Basketball

Knicks owner/Hawks superstar Trae Young continues to TORCH New York, and then rub it in their faces ... and last night was no exception -- Ice Trae was as cold as ever, dropping 45 points and telling a heckling fan to "hold that L."

Young and the Hawks visited the world's most famous arena ... to square off against their Eastern Conference rival, the Knicks, and Trae more than lived up to his nickname.

The game was back-and-forth throughout the first half, and the faithful at MSG were letting Trae hear it all night.

At one point, while Trae was walking to the corner, comedian Roy Wood Jr. (who was sitting courtside) recorded video of an exchange between Young and some Knicks fans who'd apparently been trolling the hooper.

In the video, you can see Trae walking in the fans direction to cover Immanuel Quickley ... when he suddenly walks right up to a fan and says "Ayy hold that, hold that. Hold that L."

Of course, the rivalry between Young and Knicks fans dates back to last season's playoffs ... when Trae and his Hawks eliminated New York in 5 games in the first round.

Young averaged close to 30 points and 10 assists ... and played even better at the Garden than he did at his home arena, prompting Knicks fans to chant "F*** Trae Young" whenever he touched the ball.

Super Knicks fan Spike Lee had a front row seat for Trae's brilliant performance ... and the film director didn't look too thrilled as he watched Young torture his squad.

Humiliating Knicks fans wasn't all #11 did last night -- Trae hit Knicks big man Taj Gibson with a sick crossover before nailing a sweet pullup midrange jumper, and the crowd ate it up.

The U.S. government has finally been given access to Brittney Griner in Russia ... and in positive news, she's said to be "in good condition."

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price made the announcement on CNN on Wednesday ... explaining Russia is now allowing the U.S. to provide consular access to Griner.

Price said an official from the U.S. embassy was able to see her "within the past couple hours" -- saying they checked in on her condition and found she's doing okay while detained.

"There's only so much I can say," Price said, "but what I can say is that our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition. And we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal."

Price vowed that the U.S. government will "work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network, to see to it that she is treated fairly."

"That is a message that we will continue to convey in no uncertain terms to the Russian Federation," he added.

As we previously reported, Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February, after she allegedly tried to bring hash oil through airport security.

Zion Williamson threw down a monster dunk on Tuesday with no shirt on ... and it certainly looks like he's recovering from his foot injury nicely.

The New Orleans Pelicans star -- who fractured his foot during the 2021 offseason -- posted video of the ridiculous slam on his social media page ... showing signs that he might finally be putting his foot ailments in the rearview mirror.

In the video, you can see Zion getting up with ease, putting the ball through his legs, and then hammering it through the rim.

It's an amazing sign for Pelicans fans, because even though the former No. 1 overall pick is unlikely to play the rest of this season, it at least shows he's on the road to getting back to the NBA hardwood at some point.

Williamson has yet to play an entire season due to multiple injuries he's suffered in his career. In fact, since his rookie year in 2019, he's only started 85 games.

He's suffered multiple setbacks with his foot injury this season -- but if this clip is any indication, it's clear he's well on his way to returning ... and with no shirt on, it seems he's showing to his haters he's ready to keep his weight down when he gets back too.

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkić's wallet is now significantly lighter ... the NBA just fined him $40,000 for tossing a fan's phone in a confrontation after a game on Sunday.

The league announced the punishment Tuesday morning ... reprimanding the 27-year-old for his actions in a postgame spat with a Pacers supporter.

If you missed it, following Portland's 129-98 loss to Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse ... Nurkić walked up to a fan, stared him down and then grabbed his phone and threw it.

Nurkić appeared to mutter some words to the guy -- before security ultimately separated them.

It's unclear what the fan said to piss off Nurkić -- but the NBA clearly didn't care either way, slapping him with the big fine.

Nurkić, who's been sidelined for several weeks while battling plantar fasciitis, has yet to address the incident publicly.

The Association, meanwhile, has been doling out a lot of fines like this one recently -- as NBA players have consistently fired back at fans throughout this season.

