NEW YORK KNICKS

Inside the Miami Heat locker room Erik Spoelstra stepped onto the NBA championship logo on the center of the floor and gathered his team around him.

Jimmy Butler returned from his sprained ankle to score 28 points, Max Strus added 19 and the Miami Heat topped the New York Knicks 105-86 to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jimmy Butler was cleared to return to the Miami Heat lineup on Saturday.

NBA playoff scoring leader Jimmy Butler was with the Miami Heat for their film session Thursday.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have turned press conferences into press comedy.

Aaron Rodgers was sitting alone in the dark two months ago and pondering his future while many speculated about his next move.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and keyed the run the New York Knicks needed just in time to get by a Miami Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals at a game apiece with a 111-105 victory.

Jimmy Butler was sidelined for the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks because of a sprained right ankle.

Jimmy Butler had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat kept rolling after barely reaching the postseason, beating the New York Knicks 108-101 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat because of a sprained left ankle.

The 2000s have been mostly miserable for the New York Knicks and their fans.

They brawled in 1997.

Tougher from start to finish, the New York Knicks bullied the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, RJ Barrett added 21 and the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-95 in Game 5 to advance to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2013.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle aggravated an ankle injury late in the first half of Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, RJ Barrett had 26 and the New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series with a 102-93 victory.

Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, RJ Barrett broke out of a slump with 19 and the New York Knicks rolled to a 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first-round playoff series with a 99-79 victory.

Jalen Brunson shook off foul trouble and scored 21 of his 27 in the second half, and Julius Randle returned from an ankle injury to add 19 as the New York Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle is in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the NBA playoffs against the Cavaliers after missing the final five games of the regular season with a sprained left ankle.

Julius Randle will miss the rest of the regular season because of a sprained left ankle.

Paolo Banchero’s 21 points included a 3 with 1:26 remaining and two free throws in the final seconds to help the Orlando Magic turn back the New York Knicks 111-106.

Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring examples of playing through pain, has died.

Julius Randle scored 57 points, matching the third-highest total by a New York Knicks player, during a 140-134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The New Orleans Pelicans say Zion Williamson will be sidelined for at least two more weeks while the club monitors the All-Star forward’s recovery from a right hamstring injury that occurred more than two months ago.

Two people with knowledge of the matter say Russell Westbrook could make his debut with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday once he clears waivers.

Russell Westbrook has been waived by the Utah Jazz and according to a published report, the nine-time All-Star is expected to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

If Paul George has his way, Russell Westbrook would end up as the point guard the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t get at the trade deadline.

The Orlando Magic lost their Tuesday night matchup against the New York Knicks after Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and made the go-ahead basket with 1:13 left, and Julius Randle had 22 points with 14 rebounds

Kyrie Irving will not play for the Brooklyn Nets against Washington.

The Orlando Magic are set to join the NBA and its teams to celebrate Black History Month in February with a myriad of events.

LeBron James moved within 89 points of breaking the NBA’s career scoring record and climbed into fourth place on the assists list, finishing with a triple-double in his return to Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 129-123 on Tuesday night.

Luka Doncic had a franchise-record 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a historic triple-double, including the tying basket off his intentionally missed free throw to force overtime as the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a wild 126-121 victory over the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson is missing his first Dallas reunion after the New York point guard was ruled out of a meeting with the Mavericks with a sore right hip.

Joel Embiid scored 35 points, James Harden had 29 points and 13 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers blew by the New York Knicks in the final quarter, extending their winning streak to eight games with a 119-112 victory.

Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points and the Toronto Raptors snapped the New York Knicks’ NBA-leading eight-game winning streak 113-106.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, then Grayson Allen made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 30 seconds left after his superstar teammate fouled out to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-103 victory over the New York Knicks.

The timeline for Kemba Walker to contribute for the Dallas Mavericks is uncertain as the four-time All-Star joins a roster in need of playmaking help behind superstar Luka Doncic.

A person with knowledge of the agreement says the Dallas Mavericks are close to a deal with four-time All-Star guard Kemba Walker.

Kevin Durant had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan to score at least 25 points in his team’s first 12 games, and the Brooklyn Nets routed the New York Knicks 112-85 after making Jacque Vaughn their head coach.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Milwaukee Bucks remained unbeaten with a 119-108 victory over the New York Knicks.

An attorney who has owned New York Knicks season tickets for nearly 50 years has sued Madison Square Garden Entertainment claiming that he and nearly 60 lawyers from his firm were barred from the company’s properties.

Kevin Durant had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, leading the Brooklyn Nets back from 21 points down to a 110-98 victory over the New York Knicks that strengthened their chances of the best spot possible in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

RJ Barrett scored 27 points, Obi Toppin matched his career high with 20 and the New York Knicks routed the Orlando Magic 118-88.

Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins says All-Star guard Ja Morant is expected to miss at least the next two weeks with right knee soreness.

The NBA has fined the Brooklyn Nets $50,000 letting Kyrie Irving into their locker room during a game in which he was unable to play because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 53 points, making the tiebreaking 3-pointer in a sensational show for a crowd that included Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks 110-107.

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis has been suspended one game without pay for what the NBA says what aggressively confronting and making contact with an official who called him for a technical foul.

The NBA has fined New York Knicks forward Julius Randle $50,000 for shoving Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, making contact with a referee who was trying to break up the altercation and refusing to participate in its ensuing investigation.

Cam Johnson banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to finish with a career-high 38 points and give the Phoenix Suns a wild 115-114 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

James Harden scored 26 points with nine assists and nine rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 123-108 win over the New York Knicks.

The Philadelphia Sixers made it two straight wins with their new duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden, beating the New York Knicks 125-109.

Rookie Cam Thomas led Brooklyn back from a 28-point deficit with 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and the Nets stunned the New York Knicks 111-106.

LeBron James returned from a five-game absence due to injury and had a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 21-point, second-quarter deficit, beating the New York Knicks 122-115 in overtime Saturday night.

Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range to lead four Miami players with 20 or more points in the Heat’s 110-96 victory over the New York Knicks.

RJ Barrett scored 32 points, Mitchell Robinson had a season-high 19 and the New York Knicks snapped the Dallas Mavericks’ six-game winning streak with a 108-85 victory.

Kemba Walker became the seventh NBA player with a triple-double on Christmas, and the New York Knicks beat the depleted Atlanta Hawks 101-87 for their first win on the holiday in a decade.

The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors canceled their Thursday practices, citing an abundance of caution because of COVID-19 protocols.

Devin Booker scored 32 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the New York Knicks 118-97 for their 15th straight victory, matching the second-longest winning streak in franchise history.

Evan Fournier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley had 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter after New York had blown a 25-point lead, and the Knicks beat a Los Angeles Lakers team missing suspended star LeBron James 106-100.

Cole Anthony had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Mo Bamba added 12 points and 11 boards, and the Orlando Magic rallied late in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks 104-98.

Julius Randle had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the New York Knicks erased an early 21-point deficit and routed the Milwaukee Bucks 113-98.

OG Anunoby scored a career-high 36 points and the Toronto Raptors won their fourth straight by beating the New York Knicks 113-104 in the 75th anniversary of the NBA’s first game.

Kemba Walker scored 21 points, RJ Barrett added 20 and the New York Knicks hung on to hand the Chicago Bulls their first loss of the season 104-103.

Kemba Walker scored 19 points in his best game with his hometown team and the New York Knicks snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 112-99 victory.

Terrence Ross scored all 22 of his points in the fourth quarter, and the Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 110-104.

Julius Randle had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the New York Knicks improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 season, cruising to a 121-96 win over the Orlando Magic.

Julius Randle scored 35 points, Evan Fournier made the go-ahead 3-pointer in the second overtime and the New York Knicks outlasted Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics 138-134.

Cade Cunningham is making a strong first impression on the NBA.

A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that All-Star forward Julius Randle has agreed to a $117 million, four-year extension to remain with the New York Knicks.

A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the Boston Celtics have hired Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka to be their new coach.

New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin says Stan Van Gundy is out as coach following just one season at the helm.

Tom Thibodeau got the New York Knicks back to the playoffs, guiding the team to its second-best record in 20 years.

Trae Young put the finishing touches on his impressive first playoff series with 36 points and nine assists, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 103-89 in Game 5.

Philadelphia, Utah and Atlanta can reach the second round.

When the Atlanta Hawks were excluded from the NBA bubble last summer, Trae Young stewed at home.

Trae Young scored 27 points, John Collins added 22 despite a smack to the lip and the Hawks frustrated Julius Randle and the New York Knicks once again.

Shaking off a spitting incident at Madison Square Garden, Trae Young dazzled in the first home playoff game of his career.

The New York Knicks will sell tickets only to fully vaccinated fans if they reach the second round of the playoffs.

The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz all say they have banned fans after incidents in their respective arenas.

Derrick Rose scored 26 points, Julius Randle shook off a miserable first half to lead a third-quarter turnaround and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 in Game 2 to to tie the series.

Trae Young made a runner in the lane with 0.9 seconds left to give the Atlanta Hawks a 107-105 victory over the New York Knicks in a thrilling postseason return for both teams.

