Church bells rang out for hours in celebration at Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia after one of their graduates was elected the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church.

New York down by 20 on Monday.

A fire alarm was triggered at TD Garden in the aftermath of the New York Knicks’ 91-90 playoff victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, causing a brief evacuation.

Mikal Bridges scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter before making his second straight game-clinching steal, and the New York Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit again to beat the Boston Celtics 91-90 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder looked very much like the dominant teams they were during the regular season in securing lopsided first-round playoff series wins.

Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Referees missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic getting fouled with 33 seconds left in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA said Monday.

The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are all on the verge of a second round that appears to be taking shape quickly in the Eastern Conference.

The NBA acknowledged shortly after the game ended that referees missed Detroit’s Tim Hardaway Jr. getting fouled by New York’s Josh Hart on the final play of the Pistons’ Game 4 matchup against the Knicks.

Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 94-93 to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

The Detroit Pistons snapped their NBA-record, 15-game postseason losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100-94 in Game 2 of their playoff series.

Jalen Brunson scored 34 points, Cam Payne had 11 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the New York Knicks stunned the Detroit Pistons with a 21-0 run in the final period to rally for a 123-112 victory on Saturday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

The New York Knicks aren’t worried about what their 0-8 record against Cleveland and Boston might mean in the playoffs.

On a night when Josh Hart broke a New York Knicks franchise record that stood for 56 years, he decided to give the game ball to a teammate who played three minutes.

Mikal Bridges scored 28 points, Josh Hart tied a franchise record with his eighth triple-double this season and the New York Knicks beat Miami 116-95 on Monday night, sending the Heat to their first eight-game losing streak of coach Erik Spoelstra’s career.

It is fitting that in a town built on movies and television, JJ Redick likes to use a popular directing term to refer to different moments in his first season as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

New York star guard Jalen Brunson could miss an extended period of time after suffering an ankle injury during overtime in the Knicks' 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, LeBron James added 31 and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to eight games, defeating the New York Knicks 113-109 in overtime.

Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, Evan Mobley added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers bullied the New York Knicks from the start, winning 142-105 in a matchup of two of the East's best teams.

LeBron James had 33 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in his 10th triple-double of the season, enjoying another memorable night at Madison Square Garden and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-112 victory over the New York Knicks.

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama stood outside in the rain on a cold Paris night.

Victor Wembanyama had 42 points and 18 rebounds in a memorable Christmas Day debut.

Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 41 points, and the New York Knicks overcame 42 from Victor Wembanyama in a monster Christmas debut to edge the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 on Wednesday.

LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003.

When the Milwaukee Bucks clinched their spot in the NBA Cup championship game, plenty of the team’s younger and lesser-paid players were exuberant in the locker room.

Trae Young had 22 points and 11 assists, De’Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson outplayed the Knicks frontcourt and the Atlanta Hawks took their surprising NBA Cup run all the way to the semifinals in Las Vegas, beating New York 108-100 on Wednesday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 15 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and the New York Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 121-106 on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.

Coming off a tough 115-112 defeat against the Phoenix Suns to open a six-game road trip, the Miami Heat (3-4) will look to get back into the win column Friday against the Denver Nuggets (5-3) at Ball Arena, with tip coming at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 13 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107 on Wednesday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 15 rebounds in his Knicks home debut, Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and New York routed the Indiana Pacers 123-98 on Friday night.

Jalen Brunson thought twice about going 1-on-2 in transition, instead dribbling back outside and flipping the ball behind him to Karl-Anthony Towns, who made a 3-pointer with a defender in his face.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in the Knicks’ building, though not yet on their team.

Two people with knowledge of the details say that Mikal Bridges is being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates.

OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are in the New York Knicks’ starting lineup for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.

Starting forwards Josh Hart and OG Anunoby are both listed as questionable to play for the New York Knicks on Sunday in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers.

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and Myles Turner added 17 points to help the Indiana Pacers turned the tables on New York with a 116-103 victory to even the Eastern Conference semifinal at 3-3.

Jalen Brunson scored 44 points, and the New York Knicks moved a win away from their first Eastern Conference finals trip since 2000 by beating the Indiana Pacers 121-91 in Game 5.

Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tyrese Maxey saved Philadelphia from elimination with seven points in the final 25 seconds of regulation, finished with 46 and led the 76ers to a 112-106 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The New York Knicks know when it’s coming.

Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey was fouled twice before his turnover that led to the go-ahead 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo in the New York Knicks’ victory over the 76ers in Game 2.

A team spokesman says the Philadelphia 76ers plan to file a grievance related to the officiating during their series against the New York Knicks.

Donte DiVincenzo made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining after a desperate scramble, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-101 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each scored 22 points, Deuce McBride led a huge effort by New York’s backups with 21 and the Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 111-104 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Julius Randle needs surgery on his right shoulder and will miss the rest of the season, a crushing blow for a New York Knicks team that was surging before the All-Star forward was hurt in January.

Americans were in sports bars from coast to coast on Monday night, eyes glued to televisions and even movie screens.

Jalen Brunson scored 42 points, becoming the fourth player in franchise history with 40 or more in consecutive games, and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 on Saturday night.

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 22 and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics easily handled the New York Knicks 116-102 for their eighth consecutive victory.

The Heat are trying anything to snap out of their funk.

Jalen Brunson had 32 points and eight assists and the New York Knicks beat Miami 125-109 on Saturday, winning their sixth straight and sending the Heat to a sixth consecutive loss.

Julius Randle had 25 points and 20 rebounds, RJ Barrett scored 16 points, and the New York Knicks advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 115-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.

Through two games of this FIBA World Cup, the players who lead USA Basketball team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots all share something in common.

