In the first quarter of the Celtics’ matchup with the Cavaliers in Cleveland to open the NBA season, Hayward landed awkwardly on his left ankle after rising up to catch a lob. The TNT cameras caught the devastating sight of Hayward sitting on the court with the gruesome injury. MORE: Live updates from Celtics vs. Cavs Everyone’s eyes were on Tuesday’s NBA opener, and Twitter reacted in shock. Thunder guard Paul George, who suffered a gruesome leg break in 2014, tweeted his support for Hayward as soon as Hayward went to the ground to the shock of everyone at Quicken Loans Arena....

The 2021 NBA playoff bracket is down to its usual 16 teams after a play-in tournament that featured both thrilling endings and brutal blowouts. Now comes the constant barrage of postseason contests as contenders fight for the right to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy. Wondering which games are on today’s slate? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about watching NBA playoff games, including a complete TV schedule that will be updated daily with start times and channels....

Of all the teams the Warriors have played this season, six players in particular have proven capable of ticking those boxes in some capacity: Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Tony Allen, Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul. All of those players made the playoffs, even though only two of them (Paul and Green) seem likely to face Curry. MORE: Ranking the 16 NBA playoff coaches | Playoff predictions Each of those players bring something different to the table....

MORE: Which NBA franchise players deserve their own statues? The Bulls announced Friday that Rondo has a fracture in his thumb, suffered during his sterling performance (11 points, nine rebounds, 14 assists, five steals) in Chicago’s Game 2 win over Boston Tuesday night. That puts him out indefinitely and puts a serious dent in the Bulls’ suddenly boisterous postseason hopes. Rondo’s long-term fate, though, remains a question mark. The Bulls have him signed for next year, at nearly $14 million, but can opt out of that deal by waiving Rondo before June 30....

As if to prove his point, the Raptors star produced a stunning buzzer-beater in the second-round series decider against the 76ers on Sunday, stealing a sensational 92-90 win after the ball bounced four times on the rim before dropping through. Leonard finished with 41 points on 16-of-39 shooting from the field, insisting afterward that missed shots were not his concern as he looked to do everything to inspire his team....

The 31-year-old guard has knocked down just three of his 13 field goal attempts through the first two games of the Raptors’ second-round series with the 76ers. He has also missed eight of his 10 3-pointers. Green, who hit a career-high 45.5% of his shots from behind the arc during the regular season, discussed his recent struggles when he met with reporters Tuesday. “Sometimes they’re just off the mark,” Green said, via TSN....

The result is an epic video you shouldn’t go without seeing this hump day. MORE: What’s the greatest NBA Draft ever? | Every team’s biggest draft regret | Photos: NBA Rookies of the Year Like Sidney Dean tried to explain to Billy Hoyle in “White Men Can’t Jump”, many of us listen to Drake but we don’t hear him. That’s why we need the likes of Myles Turner, Justise Winslow, D’Angelo Russell, Sam Dekker, Willie Cauley-Stein, Jarell Martin, Frank Kaminsky, Joseph Young, Devin Booker, Vincent Hunter, Jerian Grant, Kelly Oubre and Stanley Johnson to look deeply into our eyes and recite powerful prose from song such as “10 Bands”, “Started from the Bottom” and “Headlines”....

Only a few teams are projected to have significant cap space during this free agency cycle, and several front offices are either approaching the luxury tax line or already over it. Of course, the offseason is always full of surprises, so some franchises may be able to make enough moves to increase their spending power. Here is everything you need to know about NBA free agency, including the projected salary cap and luxury tax numbers for the 2022-23 season....

Heading down the final stretch of the regular season, there isn’t much mystery about which teams will reach the postseason. Barring a major losing streak by the Nets or Magic, the Eastern Conference has its eight participants in place. The top seven teams in the Western Conference should all earn playoff berths soon, but the race for the last spot could come down to a few key games in late March and early April....

But hopes of breaking through are much easier for certain teams to believe in; having young cornerstones to build around and a stockpile of future picks separates organizations such as the Thunder and Pelicans from the rest of the league. The NBA’s next powerhouse might be among the group of asset-rich clubs yet to make a deep playoff run. We’re breaking down five possible fast risers here. Note: A team that has made a conference finals appearance with its current core (such as the Warriors and Celtics) disqualifies it from our list of up-and-comers....

