Hornets star LaMelo Ball injures ankle after teammate P.J. Washington lands on him vs. Rockets
Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball was helped off the court and into the locker room after his left ankle was stepped on by a teammate during their game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Washington — who also tried to contest Smith’s shot — came down himself and stepped awkwardly on Ball’s ankle. LaMelo Ball was helped to the locker room after apparently injuring his ankle on this play. pic.twitter.com/PCuzlOVpQy — Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) January 19, 2023That sent both Ball and Washington falling to the court. Ball was then helped to the locker room without putting much weight at all on his ankle.
wftv.comOrlando Magic preparing to make first overall pick in 2022 NBA Draft
VIDEO: Orlando Magic preparing to make first overall pick in 2022 NBA Draft The Orlando Magic will make the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Thursday for the first time since drafting Dwight Howard in 2014. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic will make the first overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday for the first time since drafting Dwight Howard in 2014. READ: FDA bans Juul e-cigarettes tied to teen vaping surgeMany of the experts expert the Magic to select Jabari Smith out of Auburn University. READ: Settlement would forgive $6B for defrauded college studentsThe Magic might surprise the experts by choosing Paolo Banchero out of Duke University. READ: Instagram tests using AI, other tools for age verificationThe Magic had two other picks to make in the draft Thursday night but traded their 35th selection to the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2028 second-round draft pick and some cash.
wftv.comSmith, Holmgren, Banchero top list of forwards in NBA draft
(AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File) (Craig Mitchelldyer)Forwards are expected to dominate Thursday's NBA draft, starting with the trio of Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, Auburn's Jabari Smith and Duke's Paolo Banchero. 2 overall prospect. 3 draft prospect, the AP third-team All-American was comfortable snatching down a rebound and leading the break. 15 draft prospect averaged 9.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for Baylor, and turned 19 only last month. 20 draft prospect.
wftv.comNo. 1? Magic work out Jabari Smith in advance of NBA draft
1 pick in the NBA draft. All three are already loaded with young players, even before the possibility of adding someone like Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero or Jabari Smith. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) (Butch Dill)ORLANDO, Fla. — (AP) — Jabari Smith didn’t even attempt to minimize the significance of what was happening. He was in an NBA gym, wearing NBA apparel, getting guidance from NBA coaches. Against teams that were ranked in the AP Top 25 when facing Auburn, Smith averaged 20.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.
wftv.comBefore NBA draft lottery, Lakers already made Pelicans lucky
Draft Lottery Preview Basketball FILE - Auburn forward Jabari Smith (10) reacts after making a 3-pointer against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. Houston, Detroit and Orlando share the best odds to win the draft lottery on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, and the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) (Butch Dill)Time for the NBA draft lottery, where some team will get a nice reward for a miserable season. 1 pick for the June 23 NBA draft in New York. “And if you can be both, you can achieve something and so we’re grateful we’re a playoff team that’s holding a lottery pick.
wftv.comMiami dominates No. 2 seed Auburn 79-61 to reach Sweet 16.
NCAA Miami Auburn Basketball Miami guard Charlie Moore drives to the basket past Auburn guard K.D. 10 seed Miami neutralized second-seeded Auburn's Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler in a 79-61 victory to reach its first Sweet 16 in six years. But the Hurricanes opened the second half with a 15-7 burst off four points apiece by Wong and McGusty. By the time Moore hit a 3-pointer, the score was 48-39 and the raucous Auburn crowd at the start was quiet. Auburn: The Tigers looked like a national championship contender much of the season.
wftv.comNCAAs Day 2: You're going to miss Coach K when he's gone
But if Duke's comfortable 78-61 first-round win over Cal State-Fullerton is any indication, that won't be anytime soon. The second-seeded Blue Devils came out red-hot and played defense the way Krzyzewski has been begging them to for weeks. And if it looks like the rest of this tournament sets up nicely for Coach K after a rocky close to the regular season, well, you're not alone, either. Texas coach Chris Beard, a rising star in the profession, improved to 5-0 in first-round games as his No. “We knew we were in for a rock fight, and that’s very much what it was,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said afterward.
