BASKETTBALL

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Utah announced on Monday that the program has fired men's basketball head coach Craig Smith (52) following the team's 76-72 loss to UCF. Assistant coach Josh Eilert will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

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LeBron James (40) is energized to play alongside new Lakers teammate Luka Doncic (25) while in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26) hopes an NBA title will secure his place among league legends as the regular-season homestretch begins.

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Luka Doncic (25) delivered a dominant 32-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Denver Nuggets' nine-game winning streak on Saturday with an impressive 123-100 victory on the road in Colorado. Doncic, playing only his fourth game for the Lakers since his blockbuster trade from Dallas, was in scintillating form as the Lakers conjured a statement wire-to-wire win over their Western Conference rivals.

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Stephen Curry (36) and Jayson Tatum (26) combined for 27 points as Shaquille O'Neal's "Team Shaq's OGs" cruised to victory in the new-look NBA All-Star game in San Francisco on Sunday. Curry, playing on his home court at Golden State's Chase Center, reeled off a string of trademark three-pointers to help his star-studded line-up coast to a 41-25 victory over Charles Barkley's "Team Chuck's Global Stars."

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San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is not expected to return to the bench this season after suffering a stroke in November, ESPN reported on Saturday. Popovich, the NBA's all-time leader in wins, has not appeared on the Spurs bench since suffering what the team later described as a mild stroke on November 2.

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was happy with the state of the league despite complaints about too many 3-pointers, but added Saturday the NBA continues to study the issue. Speaking during NBA All-Star weekend festivities, Silver also said Dallas Mavericks fans angry over Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers should have faith in club management and he isn't worried about the NBA's union deal creating more rough splits like Jimmy Butler's move from Miami to Golden State.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks on Friday, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc.

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San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama promised plenty of intensity in his first NBA All-Star Game as the league hopes its new rapid-fire mini-tournament format can bring the excitement back to its mid-season showcase. "The goal is not to chill, for sure," 21-year-old French sensation Wembanyama said Saturday as the league's luminaries lined up for media day ahead of Sunday's All-Star Game.