timberwolves. He was in the NBA briefly last season, averaging 7.7 points in three games with New Orleans.

The NBA and its players finalized a deal Thursday night for additional protocols through the holidays, including daily testing resuming and increased use of face masks mandated again.

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Thomas scored 19 points in his first competitive game in more than a year, helping the U.S. to a 93-77 victory over the Bahamas on Friday in a FIBA AmeriCup qualifying game. The 32-year-old Thomas is a two-time NBA All-Star who scored 28.9 points per game for the Boston Celtics in the 2016-17 season. AdThomas — like many NBA players — had some trouble adjusting to the ball and the way the international game is officiated. Along with Thomas, the other noteworthy name was seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson, who finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Travis Munnings scored 22 points for the Bahamas (1-4).

FILE - Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas (4) stands during the National Anthem prior to an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta, in this Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, file photo. Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas hopes playing this weekend with USA Basketball in FIBA AmeriCup qualifying in Puerto Rico gives an NBA club reason to sign him. The two-time All-Star is suiting up with USA Basketball for a pair of FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games in San Juan, Puerto Rico — and Thomas expects NBA teams to be watching. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers three days later, then waived, and hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since. When USA Basketball called, he leaped at the chance.

USA Basketball has finalized the 14-player roster for the final round of AmeriCup qualifying later this month, a group led by NBA All-Stars Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Basketball has finalized the 14-player roster for the final round of AmeriCup qualifying later this month, a group led by NBA All-Stars Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas. Both Johnson and Thomas have past USA Basketball experience as well. USA Basketball has won the AmeriCup title seven times in nine previous attempts. Thomas and Johnson won't be the only players with longstanding NBA ties in the February qualifiers.

Campbell, in his fifth season at Iowa State, got all 20 votes as coach of the year. Iowa State had four first-team selections for the AP All-Big 12 team, matching Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the most in league. RB — u-Breece Hall, Iowa State, 6-1, 215, So., Wichita, Kansas. G — Derek Schweiger, Iowa State, 6-3, 311, Jr., Plymouth, Wisconsin. WR — Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State, 6-3, 207, Jr., Jacksonville, Florida.

“Obviously, I’m not the easiest guy to understand,” Westbrook said. Westbrook was at practice on Saturday with the Wizards, the team that sent former No. “I’m here in Washington,” Westbrook replied. “I’m all about trying to do things the right way, regardless of if anybody likes it or not,” Westbrook said. “My thing is making sure that I’m doing the right thing for the right people and impacting as many people as possible.”___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Iowa State running back Breece Hall celebrates at the end of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 37-30. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Iowa State won 37-30. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)AMES, Iowa – It was another milestone win for Matt Campbell's rising program at Iowa State. 18 Oklahoma's final drive, giving Iowa State a 37-30 victory Saturday night. “We've got 16 seniors who came here on a dream that we someday could turn Iowa State football around. Iowa State: Purdy completed 12 of 24 passes and the defense came up big when it had to.

But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA," Commissioner Adam Silver said in the statement announcing Stern's death. Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David's vision, generosity and inspiration." Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David's vision, generosity and inspiration. "And David Stern at that time said, 'I'm going to make the bet that it will,' and he pushed it, and he forced it. NBA legends Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and NBA Commissioner David Stern on the red carpet of the premiere of Magic Bird on Broadway on April 11, 2012 at the Longacre Theatre in New York.