BRADLEY BEAL

LeBron James passed Karl Malone for second place on the NBA’s career scoring list, but it was part of another loss for his Los Angeles Lakers when the Washington Wizards rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 127-119.

Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 16 rebounds in an efficient 24 minutes and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns rebounded from a streak-ending loss to beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 95-80 on Saturday night.

Ja Morant scored 34 points, his sixth straight game of at least 30 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies built an early lead in a 115-95 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

Luke Kennard scored seven points inside the final 9 seconds, including a go-ahead four-point play with 1.9 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 35-point first-half deficit to stun the Washington Wizards 116-115.

Zach LaVine scored 27 points, Coby White added 21 and the Chicago Bulls won their ninth straight game, beating the Washington Wizards 130-122.

The virus outbreak hasn’t just sent NBA teams looking for help from the G League.

The Brooklyn Nets don't expect Kevin Durant to be available for their Christmas showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers.

JaVale McGee scored 17 points, Deandre Ayton added 15 and the Phoenix Suns cruised to a 118-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Kyle Kuzma hit a 3 with 0.6 seconds left in overtime and the Washington Wizards handed the Detroit Pistons their 10th straight loss, 119-116.

After another debilitating loss on Monday, the Detroit Pistons’ losing streak continues in this quick homestand. Now they are going to try and end this skid when they welcome a vastly-improved Washington Wizards squad on Wednesday night. Now, Detroit gets to take on the Washington Wizards, who have been one of the surprising teams at the start of this season. Check out more stories about the Detroit Pistons here on MLiveWhat: NBA BasketballWho: Washington Wizards (14-11) vs. Detroit Pistons (4-19)When: Wednesday, December 8Time: 7:00 p.m. ETWhere: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Mich.)Channel: Bally Sports DetroitStream: DirecTV StreamCheck out the NBA standings and results on NBA.com

Players who are vaccinated against COVID-19 can help their sport by calling out Andrew Wiggins, Kyrie Irving, and other unvaccinated stars.

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has become a part of the new normal and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant had a recent reminder. Team USA arrived in Japan on Monday without LaVine, but he was cleared to travel on Thursday. Grant did not let the unpredictability of the NBA season get to him. You just kind of roll with the punches,” Team USA assistant coach Steve Kerr said. The rising number of cases has forced a Tokyo Olympics organizing committee chief to keep a last-minute cancellation in mind.

4 days before the opening ceremony, the entire South African soccer team is locked down, U.S. tennis star Coco Guaff is out, and the Japanese are nervous.

Games schedules are back to normal and fans are in the stands. But a handful of high-profile positive COVID-19 cases are disrupting Olympic rosters and MLB games as cases tick up across the U.S.

Kevin Love has withdrawn from the Olympics because of a calf injury, forcing the U.S. basketball team to replace two players on its roster.

Kevin Love reportedly will not compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

The United States will not take on Australia in their second pre-Olympic exhibition game.

The United States’ men’s basketball exhibition game against Australia scheduled for Friday night in Las Vegas has been canceled because of health and safety protocols.

Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, a first time member of Team USA men’s basketball, has entered the health and safety protocols for the Tokyo Olympics.

Team USA and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant has entered health and safety protocol at the team’s training camp, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. On Thursday afternoon, Team USA Basketball released a statement confirming Wojnarowski’s report regarding Beal’s status ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. “Beal was named to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team on June 28 and participated in the USA Basketball National Team’s training camp and exhibition games in Las Vegas. Starting in the USA’s first three USA exhibition games, Beal averaged 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing 29.0 minutes a game. “Out of an abundance of caution, USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Jerami Grant has been placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols, USA Basketball announced Thursday afternoon.”

USA Basketball reportedly is looking to replace Bradley Beal on the Olympic men's basketball roster after he and Jerami Grant reportedly entered healthy and safety protocols.

A person with knowledge of the situation says U.S. Olympic guard Bradley Beal has entered the health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus, which raises the possibility that he might miss the Tokyo Games.

USA Basketball didn’t blow up Kevin Durant’s phone with repeated calls to beg and plead for him to play in the Tokyo Olympics.

Experience mattered to USA Basketball when putting together a roster for the Tokyo Olympics.

Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard will reportedly headline the U.S. Olympic men's basketball roster for Tokyo.

