MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside had a big game and the Miami Heat won.That wouldn’t have seemed so conflicting a year ago.Whiteside is having perhaps the best season of his career now, in his first year with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Heat, at 26-10, are off to their best start since the final season of the LeBron James era in Miami. And on Sunday night, it was Whiteside vs. the Heat for the first time since the trade that sent him to the Trail Blazers this past summer.Whiteside had 21 points and 18 rebounds. The Heat won anyway, 122-111.“It’s been surreal,” Whiteside said of his return to Miami. “It feels so different, you know? Even coming into the building a different way. You know, I didn’t know which way to go. I’ve never even been in this away locker room. I didn’t know what it even looked like.”He got booed early and often by Heat fans, and Whiteside seemed genuinely confused by that postgame. He wasn’t always the most popular Heat player -- despite winning the league rebounding... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The crowd screamed for Ben Simmons to shoot as he dribbled near the perimeter in a preseason game against a team from China. Joel Embiid motioned for him to let it fly. Simmons took a couple more steps, stopped and popped.Swish.Fans celebrated Simmons' first career 3-pointer as if the Philadelphia 76ers had just won Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Embiid ran over and hugged him, teammates rushed the court and the internet went wild.It's been nearly impossible to mention Simmons without adding jump shot in the conversation since his debut in October 2017. The 23-year-old Simmons is considered one of the best players in the world despite his reluctance to shoot jumpers in his first two seasons.The All-Star point guard told The Associated Press last month that he allowed criticism to bother him, but he "fell in love with the game again" over the summer during the countless hours he spent in the gym working on his shot.Simmons realizes adding a jumper would make him a complete... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra bounded into his first Miami Heat news conference of the season looking tanned and relaxed, the benefit of having nearly six months off.He's hoping next summer is much shorter.Even without the now-retired Dwyane Wade and after a season where Miami didn't make the playoffs, Spoelstra said Monday at Heat media day that there's no reason for his team to not see big opportunities this season. The Heat landed four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in July, and go to camp starting Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida with Spoelstra insisting that his expectations will be at their usual lofty level."Feels good to be back," said Spoelstra, entering his 12th season as Heat coach. "We've had plenty of time this offseason to reset, recalibrate and reorganize to get ready for this season. It's been 172 days. I think that is probably 70some days too many for this organization to have during the offseason. ... We're excited. Feels like a new team, a new opportunity."There are new... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Videos of Ben Simmons making jumpers flooded social media over the summer and the All-Star point guard is ready to take his game to another level when the Philadelphia 76ers open camp next week."I feel like this summer I fell in love with the game again," Simmons told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I've been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again and I've been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off so I'm excited for the season to start.Simmons, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, has helped lead the Sixers to the second round of the NBA playoffs two straight seasons after making his debut in 2017. He was the Rookie of the Year that season and an All-Star for the first time last season. Simmons has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Videos of Ben Simmons making jumpers flooded social media over the summer and the All-Star point guard is ready to take his game to another level when the Philadelphia 76ers open camp next week."I feel like this summer I fell in love with the game again," Simmons told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I've been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again and I've been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off so I'm excited for the season to start.Simmons, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, has helped lead the Sixers to the second round of the NBA playoffs two straight seasons after making his debut in 2017. He was the Rookie of the Year that season and an All-Star for the first time last season. Simmons has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5... [More]

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Al Horford took a seat at one of the three tables needed to fit six players, an owner and a general manager and admired the Philadelphia skyline in the distance."This view gets me excited," Horford said . "This view back there of the city."It's the city he will call his basketball home for the next four years, one that hasn't held a championship parade for the 76ers since 1983 and where the franchise went nearly 20 years without creating much of a stir until Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons arrived on the scene.But to try to finally get over that title hump, the 76ers need more — they needed Horford.Horford could be the difference for the Sixers this season, not just because he's a four-time All-Star who can thrive as a low post defender and shoot the 3. It's because Horford can spell Embiid, the notoriously injury-prone franchise player, at center. The theory goes, keep Embiid fresh and healthy in the regular season, and watch him carry the Sixers through a dominant postseason."We... [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]

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 its 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 consecutive... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has gone full circle.He arrived in Miami in 2003, holding his 16-month-old son Zaire at the introductory news conference the day after the Heat drafted him and changed their franchise forever. The last time he would speak in that very same room as an active NBA player was earlier this week, when he held his 5-month-old daughter Kaavia for the farewell address.A life was starting on his way in. Another life is starting on his way out."This city has allowed me to grow," Wade said. "I hope they're proud of what they have helped me become. So, this city means everything to me. It's forever, forever, forever going to be my home. This is the end of the basketball part of me, but there's so much I want to do in this city. So much more that we can accomplish together. I definitely look forward to that."The only certainty about next season for the Heat is that Wade's jersey will be retired.The rest is anyone's guess.Even with Wade averaging 15 points and shooting a career-high... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Pat Riley has his eyes on both the present and the future.The Miami Heat president, in a video message to season-ticket holders that was posted Wednesday on the team's website, said he will not give up hope of reaching the playoffs this season — while adding that he expects the Heat to be in contention for perhaps two max-contract free-agent additions in the summer of 2020."We're chasing a playoff spot when we're young," Riley said. "And then we're going to be chasing some players that can come in. If we can get one or two players to come in with this group, this young group, then I think the sky's the limit for this team in the next couple years. ... In 2020, we'll have a lot of room."The Heat started Wednesday 10th in the Eastern Conference, and have had six losing streaks of at least three games so far this season. But Riley wants no part of tanking for a potential top draft pick. The NBA changed the draft lottery odds for this season and beyond in an effort to discourage... [More]

