Anthony Davis' agent says the five-time All-Star has told the New Orleans Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a contending team.Agent Rich Paul confirmed the request to The Associated Press early Monday. ESPN first reported that Davis has told the Pelicans he wants to go elsewhere.Davis is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He'll almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year's game that will be played Feb. 17 in Charlotte.Now it's unclear if Davis will be there as a member of the Pelicans or not. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.Davis' future has long been in question. He's an elite superstar on a team that hasn't gotten past the second round of the playoffs since he's been in New Orleans — and in four of his first six full seasons, the Pelicans didn't qualify for the postseason at all.His telling New Orleans that he wants out is the latest power move by a star player... [More]

The Golden State Warriors don't just have streaks.They have streaks of streaks.Golden State has won 10 straight games, the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. And that makes this the sixth consecutive season that the Warriors have had a double-digit streak of victories — which ties San Antonio for the longest such run in league history. The Spurs had a 10-game streak in every season from 2010-11 through 2015-16.That said, here come the champs, again.Golden State is back atop the West, and in the mix with Milwaukee and Toronto for the NBA's best record. The stretch where the Warriors lost four straight and six of nine earlier this season, prompting whispers that the reigning back-to-back champions are vulnerable, seems long forgotten."We've got an edge about us," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. "It hasn't been perfect and we know we can still get better, but we've talked about putting a run together for a while now and we're right in the middle of a really good one. We want... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James is back in full-contact defensive drills in practice with the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since the four-time NBA MVP strained his groin.James will miss his 16th consecutive game Sunday when the Lakers host the Phoenix Suns.The 34-year-old James has been out since Christmas due to the most significant injury of his 16-year NBA career. He had never missed more than 13 games in an entire season.James practiced with his teammates Saturday at their training complex, but won't return this weekend. The Lakers' next game after that is Tuesday at home against Philadelphia.James was selected this week to be a starter and a team captain in the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte on Feb. 17.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is a captain and an All-Star starter — again.Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will choose his own teammates as the other captain.And Hornets guard Kemba Walker is about to make his first All-Star start, on his home floor in Charlotte.While there were perhaps mild surprises, there were no real stunners during Thursday night's unveiling of the starters for the NBA All-Star Game that will be played in Charlotte on Feb. 17. James and Antetokounmpo are captains, their perk for being the leading vote-getters out of the Western and Eastern Conferences, and nine of this year's 10 starters have been chosen to begin All-Star Games in the past.Walker is the lone exception, and broke into a smile when realizing he was a pick."It's kind of surreal," Walker told TNT during the broadcast to announce the starters.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Walker. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard... [More]

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are the captains for this year's NBA All-Star Game.James and Antetokounmpo were the leading vote-getters from each conference, making them the players who will choose who plays on which team for the Feb. 17 matchup at Charlotte.They will draft their teams on Feb. 7. As the leading overall vote-getter, James will have the first pick — just as he did last year, when the captain's-choice format was used for the All-Star rosters for the first time.James extended his NBA record by being chosen as a starter for the 15th straight time. Antetokounmpo is now a three-time All-Star.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Charlotte's Kemba Walker — who'll get to start on his home floor. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. From the West, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP James Harden were the picks at guard, with James, Golden... [More]

