PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter's status for the second round of the playoffs remains uncertain because of a shoulder injury as Portland waits to learn its opponent.Kanter says he separated his left shoulder early on during Portland's deciding Game 5 against Oklahoma City on Tuesday in the opening round. The Blazers returned to practice Friday.Kanter was shooting during the workout, although at times he rubbed the shoulder."I think the Blazers are doing a very good job taking care of it. But, I mean obviously, I'm not going to lie, it hurts pretty bad," he said. "I mean I'm having a hard time changing my shirt or eating food. So it's a process. We're just taking it day by day, see how it feels."Despite the injury, Kanter had 13 points and 13 rebounds in Portland's 118-115 victory over the Thunder, which sent the Blazers through to the Western Conference semifinals.The Blazers will play the winner of the first-round series between the Nuggets and the Spurs, which is... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — After a drama-filled and disappointing season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook remains as defiant as ever.The All-Star point guard averaged a triple-double for the third straight season and nearly averaged one in the playoffs. But Portland bounced the Thunder in five games, and Westbrook's poor shooting played a significant role in another first-round exit. He shot 36 percent from the floor during the series and made just 11 of 31 field goals in the deciding Game 5 loss.Don't expect the 30-year-old gunslinger to change his approach when teams back off, daring him to take a shot."There's no process," Westbrook said. "Shoot it. That's it."The emotional Westbrook has been at the center of the good — and the bad — this season for OKC.He got into a verbal altercation with fans in Utah, led the league with 16 technical fouls and was suspended a game for them, engaged in trash talking with Portland's Damian Lillard during the playoffs and responded during postgame... [More]

Just a few months ago, Enes Kanter was toiling for a New York Knicks team that was heading nowhere.Now, he's a significant contributor for a Portland Trail Blazers team heading to the Western Conference semifinals.Kanter is one of several players starring in their supporting roles and helped put their respective teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Others have helped put their teams on the brink of advancing.The Knicks waived Kanter after the trade deadline in February and Portland swooped in to pick him up. The 6-foot-11 center stepped in as a starter for the Trail Blazers after Jusuf Nurkic suffered a leg injury. The Blazers' playoff hopes looked bleak after Nurkic went down, but Kanter has taken full advantage of his new situation. Kanter averaged 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win against Oklahoma City."I would like to appreciate the teams that didn't pick me," Kanter said after Portland's clinching Game 5 win on Thursday night. "I tried to... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard stared intently well after his deep, buzzer-beating 3-pointer fell to close out Portland's third quarter against the Thunder. The look on his face was one of determination, focus and yes, even a little bravado.It was as if Lillard was making a statement. It's not new for the Portland guard.Lillard, the Thunder's Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley all play with an edge and have provided some of the most entertaining moments of the postseason so far.With Lillard and Westbrook squaring off in the Portland-Oklahoma City series, they almost feed off each other's energy. Lillard finished with 29 points — including the stone-cold 3 — on Tuesday night and the Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead against the Thunder with a 114-94 victory. The series shifts to Oklahoma City on Friday.Lillard has been dialed in from the start of the series against the Thunder, in part because the Trail Blazers were embarrassed in last year's playoffs by New Orleans. Portland got ousted... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard stared intently well after his deep, buzzer-beating 3-pointer fell to close out Portland's third quarter against the Thunder. The look on his face was one of determination, focus and yes, even a little bravado.It was as if Lillard was making a statement. It's not new for the Portland guard.Lillard, the Thunder's Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley all play with an edge and have provided some of the most entertaining moments of the postseason so far.With Lillard and Westbrook squaring off in the Portland-Oklahoma City, they almost feed off each other's energy. Lillard finished with 29 points — including the stone-cold 3 — on Tuesday night and the Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead against the Thunder with a 114-94 victory. The series shifts to Oklahoma City on Friday.Lillard has been dialed in from the start of the series against the Thunder, in part because the Trail Blazers were embarrassed in last year's playoffs by New Orleans. Portland got ousted in... [More]

