Just a few months ago, Enes Kanter was toiling for a New York Knicks team that was heading nowhere.Now, he's a significant contributor for a Portland Trail Blazers team heading to the Western Conference semifinals.Kanter is one of several players starring in their supporting roles and helped put their respective teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Others have helped put their teams on the brink of advancing.The Knicks waived Kanter after the trade deadline in February and Portland swooped in to pick him up. The 6-foot-11 center stepped in as a starter for the Trail Blazers after Jusuf Nurkic suffered a leg injury. The Blazers' playoff hopes looked bleak after Nurkic went down, but Kanter has taken full advantage of his new situation. Kanter averaged 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win against Oklahoma City."I would like to appreciate the teams that didn't pick me," Kanter said after Portland's clinching Game 5 win on Thursday night. "I tried to... [More]

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich goes to the playoffs every season.And he usually sticks around for a while.The Spurs have never gone back-to-back years without a trip to the second round of the playoffs during the Popovich era. But the Denver Nuggets are one win away from changing that, as they'll take a 3-2 lead into San Antonio for Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series on Thursday night.It's the only game on Thursday's NBA schedule.It'll also be nothing like most of these Nuggets — playoff neophytes, for the most part — have ever experienced."The toughest game of our lives," Denver big man Nikola Jokic said.The second-seeded Nuggets are looking to advance to a West semifinals matchup against third-seeded Portland; the seventh-seeded Spurs are trying to send this series back to Denver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night."Leave it all out there," San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge said of the Spurs' mindset going into Game 6. "Nothing to lose right now, go... [More]

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich goes to the playoffs every season.And he usually sticks around for a while.The Spurs have never gone back-to-back years without a trip to the second round of the playoffs during the Popovich era. But the Denver Nuggets are one win away from changing that, as they'll take a 3-2 lead into San Antonio for Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series on Thursday night.It's the only game on Thursday's NBA schedule.It'll also be nothing like most of these Nuggets — playoff neophytes, for the most part — have ever experienced."The toughest game of our lives," Denver big man Nikola Jokic said.The second-seeded Nuggets are looking to advance to a West semifinals matchup against third-seeded Portland; the seventh-seeded Spurs are trying to send this series back to Denver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night."Leave it all out there," San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge said of the Spurs' mindset going into Game 6. "Nothing to lose right now, go... [More]

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]

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) — Only one game back on the court and Isaiah Thomas already began lobbying for an even broader role — to appear in the movie "Space Jam 2" starring LeBron James.With filming set to start this summer , the Denver Nuggets point guard wants to be cast as the Muggsy Bogues character from the original picture featuring Michael Jordan.But first, another script to act out: Helping the Nuggets produce a playoff run. With his surgically repaired hip finally healthy after 11 months, it's lights, cameras, and a return to action for Thomas . He sees his part as anything necessary to boost a Nuggets team that's currently No. 2 in the Western Conference thanks to the best start (39-18) in the franchise's NBA history."If you're trying to win, you're going to put your ego aside and your individual things aside and do what's best for this team," said Thomas , whose team returns from the All-Star break Friday in Dallas. "But I can help a lot."There was a glimpse of that when Thomas made his Nuggets... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Denver forward Paul Millsap is missing Monday night's game at Detroit because of right ankle soreness.Gary Harris is also out with a right adductor strain, and Jamal Murray is out with a left ankle sprain. The Nuggets have won six straight and are tied with Golden State for the top spot in the Western Conference.Millsap went scoreless in 20:55 in Denver's win at Minnesota on Saturday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets woke up out of first place in the Western Conference for the first time in 2019.Arriving at work on Wednesday, a stark reminder of just why awaited: Watching the footage of Golden State hitting 21 3-pointers.It wasn't fun viewing.The playoff-contending Nuggets learned a hard truth in a 142-111 loss to the Warriors in which they allowed an NBA-record 51-point first quarter and all those 3-pointers: They still have plenty of work to do."This was not a blame day," coach Michael Malone said after a lively practice that followed the film session. "This was not anything of the sort. It was to watch film, to learn from it, to get better."If we want to be the team we all talk about being, we have to learn from this."In a playoff-like atmosphere Tuesday and in front of a capacity crowd at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets couldn't raise their game .On the other side, the occasion brought out the best in the Warriors."We don't have that level yet," said Malone, whose... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic is happiest when he's simply dribbling the ball up the floor. Or so the Denver Nuggets big man has been told."My godfather," Jokic said , "is always telling me, 'You look so happy when you're dribbling. You don't even need to shoot or pass it. Just punt it into the stands.'"Now that would be something new for Jokic. Or just keep doing what he's doing.Led by Jokic's All-Star-level play, the Nuggets are out front in the Western Conference at the halfway mark of the season. They ride a 12-game home win streak into their showdown Tuesday against Golden State — the team everyone figured would be leading the West."We're doing good right now," Jokic said.At 29-13, the Nuggets are tied for their best NBA start in franchise history with a 1976-77 squad that featured David Thompson and Dan Issel. This also marks the latest in a season the team has led the conference since March 16, 1977.It's a tenuous lead, though, and just a half-game ahead of the Warriors (29-14), who've... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic considers himself a point guard who just so happens to be trapped in a center's 250-pound frame."I'm telling that to everybody," the Denver Nuggets standout said. "But nobody believes in that except me."It's as good a description as any for the hard-to-label and even harder-to-stop play of the 7-footer nicknamed Joker.He doesn't exactly have the most athletic look or leap out of the gym, but he's elevated the Western Conference-leading Nuggets to new heights this season. Jokic is in line to become Denver's first All-Star since Carmelo Anthony in 2010-11 and is being mentioned in the MVP conversation.Jokic shrugs off all the attention. He's just an unassuming big man doing uncommon things on the court so often it's becoming common."A 7-2 Magic Johnson," Knicks coach David Fizdale said as he over-inflated Jokic's height in comparing him to the Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer. "He's as good of a passer as any guard in the league. He can shoot 3s. But his ball handling... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have waived veteran guard Nick Young with several players starting to return to health.The team announced the move Sunday on its Twitter account.Young was signed earlier this month with the Nuggets missing several starters because of injuries. Forward Paul Millsap returned following a broken big toe in Saturday's win in Phoenix. Guard Will Barton (hip/core surgery) and guard Gary Harris (hip) are inching closer to a return as well.The 33-year-old Young played in four games with Denver and averaged 2.3 points. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly thanked Young for his contributions. Connelly says in a statement that Young "immediately fit in with our group and did everything that was asked of him."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The topic: Denver leading the Western Conference and whether teams are starting to take the Nuggets more seriously.The look from Nikola Jokic: Nearly expressionless. The Joker doesn't jest about this subject."To be honest, I don't really care," Jokic said . "Because we know that we're good."Denver is missing three starters and still boasts a percentage points lead over Golden State in the conference standings . This marks the latest into a season the Nuggets have been leading the conference since December 18, 1984.The Nuggets have swagger, confidence and Jokic, the big Serbian center/forward/guard who's blossoming into one of the league's most hard-to-defend players."A lot of people just think we are on a hot run right now," said forward Torrey Craig, whose team has won 10 of 12 heading into Tuesday's game against Dallas. "They don't really believe in us. But I think we have started to open a lot of eyes. We just have to realize how we win."Grind it out? They can do that.... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The banged-up Denver Nuggets have signed veteran guard Nick Young under the injury hardship relief exception granted by the NBA.Young spent last season with Golden State, where he appeared in 80 games and averaged 7.3 points. He's also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Washington over his 11-year career. Young was the 16th overall pick by the Wizards in 2007.Denver hosts Memphis on Monday without Gary Harris (hip), Paul Millsap (broken toe) and Will Barton (hip/core muscle surgery). Jamal Murray is questionable with a bruised right shin.On Monday, the team also waived guard Brandon Goodwin. He was signed Nov. 29 under the injury hardship relief exception. Goodwin didn't appear in a game for Denver.___For more AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

