NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving will miss a third straight game with a right shoulder injury.The Nets said Tuesday that the All-Star guard wouldn’t play Wednesday when they host Charlotte.Brooklyn beat Chicago on Saturday in its first game without Irving, but lost Monday to Indiana in its return home after a five-game road trip.The Nets are also without their other starting guard, as Caris LeVert had surgery on his right thumb.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert has undergone surgery to repair ligaments in his right thumb.LeVert was hurt Sunday in Phoenix and missed his first game of the season Tuesday in Utah. He returned to New York and had the procedure Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery.The Nets did not give a timetable for his return, saying only that updates will be provided as appropriate.LeVert is averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He missed half of last season with a dislocated right foot.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers did not get out of China unscathed.Davis will have tests Sunday to determine the full severity of a right thumb injury, which the Lakers have initially diagnosed as a sprain. He got hurt in the first quarter of the Lakers' 91-77 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Shenzhen in the finale of the NBA China Games series.Caris LeVert scored 22 points on 8 for 11 shooting for Brooklyn, which swept the two matchups between the clubs in China. Taurean Prince scored 14 for Brooklyn, and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 11 rebounds in 19 minutes.Avery Bradley led the Lakers with 14 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 11.The encouraging sign for the Lakers is that Davis — who has a history of being plagued by injuries throughout his career — continued to play for a few minutes after getting hurt while attempting to block a shot. He and LeBron James both shot 2 for 7 and scored six points apiece for the Lakers; James, like Davis, played the entire first quarter... [More]

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers did not get out of China unscathed.Davis will have tests Sunday to determine the full severity of a right thumb injury, which the Lakers have initially diagnosed as a sprain. He got hurt in the first quarter of the Lakers' 91-77 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Shenzhen in the finale of the NBA China Games series.Caris LeVert scored 22 points on 8 for 11 shooting for Brooklyn, which swept the two matchups between the clubs in China. Taurean Prince scored 14 for Brooklyn, and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 11 rebounds in 19 minutes.Avery Bradley led the Lakers with 14 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 11.The encouraging sign for the Lakers is that Davis — who has a history of being plagued by injuries throughout his career — continued to play for a few minutes after getting hurt while attempting to block a shot. He and LeBron James both shot 2 for 7 and scored six points apiece for the Lakers; James, like Davis, played the entire first quarter... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Caris LeVert to a contract extension after his remarkable recovery from injury last season.The 2016 first-round pick was averaging a team-best 18.4 points in his first 13 games before sustaining a dislocated right foot, a gruesome-looking injury that had players in prayer as he was taken off the court on a stretcher.But it was quickly determined that he wouldn't need surgery and would be able to return during the season, which he did after missing about three months. He helped the Nets make the playoffs, where he averaged 21 points in a first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.Terms of the deal announced Monday were not disclosed.The Nets respect the way LeVert has overcome injuries dating to college at Michigan, and view him as an important piece of a team that signed superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.General manager Sean Marks says "Caris personifies what it means to be a Brooklyn Net, and we firmly believe his best basketball is in front of him."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — It's been seven years since the Nets crossed the Hudson River and took up residence in the Knicks' city.A real rivalry might finally arrive Sunday.Rarely relevant at the same time on the basketball court, the Knicks and Nets are front and center in the free agency race, two of the teams best positioned to make a splash when the market opens.Both can afford two top players, with hopes of landing not only a Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, but possibly both. New York, home of the worst team in the NBA in two of the last seasons, could be the epicenter of the league in early July.After years of bad play, bad trades and often bad basketball, at least one team in the city could look really good in a few days.The Nets seem confident. The Knicks sound cautious.Game on.Brooklyn is feeling good about its chances of winning it. Having recovered from an ill-fated trade with Boston in 2013 that cost the Nets years of high draft picks, Brooklyn has constructed a team that surprisingly made... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — It's been seven years since the Nets crossed over the Hudson River and took up residence in the Knicks' city.A real rivalry might finally arrive Sunday.Rarely relevant at the same time on the basketball court, the Knicks and Nets are front and center in the free agency race, two of the teams best positioned to make a splash when the market opens.Both can afford two top players, with hopes of landing not only a Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, but possibly both. New York, home of the worst team in the NBA in two of the last seasons, could be the epicenter of the league in early July.After years of bad play, bad trades and often bad basketball, at least one team in the city could look really good in a few days.The Nets seem confident. The Knicks sound cautious.Game on.Brooklyn is feeling good about its chances of winning it. Having recovered from an ill-fated trade with Boston in 2013 that cost the Nets years of high draft picks, Brooklyn has constructed a team that surprisingly... