LeBron James is keeping his thoughts to himself.Whatever concerns — or confidence — he might harbor about his Cleveland Cavaliers facing a 2-1 first-round Eastern Conference series hole heading into Game 4 at the Indiana Pacers on Sunday were not going to be made available for public consumption.James decided not to speak to reporters on Saturday.And he did not have a whole lot to say in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, either, when Indiana erased a 17-point deficit and then held on for a 92-90 victory over the Cavs.Not only has the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champ never lost an opening NBA postseason series, going 12-0 in the past, he had never even trailed in the first round until this one, when Cleveland dropped Game 1 at home.Now he is behind again."We've had some good quarters," James said Friday, "and we didn't have some good quarters."Well, that explains a lot.Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue's synopsis?"They won a game we should have won," Lue said. "That's what's disappointing.... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George has found his shot.Actually, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star has been on a roll heading into the playoffs.In the five regular season games in April, he averaged 27.6 points and made 41 percent of his 3-pointers and 90 percent of his free throws. He closed the regular season with a 40-point outburst against Memphis.He kept it up in OKC's playoff opener, scoring 36 points and setting a Thunder playoff record with eight 3-pointers as Oklahoma City beat Utah 116-108 .It took George a minute to consistently take the scoring pressure off Russell Westbrook. He struggled on offense right after the All-Star break and said he couldn't find his shot."To his credit, when he was going through a little bit of that slump where he wasn't shooting the ball particularly well, he really put extra work in," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I felt like he was really driven and focused to work his way through it."A couple of former OKC standouts are also thriving early in... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — With the playoffs just days away, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue typically would have his lineup rotations set by now.Nothing has been typical about this season for the Cavs.Lue said Thursday that he plans to use a 10-player rotation for Cleveland's opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but that things could change depending on injuries, matchups and performances."I will play 10," Lue said after the Cavaliers watched film on the Pacers, who went 3-1 against Cleveland this season. "We'll just see how it looks and if one guy is not great this round, then it might be nine."Lue and his staff have been juggling lineups and using different combinations on the floor for months, forced to adjust and re-adjust, first because of injuries and then by a slew of trades that transformed the team.Lue refused to name his full starting lineup for Sunday's Game 1. He revealed previously that four of them will be LeBron James, Kevin Love, Jeff Green and George Hill.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — It's rookie Cedi Osman's turn to start at point guard for the Cavaliers. Just about everyone else has gotten a chance.With guards Jose Calderon and George Hill out with injuries, Osman will make his first career start at guard on Thursday night when the Cavs host the Washington Wizards. Osman has made nine previous starts this season, but all were at small forward.The 6-foot-8 native of Turkey follows Calderon, Hill, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert and Isaiah Thomas to the point this season. Cleveland has been besieged by injuries and coach Tyronn Lue, who is back after missing nine games due to health reasons, is using his 29th different starting lineup against Washington.Calderon has given Cleveland a huge lift lately, but he's dealing with a sore left hamstring. Hill will miss his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Calderon took part in the team's shootaround on Thursday, but was later ruled out by the Cavs.Lue could have started Jordan Clarkson... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers will be without point guards Jose Calderon and George Hill against Washington because of injuries.Calderon, who has given Cleveland a huge lift lately, is dealing with a sore left hamstring, while Hill will miss his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Calderon took part in the team's shootaround on Thursday, but was later ruled out to face the Wizards.Injuries are nothing new to the Cavs and coach Tyronn Lue will again have to adjust in his first game back from a medical leave. Lue had been sidelined for nine games after experiencing chest pains and other symptoms.Lue could start Jordan Clarkson at point, and it's possible he'll give playing time to rookie London Perrantes as the Cavs try to hold onto the No. 3 playoff seed in the East.Lue does have another option: LeBron James, who has played the point throughout his career and typically brings the ball up anyway.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyronn Lue is rejoining the Cavaliers' disjointed season.Cleveland's coach is expected to return from a medical absence and be back on the bench Thursday night against Washington, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.Lue, who has been away from the team since March 19 so he could focus on his health, has been cleared to resume his duties, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.Lue had been experiencing chest pains, insomnia and other symptoms when he agreed to take a leave of absence from the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions. Lue's illness is among several setbacks this season for the Cavs, who have encountered numerous injuries and revamped their roster with three trades in February.The 40-year-old Lue is coming back with four games left in the regular season and the Cavs clinging to the No. 3 seed in the postseason. After hosting the Wizards, the Cavs will... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — It's two hours before tip-off, and Jose Calderon is working up a healthy sweat on the floor at Quicken Loans Arena.Then he retreats to the locker room to study. Sitting at his cubicle, just feet from where LeBron James dresses, Calderon watches video of that night's opponent on his phone or on a large TV mounted on the other side of the room.Calderon may play tonight — or sit. He never knows exactly. Either way, abiding by the Boy Scout's motto, he will be prepared."I know I got to be ready in any moment," he said.Now in his 13th season, Calderon is Cleveland's Jose-on-the-spot, a dependable player capable of starting, coming off the bench or pulling for his teammates from the bench as an extended member of the coaching staff.Invaluable. Trustworthy. At 36.On Friday night, Calderon was needed in the third quarter after starting point guard George Hill sprained his left ankle. Calderon sparked the Cavs to a 107-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, preventing Cleveland... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers are closer to being at full strength.Forwards Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson, and Rodney Hood all returned from injuries on Friday night as Cleveland, which has been riddled with injuries all season, hosted the Phoenix Suns. Acting coach Larry Drew said none of the players will start and all will be on minutes' restrictions.Drew, who is filling in while coach Tyronn Lue is on leave to address his own health, plans to keep his starting lineup intact and ease the returning players into the rotation.LeBron James, Jose Calderon, George Hill, Jeff Green and Kevin Love were scheduled to started against Phoenix, which has lost nine in a row. Drew said he and Lue will talk again Saturday about lineup changes for the upcoming trip to Brooklyn, Miami and Charlotte."I really didn't want to disrupt the starting five that we have out there right now and those guys will be playing limited minutes, so I wanted to get them slowly back and acclimated to what we're doing,"... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Chicken noodle or tomato? J.R. Smith didn't serve up any explanation.Cleveland's mercurial shooting guard declined an interview request Friday, a day after the Cavaliers suspended him one game for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.The soup toss came following Thursday's shootaround at the team's training facility, hours before the Cavs played the Philadelphia 76ers, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed details.Smith was with his teammates Friday — the Cavs didn't practice, but watched film — and after getting in some extra shots, he told a team spokesman he will address the media at Saturday's shootaround before the Cavs play Denver.Until then, what triggered his brothy outburst remains a mystery.ESPN.com first reported the reason for Smith's suspension.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Smith did not address the team over the... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — As the Cavaliers experience growing pains with four new players, relief might be ahead: Kevin Love.The All-Star forward, sidelined since Jan. 29 with a broken left hand, said Friday he could return sooner than expected. The initial timetable was for him to be out two months."If I can get back before eight weeks, great," he said. "So I'm hoping that that is the case."Love's recovery has picked up speed in recent days. He's now able to catch the ball with a padded glove to protect his left hand, and the progress is such that there's less risk for re-injury."One of the things I can do now is kind of catch the ball, guide it and shoot it within 12-15 feet so that feels good to do something other than run on the treadmill or run on the bike so it's nice," he said.The Cavaliers have been transformed since the last time Love played, with their roster overhauled by three trades before the deadline. Cleveland is just 3-4 since adding guards George Hill, Jordan Clarkson... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Chicken noodle or tomato? J.R. Smith didn't serve up any explanation.Cleveland's mercurial shooting guard declined an interview request Friday, a day after the Cavaliers suspended him one game for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.The soup toss came following Thursday's shootaround at the team's training facility, hours before the Cavs played the Philadelphia 76ers, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed details.Smith was with his teammates Friday — the Cavs didn't practice, but watched film — and after getting in some extra shots, he told a team spokesman he will address the media at Saturday's shootaround before the Cavs play Denver.Until then, what triggered his brothy outburst remains a mystery.ESPN.com first reported the reason for Smith's suspension.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Smith did not address the team over the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers starting guard J.R. Smith was suspended one game by the team for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.The soup tossing happened after the team's morning shootaround, and Smith sat out Thursday night's loss against Philadelphia, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not disclosed details.Smith, who had a history of fines and other issues before coming to Cleveland in 2014, is expected to practice Friday and play Saturday when the Cavs host the Denver Nuggets.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue did not provide any specifics about Smith's one-game ba on Thursday.ESPN.com first reported the reason for his suspension.In 56 games, Smith is averaging 8.3 points and shooting 39 percent. Rodney Hood started against the Sixers in place of Smith, who has played a key role in the Cavs making the NBA Finals the past three seasons.Smith may have arrived in Cleveland with a checkered past, but he's mostly been a good citizen and has endeared himself to Cleveland fans with his hustle and knack for knocking down big shots.Jones previously played for the Cavs and is in his second season as an assistant on coach Lue's staff. Jones played in the NBA for 11 seasons for 10 teams.Before Thursday's clash with Smith, the talkative Jones engaged in a lively shooting contest with point guard George Hill.

