Luka Doncic was impressive in his playoff debut on an injured ankle. Kristaps Porzingis left the NBA bubble amid unsettling questions over whether his knees will allow him to be the trusty sidekick in Dallas.While the Mavericks appear on track to become championship contenders led by the young European stars, there are issues while they await the unknown start of next season — the 10th since their only title, and their last playoff series victory.“We’re on the climb,” coach Rick Carlisle said after the Mavericks were eliminated in Game 6 of a first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. “You never know the exact timing of things like that. That’s our passion. That’s our obsession.”Doncic averaged 31 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the playoffs with the bubble's most spectacular moment so far: a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Clippers in overtime in Game 4 on a left ankle he sprained in Game 3.After making his first All-Star game and being named a finalist... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris was ejected after a hard foul against Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter of their playoff game Sunday.Doncic was trying to get to the basket against Morris and had inched past him as their arms started to tangle. Morris swung his arm down forcefully, appearing to hit Doncic in the head or neck area and knocking to him to the court.Mavericks coaches quickly raced onto the floor after seeing the play, which happened right in front of their bench. Doncic got up and tried to charge at Morris but was held back by teammate Boban Marjanovic.Referees reviewed the play and determined it was a flagrant 2 foul, triggering an automatic ejection.Earlier in the series, Morris denied trying to hurt Doncic, who has battled a sprained left ankle, when he stepped on his foot.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

If the NBA playoffs resume, Denver and Dallas will face elimination games.The Nuggets have staved off elimination once and when and if their series with the Utah Jazz resumes — it's scheduled for Thursday, though that now seems very questionable — they will have to do it again. So will the Dallas Mavericks, down 3-2 to the Los Angeles Clippers.Players boycotted Wednesday's three scheduled games in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Wisconsin who was apparently shot in the back by police while his three children looked on. Players were meeting Wednesday night to determine next steps.The Nuggets rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to beat Utah in Game 5 on Tuesday and extend that series, while the Clippers got the biggest win in their playoff history — a 43-point romp over Dallas to take a 3-2 lead in that matchup, two nights after Luka Doncic made a gamewinning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Game 4.“Game 4 is the ultimate high and (Game 5) is the ultimate low,”... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nobody had ever scored as much as Luka Doncic in an NBA playoff debut.His evaluation of his historic performance?“Terrible," he said.Doncic is out for wins, not stats, and the Dallas Mavericks weren't good enough to get one in the opener of their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. They climbed back from a dismal start caused in part by Doncic's carelessness, but ended up losing 118-110 on Monday night.So while his 42 points were the number that drew the most attention, Doncic was focused on another number in the box score.“I should never have 11 turnovers,” he said. "That’s 11 more possessions I can have. The thing about this game is I’ve got to be way better than that for sure.” Three of the turnovers came in the opening minutes, when the Clippers raced to a 10-0 lead. They seemed intent on banging the 21-year-old guard around whenever they could and it appeared early that Doncic might not be able to handle it.But he kept picking himself up and in the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Markieff Morris has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the postseason push.The Lakers announced the deal Sunday to add the nine-year NBA veteran immediately after he cleared waivers.Los Angeles waived injured center DeMarcus Cousins to clear a roster spot.Morris reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons on Friday. He averaged 11 points and 3.9 rebounds in 44 games with Detroit this season while hitting a career-best 39.7% of his 3-pointers and playing solid defense.He is expected to provide rebounding and defense as the backup power forward for the Lakers, who lead the Western Conference at 43-12 after beating Boston 114-112 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win.The nine-year veteran has 24 games of playoff experience, all in the last three seasons with Washington and Oklahoma City. He began his career with Phoenix in 2011.Markieff Morris' twin brother, Marcus, plays down the Staples Center hallway for the Los Angeles Clippers, who acquired him earlier in the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks plan to hire agent Leon Rose to take over their basketball operations, a person with knowledge of the details said.Rose will replace Steve Mills, who was fired as team president on Tuesday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. The plans were first reported by ESPN and SNY.The Knicks released a statement in which Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan said he hoped to conclude the search for a new president quickly.“I am not selling, but I am determined to find the right leader for the Knicks who will ensure the long-term success of the team, just as we did with the hiring of Rangers President John Davidson," Dolan said.Rather than seek to hire an experienced team executive, the Knicks would be going with a model that has worked successfully for other NBA teams lately. The Golden State Warriors, with Bob Myers, and the Los Angeles Lakers, headed by Rob Pelinka, are both run by former... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Here's how busy the Timberwolves were at trade-deadline time: They announced the jersey numbers of eight new players Thursday... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Here's how busy the Timberwolves were at trade-deadline time: They announced the jersey numbers of eight new players Thursday... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Marcus Morris leaves New York for Los Angeles, going from the woebegone Knicks to the title-hoping Clippers — who added... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks made a big move before the trade deadline — by getting rid of the guy who would have been making their deals.They fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office at a most unusual time.General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, with the team announcing that it would begin an immediate search for a new president just two days before the trade deadline.Mills has held a number of titles at Madison Square Garden since 1999, where he came after spending 16 years at the NBA. But this was the first time his role included full control of basketball decisions, and now MSG executive chairman James Dolan will look for someone else to do it.“I will always be grateful to Jim for giving me the chance to represent this franchise and I’m disappointed we were unable to achieve success for New York," Mills said. “I would like to thank the staff and the players for their hard work during my tenure. I will always... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired President Steve Mills on Tuesday, shaking up the front office just two days before the NBA's trade deadline.General manager Scott Perry will take over control of the basketball operations, with the team announcing that it would begin an immediate search for a new president.Mills has held a number of titles at Madison Square Garden since 1999, where he came after spending 16 years at the NBA. But this was the first time his role included full control of basketball decisions, and now MSG executive chairman James Dolan will look for someone else to do it.“I will always be grateful to Jim for giving me the chance to represent this franchise and I’m disappointed we were unable to achieve success for New York," Mills said. “I would like to thank the staff and the players for their hard work during my tenure. I will always be a Knicks fan.”Mills' firing is the second major change for the Knicks this season. They fired coach David Fizdale after just 22... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Marcus Morris talked tough in the preseason, when the New York Knicks made their annual boasts that things were going to be different.He spoke softly Friday, apologizing for his misplaced machismo on another night the Knicks embarrassed themselves on the court and in the locker room.Exactly a year after trading Kristaps Porzingis, it’s the same old basketball story in New York, nothing more than a rumored stop for superstars in the offseason, and the site of very little success in the regular season.The latest low point was Wednesday, when the Memphis Grizzlies rolled to a 127-106 victory in a game that featured an altercation in the final minute after New York’s Elfrid Payton shoved Jae Crowder as he was attempting a shot, and frustrated fans chanted “Sell the team! “Sell the team!” with owner James Dolan sitting in his baseline seat.Things got even worse afterward, when Payton said he’d do the same thing again and Morris mocked Crowder for playing with “female... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marko Guduric of the Memphis Grizzlies and Knicks guard Elfrid Payton were suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Thursday for their roles in an altercation between the teams.New York's Marcus Morris also was fined $35,000 not only for his role on the court but for his comments afterward, when he said Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder played with “female tendencies.” Crowder was fined $25,000 for escalating the skirmish, which began when he stole the ball and shot a 3-pointer, causing a frustrated Payton to shove him to the floor while he was in the air with 48 seconds left in the Grizzlies' 127-106 victory at Madison Square Garden.Payton was given a flagrant-2 foul and ejected. He said after the game he would do the same thing again, believing Crowder was disrespecting the game.Morris, who shoved Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, later apologized on Twitter for his remarks about women. The Knicks said they understood the NBA's penalties for both their... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale was the latest coach tasked with trying to turn around the New York Knicks.He was given barely 100 games before the longtime losers decided it was time to try someone else.The Knicks cut ties with Fizdale and promoted assistant Mike Miller to interim head coach Friday after two straight blowout losses dropped them to 4-18,Fizdale ran practice earlier in the day, but was then fired along with assistant Keith Smart. The Knicks made no comment on the decision to release Fizdale after he went 21-83, a .202 winning percentage.The Knicks have lost eight straight games, with the last two by scores of 132-88 to Milwaukee on Monday night and 129-92 to Denver on Thursday night. They have the worst record in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season in Fizdale's first season.The Knicks went 17-65 in 2018-19 to match the worst record in franchise history and they are on pace to be even worse this season. New York missed out on... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired coach David Fizdale on Friday after two straight blowout losses dropped them to 4-18, a person with knowledge of the decision said.Fizdale ran practice earlier in the day but was then fired, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.The Knicks have lost eight straight games, with the last two by scores of 132-88 to Milwaukee on Monday night and 129-92 to Denver on Thursday night. They have the worst record in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season in Fizdale's first season.Fizdale's firing was first reported by ESPN.The Knicks went 17-65 last season to match the worst record in franchise history and they are on pace to even worse this season. New York missed out on the top stars that were available in free agency and the players they did get haven't meshed nearly well enough.Still, team executives expected better results, saying so with an unusual... [More]