In fact, just days ago, Kevin Durant was hit with a $25,000 fine for cussing out a fan who was sitting courtside at a game earlier this month.

LeBron James hopes his invite for Kevin Love's wedding still stands -- 'cause he said after he dunked all over his former teammate on Monday night, he's worried it might get canceled.

If you missed it, the Lakers superstar put Love on a poster with an insane dunk during the first half of the Lakers-Cavs game in Cleveland.

The throwdown was sick -- James jumped over Kevin and slammed it so violently, his good buddy actually went crashing to the floor.

The play was great for the Laker, who ended up using the momentum from the basket to win the game -- but afterward, James said he felt a ton of remorse for doing that to his BFF.

"To be completely honest," James said, "I hate it had to be him. He's my guy, that's my brother."

"I hope I'm still invited to the wedding," he joked.

Love -- who got engaged to Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Kate Bock last January -- was able to get a little payback after the dunk, putting James in a playful headlock.

LeBron told reporters it wasn't even his best dunk at the end of the day -- and he promised to keep it out of his highlight reel.

"I wish I could take those 2 points back and we'd still win the game by 9," James said. "K Love, I love you. I take it back."

Love clearly still needs some time to recover ... he said on Twitter after the game, "I’m not f*cking with my guy @KingJames for at least the next 48hrs!!!!"

Kevin Porter Jr. was way too hyped over Christian Wood's performance in the Rockets' wild win on Monday ... 'cause he got so excited, he completely ate it on the locker room floor!!

The game was nuts -- Houston came back from 23 points down on the Washington Wizards to win by 18 ... with Wood earning a career-high 39 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and going 8-9 from 3-point range in the process.

The Rockets' players showed love for the 26-year-old hooper after the 115-97 win ... by completely drenching him with water and cheering for their guy.

But, KPJ might've been just a tad too turnt -- stumbling to the carpet as the team went wild after the game.

Don't worry -- Porter was able to hop back up and rejoin the squad as they headed to the locker rooms ... but you can hear some guys busted out laughing in reaction to the fall.

The scene looked like an upset win during March Madness ... and it basically was -- the Rockets are now 18-54 with the dub, while the Wizards fall to 30-41.

Lorenzen Wright's family finally got some justice on Monday ... 51-year-old Billy Ray Turner was convicted of murdering the former NBA player, and was sentenced to life in prison.

Wright, the 7th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, was killed in July 2010 in his hometown of Memphis. Lorenzen had gone missing days earlier ... before his decomposing body was discovered in a marshy field.

Prosecutors alleged Wright's ex-wife, Sherra Wright, hired two other people, including Turner, to commit the murder by luring Wright to the field under the guise they were there to meet someone who owed his ex money.

Turner, who pled not guilty to first-degree murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy, was found guilty by a jury after only 2 hours of deliberation.

The judge sentenced BRT to life in prison for the murder charge. He will again go before a judge sometime in the future where he'll be sentenced for the other two charges.

As for Sherra, she previously plead guilty to facilitation of murder and facilitation to commit first-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in July 2019. She will be eligible for parole after only 9 years.

Delonte West -- who publicly battled mental health, addiction and legal issues -- is opening up about his basketball comeback for the first time ... with the NBA hooper saying he feels he has more bounce than ever in new workout footage we obtained.

We broke the news in February ... the 38-year-old, former 8-year NBA vet was training with the goal of making the BIG 3, participating in a try-out in Washington D.C. earlier this month (DW was invited to an upcoming workout).

Now, West is speaking out ... saying he's hyped to return to the court.

"It's important really to be honest about how you feel physically and what you're capable to do," West said in the new video.

"I lost some weight so I actually feel a little more athletic. I can jump a little higher now."

And, you can see in the footage ... 6'3" West goes up for a reverse dunk at an outdoor court in Maryland, throwing it down like it was nothing.

His jumper and handles look pretty good, too. West's manager, Donovan Fordham, tells us the former 24th overall pick (2004 NBA Draft) has been working nonstop, on and off the court.

