Basketball

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Malika Andrews and the crew from “NBA Today” will have a bigger profile this season. Andrews will host the “NBA Countdown” studio show that airs during Wednesday games.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Joel Embiid has two choices: the red, white and blue of the U.S., or the blue, white and red of France. An Olympic medal might hinge on his decision.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James came to Las Vegas for a preseason game. And a pitch.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James flashed his midseason form Wednesday night, scoring 23 points in 18 minutes before the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-115.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Corey Kispert is expected to miss four to six weeks because of a sprained left ankle, the Washington Wizards announced Wednesday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Julio Urias made his final tune-up for the postseason and case for the Cy Young Award a solid one, though the Colorado Rockies went ahead after he left and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

CHICAGO (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds over 15 minutes in his return after a lost season with a broken foot, and the New Orleans Pelicans held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 129-125 on Tuesday night.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama didn’t wait long to make an impression.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama’s favorite players in the NBA right now are Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That makes sense, given that they’re both taller than just about everyone else in the league and have all-world all-around games.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons streaked behind the defense and caught a pass in transition that he dunked. About a minute later, he fired a cross-court pass to a Brooklyn Nets teammate for a 3-pointer.