Orlando had to fight until the final days of the regular season to get its postseason berth. Portland had to scramble down the stretch to replace a huge part of its success.And as is usually the case, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich had his team playing its best basketball at the end.The Magic, Trail Blazers and Spurs were playoff ready. That's why they're all taking 1-0 series leads into their respective Game 2s on Tuesday night — with Orlando at Toronto, San Antonio at Denver and Portland playing host to Oklahoma City.Orlando and San Antonio, both No. 7 seeds, won on the road and grabbed home-court advantage. But they both know what's coming when Denver and Toronto get fueled by desperation on Tuesday night."It's going to be a lot tougher," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said."We're going to get their best," Magic coach Steve Clifford said.It goes without saying that all the teams that are down 1-0 found ways to get better for Game 2. The same goes for the teams leading those series. Clifford... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Looking back on it now, the Trail Blazers were clearly smart to pick up Enes Kanter after he was waived by the New York Knicks.Kanter was brought aboard by Portland as insurance for the final stretch of the season, meant to back up starter Jusuf Nurkic.Then Nurkic broke his leg and Kanter was thrust into a starting role with his new team. After Portland's playoff-opening victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Damian Lillard dubbed the 6-foot-11 center the Blazers' MVP."He had a huge presence down the stretch and played a huge part in us winning this game," Lillard said after Portland's 104-99 victory Sunday.Kanter finished with 20 points and a career playoff-high 18 rebounds, and was effective on defense against the likes of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.It's been quite a journey from New York castoff to Portland playoff hero for the seven-year NBA veteran.Kanter, 26, was waived by the Knicks following the trade deadline. Once a starter, he fell out of the rotation... [More]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Blake Griffin's tone was serious, befitting a man who has had one of the best seasons of his career — but now faces the same old questions about his health.Griffin's status for Detroit's first-round series against Milwaukee isn't clear at the moment, but after he sat out the Pistons' crucial regular-season finale at New York on Wednesday night, it's clear his left knee problems are a significant issue heading into the playoffs. Detroit plays Game 1 at top-seeded Milwaukee on Sunday night."We're taking this day by day," Griffin said Saturday. "I'm not looking forward to a day that's not here right now in front of me. I'll sit with our training staff, and whoever else needs to be in on that decision, and make that each day."It's a tough situation for any athlete to go through — leading your team through the regular season, only to have your playoff participation threatened by an injury. This is the time of year when players and teams want to be at full strength,... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For the second straight season the Portland Trail Blazers earned the third seed in the West and home-court for the playoffs. This year they're looking for a better outcome than last year when they were surprisingly swept in the opening round by New Orleans.It won't be easy.The Trail Blazers take on Oklahoma City, a team that swept Portland in their four regular-season meetings."Being a top three team in the West is quite an accomplishment. It shows that our work has paid off — especially after last season to be able to bounce back and do it again — to me that's proving it up," Damian Lillard said. "That's showing a certain amount of grit and desire to get back to this point."We should be proud of ourselves, but obviously our business is just beginning."Portland locked the No. 3 seed with a wild 136-131 win over the Sacramento Kings in the regular-season finale on Wednesday night. Rookie Anfernee Simons, just 19, had 37 points in his first career start and the Blazers... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to regroup after losing center Jusuf Nurkic to a gruesome leg injury.The 7-footer had surgery Tuesday after sustaining compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula late in a playoff-clinching, double-overtime victory over Brooklyn a night earlier.Nurkic's leg bent awkwardly when he landed going for an offensive rebound, and he crumbled to the floor. The team has no timetable for him resuming basketball activities."Obviously, we're still a little down about Jusuf being out, but we know the season rolls on and we got to be prepared not only for the Bulls but the rest of the season," coach Terry Stotts said prior to Wednesday's game at Chicago.He said Nurkic hoped to head home Wednesday or Thursday."When he was on the floor, I saw his eyes," center Enes Kanter said. "I saw he was crying and everything, so he definitely was in everybody's heart. But we've got a job to do. We just got to go out and play the game."Nurkic was averaging a... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to regroup after losing center Jusuf Nurkic to a gruesome leg injury.The 7-footer had surgery Tuesday after sustaining compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula late in a playoff-clinching, double-overtime victory over Brooklyn a night earlier.Nurkic's leg bent awkwardly when he landed going for an offensive rebound, and he crumbled to the floor. The team has no timetable for him resuming basketball activities.Coach Terry Stotts says the team is "still a little down" but understands the "season rolls on."Nurkic was averaging a career-high 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. Portland was third in the Western Conference behind Golden State and Denver entering Wednesday's game at Chicago.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jusuf Nurkic's season-ending and gruesome leg injury, especially at this time of year, will strike fear into everyone in the NBA.In this age of "load management" being a fancy term for "night off" and even as the NBA frowns upon resting players anyway, the question will be asked: Should teams sit their stars down the stretch to protect them from something bad happening before the playoffs?Answers may vary, but the reality is that most teams in this season's playoff chase might not have the luxury of finding out.Golden State has gotten players some rest of late, been blown out in those games and hasn't seemed to mind too much. This is the edge the Warriors have; they are the only team in the NBA right now that absolutely knows it is good enough to win a championship. Milwaukee will likely get some guys some rest when it clinches the No. 1 seed, but losing Malcolm Brogdon for a few weeks already is a reminder that health is everything."You're going to have things that happen," Milwaukee coach... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Center Enes Kanter has joined the Portland Trail Blazers.Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week. Kanter announced Wednesday on Twitter that he had signed with the Blazers for the rest of the season. The deal was first reported by ESPN."I look forward to helping the Blazers achieve the ultimate goal of competing for a championship," he said on the post. "Excited to meet my new teammates, coaches, staff and most importantly the fans. It is a blessing to continue to compete at the highest level."Kanter was once a starter for the Knicks but fell out of the rotation altogether when the team — with the worst record in the league — turned its focus to younger players. The Knicks could not find a deal for Kanter before the deadline.The center from Turkey came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons.... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Center Enes Kanter has joined the Portland Trail Blazers.Kanter was waived by the New York Knicks along with Wesley Matthews following the trade deadline last week. Kanter announced Wednesday on Twitter that he had signed with the Blazers for the rest of the season. The deal was first reported by ESPN."I look forward to helping the Blazers achieve the ultimate goal of competing for a championship," he said on the post. "Excited to meet my new teammates, coaches, staff and most importantly the fans. It is a blessing to continue to compete at the highest level."Kanter was once a starter for the Knicks but fell out of the rotation altogether when the team — with the worst record in the league — turned its focus to younger players. The Knicks could not find a deal for Kanter before the deadline.The center from Turkey came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade in September 2017 and averaged 14 points and 10.8 rebounds in 115 games over two seasons. He had become frustrated after first losing his starting spot and then any spot at all in recent weeks.The Blazers previously made a four-year, $70 million offer for Kanter in 2015 when he was a restricted free agent, but the Thunder matched it.Kanter will play behind Portland's starting center Jusuf Nurkic in a strong second unit that includes Seth Curry, Jake Layman, Rodney Hood and Evan Turner.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kings guard Iman Shumpert was stopped from going into Portland's locker room by arena and Trail Blazers security after Sacramento's 115-107 victory Monday night.Shumpert apparently was angry at Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, who set a hard screen in the second half."Some stuff needed to be between me and him, a conversation between two men," Shumpert said. "Some stuff happened out there that we needed to have a conversation about. That's it."Nurkic shrugged it off."I'm not going to worry about it," he said. "He's going into retirement soon. I'm not going to worry about a guy who's going into retirement soon."The 28-year-old Shumpert was called for a technical foul in the third quarter. He later was walked to the bench by a teammate after arguing with someone on Portland's bench.After the game, Shumpert tweeted : "I apologize to the fans if I made a scene. Wasn't my intention but this 2019 stuff is all about a 'story.' Don't let that distract you from this young Scores ball club getting a great victory against a tested Blazers team."