DENVER (AP) — Paul Millsap scored a season-high 22 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 19 and the Denver Nuggets routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 133-95 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid. The Nuggets opened a 23-point lead in the first half, saw it increase to 34 in the third — notoriously a problem quarter for them this season — and coasted from there as Nikola Jokic and his fellow starters got the fourth quarter off. Jokic finished with 12 points and 12 assists. It was the fifth straight loss for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who are 0-2 on their five-game trip out West. Cleveland swept the season series with Denver last season. Denver's season-high 133 points meant a lot of eating for injured Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr., who posted on social media a playful vow to consume as many McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets as the Nuggets scored points. Nance, sidelined with a broken left hand and not with the team, had 12 boxes of 10-piece... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — A tough stretch for the Cavaliers just got a lot tougher. Cleveland will be without versatile forward Larry Nance for six weeks after he broke his left hand during Saturday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Nance, who has missed several recent games with a sprained right wrist, broke the fourth metacarpal in his hand during the first quarter of the 124-99 loss as the Cavaliers dropped back-to-back games against one of the NBA's best teams. It's not yet known if Nance will have surgery. Nance's loss comes at a challenging juncture for the Cavs. They won only 19 games in 2020 but have been one of the league's biggest surprises so far this season. However, Cleveland has lost three straight, five of six and will begin a five-game road trip — all against playoff contenders — on Monday in Phoenix. The 28-year-old Nance is perhaps the team's best all-around player. He can play down low and on the perimeter and Nance, who is in his fourth season with Cleveland, ranks second in the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James could be considered something of a history buff on the Cavaliers. After all, he's responsible for making — and altering — the franchise for more than a decade. So after scorching his former team on Monday night with a 46-point, tour-de-force performance he said was fueled by seeing a member of Cleveland's front office overreact to one of his few missed shots, the Lakers superstar admitted keeping an eye on the Cavs. He's impressed. “You can tell that team is improving,” James said. No doubt, the Cavs, who were left in shambles when James bolted as a free agent three seasons ago, are ahead of schedule. Led by All-Star-in-the-making guard Collin Sexton, center Andre Drummond, and boasting unexpected depth and defense under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavs are 9-9 and currently holding a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they prepare to visit the New York Knicks on Friday. And while Cleveland's record is surprising, it's notable the Cavs have made the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. is no longer a problem for the Cavaliers. Cleveland has agreed to trade the troubled forward to the Houston Rockets for a future draft pick, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Thursday night. The Cavs will send Porter, the 2019 first-round draft pick who hasn't played this season and recently had an outburst in the team's locker room, to the Rockets for a protected second-round pick. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade has to be approved by the NBA. Porter's days with the Cavs reached a breaking point late last week when he became upset after learning his space in the locker room had been given to newly acquired forward Taurean Prince. Porter had only returned to practice with the Cavs a day earlier after they had spent months trying to help him. The No. 30 overall pick two years ago, Porter has plenty of talent and the Cavs were hoping they could get the 20-year-old to buy in and be part of their future.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers went to extremes to help forward Kevin Porter Jr. He pushed them too far. Cleveland has decided to move on from the troubled and talented player, a person familiar with his standing with the team told The Associated Press on Monday. The Cavs are shopping Porter around to see if they find can a trade partner before they'll consider releasing the 2019 first-round draft pick, said the person on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Porter has not played this season and only rejoined the team last week after tending to personal issues, which included a legal issue from November. The 20-year-old was in street clothes and on the bench Friday night when the Cavs beat the New York Knicks. But after the game, Porter reportedly became angry when he learned the Cavs had moved his locker for newly acquired forward Taurean Prince, who came over in the four-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the week. According to reports, Porter... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers are moving on from troubled and talented forward Kevin Porter Jr., a person familiar with his standing with the team told The Associated Press on Monday. The Cavs will either trade or release Porter, who has not played for them this season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. A first-round draft pick in 2019, Porter rejoined the team only last week after tending to personal issues. He was in street clothes and on the bench Friday night when the Cavs beat the New York Knicks. Porter reportedly became angry when he learned the Cavs had moved his locker for newly acquired forward Taurean Prince, who came over in the four-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the week. Following Monday's practice, during which the Cavs welcomed center Jarrett Allen and Prince on the floor for the first time, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he was disappointed things didn't work out with Porter. “We all want to see Kevin be... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — As the Nets were closing in on the deal for James Harden, general manager Sean Marks wanted to know if his two superstars really wanted to share the stage — not to mention the ball — with a third. Marks said Thursday that both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving told him what he needed to hear, so he pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal that landed the NBA's three-time scoring champion in Brooklyn. “They understand what’s at stake here,” Marks said. “Everybody’s raised their hands and said, ‘Look, we’re in. We know what we’re shooting for’ and that includes James, the new player. He knows what’s at stake.” The Nets acquired Harden from Houston in a multiteam deal that became official Thursday, paying a huge price by sending Caris LeVert and Rodions Kurucs to Houston, along with 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks and the right to swap first-round picks in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. The Nets also sent center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland. Brooklyn... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — As the Nets were closing in on the deal for James Harden, general manager Sean Marks wanted to know if his two superstars really wanted to share the stage — not to mention the ball — with a third. Marks said Thursday that both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving told him what he needed to hear, so he pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal that landed the NBA's three-time scoring champion in Brooklyn. “They understand what’s at stake here,” Marks said. “Everybody’s raised their hands and said, ‘Look, we’re in. We know what we’re shooting for’ and that includes James, the new player. He knows what’s at stake.” The Nets acquired Harden from Houston in a multiteam deal that became official Thursday, paying a huge price by sending Caris LeVert and Rodions Kurucs to Houston, along with 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks and the right to swap first-round picks in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. The Nets also sent center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland. Brooklyn... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio featuring some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets acquired the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets in a deal that became official on Thursday, a move Harden has sought for weeks. Harden is the centerpiece of a deal that also involved Cleveland and grew to a fourth team when Indiana, made a separate deal with Houston. The Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. “It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better," said two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee. But they paid a massive price to do it. The Nets sent Caris LeVert and Rodions Kurucs to Houston, along with 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks and the right to swap first-round picks in 2021, 2023, 202 and 2027. The Nets also sent... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio featuring some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move Harden has sought for weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — had not been completed. Once it is, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. “It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better," said two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee. The Nets are loading up for a title run with three of the highest-paid... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio of the some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move he has sought for weeks, said a person with knowledge of the situation. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — has not been completed. Once it is, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. They are loading up for a title run with three of the highest-paid players in the league. All are under contract through 2022-23, with Harden and Durant both set to earn more than $40 million in each of the... [More]

James Harden is heading to Brooklyn, joining old teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to give the Nets a potent trio of the some of the NBA's highest scorers. The Nets agreed to acquire the three-time scoring champion from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday in a move he has sought for weeks, said a person with knowledge of the situation. Harden is the centerpiece of a four-team deal that also involves Indiana and Cleveland, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade call with the NBA — which signs off on all deals — has not been completed. Once the deal is completed, the Nets will be able to trot out a lineup of three players capable of scoring 25 or more points on any night in a collection of firepower to rival any Big Three in recent years. It provides a needed boost amid a period of drama for both franchises, struck less than 24 hours after Harden seemed to deliver a farewell address of sorts following the Rockets’ loss to the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his right knee, an early blow to a Brooklyn Nets team that hoped it had left its injury troubles behind. Dinwiddie was hurt Sunday in Charlotte during the third quarter of the Nets' first loss of the season. The team said Monday his surgery was scheduled for next week and further updates would be provided afterward. The veteran guard didn't rule out returning this season, recalling in an Instagram post that he made it back from a more severe knee injury in college seven months later. Dinwiddie excelled in a reserve role for the Nets in the past but had been in the starting lineup for the first three games this season under new coach Steve Nash, averaging 6.7 points. “It’s just a tough break for him and for us obviously,” Nash said before the Nets lost 116-111 to Memphis in overtime Monday night. “He’s a terrific player that was able to fill multiple roles for us and give us a great athlete on top of that,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his