ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — If there was a silver lining for Indiana fans after the Pacers were the first team to be bounced from the 2019 NBA playoffs, it's this: They won't have to watch any more first-round games.For that, they should be thankful.Drama is in very short supply so far in these playoffs. Close games? Few and far between (more on this later). Ratings? They're down double-digit percentages from last year, a massive hit that suggests casual fans aren't watching if LeBron James — out of the playoffs for the first time since 2005 — isn't playing. Tickets? There were seats on the secondary market available for Monday's Milwaukee-Detroit game for as little as $18.That's $18, by the way, to see a Bucks team that was the best team in the NBA during the regular season. The Bucks have the likely MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pistons fans can probably bank on it being their team's last home game of the season. And apparently, not very many people want to go see that game.Can't blame them.The... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — If there was a silver lining for Indiana fans after the Pacers were the first team to be bounced from the 2019 NBA playoffs, it's this: They won't have to watch any more first-round games.For that, they should be thankful.Drama is in very short supply so far in these playoffs. Close games? Few and far between (more on this later). Ratings? They're down double-digit percentages from last year, a massive hit that suggests casual fans aren't watching if LeBron James — out of the playoffs for the first time since 2005 — isn't playing. Tickets? There were seats on the secondary market available for Monday's Milwaukee-Detroit game for as little as $18.That's $18, by the way, to see a Bucks team that was the best team in the NBA during the regular season. The Bucks have the likely MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pistons fans can probably bank on it being their team's last home game of the season. And apparently, not very many people want to go see that game.Can't blame them.The... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The stars have been stars in these playoffs.Kyrie Irving has Boston on the cusp of sweeping away Indiana Pacers. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Golden State are coming off a game against the Los Angeles Clippers where the Warriors looked very much like the NBA champions again. Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook are going at each other big-time in the Portland-Oklahoma City series.And then there's Pascal Siakam.Toronto's surprise story is no surprise anymore.Siakam has been perhaps the biggest breakout player in these playoffs, adding to his breakout season for the Raptors — who lead the Orlando Magic 2-1 in their first-round matchup thanks largely to the 25-year-old from Cameroon and his 24.3 points and 10 rebounds per game in the series.It's easy to forget that Siakam only started playing organized basketball seven years ago."Seriously?" Raptors guard Danny Green asked, unaware of his teammate's unique background.Seriously.Raptors coach Nick Nurse was amused by... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Derrick White's ascension into the starting lineup and the pivotal role he has played in helping San Antonio earn its 22nd straight postseason appearance was a greater surprise to him than anyone else.To hear his teammates and coach Gregg Popovich tell it, the soft-spoken kid not only belongs in the spotlight, he commands it."He has been spectacular," Popovich said. "Everything he's done has been off the charts and I couldn't be more thrilled for him."The second-year point guard who did not receive a single scholarship offer from a four-year institution coming out of high school is about to step onto an even bigger stage: His first postseason start comes Saturday in his native Colorado as the seventh-seeded Spurs take on the second-seeded Nuggets in Denver, not far from where he played high school ball in suburban Parker. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.2 steals and only one turnover as the Spurs split their four-game season series against the Nuggets.A... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Chris Bosh is making a lot of music these days. He drinks beer and thinks about making more beer. He sketches. He paints. He plays with his kids. He has even learned how to use a wrench.He is also happy and healthy.And finally, he's made peace with the devastating way that blood clots ended his NBA career without warning and when he was still in his prime. The Miami Heat will retire his No. 1 jersey on Tuesday night, making Bosh the fourth former franchise pillar with a jersey swaying from the rafters of AmericanAirlines Arena after Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal.His career is obviously worthy of celebrating. Bosh just hasn't been in the mood to celebrate, until now."It's very awesome," Bosh said. "I thought I had more time, but in the time I gave it was still worthy enough to have the organization and the great Pat Riley consider this. Pretty cool."Bosh played 13 seasons, the first seven in Toronto and the last six in Miami. He averaged 19.2 points and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gregg Popovich had watched his players struggle to guard their men, and finally decided he wouldn't even let them try.So a night after they surrendered 130 points in a loss at New York, his San Antonio Spurs were in a zone defense in the first quarter of their game against the Brooklyn Nets.It wasn't something the Spurs had practiced all that much and something they rarely needed to consider most years. But even if it's not played perfectly, he knew just the sight