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]

The NBA is changing the format to this season’s 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday Night in Chicago by adding a pair of deep shots that will be worth three points apiece.That change means each round will now be a total of 27 shots instead of 25, and competitors will now get 70 seconds to finish their shots instead of the customary 60. Competitors were told of the changes in the past few days, and the NBA announced the change Tuesday night.The two additional shots will come from six feet beyond the 3-point line, between the racks located on the wings and the one at the top of the key. Those shots — only one from each spot called the MTN DEW Zone — will be taken with a special green ball.All-Star Saturday is Feb. 15, one night before the All-Star Game.The list of competitors for the 3-point contest this season includes Portland’s Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, Washington’s Davis Bertans, Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham, Miami’s Duncan Robinson, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George won't play for the Los Angeles Clippers against the Memphis Grizzlies because of left hamstring tightness.The team ruled him out before Saturday's day game at Staples Center. Coach Doc Rivers says it's possible George could return Sunday against the New York Knicks in the second game of a back-to-back, also a day game. After that, the Clippers are idle until hosting Golden State next Friday.George got hurt during a 126-112 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. He finished with 12 points before leaving late in the second quarter and didn't return.Also sitting out Saturday was guard Patrick Beverley, who missed his third straight game with a sprained right wrist. Rivers said he is close to returning.It's been that kind of a season so far for the Clippers, who've had their full roster healthy and available for just one game. Injuries and load management, primarily involving Kawhi Leonard, have forced Rivers to juggle lineups, which has hampered developing team chemistry.“I tell you why I think it hurts the most, the continuity that we need to be a champion, to me, is hard to work on or even have because you don't have time (together),” Rivers said. "I'm not worried about it yet, but it is actually on my mind for sure."___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will sit out Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Clippers coach Doc Rivers also said guard Patrick Beverley will sit out with a sore right groin. Leonard typically sits out the second game of back-to-backs. He scored 26 points in a 134-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. He is averaging 25.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.Leonard's absence will put more responsibility on forward Paul George, who will play his first game in Oklahoma City since being traded in the offseason. George finished third in the MVP balloting last season with the Thunder.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George laughed and cheered along with the crowd when the multibillionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers waved his arms, stomped his feet and screamed his new players' praises in a cracking voice."Pretty cool! Pretty cool!" Steve Ballmer shouted with glee.Leonard and George are already loving the Clippers' unique vibe, and they see their future together as limitless.Nearly three weeks after these native Southern California superstars shook up the NBA by maneuvering to play together in LA, the Clippers' new dynamic duo finally made its first public appearance Wednesday in a south Los Angeles community center gym."I think we've got something special," said Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP coming off a championship season in Toronto. "We can make history here. We've got the right team to do it."In explaining their decision to team up with the Clippers, Leonard and George both mentioned the importance of playing near their friends and family.... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — There is no favorite.This is what the NBA wanted. And needed.The biggest piece of valid criticism about the league in recent years has been it's predictable. Golden State got to the last five NBA Finals. LeBron James had made it there eight years in a row, four with Miami and then four more with Cleveland. Brooklyn used to be the 'other' team in New York, and the Clippers used to be the 'other' team in Los Angeles.No more.Welcome to a new NBA. If you think the Clippers can win it all next season, or the Lakers, or Utah, or Philadelphia, or Milwaukee, or Houston, or Denver, or even Golden State and maybe a few others, you're right.Technically, there is a favorite: The sports books in Las Vegas, after hearing the news that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are heading to the Clippers, listed them as the best bet Saturday to win the 2020 NBA championship. Yes, the Clippers. A team that has won exactly four playoff series since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. A team that had 12... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — There is no favorite.This is what the NBA wanted. And needed.The biggest piece of valid criticism about the league in recent years has been its predictable. Golden State got to the last five NBA Finals. LeBron James had made it there eight years in a row, four with Miami and then four more with Cleveland. Brooklyn used to be the 'other' team in New York, and the Clippers used to be the 'other' team in Los Angeles.No more.Welcome to a new NBA. If you think the Clippers can win it all next season, or the Lakers, or Utah, or Philadelphia, or Milwaukee, or Houston, or Denver, or even Golden State and maybe a few others, you're right.Technically, there is a favorite: The sports books in Las Vegas, after hearing the news that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are heading to the Clippers, listed them as the best bet Saturday to win the 2020 NBA championship. Yes, the Clippers. A team that has won exactly four playoff series since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. A team that had 12 consecutive... [More]

