*NBA (2)*

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Lakers win in-season tournament final behind Anthony Davis' 41-20​

The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston celtics for the most championships in NBA history. But after Saturday night, they are the only team in NBA history to have won the NBA Cup. Behind a masterful performance from Anthony Davis, who had 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. LeBron James, who added 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, was named tournament MVP.

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LeBron James wins in-season tournament MVP; 'no jealousy' from AD​

LeBron James sat at the podium, barely damp after speeding through a postgame champagne celebration after winning MVP of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament on Saturday. He placed the trophy on his left. Sitting to his right was the person who made the hardware possible and someone who, quite frankly, outplayed him in Saturday's 123-109 championship win over the Indiana Pcers. Despite 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks from Anthony Davis forcing Indiana's Myles Turner to foul out while defending the Los Angeles Lakers big man's relentless attacks to the paint -- James and Davis had no problem with the pecking order. The Lakers weren't shy about their motivation to win the tournament beyond the competition. The $500,000 cash prize for every player on the winning team was something that James prioritized, recognizing it represented an opportunity that was a far cry from his tough upbringing in Akron, Ohio.

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National Basketball Association
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Los Angeles Lakers to hang banner that honors NBA Cup win​

After the Los Angeles Lakers failed to defend their 2020 championship when they lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2021, general manager Rob Pelinka stated the franchise's aspirations in no uncertain terms. Turns out the Lakers will be hanging another banner at Crypto.com Arena to recognize winning the inaugural NBA in-season tournament in Las Vegas, but the team is making sure the NBA Cup victory won't be confused with the ultimate goal of a championship. The in-season tournament banner will have a different shape and color than the existing gold NBA championship banners that line the rafters. There will also be just one in-season tournament banner that the Lakers will use to honor their win in 2023 and any future years should they win the tournament again.

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Draymond Green ejected again for flagrant 2 on Jusuf Nurkic​

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Tuesday night's 119-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the head. The ejection is his third of the season, and he now will have to await a league review for the possibility of another suspension. Green was ejected with 8:23 left in the third quarter after he swung and hit Nurkic in the head while defending him. At first, while Green's back was turned to Nurkic, he repeatedly held Nurkic off him. Eventually, Green turned and hit Nurkic in the head with his hand. Officials deemed the foul a flagrant 2 after a video review.

"I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn't intend to hit him," Green said after the game. "I sell calls with my arms ... so I was selling the call ... and I swung and unfortunately I hit him."

Green's three ejections are tied for his most in a season. His first came after he picked up two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11. His second came against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 14 when he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The NBA suspended Green for five games after the latter incident, with the league citing Green's history as a repeat offender for the length of the suspension.

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NBA Power Rankings: Bucks bounce back, Lakers rise with NBA Cup, Warriors fall​

[size=4After an exciting inaugural in-season tournament ended with the Los Angeles Lakers raising the NBA Cup and pocketing a few extra dollars, the regular season continues to play out. We're close to the finish of 2023 but far from the end of the thrills, as the race for the top five teams in our rank is tight.

Top 10

Rank: Team | Record
No.1: Boston | 17-5
No.2: Minnesota | 17-5
No.3: Philadelphia | 15-7
No.4: Milwaukee | 16-7
No.5: Oklahoma City | 15-7
No.6: Denver | 16-9
No.7: Orlando | 16-7
No.8: Los Angeles Lakers | 14-10
No.9: Indiana | 13-8
No.10: Dallas | 15-8

 

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Wizards, Capitals moving to Virginia in tentative state deal​

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has reached a tentative agreement with the parent company of the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals to move those teams from the District of Columbia to what he called a new "visionary sports and entertainment venue" in northern Virginia. The proposal, which would need the state legislature's approval, calls for the creation of a $2 billion sports and entertainment district south of Washington in Alexandria, just miles from the existing arena, Youngkin said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of a news conference Wednesday at the site. It would include an arena for what would be the state's first major professional sports teams, as well as a new Wizards practice facility, a separate performing arts center, a media studio, new hotels, a convention center, housing and shopping.

When the Capitals and Wizards moved from suburban Maryland to D.C.'s Chinatown district in 1997 in what was then known as MCI Center, officials credited the arena with sparking a revival in downtown Washington. In recent years, critics who have faulted city officials for lax crime policies have said the neighborhood around the arena has suffered disproportionately. The administration expects the project to generate a combined $12 billion in economic impact for Virginia and the city of Alexandria in the coming decades and create around 30,000 new jobs, Youngkin's office said in a statement. Subject to legislative approval, it would break ground in 2025 and open in late 2028.

