BASKETTBALL

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Alperen Sengun finished with 39 points and 16 rebounds as the Houston Rockets bagged their third consecutive victory with a 118-114 defeat of the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

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Turkish international Sengun, who was one of the most notable omissions from this month’s NBA All-Star Game, dominated at both ends of the court as the Rockets squeezed home.

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Jimmy Butler’s season is over after a serious knee injury. And for the Golden State Warriors, who were already hanging by a thread as contenders, this likely means they will have to write off this campaign.

The worst-case scenario feared after seeing him leave the court has come true: Jimmy Butler III has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, with next year’s campaign also in serious doubt. It’s the worst possible news for the Golden State Warriors. As usual (even if it’s perhaps a bit less true this season), the Western Conference is stacked with talent, and while the Warriors were close to the top 6 – and thus a direct playoff spot – the injury to one of their two leaders could cost them their season.

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Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Los Angeles Lakers 129-99 on Wednesday, spoiling what might be the final Cleveland game for superstar LeBron James.

NBA all-time scoring leader James, who sparked the Cavaliers to their only NBA title in 2016 before joining the Lakers, has not committed to play beyond this season, his record 23rd in the league.

The 41-year-old superstar, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, scored 11 points, passed off five assists, grabbed three rounds and made a steal in 27 minutes for the Lakers.

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A front-runner for the Most Improved Player award, Deni Avdija is on a meteoric rise. But with the Portland Trail Blazers’ project still shrouded in uncertainty, one has to wonder if this breakout is actually working against the franchise.

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The fourth-quarter incident during the Wednesday night Ignite Cup game between Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers has been sent to the league’s Game Review Panel (GRP) for investigation.

The NBL Head of Referees made the request on Thursday following a fiery melee that started when 36ers big man Nick Rakocevic and Brisbane Bullets shooting guard Hunter Maldonado appeared to drag one another down to the floor before wrestling one another beside the court.

The one-on-one quickly became a nasty all-in once Bullets’ player Terry Taylor engaged in what looked to be headlock-like conduct on Rakocevic, with the fracas resulting in the ejection of seven players on the night. A further three participants who were not ejected – Brisbane player Casey Prathers, Brisbane assistant coach Patrick Ewing Jr, and Adelaide assistant Kerry Williams – have been referred to the GRP for investigation.

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Golden State Warriors star forward Jimmy Butler will be out for the remainder of the 2025-206 season after he tore his ACL in the third quarter of Monday’s matchup against the Miami Heat.

Butler’s surgery date for his right knee will be determined at a later time.

“Obviously a gut punch on every level for Jimmy and the entire group, but I firmly believe that this is a part of the journey,” said Butler’s ⁠agent Bernie Lee in a statement. “We can’t only expect to take the good things out of it. I’ve known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done. My belief in that is unwavering.”

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Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg set a new NBA record for points scored by a teenager on Thursday night, dropping 49 points in a 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The 19-year-old officially claimed the franchise rookie scoring record, surpassing the mark he previously shared with Mavericks legend Mark Aguirre. The historic feat occurred on the same night the organization retired Aguirre’s jersey, a coincidence Flagg described as "pretty cool" while praising the former star’s impact on the team.

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LeBron James’ 21-year NBA All-Star Game starting streak came to an end on Monday after the Los Angeles Lakers star was excluded from the 10 starters named for next month’s mid-season showpiece.

The 41-year-old NBA icon, who has been named as an All-Star starter in every season since 2005, was the biggest omission from this year’s event, at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome on February 15th.

The 10 starters named on Tuesday – five from the Western Conference and five from the Eastern Conference – will be joined by 14 players selected by the All-Star Game coaches.

The Western Conference starters include James’ Lakers team-mate Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.