BIRMINGHAM, Michigan (AP) — The Miami Heat have fined Dion Waiters an undisclosed amount for his expletive-laden comments about playing time earlier this week.Waiters made the comments to reporters from two South Florida newspapers after Miami's lopsided loss in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The Heat were off Wednesday and announced the fine Thursday."We fined him and we addressed it as a team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.Waiters has played in five games this season, all as a reserve. He missed just over a full year while recovering from surgery to repair a long-problematic ankle, and has repeatedly said that being patient throughout the process is a challenge for him."Look, this is going to be very difficult for Dion," Spoelstra said. "I have empathy for everything he's gone through in the last year to get back to where he is right now. But this is not about him. This is only about the team and it's about winning."Miami is 21-21 this season, going into its game Friday at Detroit.Waiters... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade is back with the Miami Heat.Wade ended his paternity leave Tuesday night, checking in for the Heat midway through the first quarter of their game against the Brooklyn Nets. He said his wife and their daughter are doing well, which allowed him to feel comfortable resuming his season after a seven-game hiatus."I'm going to obviously miss them," Wade said. "It was tough leaving my little girl and my wife, but I've got to get back to work and I'll see them again soon."Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union-Wade welcomed Kaavia James Union Wade into the world on Nov. 7. Wade had been in Los Angeles with them since then, and flew back to Miami on Monday.His return is most certainly welcome in Miami. The Heat went 2-5 in his time away, falling to 6-10 this season entering the game against the Nets. They were playing Tuesday without guards Goran Dragic (knee), Tyler Johnson (hamstring) and Dion Waiters (ankle recovery from last season)."There's a human element to this business... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade is back with the Miami Heat after missing nearly two weeks for the birth of his daughter.Wade went through Miami's gameday shootaround and will play Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. He said his wife and their daughter are doing well, which allowed him to feel comfortable to resume his season."I'm going to obviously miss them," Wade said. "It was tough leaving my little girl and my wife, but I've got to get back to work and I'll see them again soon."Wade was away from the team for about two weeks because of the birth of his daughter. Wade and his wife Gabrielle Union-Wade welcomed Kaavia James Union Wade into the world on Nov. 7. Wade had been in Los Angeles with them since then, and flew back to Miami on Monday.His return is most certainly welcome in Miami. The Heat went 2-5 in his time away, falling to 6-10 this season. They'll play Tuesday without guards Goran Dragic (knee), Tyler Johnson (hamstring) and Dion Waiters (ankle recovery from last season)."There's... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Josh Richardson's shoe toss was predictably costly.The NBA fined the Miami Heat guard $25,000 on Monday, one day after he threw one of his sneakers several rows into the stands midway through the fourth quarter of a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.Richardson was ejected as part of that outburst, which started after he thought he got fouled moments earlier and nothing was called. It was a frustrating night in many respects for the Heat, who lost 113-97 and fell to 6-10 on the season."I can't really do anything about it at this point," said Richardson, who spoke with NBA officials by phone earlier Monday to give his side of the story before the discipline was meted out. "I'm just going to learn from it and go forward."Heat coach Erik Spoelstra lauded Richardson's competitiveness but did not give him a pass for throwing something into the crowd — and stressed that things have to start changing for Miami soon. The Heat play host to Brooklyn on Tuesday night."There's some behavior... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic is out for their game at Atlanta due to persistent pain in his right foot.Dragic is not in uniform Saturday night after a cortisone shot earlier in the week did not provide sufficient pain relief.Forward Justise Winslow made his first start of the season. Rodney McGruder moved from forward to join Josh Richardson in the backcourt. Dragic's status for Monday's game at Detroit is not known. He is second on the team with 17.7 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic is out of the starting lineup for their game against the Atlanta Hawks due to persistent pain in his right foot.Dragic is active but not expected to play Saturday night after a cortisone shot earlier in the week did not provide sufficient relief.Forward Justise Winslow is moving into the lineup for his first start of the season. Rodney McGruder is moving from forward to join Josh Richardson in the backcourt. Dragic's status for Miami's next game at Detroit on Monday is not known. He is second on the team with 17.7 points per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Dwyane Wade's first touch of the game was a lob to set up a dunk. His first shot was a corner 3-pointer. And his first trip into the lane resulted in getting his shot swatted away.All three of those plays left him smiling.Wade's 16th and final season — his "last dance," as he calls it — got off to an unofficial start Saturday, when the Miami Heat broke training camp at Florida Atlantic University with their annual scrimmage. His stats, as if they even mattered: eight points on 2 for 7 shooting, with three assists and a steal in 23 minutes."It was cool," Wade said. "We've been working hard in practice, obviously. But to be out here today in front of some fans, getting to play in a different energy, you could see it in everybody. Guys were moving quicker. Guys were into it."Wade got the big cheer at the start, and his fellow 16-year veteran got the biggest cheer at the end: The final play of the scrimmage was Udonis Haslem hitting a game-winning jumper, one that gave... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — This time last year, Miami's Goran Dragic was already tired and the season was just getting started.It's very different now.When the Heat hold their first practice of the season Tuesday, Dragic expects to be as rested and ready as he's been for any training camp in years. The point guard who went to his first All-Star Game last season wore down as the year went along, in part because of the grind he put himself through last summer while leading his native Slovenia to the European championship.This summer, he played less — and is hoping that pays off this season."I feel amazing. I feel great," Dragic said. "I think one of the smartest moves I made was retiring from the national team, because I feel energized and pumped for this season. I always kind of hit a wall toward the end of a season, but I feel like this season is going to be a totally different story."At 32, Dragic is Miami's third-oldest player — among those in the Heat locker room, only Udonis Haslem (38) and the entering-his-final-season... [More]