LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Toronto guard Kyle Lowry hurt his left foot in the first quarter of Game 4 against Brooklyn on Sunday and left to get it evaluated.The Raptors announced that Lowry had left the arena to be examined elsewhere on the NBA campus. They said the injury was Lowry's ankle, but coach Nick Nurse said after the game it was Lowry's foot. The Raptors went on to finish a sweep and set up a second-round series against the Boston Celtics that will begin Thursday. Lowry had two points and three assists in nine minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Toronto guard Kyle Lowry hurt his left ankle in the first quarter of Game 4 against Brooklyn on Sunday and left to get it evaluated.The Raptors announced that Lowry had left the arena to have the ankle examined elsewhere on the NBA campus. They said further updates would be provided when available.Lowry was hurt as the Raptors were trying to finish a sweep and set up a second-round series against the Boston Celtics. Lowry had two points and three assists in nine minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — In a crammed schedule after the NBA's restart, rest has been hard to find.Teams played eight games in two weeks after play resumed on July 30, then jumped into the postseason. Midway through the first round, fatigue might start to show.That's why wrapping up series quickly, almost always a good thing, might be even more important this year. Miami has its chance. The Lakers and Bucks look like they still might.And Houston might regret if it let its opportunity get away.After wasting a late lead and dropping Game 3 in overtime, the Rockets look to regain control of their series against Oklahoma City when the teams meet Monday.“Playoffs, you've got some adversity somewhere and this is adversity,” Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. “Now we've got to come out, make another statement, so that's what we're going to do.”Houston had a five-point lead with under a minute remaining in regulation Saturday, before the Thunder rallied for a 119-107 victory in overtime that... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks were without forward/center Kristaps Porzingis for Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers because he has right knee soreness.The last-minute scratch occurred after the Mavericks learned that guard Luka Doncic would play Sunday despite a left ankle sprain. It wasn’t the same knee that sidelined Porzingis for the 2018-19 season.Porzingis is averaging 23.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in the Western Conference first-round series. He is coming off a Game 3 performance in which he had 34 points and 13 rebounds. It's the first time a Dallas player has scored 30 or more points and grabbed 10 or more rebounds since Dirk Nowitzki in the 2011 NBA Finals.The 7-foot-3 Porzingis has been dealing with a bruised left heel. The Clippers lead the series 2-1.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Orlando Magic forward James Ennis and Milwaukee Bucks forward Marvin Williams were fined $15,000 each by the NBA on Sunday for a fight that led to their ejections from Game 3 of their teams’ first-round playoff series.Ennis and Williams had been competing for rebounding position midway through the second quarter of the Bucks’ 121-107 victory Saturday. When they headed back up the floor, Ennis shoved Williams, and Williams shoved Ennis back.As the two players were separated, Williams grabbed Ennis’ jersey. Ennis appeared to throw a fist in an attempt to free his jersey.During the Bucks’ media availability Sunday, Williams said he didn’t believe either player should have been ejected.“I’ve seen a lot more take place and guys have received a lot less punishment,” said Williams, who spoke before the fines were announced. “I don’t think he should have been ejected, and I certainly don’t think I should have been ejected for that. I was very surprised, especially... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — 76ers forward Tobias Harris returned to Game 3 of Philadelphia's first-round playoff matchup with Boston on Sunday after bloodying his face in a fall.Harris was trying to contest a shot by Jayson Tatum at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter and inadvertently had his legs taken out from under him by Tatum. Harris fell on the left side of his face. He laid on the court for several minutes as medical staff attended to him.He was eventually able to walk off the court on his own power with a towel over his face, but blood was visible both on the towel and on the court. Coach Brett Brown told ESPN after the quarter ended that Harris told him he was OK shortly before he left the court.The team said he suffered a left eye laceration and was cleared after a concussion evaluation. He returned to the game with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter with a bandage over his eye. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — 76ers forward Tobias Harris left Game 3 of Philadelphia's first-round playoff matchup with Boston after bloodying his face in a fall. The team said he suffered a left eye laceration and was being evaluated for a possible concussion.Harris was trying to contest a shot by Jayson Tatum at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter and inadvertently had his legs taken out from under him by Tatum. Harris fell on the left side of his face. He laid on the court for several minutes as medical staff attended to him.He was eventually able to walk off the court on his own power with a towel over his face, but blood was visible both on the towel and on the court. Coach Brett Brown told ESPN after the quarter ended that Harris told him he was OK shortly before he left the court.Harris led the 76ers with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting at the time of the injury. Philadelphia trailed Boston 89-77 entering the final quarter. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks will work around the clock on Luka Doncic, hoping he can be healthy enough to play Sunday.The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets can tell them all about how hard the playoffs are without star guards.Doncic hopes to make a quick recovery, and the 76ers and Nets look to avoid quick exits heading into Game 4 of their series.Doncic sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Dallas' 130-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He came back in the fourth but wasn't moving well and eventually left for good.The Mavericks were hoping to get him an MRI exam Saturday and planning to keep him off the court all day. Coach Rick Carlisle said Doncic would likely be a game-time decision.“Obviously, we know the nature of the game. Sometimes injuries happen,” Dallas guard Trey Burke said. “If he can’t go, guys have got to be ready to play, step up and we’ve got to have the same mentality going out there and that’s to win.”The Mavs beat... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Nurse was close to quitting.He was 26 or 27 years old, coaching in Britain and wondering whether he had a future in the profession. He went to his hotel room one night and wrote down a list of four other careers he could pursue if he went back home.None looked appealing.“So I figured I’d better get working on coaching and figure it out,” Nurse said.He's sure done that.Nurse never stopped believing he could get to the top, and he never considered he couldn't stay there even after his best player left last summer.The Toronto Raptors coach's rise from the outskirts of basketball to the best of the NBA was recognized Saturday when he was overwhelmingly selected as Coach of the Year.Nurse, who has the Raptors on the verge of the second round of the playoffs without Kawhi Leonard, was a runaway winner. He received 90 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and finished with 470 points.Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer was second after... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — James Ennis of the Orlando Magic and Marvin Williams of the Milwaukee Bucks were ejected for scuffling on Saturday during Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. The forwards were battling for rebounding position midway through the second quarter with Milwaukee leading 53-34. When they headed back up the floor, Ennis shoved Williams, and Williams shoved back. As the two players were separated, Williams grabbed Ennis’ jersey. Ennis appeared to throw his fist in an attempt to free his jersey.Ennis was in Orlando’s starting lineup, while Williams was filling a reserve role for Milwaukee. The loss of Ennis further depleted an Orlando team that already was playing without Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Michael Carter-Williams and Mo Bamba because of various injuries and illnesses.The Eastern Conference series is tied at one game apiece.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Nurse was voted NBA Coach of the Year on Saturday after leading the defending champion Toronto Raptors to another 50-win season, this time without Kawhi Leonard.Nurse, who has the Raptors on the verge of the second round of the playoffs, was a runaway winner, receiving 90 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. He finished with 470 points.Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer was second after leading the Bucks to the best record in the suspended season, earning 147 points. Oklahoma City's Billy Donovan (134) was third. Nurse led Toronto to its first title last year in his rookie season, becoming the only coach to win an NBA championship and a G League championship. He won titles in 2011 and 2013 at the NBA's minor league level.Toronto's celebration last year was just winding down when Leonard decided to join the Los Angeles Clippers.The Raptors hardly missed a beat without the NBA Finals MVP, rolling to a 53-19 record and the No. 2... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Nurse was voted NBA Coach of the Year on Saturday after leading the defending champion Toronto Raptors to another 50-win season, this time without Kawhi Leonard.Nurse, who has the Raptors on the verge of the second round of the playoffs, was a runaway winner, receiving 90 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. He finished with 470 points.Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer was second after leading the Bucks to the best record in the suspended season, earning 147 points. Oklahoma City's Billy Donovan (134) was third. Nurse led Toronto to its first title last year in his rookie season, becoming the only coach to win an NBA championship and a G League championship. He won titles in 2011 and 2013 at the NBA's minor league level.Toronto's celebration last year was just winding down when Leonard decided to join the Los Angeles Clippers.The Raptors hardly missed a beat without the NBA Finals MVP, rolling to a 53-19 record and the No. 2... [More]

More than any other sport, the cream of the NBA assuredly rises to the top in the playoffs. This, of course, is a postseason unlike any other. No fans. No home-court advantage. Everyone hunkered down in the same place.Will a Cinderella team emerge from the pack at Disney World? Maybe even claim an improbable title? “I felt that way coming into the whole thing,” said Rick Carlisle, coach of the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks. “Look, there’s no travel, you’ve got really the same environment virtually every game. The digital boards look different and stuff like that, but there’s just a great opportunity here for everybody.”Indeed, we’ve already seen signs of a topsy-turvy tournament unfolding in the land of Mickey Mouse.Milwaukee, top seed from the Eastern Conference, lost Game 1 of its opening-round series against eighth-seeded Orlando. The top team in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers, dropped their opening game as well to No. 8 Portland, a team that had to win a play-in game over Memphis... [More]

