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]

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has rescinded technical fouls called on Golden State's Kevin Durant and JaMychal Green of the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.The players were called for double technicals early in the third quarter Thursday night at Staples Center as they jawed at each other. The Warriors won 132-105 and lead the series 2-1.Both players protested the call, and the league rescinded it Friday.Durant had been ejected from Game 1 with a double technical and he had accumulated three of the seven fouls allotted before the NBA would issue a one-game suspension until the latest tech was withdrawn.Durant said after the game Thursday that he hoped the foul would be rescinded because he doesn't want to jeopardize the two-time defending champions going forward.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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) — The NBA has rescinded technical fouls called on Golden State's Kevin Durant and JaMychal Green of the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.The players were called for double technicals early in the third quarter Thursday night at Staples Center as they jawed at each other. The Warriors won 132-105 and lead the series 2-1.Both players protested the call, and the league rescinded it Friday.Durant had been ejected from Game 1 with a double technical and he had accumulated three of the seven fouls allotted before the NBA would issue a one-game suspension until the latest tech was withdrawn.Durant said after the game Thursday that he hoped the foul would be rescinded because he doesn't want to jeopardize the two-time defending champions going forward.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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) — The Philadelphia 76ers are listing Joel Embiid as doubtful for Game 4 of their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.Embiid has been bothered by a sore left knee, but was able to play in the first two games of the series. He warmed up before Game 3 on Thursday night before it was decided that he couldn't play.Embiid worked out Friday at the 76ers' practice in New York but coach Brett Brown said he didn't know and didn't have a gut feeling about whether his All-Star center would be able to go Saturday afternoon.The 76ers rolled to a 131-115 victory without Embiid and lead the series 2-1. Greg Monroe started at center and had nine points and 13 rebounds.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Orlando returned to Florida with home-court advantage.Indiana and Oklahoma City are seeking some home-court magic.A trio of Game 3s in the NBA on Friday night — Toronto at Orlando, Boston at Indiana and Portland at Oklahoma City — have three very different story lines. The Magic got a split of their first two games with the Raptors, the Pacers are reeling after a late-game collapse in Game 2 left them trailing the Celtics 2-0, and the Thunder have seemed completely out of sorts as they've gotten into a 2-0 hole against the Trail Blazers."I still don't think we understand how good a team we can be when we play well," Magic coach Steve Clifford said.Indiana had a great chance at getting a split slip away late in Game 2 at Boston. The Pacers have now lost 16 of their last 24 games overall, are looking at a fourth consecutive first-round ouster and have never won a series after losing the first two games.Having said all that, the Celtics are leery of a letup."We know anything can happen in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joel Embiid is not playing for the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets because of a sore left knee.Embiid warmed up before the game but the 76ers announced shortly before the start that the All-Star center wouldn't be available. Greg Monroe was listed as their starter.Embiid was troubled by the knee late in the regular season and was listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the series. But he played in both games in Philadelphia, collecting a pair of double-doubles.The series is tied 1-1.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson has undergone surgery on his right shoulder.The Grizzlies said Thursday that the 6-foot-9 forward should be ready to return to full basketball activities in advance of training camp.The 25-year-old Anderson played just 43 games this season in his first year with the Grizzlies, who signed him last summer as a restricted free agent.Anderson made 40 starts for Memphis and averaged 8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 29.8 minutes. He shot 54.3 percent from the field.The Grizzlies signed Anderson to a four-year, $37.2 million offer sheet that the San Antonio Spurs declined to match.He spent his first four NBA seasons with the Spurs, who drafted him out of UCLA with the 30th overall pick in 2014.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic ignored those who doubted the Indiana Pacers last season.They're even more determined to prove them wrong in the playoffs.The veterans who helped the Pacers exceed expectations after losing Paul George in a trade and kept them together following Victor Oladipo's season-ending knee injury now insist they can help the Pacers overcome a 2-0 deficit against Boston."I think the biggest thing for us over the last couple of years is that we've always been a resilient team," Young said Thursday. "We continue to stay confident, continue to trust in one another, I think that helps put us in a better position to win games."It's a test they've faced, and passed, many times over the past 22 months.And every time, it seems the two soft-spoken forwards find themselves playing the calming role in the locker room."I can tell you we wouldn't be the No. 5 seed if not for those two guys," Doug McDermott said not long after the Pacers sang "Happy Birthday"... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When Paul George has been rolling this season, so has Oklahoma City.The Thunder's All-Star forward has been off his game against Portland, and OKC has struggled against the Trail Blazers. Yes, George is averaging 26.5 points in their first-round playoff series, but he's making just 27 percent of his 3-pointers — down from 39 percent during the regular season.Much has been made of his shoulder issues, which he has been dealing with the past few months. George even missed the regular-season finale against Milwaukee after not being able to lift his arm.But George said Thursday his shoulder is not the issue, noting that he is pain-free."The first game it was just out of rhythm, trying to find shots," George said. "The second game, it was just knowing where shots were going to come from, knowing the space that I could get playing at the basket and taking advantage of where I can get to the rim. It'll be a great mix Game 3."The Thunder hope it is a great mix. They're down... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson has undergone surgery on his right shoulder.The Grizzlies said Thursday that the 6-foot-9 forward should be ready to return to full basketball activities in advance of training camp.The 25-year-old Anderson played just 43 games this season in his first year with the Grizzlies, who signed him last summer as a restricted free agent.Anderson made 40 starts for Memphis and averaged 8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 29.8 minutes. He shot 54.3 percent from the field.The Grizzlies signed Anderson to a four-year, $37.2 million offer sheet that the San Antonio Spurs declined to match.He spent his first four NBA seasons with the Spurs, who drafted him out of UCLA with the 30th overall pick in 2014.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Orlando returned to Florida with home-court advantage.Indiana and Oklahoma City are seeking some home-court magic.A trio of Game 3s in the NBA on Friday night — Toronto at Orlando, Boston at Indiana and Portland at Oklahoma City — have three very different story lines. The Magic got a split of their first two games with the Raptors, the Pacers are reeling after a late-game collapse in Game 2 left them trailing the Celtics 2-0, and the Thunder have seemed completely out of sorts as they've gotten into a 2-0 hole against the Trail Blazers."I still don't think we understand how good a team we can be when we play well," Magic coach Steve Clifford said.Indiana had a great chance at getting a split slip away late in Game 2 at Boston. The Pacers have now lost 16 of their last 24 games overall, are looking at a fourth consecutive first-round ouster and have never won a series after losing the first two games.Having said all that, the Celtics are leery of a letup."We know anything can happen in... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive said he's keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn't rule out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term."We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. "Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we're both excited about what we can potentially build here."Griffin was Cleveland's general manager when LeBron James — who also is represented by Paul — was with the Cavaliers and led them to the franchise's only NBA title.Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under a... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Detroit Pistons say Blake Griffin will be out of the lineup for the second game of the team's first round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.Griffin sat out Game 1 of the series with left knee soreness. The Pistons lost the opener by 35 points.He took part in light drills at Wednesday morning's shoot around while wearing a heavy brace on his leg. He had been listed as questionable and had been openly lobbying coach Dwane Casey to let him return to the court.Casey said before tipoff Wednesday that Griffin has good days and bad, and the knee might different at different times of the day."He's got the situation with his knee where there's good days and bad days," Casey said before Wednesday's game. "It may feel good in the morning and feel bad at night. He wants to go and I want him to go, but it's a medical decision. Hopefully, at some point, he can go."After missing three games with a sprained knee, Griffin returned on April 5 against Oklahoma City and scored... [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]

The Golden State Warriors are trying to regain the lead in a series they probably still can't believe is tied.Same with the San Antonio Spurs, who like the Warriors know they are facing an opponent who won't stay down no matter how far they fall down.The Clippers' historic comeback against the Warriors, followed by Denver's potential season-saving surge against the Spurs, made that clear.So things are all even in those two Western Conference first-round series, which resume with a pair of Game 3s on Thursday night.Philadelphia and Brooklyn play the other Game 3 of the night in an East series that also is tied at a game apiece.Golden State would be up 2-0 if not for the Clippers' colossal comeback — or the Warriors' colossal collapse — on Monday night in Game 2. The Warriors led by 31 in the third quarter before Los Angeles charged back to win 135-131 after the biggest rally in NBA postseason history.The Warriors won Game 1 by 17, appeared headed toward an even easier win in Game 2, and... [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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won't require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team's first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday. The big man returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence while recovering from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon."More than anything, I'm just crushed for DeMarcus," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's been waiting his whole career... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive said he's keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn't out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term."We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. "Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we're both excited about what we can potentially build here."Griffin was Cleveland's general manager when LeBron James — who also is represented by Paul — was with the Cavaliers and led them to the franchise's only NBA title.Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under a different... [More]