Basketball

Here's hoping Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu has a good dental plan ... 'cause the big man took an elbow to the face Wednesday night during the team's clash with the Celtics, leading to his teeth getting knocked out!

It all went down during the fourth quarter of the Hawks' 117-106 win over the Celts. As Jaylen Brown attempted to keep the ball away from Okongwu, his elbow connected with the right side of his face, drawing a flagrant foul.

When he stepped to the free-throw line ... you saw the full extent of the damage to his money maker.

LeBron James’ homecoming hit different Wednesday night … and it might’ve been a final bow.

After the Lakers got smacked 129-99 by the Cavaliers in Cleveland, James didn’t sound like a guy planning many more trips back to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The 41-year-old flat-out admitted the thought crossed his mind that this “very well could be” his last game ever in The Land.

And yeah, it showed.

Tuesday night in the NBA looked more like Fight Night ... with players in not one, but two games getting feisty on the hardwood, with one hooper having to be restrained all the way through the tunnel to the locker room!

The first scrap of the evening involved the reigning NBA champs (and '26 frontrunners), the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were playing the New Orleans Pelicans. Immediately after the final buzzer sounded ... OKC's Lu Dort and New Orleans' Jeremiah Fears got into a benches-clearing skirmish, where Dort put up a fist as the two were grabbing each other's jerseys.

Once they were able to separate the two players, members of the Pelicans staff had to hold Fears all the way back to the locker room, with Zion Williamson seemingly looking to catch up and calm him down.

Kevin Durant is well aware of the countless social media posts about his dry skin ... but the joke's on the haters behind the tweets -- 'cause he's laughing to the bank!!

The Houston Rockets superstar sat in front of a camera and read some mean posts ... while providing some classic clap-backs in the process.

KD gave props to the funny and creative jabs ... but he came out on top overall -- since the whole clip was part of an ad with CeraVe.

A  moment of silence for Alex Pretti was held at the Minnesota Timberwolves' home game on Sunday -- and as soon as it ended, some fans in attendance used it as an opportunity to shout "F*** ICE" for all to hear.

As we previously reported, the Wolves' matchup with the Golden State Warriors was postponed following Pretti's death to "prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community" amid all the unrest that followed the fatal incident.

When the two teams took the court a day later, tensions were clearly still high. In a recorded video of the tribute, multiple people are heard voicing their opposition to ICE.

That wasn't the only moment during the game that had people talking. During a break in the action ... the Target Center put on a dunk show with the fans ... with the dunkers wearing "ICE OUT" t-shirts.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won't be tipping off this afternoon against Steph Curry's Warriors -- the NBA has postponed the matchup -- after a fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement spurred on civil unrest Saturday morning in Minneapolis.

"The National Basketball Association game scheduled for today between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed," the NBA announced a short time ago.

"The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community."

The shooting occurred shortly after 9 AM local time, when 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti was involved in a confrontation with a group of feds ... which turned deadly.

A little kid had the guts to ask Jordan Poole what folks have been wondering for years -- how did it feel to get punched by Draymond Green during practice in 2022?!?

A TikTok was posted showing Poole and Pelicans teammates chatting it up with some youngins at a meet and greet ... and the impromptu interview started pretty innocently, with questions like who his favorite teammates were when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors.

The 26-year-old listed names like Kevon Looney -- who he now plays with in NOLA -- along with Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.

Alijah Arenas hit the hardwood for the first time since almost losing his life in a fiery car crash, and the 5-star recruit didn't waste any time reminding fans he was back, pulling off a filthy behind-the-back move, sending the defender stumbling, and finishing with a slick layup!

The move brought the fans to their feet ... just 5 minutes and change into USC's game against Northwestern.

Arenas has been sidelined since the summer with a knee injury -- which came after surviving a terrifying Tesla Cybertruck crash in April -- that left him trapped in a burning vehicle, which he escaped, thanks to a group of good Samaritans.

Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo berated one of his players during Tuesday night's game ... telling Kur Teng he wouldn't be able to lock down his 99-year-old mother on the court -- and he said after the final buzzer he was dead serious.

The funny moment (maybe not for Teng) went down in the Spartans' huddle during a break in their matchup with the Oregon Ducks ... when FOX cameras and microphones captured the jab.

