Once Russell Westbrook headed to Houston, the Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to be headed toward a rebuild.The team Westbrook returns to face this week doesn’t look like a team headed for the lottery. It’s playing like one Westbrook might see again in the postseason.The Thunder welcome back their former point guard Thursday, with both doing just fine since going their separate ways last summer.That’s not a surprise for Westbrook, given that he was sent to join former MVP — and one-time Oklahoma City teammate — James Harden on a high-scoring contender. He has scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games, with three straight of at least 30 late last month, and averaged 27.8 in that span to raise his average to 24.1.He said his return would be emotional because of how much Oklahoma City and the organization meant to him, but he didn't want to detail much leading into it. “I don’t want to get that much into before the game and on and on, but after the game we can discuss whatever you... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have waived center Pau Gasol but his career with the team may not be over.Gasol, who never played in a game with the Blazers, announced on social media Wednesday that the team had released him. In a video he posted, Gasol said he is still recovering from surgery on his left foot in May.“I underwent surgery in hopes that it would expedite my return, but unfortunately in the last few days we have assessed that my recovery is going to take longer than we had originally hoped for,” he said.Gasol said he plans to remain in Portland to continue his rehabilitation, and he is discussing a new role with the Trail Blazers.“I have the same excitement and passion for the game of basketball that I had when I first started playing, and I will work as hard as I can on my recovery with a clear goal in mind: To get healthy in order to continue to play the game that I love,” Gasol said.Gasol signed with the Blazers in the offseason as a free agent.He played... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.Anthony was in the starting lineup for the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in New Orleans.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony struggled at the end of his recent stops in Oklahoma City and Houston following... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland was at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony struggled at the end of his recent... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now set with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland was at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony struggled at the end of his recent... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Carmelo Anthony is now set with the Portland Trail Blazers and starting over with jersey No. 00.Word that the 10-time All-Star had joined the team broke Thursday night, but the agreement was not formalized until Tuesday when he signed a nonguaranteed contract that goes through January. If he stays, the contract becomes guaranteed for the rest of the season.It was not immediately clear when he would start practicing or playing with the team. Portland plays at New Orleans on Tuesday night.Anthony hasn’t played since a 10-game stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago. But the Blazers hope there is enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 5-9 start.“Carmelo is an established star in this league that will provide a respected presence in our locker room and a skill set at a position of need on the floor,” Neil Olshey, Portland’s president of basketball operations, said in a statement.Anthony but struggled at the end of... [More]

Carmelo Anthony is getting another shot in the NBA.The 10-time All-Star is returning to the league with the Portland Trail Blazers, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.Anthony hasn’t played since a short stint with the Houston Rockets ended a little more than a year ago after just 10 games. But the Blazers hope there is still enough game left in the 35-year-old forward to help them overcome a 4-8 start.Anthony’s deal with Portland was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced. It was first reported by ESPN.com, which said that Anthony would join the team on its upcoming road trip.Anthony is a three-time Olympic gold medalist but struggled at the end of his recent stops in Oklahoma City and Houston following 6 ½ seasons in New York. He continued to work out with NBA players, and his many friends and supporters insisted he was still good enough to play in the league.Now he will get a chance to prove it.“It’s about damn time!!”... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Pau Gasol is already having an impact in Portland without even taking the court: The 7-foot Spaniard has become something of a mentor for the younger Trail Blazers.What a mentor to have.He’s a six-time All Star and one of just four players with over 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks in his career, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. He’s got a pair of NBA championship rings from a stint with the Lakers.About to embark on his 19th NBA season, Gasol is hoping for a fresh start with the Blazers. He came to Portland as a free agent in the offseason but he’s been limited at the start of training camp as he makes his way back from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.Gasol played just three games for the Milwaukee Bucks last season before the surgery. The Bucks signed him in March after he reached a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. In total, he played in just 30 games last season, averaging... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers have a number of new players for Portland's 50th anniversary season— and a new resolve after their playoff run last spring.Joining the well-established backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on Portland's roster are such offseason acquisitions as Hassan Whiteside, Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore. The Blazers open preseason camp on Tuesday."I feel like it's coming together, naturally," Lillard said Monday at the team's media day. "Being together for some weeks now and playing pickup has just been cool. I think the environment that we've created over the years, guys come in and it's easy to get comfortable with it. I think that's what's happening."Last season the Blazers finished 53-29 and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference, earning home court for the first round — and a series with the Thunder. Portland wrapped that series up in five games, capped by Lillard's memorable walk-off 3-pointer, and advanced to the conference finals for the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside is heading to the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Miami Heat continue reshaping their roster.A person with knowledge of the situation said Monday that the Heat have agreed to trade Whiteside to the Trail Blazers for Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is still pending NBA approval.Whiteside is entering the final season of a four-year, $98 million contract. He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.ESPN first reported the details of the agreement.Miami made the deal a day after agreeing to the framework of a move that will also bring Jimmy Butler to the Heat via trade with Philadelphia. The particulars of that trade were still being worked on Monday.Whiteside averaged 12.3 points and a team-best 11.3 rebounds last season, appearing... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says the Miami Heat have agreed to trade Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers for Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless.The trade was agreed to Monday and is still pending NBA approval, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it has not been finalized.Whiteside is entering the final season of a four-year, $98 million contract. He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.Leonard and Harkless are also in the final year of their contracts.ESPN first reported the agreement.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers faced a number of challenges on the journey to their first Western Conference finals in 19 years.But there was one they couldn't overcome: The Golden State Warriors.Portland's run in the playoffs, which captured fans' imaginations after Damian Lillard's buzzer-beating 3-pointer to clinch the opening-round series over the Thunder, ended with a sweep by the defending champions."We put together a great season and we put ourselves in position to go to the Finals," Lillard said. "I think every other team in the league would wish they could be in our shoes; not only making the playoffs but playing for an opportunity to get a chance to go to the Finals. We just ran up on a team who has been there the last four years."Portland was coming off two straight seasons that ended with first-round playoff sweeps. The team, which had surprisingly little turnover over those years, came into the season unified and determined to take the next step.But before... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard sustained separated ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5 of 18 from the floor and finished with 19 points in Portland's third straight loss in the series.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter Thursday when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.He said the injury is painful at times when he gets winded and it's difficult to breathe, and when there's contact with other players.The Warriors can close out the series with a victory Monday. No... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins won't necessarily return from injuries in time to play for the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.Durant is likely to miss at least the first two games of the best-of-seven series beginning Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Coach Steve Kerr said after practice Monday a more extensive update on Durant's status would come Thursday once his calf injury is re-evaluated.Reserve Portland guard Rodney Hood was listed as questionable for Game 1. The team said Monday an MRI exam showed a bone bruise from the third quarter of a 100-96 Game 7 win Sunday at Denver to clinch the West semifinals. Hood, who had to be helped off the court, has contributed key minutes off the bench to help Portland reach its first conference final since 2000.Durant, the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP leading all postseason scorers, strained his right calf during the third quarter of Game 5 against the Rockets... [More]

Bravo, Portland.Bravo.Doing the right thing isn't easy in the NBA, where patience is a rare virtue. The Trail Blazers were swept in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. They got swept again in the first round last season. Portland had lost 10 consecutive playoff games going into this year. Ordinarily, that's a recipe for firings, trade demands and roster dismantling.Instead, the Blazers stayed the course.And their reward is a trip to the Western Conference final, starting Tuesday against two-time defending champion Golden State."It speaks to the character of our organization and what we've become," All-Star guard Damian Lillard said.The Blazers have become a model of consistency.They could have gone the other way. A lot of teams have gone the other way.Neil Olshey, the Blazers' general manager, took an uncommonly measured approach last season and kept Terry Stotts — currently the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the NBA. Lillard stayed committed and didn't stomp his feet or force a trade... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Enes Kanter didn't even think about his sore left shoulder as he soared in for a first-quarter dunk and hung from the rim with his left hand.Then, the Portland center grimaced and briefly grabbed the shoulder.On the bench soon after, Kanter pointed to his head as if to say he needed to be more cautious with his injury.Sore shoulder and all, Kanter finished with 26 points in a 121-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. All things considered he held up just fine."I don't have another choice," Kanter said. "I don't even try to think about my shoulder. It's the playoffs. Just got to go out there and play hard and play smart."Kanter suffered the shoulder injury in the Trail Blazers' deciding Game 5 win over Oklahoma City last Tuesday. He was questionable heading into the series opener against Denver, but looked sharp early as he scored 10 of his points in the first quarter. That dunk, though, got everyone's attention, especially... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Enes Kanter didn't even think about his sore left shoulder as he soared in for a first-quarter dunk and hung from the rim with his left hand.Then, he grimaced and briefly grabbed the shoulder.On the bench soon after, Kanter pointed to his head as if to say he needed to be more cautious with his injury.Sore shoulder and all, Kanter finished with 26 points in a 121-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. All things considered he held up just fine."I don't have another choice," Kanter said. "I don't even try to think about my shoulder. It's the playoffs. Just got to go out there and play hard and play smart."Kanter suffered the shoulder injury in the Trail Blazers' deciding Game 5 win over Oklahoma City last Tuesday. He was questionable heading into the series opener against Denver, but looked sharp early as he scored 10 of his points in the first quarter. That dunk, though, got everyone's attention, especially the look on... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The celebration will be short-lived for the Denver Nuggets after winning a playoff series for the first time in a decade.After all, Portland awaits.The Nuggets knocked off San Antonio 90-86 in Game 7 on Saturday night to move on to the Western Conference semifinals.A mere hours after their big win — their first series victory since 2009 — the second-seeded Nuggets host a rested Trail Blazers team. Game 1 is Monday, with Game 2 on Wednesday before shifting to Portland. The Blazers have had a few days off after beating Oklahoma City in five games."I've learned over the years you take your accomplishments and you celebrate them. Tonight, celebrate," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "This is a big accomplishment for this team, big accomplishment for this organization. You've got to celebrate it. A lot of people didn't give us a chance to win."On Sunday afternoon, it's back to the business of basketball. Denver was 3-1 against the Blazers in the regular season."It's the next... [More]