The Washington Wizards have decided to move on from coach Scott Brooks after five seasons.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic was the runaway MVP this season, which made it a virtual certainty that he would also be an All-NBA first-team selection.

Steph Curry scored 30 points, Tobias Harris had 28 and the Philadelphia 76ers finished off the Washington Wizards in five games with a 29-112 victory Wednesday night.

Philadelphia, Utah and Atlanta can reach the second round.

The man ran on the court and touched the backboard​ before being tackled by a security guard.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid left in the first quarter with a sore right knee and the 76ers lost Game 4 of their playoff series against the Washington Wizards 122-114.

Memphis Grizzlies’ fans cheered Mike Conley earlier this year when he finally earned All-Star recognition in his 14th season.

Joel Embiid scored a career playoff high 36 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 132-103 rout of the Washington Wizards and a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Ben Simmons put a spin move on Russell Westbrook that sent him sprawling to the floor several minutes before a leg injury sent the NBA’s triple-double king to the locker room.

Doc Rivers can’t fathom criticism of Ben Simmons, especially after the three-time All-Star became just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game.

Tobias Harris scored 37 points and Joel Embiid had 30 points, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-118 victory over the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to make quick work of the Washington Wizards as they open their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

Russell Westbrook nearly had a triple-double and Bradley Beal scored 25 points in just 29 minutes to help the Washington Wizards reach the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round.

Jayson Tatum scored 32 of his 50 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Washington Wizards 118-100 in the play-in round.

The NBA’s new play-in tournament begins Tuesday night, and it took until the 146th and final day of this compressed season to determine who is going where for the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook got his first triple-double since passing Oscar Robertson and becoming the NBA's career leader earlier in the week and Washington beat Cleveland 120-105 to clinch a spot in the East play-in tournament.

Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s 47-year-old NBA record for triple-doubles and missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer as the Washington Wizards lost 125-124 to the Atlanta Hawks.

Russell Westbrook has set the NBA record with his 182nd triple-double, surpassing the mark set by Oscar Robertson in 1974.

Russell Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson’s NBA record for triple-doubles with 181, finishing with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists, and made two free throws with a second left to give Washington a 133-132 overtime victory over Indiana on Saturday night.

Russell Westbrook had the third game in NBA history with 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists, and the surging Washington Wizards moved closer to Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 for their seventh straight win.

Stephen Curry had his first rough night in a month, and Bradley Beal rallied Washington in the fourth quarter for its season-best sixth straight victory, 118-114 over the Golden State Warriors.

The Detroit Pistons fell to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. Detroit allowed Washington to score 18 points off of 18 turnovers while being limited to 44 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from three. Washington shot 53.2 percent (50-94) from the field and made nine of their 16 shot attempts (.562) from three. He followed up his 21-rebound night against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday with 12 rebounds in Washington. Unfortunately, with Detroit’s starters combining for 45 points, it was not enough to lift the team to a win.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russell Westbrook had his 25th triple-double of the season, Bradley Beal scored 37 points and the Washington Wizards beat the Detroit Pistons 121-100 on Saturday night. Westbrook finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the fourth straight win for Washington (23-33), which continues its late-season push. Josh Jackson scored 17 as the Pistons failed in their attempt to win consecutive games for only the third time this season. TIP-INSPistons: G Rodney McGruder (sprained right elbow), G Dennis Smith (sore left knee) and F Sekou Doumbouya (neck soreness) were out. Wizards: F Davis Bertans missed his second straight game because his wife gave birth to a baby boy.

Nikola Jokic scored 27 points in leading the Denver Nuggets past the Detroit Pistons 134-119 Tuesday night.

Josh Jackson scored 19 of his season-high 31 points in the first half and the Detroit Pistons went on to rout the Washington Wizards 120-91.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Washington Wizards completed a 106-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night after All-Star guard Bradley Beal’s injury-shortened outing. Beal had 17 points in 21 minutes before the NBA’s leading scorer departed early in the third quarter, having started the game with a sore right foot. After nearly giving back a 30-point lead, Westbrook’s NBA-best 15th triple-double helped the Wizards secure just their second win in 10 games since the All-Star break. Wayne Ellington scored 15 points for the last-place Pistons, who have lost four in a row and 14 of their last 18. Beal appeared to pick up or aggravate an injury late in the second quarter on an awkward fall after driving and charging into Detroit’s Saddiq Bey.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks past Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook, bottom, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – On pace for their best season and first conference championship in two decades, the Philadelphia 76ers are suddenly “praying” for the health of their best player. Joel Embiid scored 23 points but departed midway through the third quarter following an apparent leg injury in the 76ers' 127-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. “We're just praying that he'll be OK and be healthy tomorrow.”Following a dunk for his last points, Embiid landed awkwardly on his left leg, his knee joint appearing to bend slightly forward. Furkan Korkmaz added 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Sixers completed a three-game season sweep of the Wizards.