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Oklahoma City voters approve sales tax for $900M Thunder arena​

Oklahoma City voters on Tuesday approved a 1% sales tax for six years to help fund a new downtown arena for the Thunder that is expected to cost at least $900 million. The Oklahoma State Election Board reported that 71% of voters approved the plan. The vote is an example of the connection between the team, fans and the community, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. Under the deal, the Thunder agree to stay in Oklahoma City through at least 2050. The Thunder's ownership group will contribute $50 million toward construction of the new arena. The deal also calls for $70 million in funding from a sales tax approved by voters in 2019 for upgrades to the existing Paycom arena. The proposal was strongly endorsed by Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and officials from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, who argued that keeping the Thunder is an integral part of the city's growth and economic development.

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Related Links

NBA suspends Draymond Green Indefinity, cites 'repeated history'
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By: CeeJay | December 14, 2023

 

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2023-24 NBA Standings | Conference
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Leaders
Eastern Conference
No.1: Boston (18 - 5)
No.2: Milwaukee (17 - 7)
No.3: Orlando (16 - 7)
No.4: Philadelphia (16 - 7)
No.5: Indiana (13 - 9)
No.6: New York (13 - 10)
No.7: Miami (14 - 11)
No.8: Brooklyn (13 - 11)
No.9: Cleveland (13 - 12)
No.10: Toronto (10 - 14)

Western Conference
Leaders
No.1: Minnesota (18 - 5)
No.2: Denver (17 -9)
No.3: Oklahoma City (15 -8)
No.4: Dallas (15 - 9)
No.5: Sacramento (14 - 9)
No.6: Los Angeles Lakers (15 - 10)
No.7: LA Clippers (14 - 10)
No.8: Houston (12 - 9)
No.9: New Orleans (14 - 11)
No.10: Phoenix (13 - 11)

2023-24 NBA Standings | Division
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Leaders
Eastern Conference
Atlantic: Boston (18 - 5) #1
Central: Milwaukee (17 - 7) #2
Southeast: Orlando (16 - 7) #3

Western Conference
Leaders
Northwest: Minnesota (18 - 5) #1
Pacific: Sacramento (14 - 9) #5
Southwest: Dallas (15 - 9) #4

 

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NBA Stat Leaders | Players | 2023-24
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Leaders
Points: J. Embiid, Philadelphia | 33.8 ppg
Rebounds: N. Jokic, Denver | 12.7 rpg
Assist: T. Haliburton, Indiana | 12.0 apg
Blocks: B. Lopez, Milwaukee | 3.0 bpg
Steals: S. Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City | 2.4 spg
3-Pointers Made: S. Curry, Golden State | 5.0 3pmpg

NBA Stat Leaders | Team | 2023-24
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Offensive Leaders
Points: Indiana - 128.4 ppg
Field Goal %: Indiana - 50.7
Points Differential: Philadelphia - +9.2

Defensive Leaders
Points Allowed: Houston - 105.5 papg
Rebounds: Brooklyn- 47.7 rpg
Blocks: Phoenix - 6.8 bpg

 

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks hip in fall at L.A. concert​

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after suffering a broken hip when he fell at a concert in Los Angeles, his representative Deborah Morales told multiple outlets Saturday. Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was taken to the hospital Friday night after falling at the undisclosed event and was slated to undergo surgery Saturday, according to Morales. No other details about his condition were released. A Hall of Famer who won NBA titles with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar is the league's only six-time MVP and was the NBA career scoring leader until his record was broken by LeBron James in February.

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North Carolina basketball star Eric Montross dies at age 52​

Former North Carolina and NBA big man Eric Montross, who began treatment for cancer in March, died Sunday at the age of 52, his family announced Monday. Montross played for Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith at UNC from 1990 to 1994, and he was the starting center when the Tar Heels won the 1993 national championship. He was a first-team All-ACC selection that season, and he was a two-time Associated Press second-team All-American. Montross was selected ninth in the 1994 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors during his eight-year NBA career. Since his playing career, he had served as a radio analyst for UNC game broadcasts for 18 seasons and worked as the senior major gifts director for the Rams Club, the fundraising arm of UNC's athletic department. He was also known for his charitable efforts, such as helping launch a father-child basketball camp for Father's Day weekend to support UNC Children's Hospital.

