Alex Rodriguez remembers a very specific lesson that longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner taught him over the years.

Malik Beasley should be riding high right now, after a season where he became just the fifth player in NBA history to make at least 300 shots from 3-point range in a single season.

The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 to win the Western Conference finals series 4-1 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a steely performance befitting the NBA MVP, and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped back from a 42-point loss by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-126 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder found all kinds of soft spots in the defense and consistently hit those open shots over two decisive wins to start the Western Conference finals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made quite an entrance in the Western Conference finals even if their 143-101 victory in Game 3 was a late arrival.

Anthony Edwards had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists in just three quarters to lead the re-energized Minnesota Timberwolves in a 143-101 victory over Oklahoma City in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo were the only players to appear on every MVP ballot this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points a day after being named the NBA’s MVP, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Minnesota Timberwolves again, winning 118-103 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

If the NBA playoffs were like the NCAA tournament, chances are your brackets would be busted by now.

There will be a new NBA champion.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year.

Julius Randle scored 29 points on 13-for-18 shooting to send the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals for the second straight time with a 121-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points for his second straight 30-point performance, Julius Randle had 31 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 117-110 for a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Anthony Edwards hit a baseline 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining and scored 36 points, Julius Randle had a triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 102-97 for a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Julius Randle had 24 points and 11 assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves through another uneven performance, this time capitalizing on Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s absence in a 117-93 victory that tied the second-round series at one game apiece.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have seen Anthony Edwards writhing in pain on the floor several times throughout his career before eventually welcoming their star guard back to the game.

Defending champion Boston vs.

Rudy Gobert had playoff career highs of 27 points and 24 rebounds, Julius Randle added 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves advanced in the NBA playoffs with a 103-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick saw the urgency he was anticipating while his team practiced before what could be its final game of a tumultuous season.

Referees missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic getting fouled with 33 seconds left in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA said Monday.

Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put them up 3-1 in the first-round series.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have better size, depth, defense and chemistry than the Los Angeles Lakers and lead the first-round series 2-1.

Last spring, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals with a series-ending victory at Target Center.

Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic while sparking the Timberwolves in a 116-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

The Orlando Magic have been here before.

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

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks has won the NBA’s clutch player of the year award.

Luka Doncic had 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers fought back to even their first-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 94-85 victory in Game 2.

It’s now reasonable to think that Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo finished third in this season’s balloting for the NBA MVP award.

When Luka Doncic scored 16 points in the first quarter of his playoff debut with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers’ downtown arena crackled with excitement from fans imagining dream scenarios for their new superstar this spring.

Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points, Naz Reid added 23 with six 3-pointers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame Luka Doncic’s 37-point Lakers playoff debut for a 117-95 victory over Los Angeles.

New York beating Detroit had become something of an NBA certainty, with the Knicks doing it 16 straight times over a span of five years.

The final game to end in the NBA regular season was a big one for seeding in the Western Conference, with the Los Angeles Clippers beating the Golden State Warriors 124-119 in overtime Sunday to clinch the No. 5 seed.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ will have Anthony Edwards available for their final game of the regular season after the NBA rescinded the technical foul he got in Minnesota’s 117-91 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Minnesota star Anthony Edwards was slapped with his NBA-most 18th technical foul of the season.

Regular-season defeats don’t get much more brutal than the one the Minnesota Timberwolves suffered Tuesday.

The yearslong quest by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to acquire control of the Minnesota Timberwolves seems to finally be in the home stretch, after current owner Glen Taylor opted not to appeal an arbitration panel’s ruling that he must go forward with the $1.5 billion sale.

Michael Malone called him Superman.

A brutal season for the Phoenix Suns hit a low Sunday night with a humiliating 116-98 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined $35,000 by the NBA for failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection from a recent game and throwing the ball into the stands.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been suspended one game without pay by the NBA after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The verdicts were mixed, as would be expected.

Stephen Curry has captured MVP honors at the All-Star Game in front of his home fans, in his arena.

The winning total last year: 211 points.

LeBron James got drafted No. 1 again.

The NBA All-Stars have been selected.

NBA coaches are obviously convinced: Victor Wembanyama is one of the league’s very best players.

Ja Morant made a tiebreaking jumper with 18 seconds left, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 33 points and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-125 on Saturday night in a game that was tight from start to finish.

Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 105-99 Christmas Day victory over Dallas after Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the game with a strained left calf.

Karl-Anthony Towns needed some extra time to prepare for playing against the team he always figured he'd be with his whole career.

Anthony Edwards scored 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-87.

Julius Randle scored 18 points and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Los Angeles Lakers 109-80.

