The Portland Trail Blazers fought their way through a pressure-packed playoff race to earn home-court advantage in a series, then lost it in one game.The Toronto Raptors know that problem all too well, so they want to take advantage of playing from ahead for a change.They try for their first 2-0 playoff series lead ever Tuesday night against Washington, while the Trail Blazers try to even things up in against the New Orleans Pelicans.Boston and Milwaukee play the other Game 2 on Tuesday after the Celtics pulled out a 113-107 overtime victory on Sunday.The No. 3 Trail Blazers were the highest-seeded team to lose so far, falling 97-95 on Saturday. Anthony Davis was dominant, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were slow-starting, and the Pelicans got a couple big defensive plays down the stretch from Jrue Holiday to hold on after the Blazers nearly came back from a 19-point deficit."I think it puts some pressure on us," Lillard said. "You know, you come in with home court, the first two games... [More]

The Portland Trail Blazers fought their way through a pressure-packed playoff race to earn home-court advantage in a series, then lost it in one game.The Toronto Raptors know that problem all too well, so they want to take advantage of playing from ahead for a change.They try for their first 2-0 playoff series lead ever Tuesday night against Washington, while the Trail Blazers try to even things up in against the New Orleans Pelicans.Boston and Milwaukee play the other Game 2 on Tuesday after the Celtics pulled out a 113-107 overtime victory on Sunday.The No. 3 Trail Blazers were the highest-seeded team to lose so far, falling 97-95 on Saturday. Anthony Davis was dominant, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were slow-starting, and the Pelicans got a couple big defensive plays down the stretch from Jrue Holiday to hold on after the Blazers nearly came back from a 19-point deficit."I think it puts some pressure on us," Lillard said. "You know, you come in with home court, the first two games... [More]

Maybe this is the year.Maybe the Golden State Warriors, opening the postseason without Stephen Curry or any momentum, won't be the best of the West, where there's a Houston team that can run and gun as well as they do.Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting from the middle of the pack in the East, just have too big a hill to climb, even with LeBron James carrying them.Or perhaps none of that matters, and the NBA is headed toward Round 4 of its reigning rivalry.The postseason opens Saturday and it's far from a guarantee it ends with a record fourth straight NBA Finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers. Neither was the best team in its conference during the regular season — the Cavaliers were only No. 4 in the East — and it's not hard to envision a Houston to Toronto trip replacing what's become an annual Oakland, California, to Cleveland itinerary.Then again, the Warriors could be as dangerous as ever once Curry returns from a knee injury that could have him back for the second... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward exchanged the kind of toothy giggles normally only found between kids on a playground when they were introduced as the new faces of the Celtics."It's about to be crazy, G," Irving said in the ear of Hayward to a soundtrack of clicking camera lenses as they sat on a dais back in September two days after Boston's blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.Seven months later, Irving has proven to be prophetic — albeit not how he had in mind.It has been crazy unlucky for the Celtics. Stunning too. Al Horford said even shocking.And though things haven't gone as scripted in Boston, the Celtics will open the playoffs at the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference believing they can win it all without their injured offseason acquisitions."Finals. I'm very confident," guard Terry Rozier when asked how far Boston can go. "Everybody has to be on the same page. And we just gotta play. And play hard."That's been Boston's calling card throughout the season.... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season adjusting on the fly. Now they will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and is done for season. On Thursday, the team put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season adjusting on the fly. Now they will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and is done for season. The team on Thursday put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on the... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and miss the rest of the regular season and postseason. The team on Thursday put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on the knee.This is Irving's first... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Celtics say All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to have surgery Saturday to alleviate pain in his left knee.Irving has been out since March 11, missing the last four games. There is no timetable for his return from the "minimally invasive" procedure.Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked before Boston's game in Portland on Friday night the ramifications of Irving's surgery."I don't know yet," Stevens said. "He's going to have it tomorrow and we'll know more about timelines after that."The knee is the same one that Irving injured in the 2015 NBA Finals that required surgery.Irving is averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Friday was his 26th birthday.He is one of several key sidelined players for Boston, which is at Portland on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown (concussion protocol), Marcus Smart (thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and Gordon Hayward (ankle surgery rehab).Stevens said the team will focus on its strengths... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kyrie Irving returned to Boston's lineup for Tuesday night's game against Toronto after missing the previous three games because of a bruised right quad.Irving suffered the injury in a Jan. 29 win at Denver. The Celtics went 3-0 with Terry Rozier starting in place of the five-time All-Star guard, with Rozier scoring a career-high 31 points against Atlanta last Friday. Irving is averaging a team-high 24.9 points per game.Forward Marcus Morris was also active for the Celtics after missing the past two games because of a bruised left hip.The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics had won four straight entering Tuesday night's game but had lost their past four in Toronto. The Raptors entered the night second in the East, trailing Boston by two games.

F Marcus Morris finished with 15 points off the Boston bench against Brooklyn on Sunday.

F Marcus Morris (knee), who missed 10 of the previous 11, was back in the lineup.

F Marcus Morris, who has missed four games with a sore left knee, said Friday he is hoping to be back in time for the Celtics' Christmas Day game with Washington.

F Marcus Morris missed his second straight game with a left knee injury. Coach Brad Stevens said the injury would be re-evaluated on Tuesday in Boston.

SF Marcus Morris missed the Sunday game at Detroit due to left knee soreness. He also was ruled out for the Monday game at Chicago.

F Marcus Morris (knee rehab) missed Wednesday's 97-90 win over Dallas. Morris missed the first eight games of the season with knee soreness and recently saw his minutes increase to around 25 to 30 per game. The Celtics did not say if Morris suffered a setback.

F Marcus Morris, moved to the bench in a slight starting lineup shuffle, had 17 points, one shy of his season high, on Thursday..

F Marcus Morris did not play Saturday due to a sore knee.

F Marcus Morris was the only starter to play in the fourth quarter, when Orlando showed its only sign of life.Morris, who has a sore knee, didn't travel with the team postgame and will miss Saturday night's game to rest.

F Marcus Morris' minutes against Miami were limited because of knee stiffness. Morris played 21 minutes and scored 14 points as a reserve.

F Marcus Morris scored 14 points in Saturday's win at Atlanta.