NBA FINALS

The Boston Celtics have reportedly signed veteran Blake Griffin to a one-year contract after multiple injuries to their frontcourt, including starting center Robert Williams.

Boston Celtics Coach Ime Udoka has been suspended by the team for a consensual intimate relationship with a woman employed by the franchise.

The Boston Celtics have suspended coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season.

The Nielsen company says the NBA Finals series between two stories franchises reached 24% more viewers than the 2021 Finals.

The Celtics made an NBA Finals run nobody saw coming, going from a team that was three games under.

Now in the Golden State Warriors front office, the Peoria native won his fourth career NBA world championship on Thursday night.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 103-90 in game six of the NBA Finals to take home their fourth title since 2015.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 103-90 in game six of the NBA Finals to take home their fourth title since 2015.

When Jayson Tatum made consecutive baskets to cap a game-opening Boston blitz, TD Garden was at its absolute loudest.

Stephen Curry and the Warriors have been within a game of clinching a championship in three of Golden State’s previous five trips to the NBA Finals during his 13-year NBA career.

ABC took home the crown as television's top-rated network last week behind two games of the NBA Finals series between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.

The wear and tear from back-to-back seven-game series seems to be taking its toll on the Boston Celtics at the worst possible time.

A champion will be crowned, an NBA Finals MVP trophy will be hoisted, one side will spray a few gallons of champagne and the other side will head out into a summer of lament. The Warriors grabbed the lead in the series with a 104-94 win on Monday in San Francisco, the latest entry on a long list of gut-check moments in this series and the first time either of these teams found a way to win consecutive games in this matchup. “It feels good," Golden State's Klay Thompson said.

The Boston Celtics couldn’t make a 3-pointer to start the game and found themselves in a deep hole.

Andrew Wiggins delivered the biggest game yet in his eight-year career with 26 points and 13 rebounds, Klay Thompson scored 21 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 104-94 for a 3-2 NBA Finals lead.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver canceled plans to attend Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Celtics because of the league’s health and safety protocols.

The Boston Celtics are probably used to 2-2 ties in the NBA Finals by now.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry says there's no doubt that he'll play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Boston.

The Golden State Warriors arrived at the TD Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday to find that the basket they were shooting at in warmups was the wrong height. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said during his pregame media availability that he wasn’t aware of the issue, but it wasn’t uncommon. Kerr then took the opportunity to needle the league for the finals' late start times.

Jayson Tatum found his scoring touch after a rare poor shooting night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals but it was the rest of his Boston Celtics teammates who went missing.

Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Jordan Poole connected from just inside of midcourt to cap a huge third-quarter run and the Golden State Warriors evened the NBA Finals at a game apiece by beating the Boston Celtics 107-88 on Sunday night.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that he expects the oft-maligned “transition take foul” to come with stiffer penalties next season.

In Game 1, Boston showed its resilience.

The ball was moving, the shots were falling and the arena was rocking in a very familiar third quarter for the Golden State Warriors.

Jaylen Brown fueled a comeback charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit six 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics rode the most lopsided fourth quarter in NBA Finals history to a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.

News Editor Richard Pereira, former Sports Editor Bryce Totz, and staff writer Kevin Garcia discuss FAU Baseball’s performance throughout the 2022 season, their predictions for the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, their potential teams for the Stanley Cup Finals, and more for the last episode of the summer semester!

Dave Roberts oversees tons of programming for ESPN, including the NBA Finals, and he's pushing for more diversity at the network.

The matchup between the Golden State's blistering offense and the Celtics' juggernaut defense begins tonight. It should be a close series between two teams that weren't expected to make it this far.

The last 12 months have been a transformative year in the NBA when it comes to diversity among coaches.

Jaylen Brown is starting the NBA Finals on the road.

Gary Payton II is expected to return for the Golden State Warriors at some point during the NBA Finals from a broken left elbow that he injured when Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks committed a hard foul across Payton's head on a layup attempt during the playoffs' second round. Brooks received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected, then suspended for one game without pay for what the NBA called “unnecessary and excessive contact.” Forwards Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. also are making positive strides toward playing again.

"Sit down, Chuck," TNT colleague Kenny Smith told Barkley when the feud appeared to take a serious turn.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green picked up where they left off last time they were healthy in the postseason.

The three-pointer is key in high school and beyond, but a 60-second drill at a shorter distance is a great start.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Jayson Tatum added 22 and the Boston Celtics moved to the brink of a berth in the NBA Finals, running away after halftime to beat the Miami Heat 93-80 and take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference title series.