In his four-plus NBA seasons, Anthony Edwards has never been afraid to speak his mind.

Julius Randle hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cap his 35-point night and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a wild 120-117 win over the Phoenix Suns.

When De’Aaron Fox saw he had scored 48 points by the fourth quarter in a 130-126 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, teammate Malik Monk told him, “You might as well go get 60.”.

Anthony Edwards had 36 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the shorthanded Sacramento Kings 130-126 in overtime on Friday to snap a three-game losing streak, overcoming a franchise record 60 points by De’Aaron Fox.

Denver point guard Jamal Murray was placed in the concussion protocol after a third-quarter collision with Minnesota’s Julius Randle forced him out of the game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick in a franchise-altering deal.

Boston will get its championship rings on Oct. 22, and the rival New York Knicks will be there for the celebration.

Grant Hill will be back for another stint as managing director of the U.S. senior men's national basketball team.

Halfway to its goal of gold, the U.S. has the No. 1 seed going into the medal round at the Paris Olympics.

The U.S. men's basketball team had an easier time with South Sudan in the rematch than it did when the teams first met a couple of weeks ago.

On the first sunny day of the Paris Olympics, the stars from the United States shined bright.

LeBron James made his Olympic return after a 12-year absence.

On Friday, LeBron James will carry the U.S. flag.

Stephen Curry scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 17 and the U.S. beat Serbia 105-79 to improve to 3-0 in its five-game slate of exhibitions before the Paris Olympics.

Anthony Davis scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton came up with a pair of late 3-pointers that helped stop a freefall by the Americans, and the U.S. beat Australia 98-92 on Monday to improve to 2-0 in its five-game slate of exhibitions leading into the Paris Olympics.

For USA Basketball, the road to the Paris Olympics has started with a win.

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor.

Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 to avoid a sweep in the Western Conference finals.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been the closers for the Dallas Mavericks, who have a chance to sweep Minnesota in the Western Conference finals.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 33 points apiece and the Dallas Mavericks made all the big plays late again, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Anthony Edwards had the ball for Minnesota with a two-point lead and threw the ball out of bounds with 13 seconds left against Dallas in the Western Conference finals.

Luka Doncic hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and posted his fifth triple-double of the playoffs to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-0 lead on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.

Kyrie Irving injected a burst of energy into the Dallas Mavericks to begin the Western Conference finals with a furious flurry of drives to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Luka Doncic had 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 108-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

LeBron James is now the youngest and the oldest player to make an All-NBA team.

Karl-Anthony Towns has seen the payoff this spring for his commitment to and sacrifice for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Denver coach Michael Malone first broached the subject with his team in training camp, reminding them no NBA champion had won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2018.

The Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in two decades Sunday night when they roared back from a 20-point deficit to defeat the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90.

The Denver Nuggets couldn’t quiet an epic second-half comeback by Minnesota or the noise emanating from a boisterous Timberwolves locker room.

Anthony Edwards overcame a slow start and the Timberwolves roared back from a 20-point second-half deficit to eliminate the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90 in a Game 7 Minnesota masterpiece.

There are two Game 7s in the NBA on Sunday.

Anthony Edwards scored 27 points to pull the Minnesota Timberwolves out of their mid-series slump and deliver a flawless 115-70 victory over the Denver Nuggets to force a Game 7 in this roller-coaster playoff matchup.

None of the five teams to win the NBA championship prior to Denver last year advanced past the second round of the playoffs the following season.

Anthony Edwards was seeing double everywhere he turned.

Nikola Jokic was presented with his third NBA MVP award before the game, then scored 40 points and dished out 13 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-97 Tuesday night.

Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and Aaron Gordon had 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting to propel the Denver Nuggets to a series-tying 115-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals.

Jamal Murray rebounded from a rough start to the Western Conference semifinals with 24 points to lead the Denver Nuggets on a 117-90 romp in Game 3 that made the Minnesota Timberwolves the last team in the NBA to lose in this postseason.

The Minnesota Timberwolves did the hard part by winning the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series in Denver against the defending champion Nuggets.

Another dominant performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves has the reigning but reeling NBA champion Denver Nuggets on the cusp of a stunning early exit from the playoffs.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray lost his cool on the bench and tossed a heat pack onto the court.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone says it's about time his team snaps out of its slow starts.

Anthony Edwards scored a playoff career-high 43 points, Naz Reid had 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 106-99 in Game 1 of the second-round series Saturday night.

The brilliance of Anthony Edwards will likely be the reason if the Minnesota Timberwolves knock down the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in their second-round playoff matchup.

The Denver Nuggets needed just five games to dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers from the playoffs for a second consecutive year.