Robin Lopez and Frank Mason III both scored 14 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 122-112 in preseason action on Monday night.Milwaukee didn't play most of its major contributors, including last year's league Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton.Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that most of them had a good scrimmage on Sunday so he didn't want to play them in what was essentially a back-to-back stretch.All five of the Bucks' starters scored in double figures. Brook Lopez scored 13 points, Sterling Brown added 12 points and nine rebounds and Wesley Matthews scored 10.Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 16 points. Lauri Markkanen added 14 points, making 4 of 8 of his 3-point attempts.PELICANS 133, HAWKS 109Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 21 points and Zion Williamson scored 16, including several highlight-reel dunks.Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, threw down his first preseason dunk, a tomahawk... [More]

Robin Lopez and Frank Mason III both scored 14 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 122-112 in preseason action on Monday night.Milwaukee didn't play most of its major contributors, including last year's league Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton.Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that most of them had a good scrimmage on Sunday so he didn't want to play them in what was essentially a back-to-back stretch.All five of the Bucks' starters scored in double figures. Brook Lopez scored 13 points, Sterling Brown added 12 points and nine rebounds and Wesley Matthews scored 10.Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 16 points. Lauri Markkanen added 14 points, making 4 of 8 of his 3-point attempts.PELICANS 133, HAWKS 109Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 21 points and Zion Williamson scored 16, including several highlight-reel dunks.Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, threw down his first preseason dunk, a tomahawk... [More]

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Free agency was only a few hours old when the New York Knicks acknowledged their fans' disappointment.Three months later, the Knicks have changed their tune.Not only was free agency a success, they say, but fans are going to forget about who the Knicks didn't get because they're going to love who they did."These are guys that our fans are going to like, the toughness that they bring every day when they come to the court to play for the Knicks," team President Steve Mills said Monday.The Knicks signed seven new players in free agency, adding Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock. But by that time, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had already committed to Brooklyn in the early hours of free agency, and Mills released a statement that night saying he understood that fans could be disappointed but that the team remained confident in its plans.And though the Knicks had enough money to afford two top free... [More]