BASKETTBALL

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Victor Wembanyama led a defensive masterclass as the San Antonio Spurs out-muscled the Detroit Pistons 114-103 Monday in an intense and aggressive clash between the NBA’s two most in-form teams.

Sitting second in the Western Conference, the Spurs were pushed hard for their ninth-straight victory by the East-topping Pistons, who had entered the home court matchup on a five-win streak of their own.

Defenses dominated the first meeting between the two sides this season, with the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama making six blocks and 17 rebounds to fuel transitions as the Spurs pulled clear in the latter stages. While the Pistons’ shooting was at times sloppy, Devin Vassell led the Spurs’ offense, with 28 points including seven three-pointers – as many as the entire Detroit team managed collectively.

“They tried to impose their will. We tried to get out on transition, keep getting stops, find an open man. That’s what we did,” said Vassell.

The Spurs had raced to a 12-point lead from tip-off. But they trailed by the end of the first quarter, setting the tone for a fiercely contested back-and-forth game.

Late in the second quarter, Cade Cunningham barged Stephon Castle to the floor, angering Spurs teammate Keldon Johnson, who earned a technical foul for retaliating.

But the Pistons’ defense kept them in the game, putting Wembanyama under particular pressure. The French prodigy struggled to make an offensive mark on the early action. Jalen Duren led a late Pistons fightback, finishing with 25 points, but it ultimately fizzled as a resolute San Antonio saw out the game. Wembanyama finished with 21 points, and Julian Champagnie added another 17.

“We all play for each other. We’re all super humble. All we want to do is win,” said Vassell.

The hard-fought victory puts the Spurs at 41-16, still trailing the West-leading defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, at 44-14.

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The NBA is forging ahead with plans for a European league and expects initial responses from potential investors by the end of March, the league’s deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said Thursday.

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LeBron James and Pat Riley both sometimes wonder what might have been if their four-year partnership with the Miami Heat had lasted a whole lot longer.

After the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue Sunday honoring Riley’s landmark career as the head coach of the 1980s Showtime teams, James and the current Lakers took the court and lost 111-98 to the Boston Celtics.

Riley and James praised each other Sunday, and both NBA icons also openly speculated about the paths not taken after James’ four-year Miami tenure, which ended more than a decade ago.

“I wish him nothing but the best, but I’m going to be selfish here and say I wish had him for another six or eight years,” Riley said. “Would have been great. But we’ll never know, will we?”

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Superstar LeBron James nabbed another NBA record on Thursday, becoming at 41 the oldest player to record a triple-double as he propelled the Lakers to a 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

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A dominant Cade Cunningham scored 42 points as the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons swatted aside the New York Knicks 126-111 Thursday on the basketball league’s return from its brief All-Star Game break.

Billed as a must-watch clash between two Eastern Conference-vying rivals each in red-hot form, the game at Madison Square Garden became an exhibition for Cunningham, who also provided 13 assists and eight rebounds.

The 24-year-old burnished his credentials as a Most Valuable Player contender, helping a young, surprise-package Pistons side to improve the best record in the entire NBA this season so far, to 41-13.

After the game, Cunningham insisted he and his side had proved “nothing” yet.

“It’s regular season, so we just have to keep on chipping at it, keep on growing, keep on getting better and preparing for the postseason,” he said.

“We’re off to a great start. Obviously, we feel great about that. But everything is to come.”

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The NBA took aim at “tanking” on Thursday, fining the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers over “management of their rosters” amid intensifying scrutiny on struggling teams thought to be focused on draft position rather than winning.

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LeBron James has no clue if he will play beyond this season, his record 23rd in the NBA, but the superstar has some projects in mind for his retirement days.

The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward spoke Sunday ahead of the NBA All-Star Game, saying his playing future beyond this season remains uncertain. “Yeah, I want to live,” James said of his post-season plans. “When I know, you guys know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”

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Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart was suspended for seven games by the NBA, and three others from a brawl between Detroit and Charlotte were also banned by the league on Wednesday.

Stewart’s punishment came for leaving the bench area, aggressively entering an on-court altercation and fighting, with the length of the suspension in part based on his history of repeated unsportsmanlike acts.

Charlotte Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were each suspended for four games for fighting and escalating the altercation, while Detroit centre Jalen Duren was banned for two games for initiating the altercation and fighting.