DENVER (AP) — In response to an early call, Toronto coach Nick Nurse formed the perfect "O'' with his mouth and held it for a dozen or so seconds.Oh, these playoffs. They can leave your mouth agape — just like Nurse's gone-viral expression on the bench during a win Sunday in Orlando.Now leading 3-1, Nurse and the Raptors look to close out their series with the Magic at home Tuesday. The same goes for Philadelphia against Brooklyn and Portland against Oklahoma City.The second-seeded Denver Nuggets return home Tuesday following their first victory in San Antonio since 2012. Tied at 2, they've reclaimed home-court advantage as Nuggets coach Michael Malone finds himself in quite a chess match with his counterpart Gregg Popovich."He's Bobby Fischer," Malone said, in comparing Popovich to the chess prodigy. "He's a savant. So I'm not worried about matching wits with Gregg Popovich. I'm worried about helping our team."Face it, this was comical: The look of Nurse, who instantly became a meme with... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for heaving a ball past an official and into the stands of a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets.The fine was handed down Sunday by league discipline executive Kiki VanDeWeghe.The incident occurred with about 5 minutes remaining in the Spurs' 117-103 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday night that tied the series at 2-2. DeRozan was called for an offensive foul against Denver's Gary Harris and responded by whipping the ball in the general direction of the referee. He received a technical foul and was ejected.DeRozan said afterward that he was frustrated by what he thought was a bad call.Game 5 is Tuesday night in Denver.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]

Orlando had to fight until the final days of the regular season to get its postseason berth. Portland had to scramble down the stretch to replace a huge part of its success.And as is usually the case, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich had his team playing its best basketball at the end.The Magic, Trail Blazers and Spurs were playoff ready. That's why they're all taking 1-0 series leads into their respective Game 2s on Tuesday night — with Orlando at Toronto, San Antonio at Denver and Portland playing host to Oklahoma City.Orlando and San Antonio, both No. 7 seeds, won on the road and grabbed home-court advantage. But they both know what's coming when Denver and Toronto get fueled by desperation on Tuesday night."It's going to be a lot tougher," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said."We're going to get their best," Magic coach Steve Clifford said.It goes without saying that all the teams that are down 1-0 found ways to get better for Game 2. The same goes for the teams leading those series. Clifford... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The thinking of DeMar DeRozan before joining San Antonio: Shoot.The mentality now: Share.Always a skilled scorer, the 29-year-old and four-time All-Star has taken his game to another level in San Antonio by taking to the floor with a different approach — a get-teammates-even-more-involved approach."Spurs' way, baby," said DeRozan, whose team leads 1-0 heading into Game 2 on Tuesday against the second-seeded Denver Nuggets.A year under coach Gregg Popovich has rubbed off on DeRozan , who was acquired in a deal last summer that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. He's coming off a regular season in which he averaged 21.2 points, 6.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds. Those are the sorts of numbers no Spurs player has averaged for a season. Not David Robinson. Not Tim Duncan. Not Tony Parker. Not George Gervin.Flattering, for sure."All the great players who came through this organization, the history, for me to be mentioned in something like that is definitely amazing," DeRozan said. "I'm... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Derrick White's ascension into the starting lineup and the pivotal role he has played in helping San Antonio earn its 22nd straight postseason appearance was a greater surprise to him than anyone else.To hear his teammates and coach Gregg Popovich tell it, the soft-spoken kid not only belongs in the spotlight, he commands it."He has been spectacular," Popovich said. "Everything he's done has been off the charts and I couldn't be more thrilled for him."The second-year point guard who did not receive a single scholarship offer from a four-year institution coming out of high school is about to step onto an even bigger stage: His first postseason start comes Saturday in his native Colorado as the seventh-seeded Spurs take on the second-seeded Nuggets in Denver, not far from where he played high school ball in suburban Parker. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.2 steals and only one turnover as the Spurs split their four-game season series against the Nuggets.A... [More]

Pascal Siakam confidently launches shots he may not have dared attempt in previous seasons. He makes plays during times of the game when he would have been sitting on the bench.The Toronto Raptors forward might be the leading candidate for the most improved player award and he'd like to win it. But he's already received recognition that means more to him.Fellow players have noticed how much work he's put in and how much it has paid off this season. The acknowledgement from All-Stars such as Paul George and Bradley Beal shows that Siakam's giant leap has caught the attention of more than just the media panel that votes for the NBA awards."I just enjoy sometimes after the games, guys coming up to me and showing respect for me. That's the most important thing," Siakam said. "Like, I don't care about the rest. I think when your peers respect your game and respect the fact that they've seen you work, I think that's more important."There's a lot for them to have noticed, including:— Siakam's... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — From fellow athletes to star entertainers, DeMar DeRozan has seen plenty of celebrities soaking up an extended round of appreciative applause from fans."When they get that long standing ovation, I always thought that was the coolest thing in the world," DeRozan said Thursday. "I've never received one."Friday night, it could be his turn.DeRozan is back north of the border for the first time since the Toronto Raptors traded him last summer. His new team, the San Antonio Spurs, face the Raptors on Friday. A four-time All-Star in Toronto who helped the Raptors to five straight playoff appearances, DeRozan is likely to receive a warm welcome when he is introduced."If it's one of those long standing ovations, it's definitely going to be overwhelming," DeRozan said in a news conference at the Spurs' team hotel. "It's crazy when you get a whole arena on their feet just showing appreciation. I'm looking forward to it, to feeling the love."Friday's game will be the first following... [More]