Placeholder while article actions loadThe National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs are getting serious. (The Heat won Game 1, 118-107.) Doncic will have his hands full in the Western Conference championship with Golden State, which won Game 1 on Wednesday, 112-87. The Warriors have a core of players — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — who won NBA championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The conference championships and NBA Finals are the best players on the best teams playing in the best league in the world.

NBA referees will all be vaccinated against the coronavirus this season.

Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton flew together to Tokyo, just three nights after they had played in the hard-fought NBA Finals.

The NBA’s play-in tournament is back for at least one more season.

The U.S. men’s basketball team is finally together.

Maria Taylor has joined NBC less than a week after her contract with ESPN expired.

Maria Taylor's departure from ESPN is one in a series of incidents that call attention to the double hurdles that Black women face in the sports world.

Game 6 of the series averaged 12.5 million viewers, as the Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years.

Chris Paul took a risk this season deciding that a young, unproven Phoenix Suns team was worth joining in his pursuit of his first NBA championship.

Giannis Antetokounmpo capped one of the greatest NBA Finals ever with 50 points as the Milwaukee Bucks won their first championship in 50 years.

The Suns had taken 2-0 series lead, but the Bucks roared back with four straight wins.

The Phoenix Suns had taken 2-0 series lead, but the Bucks roared back with four straight victories. Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in a spectacular performance.

City leaders predicted there could be as many as 65,000 fans gathering to celebrate at the Deer District in downtown Milwaukee as the Bucks won their first NBA title since 1971.

The Phoenix Suns like to believe they're a resilient bunch.

Jrue Holiday’s steal and alley-oop pass to Giannis Antetounmpo for a dunk sealed a wild Game 5 and gave the Milwaukee Bucks a 123-119 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

The Phoenix Suns had designs on coming home with a chance to win their first championship.

Devin Booker put on spectacular shooting performance through the first three quarters of Game 4 of the NBA Finals and seemed poised to help the Phoenix Suns take a commanding lead in the NBA series.

Khris Middleton scored 40 points, including 10 straight for the Milwaukee Bucks down the stretch to send them past the Phoenix Suns, 109-103 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The NBA Finals has gained some, but not all of its audience back after last year's trip to the pandemic bubble.

Giannis Antetokounmpo pointed to a pair of scratches, one on his forehead and the other on his cheek.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis is relying on lessons he learned earlier in his career as he adapts to his inconsistent playoff usage.

Deandre Ayton got off to a quick start then couldn't do anything but watch as the Phoenix Suns were unable to take a stranglehold on the NBA Finals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks pounded Phoenix 120-100, cutting the Suns’ lead to 2-1 in the NBA Finals.

Phoenix Suns reserve forward Torrey Craig is available to play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday despite injuring his right knee in Game 2.

For the second time this postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have staggered home with a 2-0 deficit and a couple key players who can’t shoot straight.

Much has changed in Milwaukee since the Bucks won their last NBA title a half-century ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his bum left knee bulldozed through the Phoenix Suns defense for most of Game 2, once again giving the Milwaukee Bucks more than they could have dreamed in these NBA Finals.

The Phoenix Suns have never been closer to an NBA title.

If Vince Budenholzer had his way, the Milwaukee Bucks would start guarding Chris Paul the minute he walked into the arena.

The NBA said Game 1 also set 20-year viewership highs in the Phoenix and Milwaukee markets.

At their best, the Phoenix Suns have three players who can take over a game.

The NBA's business operations in China is worth more than $5 billion, and the league plans to continue showing its product despite a feud between the two global superpowers.

Chris Paul had 32 points and nine assists, Devin Booker scored 27 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the returning Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks 118-105 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

ESPN has replaced Rachel Nichols as its sideline reporter for the NBA Finals following a report detailing critical comments she made about Black colleague Maria Taylor.

Veteran Chris Paul will appear in his first NBA Finals.

A New York Times report released Sunday morning alleges that there is heavy internal conflict throughout ESPN due to comments made nearly a year ago by broadcaster Rachel Nichols about her colleague and fellow broadcaster Maria Taylor, and that Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s president, is working overtime to fix the issue. Per the article, a phone call from July 2020 was leaked between Nichols and Adam Mendelsohn, who is LeBron James’ longtime advisor, in which Nichols said that Taylor was selected to host last year’s NBA Finals coverage instead of her, for “diversity” reasons.