Point guards got paid.Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.Free agency wasn't even 24 hours old and more than $1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196 million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170 million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141 million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.There's never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there's still plenty more left to be signed."I'm a leader in my own way," Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune. "I'm never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It's not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates... [More]

Point guards got paid.Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.Free agency wasn't even 24 hours old and more than $1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196 million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170 million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141 million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.There's never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there's still plenty more left to be signed."I'm a leader in my own way," Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune. "I'm never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It's not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Toronto guard Kyle Lowry squarely planted his feet and braced for contact with Milwaukee Bucks athletic big man Giannis Antetokounmpo barreling down on him.Lowry, one of the best in basketball at taking a charge, absorbed the punishment and drew a foul against the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo. These days, not everybody is willing to do what Lowry does in the fast-paced, open-floor NBA game."I think it's kind of a lost art," DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors said of taking a charge.Spurs coach Gregg Popovich won't argue that sentiment."It seems so, doesn't it? You can count on one hand how many charges are taken over the course of five or 10 games, in some situations," Popovich said with a chuckle. "You see it a lot more in college than you do in the NBA. Maybe they're protecting their contracts, don't want to get hurt, I don't know. There aren't very many, that's for sure."Successfully taking a charge is difficult and even those who are willing to try won't... [More]

Golden State was looking ahead to facing Houston. At least, Klay Thompson acknowledged that was the case.Kevin Durant said he wasn't sure about that.And Stephen Curry flatly dismissed the notion.The Warriors weren't in sync for Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers — and still weren't in sync afterward when asked if their minds drifted ahead to what would be a second-round date with Houston in a rematch of last season's West finals. And perhaps to the surprise of many, the Warriors-Clippers series is still chugging along.The Clippers will play host to Game 6 on Friday night, looking to knot the series at 3-3 and send it back to Oracle Arena for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. They staved off elimination with a 129-121 win on the Warriors' home floor in Game 5 on Wednesday."We're looking forward to going home," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "My guess is that probably not a lot of tickets sold because I don't think a lot of people thought... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The stars have been stars in these playoffs.Kyrie Irving has Boston on the cusp of sweeping away Indiana Pacers. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Golden State are coming off a game against the Los Angeles Clippers where the Warriors looked very much like the NBA champions again. Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook are going at each other big-time in the Portland-Oklahoma City series.And then there's Pascal Siakam.Toronto's surprise story is no surprise anymore.Siakam has been perhaps the biggest breakout player in these playoffs, adding to his breakout season for the Raptors — who lead the Orlando Magic 2-1 in their first-round matchup thanks largely to the 25-year-old from Cameroon and his 24.3 points and 10 rebounds per game in the series.It's easy to forget that Siakam only started playing organized basketball seven years ago."Seriously?" Raptors guard Danny Green asked, unaware of his teammate's unique background.Seriously.Raptors coach Nick Nurse was amused by... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard stared intently well after his deep, buzzer-beating 3-pointer fell to close out Portland's third quarter against the Thunder. The look on his face was one of determination, focus and yes, even a little bravado.It was as if Lillard was making a statement. It's not new for the Portland guard.Lillard, the Thunder's Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley all play with an edge and have provided some of the most entertaining moments of the postseason so far.With Lillard and Westbrook squaring off in the Portland-Oklahoma City series, they almost feed off each other's energy. Lillard finished with 29 points — including the stone-cold 3 — on Tuesday night and the Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead against the Thunder with a 114-94 victory. The series shifts to Oklahoma City on Friday.Lillard has been dialed in from the start of the series against the Thunder, in part because the Trail Blazers were embarrassed in last year's playoffs by New Orleans. Portland got ousted... [More]