Imagine this: Kevin Durant is out of bounds by an enormous margin, all three referees somehow miss the obvious infraction and Golden State winds up getting a basket that it didn't deserve to take the lead with a few seconds remaining.It seemed implausible.That is, until it happened.When such a scene played out last week in the Houston-Golden State overtime thriller, James Harden kept a ton of egg from landing on the NBA's face when he connected on a 3-pointer to give the Rockets a win in a game they would have screamed bloody murder about otherwise. But what if he missed? Or worse, if a call that big got missed in Game 7 of the NBA Finals?"How do you miss that?" TNT analyst Reggie Miller mused while watching the Durant replay.An obvious question, with an obvious answer: It's time for a change.Everyone in the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey that night surely saw Durant standing out of bounds. But there is no mechanism for the replay crews to trigger a review of such a play — since,... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

James Harden and the Houston Rockets were one half away from the NBA Finals last time they played at Oracle Arena.The way the Rockets are rolling now, they might just get another shot at the champs this postseason.The Rockets try to wrap up a perfect month at home Monday against Memphis, then visit Golden State for the first time since the Western Conference finals, having recovered from a rough start thanks to Harden's torrid stretch.He has scored 40 points in three straight games and 35 or more in seven straight, the longest streak since LeBron James did it in nine in a row in 2006. The NBA scoring leader's quest to repeat as MVP is clearly on track.And after a poor start, so are the Rockets (20-15). They have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games overall, and are 8-0 at home in December after dropping their first four games at the Toyota Center.Just like Game 6 of the West finals, when they blew a double-digit lead, they will play at Golden State for Thursday's nationally... [More]

There has been some early tinkering to lineups, a few hiccups and lots of drama to start the NBA season.None of the league's final four teams from last season — Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Golden State — look like locks to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this time.The addition of Carmelo Anthony to the Rockets' roster produced more thorns than fruit, and now he is out.In Boston, the Celtics are having early trouble trying to figure out how best to use their overflowing mix of young and veteran talent following the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward from injuries.And Cleveland has gotten off to a predictable slow start to the post-LeBron James' era, but few expected the total collapse by the Cavaliers.However, there is no drama like championship drama and the defending champion Warriors suddenly look more like the cast of a reality series than a harmonious lineup rolling along and vying for a third straight championship.Draymond's Green public outburst at Kevin Durant during the Warriors'... [More]

The early returns are in, and we now have a winner from the summer blockbuster trade between San Antonio and Toronto.Both sides look victorious.Sometimes, trades really can benefit all parties involved — and this already looks to be one of those. Kawhi Leonard looks healthy again and has been fantastic in his first three games with the unbeaten Raptors (4-0), averaging 25.7 points and 9 rebounds per game. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 29.3 points and 9 assists for the Spurs, with a career-high 14 of those assists coming in Monday's overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers.Remember all those questions over the summer? Will Leonard like Toronto? Will DeRozan embrace the Spurs?Asked and answered — so far.There's still virtually an entire season left to play, but neither Leonard nor DeRozan is showing any sign of unhappiness right now. And that's why both teams — for now, at least — can say the trade was a very good idea.The bigger risk was taken by Toronto, who gave up an All-Star in DeRozan... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs were eager to turn the page after all the injuries and uncertainty of last season.Instead, the hard luck continues.San Antonio was beset by two knee injuries in the preseason, the most devastating to point guard Dejounte Murray. Coach Gregg Popovich said Murray will likely miss the season after tearing his right ACL on Oct. 7."I feel bad for the team because they were all so high on Dejounte," Popovich said, "but mostly for him because he's worked hard and he has improved."The injury and the torn right meniscus suffered two days earlier by first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV dampened the Spurs' eagerness to put last season — and the awkward offseason — behind them. Injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, Danny Green, Kyle Anderson and several others hurt, though the Spurs managed to earn their 21st straight postseason berth.Leonard missed all but nine games with right quadriceps tendinitis and then forced a trade in the offseason amid reports he didn't... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan's first month with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been serene, though the All-Star guard acquired in the offseason from Toronto has been warned about provoking "angry Pop.""That hurts me," Popovich said playfully. "I just, just . it hurts me. Our relationship is not starting off well, I guess. I guess I have more work to do than I thought."Welcome to the kinder, gentler Spurs?Hardly.Popovich is still going to scream at his players on the court and will always be mischievous off it. More specifically, the franchise he built is still going to rely heavily on ball movement and defense, albeit with a whole lot of new faces.The era of the Big Three is officially over for San Antonio with Tony Parker leaving in free agency and Manu Ginobili joining Tim Duncan in retirement this summer. DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Chimezie Metu and a host of others were invited to training camp, which starts Tuesday."I still don't... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard spoke publicly in his first appearance as a Toronto Raptor and said he is physically ready to play.Leonard joined the Raptors in a summertime blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. How long he stays in Toronto is unclear but the former NBA Finals MVP and two-time defensive player of the year who was limited to nine games last season because of a right quadriceps injury insists he is ready to go as the team gets ready for training camp in Vancouver, British Columbia.Sharing a podium with Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who pulled the trigger on the trade that included acquiring forward Danny Green and losing DeMar DeRozan, Leonard addressed the biggest question about him: His health."Right now I'm feeling great, ready to play basketball." Leonard said. "Throughout the summer I worked on my body. Took it step-by-step, just getting fully healthy, getting ready to make this extra step this season."The usually reserved Leonard also attempted to offer the crowded... [More]