The two regular-season games between Milwaukee and Phoenix this season fit the same script.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the kings of the NBA's playoff comeback.

We asked our NBA experts from around the USA Today network for their safe and bold picks for the Eastern and Western conference finals and the Finals.

The deal solidified the Lakers’ “win now” mentality and made them a heavy favorite to win the chip in 2020. However, the Heat sprung back into relevancy with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler last off-season. Here are five of the best moments and performances that came out of the Heat’s thrilling run to a championship:5. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 20-year-old rookie guard Tyler Herro looked like a veteran, joining exclusive company with a historic 37-point game. In one of the most impressive outings of his career, Jimmy Butler registered a 35-point triple-double with 12 rebounds and 11 assists in 47 minutes played.

Tua is already a household name, not only to Miami sports fans, but also to fans across America. Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro still can't buy a beer. There's a good chance Miami sports fans will find out in the next few weeks that Miami Heat old-timer Udonis Haslem has decided to retire. After an NBA Finals performance that featured two triple-doubles with over 35 points, the Heat's Jimmy Butler is undeniably the greatest Miami sports star of 2020. He became a free agent and decided he wanted a taste of all that Miami Heat culture his buddy Dwyane Wade told him he needed in his life.

So what do Heat fans have to look forward to during the holidays, a time when there are usually games being played? Here are a few questions that should keep Heat fans on their toes until the team takes the court again. — Kyle Cohen (@kylecohenNBA) October 15, 2020Is there any way Derrick Jones Jr. returns to the Miami Heat? After making the NBA Finals and impressing the entire nation, the Miami Heat is a hot destination. He's a max player the Miami Heat will pay as much money as the league will allow.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won the NBA Finals, defeating the Miami Heat 106 to 90 on Sunday, taking the series 4-2 and securing LeBron James' fourth championship. The win brings an end to a season that was left in doubt after the coronavirus pandemic threatened to upend it. James was crowned the Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career, becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award with three different teams. Anthony Davis racked up 19 points, including a crucial last-minute bucket, 15 rebounds, 3 assists in Game 6, bringing the Lakers franchise its seventeenth title in its storied history. This Lakers team often cited Bryant as their motivation throughout the title run.

The Miami Heat needs to win three games in a row. In preparation, here's everything you need to know about a game the Miami Heat must win to clinch the right to play another must-win game before a final must-win game. NBA Finals Game 5:Miami Heat +7 vs Los Angeles LakersMIA +260LAL -310O/U 216.5 — BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) October 8, 2020Las Vegas doesn't think the Heat has a chance. The Heat will enter Game 5 as a big underdog, just as it's been in every game of the NBA Finals thus far. Come next week, we'll either be talking about Game 7 or what the Miami Heat can do to get back to the main stage in 2021.

Performance technology company Hyperice has completed a Series A funding round for $48 million, which puts the firm at a $700 million valuation, CEO Jim Huether told CNBC this week. The company did not disclose the stakes each athletes took in the company, or the amount of their investments. The company specializes in performance recovery products including its Hypervolt massagers which targets soft tissue pain and muscle recovery. Hyperice has gained popularity among athletes including Mahomes, who has used the firm's product since his days at Texas Tech University. The Series A round was led by investment advisory firm Main Street Advisors and private equity firm S.C.Holdings.

If the team were to pull it off, would this NBA title be the greatest the Heat has ever won? Would a 2020 NBA championship mean more to Miami Heat fans than the 2006, 2012, or 2013 titles? An NBA title would do it for all the people in the back, still not paying attention. An NBA title would mark him as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Past Miami Heat champions have been an assortment of players the Heat brought to town for one reason: a championship RIGHT NOW.

Five Miami Sports Bars to Watch the Heat Play in the NBA FinalsEXPAND Watch the NBA Finals at Grails in Wynwood. Miami's Sunday-night win as nine-point underdogs was the second-largest upset in the NBA Finals in the past 30 seasons, according to ESPN. EXPAND Batch Gastropub is offering a number of promotions for patrons who watch The Miami Heat during the NBA Finals. EXPAND Watch the NBA Finals while playing pool at Blackmarket Miami. The drink, made with rum, sweet vermouth, and organic cold-brew coffee will be priced at $10 during the NBA Finals.