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith was suspended one game for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.Several hours later Thursday, the Cavs announced the suspension and Smith sat out the team's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Smith is expected to practice Friday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the team is not divulging specifics of Smith's punishment. ESPN.com first reported the reason for Smith's suspension.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue refused to reveal any details Thursday.Rodney Hood started in place of Smith, who has struggled in his fourth season with the Cavs.Jones previously played for the Cavs and during Thursday's shootaround he engaged in some trash talk with George Hill during a shooting contest.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Larry Nance Jr. has run into an unexpected snag since joining the Cavaliers."Trying to convince my mom that I'm not living at home," he said, smiling. "We're out looking for rental properties and stuff like that and she's like, 'Oh, our basement is pretty nice.' That's probably been the toughest thing."Nance's Ohio homecoming will become even more special Thursday when the former Lakers forward plays his first at Quicken Loans Arena with the Cavs, the same team his dad starred with from 1987-94Life has been a whirlwind of late for Nance, who was obtained by Cleveland shortly before the Feb. 8 trading deadline along with guards Jordan Clarkson and George Hill and forward Rodney Hill — four players the Cavs feel can get them back to the NBA Finals.Nance competed in last weekend's All-Star dunk contest, an event he turned into an unforgettable family affair by wearing his dad's Phoenix jersey and replicating the same dunk Larry Nance Sr. did while winning the inaugural... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three days after being acquired at the trade deadline, Joe Johnson was waived by the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.Sacramento announced the move before their game against the Timberwolves on Sunday night. The 36-year-old Johnson was acquired along with guard Iman Shumpert, a 2020 second-round draft choice, the rights to forward Dimitros Agravanis and cash in a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.The Kings sent guard George Hill to Cleveland in the deal.Johnson appeared in 32 games for Utah and averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.9 minutes per game. In 16 NBA seasons, Johnson has averaged 16.2 points per game and been named an All-Star seven times.

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James moved on quickly.A day after the Cavaliers overhauled their roster with a tornado of trades that ripped through the NBA, James didn't dwell on what's lost, who's no longer around or how much time Cleveland has left to salvage its season."It is what it is, so let's get it going," he said Friday following the team's shootaround in Atlanta. "The front office made changes that they felt best fit this franchise. It's time to go to work."In the hours before Thursday's trading deadline, the Cavs unloaded six players, including Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade, James' best friend, in three separate deals designed to make the team younger, more athletic and as general manager Koby Altman put it, to revitalize a team he felt was "marching a slow death."Cleveland added guards George Hill and Jordan Clarkson as well as forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood, and all will have to take a crash course in Cavaliers 101. The team sent some of medical staff to Atlanta in hopes... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Once summer rolls around, LeBron James stars on a different stage.All eyes in the NBA and across the sports world will focus on James during free agency.There are already teams lining up for an audience with The King, should he opt out of his contract. On Thursday, the Cavaliers turned their roster upside down in hopes of convincing James he doesn't have to go anywhere.And just like that, another chapter was added to a chaotic season in Cleveland.With an unexpected flurry of moves before the NBA trade deadline, the Cavs unloaded six players to change their identity and culture while moving back into title contention. They also showed James, who can be a free agent in July, they're willing to do whatever's necessary to help him win another championship."He's the guy that is going to take us back to the promised land," Cavs general manager Koby Altman said, "so you want to put the right pieces around him."All it took was a massive makeover.Altman ended an experiment doomed... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. General manager Koby Altman traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got substantially younger and more athletic and wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Following a long day that left him "numb," Altman said his main objective in making the deals was to alter the chemistry of a team that was no longer playing with joy."We were really worried that what was going on the floor and sort of our culture in the building... [More]

From Isaiah Thomas to Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, the Cleveland Cavaliers loaded up on big names last summer.None will be there if the Cavaliers get back to the NBA Finals.In what felt like an unprecedented do-over for a contending team, the Cavaliers simply changed the pieces that weren't fitting for new ones on Thursday at the trade deadline.Fans who usually marvel at LeBron James were instead praising his general manager, as Koby Altman used a series of swaps to strengthen a sputtering team and leave open the possibility for more moves."They got better. They made the moves they wanted to make and I'm sure they're going to make it work over there," Golden State's Kevin Durant said. "It's fun for all the fans and the media to kind of see what's going on with the trade deadline."Cavs' fans probably had the most fun, and for good reason. Cleveland was the story Thursday .The Cavaliers acquired Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. in the deal with Los Angeles, which also got Channing Frye... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their NBA title hopes fading fast, the Cavaliers got aggressive at the trading deadline.They swapped teams.Cleveland completely changed its look — and perhaps its chances of winning a championship this season — on Thursday with a stunning sequence of deals. The Cavs traded six players, including Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, and two future draft picks in moves designed to not only help them in the short term but could potentially help keep LeBron James beyond this season.Just like that, the Cavs traded nearly half their roster, got younger and maybe wedged themselves back into contention to make a fourth straight Finals appearance against Golden State.Watching from the West Coast, the defending champions took notice."It's interesting, really interesting," Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Cleveland's drastic midseason renovation. "It's probably obviously something that they felt was needed. I feel like they made some good moves. I don't know, we'll... [More]