Devin Booker scores 51 points in 3 quarters, Suns rout Bulls
Devin Booker scored a season-high 51 points in just three quarters, Deandre Ayton had 30 points and 14 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns stretched their winning streak to six games with a 132-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
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AP source: Grant accepts Olympic bid, pushes US roster to 12
USA Basketball now has a full 12-man roster for the Tokyo Games, after Chicagoโs Zach LaVine and Detroitโs Jerami Grant accepted invitations Wednesday to join the team that will try to win the programโs fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
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USA Basketball picks 57 players for men's Tokyo Games pool
USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summerโs rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. Itโs also already drawing major interest from some NBA stars who have yet to taste Olympic gold. USA Basketball will pare the list to a 12-person Olympic team by early summer. Jordan, who now plays for Brooklyn, is also a newcomer to the pool even though he was on the 2016 Olympic team. โBut for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.โ
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NBA All-Star 2021: The game no one seemed to want
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 โ It's the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want. "Itโs the All-Star Game, so thereโs 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 โ the most of any player not selected for the All-Star Game.
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James, Durant choose their teams for Sunday's All-Star Game
1 overall pick on Antetokounmpo โ the NBAโs two-time reigning MVP from Milwaukee โ in the draft for Sundayโs 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. Itโs the All-Star Game, so thereโs going to be some shenanigans out there. AdTHE COACHESRivers, who played in one All-Star Game, is coaching the game for the third time.
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NBA reveals All-Star skills, 3-point, dunk participants
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Golden Stateโs Stephen Curry and Phoenixโs Devin Booker have been 3-point champions at All-Star weekend before, and theyโll 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. Theyโll be joined by Portlandโs 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.
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NBA chooses All-Star reserves, with Zion among first-timers
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 gameโs 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Phoenixโs Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklynโs James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphiaโs Ben Simmons, Bostonโs Jayson Tatum and Orlandoโs Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakersโ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippersโ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portlandโs Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. But this will be his first time in the All-Star Game itself.
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Embiid scores career-high 50 points to lead 76ers past Bulls
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts after a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Philadelphia. Embiid scored a career-high 50 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 112-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. With the 76ers clinging to a 107-103 lead, Embiid blocked LaVineโs driving attempt with 1:02 remaining, then hit a 17-foot baseline jumper with 41 seconds left. AdโOverall I thought the guys really competed, battled and hung in there,โ Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. Voted an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season on Thursday, Embiid scored 25 first-half points in a variety of ways, seemingly however he wanted.
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LaVine scores 46 points, Bulls hit 25 3s to beat Pelicans
Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine dunks past New Orleans Pelicans' Lonzo Ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Chicago. LaVine scored a season-high 46 points, hitting nine of Chicago's franchise-record 25 3-pointers, and the Bulls cooled off the New Orleans Pelicans with a 129-116 victory Wednesday. LaVine and White became the first duo in NBA history to make at least eight 3s apiece in the same game, according to STATS. โWe (were) due for a good team shooting night,โ White said. Zion Williamson had 29 points for New Orleans, and Brandon Ingram finished with 21 points on 6-for-19 shooting.
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Davis scores season-high 37 as Lakers beat Bulls 101-90
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, right, shoots against Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Davis dominated with a season-high 37 points against his hometown team, LeBron James added 17 points and 11 rebounds and the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 101-90 on Saturday. Davis scored 26 points in the highest scoring half by a Laker this season as Los Angeles grabbed a 63-33 lead. Bulls: Chicago shot 39 about percent from the field and made 8 of 25 3-pointers. Bulls: Chicago hosts Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.
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Bulls roll past Mavs 117-101 to end 4-game losing streak
Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) shoots over Dallas Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)DALLAS โ Lauri Markkanen had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Garrett Temple scored 15 of his season-high 21 points in the second quarter and the Chicago Bulls ended a four-game losing streak with a 117-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Markkanen, in his second game back after missing seven games because of COVID-19 protocols, was 10 of 19 from the field while recording season highs in points and rebounds. Mavericks: Dallas travel to the Raptors' temporary home in Tampa, Florida, on Monday in the second back-to-back of the season. The Mavericks lost at Chicago in the first game of their other back-to-back before winning at Houston.
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Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder past Donovan, Bulls in OT
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots between Chicago Bulls guard Garrett Temple (17) and forward Lauri Markkanen during overtime of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)OKLAHOMA CITY โ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a career-high 33 points and 10 assists to help Oklahoma City beat the Chicago Bulls and former Thunder coach Billy Donovan 127-125 in overtime Friday night. Donovan knew all too well how good Oklahoma City can be under challenging circumstances. ... Oklahoma City scored 19 points off Chicago's nine turnovers in the third quarter. ... Oklahoma City shot 56% in the third quarter and outscored the Bulls 37-27.
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James, Davis back on court for Lakers as season draws near
James scored 11 points in 15 minutes. Also on Wednesday, Chicago beat Oklahoma City 124-103, and Denver beat Portland 126-95. BULLS 124, THUNDER 103At Oklahoma City, the Bulls took control in the second quarter and didnโt let up. LaVine scored 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the first quarter while Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 for Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City couldnโt get into a flow, but part of that was because first-year coach Mark Daigneault gave minutes to 13 players.
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For Donovan, job with Bulls 'came out of left field'
CHICAGO โ The Chicago Bulls weren't on Billy Donovan's radar when he and the Oklahoma City Thunder parted ways after five successful seasons. So this kind of came out of left field for me.โThe Bulls introduced Donovan as their coach on Thursday, two days after they announced they landed arguably the most attractive candidate on the market to help turn around a struggling team with new management. Donovan met in person with Karnisovas and Marc Eversley for 5 1/2 hours to get the process in gear. And when Donovan accepted the job, Karnisovas said, โI could not stop smiling.โHiring Donovan was a rare big and bold move for the Bulls. Donovan said he was โtaken abackโ by Karnisovas' vision and is looking forward to โworking hand in handโ with him.
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Down in Disney, Bucks hope to finish the job this season
FILE - In this a Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts to his shot the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Milwaukee. If Antetokounmpo can shoot like that in real games, maybe the Milwaukee Bucks can finish the job and win the title this season. The Bucks are too, bringing the NBAs best record into the resumption of the season next week at Walt Disney World. The Toronto Raptors exploited that last season, with versatile, big defenders such as Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka who could keep Antetokounmpo from the rim and make him shoot outside. The Bucks believe this season they have enough to go all the way, even without getting to use the home-court advantage they likely would have earned.