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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starting Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins injured his left quadriceps muscle in the first quarter of Monday night's Game 2 in the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers and was done for the night.Golden State said Cousins wouldn't return and was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam in the next 24 hours after he got hurt 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.Cousins 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

There's no LeBron James in these playoffs, so the NBA Finals will have a distinctly new look for the first time in nine years.There's no Tony Parker, for the first time in nearly two decades.There's no Dwyane Wade, and he'll never play a playoff game again.San Antonio is in the postseason for a record-tying 22nd consecutive season. Brooklyn, Denver, Detroit, Orlando and the Los Angeles Clippers got into these playoffs after watching the postseason last year.As always at playoff time, there are some familiar things and some not-so-familiar things. With the postseason set to begin Saturday, here's 10 things to know going into the best time of the NBA year:DRIVE FOR FIVEGolden State is trying to reach the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive season.If the Warriors get there, they would be the second franchise ever with such a streak — joining only the Boston Celtics, who went there in 10 straight seasons from 1957-66.The Warriors are one of five franchises with a streak of four straight NBA... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins shoves off assistant coach Jarron Collins and goes hard for the basket. He swishes a 3-pointer from up top, then hits a jumper inside the arc on the right wing. Cousins drives to the hoop and makes a shot from close range, then a turnaround jumper goes in before he moves to the left side to begin the sequence again.Long before the rest of the Golden State regulars have taken the court for pregame warmups, there is Cousins, earbuds in, meticulously focused on his preparation. In the locker room, he is one of the first to pull on his game jersey.Cousins can't wait for his first playoff chance."It's been a long time coming for him," Collins said. "I definitely think he's excited and he's ready for the moment to play on the biggest stage. Obviously there's a lot that goes into it, the preparation, the dedication."This is why Cousins approached the Warriors last summer and asked for a chance, even though he was working back from season-ending surgery for... [More]

Jusuf Nurkic's season-ending and gruesome leg injury, especially at this time of year, will strike fear into everyone in the NBA.In this age of "load management" being a fancy term for "night off" and even as the NBA frowns upon resting players anyway, the question will be asked: Should teams sit their stars down the stretch to protect them from something bad happening before the playoffs?Answers may vary, but the reality is that most teams in this season's playoff chase might not have the luxury of finding out.Golden State has gotten players some rest of late, been blown out in those games and hasn't seemed to mind too much. This is the edge the Warriors have; they are the only team in the NBA right now that absolutely knows it is good enough to win a championship. Milwaukee will likely get some guys some rest when it clinches the No. 1 seed, but losing Malcolm Brogdon for a few weeks already is a reminder that health is everything."You're going to have things that happen," Milwaukee coach... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The playoff field is largely set.The positioning, that's still anyone's guess.So even while some of what we could have had for drama over the final 2½ weeks of the NBA regular season won't materialize — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are already out of the playoffs, robbing us of one potential story line — the races for seedings and home-court edges are almost certain now to go down to the final days of the season.Milwaukee has the edge over all other teams in the race for the No. 1 overall seed. Dwyane Wade's career still isn't guaranteed of going past Miami's regular-season finale in Brooklyn on April 10. Golden State, bidding for a third straight NBA championship and fourth in five years, still has a fight on its hands just to get the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference."We're ready to take on any challenger," Warriors forward Draymond Green said.There have been nights where that's looked like a very accurate statement. Others, not so much.The Warriors have lost... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sterling Brown hopes his efforts to work alongside law enforcement on improving practices used during arrests and stops will one day mean other black men don't have to go through what he endured last year.Just more than 13 months after police used a stun gun on him in the early morning hours at a Milwaukee Walgreens store, Brown knows he has an important responsibility to use his experience to make a difference."I have a platform now and I'm going to use it to help bring awareness and help bring change," Brown said.The Bucks guard insists he long moved forward from the ordeal, during which he felt the use of a stun gun was excessive and that he was targeted because he's black. As a professional athlete, that's what he gets paid to do: Let go of the failures and tough moments in a hurry. On to the next city, the next game. A new challenge."I've been emotionally, spiritually, physically stable since the incident happened," Brown said while sitting courtside with... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Golden State's Kevin Durant should have been called for a discontinued dribble on the Warriors' final possession of what became their 120-118 win over the Miami Heat, the NBA said Monday in a report detailing all calls made in the last 2 minutes of the game.Golden State made a pair of free throws on that possession, the final points of the game.The league, in its Last Two Minute Report that is released after close games, said it reviewed multiple video angles to determine that Durant's dribble was not interrupted by the ball making inadvertent contact with the foot or shin of Heat defender Justise Winslow and "a discontinued dribble should have been called on Durant."Also, the league opted not to fine Heat coach Erik Spoelstra for his postgame comments about the officiating — which were prefaced by Spoelstra beginning his remarks with "Look, NBA, do not fine me. I'm allowed to say this."Spoelstra also said multiple times in his postgame news conference that he was not blaming... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.And if a trade happens, it'll be on the Pelicans' schedule.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender, a request he made last week. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough to land Davis. But the Pelicans made clear in a written statement Monday afternoon that they're in no rush, and will wait for the right deal."We will do this on our terms and our timeline," the Pelicans said, adding that they will only accept a deal that "makes the most sense for our team and it will not be dictated by those outside of our organization."Translated: The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 7, and if the Pelicans don't get a deal they want... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.And if a trade happens, it'll be on the Pelicans' schedule.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender, a request he made last week. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough to land Davis. But the Pelicans made clear in a written statement Monday afternoon that they're in no rush, and will wait for the right deal."We will do this on our terms and our timeline," the Pelicans said, adding that they will only accept a deal that "makes the most sense for our team and it will not be dictated by those outside of our organization."Translated: The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 7, and if the Pelicans don't get a deal they want... [More]

Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.Yet the Pelicans assert Davis won't be going anywhere until they get a deal they want.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have most — if not all — teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough for the Pelicans to send Davis their way."We will do this on our terms and our timeline," the Pelicans said in a written statement released Monday afternoon, adding that they will only accept a deal that "makes the most sense for our team and it will not be dictated by those outside of our organization."The statement also said the Pelicans have asked the NBA to "strictly enforce" any tampering rules associated with any such transaction.Davis is... [More]

Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.And the NBA might soon see a blockbuster trade to come together.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have most — if not all — teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough for the Pelicans to send Davis their way.Davis is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He'll almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year's game that will be played Feb. 17 in Charlotte.Now it's unclear if Davis will be there as a member of the Pelicans or not. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.Davis was at the Pelicans' training headquarters Monday, wearing... [More]

Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.And the NBA might soon see a blockbuster trade to come together.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have most — if not all — teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough for the Pelicans to send Davis their way.Davis is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He'll almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year's game that will be played Feb. 17 in Charlotte.Now it's unclear if Davis will be there as a member of the Pelicans or not. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.Davis was at the Pelicans' training headquarters Monday, wearing... [More]

Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.And the NBA might soon see a blockbuster trade to come together.The five-time All-Star has told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.ESPN first reported Davis' demand to be traded to a contender. It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have most — if not all — teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough for the Pelicans to send Davis their way.Davis is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He'll almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year's game that will be played Feb. 17 in Charlotte.Now it's unclear if Davis will be there as a member of the Pelicans or not. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.The Pelicans did not have any immediate comment. They next... [More]

Anthony Davis' agent says the five-time All-Star has told the New Orleans Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a contending team.Agent Rich Paul confirmed the request to The Associated Press early Monday. ESPN first reported that Davis has told the Pelicans he wants to go elsewhere.Davis is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He'll almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year's game that will be played Feb. 17 in Charlotte.Now it's unclear if Davis will be there as a member of the Pelicans or not. The trade deadline is Feb. 7.Davis' future has long been in question. He's an elite superstar on a team that hasn't gotten past the second round of the playoffs since he's been in New Orleans — and in four of his first six full seasons, the Pelicans didn't qualify for the postseason at all.His telling New Orleans that he wants out is the latest power move by a star player... [More]

The Golden State Warriors don't just have streaks.They have streaks of streaks.Golden State has won 10 straight games, the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. And that makes this the sixth consecutive season that the Warriors have had a double-digit streak of victories — which ties San Antonio for the longest such run in league history. The Spurs had a 10-game streak in every season from 2010-11 through 2015-16.That said, here come the champs, again.Golden State is back atop the West, and in the mix with Milwaukee and Toronto for the NBA's best record. The stretch where the Warriors lost four straight and six of nine earlier this season, prompting whispers that the reigning back-to-back champions are vulnerable, seems long forgotten."We've got an edge about us," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. "It hasn't been perfect and we know we can still get better, but we've talked about putting a run together for a while now and we're right in the middle of a really good one. We want... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Joerger sized up Sacramento's situation in the summer and decided there was a need for speed.Never mind that his past doesn't scream run and gun. He was one of the coaches who oversaw the grit-and-grind era in Memphis, and disagrees that everyone needs to play fast even in this era of exploding offenses in the NBA.But you don't put the ball in De'Aaron Fox 's hands and tell him to walk it up the floor.So these Kings would have to push the pace."It's what best fits us," Joerger said. "About two weeks before the season started, I'd worked on it all summer trying to figure out how can I develop all these guys at the same time, the young guys, and made the priority list, and the list for me was De'Aaron Fox. And I think he can be great. And how do we best use his skills, and that is to play fast and to play open."Maybe the Kings will keep right on running until they've ended the longest current playoff drought in the NBA.They are at least in the race, sitting two games... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins was nervous. His stomach felt tight and filled with butterflies. He grabbed his phone and fired off texts to family and friends. He talked to his brother and sister.Golden State coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors reassured Cousins it wasn't just about Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.It's about the rest of his career.Making his Warriors debut after being sidelined for nearly a year, the big man called Boogie scored 14 points before fouling out of a 112-94 victory."It's been a long journey," Cousins said. "This was probably one of the best days of my life being back on the floor playing the game that I love."After missing his first shot, Cousins announced his presence with a one-handed slam off Kevin Durant's bounce pass for the Warriors' first basket."It was like poetry," teammate Stephen Curry said.Cousins was called for two fouls in the first three minutes and sat down."I'm just glad to know I can still dunk," he said.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins was nervous. His stomach felt tight and filled with butterflies. He grabbed his phone and fired off texts to family and friends. He talked to his brother and sister.Golden State coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors reassured Cousins it wasn't just about Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.It's about the rest of his career.Making his Warriors debut after being sidelined for nearly a year, the big man called Boogie scored 14 points before fouling out of a 112-94 victory."It's been a long journey," Cousins said. "This was probably one of the best days of my life being back on the floor playing the game that I love."After missing his first shot, Cousins announced his presence with a one-handed slam off Kevin Durant's bounce pass for the Warriors' first basket."It was like poetry," teammate Stephen Curry said.Cousins was called for two fouls in the first three minutes and sat down."I'm just glad to know I can still dunk," he said.... [More]