wftv.comSmith leads Auburn to 10th straight NCAA opening win, 80-61
Jacksonville St Auburn Basketball Auburn guard K.D. If Smith, the potential high NBA lottery pick, plays like he did Friday, Auburn will be hard to slow down. Only Kansas, with 14 straight opening wins, and Gonzaga, with 13, are ahead of Auburn. Auburn: The Tigers reached the Final Four in their previous NCAA trip three years ago before a drama-filled defeat to Virginia in the semifinals. Don't bet against it with the Smith and Kessler leading the way inside and Williams and Johnson making outside shots.
wftv.comVescovi, Zeigler lead No. 17 Tennessee over No. 3 Auburn
Auburn Tennessee Basketball Auburn forward Jabari Smith (10) works for a shot as he is defended by Auburn guard K.D. Johnson had 18 points as Auburn lost on the road for the third straight time. Tennessee led by 10 with 2 minutes left in the game, but Auburn chipped away at the lead. Tennessee had a four-minute scoreless stretch in the first half when Auburn turned a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead. Tennessee: Coach Rick Barnes is still working to get youngsters Jonas Aidoo and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield in the regular rotation at power forward.
wftv.comGreen Jr. helps No. 1 Auburn rout Alabama 100-81
APTOPIX Alabama Auburn Basketball Auburn forward Jabari Smith (10) reacts after making a 3-pointer against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)AUBURN, Ala. — (AP) — Wendell Green Jr. scored a season-high 23 points off the bench as No. 1 Auburn cruised past rival Alabama with a 100-81 home win Tuesday night. Jabari Smith added 17 points as Auburn (21-1, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 18. Jaden Shackelford led Alabama (14-8, 4-5) with 26 points and shot 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Auburn led by as many as 19 in the first half, but Alabama answered back with three straight 3-pointers to gain momentum heading into halftime.
wftv.comSmith, No. 1 Auburn pull away from Oklahoma 86-68
Oklahoma Auburn Basketball Oklahoma guard Marvin Johnson (5) goes up for a shot as Auburn forward Jabari Smith (10) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)AUBURN, Ala. — (AP) — Jabari Smith bounced back from a rough shooting night with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Walker Kessler scored 21 to lead No. 1 Auburn to an 86-68 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday. The Tigers (20-1) built a big lead, lost most of it and then dominated the final minutes for their nation-leading 17th consecutive win. Smith was just 2-of-15 shooting for five points in a 55-54 win over Missouri Tuesday. Auburn pushed a 12-point halftime lead to 14 coming out of the locker room.
wftv.comMinus suspended coach Pearl, No. 18 Auburn routs Nebraska
Nebraska Auburn Basketball Nebraska guard C.J. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.) (Hakim Wright Sr.)ATLANTA — (AP) — Playing minus suspended coach Bruce Pearl, No. Auburn was placed on probation for four years for unethical conduct involving former associate head coach Chuck Person. Center Walker Kessler and guard Zep Jasper each had five steals and Auburn scored 30 points off 20 turnovers. Auburn held Nebraska (5-6) without a basket for a stretch of almost seven minutes in the first half.
wftv.comNo. 22 UConn survives, beats No. 19 Auburn 115-109 in 2OT
22 Connecticut went back and forth at each other seemingly oblivious to pressure from a dwindling clock in an ever-lengthening game at the Battle 4 Atlantis. But the two combined for UConn’s first 14 points of the second overtime as UConn finally pushed ahead for good. “I definitely thought numerous times we could've had the game won," said R.J. Cole, who had 24 points for UConn. Auburn: This is the first trip here for the Tigers, who were coming off a 58-52 win at South Florida on Saturday. SMITH'S GROWTHSmith had 19 of his 22 after halftime for Auburn.
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