The L.A. Clippers traded guard Patrick Beverley, along with Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu, to Memphis in exchange for Eric Bledsoe. Beverley wasn't much of a factor on the fantasy end last season, appearing in only 37 games because of a fractured hand and averaging just 7.5 points, 3.2 boards, and 2.1 assists. Although the 33-year-old is a capable defender, his on-court talents don't translate well to contests in nearly all fantasy formats. As a result, it's expected he won't have much interest from many managers, regardless of where he ends up playing during the 2021-22 campaign.

NEW YORK (AP) — Patrick Beverley was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Saturday after shoving Chris Paul in the back in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. The Los Angeles Clippers guard will miss the first game of the 2021-22 regular season that he is eligible to play. Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, ruled that Beverley committed an unsportsmanlike act when he came up behind Paul and forcefully shoved him as the teams went to their benches for a timeout with 5:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of the game Wednesday. Beverley drew a technical foul and was ejected. Paul scored 41 points in the Suns' 130-103 victory that sent them to the NBA Finals. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers’ season began in an empty arena with cardboard cutouts, COVID-19 tests, and protocols for everything. It ended with the team reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, even without injured superstar Kawhi Leonard. A masked Leonard watched from the bench as the Clippers lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games on Wednesday night. “Man, we just had a group of guys that loved playing with each other. Everyone was on the same page,” center Ivica Zubac said Thursday. The Clippers overcame 0-2 deficits in the first two rounds to beat Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks and Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz. Leonard sprained his right knee in Game 4 against the Jazz and didn't play again. Zubac also injured his knee and was forced to sit out the final two games against the Suns. The Clippers trailed that series 0-2 and 1-3 before closing to 3-2 and eventually running out of gas. Through the injuries, Paul George kept... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul started for the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers after missing the first two games of the Western Conference finals while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Paul was upgraded to available from probable on the league’s injury report and participated in the team’s shootaround Thursday. He scored a game-high 37 points in final game of the second-round series against the Denver Nuggets on June 13. “To have him back on the bus and shootaround was pretty cool for everybody. You know, right after that everybody got right back to business,” coach Monty Williams said before the game. "We watched film and broke down some of the things we didn’t do well and got on the floor and had a good shootaround. Williams said less than two hours before tip off that there wouldn't be a minutes restriction on Paul. The 36-year-old point guard averaged 25.5 points, 10.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the Denver series. “He’s always been... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley are all out for the Los Angeles Clippers for their game at Detroit on Wednesday night. Leonard is out with a sore right foot, Ibaka has lower back tightness, Beverley has a broken left hand, and the Clippers said they will rest George for this game. Los Angeles beat Indiana 126-115 on Tuesday night for its sixth straight victory. The Clippers play at Philadelphia on Friday night. Rodney McGruder (sprained right elbow) and Dennis Smith Jr. (left knee inflammation) are sidelined for the Pistons. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clippers guard Patrick Beverley is likely to miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his left hand during Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Beverley was going for a rebound in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles' 113-103 victory when he broke the fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand. The Clippers announced before Friday's game against the Houston Rockets that Beverley had surgery and will be evaluated again in three to four weeks. The NBA playoffs start on May 22. Beverley, who is averaging 8.0 points per game, had returned to the lineup Tuesday against Portland after missing 12 games due to a knee injury. He also missed eight games earlier in the season due to right knee soreness. The Clippers acquired Rajon Rondo at the trade deadline, but he has been dealing with a lingering adductor strain injury. Rondo was also out of the lineup on Friday. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The more things changed for the Los Angeles Clippers, the more they stayed the same.They shocked the league by adding superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a proven cast, immediately creating major expectations for the franchise to win its first NBA championship.In the end, the Clippers reverted to their old selves. They blew a 3-2 series lead and double-digit leads in multiple games against the Denver Nuggets, and got sent packing from the NBA playoff bubble. The franchise once mocked as the laughingstock of the NBA couldn't erase a big part of its ignominious history: 0-8 all time in games in which it could clinch a spot in the conference finals.“We did have championship expectations. We had the talent to do it,” Lou Williams said. "I don’t think we had the chemistry to do it and it showed."George missed time to start the season while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Playing for his third team in three years, Leonard followed a load management... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The more things changed for the Los Angeles Clippers, the more they stayed the same.They shocked the league by adding superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a proven cast, immediately creating major expectations for the franchise to win its first NBA championship.In the end, the Clippers reverted to their old selves. They blew a 3-2 series lead and double-digit leads in multiple games against the Denver Nuggets, and got sent packing from the NBA playoff bubble. The franchise once mocked as the laughingstock of the NBA couldn't erase a big part of its ignominious history: 0-8 all time in games in which it could clinch a spot in the conference finals.“We did have championship expectations. We had the talent to do it,” Lou Williams said. "I don’t think we had the chemistry to do it and it showed."George missed time to start the season while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Playing for his third team in three years, Leonard followed a load management... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The NBA fined Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley $25,000 on Monday for verbally abusing a game official in Game 2 of his team’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets.The incident took place Saturday night with 1:04 remaining in what became a 110-101 loss for the Clippers. Beverley was demonstrably upset with a foul call against him four seconds earlier, then unsuccessfully tried to take a charge when play resumed and got called for a blocking foul.Beverley then got two technical fouls as he argued to no avail. It became his second ejection of the season and his first of the playoffs.It’s also his second $25,000 fine of the season; he got the first in October for throwing the ball into the stands after the Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening game of the season for both clubs.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — A year ago, Toronto had The Shot.This time, the Raptors have The Pass.Despite Kyle Lowry’s attempts to take attention off the pass that he threw to OG Anunoby to set up the gamewinning, probably season-saving 3-pointer at the buzzer for Toronto in what became its 104-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday, he’s probably going to have to accept that it will be a memorable moment — especially if the Raptors go on to win this Eastern Conference semifinal series.Game 4 of Celtics-Raptors is Saturday night, followed by Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers got an easy 120-97 win in Game 1 behind 29 points from Kawhi Leonard, who last year made what Raptors fans will forever know as The Shot — the epic four-bounce-off-the-rim jumper at the buzzer of Game 7 to give Toronto a win over Philadelphia in the East semifinals.Leonard’s shot became iconic because the Raptors won it all.... [More]

