NBA

NEW YORK (AP) - Cleveland's four-game sweep of Atlanta in the Eastern Conference finals averaged 6.8 million viewers on TNT, a 7 percent increase from last season's coverage.The four games, along with the Inside the NBA studio show, were the two highest-rated programs on cable each night. Game 3...

The fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be treated to a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers when they take their seats on Sunday. Chicago At Indiana When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 3, 2013 Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, WCIU (Chicago) PREDICTION: Pacers...

Bill Sharman, who was coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1971-72 season when the team reeled off an NBA-record 33 straight wins, believes that LeBron James and the Miami Heat have what it takes to challenge that mark. Since setting the bar, the Lakers' record never has been...

Charlotte Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a concussion and will remain hospitalized overnight for observation in Houston after teammate Jeff Taylor collided with him going for a rebound on Saturday night. Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap said Kidd-Gilchrist was moving his extremities and talking as he was wheeled off the floor....

The Boston Celtics acquired third-year guard Jordan Crawford from the Washington Wizards for guard Leandro Barbosa and center Jason Collins on Thursday, sources have confirmed to ESPN.com. Barbosa is out the remainder of the 2012-13 season after tearing his ACL earlier this month. Crawford is expected to fill Barbosa's void...

Stephen Curry rose for another jumper, and by then even the Knicks probably figured it would go in. Curry had hardly missed in a scintillating second half of the NBA's most electric performance this season, the crowd cheering even before the ball left his hands. This time, Raymond Felton jumped with...

Ex-NBA All-Star Stoudemire opens new chapter in IsraelJERUSALEM (AP) Recently retired NBA All-Star Amare Stoudemire insists he has plenty of basketball left in him.Arriving in what he called ''my favorite city in the world'' for a new chapter as a player for Hapoel Jerusalem, Stoudemire says he came...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Hornets center Al Jefferson will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks.The operation will repair a tear in the lateral meniscus of Jefferson's right knee. The team announced the injury after the start of Wednesday...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The New Orleans Pelicans say forward Anthony Davis is expected to return from a chest injury for Tuesday night's game against the Utah Jazz.The injury caused Davis to leave last Friday night's victory over Cleveland in the first quarter and then sit out Sunday night's...

The Detroit Pistons' season ends in four games, but they still could have some effect on the Chicago Bulls' playoff path. Brandon Knight scored 20 points Sunday night to help the Pistons snap an 18-game losing streak against the Bulls with a 99-85 victory. The loss dropped Chicago two games...

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has told Dwight Howard he will not be traded before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, according to league sources. Kupchak recently told Newsday the same thing, saying: "We will not trade Dwight Howard." Sources say Kupchak has told Howard several times that he...

Investor Chris Hansen, who has a deal to build an arena in Seattle to lure an NBA team, has contacted the Maloof family about buying the Sacramento Kings, people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal has been reached. One person...