Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton weren't expected to be starring in the leading roles on the NBA Finals stage.

Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner beamed as they carried the Indiana Pacers shiny, new Eastern Conference championship trophy into their postgame news conferences Saturday night.

The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school.

The Minnesota Timberwolves say they are investigating if a fan directed racially charged comments toward Golden State’s Draymond Green during the fourth quarter of a playoff game between the teams on Thursday.

The Sacramento Kings are closing in on a deal with Doug Christie to keep him as coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the Play-In Tournament.

The Sacramento Kings took little time to hire a new general manager, agreeing to a deal with Scott Perry just hours after parting ways with Monte McNair.

They’ll be watching in Canada, not just because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though the NBA’s scoring champion and MVP favorite who plays for Oklahoma City surely helps lure in fans who are north of the border.

Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis is about to join a pretty special group of rebounders.

On a night when Josh Hart broke a New York Knicks franchise record that stood for 56 years, he decided to give the game ball to a teammate who played three minutes.

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his 50th career triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Sacramento 130-115 on Tuesday to snap the Kings’ seven-game win streak.

Doug Christie took over as the interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings amid a season-long losing streak, fans booing the team off their home court and questions surrounding the decision to fire Mike Brown, who led the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 16 years in 2023.

Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to have a triple-double with zero turnovers and shoot 100% from the field and the free-throw line in the Denver Nuggets’ 132-121 win over the Utah Jazz.

Jaden Ivey converted a four-point play with 3 seconds left and the Detroit Pistons rallied past the struggling Sacramento Kings 114-113.

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.

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

Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans booked a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a play-in tournament elimination game.

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis’ double-double streak has ended at 61 games.

Jalen Brunson scored 42 points, becoming the fourth player in franchise history with 40 or more in consecutive games, and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 on Saturday night.

De’Aaron Fox tied his career high with 44 points, Malik Monk added 26 and the Sacramento Kings bounced back with a 130-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Damian Lillard swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to give the Milwaukee Bucks a stunning 143-142 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Keegan Murray made 12 3-pointers, two shy of the NBA record, and scored a career-high 47 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 125-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 127-117 in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.

All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis wasn’t a free agent this summer.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic now knows how Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid felt during two previous NBA award seasons.

The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors are going to a winner-take-all Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.

Malik Monk scored 28 points, De’Aaron Fox added 26 points and 11 assists, and the Sacramento Kings staved off elimination in their first-round playoff series by beating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 118-99 in Game 6.

Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Draymond Green had his highest-scoring game in more than five years and the Golden State Warriors won the first road game of their series against Sacramento, beating the Kings 123-116 to take a 3-2 lead.

Draymond Green fully plans to be suspended again, and had some strong words for the NBA trying to make him an example of suspensions based on past behavior.

Stephen Curry scored 36 points, Kevon Looney matched his career high with 20 rebounds to go with nine assists, and the Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 to pull to 2-1.

NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars says it was a difficult decision to suspend Golden State’s Draymond Green for Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round series against Sacramento.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended for one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis and will miss Game 3 of the Warriors’ first-round playoff series against the Kings on Thursday night.

The Golden State Warriors had gone 27 consecutive playoff series during the Stephen Curry era without falling behind 2-0.

De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points and made a backbreaking 3-pointer that led the playoff newcomer Sacramento Kings to a second straight victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-106.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from a playoff game after stomping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis.

After four NBA titles and two more trips to the Finals in the past eight seasons, the Golden State Warriors aren’t about to get flustered by one loss in a best-of-seven series.

Philadelphia had the league's leader in points per game this season in Joel Embiid and assists per game in James Harden.

Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points, De’Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and finished with 42 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.

Stephen Curry scored a season-high 47 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 116-113 to snap a five-game losing streak.

A source with direct knowledge of the agreement said the Houston Rockets are trading center Christian Wood, their leading scorer and rebounder this season, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for four players and a draft pick.

A person familiar with the decision says the Sacramento Kings have agreed to hire Golden State assistant Mike Brown as their head coach.

Landry Shamet made a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime moments after missing an open look beyond the arc and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 127-124 on Sunday.

Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists, and the Denver Nuggets held on after blowing an 18-point lead and beat the Sacramento Kings 106-100.

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.

DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points while extending an NBA-record streak, and the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls squeezed by the Atlanta Hawks 112-108.

With the NBA trade deadline looming, it's decision time for teams around the league.

The Indiana Pacers are trading two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings in a 6-player deal.

Cedi Osman scored 22 points and Kevin Love had 19 as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from 20 down to beat Indiana 98-85, shortly after agreeing to acquire shooting guard Caris LeVert from the Pacers.

The Charlotte Hornets broke the franchise’s single-game scoring record on Wednesday night and notched the highest point total in the NBA this season in their 158-126 rout of the Indiana Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers increased the pressure on Lakers coach Frank Vogel with a 111-104 victory over Los Angeles.

Devin Booker scored 35 points, Deandre Ayton had 27 points and 12 rebounds and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Indiana Pacers 112-94 on Friday night.

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points and sparked Brooklyn to a big rally in the second half of his season debut, Kevin Durant had 39 and the Nets beat the Indiana Pacers 129-121.

Stephen Curry finished one 3-pointer shy of the NBA career record on Monday night, making five 3-pointers and scoring 26 points to help the Golden State Warriors rally late for a 102-100 win over the Indiana Pacers.

LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana 124-116 on Wednesday night.

Toronto coach Nick Nurse is an American.

Russell Westbrook nearly had a triple-double and Bradley Beal scored 25 points in just 29 minutes to help the Washington Wizards reach the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round.

Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists, and the short-handed Indiana Pacers routed the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 in the Eastern Conference’s first play-in game.

The Indiana Pacers will be without starting forward Caris LeVert when they face the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA's first play-in game.

Anthony Davis scored 28 points and LeBron James returned after a six-game absence to score 24 Saturday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Domantas Sabonis had his ninth triple-double of the season and Caris LeVert added 24 points to help Indiana rally past Philadelphia 103-94, ending the 76ers eight-game winning streak.

Russell Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson’s NBA record for triple-doubles with 181, finishing with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists, and made two free throws with a second left to give Washington a 133-132 overtime victory over Indiana on Saturday night.

Russell Westbrook had the third game in NBA history with 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists, and the surging Washington Wizards moved closer to Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double in the first half and the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 152-95 in the largest home loss in NBA history.

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 42 points, including 22 in the third quarter, and the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets glided to a 130-113 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points before leaving the game with a sprained ankle in the third quarter, and the NBA-leading Utah Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 119-111.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) meet after an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)An NBA-record five players had triple-doubles Saturday, including former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook in the same game. All-Stars James Harden, Julius Randle and Domantas Sabonis also had triple-doubles in victories by their teams. The two-time MVP helped the Bucks overcome 42 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds by Westbrook, who owns the NBA record with 42 triple-doubles in 2016-17. Randle started the record day with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in New York's 119-97 victory in Oklahoma City, becoming the first Knicks player with two triple-doubles in the same season since Mark Jackson in the 1988-89 season.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – Stephen Curry shot his way to another 3-point title and Domantas Sabonis made sure the Skills Challenge still belongs to the bigs. Conley had the lead with 27 points before Curry was the final shooter of the contest. Curry had 26 points before sinking his final shot from the corner for 28 points and the win. Tatum led off the final round with 17 points while making only one shot from the “money ball” rack. In the final, Toppin took off from near the free-throw line, inspiring comparisons to Wilkins' winning form while with the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, shoots as Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)ATLANTA – It's the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want. "It’s the All-Star Game, so there’s going to be some shenanigans out there. Team LeBron will play on behalf of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represents the United Negro College Fund. Trae Young, a starter in 2020, was snubbed this season despite averaging 26.4 points — the most of any player not selected for the All-Star Game.

1 overall pick on Antetokounmpo — the NBA’s two-time reigning MVP from Milwaukee — in the draft for Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. Kevin Durant, who will not play in the All-Star Game because of injury but still is the captain for Team Durant, took Brooklyn teammate Kyrie Irving with his first pick. This is the fourth year of the NBA's playing captain format for the All-Star Game. It’s the All-Star Game, so there’s going to be some shenanigans out there. AdTHE COACHESRivers, who played in one All-Star Game, is coaching the game for the third time.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Phoenix’s Devin Booker have been 3-point champions at All-Star weekend before, and they’ll try to win that trophy again Sunday. The NBA revealed the 15 players Tuesday who will be taking part in the other on-court events besides the All-Star Game in Atlanta, with the overwhelming majority of them pulling double-duty between those competitions and the game itself. They’ll be joined by Portland’s Robert Covington, the only current NBA player who is a graduate of a historically Black college and university. It will be held at halftime of the All-Star Game, while the skills competition and 3-point contest will occur pregame. Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, San Antonio and Toronto have no one participating in All-Star night events.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. But this will be his first time in the All-Star Game itself.

Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (7) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Marcus Morris Sr. scored a season-high 20 points to lead seven players in double figures, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-96 on Sunday night for their first four-game winning streak of the season. The Clippers ran off 10 straight points early in the fourth to lead 110-81. It was their fourth straight game with at least 15 3-pointers made, tying the longest such streak in franchise history. ... Williams missed his second straight game with a left hip injury.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives against Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III (44) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Boston. Irving scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting and had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals helping the Nets rout the Celtics 113-89 Friday night in the final preseason game for both teams. There were no fans in the new Boston Garden on Friday night, and his introduction was greeted with a faint, fake cheer. Precious Achiuwa scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo scored 13 points and Tyler Herro scored 10. McCollum led the Blazers with 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting and Gary Trent Jr. added 18 points in the loss.

But right now it's more hurting the teams that should be playing in front of rowdy fans, not virtual ones. With Domantas Sabonis lost to injury, the Pacers need Turner to do even more on the inside to pick up the slack. Game 2, 9 p.m. ESPN NEED TO KNOW: These teams are seeded No. 8 based on what they did over the entire season, but there is no such difference in the bubble. Vogel said he believes in adjusting when necessary and may decide the Lakers need more speed on the floor and go smaller.

I just wanted to be aggressive, do what I do best, Warren said. Tobias Harris scored 30 points for Philadelphia, and Ben Simmons had 19 points and 13 rebounds. But the leading trio for the Sixers wasn't enough to overcome Warren, who matched a franchise record with 19 points in the first quarter. He punished us tonight from the beginning of the game on.The Pacers got the restart-opening win without two starters. The Sixers were down 35-29 after the first and had eight turnovers, including two each from Embiid and Milton.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2020, file photo, Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Milwaukee. But after 20 weeks of waiting, wondering and worrying, the 2019-20 NBA season is ready to hit the restart button with a champion scheduled to be crowned in October. For the front-runners like the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks and West-leading Lakers, the eight remaining games before the playoffs are about tuning up their games. The biggest names are here: reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks, LeBron James of the Lakers, scoring champion James Harden of Houston, plus the reigning Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in Leonard. The intensity is going to start to pick up with the games just meaning much more, Philadelphia forward Al Horford said.