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Marks started stumping for the Brooklyn Nets even before the season ended.The Nets had just fallen into a 3-1 hole in a heated series with the Philadelphia 76ers last Saturday when Marks entered the referees' locker room to complain. The NBA ended up fining the general manager $25,000 and suspending him for a game.Marks said Thursday he had apologized and didn't condone breaking league rules, but also made it clear he would be speaking up for his organization."It's about standing up for your team and standing up for what you believe in and sending a message at what I deemed to be the right time and so forth," Marks said.Soon it will be time to bring the message to free agents.Coming off a surprisingly successful season in which the Nets went 42-40 and returned to the postseason, the challenge now is balancing the building plan Marks has followed since arriving with the need to add significantly more talent than Brooklyn has in place."I'm not sure there's pressure to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell was an All-Star and the Brooklyn Nets became a playoff team. Neither looked likely four months ago.So it was a surprisingly successful season, though there's plenty of work left for the Nets to do — including deciding whether Russell will have a role.Nets players were proud of their accomplishments but realistic about the future Wednesday, a day after they were routed by the 76ers in Game 5 of their return to the postseason.Changes are necessary if the Nets want to contend with a team like Philadelphia. So players heading into free agency can't be certain of their futures in Brooklyn.Not even Russell, the former No. 2 pick, who had a breakout season."Hell yeah, I definitely want to be here," he said. "But I also know it's a business too, so I'm not going to play that role like I don't know what could possibly happen."Early in the season, Caris LeVert was the Nets' best player and Russell sometimes sat on the bench in the fourth quarter. But with the Nets... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell was an All-Star and the Brooklyn Nets became a playoff team. Neither looked likely four months ago.So it was a surprisingly successful season, though there's plenty for the Nets to build on — including a decision on whether Russell will have a role.Nets players were proud of their accomplishments but realistic about the future Wednesday, a day after they were routed by Philadelphia in Game 5 of their return to the postseason.Changes are necessary if the Nets want to contend with a team like Philadelphia. So players heading into free agency can't be certain of their futures in Brooklyn.Not even Russell, the former No. 2 pick, who had a breakout season."Hell yeah, I definitely want to be here," he said. "But I also know it's a business too, so I'm not going to play that role like I don't know what could possibly happen."Early in the season, Caris LeVert was the Nets' best player and Russell sometimes sat on the bench in the fourth quarter. But with the Nets... [More]

Little Caesars Arena in Detroit will finally host its first playoff game — in what is probably the last chance the Pistons have to make their series against Milwaukee competitive."Let's make it hard on them," Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. "Let's make it a home atmosphere, because we need everything."The Milwaukee-Detroit matchup is one of two series shifting sites Saturday. Houston and Utah will also play Game 3 in Salt Lake City. There are a couple Game 4s on tap as well: Philadelphia at Brooklyn, and Denver at San Antonio.The Pistons are in their second season at their new arena, but even after moving downtown, they've had their share of small, dreary crowds — similar to the atmosphere during their final years at The Palace of Auburn Hills. But there's every reason to expect a more charged scene Saturday night. Little Caesars Arena has hosted the NCAA and Horizon League tournaments in basketball, but there have been no home playoff games yet for the Pistons — or for the Red Wings, who... [More]

Little Caesars Arena in Detroit will finally host its first playoff game — in what is probably the last chance the Pistons have to make their series against Milwaukee competitive."Let's make it hard on them," Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. "Let's make it a home atmosphere, because we need everything."The Milwaukee-Detroit matchup is one of two series shifting sites Saturday. Houston and Utah will also play Game 3 in Salt Lake City. There are a couple Game 4s on tap as well: Philadelphia at Brooklyn, and Denver at San Antonio.The Pistons are in their second season at their new arena, but even after moving downtown, they've had their share of small, dreary crowds — similar to the atmosphere during their final years at The Palace of Auburn Hills. But there's every reason to expect a more charged scene Saturday night. Little Caesars Arena has hosted the NCAA and Horizon League tournaments in basketball, but there have been no home playoff games yet for the Pistons — or for the Red Wings, who... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell stood high above Times Square, a spot where stars are showcased in New York.He was front and center on a billboard celebrating the Nets' midseason success, pictured with three teammates who joined him in Charlotte for the NBA's All-Star festivities."Brooklyn is having an All-Star weekend," it read.Russell hopes it will turn into a playoff season.Brooklyn heads into the stretch run in good position for the first postseason berth of his career, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference when play resumes Thursday."I think we're in a great position right now," Russell said.And after some tough times, so is Russell.The point guard Magic Johnson didn't want has become the floor leader the Nets need, raising his level of play after injuries to Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Allen Crabbe left them severely short-handed in the backcourt.Russell had 36 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the final game before the break, a 148-139 triple-overtime... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Caris LeVert is set to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets after missing nearly three months with a dislocated right foot.Coach Kenny Atkinson says LeVert "is in" for the Nets' home game on Friday against the Chicago Bulls.LeVert was leading the Nets in scoring with 18.4 points per game when he sustained a gruesome injury Nov. 12 at Minnesota. He was taken off the floor on a stretcher, but it was quickly determined the damage wasn't as bad as originally feared. LeVert returned to practice this week.Brooklyn has surprisingly surged into playoff contention during the guard's 42-game absence, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 29 wins, one more than it had all of last season.