of a zone is sometimes enough to throw off an opponent."In general, NBA teams have no clue what to do when somebody plays a zone," Popovich said. "They mostly automatically stand there and the ball moves around the horn and after a while somebody might attack a seam or do a little high-low or overload or something like that, but basically players get in mud. It doesn't matter what team it is, they just get in mud."It's hard to understand exactly why.Zone has been allowed in the NBA since 2001, and even before that,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jeremy Lin is on the move again, with the veteran guard getting waived by the Atlanta Hawks and intending to sign later this week playoff-contending Toronto Raptors.The Hawks waived Lin on Monday and Jim Tanner, one of his agents, confirmed Lin's plan to join Toronto, which was first reported by ESPN.Lin and the Hawks worked out a buyout agreement."The future is bright for Atlanta!!! I truly mean that!" Lin posted Monday on Instagram . "Everyone who knows me knows how big my dreams are and that I have so much left to give to the game. Hyped to join the Raptors!!"Lin thanked the Hawks, saying they helped him "become myself again on the basketball court and allowed me to experience the joy of hoops again!"Toronto will become Lin's eighth NBA franchise, after stints with Golden State, New York, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte, Brooklyn and this season Atlanta. He appeared in 51 games for the Hawks, all but one of those as a reserve, averaging 10.7 points this season... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jeremy Lin is about to be on the move again, with the veteran guard in the process of getting bought out by the Atlanta Hawks so he can sign with the playoff-contending Toronto Raptors.Jim Tanner, one of Lin's agents, confirmed the pending move to The Associated Press. ESPN first reported Lin's plan to join the Raptors.Toronto will become Lin's eighth NBA franchise, after stints with Golden State, New York, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte, Brooklyn and this season Atlanta. He appeared in 51 games for the Hawks, all but one of those as a reserve, averaging 10.7 points this season on nearly 47 percent shooting.Lin gives the Raptors obvious depth at both guard spots, and will likely — once he clears waivers and joins Toronto — spend time backing up point guard Kyle Lowry and shooting guard Danny Green. And he will be needed soon, with the Raptors announcing Monday that backup guard Fred VanVleet is expected to miss at least three weeks with a partial ligament injury... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jeremy Lin is about to be on the move again, with the veteran guard in the process of getting bought out by the Atlanta Hawks so he can sign with the playoff-contending Toronto Raptors.Jim Tanner, one of Lin's agents, confirmed the pending move to The Associated Press. ESPN first reported Lin's plan to join the Raptors.Toronto will become Lin's eighth NBA franchise, after stints with Golden State, New York, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte, Brooklyn and this season Atlanta. He appeared in 51 games for the Hawks, all but one of those as a reserve, averaging 10.7 points this season on nearly 47 percent shooting.Lin gives the Raptors obvious depth at both guard spots, and will likely — once he clears waivers and joins Toronto — spend time backing up both point guard Kyle Lowry and shooting guard Danny Green.The plans to enter into an agreement with Lin comes one day after the Raptors finalized the conversion of two-way player Chris Boucher's contract to an NBA standard contract.The Raptors entered Monday 41-16 and second in the Eastern Conference behind only NBA-leading Milwaukee.Lin has averaged 11.8 points in 457 career games. He's been part of three previous playoff runs, in 2013 and 2014 with Houston and in 2016 with Charlotte.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Devin Booker is ready to take on the Curry brothers.The Phoenix Suns guard will look to defend his NBA All-Star 3-point championship from a year ago against brothers Stephen and Seth Curry on Feb. 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephen Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, won the event in 2015 while brother Seth, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is competing in his first 3-point contest.Charlotte's Kemba Walker, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Portland's Damian Lillard, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Toronto's Danny Green, Brooklyn's Joe Harris and Sacramento's Buddy Hield round out the 10-player field.The 3-point contest will held on the same night as the dunk contest and the skills challenge at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.The dunk contest features Charlotte's Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo, Atlanta's John Collins and New York Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr.The skill challenge includes first-time NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokic... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns will look to defend his 3-point contest title at the NBA All-Star game against brothers Stephen and Seth Curry on Feb. 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Charlotte's Kemba Walker, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Portland's Damian Lillard, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton, Toronto's Danny Green, Brooklyn's Joe Harris and Sacramento's Buddy Hield round out the 10-player field.The dunk contest features Charlotte's Miles Bridges, Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo, Atlanta's John Collins and New York Knicks' Dennis Smith Jr.The skill challenge includes first-time NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Nikola Vucevic of the Magic and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks. Atlanta's Trae Young, Memphis' Mike Conley, Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox, Los Angele Lakers' Kyle Kuzma and Boston's Jayson Tatum will also compete.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/NBA and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