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks are the captains for this year's NBA All-Star Game.James and Antetokounmpo were the leading vote-getters from each conference, making them the players who will choose who plays on which team for the Feb. 17 matchup at Charlotte.They will draft their teams on Feb. 7. As the leading overall vote-getter, James will have the first pick — just as he did last year, when the captain's-choice format was used for the All-Star rosters for the first time.James extended his NBA record by being chosen as a starter for the 15th straight time. Antetokounmpo is now a three-time All-Star.The starting guards from the East are Boston's Kyrie Irving and Charlotte's Kemba Walker — who'll get to start on his home floor. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. From the West, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA MVP James Harden were the picks at guard, with James, Golden... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant cherishes the opportunity to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by playing basketball on the holiday that celebrates the civil rights leader."What MLK meant to the nation and just his message around the world. Still to this day his message has touched so many people," Durant said. "It's a good opportunity to play on that day. For us it just means a lot. We carry so much. Each one of us has different journeys throughout life and for us to meet at this point to come out and play a game so special on such a special day, hopefully it brings more people together."There will be another full slate of NBA games with 22 of the league's 30 teams playing on Monday. Knicks coach David Fizdale appreciates how the NBA gives so many teams the chance to play on MLK Day — unlike the more limited schedule on Christmas."The NBA is just ahead of everything. Adam Silver and those guys just really have a progressive attitude about being inclusive, they understand our history,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Already without injured star LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers will be missing guard Lonzo Ball for the next four to six weeks after an MRI on Sunday showed a sprained left ankle.Ball was injured in the third quarter of the Lakers' 138-134 overtime loss at Houston on Saturday night. He remained on the court for a couple of minutes talking with trainers before he was helped to his feet where he hopped on his right foot for a few steps before being carried off the court and to the locker room by teammates Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley.An MRI revealed a Grade 3 sprain, the team tweeted Sunday.James has missed the Lakers' last 13 games with a strained left groin.Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Monday night.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA's All-Star draft will be Feb. 7, and broadcast on TNT.A pair of captains will select the teams from the pool of players who will be picked as starters and reserves from each conference. The captains will be the leading vote getter in each conference, and through Thursday the NBA says the leaders are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.James and Golden State's Stephen Curry were captains last year, the first under the player-draft format. It was not televised last year.Fan voting continues through Monday. Starters will be announced on Jan. 24, and reserves will be announced on Jan. 31.The All-Star Game is Feb. 17 in Charlotte.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James has been cleared to practice with the Los Angeles Lakers after they return from their upcoming two-game road trip.The Lakers gave the latest update on James' groin injury Wednesday.James strained his groin on Christmas. He will have missed 13 consecutive games by the time Los Angeles returns from the road this weekend, matching the most games ever missed in one season by the four-time NBA MVP.The Lakers only say James will "progress towards a return to game play" after he rejoins practice next week.He will be sidelined for at least four weeks, the longest stretch he has been out in his 16-season NBA career.The Lakers (24-21) beat Chicago on Tuesday to improve to 4-7 without James.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Luke Walton began a wellness program for his Lakers coaching staff. Steve Kerr reached out to Steve Clifford after each spent significant time away from the sideline because of debilitating headaches and other symptoms.Coaches around the league are taking preventive measures to help deal with the grind and stresses of a long NBA season.That hasn't always been the case. Now, the NBA Coaches Association provides guidance to its members on everything from diet and exercise to sleep and mental health."Well, we're trying. We all are trying, we all are conscious of it," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't think we're very good at it, honestly. I know I've tried. It's still very hard to accomplish. The game consumes us. It consumes me at least, and it should, if you love it. And it's just hard to turn off. It's important. We have to do it. We should have been doing it."After a late arrival in Bay Area last month, it was after 10 p.m. when Rivers had the team tissue... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Luke Walton began a wellness program for his Lakers coaching staff. Steve Kerr reached out to Steve Clifford after each spent significant time away from the sideline because of debilitating headaches and other symptoms.Coaches around the league are taking preventive measures to help deal with the grind and stresses of a long NBA season.That hasn't always been the case. Now, the NBA Coaches Association provides guidance to its members on everything from diet and exercise to sleep and mental health."Well, we're trying. We all are trying, we all are conscious of it," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't think we're very good at it, honestly. I know I've tried. It's still very hard to accomplish. The game consumes us. It consumes me at least, and it should, if you love it. And it's just hard to turn off. It's important. We have to do it. We should have been doing it."After a late arrival in Bay Area last month, it was after 10 p.m. when Rivers had the team tissue... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James' strained groin is turning out to be perhaps the most significant injury of the famously durable superstar's 16-year NBA career.James likely will miss at least three more games after being cleared to increase his on-court activity in his comeback from the injury, the Lakers announced Thursday after an evaluation by their medical staff.The Lakers say James' healing is "progressing," and the four-time NBA MVP will participate in more functional basketball activities during the upcoming week. But the team also says it will provide another update on Jan. 16, which probably means James will miss the Lakers' three upcoming games against Utah, Cleveland and Chicago.If James sits out as expected, he will miss 11 consecutive games before his next update, and he will have been out of action for over three weeks since getting hurt during the Lakers' win at Golden State on Christmas.Those are significant numbers: James never missed more than 13 games during any... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Lakers say LeBron James likely will miss at least three more games after being cleared to increase his on-court activity in his comeback from a groin injury.James was evaluated by the Lakers' medical staff Thursday.The Lakers say James' healing is "progressing," and he will participate in more functional basketball activities.The team says it will provide another update on Jan. 16, which likely means he will miss the Lakers' three upcoming games against Utah, Cleveland and Chicago.James will miss 11 consecutive games before his next update. James never missed more than 13 games in any of his first 15 NBA seasons.The four-time NBA MVP was injured during the Lakers' win at Golden State on Christmas.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kevin Love's comeback has been slow and steady. The Cleveland Cavaliers need it to speed up.Love said Monday that he's still weeks away from doing any significant on-court work as the five-time All-Star forward recovers from left foot surgery that has sidelined him nearly all season.Love was recently cleared to accelerate his rehab, but he isn't sure when he'll play and suggested he could be out until after February's All-Star break."I don't know," he said when asked for a timeframe on his return. "It's really tough for me to say because I don't know how my foot is going to respond. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later."Love has begun shooting and been "up on the toes a little bit" but not running. He's listening to his doctors and his body."I don't know when I'll be able to go one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, but I think that's all part of the next few weeks I'd say," he said.The 30-year-old played in just four games before undergoing surgery to... [More]

