The NYT 's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

You'll need to be a well-informed basketball fan to ace today's Connections: Sports Edition. The purple category is a sign of the growing popularity of a certain league. Read on for hints and the answers.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.