The Golden State Warriors are trying to regain the lead in a series they probably still can't believe is tied.Same with the San Antonio Spurs, who like the Warriors know they are facing an opponent who won't stay down no matter how far they fall down.The Clippers' historic comeback against the Warriors, followed by Denver's potential season-saving surge against the Spurs, made that clear.So things are all even in those two Western Conference first-round series, which resume with a pair of Game 3s on Thursday night.Philadelphia and Brooklyn play the other Game 3 of the night in an East series that also is tied at a game apiece.Golden State would be up 2-0 if not for the Clippers' colossal comeback — or the Warriors' colossal collapse — on Monday night in Game 2. The Warriors led by 31 in the third quarter before Los Angeles charged back to win 135-131 after the biggest rally in NBA postseason history.The Warriors won Game 1 by 17, appeared headed toward an even easier win in Game 2, and... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard stared intently well after his deep, buzzer-beating 3-pointer fell to close out Portland's third quarter against the Thunder. The look on his face was one of determination, focus and yes, even a little bravado.It was as if Lillard was making a statement. It's not new for the Portland guard.Lillard, the Thunder's Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley all play with an edge and have provided some of the most entertaining moments of the postseason so far.With Lillard and Westbrook squaring off in the Portland-Oklahoma City, they almost feed off each other's energy. Lillard finished with 29 points — including the stone-cold 3 — on Tuesday night and the Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead against the Thunder with a 114-94 victory. The series shifts to Oklahoma City on Friday.Lillard has been dialed in from the start of the series against the Thunder, in part because the Trail Blazers were embarrassed in last year's playoffs by New Orleans. Portland got ousted in... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won't require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team's first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday. The big man returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence while recovering from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon."More than anything, I'm just crushed for DeMarcus," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's been waiting his whole career... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won't require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team's first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious when he went down in the first quarter of their first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.An MRI exam Tuesday morning on Cousins' left leg revealed the tear. The two-time defending NBA champion Warriors said Cousins will begin rehabilitation immediately and updates will be "provided as appropriate."Coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors' 135-131 Game 2 loss on Monday night that Cousins would be out for a significant period.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, Cousins went down in the first quarter in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. He immediately grabbed at his left quad. Cousins hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.Cousins had just returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious when he went down in the first quarter of their first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.An MRI exam Tuesday morning on Cousins' left leg revealed the tear. The Warriors say Cousins will begin immediately on his rehabilitation and updates will be "provided as appropriate."Coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors' 135-131 Game 2 loss on Monday night that Cousins would be out for a significant period of time.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, Cousins hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter. At the 8 1/2-minute mark he swiped the ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court and tried to retrieve it when he went down in front of the Golden State bench. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad.Cousins had just returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon suffered while with the Pelicans last season.He had two points, two rebounds and an assist in less than 4 minutes Monday. He fouled out of Saturday's 121-104 Game 1 win with nine points, nine rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starting Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins' postseason could be in jeopardy after he injured his left quadriceps muscle in the first quarter of Monday night's 135-131 Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs."There's a pretty significant quad injury," coach Steve Kerr said. "We'll get an MRI tomorrow. But he's going to be out for, I'll just say a while because I think it's not clear right now how long he'll be out. It's significant."This is a terrible blow for Cousins in just his second career playoff game following a nine-year wait. The big man returned in January from a nearly year-long absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon.He hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter. At the 8 1/2-minute mark Cousins stole the ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court and tried to retrieve the loose ball when went down in front of the Golden State bench and grabbed at his left quad."We'll rally behind... [More]