With the Cavaliers down two points, Darius Garland, their potential All-Star guard and 90 percent free-throw shooter, sat alone at the line with the chance to give Cleveland the lead. Even if he failed to make all three free throws, Cleveland, via a Flagrant One on the Rockets, would have the ball with a chance to seal the game.

A Western Conference team has overtaken the Boston Celtics as the top favourite to win the 2024-25 NBA Finals.

Evan Sidery of Forbes recently reported that Houston "conducted exploratory trade talks" with the Portland Trail Blazers regarding center Robert Williams III. Williams, who is averaging 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in a decreased role this season, is on the trade block as the Trail Blazers look to rebuild with a 15-28 record.

Of the 15 teams in the Western Conference, only two are clearly focused more on the 2025 draft lottery than the 2024/25 standings. The 10-31 Jazz and 14-28 Trail Blazers don’t have realistic postseason aspirations this season, with management prioritizing the development of young players and the possibility of landing another high draft pick.

The battle of the second and third-ranked teams in the Western Conference features some of the league's up-and-coming franchises. The third-seeded Memphis Grizz

Early returns: Utah made a high-risk trade for Sergachev — in terms of acquisition cost and with the seven seasons left on his contract at an $8.5 million cap hit, especially coming off an injury-plagued year. It’s too early to make a long-term read on the trade, but the early dividends have been promising.

The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets are both said to be interested in acquiring Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher ahead of the trade deadline

But Sunday, Jan. 12 NHL action has two of the Western Conference leaders looking to skate, shoot and score in their push to the top of the conference. The Vegas Golden Knights (28 wins ...

Vincennes Lincoln has officially made the pivot from the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference to the Western Indiana Conference. The WIC announced last week the Alices had been accepted to the fold just a short time after Vincennes' school board voted to switch leagues.

Chicago Bulls (19-25, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (21-22, 11th in the Western Conference) San Francisco; Thursday, 10 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Warriors -2.5; over/under is 230.

With seven of the eight Western Conference playoff spots already likely spoken for, four remaining hopefuls — the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Utah Hockey Club — are all vying for the final spot.