Basketball

TORONTO — More than a week away from live games is helping the Toronto Raptors understand the offensive and defensive schemes being introduced by new head coach Darko Rajakovic.

Brendan Malone, father of Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone and a driving force behind the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” defenses in the late 1980s and early '90s, has died at age 81.

MADRID (AP) — Luka Doncic returned to Spain to a warm reception from former club Real Madrid in a preseason game with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, receiving a standing ovation by the home fans and being honored by his former teammates.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has promoted Intae Hwang and Sha’Rae Mitchell to its full-time referee staff for the coming season. Hwang is a native of South Korea who moved to New Jersey in 2020 with hopes of becoming a referee in the U.S.

The Toronto Raptors' first-ever head coach Brendan Malone has died. He was 81. The Denver Nuggets announced his passing on social media Tuesday. The cause of death was not released.

There will be one constant in the Toronto Raptors lineup this season: centre Jakob Poeltl.

TORONTO — A look at Scotiabank Arena, which is undergoing more than $350 million in renovations: BEGINNINGS: The arena, which covers 665,000 square feet and six floors, opened in February 1999 as the Air Canada Centre and was renamed Scotiabank Arena

TORONTO — As Scotiabank Arena approaches its 25th anniversary in February, the downtown venue is undergoing renovations worth more than $350 million.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kai Jones apparently wants out of Charlotte. Jones, the Hornets’ 19th overall pick out of Texas in 2021, announced on X, formerly known Twitter, that he has officially requested a trade from the organization .

BOSTON — Payton Pritchard scored 26 points after signing a four-year, $30 million contract extension, and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Sunday in the pre-season opener for both NBA teams.