MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies fans cheered Mike Conley earlier this year when he finally earned All-Star recognition in his 14th season. Now they're trying hard not to boo the guard they loved for so long. “Sometimes you live long enough to become the villain, and I’ve become that for I guess the Memphis Grizzlies now," Conley said. Conley is trying to lead the top-seeded Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals, which eluded him during a seven-year playoff run in Memphis. Conley is taking on his replacement in Memphis in Ja Morant, who has the Grizzlies back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. Morant is leading the youngest roster in this postseason with 33.7 points per game, trailing only Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard. Conley, who scored 27 in a 121-111 win that gave the Jazz a 2-1 lead, says it feels he's come full circle in a way he never expected. “It’s amazing to be playing against a guy like Ja first off, just seeing a guy that is so talented, a young superstar in the... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker won't play in the NBA All-Star Game this weekend because of a mild sprain in his left knee, opening up space for Utah's Mike Conley to make his first All-Star appearance. The Suns announced Booker's injury on Friday. Conley will be making his first appearance in the NBA showcase in his 13th season. Conley seemed surprised by the announcement that came about 48 hours before Sunday's game. The point guard posted “Lol What just happened” in response to a congratulatory message from teammate Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Conley will all represent the Jazz in the All-Star Game. Booker was hurt in the first quarter of a victory over Golden State on Thursday. He appeared to bump knees with Golden State's Kent Bazemore and fell to the floor with a grimace on his face. He remained in the game and finished with 16 points. Booker was set to play in his second All-Star Game after he was put on the roster as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. Conley's addition to the All-Star roster is a feel-good story for the veteran point guard. The 33-year-old has routinely been in the All-Star discussion for a decade but always was snubbed when rosters were announced. Conley is averaging 16.1 points and 5.7 assists for the Jazz, who have the NBA's best record at 27-9. ___ Follow David Brandt at www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Looking at individual stats reveals nothing about the Utah Jazz. They have one player among those with the 50 highest scoring averages so far this season. They have only one player among the top 50 per game in rebounding. They don’t have anyone with a top-30 assist average. And they have the NBA’s best record — by a considerable margin. Take note: The Jazz are off to the best start in franchise history, are on pace to shatter the NBA record for 3-pointers made per game, have won 20 of their last 22 games and just handed the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers their worst loss of the season. “They’re the hottest team in the league,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said after his team, which was without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder, lost 114-89 in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night. “Nobody’s playing as well as the Utah Jazz in the NBA right now.” At 26-6, the Jazz sit atop the NBA. That alone is impressive. The rest of the team numbers only adds to the story. They have led by double figures... [More]

New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Williamson is one of four first-time All-Stars, all revealed Tuesday night when the league announced the reserves for the March 7 game in Atlanta. Joining him as fellow All-Star rookies: Boston’s Jaylen Brown, New York’s Julius Randle and Chicago’s Zach LaVine. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. “It's definitely an honor," Mitchell said. Team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the... [More]

Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was hypercritical of Utah's playoff losses to Denver: His eight-second violation in Game 1. Blowing a big lead in Game 5. Not matching Denver’s intensity in Game 6. Losing the ball late in a back-and-forth Game 7.It all added up to sixth-seeded Utah being on the wrong side of NBA history as the Nuggets became the 12th team in the annals of the league to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. One thing Donovan won’t quibble with: The direction of the Jazz. He likes the trajectory they’re on with the team making the postseason for a fourth straight season. This was simply another lesson to be learned.“This won’t happen again,” said Mitchell, a third-year player out of Louisville. "I’m ready to go hoop again right now. We all are. This is just the beginning."Mitchell fell to the floor after Mike Conley’s 3-point attempt spun out at the buzzer in Game 7. His first emotion: Shock. “We worked so hard, as a unit, as a whole, to get to a point that we got to,... [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]