"He's constantly working on mental health," Fordham tells us on Monday, "he's really fighting."

There's more. We're also told West and Fordham are working with 214 Films to create a documentary about Delonte's life.

The hooper has been through a lot ... and wants to shine a spotlight on the importance of mental health.

"It will be about him dealing with mental illness, addiction plus his personal life story," Fordham says, "He wants to highlight mental illness and help others with the same issues."

"He wants to be a voice for not just athletes but everyone who struggles with mental health."

Fordham says West is trying to change for his family ... with his 2 kids and mom being his motivation.

Shaquille O'Neal was an awful free-throw shooter during his career, but the Hall of Famer might've finally sorted it out ... 'cause he drained a shot right in the middle of his DJ set!!

The Big Aristotle has had a successful second career as a DJ since retiring from the league in 2011 ... and combined both of his passions at once at a recent concert by taking a mini ball and shooting at a hoop in the crowd.

But, unlike half the free throws he shot in his career (love you, Shaq) ... this one actually went in!!

O'Neal -- who shot an abysmal 52.7 percent from charity stripe during his career -- was never known to be able to hit clutch free throws late in the game ... but this time around, he hit it with ease!!

Everything from the form to the release looked good ... with Shaq even using his patent one-handed push shot ... and everyone loved it!!

Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larrañaga not only saved the world from a shirtless Charles Barkley ... but then clowned Chuck during his post-game presser.

Yes, not all heroes wear capes.

It all started when Barkley, known for his larger-than-life personality as a commentator, joked he would take off his shirt if his alma mater, Auburn, beat the Hurricanes last night.

Jim got wind of Chuck's comments, and after knocking off Barkley's old school, had a hilarious reaction to it.

“I listened to Charles Barkley tell the CBS crew that if Auburn won, he’d take off his shirt. And, I thought to myself, no one wants to see that, Chuck," Larrañaga said.

Of course, Barkley has ties to Auburn -- he played for the Tigers for three years averaging 14.1 points per game -- so, it's safe to say he was a bit biased in his prediction.

But, Auburn was 7.5 point favorite over Miami, so Barkley, like most people, was stunned when the Hurricanes easily handled Auburn.

Miami dominated the Tigers, 79-61, to advance to the Sweet 16 ... and it seems coach Larrañaga and his team played with extra motivation thanks to Chuck.

After the game, Barkley was a good sport about Larrañaga's pot shot ... and even heaped praise on Jim for the way the Hurricanes beat up on his Tigers.

We also got video of the Hurricanes arriving back in Florida thanks to our intern, Ryan, and the scene on the ground in Miami was pretty incredible.

A group of passionate fans was there to greet coach as early as 2:15 AM ... and coach spent time high-fiving students as they chanted "It's great to be a Miami Hurricane."

How'd Devin Booker celebrate beating the Kings in overtime on Sunday?? He jetted down to L.A. for a date night with his smokin' hot GF, Kendall Jenner.

The two were spotted at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica hours after Booker dropped 31 points in a 127-124 win in Sacramento.

The couple -- who's been dating since around July 2020 -- held hands on their way out of the restaurant ... with Booker looking pleased with the way his evening shaped up.

It should be noted Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey Bieber, were also at the restaurant -- and while it's unclear if the two couples dined together ... Hailey and Kendall are BFFs, so it seems likely.

The Suns don't play again until Wednesday when they square off with the Timberwolves in Minnesota -- and it's clear with the short time off, Booker's soaking up as much QT with Kendall as he possibly can.

Jusuf Nurkić didn't play a single minute Sunday night, but the Blazers big man got some action after the game ... walking over to a heckling Pacers fan and tossing his phone.

The incident went down following the Blazers' 129-98 blowout loss to Indiana ... when Nurkić apparently heard a fan say something he didn't like, confronted him with an intimidating stare-down, and chucked his cell.

The fan was completely shocked ... saying, "Why'd you throw my phone?"

Security staff intervened by stepping in between Jusuf and the fan ... and the Portland center ended up walking away before things escalated further.