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers head into fall camp still stinging from last season's first-round playoff sweep by New Orleans.The trick now is not to overcorrect."You run the risk of overreacting to defeats, and maybe being blinded by victories," coach Terry Stotts said. "I think it's important that we learn from it, I don't want our team to forget about it. I don't want our team to forget about the feeling we had, not just after the series was over, but what we had to live through over the summer, and keep that edge. Hopefully, we use it as a learning experience."Portland returns the nucleus — Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic — of a team that went 49-33 last season. Apart from the early postseason exit, it was mostly considered a success.Boosted by a 13-game winning streak that started with a victory over the Golden State Warriors just before the All-Star break, the Blazers secured the third seed in the Western Conference. They clinched the Northwest Division title... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — If it looks like the normally low-key Jrue Holiday has been having the time of his life in the NBA playoffs — from interacting with fans after big shots to, in one instance, mocking an opponent who'd been dunked on — the Pelicans' guard offers an explanation."I'm in a really good place. Everything in my life is pretty good — family, basketball, financially," Holiday began after practice this week, as the Pelicans prepared for a second-round playoff match-up with Golden State."I got a bonus this year, so that's awesome," Holiday added, drawing some chuckles as he referred to his whopping, five-year, $126 million contract last offseason. "I mean, yeah. I feel pretty good."Once upon a time, Holiday was a young Eastern Conference All-Star guard with Philadelphia who seemed to possess a world of potential. A draft-day trade in 2013 paired him with emerging star big man Anthony Davis in New Orleans, but during the next four years, one thing or another conspired against him.During... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — If it looks like the normally low-key Jrue Holiday has been having the time of his life in the NBA playoffs — from interacting fans after big shots to, in one instance, mocking an opponent who'd been dunked on — the Pelicans' guard offers an explanation."I'm in a really good place. Everything in my life is pretty good — family, basketball, financially," Holiday began after practice this week, as the Pelicans prepared for a second-round playoff match-up with Golden State."I got a bonus this year, so that's awesome," Holiday added, drawing some chuckles as he referred to his whopping, five-year, $126 million contract last offseason. "I mean, yeah. I feel pretty good."Once upon a time, Holiday was a young Eastern Conference All-Star guard with Philadelphia who seemed to possess a world of potential. A draft-day trade in 2013 paired him with emerging star big man Anthony Davis in New Orleans, but during the next four years, one thing or another conspired against him.During... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee underwent surgery to fix a core-muscle injury.The team said Plumlee had the procedure performed Thursday morning by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia.Plumlee is expected to return to basketball activities this summer and be ready for training camp in the fall. He averaged 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists for a Nuggets team that narrowly missed out on the postseason.The 28-year-old Plumlee was acquired by Denver as part of a deal in February 2017 that sent center Jusuf Nurkic to Portland. Plumlee signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Nuggets last September.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday's postseason production is providing Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis with a more comfortable margin for error — and has left Portland with precious little.Holiday's 54 points, 16 assists and slew of defensive successes in the first two games are big reasons why the sixth-seeded Pelicans hold a surprising 2-0 series lead over the third-seeded Trail Blazers as they prepare for Game 3 Thursday night in New Orleans."Playoff Jrue, I guess," Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "He's in a different mode."Philadelphia visits Miami in one of two other Game 3s on Thursday night, while the Spurs' return to San Antonio after a pair of double-digit losses at defending champion Golden State.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps bet big on Holiday on the first day of free agency last summer, giving the 27-year-old guard a five-year contract worth about $126 million. But if... [More]