The 76ers and Hawks will swap 2017 second-round picks, and Philadelphia will also receive an additional second-round pick from Atlanta (via Miami) in the deal. Ilyasova has been solid since he was added to the Sixers roster at the beginning of the season, but it’s clear Philadelphia is still in “process” mode. Joel Embiid is still sitting out and Ben Simmons hasn’t suited up for Philly this year. TRADE DEADLINE: Follow along with all of the NBA’s wheeling and dealing...

This year’s trade deadline was all about next offseason, which meant a lot of teams were focused on moves to set themselves up for the future. No superstar was traded, and the Warriors and Spurs were silent the whole time (for good reason), while the Cavs made one move. MORE: 6 D-Leaguers who should be signed | 15 ugliest contracts Still, a lot of small moves happened. To help catch you up, I’ve ranked all of the moves from the past 48 hours based on their importance:...

Sources told SN that one player who has drawn significant interest has been wing Justin Holiday, currently averaging a career-high 13.4 points and making 37.7 percent of his 3s. Holiday is on a reasonable contract — he is owed $4.4 million next season — and his ability to shoot and defend the perimeter has made him a potential target for playoff teams like Boston, Minnesota and Oklahoma City. NBA TRADE RUMORS: What is Klay Thompson’s future?...

With the start of training camp fast approaching, the Warriors appear to be content with their current roster and are highly unlikely to pursue a blockbuster trade, whether for Simmons or another veteran player. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported this week that there has never been a “realistic” offer from Philadelphia, and Golden State owner Joe Lacob doesn’t want to trade second-year center James Wiseman or rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga....

Founded last fall, The Action Network caters to sports bettors and fantasy sports players. Perez will be writing, podcasting and creating videos and other content for the subscription company, according to chief content officer Chad Millman, the former editorial director of ESPN. MORE: ESPN’s Chris Haynes set to become free agent With 240,000 Twitter followers, Perez has quickly emerged as one of the funniest, most unique NBA voices. He’s set to guest-host ESPN’s weekday NBA talk show, “The Jump,” on Monday and Tuesday with Cassidy Hubbarth, his co-host on the “Buckets” podcast....

The Clippers star added another yet another victim to his postseason list during the first half of Monday’s Game 4 against the Jazz. With less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Leonard drove into the paint, took off and obliterated Utah big man Derrick Favors. MORE: Latest injury updates on James Harden, Kyrie Irving “Whoa! A major Kawhi-light,” play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle said on the TNT broadcast. Oh, you want that dunk in slow motion?...

Booker was dynamic as he helped to fill in for the sidelined Chris Paul, who is out after testing positive for COVID-19. Booker served as the Suns’ top scorer and distributor, and the results were excellent. Booker totaled 40 points and 11 assists as a ball-dominant presence, and he added 13 rebounds for the first triple-double of his career. MORE: How long will Chris Paul be out? He joined Charles Barkley as the two Suns to record a 40-point triple double in a playoff game....

Here are the regional sites, in alphabetical order: NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT 2015: Times, dates, TV schedule | MLB Mock Draft: Who goes No. 1? City | Host Baton Rouge, La. | LSU Champaign, Ill. | Illinois College Station, Texas | Texas A&M Coral Gables, Fla. | Miami Dallas | Dallas Baptist Fort Worth, Texas | TCU Fullerton, Calif. | Cal State Fullerton Gainesville, Fla. | Florida Houston | Houston...

And then it was time to stop accepting player of the year awards and play some hoops against Kansas. FINAL FOUR 2018: Relive Villanova’s national semifinals win against Kansas At last. “Thank the Lord,” Brunson told Sporting News. “I was getting – not annoyed – but I was just like: I want to get to this game. Just being able to win those awards, they really mean a lot to myself, to my family and this institution, but to be able to go to the national championship, be able to play one more game with these guys, that’s what means most....

Powell wrote in her book “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen” that she provided paid escorts for the program over a four-year period and sneaked them into the basketball program’s dorm to dance, and often have sex with the players for an agreed-upon sum of money. Powell said she coordinated the visits with McGee. MORE: Sports’ ugliest sex scandals of the past Pitino said Thursday in a news conference at the university that he “absolutely” disagrees with the NCAA’s allegation that he failed to momnitor McGee....