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) — 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) — 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) — 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]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Luka Doncic would like to clear up a bit of a misconception: He has playoff experience.Then again, he also knows what awaits now is different.For the first time since 1990, the Dallas Mavericks are going to the playoffs without Dirk Nowitzki on the roster. The German great retired after last season, officially passing the torch as leader of the Mavs to Doncic — the Slovene who nearly averaged a 30-point triple-double in just his second NBA season.So, no, he hasn’t seen what the NBA playoffs are like.There’s also no reason to think Doncic isn’t ready for this stage.“Yes, it is the playoffs, but I have been in the playoffs before, just in Europe,” said the 21-year-old Doncic, who was still a teenager when he led Real Madrid to the EuroLeague title and was basically considered the best player in that league two years ago. “It is not the same level, but it is the same emotions. I am excited for sure.”He should be.Doncic finished the season averaging 28.8 points,... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Damian Lillard has no shortage of motivation.There’s the painful kind, the kind that comes from dealing with the death three months ago of a cousin who was very close to him. There’s the made-up variety, stemming from the belief he shared Tuesday night that people who cover the league don’t respect his work. There’s the silly stuff, like a back-and-forth on social media with other NBA players.And then there’s probably the biggest sort — his want to get the Portland Trail Blazers back to the playoffs.He topped a 51-point performance on Sunday by offering a 61-point performance on Tuesday, doing all that with the Blazers’ postseason fate still not secure and knowing that any loss would put a sizable dent in those playoff hopes. He’s the 12th player in NBA history to have consecutive 50-point games, and just the second — joining only Wilt Chamberlain — to have three 60-point games in a season.“Couldn’t have been a better time for that type of game,” Lillard said... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The NBA is headquartered in New York. Anthony Davis, one of the game’s biggest names, plays in Los Angeles.Both, unquestionably, are world-class cities.But in Davis’ eyes, they both pale to his hometown. And this weekend, the Chicago native believes the eyes of the basketball world are where they belong -- on his city.“Chicago basketball,” the Lakers’ forward said. “There is nothing like Chicago basketball.”Chicago is called the Second City, though no one from Chicago believes that the city is second to any other city on the planet -- particularly those who represent the city in the NBA. L.A. has the glitz and glamour of the Lakers and now the Clippers, New York has the tradition of Madison Square Garden and possibly the best-known outdoor court in the world at Rucker Park, but Chicago guys scoff at the notion that the game means more anyplace else.That’s why hosting All-Star weekend, with the events beginning in earnest Friday, is a badge of honor for Chicago. It’s been... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is out because of a sore left knee against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Clippers have been monitoring the workload for Leonard, who will miss his 13th game of the season. Los Angeles is playing the second game of a back-to-back set after losing in Minnesota on Saturday.Leonard scored 28 points in 29 minutes against the Timberwolves, but the Clippers were routed 142-115. He's seventh in the league in scoring with 27.1 points per game.Patrick Beverley will miss his second straight game with a strained right groin. The Clippers (36-16) are third in the Western Conference and acquired Marcus Morris from New York on Thursday.

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]