SALEM, Ore. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden wants to ensure Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter, a Turkish star whom Turkey wants arrested for his criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will be able to safely travel to Canada for a possible NBA championship series against the Toronto Raptors.The Oregon senator wrote Tuesday to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking that his government facilitate Kanter's safe passage to and from Canada if the Blazers advance to the title series."I also urge your government to state publicly that it will not comply with any Interpol red notice meant to interfere with Mr. Kanter's livelihood and to intimidate him and his family back in Turkey," Wyden wrote. Wyden is a fan of his hometown team, often attending games, and he appeared in photos alongside the player who helped push the Blazers past the Denver Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.The Blazers opened the conference finals against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday... [More]

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden wants to ensure Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter, a Turkish star whom Turkey wants arrested for his criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will be able to safely travel to Canada for a possible NBA championship series against the Toronto Raptors.The Oregon senator wrote Tuesday to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking that his government facilitate Kanter's safe passage to and from Canada if the Blazers advance to the title series."I also urge your government to state publicly that it will not comply with any Interpol red notice meant to interfere with Mr. Kanter's livelihood and to intimidate him and his family back in Turkey," Wyden wrote. Wyden is a fan of his hometown team, often attending games, and he appeared in photos alongside the player who helped push the Blazers past the Denver Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.The Blazers opened the conference finals against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday... [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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant watched from home in the Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors finished off James Harden and the Houston Rockets on the road.The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP has a bit more cheerleading to do before he gets back on the court.Durant is likely to miss Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers while he recovers from a strained right calf. Durant was injured in Game 5 against Houston."Everyone needs to slow down a little bit on the Kevin stuff. He hasn't even stepped on the floor yet," coach Steve Kerr said Monday, a day before Game 1, noting a more extensive update would come Thursday.Golden State showed it can win without KD: Stephen Curry came alive at last in the second half of the clincher at Houston, scoring all 33 of his points after the break.Curry and Splash Brother Klay Thompson will look to build off strong performances in that final game against the Rockets to lead the top-seeded Warriors. The two-time... [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 and Toronto started this second round of the playoffs feeling great about their chances.And then things went bad.And then they bounced back.So now, going into a pair of big-time swing games on Tuesday night — Denver plays host to Portland, Toronto plays host to Philadelphia — the Nuggets and Raptors can either take a firm grip on their respective series or get themselves into pits of trouble that would be even deeper than the ones they were in a couple of days ago.Game 5s await. Blazers-Nuggets, tied 2-2. 76ers-Raptors, tied 2-2. Toronto and Denver both reclaimed home-court advantage with series-tying road wins on Sunday, and the task now is to keep that momentum going with very high stakes."You win a game, and you've got to play another one," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Monday. "To borrow a phrase that everybody uses, this is a grind. These things are grinders, and being even-keeled, professional, hard-working, tough mentality is what it needs on each game and each possession,... [More]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets could use the kind of break everybody else is getting in the second round of the NBA playoffs.If anybody deserved some time off, it's the All-Star center who just played 65 minutes in a game.But there's no rest for the weary now. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers will be back on the court Sunday for Game 4, surely a little low on fuel after they tied an NBA record by playing four overtimes Friday night in Portland's 140-137 victory."Both teams are exhausted, so it's the same for them as it is for us," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "We will not use that as an excuse. We haven't used it all year long and we won't start using it now."The conference semifinal round is a series of starts and stops, where it's difficult for any team to build much momentum because there have been so many gaps between games.Philadelphia and Toronto, who have Game 4 of their series Sunday, play just twice in a seven-day span. In the other Eastern Conference semifinal, Milwaukee... [More]

The NBA reacted in support of Portland's Enes Kanter on Thursday, not long after the league's Turkish-centric Twitter account failed to mention Kanter's efforts in the Trail Blazers' victory over Denver in Game 2 of the teams' Western Conference semifinal series.The league also fired the Turkish company in charge of operating that account.Kanter — who has been estranged from Turkey, his homeland, for at least two years and is a longtime critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — had 15 points and nine rebounds in Portland's 97-90 victory Wednesday night. After the game, the NBA tweeted out a list of stat leaders and included Kanter; the Turkish account, @NBATurkiye, made no mention of Kanter.It's the latest twist in a long saga, one where the Turkish government has sought Kanter's arrest and he has claimed, among other things, that the government censors him and forbids the airing of Portland games in the country. The NBA said Turkish fans can still see all games through its various... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nose bloodied, Torrey Craig returned wearing a clear mask.Knocked down later, his Denver Nuggets teammates rushed to his defense.There's no masking the appreciation the Nuggets have for their defensive specialist. Bloodied and bruised, Craig contributed seven points in a 97-90 loss to Portland on Wednesday night as the Trail Blazers tied the Western Conference semifinal series at a game apiece."He fights. He's a fighter," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "Hate to see something like that happen, but for him to come back and be inspiring like he did, it was unbelievable."Craig was going for a rebound early in the second quarter when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of Denver teammate Monte Morris. Craig remained down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel covering his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic got right to the point on his flourishing chemistry with teammate Jamal Murray .After all, he believes it's something to write home about."We are playing really good together," the versatile Denver Nuggets big man said . "He's a great basketball player, a great competitive guy and I just love to have him as a teammate."Did you write that down?"Write on! Or so the Nuggets are hoping.Jokic and Murray combined for 60 points in a 121-113 win over Portland on Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. That eclipsed the Blazers tandem of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, who had 55 points. Game 2 is Wednesday at Pepsi Center.The Murray-to-Jokic, Jokic-to-Murray connection is quickly gaining steam as their pick-and-roll game gave the Blazers fits. It's a contrasting style to the one the Blazers faced in a first-round series with Oklahoma City, when they had to slow Paul George and Russell Westbrook.Paul Millsap said he's seen just about every defense employed... [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) — Portland center Enes Kanter was in the starting lineup for Game 1 of a second-round series against Denver despite a sore left shoulder.Kanter had 10 points and two rebounds in the opening quarter Monday night.Early on, he grimaced after he dunked the ball and hung on the rim. He grabbed his shoulder on his way to the sideline during a timeout, but remained in the game. He pointed to his head on the bench as if to say he needed to think about the shoulder.He suffered the injury early in the Trail Blazers' deciding Game 5 win over Oklahoma City last Tuesday.Blazers coach Terry Stotts said in pregame that if Kanter was healthy enough, he wouldn't alter his role.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]

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]

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. He said afterward that he was in pain and taking his recovery day by day.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 tied at 3-3. Game 7 is Saturday night in Denver.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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]

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]

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]