NEW YORK (AP) — Caris LeVert will practice with the Brooklyn Nets' NBA G League affiliate on Tuesday as he works to return from a dislocated right foot.Coach Kenny Atkinson says Monday that he doesn't know how soon LeVert will be ready for game action, though he says the guard is "progressing great."Fellow injured guard Allen Crabbe (right knee) also will practice with the Long Island Nets. Brooklyn is too banged up for full practices, so having the players work out with the G League team gives them a chance to take part in full scrimmages.LeVert was leading the Nets with 18.4 points per game when he was injured Nov. 12 at Minnesota. The injury appeared to be much more severe, and he was taken off the court in a stretcher. But an MRI showed less damage than feared and doctors determined that LeVert could return this season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — All the makings of another lost season in Brooklyn were there.The Nets had lost their leading scorer and then eight straight games. Talk of tanking was growing louder.Just two weeks ago, a lottery appearance seemed a certainty.Maybe the Nets are headed to the playoffs instead.An out-of-nowhere turnaround that started when they stunned the top team in the league and really gained attention when they beat LeBron James and the Lakers has given the Nets seven consecutive wins, the longest current streak in the league and matching their best run since moving to Brooklyn six years ago.Ten games under .500 when they took the floor to host league-leading Toronto on Dec. 7, the Nets (15-18) have risen within a half-game of eighth place and the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference."It's really encouraging," center Jarrett Allen said. "It's showing all the hard work we put in during the summer is now paying off."Allen authored the signature highlight during the streak when... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — There was no big celebration for Spencer Dinwiddie when he signed a contract extension with Brooklyn that guarantees a paycheck in an NBA where he once couldn't even hold a job.Outside of the satisfaction of knowing his parents can retire, Dinwiddie said nothing really changed."Other than that, basketball-wise we're not where we want to be, so we've got to continue to push and go forward," he said Friday. "We're trying to make the playoffs and we're trying to win championships in the future. That's what I signed on to be a part of and I'm also trying to push my limits individually and hopefully that helps the ballclub as much as it possibly can."The Nets are counting on it.They signed the 6-foot-6 guard to a three-year extension worth about $34 million, rewarding Dinwiddie for his rise from the NBA G League to one of the league's top sixth men this season who scored a career-high 39 points in his previous outing.Nets leadership believes there's more to come."We want more.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — There was no big celebration for Spencer Dinwiddie when he signed a contract extension with Brooklyn that guarantees a paycheck in an NBA where he once couldn't even hold a job.Outside of the satisfaction of knowing his parents can retire, Dinwiddie said nothing really changed."Other than that, basketball-wise we're not where we want to be, so we've got to continue to push and go forward," he said Friday. "We're trying to make the playoffs and we're trying to win championships in the future. That's what I signed on to be a part of and I'm also trying to push my limits individually and hopefully that helps the ballclub as much as it possibly can."The Nets are counting on it.They signed the 6-foot-6 guard to a three-year extension worth about $34 million, rewarding Dinwiddie for his rise from the NBA G League to one of the league's top sixth men this season who scored a career-high 39 points in his last outing.Nets leadership believes there's more to come."We want more. I... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets gave Spencer Dinwiddie a contract extension Thursday, a day after the best game of his career.The three-year extension will be worth about $34 million for the guard who was playing in the NBA G League before he signed with the Nets on Dec. 8, 2016.He has gone on to become one of their top players and scored a career-high 39 points, the most by any player off the bench in the NBA this season, in a victory at Philadelphia on Wednesday."The journey is just beginning," Dinwiddie wrote on Twitter. "I'm thankful that @brooklynnets believe in me enough to give me a home."Not to mention a nice raise from the $1.7 million he's making this season.Dinwiddie was third in voting for the Most Improved Player last season and could find himself in the race for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. He is averaging 16.9 points, helping the Nets overcome the loss of scoring leader Caris LeVert to injury."It's just so evident, you can't take him out and he's playing... [More]