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Stephen Curry's 3-pointer streak ends at 268 games in Warriors' win​

Stephen Curry's NBA-record 3-pointer streak ended at 268 games as the Golden State Warriors held off the Portland Trail Blazers 118-114 on Sunday night. Curry was 0-for-8 from 3-point range and 2-for-12 overall while scoring seven points for the visitors. He began the streak Dec. 1, 2018, at the Detroit Pistons. Curry, the NBA career leader who recently made his 3,500th 3-pointer, last went without one in a regular-season game on Nov. 8, 2018, when he was 0-for-4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He also owns the second-longest NBA streak at 157 games. Curry, a two-time league MVP, missed all nine of his 3-point attempts in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, one game before the Warriors won the title. Curry had made one in his previous 132 postseason games, another NBA record.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks hip in fall at L.A. concert​

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after suffering a broken hip when he fell at a concert in Los Angeles, his representative Deborah Morales told multiple outlets Saturday. Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was taken to the hospital Friday night after falling at the undisclosed event and was slated to undergo surgery Saturday, according to Morales. No other details about his condition were released. A Hall of Famer who won NBA titles with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar is the league's only six-time MVP and was the NBA career scoring leader until his record was broken by LeBron James in February.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar faces 3 months of recovery for broken hip​

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recovering from surgery for a broken hip after he fell at a concert in Los Angeles. The NBA Hall of Famer had surgery Sunday "with no complications," his business partner and spokeswoman, Deborah Morales, told The Associated Press on Monday. "He will be in recovery for the next three months," she wrote via text. Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was attending a show Friday night when he was injured. Paramedics at the undisclosed venue responded, and Abdul-Jabbar was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was a key player on the Los Angeles Lakers' teams during their "Showtime" era in the 1980s, leading them to five NBA championships. He starred at UCLA, where he was known as Lew Alcindor and was a three-time national player of the year under coach John Wooden. Abdul-Jabbar disclosed in 2020 that he had prostate cancer. In 2009, he said he had been diagnosed the previous year with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer.

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Los Angeles Lakers to hang banner that honors NBA Cup win​

After the Los Angeles Lakers failed to defend their 2020 championship when they lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2021, general manager Rob Pelinka stated the franchise's aspirations in no uncertain terms. Turns out the Lakers will be hanging another banner at Crypto.com Arena to recognize winning the inaugural NBA in-season tournament in Las Vegas, but the team is making sure the NBA Cup victory won't be confused with the ultimate goal of a championship. The in-season tournament banner will have a different shape and color than the existing gold NBA championship banners that line the rafters. There will also be just one in-season tournament banner that the Lakers will use to honor their win in 2023 and any future years should they win the tournament again.

Click here For Full Story

Lakers embrace in-season tournament win with banner ceremony​

The new in-season tournament championship banner unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night won't be mistaken for the NBA title totems that dot the rafters at Crypto.com Arena, but it's something the team is proud of in its own right. Lakers players paused their pregame warmups for a brief ceremony about 20 minutes prior to tipoff. A video tribute featuring highlights from L.A.'s 7-0 run through the tournament, culminating in a championship win over the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas just over a week ago, was played on the videoboard. Then a black curtain that covered the banner was lowered to display the new decor.

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NBA approves sale of majority stake of Mavericks for roughly $3.5B​

The NBA on Wednesday approved the sale of controlling interest of the Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban to the families that run the Las Vegas Sands casino company. The deal was approved just shy of a month after the families of Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont announced their intention to buy the club. The purchase is at a valuation of around $3.5 billion. Patrick Dumont, Adelson's son-in-law and president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands company, will serve as Mavericks governor. Adelson is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Cuban is expected to maintain control of basketball operations, and there's no indication the club will leave Dallas.

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Mark Cuban says sale puts Mavs in 'better position to compete'​

Mark Cuban beamed about forming a "great partnership" hours after the NBA board of governors approved the sale of the controlling interest of the Dallas Mavericks to the families who run the Las Vegas Sands casino company, a deal that will allow Cuban to continue running the franchise's basketball operations. The deal was approved Wednesday, just shy of a month after the families of Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont announced their intention to buy the club. The purchase is at a valuation in excess of $4 billion, sources told ESPN. Cuban will maintain a 27% stake of the Mavericks' ownership and serve as the team's alternate governor. Dallas was one of the worst franchises in pro sports in the 1990s but turned into one of the best under Cuban, with a lot of help from star forward Dirk Nowitzki -- now a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the leader of the team that won the 2011 NBA championship.

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Sources: Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore to acquire majority of Timberwolves, Lynx​

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are expected to exercise their option to acquire controlling ownership interest of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA's Lynx as soon as Thursday, sources told ESPN. Lore and Rodriguez, who have a Dec. 31 deadline, will be formalizing an intent to purchase a final 40% of the NBA and WNBA franchises from Glen Taylor -- giving Lore and Rodriguez 80% total of the two teams by early 2024, sources said. Lore and Rodriguez still have more time to raise the necessary money to complete the majority purchase, which will be subject to NBA board of governors approval.

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