right knee, an early blow to a Brooklyn Nets team that hoped it had left its injury troubles behind. Dinwiddie was hurt Sunday in Charlotte during the third quarter of the Nets' first loss of the season. The Nets said Monday the guard's surgery was scheduled for next week and further updates would be provided afterward. Dinwiddie excelled in a reserve role for the the Nets in the past but had been in the starting lineup for the first three games under Steve Nash, averaging 6.7 points. Though his numbers are down this season with more firepower around him, Dinwiddie remains valued for the numerous roles he has played on the Nets since arriving in 2016. “He means a lot. When Spencer is going he can’t be stopped," center Jarrett Allen said. “His offensive game, he’s going downhill and creating shots for others. Even off the court, everybody loves having Spencer around and his energy and personality is... [More]

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) — All the Brooklyn Nets were missing Tuesday were their leaders in salary, points, points per game, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and 3-pointers. If that wasn’t enough, the feel-good story of Jamal Crawford’s return to the NBA lasted for about six minutes.And they won.The severely undermanned Nets beat Milwaukee 119-116 on Tuesday, temporarily delaying what will be the Bucks’ clinching of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bucks didn’t use Brook Lopez or Wesley Matthews at all, plus didn’t play All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton after halftime, though it should be noted that the Nets were winning at intermission anyway.Who the Bucks played or didn’t play wasn’t all that relevant to the Nets. The walls of the temporary locker rooms at the Visa Athletic Center are paper thin and don’t hold sound, but the Nets probably didn’t mind the fact that anyone within 100 feet could have heard their raucous postgame celebration.“Very... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving aren't coming back. DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler aren't going, either.Spencer Dinwiddie is a maybe, with his status unclear after both he and Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus.The Brooklyn Nets don't look ready for a restart, but general manager Sean Marks said Wednesday there was no discussion of the team not traveling to Florida for the resumption of the NBA season.“Look, we have a job to do,” Marks said. “Again, we have to bring a team to Orlando. We will bring a team to Orlando. We will go down there and we will compete. That’s our jobs here.”It's not an easy one for interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over when the Nets surprisingly parted ways with Kenny Atkinson on March 7. He won his first two games, capped by an impressive victory over the West-leading Lakers in Los Angeles.Then the season stopped and his challenges really began.Vaughn had moved Jordan into the starting lineup, but now the job apparently goes back to... [More]

The Chinese and Croatian national teams both lost in their NBA Summer League debuts on Friday.Both teams are competing with NBA teams in Las Vegas, marking the first time the league will feature two international teams. China previously played in the summer league in 2007.The Miami Heat had no troubles with China, jumping out to a 34-point halftime lead and cruising to a 103-62 victory behind 23 points from Tyler Herro and 20 points from Nick Mayo. Miami held China to 26.7 percent shooting in the first half, and outrebounded the Chinese 25-15 before intermission.There were estimates that at least 30 million people in China — even though the game started at 4:30 a.m. Saturday in Beijing — would be watching their national team."I know China loves the game and they take a lot of pride in their national team," said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who had 14 points. "So it was an incredible opportunity for us to be able to compete against them."The Heat had some idea of what the Chinese team would... [More]

The Chinese and Croatian national teams both lost in their NBA Summer League debuts on Friday.Both teams are competing with NBA teams in Las Vegas, marking the first time the league will feature two international teams. China previously played in the summer league in 2007.The Miami Heat had no troubles with China, jumping out to a 34-point halftime lead and cruising to a 103-62 victory behind 23 points from Tyler Herro and 20 points from Nick Mayo. Miami held China to 26.7 percent shooting in the first half, and outrebounded the Chinese 25-15 before intermission.There were estimates that at least 30 million people in China — even though the game started at 4:30 a.m. Saturday in Beijing — would be watching their national team."I know China loves the game and they take a lot of pride in their national team," said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who had 14 points. "So it was an incredible opportunity for us to be able to compete against them."The Heat had some idea of what the Chinese team would... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — It's been seven years since the Nets crossed the Hudson River and took up residence in the Knicks' city.A real rivalry might finally arrive Sunday.Rarely relevant at the same time on the basketball court, the Knicks and Nets are front and center in the free agency race, two of the teams best positioned to make a splash when the market opens.Both can afford two top players, with hopes of landing not only a Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, but possibly both. New York, home of the worst team in the NBA in two of the last seasons, could be the epicenter of the league in early July.After years of bad play, bad trades and often bad basketball, at least one team in the city could look really good in a few days.The Nets seem confident. The Knicks sound cautious.Game on.Brooklyn is feeling good about its chances of winning it. Having recovered from an ill-fated trade with Boston in 2013 that cost the Nets years of high draft picks, Brooklyn has constructed a team that surprisingly made... [More]