So much changed after Kawhi Leonard crashed to the Oracle Arena floor on May 14, 2017.The San Antonio Spurs had a 23-point lead on the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals when Leonard departed with 26 points, poised to take away home-court advantage in the series between teams who won more than 60 games.Leonard injured his ankle when he landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot after taking a jump shot, and things were never the same again for the Spurs or Leonard. The Spurs couldn't hold on to win that game or any other in the series without their All-Star forward, whose ankle injury would be followed by a lingering thigh injury that would limit him to just nine games the following season and strain relations between the team and player. Leonard was ultimately granted his desire to leave San Antonio when he was traded to Toronto in the offseason.If Leonard doesn't go down, maybe the Spurs win that game, maybe the series and maybe another championship. Maybe Leonard wouldn't have wanted... [More]

So much changed after Kawhi Leonard crashed to the Oracle Arena floor on May 14, 2017.The San Antonio Spurs had a 23-point lead on the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals when Leonard departed with 26 points, poised to take away home-court advantage in the series between teams who won more than 60 games.Leonard injured his ankle when he landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot after taking a jump shot, and things were never the same again for the Spurs or Leonard. The Spurs couldn't hold on to win that game or any other in the series without their All-Star forward, whose ankle injury would be followed by a lingering thigh injury that would limit him to just nine games the following season and strain relations between the team and player. Leonard was ultimately granted his desire to leave San Antonio when he was traded to Toronto in the offseason.If Leonard doesn't go down, maybe the Spurs win that game, maybe the series and maybe another championship. Maybe Leonard wouldn't have wanted... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Fair warning: Don't challenge Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris to a game of Spikeball.The Denver duo are the team's undisputed champions of a sport that's a little like volleyball, only players hit the ball off a trampoline-style net that's set up on the ground. They recently won a team tournament."It's the perfect sport for me," the 6-foot-10 Jokic said.Or basketball. Because he's pretty good at that, too.The versatile big man averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season. His reward from the Nuggets was a max contract worth around $147 million for five seasons.Next on The Joker's to-do list: Lead the Nuggets back to the postseason for the first time since 2012-13. Denver lost out on the eighth and final playoff spot last season with an overtime loss in Minnesota during their last game."We have an identity now and Nikola is a huge part of that identity," coach Michael Malone said. "He's slowly and surely having that confidence and that swagger to be a franchise... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The debates have been so lively inside the Denver Nuggets locker room recently that coach Michael Malone wanders in to make sure everything's all right.Just the enthusiasm of guard Isaiah Thomas bubbling to the surface. He's turning up the intensity with his booming voice in what's been a rather quiet room.Think he's chatty now, wait until he's fully cleared after undergoing hip surgery in March. That's when he will do his real talking — with his play.Thomas hopes to provide another spark to a Nuggets team that hasn't reached the postseason since 2012-13. Last season, the team went down to the wire, with the Nuggets losing out on the No. 8 seed to Minnesota in the final game — a stinging 112-106 overtime defeat."We just have to be more consistent and take things more serious and I think that's what I'm here for," said Thomas, who signed a $2 million, one-year deal in the offseason to prove his hip is healthy and worth a more lucrative contract. "I'm not saying I'm the guy... [More]