The National Basketball Association played Game 1 of its Finals to an average of 7.4 million viewers on ABC, its lowest viewership for a Finals contest since 1994. The 2020 NBA's Finals opener was the lowest-rated Game 1 since 2007 when the San Antonio Spurs played the James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. It also was the NBA's lowest viewed Finals contest since Game 5 of the Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks series in 1994. Last year's Game 1 of the Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors attracted 13.3 million viewers. The NBA did set viewership highs in Canada for the game in 2019, reaching roughly 7.4 million viewers.

Related Stories Ten Reasons This Would Be the Heat's Greatest NBA ChampionshipHave no fear, though, depressed Miami Heat fan. We might want to appreciate the fact that it took until the NBA Finals for this Heat team to actually trail in a series. The Miami Heat are in the NBA Finals, right?! They once again proved that the much-talked-about "Miami Heat culture" is a real thing. Go ask an Atlanta Hawks fan or New York Knicks fan how they'd feel about losing in the NBA Finals.

There are a lot of pots cooking on the NBA Finals storylines stove. After being called a “locker room cancer” on other teams, Jimmy Butler is heading to his first NBA Finals. All Andre Iguodala does is play in the NBA Finals. While everyone is focused on the superstars, team presidents, and coaches who make it to the NBA Finals, Andre Iguodala just quietly participates. Lebron James is 3-9 in the NBA Finals.

Bosh averaged 20 points from 2014-16 after James left the Heat during the summer of 2014 for the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency, but his career ended prematurely due to reoccurring blood clots. He played the final game of his career on Feb. 9, 2016. After being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2003 draft, Bosh spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Raptors and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2007.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry kisses the trophy after the Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Game 6 at Oracle Arena, June 13, 2019. Winning may be the best way to boost an NBA team's value, according to Forbes' franchise valuations, but nothing beats the shine of a major market. The Toronto Raptors, last season's champions, saw the biggest boost in their value, according to Forbes, which released valuations for each NBA team on Tuesday. The Raptors are now worth $2.1 billion in the latest Forbes valuations, a 25% increase over last year's figure. The Golden State Warriors, which lost to the Raptors in the NBA Finals, saw the next-highest growth, Forbes reported.

Matt Bonner #15 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts against the Miami Heat during Game Five of the 2014 NBA Finals at the AT&T Center on June 15, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. SAN ANTONIO Retired San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner didn't do any research when he and his 8-year-old daughter sat down to pick some stocks. "That's a pretty good return on investment," said Bonner, who retired from the NBA in 2017 and now works as a sports analyst on the San Antonio Spurs TV Broadcast. "If she gets money for her birthday, she wants me to put it in her account to buy more stocks," Bonner said. Bonner credits his investing acumen to his sixth-grade teacher, who gave students $10,000 in fake money to invest in the stock market.

They agreed to deals with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as part of a sensational start to free agency, giving the longtime No. They also added center DeAndre Jordan, who played with Durant and Irving on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal, and veteran swingman Garrett Temple. They might have to wait a year, as Durant could miss next season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. But with Irving taking controls of the offence and a promising young core around him, the Nets should be a playoff team, even while Durant recovers. The Nets got back to the playoffs last season after going 42-40, stamping themselves as a team on the rise.

Shares of MSG Networks, the cable network that broadcasts the New York Knicks, plunged in early trading Monday after the team missed out on signing superstar player Kevin Durant and other marquee NBA free agents. The decline came even as the rest of the stock market enjoyed a huge rally. At its low of the day of $19.05 a share, MSG Networks had lost $130 million in market value on Monday. MSG Networks broadcast the vast majority of Knicks games. That would represent a loss of about $25 million in market value for MSG Networks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, bringing home a championship to the city for the first time in over 50 years. CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan joins CBSN from Cleveland with more.

In a tweet, Bernie Sanders seemed to compare himself to the Golden State Warriors, who came back from a 3-1 deficit to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals. "I like comebacks," Sanders wrote. Now, Hillary Clinton has changed her schedule to campaign in California earlier than planned. CBS News' Nancy Cordes looks at the pressure Clinton faced to return to California early.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are warming up for Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals. CBS Sports NBA Insider Ken Berger is courtside with what's in store for tonight's game.

Dueling reporters--one from our San Francisco station and one from our Cleveland affiliate, preview tonight's NBA Finals tipoff.

Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors were born in the same hospital, Akron General, about 3 years apart. This year, they both hope to win the trophy for their respective teams. For the Warriors, it would be their first in 40 years. For the Cavaliers, it would be their first ever. Ben Tracy and Adriana Diaz have more.