Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin provided a potent mix of outside shooting and inside dominance to lift the Western Conference to a 143-138 victory over the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday.

Rudy Gay drained the game-winning shot in the final seconds as the rejuvenated Toronto Raptors withstood a furious fightback from the Denver Nuggets for a 109-108 victory over one of the NBA's hottest teams on Tuesday.

Reserves Jamal Crawford and Eric Bledsoe led a fourth-quarter surge that carried the visiting Los Angeles Clippers to a 102-88 victory over the New York Knicks in a battle of NBA division leaders on Sunday.

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett showed no signs of any lingering bad blood between them as the New York Knicks snapped their 11-game losing streak in Boston with a 89-86 win over the Celtics on Thursday.

Adding more hope to their dream of a long-awaited return to the NBA winner's circle, the New York Knicks enjoyed a role reversal night against the once-mighty Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Stunned though he was that Phil Jackson has not returned as Los Angeles Lakers head coach, All-Star guard Kobe Bryant said on Tuesday he was excited about the prospect of playing under new appointee Mike D'Antoni.

The New York City Marathon, one of the premier US distance-running events, will take place as planned on Sunday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Wednesday night, as the city struggles to recover from heavy flooding caused by massive storm Sandy.

English soccer club Manchester United retained their title as the world's most valuable sports team, according to an annual top 50 list released by Forbes on Monday that was dominated by National Football League (NFL) franchises.

Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake landed clutch three-pointers in the final minute to give the Los Angeles Lakers a nail-biting 92-88 road victory over the Denver Nuggets and a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Chicago and Miami opened the National Basketball Association post-season with comfortable wins on Saturday but the Bulls paid a steep price for their victory when Derrick Rose was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The Miami Heat and LeBron James begin an all-or-nothing campaign for an NBA title while defending champion Dallas Mavericks and Kirk Nowitzki face a tough start to the opening weekend of the playoffs.

The Utah Jazz grabbed the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 100-88 home victory over Phoenix, dashing the Suns' own post-season hopes on Tuesday.

The San Antonio Spurs moved to within one victory of securing the Western Conference top seed for the playoffs on Sunday as the NBA's leading contenders continued to jostle for position in the final week of the regular season.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 57 points to help the Miami Heat overcome the New York Knicks 93-85 on Sunday and clinch the Southeast Division in a possible preview for the NBA playoffs.

The San Antonio Spurs stayed mere percentage points in front of Oklahoma City for the Western Conference lead after both teams won Sunday to intensify their battle in the final month of the NBA season.

LeBron James delivered a season-high 41 points in the absence of injured sidekick Dwyane Wade as the Miami Heat clinched a playoff berth with their 99-93 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Mike Woodson did not have long to wait for his first win as new coach of the New York Knicks as his team trampled the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to end a six-game losing streak.

The heady days of 'Linsanity' are fading further from New York fans' memories after the Knicks slumped to their sixth straight defeat with a 104-99 loss to the NBA-best Chicago Bulls on Monday.

New York Knicks guard JR Smith was fined $25,000 by the National Basketball Association for posting 'inappropriate pictures' on his Twitter account, the league announced on Saturday.

Miami Heat's LeBron James hangs on the rim after his dunk near New York Knicks Tyson Chandler during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida.

Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks were swept aside 102-88 by the Miami Heat on Thursday as the National Basketball Association's latest sensation was given a reality check in Miami's eighth straight win.

The New York Knicks, led again by point guard Jeremy Lin, rained down three-pointers to gain the upper hand and beat NBA champion Dallas Mavericks 104-97 on Sunday before a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Jeremy Lin showed off another dimension on his magical NBA ride in leading the New York Knicks to a 100-85 rout of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday for the team' seventh win in a row.

Kobe Bryant rescued the fading Los Angeles Lakers by dropping a baseline jump shot with four seconds to play to close out a six-game road trip with a 94-92 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

'Linsanity' reigned at Madison Square Garden for another night on Friday as point guard Jeremy Lin outdueled Kobe Bryant to lead the New York Knicks to a fourth straight win with a 92-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jeremy Lin's sudden rise from obscure reserve to the toast of Broadway could not have come at a better time for the New York Knicks.

Derrick Rose took over scoring duties late in the game to ensure the surging Chicago Bulls held off the New York Knicks to record a 105-102 victory at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Chris Bosh sparked the Miami Heat to a third home win in a row on Saturday, draining 30 points in a 113-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kobe Bryant's injured wrist did not prevent the All Star guard from lifting the LA Lakers to a 99-82 win over the visiting New York Knicks on Thursday.

The National Basketball Association does not yet have a ratified labor agreement but the league moved full speed ahead on Tuesday by announcing a provisional schedule.

Joakim Noah is considering a move to the French League if the NBA season is cancelled because of the lockout, the Chicago Bulls center said on Thursday.

Silence replaced the laughter at Rajesh Mirpuri's home when 9/11 took him a week before his birthday, finds George Joseph

English Premier League champions Manchester United have retained their title as the world's most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine's (www.forbes.com) annual top 50 list.

The Los Angeles Lakers shut down the high-energy New York Knicks to power to their fourth straight victory in a 109-87 triumph on Sunday.

The sizzling hot Miami Heat and their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scorched the New York Knicks 113-91 for their 11th win in a row on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

LeBron James announced on Thursday he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at the Miami Heat next season, ending one of the biggest transfer sagas in U.S professional sports.

LeBron James has made at least one decision, just not the one the basketball world had been waiting for.

Serious money has finally found its way into Indian sport.

The New York Knicks are the most valuable professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association for the fourth consecutive year, Forbes magazine reported on Wednesday. The Knicks' estimated value is US $613 million, up $5 million from last year's list, according to the magazine.

Reader Nivas Jinka sent us this picture.