The United States is going to the second round of the Basketball World Cup.

Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Miami Heat are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals after topping the New York Knicks 96-92.

Jimmy Butler returned from his sprained ankle to score 28 points, Max Strus added 19 and the Miami Heat topped the New York Knicks 105-86 to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have turned press conferences into press comedy.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and keyed the run the New York Knicks needed just in time to get by a Miami Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals at a game apiece with a 111-105 victory.

Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, RJ Barrett had 26 and the New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series with a 102-93 victory.

Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, RJ Barrett broke out of a slump with 19 and the New York Knicks rolled to a 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first-round playoff series with a 99-79 victory.

Jalen Brunson shook off foul trouble and scored 21 of his 27 in the second half, and Julius Randle returned from an ankle injury to add 19 as the New York Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1.

Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, Josh Hart added a season-high 27 in his second game with his new team and the New York Knicks snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Brooklyn Nets with a 124-106 victory.

Josh Hart’s 3-pointer as time expired gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 110-107 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Anfernee Simons had 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers won their fourth straight game to start the season with a 135-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired guard CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a seven-player trade.

Justin Lewis buried a 3 from the top of the arc with 11.5 seconds left to send Marquette to a 57-54 win over No. 11 Villanova.

Collin Gillespie hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, and Justin Moore scored 15 points to lead No. 14 Villanova to an 82-42 win over Butler.

Devonte Graham’s 61-foot heave at the buzzer lifted the New Orleans Pelicans to a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA says the rate of players needing to miss games because of injuries is down from last season and within the normal range for what the league has seen over the last five seasons.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS – Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 36 points, Zion Williamson had 27 points and nine rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-111 on Tuesday night. Pelicans guard Josh Hart — like Ingram an ex-Laker who was part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles — grabbed 15 rebounds to go with five steals. New Orleans center Jaxson Hayes scored 15 points in 19 minutes, hitting four times inside and making all seven of his free throws. ... Dennis Schroder scored 15 points and Wesley Matthews had 14. Pelicans: Starting point guard Lonzo Ball missed his second straight game with a strained right hip flexor.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket over Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang, left, and center Rudy Gobert, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, March 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS – Zion Williamson had 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans held off a late Utah charge to beat the NBA-leading Jazz 129-124 on Monday night. Williamson scored 15 points and added a pair of assists in the quarter. ... Utah had its highest scoring second quarter of the season with 41 points ... Utah shot 45.5% (46 of 101), including 17 of 43 from 3-point range. Pelicans: Hart scored 13 points to go with seven rebounds.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot of New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY – Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points, and the Utah Jazz rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 129-118 on Thursday night for their seventh straight win. Mike Conley scored 20 points and Jordan Clarkson had 19 for Utah, which has the longest active win streak in the NBA. Ingram made all six of his shots, including four 3s, as the Pelicans tallied 43 points in the first quarter. Both teams had 27 assists, and the Pelicans shot 49.4% (42 for 85).

The league's general managers met Monday to discuss the virus situation, with involvement from the National Basketball Players Association. The Celtics would have been without seven players for virus-related issues for that game. Another three Heat players are on the injury list, raising the question if they will have the eight required players to start games. The two new postponements means four games so far have been called off due to virus-related matters. Philadelphia played at home against Denver on Saturday with seven players — eight were available — because of a combination of virus issues and injuries.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (5) dribbles against Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)MIAMI – Erik Spoelstra remained perfect on Christmas, and a record-tying show from Duncan Robinson helped him stay that way. Robinson made seven 3-pointers — tying the Christmas single-game mark — and scored 23 points, helping the Heat beat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-98 to start the NBA’s holiday quintupleheader Friday. Goran Dragic scored 18 points, Bam Adebayo had 17 and Avery Bradley finished with 12 for Miami, and Spoelstra improved his Christmas record as Heat coach to 8-0. COMING HOMEVeteran ref John Goble was crew chief and got to be home for Christmas; he’s a Miami native.

Van Gundy agreed to a four-year contract, according to one of the people who spoke Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the hiring has not been announced. Van Gundy has a track record of bridging that gap between knowledge and talent with younger players in his previous coaching stops. “There is a lot of teaching to do to bring these guys along,” Van Gundy said Tuesday during a formal introduction via video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Pelicans, Van Gundy said, he saw ownership that had won a championship in a major professional sport, even if it was the NFL. Van Gundy called Williamson and Ingram “two of the most unique young guys in the entire league.”“There's just a lot to build around there,” he added.

He scored 13 points in just more than 15 minutes, highlighted by a couple alley-oop dunks, one on a nearly half-court lob from Lonzo Ball. But Williamson checked out for good with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter and watched the tense finish from the sideline. Thats all it is.Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points for Utah and helped lead a second-half comeback, while Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley each added 20. When Jordan has space on the floor to work, hes really difficult to guard," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. The Jazz went 8 of 34 from 3-point range but scored 54 points in the paint and went 24 of 28 on foul shots.

FILE - In this March 4, 2020, file photo, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson shoots free throws prior to an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. Pelicans rookie Williamson says he feels like he is in good shape as he prepares to help lead New Orleans' eight-game push to make the NBA playoffs. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)NEW ORLEANS Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson credits his mothers wisdom with helping him manage lifes unanticipated twists and inevitable assortment of successes and setbacks. The last 12 months have been a different experience, Williamson said Thursday, projecting his typically affable, smiling, easy-going manner during a video conference at the New Orleans Pelicans practice headquarters. Williamson was praised by teammates and coaches for an unselfishness that has allowed other players like Pelicans leading scorer Brandon Ingram to continue to flourish.