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) — Utah guard Mike Conley has returned to Walt Disney World after the birth of his son and will go through a four-day quarantine period before joining the Jazz for their playoff series against Denver.Conley is set to miss Game 2 on Wednesday but could be back on the court for Game 3 on Friday. He returned to the NBA campus Monday night.The league completed its review and in accordance with the NBA’s COVID-19 policies, Conley’s four-day quarantine is expected to end Friday. Conley missed Monday's first-round opener, which Utah lost 135-125 in overtime despite a Jazz playoff-record 57-point performance from Donovan Mitchell.The 32-year-old Conley announced the birth of his son, Elijah Michael Conley, on social media late Sunday. Conley is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists in his first season with Utah.He was acquired as part of a deal with Memphis in July 2019.The sixth-seeded Jazz already are missing Bojan Bogdanovic, who underwent right wrist surgery in May. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Utah guard Mike Conley has returned to Walt Disney World after the birth of his son and will go through a quarantine period before joining the Jazz for their playoff series against Denver.The Jazz announced he was back at the NBA campus following the team's practice Tuesday. ESPN reported he arrived in the bubble Monday night.In accordance with the NBA’s COVID-19 policies, Conley is subject to a quarantine of at least four days. He is expected to miss Game 2 on Wednesday but possibly could be back for Game 3 on Friday.The league is reviewing his situation.Conley missed Monday's first-round opener, which Utah lost 135-125 in overtime despite a Jazz playoff-record 57-point performance from Donovan Mitchell.The 32-year-old Conley announced the birth of his son, Elijah Michael Conley, on social media late Sunday. Conley is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists in his first season with Utah.He was acquired as part of a deal with Memphis in July 2019.The sixth-seeded Jazz already are missing Bojan Bogdanovic, who underwent right wrist surgery in May. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Utah Jazz said guard Mike Conley left Walt Disney World on Sunday to return to Columbus, Ohio, for the birth of his son.The sixth-seeded Jazz begin a first-round playoff series against No. 3 seed Denver on Monday. Players who leave the bubble are subject to a quarantine upon their return, though the length won't be determined until then. It's a blow to a Jazz team already missing Bojan Bogdanovic, who underwent right wrist surgery in May. Denver and Utah are also scheduled to play Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.The 32-year-old Conley is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists in his first season with Utah. He was acquired as part of a deal with Memphis on July 6, 2019.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Rudy Gobert sank two free throws with 6.9 seconds left to cap a 14-point, 12-rebound and three-block performance, giving the Utah Jazz a 106-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of the NBA's restart on Thursday night.New Orleans, which led for most of the game and by as many as 16 points, nearly pulled out the victory as time expired when Brandon Ingram's 3-point attempt rimmed out in a bitter end to his 23-point night.“He’s made a ton of big shots for us this year, but the bottom line is I don’t think it should have come down to that,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “We let a golden opportunity slip away.”Zion Williamson, who missed nearly two weeks of practice after leaving the team for a family medical matter on July 16, was deemed fit to start, although his playing time was limited.He scored 13 points in just more than 15 minutes, highlighted by a couple alley-oop dunks, one on a nearly half-court lob from Lonzo Ball.But Williamson... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Rudy Gobert sank two free throws with 6.9 seconds left to cap a 14-point, 12-rebound and three-block performance, giving the Utah Jazz a 106-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of the NBA's restart on Thursday night.New Orleans, which led for most of the game and by as many as 16 points, nearly pulled out the victory as time expired when Brandon Ingram's 3-point attempt rimmed out in a bitter end to his 23-point night.Zion Williamson, who missed nearly two weeks of practice after leaving the team for a family medical matter on July 16, was deemed fit to start, although his playing time was limited.He scored 13 points in just more than 15 minutes, highlighted by a couple alley-oop dunks, one on a nearly half-court lob from Lonzo Ball.But Williamson checked out for good with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter and had to watch the tense finish from the sideline.Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points for Utah and helped lead a second-half comeback,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets' transformation from the shadows to the spotlight happened in just one night.Building a team that can live up to their new expectations is going to take much longer.Even with Kyrie Irving's terrific start, the Nets remain just what they were early last season: good enough to be in just about every game, but not yet good enough to win many of them.The Nets are just 2-4 and later this week begin a five-game road trip that includes difficult stops at Portland, Utah and Denver."We have three new starters and we're still working through getting on the same page. You say well, that's your job, to get it done. And we're working towards that. We're not there yet," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said.Though the Nets landed commitments from Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan on the opening night of free agency, they also lost a lot from a team that went 42-40 and reached the playoffs. All-Star D'Angelo Russell is gone along with what Atkinson counts as seven... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised their third-year options on contracts for Jaren Jackson Jr. and guard Grayson Allen.The Grizzlies announced the moves Monday.Jackson was the fourth overall draft pick in 2018, and he averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 58 games to earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. At 19, Jackson was the second-youngest player in the NBA last season. He turned 20 last month.The Grizzlies acquired Allen in a trade with Utah that sent Mike Conley to the Jazz this summer. The 6-foot-3 Allen was the 21st overall pick in 2018 after playing four years at Duke. He averaged 5.6 point in 38 games for Utah and had a career-high 40 points against the Clippers on April 2, the second-highest scoring game by a rookie last season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah changed the entire dynamic of its backcourt after acquiring veteran point guard Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies in July. Will it be enough to turn the Jazz into an NBA championship contender?That's what Utah is banking on heading into the 2019-20 season. Conley joins rising star Donovan Mitchell to form what could be one of the league's more potent backcourt duos in the season ahead.Mitchell averaged 23.8 points and 4.2 assists in his second season, but struggled at times with his scoring efficiency. Conley promises to relieve some of the playmaking burden that Mitchell felt at times as an NBA sophomore."Mike Conley is an elite point guard," Quin Snyder said at the team's media day on Monday. "When I say elite that manifests in a lot of different ways. Certainly on the court, some of the things he does and the feel he has for the game and for players around him is really unique. He impacts the game."Conley is one of the league's most efficient point guards... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah changed the entire dynamic of its backcourt after acquiring veteran point guard Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies in July. Will it be enough to turn the Jazz into an NBA championship contender?That's what Utah is banking on heading into the 2019-20 season. Conley joins rising star Donovan Mitchell to form what could be one of the league's more potent backcourt duos in the season ahead.Mitchell averaged 23.8 points and 4.2 assists in his second season, but struggled at times with his scoring efficiency. Conley promises to relieve some of the playmaking burden that Mitchell felt at times as an NBA sophomore."Mike Conley is an elite point guard," Quin Snyder said at the team's media day on Monday. "When I say elite that manifests in a lot of different ways. Certainly on the court, some of the things he does and the feel he has for the game and for players around him is really unique. He impacts the game."Conley is one of the league's most efficient point guards... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs understand how they can be overlooked in the Western Conference given the flurry of trades and free agent signings in the offseason that reshaped so many of their rivals.That doesn't mean they have to like it."We've got a lot of dogs," Spurs guard Dejounte Murray said. "A lot of dudes with chips on their shoulders. A lot of guys are ready to go and go to war against any team in the NBA."That resolve is needed if San Antonio hopes to earn its 23rd straight postseason berth under Gregg Popovich.Already long regarded as the league's strongest conference, the West got even tougher during a whirlwind first week in July.Former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard has teamed with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Davis joined LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell Westbrook is again playing alongside James Harden but this time in Houston. Utah traded for Mike Conley to pair with Donovan Mitchell.The Spurs' offseason consisted of adding DeMarre... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The remaking of the Memphis Grizzlies began the day after last season ended for them in April. That's when a new front office staff began making moves at an almost dizzying pace.Shipping off the popular and well-paid Mike Conley to Utah was the biggest of the seven trades Memphis made to overhaul the roster, stockpile draft picks and start creating salary cap space."Who knew you could make so many trades?" Zach Kleiman, the executive vice president of basketball operations, asked rhetorically Monday during the Grizzlies' media day.And Kleiman is not done yet.The Andre Iguodala situation has to be resolved. He is technically on the Grizzlies' roster, even though both Memphis and Iguodala have agreed he will stay away during training camp.The Grizzlies now are much younger with their future in the hands of Jaren Jackson Jr., the No. 4 pick overall of 2018; Ja Morant, the second overall pick in June; and first-time head coach Taylor Jenkins who led Memphis to the Summer... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — There is no favorite.This is what the NBA wanted. And needed.The biggest piece of valid criticism about the league in recent years has been it's predictable. Golden State got to the last five NBA Finals. LeBron James had made it there eight years in a row, four with Miami and then four more with Cleveland. Brooklyn used to be the 'other' team in New York, and the Clippers used to be the 'other' team in Los Angeles.No more.Welcome to a new NBA. If you think the Clippers can win it all next season, or the Lakers, or Utah, or Philadelphia, or Milwaukee, or Houston, or Denver, or even Golden State and maybe a few others, you're right.Technically, there is a favorite: The sports books in Las Vegas, after hearing the news that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are heading to the Clippers, listed them as the best bet Saturday to win the 2020 NBA championship. Yes, the Clippers. A team that has won exactly four playoff series since moving to Los Angeles in 1984. A team that had 12... [More]