HOUSTON (AP) — Gerald Green was at a crossroads.Released by Milwaukee in training camp, the career journeyman couldn't find another NBA team that wanted him.He contemplated playing internationally and in the G League, but no one had any use for the over-30 player with almost a decade of NBA experience."I was honestly contemplating retirement," he told The Associated Press. "A lot of people don't know that, but I was done."So he contacted his agent to put an expiration date on his basketball career."I was like: 'Look man, when Jan. 1, 2018, hits, if I'm unsigned, I'm putting out a big statement on my Instagram letting everybody know, thank you for the awesome career over all these years but I'm done,'" he said. "'I ain't going to play no more.'"Just four days shy of his self-imposed deadline, Green received the call that would change everything: His hometown Houston Rockets wanted him."Basketball was the last thing on my mind until I got that call," he said. "Then it's kind of like ... 'Are... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Cavaliers forward LeBron James said he just needed a chance to "recalibrate" when he left in the second quarter Tuesday night after taking a shot to the jaw from Boston's Jayson Tatum."It was a tough play. Obviously incidental," James said after the Celtics beat Cleveland 107-94 to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals despite his 42 points and a triple-double. "His shoulder hit me square in the jaw. It didn't affect my game after that."James was driving to the basket when Tatum went for the steal with both hands and collided with the Cleveland star, driving his shoulder into James' jaw. James spent about 10 seconds on one knee under the basket, then walked off to the Cleveland locker room.He returned a few minutes later and finished out the half with what the Cavaliers said was a strained neck."I felt like I needed to go back to the locker room, which I did, and kind of recalibrate," James said.Asked if he was checked for a concussion, he said: "I was checked for multiple things, and I passed them all. That's why I was able to come back and finish the half."After scoring just 15 points in Boston's Game 1 blowout, James had 21 in the first quarter on Tuesday night. He finished with 12 assists and 10 rebounds, but also had six turnovers.The Celtics won the first two games at home, and the series now heads to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

BOSTON (AP) — Cavaliers forward LeBron James left Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night and went to the Cleveland locker room in the second quarter after colliding with Boston's Jayson Tatum under the basket.He returned a few minutes later and finished out the half with what the Cavaliers said was a strained neck.James was under the basket when he collided with Tatum, whose shoulder hit James squarely in the jaw. James was shown rubbing his chin, and then he went to the locker room.After scoring just 15 points in Boston's Game 1 blowout, James had 21 in the first quarter on Tuesday night. He finished the half with 25 points, six assists and four rebounds.

CHICAGO (AP) — Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough was on stage moments after the NBA draft lottery ended, talking about the future of the Suns and mentioning how they had the best odds of picking No. 1 overall.And then he stopped to correct himself."We have No. 1," McDonough said. "I've got to adjust to that."It's an adjustment that he and the Suns will happily be making.The worst team in the league this season will pick first in the NBA draft on June 21, after the Suns won the draft lottery on Tuesday night. It's the first time the Suns will have the chance to make the first overall selection."It's great for our franchise," said McDonough, whose club went 21-61 this season and missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. "It's something that you say coming into it, you don't have any control over it so you're not going to get nervous. And I was here dying. I could barely breathe. I needed an oxygen tank."The Suns have three great candidates for No. 1, all with ties to either... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Phoenix has won the No. 1 pick in next month's NBA draft.It's the first time the Suns will have the chance to make the first overall selection. The Suns had the right combination of pingpong balls pop up for them at the draft lottery on Tuesday night, a reward of sorts after a season where Phoenix had the NBA's worst record at 21-61.Phoenix lost a coin flip for the top pick in 1969 to Milwaukee. The Bucks took Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Suns took Neal Walk.Sacramento will pick No. 2 and Atlanta got the No. 3 pick — both of them moving up to get there. The top three spots were determined by the lottery, and then spots 4-14 fell in line of reverse order of record.The rest of the slots, in order, went to No. 4 Memphis, No. 5 Dallas, No. 6 Orlando, No. 7 Chicago, No. 8 Cleveland, No. 9 New York, No. 10 Philadelphia, No. 11 Charlotte, No. 12 and No. 13 Los Angeles Clippers, and No. 14 Denver.The draft is June 21 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.Josh Jackson, who just completed his... [More]

