BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 27 points and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics withstand a 43-point night from Nikola Jokic and beat the Denver Nuggets 112-99 on Tuesday. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and eight assists to help Boston bounce back following two anemic performances in back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington — the Eastern Conference’s bottom two teams. It was Jokic’s third 40-point game of the season. Jamal Murray added 25 points but Denver had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Celtics led by as many as 15 in the first half and took an 11-point edge into the fourth quarter. Denver briefly got within seven points, but couldn’t string together a run down the stretch. The Nuggets were extremely short-handed playing without five rotation players, including Paul Millsap (left knee sprain) and Monte Morris (right shoulder strain). It left Jokic to pick up the offensive load and he did his best, scoring 15 of the Nuggets’ first 18 points. But that couldn’t offset... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is expected to be sidelined two to three weeks because of a torn left calf muscle. The team said Sunday that an MRI revealed the Grade 1 tear. Smart missed the final 10:28 of Boston's 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night after he was helped off the court following a collision with Montrezl Harrell underneath the basket. Harrell tipped in a missed layup and stepped on Smart’s foot as he came down. Smart’s injury will mean yet another adjustment to a Celtics lineup that was playing with its projected starters Smart, Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Daniel Theis for just the second time this season. Walker missed the first 12 games of the season recovering from a procedure on his left knee and Tatum missed multiple games earlier this month with COVID-19. Smart is averaging 13.1 points and 6.1 assists this season. The Celtics being a five-game, West Coast trip at Golden State on Tuesday night. __ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — For now the season debut of Celtics point guard Kemba Walker remains in a holding pattern. The Celtics haven’t played a game in nearly a week thanks to the recent rash of coronavirus cases that continues to cause postponements across the league. Walker would love to provide the team with an available body, but for now the All-Star point guard isn't rushing his return. “I’m definitely going to make the best decision for myself, but honestly I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Walker said. “I know I did say I was feeling really good the last time before the bubble, which I was. But it was just the timing in between just wasn’t really beneficial for me.” Boston has had its past three games postponed because of opponents being shorthanded due to players being in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The Celtics have had as many as nine players in the protocol, including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Seven players remain there, with three — Tatum, Robert Williams and Carsen Edwards... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics could be without stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and a number of other players because of coronavirus safety protocols when they face Miami on Sunday. The Celtics are listing Tatum as doubtful and Brown as questionable for the rematch of the Eastern Conference finals. Tristan Thompson, Grant Williams and Robert Williams have already been ruled out for that reason, and the status of Semi Ojeleye and Javonte Green is unknown. With Kemba Walker and Romeo Langford unavailable because of injuries, the Celtics could have the minimum eight players required to start a game. Beset by its own coronavirus problems, Philadelphia dressed an injured player Saturday so it could field a team to play against Denver. Boston played on Friday against Washington, and Tatum was seen on video talking to the Wizards' Bradley Beal, who missed a game Saturday against Miami because of the health and safety protocols. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving performed a Native American ritual to “cleanse the energy” at the TD Garden on Friday night before taking the court he used to call home for the first time since leaving the Celtics. Waving a smoldering bundle of sage — a practice known as “smudging” — Irving circled the iconic parquet floor during warmups before snuffing it out in an abalone shell. “It just comes from a lot of native tribes,” Irving explained after scoring 17 points to help the Nets beat Boston 113-89 in the teams' final exhibition game. “Just cleanse the energy, want to make sure that we’re all balanced.” According to WebMD, Native Americans burn sage, a perennial subshrub in the mint family, “as part of a spiritual ritual to cleanse a person or space, and to promote healing and wisdom.” Irving’s mother, Elizabeth, was a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and Kyrie Irving was welcomed into the tribe in a 2018 ceremony. Irving said he adopted the practice from his ancestors... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will be sidelined until at least the first week of January after receiving a stem cell injection in his left knee. Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Tuesday the decision was made after Walker consulted with multiple specialists in early October. Walker was then put on a 12-week strengthening program for the upcoming season. He is expected to resume on-court activities in early December. Walker nearly had his first playoff run with Boston derailed in July when he tweaked the knee during workouts leading up to the resumption of the season in the Florida bubble. It left him limited during the seeding games portion of the schedule. But he was a big part of Boston’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, averaging 19.6 points and 5.1 assists during the postseason. The Celtics lost the series in six games to Miami. Ainge said his concerns about the health of Walker’s knee going forward are low. “I think this year will tell... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo came to the NBA with the goal of providing for his mother and changing her life. His first contract took care of that. And the way he sees it, his next contract sets his family up for generations. Adebayo and the Miami Heat agreed on a five-year extension that will be worth at least $163 million, the team and Adebayo's agent Alex Saratsis said Tuesday. The contract has not been signed and won't be until Adebayo completes a physical, something that is likely to occur in the next few days. It will be the richest contract in terms of total value in Heat history. “This is an accomplishment I always wanted to get," Adebayo said. “Just being able to reach this milestone and being able to generationally change my family's life and also take care of the people around me, it's a big deal to me." Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo once worried about money. Never again. Adebayo and the Miami Heat agreed on a five-year extension that will be worth at least $163 million, the team and Adebayo's agent Alex Saratsis said Tuesday. The contract has not been signed and won't be until Adebayo completes a physical, something that is likely to occur in the next few days. Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million for the 2021-22 season. And if he makes an All-NBA team this season, something he narrowly missed doing this past season, his annual salary would only rise more. Adebayo was expected to speak about the extension later Tuesday night at a charity event he is hosting. The Heat had until Dec. 21 to agree with Adebayo on an extension this season, or else would have had to table the matter until next summer. Miami has said the team's intention was to give Adebayo... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat are working on a contract extension, the team said Tuesday. Once the deal is finalized, Adebayo — when factoring in his current salary — would be guaranteed at least $168 million over the next six seasons and perhaps as much as $200 million in that span. Adebayo will make $5.1 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. From there, the extension will kick in with a starting salary of somewhere around $28.1 million for the 2021-22 season. And if he makes an All-NBA team this season, something he narrowly missed doing this past season, his annual salary would only rise more. The Heat had until Dec. 21 to agree with Adebayo on an extension this season, or else would have had to table the matter until next summer. Miami has said the team's intention was to give Adebayo a new deal — the question was only when. By waiting until next summer, the Heat would have had more salary-cap flexibility. Adebayo is coming off, by far, the best season... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum emerged as a bona fide star, Jaylen Brown showed he can be a consistent presence in the lineup and Kemba Walker helped the Celtics put the failed Kyrie Irving experiment behind them. But following their Eastern Conference finals loss to Miami, it’s clear there is still work to do in Boston after the Celtics squandered their best opportunity yet under coach Brad Stevens to make it to the NBA Finals. Stevens said he heads into the offseason lamenting only the outcome and not the effort by his players during the abnormal season. “My regret is not what we put in. My regret is not how we prepared or worked or how hard our guys worked or how committed they were to playing and staying together,” he said. “You look back at those first couple of games (against Miami) and it put us in a tough spot. I just think that ultimately we had our chances and we didn’t take advantage of it enough.” The Celtics returned from the COVID-19-caused hiatus and emerged as one of the hottest... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Miami center Bam Adebayo went into the locker room at halftime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals knowing that he wasn’t doing enough. He didn’t need to see video. Or talk to Heat teammates. Or check the stats. He only needed to think of his mother. “That first half wasn’t me and I had to reboot myself, man,” Adebayo said. “So, you ask yourself: Where do you come from and what’s your why? What’s your why? And for me, that’s my mom.” Marilyn Blount, this was for you. Adebayo nearly outscored the Boston Celtics by himself in the third quarter, the Heat turned the game around and went on to win 106-101 Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals — putting the kid who grew up in a single-wide trailer with a mom making something like $15,000 a year two wins away from the NBA Finals. Adebayo had four points at the half, and the Heat were down by 13. He had 17 in the second half, when Miami outscored Boston by 18. “Games are long and... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James now stands alone in All-NBA recognition history, getting there unanimously.James was revealed Wednesday as an All-NBA player for a record 16th time, breaking the mark he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. He was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots, joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only unanimous first-team selections this season.Joining them on the first team: Houston guard James Harden, Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Dallas guard Luka Doncic, who got the nod in just his second season in the NBA — becoming the first player to get there in either his first or second season since Duncan did for San Antonio. Duncan was first-team in each of his first eight NBA seasons, starting in 1997-98 and going through 2004-05.The 21-year-old Doncic is the sixth player to make All-NBA at that age or younger, joining Kevin Durant, James, Duncan, Rick Barry and Max Zaslofsky.James is a first-team pick for the 13th time... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James now stands alone in All-NBA recognition history, getting there unanimously.James was revealed Wednesday as an All-NBA player for a record 16th time, breaking the mark he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. He was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots, joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only unanimous first-team selections this season.Joining them on the first team: Houston guard James Harden, Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Dallas guard Luka Doncic, who got the nod in just his second season in the NBA — becoming the first player to do that since Duncan in 1998-99.The 21-year-old Doncic is the sixth player to make All-NBA at that age or younger, joining Kevin Durant, James, Duncan, Rick Barry and Max Zaslofsky.James is a first-team pick for the 13th time in his career, extending his record there. Bryant and Karl Malone were 11-time first-teamers. Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP and the frontrunner to win the... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla (AP) — Toronto guard Kyle Lowry knows the situation is bad.If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: He believes it could have been worse.Toronto would have ordinarily had home-court advantage in its Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the Boston Celtics, and for the Raptors to fall into a 2-0 series hole — as they have here — that means they would have dropped two straight games at home and been forced to face a raucous crowd in Boston for Game 3.But in the bubble, home-court isn’t an issue and Lowry thinks that a win when the series resumes Thursday would be enough to get the Raptors back on track.“This is not a situation we’d like to be in,” Lowry said. “But it’s not the normal situation in the playoffs where we lost two home games. We just lost two games. We have a chance to get one game. That’s all we have to do, get one game. One game at a time. The Celtics, they’ve been playing extremely well. We have to find a way to get ourselves going.”The Celtics don’t... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — For Utah and Denver, Game 7 awaits.For Toronto, so may a Game 7 approach.The entertaining Western Conference first-round series between Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray — the two leading scorers in the NBA playoffs, averaging a combined 72.7 points per game, a head-to-head show unlike any other in league postseason history — will come to an end Tuesday night, when Denver looks to become the 12th team in NBA history to successfully rally from a 3-1 series deficit.That game gets preceded by Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between Boston and Toronto, with the Celtics leading 1-0 there.“It’s more of the same for us. We welcome the challenge. We welcome the adversity,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday. “And, as we talked about, only 11 teams have done this in NBA history. Why shouldn’t we be the 12th? That’s our attitude.”The last team to successfully rally from 3-1 down was Cleveland, which did it against Golden State... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers can count on having Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.One day after the Sixers fired Brett Brown following another early playoff exit, general manager Elton Brand said he’s evaluating the front office and considering more changes but doesn’t plan to trade either of his two top stars.“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said Tuesday. “I’m looking to complement them better. They are 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can. They want to be here, they want to be with our organization and I see them here for a long, long time.”Simmons was sidelined for Philadelphia’s first-round sweep against Boston.“That’s a huge key to us getting swept,” Brand said. “I would love to see this group with Ben Simmons, but I don’t want to make any excuses. But I think that attention to detail, that energy level, that certain push that we didn’t have at times.”The Sixers underachieved after reaching the Eastern... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — 76ers forward Tobias Harris returned to Game 3 of Philadelphia's first-round playoff matchup with Boston on Sunday after bloodying his face in a fall.Harris was trying to contest a shot by Jayson Tatum at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter and inadvertently had his legs taken out from under him by Tatum. Harris fell on the left side of his face. He laid on the court for several minutes as medical staff attended to him.He was eventually able to walk off the court on his own power with a towel over his face, but blood was visible both on the towel and on the court. Coach Brett Brown told ESPN after the quarter ended that Harris told him he was OK shortly before he left the court.The team said he suffered a left eye laceration and was cleared after a concussion evaluation. He returned to the game with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter with a bandage over his eye. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — 76ers forward Tobias Harris left Game 3 of Philadelphia's first-round playoff matchup with Boston after bloodying his face in a fall. The team said he suffered a left eye laceration and was being evaluated for a possible concussion.Harris was trying to contest a shot by Jayson Tatum at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter and inadvertently had his legs taken out from under him by Tatum. Harris fell on the left side of his face. He laid on the court for several minutes as medical staff attended to him.He was eventually able to walk off the court on his own power with a towel over his face, but blood was visible both on the towel and on the court. Coach Brett Brown told ESPN after the quarter ended that Harris told him he was OK shortly before he left the court.Harris led the 76ers with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting at the time of the injury. Philadelphia trailed Boston 89-77 entering the final quarter. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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) — The kids are having all kinds of fun at Walt Disney World.Donovan Mitchell, just 23 years old, opened the NBA playoffs with 57 points, third-most in history.Luka Doncic, only 21, scored 42, the best postseason debut the league had ever seen.They did everything but win.Numbers have been eye-popping all over the bubble, with individual players and sometimes entire teams pouring it on like never before. There’s no indication so far that’s going to change in the postseason. “In some ways I don’t know if it’s more competitive, but it’s competitive out there,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whose team withstood Doncic’s debut to beat Dallas in Game 1.“I think because everyone in the bubble has confidence right now because they put the work in, so that’s what’s going to make it hard.”The thought was always that defenses tightened up come playoff time, with the pace of the game slowing down and more adjustments being made as teams familiarize themselves with an opponent... [More]