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid dunk s the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Philadelphia. The NBA was providing private flights for all players to and from the All-Star Game. A number of players — All-Star captain LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers among them — openly wondered in recent weeks why the game was being played. Ad“I don't want to say we didn't have a choice, but it's in our CBA and our CBA says there has to be an All-Star Game every year," Beal said. “There's a lot of language in there that can kind of get ugly if we didn't necessarily come down and go through with the All-Star Game.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots a 3-point basket over Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)PORTLAND, Ore. – Played tough by the Warriors all game, Damian Lillard needed to make something happen. Lillard hit a deep 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left to give the Portland Trail Blazers a hard-fought 108-106 victory over Golden State on Wednesday night. His 3-pointer gave Golden State a 101-96 lead with 3:57 remaining. He took a charge from Green, which prompted an unsuccessful challenge by Golden State, and Portland won its second straight after a four-game losing streak.

Los Angeles Lakers center Montrezl Harrell, left, grabs a loose ball away from Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Los Angeles. Russell Westbrook scored six of his 32 points in overtime for the Wizards, who rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half. “It feels different, in a great way,” Beal said of the Wizards' impressive five-game run against Boston, Houston, Denver, Portland and the Lakers. ... Former Lakers C Moe Wagner had six points, and former Lakers swingman Isaac Bonga didn't play. James is third in the NBA in total minutes, with over 200 more than anyone else on the Lakers' roster.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal will be held out of a game for rest for the first time this season, sitting out Washington's matchup with the New York Knicks on Friday. Beal is averaging 32.8 points and 35.3 minutes per game for Washington (6-16), which is among the league's worst teams. The only previous game Beal missed this season was a loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 9 because of the league's COVID-19 protocols. Washington's other starting guard, Russell Westbrook — who was acquired in a trade with Houston before the season — has missed seven games this season for rest or because of injury.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – Wizards coach Scott Brooks envisioned something like this when Washington acquired Russell Westbrook from Houston for John Wall and a draft pick. Bradley Beal and Westbrook hit 3-pointers in a wild 3.8-second sequence in the final seconds to help the Wizards stun Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 149-146 on Sunday night. Westbrook had 41 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and NBA scoring leader Beal had 37 points. In the fourth quarter, Beal had 22 points and Westbrook had 15. “Russell willed this game,” Brooks said about Westbrook, who has only played in 10 of 16 games due to a quad injury.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)The Washington Wizards are finally back. The Grizzlies won’t play until at least Saturday, after the NBA called off yet another game -- the 20th since Jan. 10 and the 21st postponement this season. Those were called off late last week and now, the Grizzlies’ home game against Chicago that was scheduled for Wednesday is off as well. In all, 23 teams have seen at least one game called off so far this season.

The Wizards don't expect to have more than eight available on Friday because of a combination of the virus and injuries. Wizards coach Scott Brooks isn't expecting any of the six players who have tested positive back in the next few days at least, and Westbrook is still out with a leg injury. Portland is the 20th NBA team to have at least one game called off in the last two weeks. Memphis had its game at Minnesota last Friday called off after Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19. Players who test positive must undergo a battery of exams before being cleared to return to play, such as cardiac tests.

PHILADELPHIA NBA shooting guard Bradley Beal, who just signed a $72 million, two-year contract extension with the Washington Wizards, says he's frugal. That doesn't include his recent contract extension or revenue from his endorsement deal with Nike, the terms of which weren't disclosed. Beal's $72 million extension with the Wizards adds two years to his five-year, $127 million contract he signed in 2016. In the first year of the extension, Beal is set to earn about $34 million. Beal and his partner Kamiah Adams announced the birth of their second son, Braylon Elias Beal, on Aug. 30.