It’s being hyped as the largest indoor event in New York since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a crowd of 15,000 expected at Madison Square Garden.

Atlanta Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan was fined $25,000 by the NBA after saying the league is rooting for the success of the New York Knicks and implying his team may struggle to get calls in the opening round of the playoffs.

NBA announcer Mike Breen accidentally called former University of Central Florida center Tacko Fall “Taco Bell” during the regular season finale between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.

Alec Burks scored a season-high 30 points in his return from a three-game absence and the New York Knicks kept up their chase of home-court advantage in the playoffs by rallying to beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-98.

Talen Horton-Tucker made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Lakers improved their hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament and prevented the New York Knicks from clinching a postseason berth with a 101-99 victory.

Derrick Rose scored 25 points off the bench, Reggie Bullock added 24 and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-100 to snap an eight-game skid at Staples Center.

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.

Devin Booker scored 33 points and the Phoenix Suns capped a grueling road trip with a 118-110 victory that snapped the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak.

Julius Randle had 31 points and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett had 25 points and 12 boards, and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 for their ninth straight victory.

Julius Randle had 40 points and 10 rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 137-127 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Julius Randle had 33 points and 10 assists, Derrick Rose made huge plays all over the court to spark New York’s streak-saving finish and the Knicks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 122-112 in overtime for their sixth consecutive victory.

Julius Randle had 34 points and 10 rebounds against his former team and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-96 for their third straight victory.

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, Jeff Green made two free throws with 3.7 seconds left and the Brooklyn Nets overcome the early loss of James Harden to beat the New York Knicks 114-112.

Indiana will hire former star player and longtime NBA coach Mike Woodson as its new head coach. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)INDIANAPOLIS – Mike Woodson won one Big Ten title and one NIT championship while playing for Bob Knight. Indiana hired the former star player as its new coach Sunday, issuing a four-word statement on Twitter — “Welcome home, Coach Woodson” — before the formal announcement. Woodson returned to the New York Knicks as an assistant this season after previously serving as New York's head coach for a little more than two seasons. Matta, who played at Butler and later served as head coach at Butler and Xavier, also reportedly interviewed for the coaching job.

FILE - New York Knicks' Patrick Ewing encourages fans to cheer in the final seconds of their playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets in New York, in this Saturday, April 26, 1997, file photo. Patrick Ewing and Georgetown are back in the NCAA Tournament. (AP Photo/Adam Nadel, File)The Latest on the first round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):___The second full day of the NCAA Tournament is underway and Georgetown started it by kneeling down. The Hoyas locked arms and took a knee during the national anthem ahead of their game against Colorado. Coached by its former star, Patrick Ewing, Georgetown is a 12 seed after making March Madness with a four-win-in-four-day streak through the Big East Tournament.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle shoots over Orlando Magic center Khem Birch (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 18, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, Pool)NEW YORK – Julius Randle recorded his third triple-double of the season with 18 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 94-93 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Evan Fournier scored 23 points but Reggie Bullock stole his pass on Orlando's final possession as the Magic dropped their ninth straight. ...Instead of reading the play, I starting the play (thinking) ahead and I was anticipating (the Knicks double-teaming on a pick-and-roll). “I was going to find my teammates.”The Knicks held Orlando to 42.7% shooting from the field and 29.4% from 3.

So, like any good mom, she did her homework, learning more about the policies in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. New York's Madison Square Garden had roughly 2,000 fans on hand for the Knicks game Tuesday night. Several spring training facilities will open their doors to fans when major league exhibition games start on Sunday. Many places will have no problem filling their limited capacities, but some sports are looking at a longer road when it comes to fans returning. UFC was next at 59% of 40 million devices, followed by the NFL at 53% of 497 million devices.

The Knicks shot 6 of 20 in the third quarter and 12 of 48 (25%) in the second half as their season-best three-game winning streak ended. “It was a good team effort, especially since the Knicks have been playing well for the last seven games,” Ross said. In that second half, we were on the same page, tied together and we closed it out.”Ross made 10 of 16 shots and 5 of 6 3-pointers. AdRandle had 25 points and seven rebounds for New York, but Orlando limited him to eight points in the second half. Al-Farouq Aminu played in just his second game of the season for Orlando.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after being called for a technical foul during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green sharply criticized the NBA following Monday night's win over Cleveland, saying players put on the trading block by teams are being treated unfairly. Green spoke out after news broke of the Cavaliers sitting two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond because they’re looking to deal him. “As a player, you’re the worst person in the world when you want a different situation,” Green said. Bickerstaff also said the decision to sit Drummond came only after consulting both Drummond and his agent about the situation.