USA - Hughes returns home after

CLEVELAND (NBA) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes looks set to miss Game Three of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday after the death of his brother

ITA - Righetti out of FIBA World

ROME (FIBA World Championship) - Italy international Alex Righetti has had a serious operation on his left knee and will not play at the FIBA World Championship. The Lottomatica Roma forward, an important member of Italy's silver-medal winning side

FRA - France to travel to Japan without Noah

PARIS (FIBA World Championship) - American college basketball star Joakim Noah has yet to obtain French nationality and will not play for Les Bleus at this summer's FIBA World Championship. The New York-born ace, who led the Florida Gators to the NCAA title this year, is the 21-year-old son of former French tennis open winner Yannick Noah and can claim French citizenship through his father

ITA - Derby looms in Italian

ROME (Lega A) - City rivals Climamio Bologna and VidiVici Bologna look set to meet in the Italian Lega A play-offs. With just one round of games to play, regular season leaders Climamio are top of the standings

NGR - AHIP test Potters might,

Lagos (Vmobile Premier League) - The Vmobile premier basketball league enters week-six this weekend with six top flight matches on the billing in the Savannah and Atlantic conference of the Nigeria flagship competition

PUR - Atleticos miss out on second

SAN GERMAN (BSN) - For the first time in 24 years, Atleticos from San German have failed to qualify for the second stage of Puerto Rico's BSN league. Atleticos finished the regular season ninth - with a top-eight finish needed to make the play-offs

USA - Wade and Brand hit play-off

NEW YORK (NBA) - Two Team USA stars had big nights to guide their teams to victory in the NBA play-offs. Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers - both on the provisional roster for the FIBA World Championship

ARG - Navarte gathers Argentina squad

BUENOS AIRES (U18 FIBA Americas Championship) - Argentina coach Guillermo Narvarte will gather a 22-man squad in Buenos Aires this week to begin training for the U18 FIBA Americas Championship.Narvarte's squad will meet at the CeNARD training camp on Friday as Narvarte looks to make his final squad selection for the tournament, which begins on June 28 in San Antonio

PAN - Vecchio has high hopes for World Championship

SAN JUAN (FIBA World Championship) - Guillermo Vecchio has set a target of reaching the quarter-finals of the FIBA World Championship after being named as the new coach of Panama."Panama are a very powerful national team," the Argentinian coach said. "If we can group all the best players together, we should be able to do a good job

SCG - Divac blazed a trail for

NEW YORK (NBA) - Vlade Divac often is credited as one of the international pioneers who changed the face of the NBA forever, making it a truly global league with outstanding players hailing from every corner of

SCG - Partizan looking

BELGRADE (Superleague) - Partizan Belgrade are the only unbeaten team left in Serbia & Montenegro's Superleague after they made it six wins from six by prevailing 96-84 at Group A whipping boys Mornar

BAR - Development of national

BARBADOS (Coaches) - The development of coaches is a major part of the National Development Plan of the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA). One of its missions is not only to train youth coaches

NZL - Build-up complete, squad named

AUCKLAND (FIBA World Championship) - The final pieces to the Tall Blacks' FIBA World Championships preparation are in place with a tour to South America and a further domestic series against Qatar confirmed for

ARG - Ben Hur title defense

COMODORO RIVADAVIA (Liga Nacional) - Libertad and Gimnasia y Esgrima will meet in the Liga Nacional finals after completing 3-1 wins in their respective last-four ties. Gimnasia, from Comodoro Rivadavia, saw off defending champions Ben Hur

TPE - Renegade teams

TAIWAN (SBL) - The Super Basketball League (SBL) will have a fourth season, according to the provisional agreement of a meeting between CTBA (Chinese Taipei Basketball Association) and the SBL teams which

USA - Team USA's Paul named

NEW YORK (NBA) - Life gets better and better for New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul. Named in Team USA's 23-man preliminary squad for the FIBA World Championship in Japan, Paul has now been voted

VEN - Nembhard collects third

CARACAS (Liga Profesional) - Gaiteros guard Ruben Nembhard has been voted the Venezuelan Liga Profesional's regular season MVP for a third time. The American has been the key figure in the Zulia-based squad

FRA - Bergeaud warning for Asvel

VILLEURBANNE (Pro A) - ASVEL coach Claude Bergeaud has warned his side not to lose focus in their last match of the regular season despite having already qualified to the Pro A quarter-finals

GBR - Scantlebury not interested in Great Britain job

LONDON (National Team) - Former England basketball coach Peter Scantlebury admits he has been approached about taking charge of the Great Britain team but insists he is not interested in the post.Scantlebury, who performed the dual role of Sheffield Sharks and England coach for the last three years, has decided to bow out of the international arena after his contract as England coach expired after the Commonwealth Games

LTU - Jasikevicius wants to stay in

INDIANAPOLIS, (NBA) - Lithuania international Sarunas Jasikevicius has admitted to missing life in Israel but wants to stay in North America to play in the NBA. "I'm missing Maccabi Tel Aviv," Jasikevicius told the