It's unclear what exactly was said that led up to the altercation ... but it's clear whatever words were exchanged didn't sit well with the Bosnian hooper.

Nurkić -- who's sidelined at the moment due to plantar fasciitis -- wasn't required to talk to the media after the game ... so details surrounding what happened are minimal.

Nurkic's showdown with the fan is an ongoing theme this season -- NBA players have been clearly fed up with the hecklers "taking it too far" ... prompting the ballers to take matters into their own hands.

Guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have had fans tossed from the arena ... and most recently, their teammate Russell Westbrook confronted a fan before a game for calling him "Westbrick."

Drake had some divided loyalties Friday night ... he's a die-hard Raptors fan but he's also buds with one LeBron James.

Drake was front and center in Toronto ... cheering on his home team with a trusty bottle of Lobos 1707 Extra Añejo by his side -- FYI ... it's LeBron's tequila company. So, in a way, he supported both his team and his pal.

Hope the booze was good, because his support for the Raptors fell on deaf ears ... they lost to the Lakers 128-123.

Drake was stunned when Russell Westbrook -- who's gotten more than his share of hate lately -- delivered big time ... with only 10 seconds left in regulation and the Lakers down by 3, Westbrook raced down the floor and scored a 3 pointer, forcing the game into OT.

"Shark Tank" star Daymond John is having a hard time enjoying this year's NCAA Tournament ... saying he believes it's "horrible," and is actually "modern-day slavery."

The 53-year-old businessman spelled out his beef with March Madness to Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Friday ... explaining he thinks the players are getting a raw deal in the huge event.

John said there's a ton of people making millions -- if not billions -- off the tourney ... yet players aren't seeing much of the pie at all.

"The players make nothing! Zero off of all that," John said. "I think this is modern-day slavery and they're just giving them a little bit of a crumb."

John acknowledged that players do get scholarships and do now have the ability to get paid from NIL deals -- but he insisted that's nowhere near enough.

"These players are bringing in billions of dollars and making absolutely zero," he said. "It is really, I think, what business model do you know that makes billions of dollars and pays their employees zero?"

Kevin Durant's potty mouth just cost him $25,000 -- the NBA just fined the Brooklyn Nets superstar for telling a fan sitting courtside to "shut the f*** up."

The league announced the punishment on Friday afternoon ... saying in a statement they issued the fine against KD "for directing obscene language toward a fan."

The incident happened during Brooklyn's game against the Dallas Mavs on Wednesday ... when a fan said, "KD you gotta take this game over."

KD responded, "You gotta shut the f*** up and sit down."

Kevin wasn't disciplined for his clapback in-game ... although, you can see a referee was nearby to witness and hear the entire exchange.

But, Durant already knew what his fate with the league office would be ... preemptively tweeting out a symbolic meme of a girl forking over cash.

"Damn, smh" Kevin wrote on Twitter.

The U.S. State Department is demanding Russia allow its officials to see Brittney Griner ... as the WNBA star sits in a jail cell awaiting her trial for alleged drug offenses.

In a statement released to AP on Friday, the U.S. State Dept. said it's "insisting" Russia "provide consular access" to Griner -- explaining the request has been repeatedly denied over the last few weeks.

It's all quite notable, considering it's the first time the U.S. State Department has used her name publicly.

You'll recall, when State Dept. Secretary Antony Blinken was asked about her case less than two weeks ago, he declined to get into specifics, saying only, "Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance."

On Friday, though, officials finally acknowledged in their statement that they "are closely engaged on this case." They added they are in "frequent contact with Brittney Griner's legal team."

As we reported, Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February, after authorities say she went through airport security with hash oil in her luggage.

Griner's legal team asked a court on Thursday to allow her to be released on house arrest ... though officials denied that request. Griner is now expected to remain in detention in Russia until at least May 19, when she's expected to return to court.

The situation with Griner in Russia has been complicated ... as the State Department has "suspended operations" at embassies in Russia near where Griner is being held following the country's invasion of Ukraine.