Basketball

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball said Thursday he feels “blessed” one day after being involved in a two-car crash in Charlotte.

Kristaps Porzingis, making his Warriors debut in his first game since Jan. 7, opened slow but made an impact in his 17 minutes, scoring 12 points in a 121-110 loss to the Celtics.

The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham made his case to be the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, erupting for 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in a decisive 126-111 win over the Knicks.

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is considering legal action against the city of Beverly Hills, he told ESPN’s Andscape, after police shut down a private event he was hosting during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Suns guard Devin Booker was ruled out in the first half Thursday night because of right hip soreness.

Commissioner Adam Silver informed the league’s 30 general managers Thursday that the NBA plans to make anti-tanking rule changes for next season, sources told ESPN.

The Lakers appear to be fully healthy for the first time in recent memory with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton all expected to play Friday against the Clippers.

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will open the post-break portion of the schedule without injured stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

The NBA has a tanking problem, but there’s a clear solution the league should consider: counting wins after the All-Star break. Let us explain.