Brad Stevens' first opportunity to become an NBA head coach was presented to him by Boston. Same goes for Tyronn Lue, with Cleveland. Same goes for Steve Kerr, with Golden State.Hiring rookies worked out just fine for those clubs.Phoenix and Atlanta are now hoping to reap the same benefits as the Celtics, Cavaliers and Warriors. The Suns introduced Igor Kokoskov on Monday, the same day that the Hawks welcomed fellow first-time head coach Lloyd Pierce to their franchise. And those moves followed Charlotte last week hiring James Borrego, whose only head-coaching experience was a 30-game interim stint.There are plenty of established head coaches who don't have jobs right now. But even with the market flooded with experienced coaches, the Suns, Hawks and Hornets went down roads less-traveled — and there's still potential for more first-timers in the NBA head-coaching fraternity by the time next season opens."Rookie coach, international coach, foreign coach," said Kokoskov, the first European-born... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Igor Kokoskov is the first NBA head coach born and raised outside North America, but he reminded everyone at his introductory news conference with the Phoenix Suns on Monday that he didn't exactly just get off the plane."I don't consider myself as a European coach," he said. "I'm an NBA coach."Kokoskov, 46, just finished his 18th season as an NBA assistant coach. He's been with six different teams. Some played slow. Some played fast. He has been on the staffs of seven squads to reach the conference finals. This game is not new to him."As a coach, I'm not spoiled," he said. "I think your job is to build and create from what you have in front of you. I'm the kind of guy who loves my team. I love my guys and they can feel it."Kokoskov was named head coach of the Suns last week but, as an assistant with the Utah Jazz, he had to finish his work in the playoff series against the Houston Rockets before turning his attention to the desert.He was an assistant with the Suns from 2008... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Put Kevin Love's name atop the list of the Cavaliers that walked out of Cleveland's 25-point Eastern Conference finals Game 1 loss to Boston a little staggered, but with an unbowed head.The reason: He's got a teammate by the name of LeBron James that's had a way of responding after lopsided playoff defeats.Just ask the Indiana Pacers.The Pacers stunned the Cavs at home in their first-round opener, rolling to an 18-point victory. In Game 2, James was all but unstoppable as he replied with a 46-point, 12-rebound performance."I expect him to have a big response," Love said of James on Monday. "He's always done it. Even before he came back to Cleveland and since I've been here he's always responded big. .... He's going to approach this game as one that he's going to have to lead and bounce back."Even if James does have a big Game 2 Tuesday night in Boston, he'll need some help — and the Cavaliers know it.Love said he thought the Cavs were a "little soft" in the first half in Game... [More]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ray Allen has enjoyed watching former teammate LeBron James lead Cleveland through the NBA playoffs. And it's not much different than what Allen saw almost daily when the two were part of the Miami Heat's run to a NBA title in 2013."He's the main cog of what the Cavaliers are doing," Allen said Monday. "I don't see him doing anything outside of his spectrum. He's doing what he's been doing most of his career. When we start talking playoff basketball and about the players who are good, we expect them to do their jobs when it's time to do their jobs."For the two-time NBA champion in Allen, there's no higher compliment.Allen spent his stellar, 19-year career well prepared for whatever moment there was. He was a 10-time NBA all-star who helped a trophy-starved Boston to a championship in 2008, then joined James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Heat to capture the 2013 crown.Allen, the son of an Air Force veteran, starred for Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — At the start of his first news conference as the Atlanta Hawks coach, Lloyd Pierce looked down at a row filled with four of his new players.His thoughts immediately turned to his passion: Defense."If we weren't doing this press conference right now, I'd probably have these guys doing some defensive drills," Pierce said Monday. "That's who I am."Pierce, the former Philadelphia 76ers assistant whose agreement to become the Hawks coach was announced Friday , said his first priority will be assembling a staff. Pierce will be looking for assistants who share his passion for defense and his proven ability to connect with young players.A young Atlanta roster is about to add much more youth in next month's NBA draft.The Hawks leaned heavily on such young players as rookie John Collins and second-year forward Taurean Prince this season. More youth is coming in the June 21 NBA draft. The Hawks have three first-round picks and hope to land the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's NBA draft... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James has made Boston's TD Garden his personal playground during the playoffs in recent years.The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the Eastern Conference finals with a 9-3 record against the Celtics in games played at the Garden over the last four years, including six straight wins.James' 979 postseason points against Boston were the most by any player against any opponent in the last 50 years. And his 21 playoff wins against the Celtics were also the most against them during that span.But none of that mattered Sunday in Boston's dominating 108-83 win over Cleveland in Game 1 , in which James committed seven turnovers while being held to just 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.It would be solid night for most NBA players, but was pedestrian by the super-human standard that LeBron has set for himself this postseason, at times single-handedly carrying the Cavs to victories.But he was clear that his concern level down being 1-0 was "zero.""I didn't go to college, so... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are in the unfamiliar position of opening on the road as they prepare for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with the top-seeded Rockets in Houston on Monday night in the series that many have been waiting for all season.It's the first time the No. 2 Warriors have been in a playoff series without home-court advantage since 2014 when they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in the opening round.For a team that has matched the Chicago Bulls' NBA record with 15 straight home playoff victories, the feeling is a bit unsettling."It's different," coach Steve Kerr said. "I think our guys, they are taking the challenge and they're embracing it. They feel like, 'OK, we don't have home court for the first time,' but we seem to be at our best when we are threatened. That's been kind of the M.O. of this team. We're definitely threatened. We're on the road for Game 1, we've never felt that."The Rockets, who earned the top seed for the first time in franchise... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — George Hill has gone from point guard to point grad in the NBA playoffs.Cleveland's starting guard missed practice Saturday and had a good excuse for his absence — he graduated from college.Hill received his diploma from IUPUI and took part in commencement ceremonies in Indianapolis while his teammates got in one last workout before heading to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.The 32-year-old Hill, who played for the Jaguars from 2004-08, a received his degree from the School of Liberal Arts. He was one of two student speakers to address the new graduates.On his Twitter account, Hill showed off a "Jaguars" tattoo on his left arm.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Hill would rejoin the team in time for the series opener Sunday against the Celtics.Hill joined the Cavs in February, coming over in a trade from Sacramento. He was slowed by back spasms and missed three games in the first round of the playoffs against Indiana, but returned and played a key role... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry and Draymond Green admire Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni from afar for how he empowers all his players to be scorers.No matter who you are, just let it fly — and for the Rockets that means regularly from 3-point range. And in transition whenever possible.Golden State coach Steve Kerr praises D'Antoni for influencing the way NBA teams now play offense: the pace and the space; precise ball movement and playing small without a traditional center; shooting at will and shooting from way back.Still, for all his success in leading the West's top team this season, D'Antoni might need a championship to validate his style.Standing in the way are the defending champion Warriors, who open the best-of-seven Western Conference finals at Houston on Monday night."He empowers everyone to shoot the basketball, and that's dangerous," said Green, Golden State's bruising forward. "That's why he's been so successful, especially on that side of the ball with any team he's ever... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The jerseys and venues will be the same, but so much has changed since the last time Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics met in the Eastern Conference finals.Kyrie Irving was dealt to Boston in a blockbuster offseason deal for Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. But following a roster upheaval in February , the Cavs were left with only five players from last year's team that rolled past the Celtics 4-1 to earn a place in the NBA Finals.Irving will watch this year's rematch from the sideline after a pair of knee surgeries late in the regular season denied him an opportunity to play this postseason. It was the capstone of an injury-plagued year in Boston that also saw the seasons of Gordon Hayward and rookie Daniel Theis truncated.The one constant has been Cleveland's LeBron James, who at age 33 has again found another gear in the playoffs despite the different pieces surrounding him. His 34.3 scoring average in these playoffs is his highest since the 2009 postseason.James can... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — George Hill has gone from point guard to point grad in the NBA playoffs.Cleveland's starting guard was excused from practice on Saturday to receive his degree from IUPUI. As his Cavaliers teammates got in one last workout before heading to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Hill took part in graduation ceremonies at the school in Indianapolis.The 32-year-old Hill received his degree from the School of Liberal Arts. He was one of two student speakers to address the new graduates. Hill played for the Jaguars from 2004-08.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Hill would rejoin the team in time for the series opener Sunday against the Celtics.Hill joined the Cavs in February, coming over in a trade from Sacramento. He was slowed by back spasms and missed three games in the first round of the playoff against Indiana. But he returned and played a key role in Cleveland's four-game sweep of Toronto.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Capsules for NBA's conference finals that start Sunday in the East, Monday in the West:___EASTERN CONFERENCENo. 2 BOSTON CELTICS (55-27, 8-4) vs. No. 4 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (50-32, 8-3)Season series: Cavaliers, 2-1.Story line: Cleveland's LeBron James is one round away from his eighth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and it's an East finals rematch between two franchises that look incredibly different than they did 12 months ago. Kyrie Irving went from Cleveland to Boston last summer; his season is over because of a knee injury. Isaiah Thomas went from Boston to Cleveland in that deal; his season is over because he's long moved on from the Cavs. It's two teams that were written off plenty of times this season, yet here they are again.How They Got Here: Boston beat No. 7 Milwaukee 4-3 and No. 3 Philadelphia 4-1. Cleveland beat No. 5 Indiana 4-3 and No. 1 Toronto 4-0.Key Matchup: Boston's Al Horford vs. Cleveland's Kevin Love. James is going to be great; that's a given. The Cavs will need... [More]

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — When Brad Stevens accepted the Celtics head coaching job five years ago, he didn't allow himself to get caught up in thinking about how he could add his name to the franchise's rich history.He was too busy trying to figure out how to avoid being buried under it."You realize that if you're going to break records here, you're probably going to break bad ones," he recently said. "Because none of the good ones are reachable."While achieving Red Auerbach status may not be on Stevens' radar, in just his fifth season there's no question the 41-year-old is also beyond being the wide-eyed former Butler University coach who arrived in Boston.In a timeframe that has often already swallowed up most first-time NBA coaches, he's managed to endear himself to a championship-driven city by helping Boston make an improbable run back to the Eastern Conference finals.The Celtics seemingly had their championship hopes derailed following the season-ending injuries to both of their offseason... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks are hiring a young coach in Lloyd Pierce to lead a rebuilding team that is about to add even more youth.The Hawks announced Friday they are giving Pierce his first head coaching job in the NBA, choosing a man who has been an assistant with Philadelphia and Memphis to rebuild the franchise."It was critically important to find a dynamic teacher who could connect with and develop our young core while instilling the culture and high standards we feel are necessary in a successful program," Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said in a statement. "Lloyd Pierce checks every box, and we couldn't be more excited to have him leading the Atlanta Hawks into the future."The Hawks have scheduled a Monday news conference to introduce Pierce.Pierce, 42, spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach in Philadelphia where the 76ers just reached the Eastern Conference semifinals after finishing third in the conference with a 52-30 record. Pierce also spent two years... [More]

The regular season is irrelevant.That's the message the Toronto Raptors sent Friday when they fired Dwane Casey, two days after his now-former peers in the NBA said he did the best coaching job in the league this season. Casey led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season, along with the second-best record in the league. He even got to coach in the All-Star game.Didn't matter.Swept in the playoffs, swept out of Toronto.The Raptors were good this season. They weren't great. And they can't beat LeBron James, who has engineered the ouster of Toronto now in each of the last three seasons, the last two of them being sweeps. So Casey paid the price, and with that comes the reminder: Winning isn't enough in this NBA. Coaches must meet expectations, regardless of how misguided they may be."In some ways I think the time has come," Raptors President Masai Ujiri said Friday, a few hours after telling Casey that he was done in Toronto. "Sometimes these things come to an end,... [More]