EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMiami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is among five players suspended without pay for their roles in Friday night's on-court altercation with the New Orleans Pelicans.Butler and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall were each suspended one game for "instigating and engaging in" an on-court altercation, the NBA announced Sunday.Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Heat center Thomas Bryant were suspended three…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- After the Boston Celtics claimed their season-best eighth straight victory Saturday night, defeating the New York Knicks 116-102 at Madison Square Garden, Boston now has an eight-game cushion over the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers atop the Eastern Conference.That is a bigger gap than the one between the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves and the eighth-place Phoenix Suns (7…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was ruled out for Saturday's home game against the Brooklyn Nets with a left ankle sprain.Gobert injured his ankle in the third quarter of Friday's 112-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Saturday marks just the second game this season that Gobert has missed. He was also sidelined in Minnesota's loss at…

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEXACTLY ONE YEAR after his tumultuous 3-year tenure with the Brooklyn Nets came to a close, Kyrie Irving returned to Barclays Center.It was Feb. 6, and Irving was in town with the Dallas Mavericks, less than a week after his former Nets running mate, Kevin Durant, made his return to the city where the duo envisioned winning NBA…