Imagine this: Kevin Durant is out of bounds by an enormous margin, all three referees somehow miss the obvious infraction and Golden State winds up getting a basket that it didn't deserve to take the lead with a few seconds remaining.It seemed implausible.That is, until it happened.When such a scene played out last week in the Houston-Golden State overtime thriller, James Harden kept a ton of egg from landing on the NBA's face when he connected on a 3-pointer to give the Rockets a win in a game they would have screamed bloody murder about otherwise. But what if he missed? Or worse, if a call that big got missed in Game 7 of the NBA Finals?"How do you miss that?" TNT analyst Reggie Miller mused while watching the Durant replay.An obvious question, with an obvious answer: It's time for a change.Everyone in the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey that night surely saw Durant standing out of bounds. But there is no mechanism for the replay crews to trigger a review of such a play — since,... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves had just posted their fourth-largest margin of victory of the season, and Tom Thibodeau looked and sounded satisfied Sunday as the demanding and intense coach used his postgame news conference to praise the attitude and energy with which his team had just played.Minutes later, Thibodeau was fired.Halfway into his third season with Minnesota that began in turmoil surrounding the eventual trade of All-Star Jimmy Butler, Thibodeau's final game was a 108-86 victory over the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers .Assistant coach Ryan Saunders, who is 32, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Scott Layden will stay as the general manager, assuming oversight of the roster. Thibodeau was also the president of basketball operations, with full authority over personnel decisions."We would like to thank Tom for his efforts and wish him all the best," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said in a statement released by the team. "These decisions... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves fired coach Tom Thibodeau on Sunday, halfway into his third season with the team that began with the turmoil surrounding the eventual trade of All-Star Jimmy Butler.Thibodeau was dismissed about an hour after the 108-86 victory over the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers .Scott Layden will remain the general manager overseeing the basketball operations and assistant coach Ryan Saunders will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season."We would like to thank Tom for his efforts and wish him all the best," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said in a statement. "These decisions are never easy to make, but we felt them necessary to move our organization forward."The Athletic first reported that Thibodeau, who was also the president of basketball operations with full authority over the roster, had been let go. Saunders is the son of the late Flip Saunders, who's the winningest coach in club history.Thibodeau finished 97-107 with the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James will miss at least four more games with the Los Angeles Lakers while he recovers from a left groin strain.The Lakers on Friday said James' injury will be re-evaluated in one week.The four-time NBA MVP already has missed four games after getting hurt during the Lakers' victory at Golden State on Christmas. His recovery schedule will keep him out of the Lakers' upcoming two-game road trip and a home game against Detroit next week.The Lakers are 1-3 without James in their lineup. They host the New York Knicks on Friday night.James is averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists during his first season with the Lakers.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

James Harden and the Houston Rockets were one half away from the NBA Finals last time they played at Oracle Arena.The way the Rockets are rolling now, they might just get another shot at the champs this postseason.The Rockets try to wrap up a perfect month at home Monday against Memphis, then visit Golden State for the first time since the Western Conference finals, having recovered from a rough start thanks to Harden's torrid stretch.He has scored 40 points in three straight games and 35 or more in seven straight, the longest streak since LeBron James did it in nine in a row in 2006. The NBA scoring leader's quest to repeat as MVP is clearly on track.And after a poor start, so are the Rockets (20-15). They have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games overall, and are 8-0 at home in December after dropping their first four games at the Toyota Center.Just like Game 6 of the West finals, when they blew a double-digit lead, they will play at Golden State for Thursday's nationally... [More]