JAREN JACKSON

The U.S. played the bronze-medal game short-handed, and Canada sent the Americans home from the World Cup empty-handed.

The U.S. got its first real test of the Basketball World Cup and found a way to remain unbeaten.

Another game, another blowout for the U.S. at the Basketball World Cup.

The U.S. needed to shake off a slow start before beating New Zealand to open its run at the Basketball World Cup.

Anthony Edwards scored 21 points, Cam Johnson added 13 and USA Basketball never trailed Friday in a 108-86 win over Greece in a World Cup tune-up game for both teams.

There are some rising star players on this U.S. roster for the Basketball World Cup.

The international game and the NBA game are basically the same.

The U.S. World Cup basketball team got its first big test of the summer Sunday, and a perfect shooting night from Jalen Brunson helped ensure the Americans passed.

They’re finishing each other’s sentences already.

Anthony Edwards and Cam Johnson each scored 15 points, and USA Basketball used a 20-0 run in the second half on the way to rolling past Puerto Rico 117-74 on Monday night in the first World Cup tune-up game for the Americans.

Desmond Bane had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Ja Morant added 31 points and 10 boards, and the Memphis Grizzlies staved off elimination, beating the Lakers 116-99 to force their first-round Western Conference series back to Los Angeles.

Nobody blocked more shots per game, nor had better defensive numbers at the rim this season, than Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. And voters noticed.

Rui Hachimura had a career-best playoff scoring performance with 29 points, including 21 in the second half, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-112 in the opening game of their Western Conference playoff series.

Luke Kennard made a franchise-record 10 3-pointers to match his career high with 30 points, Desmond Bane added 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot after building a 31-point halftime lead and coasting to a 151-114 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 22 rebounds, Dennis Schröder added 17 points and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers moved into ninth place in the Western Conference with a 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Derrick White scored 23 points to help a shorthanded Boston team hold off Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies 119-109.

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Portland’s Damian Lillard had to have known they were going to the All-Star Game.

Ja Morant had 27 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 28 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a lackluster first half to defeat the Indiana Pacers 112-100.

Kyrie Irving returned from his suspension with 14 points, Ben Simmons tuned up for his trip back to Philadelphia with a season-high 22 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 127-115.

Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant has a sprained left ankle that will keep him out at least a week and possibly longer.

C.

Marcus Smart has been in Boston long enough to appreciate what Bill Russell meant to the Celtics, the city and the country.

Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics was the leading vote-getter for the All-Defensive first team, with Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns joining him as the other guard.

The NBA’s youngest team to reach a conference semifinal in the past 25 years has wasted little time turning disappointment into motivation.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the Golden State Warriors 134-95 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination and force a sixth game in the Western Conference semifinal.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is out for Game 5 with a bone bruise in his right knee.

Stephen Curry had a message for Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after the Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Memphis Grizzlies into a tie in the Western Conference semifinals with a 106-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Game 1 showed that whoever wins the 1-on-1 scoring battle between Memphis’ Ja Morant and Stephen Curry of the Warriors doesn’t mean their team will win the game or their Western Conference semifinal.

Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, and the Golden State Warriors overcame Draymond Green’s first-half ejection to edge the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Karl-Anthony Towns rebounded from two rough games with a career playoff-best 33 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves pull out a 119-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Scoring has rarely looked so difficult for Kevin Durant.

Desmond Bane made seven 3-pointers and had 26 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-95 on Thursday night for a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Ja Morant scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies looked much more like the team that posted the NBA’s second-best record, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-96 to even up their first-round Western Conference series at 1 apiece.

Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in his postseason debut, and the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 to grab home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round Western Conference series.

Ja Morant plans to give Memphis Grizzlies much more than the memorable highlight 360-degree dunk during his first All-Star Game.

Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the final minutes for their 11th straight victory, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 on Thursday night.

The Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record with their ninth straight win, getting 16 points and a breathtaking block from Ja Morant in a 127-119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane scored 21 points each, and the surging Memphis Grizzlies beat the Miami Heat 105-90.

The Memphis Grizzlies broke the NBA record for margin of victory, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 152-79.

Philadelphia, Utah and Atlanta can reach the second round.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the top-seeded Utah Jazz grabbed a 3-1 lead by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113.

Dillon Brooks scored eight of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help put Memphis ahead to stay and the Grizzlies eliminated the San Antonio Spurs 100-96 on Wednesday night in the first Western Conference play-in game.

Julius Randle scored 28 points, Derrick Rose added 25, converting 11 of 15 shots and the New York Knicks held off the Memphis Grizzlies 118-104.

The best race in the bubble is the race for the No. 8 seed in the West:Memphis Utah (Wednesday), Oklahoma City (Friday), Toronto (Sunday), Boston (Aug. 11), Milwaukee (Aug. 13). Portland Denver (Thursday), L.A. Clippers (Saturday), Philadelphia (Sunday), Dallas (Aug. 11), Brooklyn (Aug. 13). Phoenix Indiana (Thursday), Miami (Saturday), Oklahoma City (Monday), Philadelphia (Aug. 11), Dallas (Aug. 13). Sacramento New Orleans (Thursday), Brooklyn (Friday), Houston (Sunday), New Orleans (Aug. 11), L.A. Lakers (Aug. 13).

Williamson had 23 points, seven rebounds and tied a career high with five assists in his most extensive playing time since returning to the NBA bubble. Williamson drove the lane in the third quarter and landed awkwardly, losing his left shoe. However, the big man quickly put the shoe back on and remained in the game. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22 points for the Grizzlies, who fell to 0-3 since the NBA restart. Pelicans: Play Sacramento on Thursday.

Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. It was a weird game," McCollum said.