Imagine this: Kevin Durant is out of bounds by an enormous margin, all three referees somehow miss the obvious infraction and Golden State winds up getting a basket that it didn't deserve to take the lead with a few seconds remaining.It seemed implausible.That is, until it happened.When such a scene played out last week in the Houston-Golden State overtime thriller, James Harden kept a ton of egg from landing on the NBA's face when he connected on a 3-pointer to give the Rockets a win in a game they would have screamed bloody murder about otherwise. But what if he missed? Or worse, if a call that big got missed in Game 7 of the NBA Finals?"How do you miss that?" TNT analyst Reggie Miller mused while watching the Durant replay.An obvious question, with an obvious answer: It's time for a change.Everyone in the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey that night surely saw Durant standing out of bounds. But there is no mechanism for the replay crews to trigger a review of such a play — since,... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

James Harden and the Houston Rockets were one half away from the NBA Finals last time they played at Oracle Arena.The way the Rockets are rolling now, they might just get another shot at the champs this postseason.The Rockets try to wrap up a perfect month at home Monday against Memphis, then visit Golden State for the first time since the Western Conference finals, having recovered from a rough start thanks to Harden's torrid stretch.He has scored 40 points in three straight games and 35 or more in seven straight, the longest streak since LeBron James did it in nine in a row in 2006. The NBA scoring leader's quest to repeat as MVP is clearly on track.And after a poor start, so are the Rockets (20-15). They have won four straight and nine of their last 10 games overall, and are 8-0 at home in December after dropping their first four games at the Toyota Center.Just like Game 6 of the West finals, when they blew a double-digit lead, they will play at Golden State for Thursday's nationally... [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]

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]

The early returns are in, and we now have a winner from the summer blockbuster trade between San Antonio and Toronto.Both sides look victorious.Sometimes, trades really can benefit all parties involved — and this already looks to be one of those. Kawhi Leonard looks healthy again and has been fantastic in his first three games with the unbeaten Raptors (4-0), averaging 25.7 points and 9 rebounds per game. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 29.3 points and 9 assists for the Spurs, with a career-high 14 of those assists coming in Monday's overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers.Remember all those questions over the summer? Will Leonard like Toronto? Will DeRozan embrace the Spurs?Asked and answered — so far.There's still virtually an entire season left to play, but neither Leonard nor DeRozan is showing any sign of unhappiness right now. And that's why both teams — for now, at least — can say the trade was a very good idea.The bigger risk was taken by Toronto, who gave up an All-Star in DeRozan... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan's first month with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been serene, though the All-Star guard acquired in the offseason from Toronto has been warned about provoking "angry Pop.""That hurts me," Popovich said playfully. "I just, just . it hurts me. Our relationship is not starting off well, I guess. I guess I have more work to do than I thought."Welcome to the kinder, gentler Spurs?Hardly.Popovich is still going to scream at his players on the court and will always be mischievous off it. More specifically, the franchise he built is still going to rely heavily on ball movement and defense, albeit with a whole lot of new faces.The era of the Big Three is officially over for San Antonio with Tony Parker leaving in free agency and Manu Ginobili joining Tim Duncan in retirement this summer. DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Chimezie Metu and a host of others were invited to training camp, which starts Tuesday."I still don't... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard spoke publicly in his first appearance as a Toronto Raptor and said he is physically ready to play.Leonard joined the Raptors in a summertime blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. How long he stays in Toronto is unclear but the former NBA Finals MVP and two-time defensive player of the year who was limited to nine games last season because of a right quadriceps injury insists he is ready to go as the team gets ready for training camp in Vancouver, British Columbia.Sharing a podium with Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who pulled the trigger on the trade that included acquiring forward Danny Green and losing DeMar DeRozan, Leonard addressed the biggest question about him: His health."Right now I'm feeling great, ready to play basketball." Leonard said. "Throughout the summer I worked on my body. Took it step-by-step, just getting fully healthy, getting ready to make this extra step this season."The usually reserved Leonard also attempted to offer the crowded... [More]