"Kur, you can't guard my mother," Izzo said. "My mother."

Kansas State snapping their five-game losing streak with a win over Utah on Tuesday had their head coach, Jerome Tang, ready to party -- and he did, with the fans in the stands!

The awesome moment was caught on video after the Wildcats edged the Utes 81-78 in front of thousands of fans at the Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas.

The win put an end to K-State's five-game losing streak -- their last win was December 28 -- and Tang was stoked!

Lamar Odom insists he wasn't under the influence of alcohol or narcotics when he was busted for driving under the influence over the weekend.

The NBA champ addressed his arrest with TMZ Sports on Tuesday ... saying he's taking full responsibility for his actions, while also clearing the air a bit on what got him put in the slammer.

LO didn't specify what he had, if anything, in his system before Vegas cops booked him for driving under the influence and two traffic violations on Saturday ... but owned up to needing to be more responsible behind the wheel.

8:04 PM PT -- Lamar's former manager Gina Rodriguez tells TMZ ... "From 2023 to 2025 Lamar Odom owned Odom Recovery Group which was a marketing company for rehabs, senior living and dental. He never started a business with Dante or Martinez, in fact they opened 'Odom Wellness Treatment Centers' as a LLC in early 2023 without Lamar on it and Lamar's attorney had it closed by May of 2023 when it came to Lamar's attention."

She continues ... "Lamar chose not to work with them because of them opening the business without his name on it. This story they made up about the marijuana is not true. I have all the communication from them and so does the attorney. This was merely a sad attempt at getting themselves some press with a false story."

In response to Gina's statement, Dontae tells TMZ ... he stands by everything he said on the record in our previous story.

Lamar Odom's rehab business partnership is officially over ... but TMZ Sports has learned the split has nothing to do with his DUI arrest this past weekend.

Christian hip-hop artist Dontae Ralston tells TMZ ... Lamar parted ways with his rehab business partners at Odom Wellness Treatment Centers less than a year after acquiring the facilities, with the breakup going down around late 2023 or early 2024.

Dontae and Hall of Fame skateboarder Dennis Martinez decided to end their partnership with the former NBA star because Lamar continued publicly promoting marijuana, despite being affiliated with rehab centers that frequently treat patients specifically for marijuana addiction.

If you ever dreamed of living like a baller, here's your shot ... WNBA great Angel McCoughtry just listed her stunning Georgia home for $1.2 million!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the 5,000-square-foot estate, built in 2004, is located in Smyrna, GA ... which is only 17 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.

The Craftsman crib is packed with classic Southern charm, featuring high ceilings, rich texture, an expansive open layout, a fireplace and a screened-in porch.

Dribble into this mashed-up photo and see if you can unlock the unknown!

It may be cold in here, but he's married to a Clover in the atmosphere! He played for the Miami Heat ... and he celebrated his 44th birthday this weekend! Catch him on the 'gram with his kiddos ... and his hot wife who always BRINGS IT!

Wilt Chamberlain numbers aren’t supposed to happen in high school … until an Arizona baller had his way.

The scoreboard could barely keep up on Tuesday night when Maryvale High School senior guard Adrian Stubbs went bananas and made history with a 100-point outing -- in just three quarters!!!

We caught up with the hoops star fresh off his incredible performance ... and yeah, even he is a bit shocked.

11:03 AM PT -- West's attorney, Brandon Sloane, tells TMZ Sports he's confident the details of the case will show there's much more to the story ... but the ex-NBAer is using the experience as a wake-up call to seek professional help.

The attorney says he is "proud of Delonte as he has used this process to seek out help and been released on bond to a treatment facility. We all look forward to his continued progress, and Delonte is particularly appreciative of the numerous thoughts and well wishes over the last several weeks."

Delonte West has found himself in trouble with the law again -- the former NBA star was arrested last month in Virginia after he allegedly robbed an individual -- TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement tells us they received a call from a person who reported getting robbed and assaulted in the 5900 block of Richmond Highway in Belle Haven ... and claimed the culprit ran off on them.

When cops arrived on the scene, they learned the individual in question didn't get far. The caller pointed out the man across the street as the one they were looking for. It turned out to be West, whom officials in the area have unfortunately become familiar with over the years.