The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have restored some sense of normalcy to these anything-but-normal NBA playoffs.The top-seeded teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, lost their openers and are now looking to take control of their series. The Lakers could pull ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday and the Bucks could take the lead on the pesky Orlando Magic.Lakers forward LeBron James has been around too long to get too worked up about one loss. He was confident the Lakers would recover from their Game 1 setback, and they looked much like their pre-pandemic selves in beating the Trail Blazers 111-88 on Thursday. “I know what we’re capable of,” he said. “I know how we’re built. I don’t compare us to anyone. I compare us to us.”The Lakers were fully aware of the challenge they would face against from the talented Blazers entering the series, led by All-Star guard Damian Lillard.“This team was in the conference finals last year,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — In a normal NBA playoff series Mike D’Antoni would be taking his Houston Rockets on the road.Finished with the first two games, it would be time to switch sites and head to Oklahoma City for the next two. With the Rockets leading 2-0, he might tell them all they’ve done is win their home games, warn them not to get complacent knowing the Thunder would be dangerous in their own building. Not this year.Coaches can’t count on the usual mind tricks in the bubble, where the only thing that seems to change from day to day is what time the rain shower passes through. More than ever, it’s up to players to motivate themselves. “So, every day is going to be the same — like it is here in the bubble,” D’Antoni said. “Every day is Wednesday, but we have to understand the urgency of today.”It was actually Thursday. Not that there’s much difference in one day, or even one week.To walk away with an NBA championship a team has to win 16 games over about two months and numerous... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Anyone not giving the Toronto Raptors much of a chance to repeat as NBA champions without Kawhi Leonard might want to reconsider.The Raptors have played mostly under the radar this season, yet earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They are the only No. 1 or 2 seed not to get upset in the first two games of the first round of the postseason.Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam have the Raptors with a 2-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets entering Game 3 Friday.Their battle-tested playoff experience was on display Wednesday when the Raptors trailed for most of the game but rallied to take a lead in the fourth quarter and then held on to beat the Nets 104-99.“There is no situation we haven’t been in before,” VanVleet said.Raptors coach Nick Nurse called it a “gut it out” win on a night when the Raptors struggled with the Nets continuously switching on defense.In the end, the Raptors found a way to win as they have all season, going with a... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Beverley missed Game 2 of the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round series against Dallas, leaving Los Angeles without one of its top defenders against Luka Doncic.Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the guard had a left calf injury and wasn't moving well at shootaround, so the team decided to scratch him from the game Wednesday.Beverley is known as a tenacious defender and Rivers said he is one of the Clippers' most vocal players on that side of the floor. He also hit a couple 3-pointers and scored eight points in a 118-110 victory in Game 1 for the second-seeded Clippers.Doncic scored 42 points in the opener but the Clippers forced him into 11 turnovers.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Lakers and Bucks exited practice Wednesday to palm trees around them and sunny skies overhead.The weather is good at Walt Disney World. The service is great. The setting seems ideal.For the best NBA teams, it's anything but.The top-four seeds in each conference should be playing in their arenas right now, with home-court advantage in the first two games of their playoff series. They'd have their fans screaming during the action and in many cases families waiting at home afterward.Boy, do some of them miss that at the moment.“If's definitely a difference. You can feel it,” Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton said. "There's times where we really depended on our crowd last year and during the season this year to kind of pull us out of our struggle or whatever it was. And here, there is none of that."We have to bring it every single night. We can't rely on our crowd, our fans to give us that energy. We have to bring it ourselves."Milwaukee and Los Angeles, the No.... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said coach Scott Brooks will be back in 2020-21, the last season in his five-year contract.“He’s a decorated coach. He’s been in the league a long time as a player and as a coach. Very accomplished guy,” Sheppard said Wednesday on a video conference call with reporters. “And I think we’re in great hands next season."Washington went 25-47 this season -- going 1-7 in the NBA restart -- and missed the playoffs for the second time in a row, after getting there in each of Brooks’ first two years. The Wizards played all of this season without All-Star point guard John Wall, who tore his Achilles tendon, and were missing their other All-Star, shooting guard Bradley Beal, for the restart because of a shoulder issue. Both should be fine for the start of next season, whenever that might be. The timing is uncertain because of the coronavirus pandemic and the delayed finish to the current season.“Assuming that the season were to start,... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — First it was Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, unable to call upon what was one of the best defenses in the league.Then came LeBron James and the Lakers, clanging 3-pointers off the rim to provide a steady sound in a mostly empty gym.These NBA playoffs already promised to be the most challenging yet. They got a little tougher Tuesday for the league's top teams.Milwaukee and Los Angeles lost their playoff openers, the first time both conference No. 1 seeds have been beaten by the No. 8s to start their postseasons since 2003.So good for most of the season, the top seeds are having trouble in the bubble.There's no home-court advantage to lose in this postseason at Walt Disney World, making it easier not to panic in what would normally be a tougher predicament.“No frustration because the game is the game and we came in with a mindset to win. We didn’t take care of business, but we’ve got another opportunity on Thursday to even the series and that’s my only mindset,”... [More]