BOSTON (AP) — One way or another, the spotlight was always going to shine on the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference without LeBron James.After back-to-back losses to James' Cavaliers in the past two conference finals, his departure West to join the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to clear the path for Boston to take the reins in the East.That hasn't happened — yet.Instead of solidifying themselves as the NBA champion Golden State Warriors' chief challenger, the Celtics come out of the All-Star break still with much to figure out — and trailing Milwaukee and Toronto in the East standings."We realize that we've played well in the last month and a half," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Although there have been multiple days when I'm sure it hasn't felt like it."Beginning with a win over Toronto on Jan. 16, Boston won 12 of its final 15 games before the break. It also included wins over five other teams currently in position to make the playoffs. But Boston also blew an 18-point lead in a... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — There was no social media or around-the-clock basketball coverage in October 1974, on the night when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked up from his dinner plate and told the Milwaukee Bucks that he would like to be traded.As such, hardly anybody knew initially about the demand.If anyone understands what Anthony Davis is thinking, asking for a trade out of New Orleans with nearly 1 1/2 seasons left on his contract, it's Abdul-Jabbar. His trade request came with two years left on his contract in Milwaukee. Eventually, he got his wish in the summer that followed his ask and got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers."I think that the players have power because they have value," Abdul-Jabbar said. "The players that teams know that they can win with are going to be in a position to dictate what they want to do."And while few people would disagree with that, the fact that Davis' request went public — and the impact it had on the both the Pelicans and the Lakers, the team that appeared to go after... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin doesn't need to jump over any cars to be a hit in the Motor City.A year after arriving in Detroit with his career at a crossroads, a more earthbound Griffin is doing all he can to shake the Pistons out of their decade-long malaise."He does a little bit of everything for us. Probably one of our better pick-and-roll players, passers, scorers, leader by example, just so many things," Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. "His basketball intellect, for me, is one that's been the most impressive of our players. I didn't know that about Blake, because when you think about him, you think about the high-flying dunker and the muscular guy in the post, but there's a lot more to that than just his dunking and athleticism."A month shy of his 30th birthday, there are fewer above-the-rim highlights but Griffin's first full season with Detroit has been one of his best. He's averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game while making strides as a perimeter shooter, and he earned his... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Blake Griffin doesn't need to jump over any cars to be a hit in the Motor City.A year after arriving in Detroit with his career at a crossroads, a more earthbound Griffin is doing all he can to shake the Pistons out of their decade-long malaise."He does a little bit of everything for us. Probably one of our better pick-and-roll players, passers, scorers, leader by example, just so many things," Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. "His basketball intellect, for me, is one that's been the most impressive of our players. I didn't know that about Blake, because when you think about him, you think about the high-flying dunker and the muscular guy in the post, but there's a lot more to that than just his dunking and athleticism."A month shy of his 30th birthday, there are fewer above-the-rim highlights but Griffin's first full season with Detroit has been one of his best. He's averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game while making strides as a perimeter shooter, and he earned his... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dwyane Wade is adamant that the end of this season will be the right time for him to bid farewell to the game of basketball.The game of basketball spent the weekend disagreeing with him.Wade's final All-Star appearance as a player is now complete, a four-day trip that had testimonials, celebrations, moments with his family, countless photos and chats with some of basketball's royalty, and one more lob to LeBron James for good measure. He scored seven points in his final NBA All-Star Game, helping Team LeBron get a 178-164 victory over Team Giannis."If you could wake up and say, 'This is how I would like my perfect day to go, this is how I would like my perfect All-Star weekend to go,' then this was it for me," Wade told The Associated Press. "This was exactly what I envisioned, what I wanted when I knew I had this opportunity. And it's been even more than I thought it could be."The score and the stats from the weekend will be forgotten.The moments won't be, at least... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sonya Curry hasn't stopped smiling all weekend.She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for All-Star Weekend festivities. She even hit a half-court shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest."It's been everything that I hoped it would be," she said of her sons' return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. "Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that's hard to beat."With remnants of half-eaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.Still, Sonya didn't want the night to end.Neither did her husband.Dell... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Midway through the third quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo said he began thinking he had a chance to become the first international player to win the NBA All-Star Game MVP.But the thought was fleeting, as Team LeBron mounted a rally and came from behind to defeat Team Giannis 178-164 on Sunday night. While Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points and 10 rebounds, Kevin Durant won the award."We didn't win and that's why I didn't get it," the Milwaukee Bucks star said.He had taken some advice before the game about how to approach things from his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who has won the last two MVP awards in the Greek League.He came out aggressive.Antetokounmpo started the game with a dunk fest — five of them in the first quarter alone and finished with eight for the game. One dunk was a thing of beauty as he took a bounce pass from two-time league MVP Stephen Curry that sailed over the rim and dunked it.Curry called it a play that nobody else in the gym could have... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10:55 p.m.Kevin Durant had 31 points and seven rebounds, LeBron James added 19 points and Team LeBron overcame a big game from Giannis Antetokounmpo to defeat Team Giannis 178-164 on Sunday night in the All-Star game.Team LeBron trailed by 18 points in the first half, but battled back in the third quarter to take the lead behind the sharpshooting of Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard. Thompson had 20 points and Lilllard 18.James Harden sealed the win with a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left putting Team LeBron up by 16.Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points and 11 rebounds to lead his team, while Bucks teammate Khris Middleton added 20 on six 3-pointers. Stephen Curry had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his return to Charlotte but was 4 of 17 from the 3-point range.__10:30 p.m.Dwyane Wade's alley-oop dunk off a pass from former Heat teammate LeBron James has helped Team LeBron rally to take a 132-131 lead over... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10:30 p.m.Dwyane Wade's alley-oop dunk off a pass from former Heat teammate LeBron James has helped Team LeBron rally to take a 132-131 lead over Team Giannis after the third quarter in the NBA All-Star Game.Wade, playing in his final All-Star game, flew through the air and grabbed a perfectly thrown pass from James for the dunk. That helped get his team moving as Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard combined for 15 points in the quarter helping Team LeBron erase an 18-point deficit as the teams have started to play defense.Wade and Dirk Nowitzki were presented with a commemorative All-Star jersey at the end of the third quarter and Wade told the crowd "the game is in great hands with these players and it is easy to walk away."Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking to become the first international player to win the All-Star game MVP leading all scorers with 31 points on eight dunks for Team Giannis.___10 p.m.The third quarter... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)10 p.m.The third quarter of the All-Star game has begun after a halftime show by rapper J. Cole.Cole who wore a Hornets jacket and jeans, started his show atop a glass platform, opening with "Middle Child." He launched into "A lot" as he walked into the crowd at midcourt and then broke into "ATM" as the lights dimmed.He slowed things down with what he told the crowd was his favorite song "Love Yourz" before closing with G-rated version of his most popular hit "No Role Modelz."Team Giannis led 95-82 after the first half, highlighted by Stephen Curry bounce pass over the rim that Giannis Antetokounmpo caught high above the rim and slammed home.The big question of the second half will be which team decides to play defense first. Antetokounmpo had five uncontested dunks in the first quarter and leads all scorers with 20 points on 10 of 12 shooting.Kevin Durant has 13 points for Team LeBron, which is just 13 of 41 from 3-point... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)9:30 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo has 20 points —most of those coming on dunks— to lead all scorers as his team leads Team LeBron 95-82 at halftime of Sunday night's All-Star game.Bucks teammate Kris Middleton has five 3-pointers and 17 points, while Paul George has 14 points for Team Giannis, which is threatening to challenge the NBA All-Star Game record of 196 points in a game set by the West All-Stars in 2016.Kevin Durant leads Team LeBron with 13 points but James Harden is struggling, going 1 of 7 from the field.Stephen Curry has just six points in his return to Charlotte for Team Giannis.___9:15 p.m.If this is Dirk Nowitzki's last All-Star game, he's making the most of it.The 40-year-old Nowitzki is showing that he still has the shooting touch, knocking down all three of his uncontested 3-point attempts for Team Giannis.Paul George had 360-degree dunk, but that wasn't even the best play of the second quarter.That... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)9 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking aim at NBA All-Star Game MVP honors, scoring 16 points on 8 of 8 shooting — including five dunks — to give his team a 53-37 lead after the first quarter over Team LeBron. He also has three rebounds, three assists and a steal.Khris Middleton is heating up too with 12 points on four 3-pointers.Team LeBron is offering little defense with Team Giannis on pace to break 200 points.Kevin Durant has 10 points to lead Team LeBron, which is just 6 of 21 from 3-point range.Dirk Nowitzki knocked down two 3-pointers late in the first quarter for Team Giannis. Dwyane Wade also has checked into the game in his last All-Star game appearance for Team LeBron.Team Giannis set an All-Star record with 23 field goals in the quarter, topping the mark of 22 set on four other occasions — by both the West and the East in the first quarter of the 2017 game, and by the West in both the second and third quarters... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)8:30 p.m.The NBA All-Star game has tipped off with Hornets guard Kemba Walker making his first career All-Star start for Team Giannis against Team LeBron.He's the game's only first-time starter and received a huge ovation during warmups — although not quite as loud as Stephen Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and received the loudest roar from the crowd.That could make Team Giannis the crowd favorite.But Team Giannis could have a difficult time going against a stacked team that includes LeBron James, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant starting.Carley Rap Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen sang the Canadian national anthem, while Charlotte native Anthony Hamilton sang a stirring rendition of the "Star Bangled Banner."___7:30 p.m.Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry warmed up to play basketball — by playing volleyball.Embiid and Curry passed a basketball back and forth before Sunday night's All-Star game by using... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)7:30 p.m.Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry warmed up to play basketball — by playing volleyball.Embiid and Curry passed a basketball back and forth before Sunday night's All-Star game by using volleyball maneuvers, perfectly executing bumps and sets. That is, until Embiid seemed to decide he was bored with all that.He took his massive right arm and, with fine form, spiked the ball as one would when trying for a kill and a point in volleyball. The ball bounced hard off the court, the carom skipping over the sideline and the ball winding up in the second row of seats.Embiid covered his mouth in mock disbelief, and the volleyball game ended.___1:05 p.m.When Michael Jordan talks, people tend to listen. Apparently the same goes for his mother, Deloris Jordan.The mother of the six-time NBA champion and Hornets owner delivered an inspirational speech during All-Star Weekend to a group of about 100 mothers of current NBA players... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Sonya Curry hasn't stopped smiling all weekend.She has had quality time with her grandchildren with the entire family in town for All-Star Weekend festivities. She even hit a half-court shot at a community center her family helped refurbish.On Saturday night, she emerged from Suite 21 at the Spectrum Center beaming after spending the evening with family and watching sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest."It's been everything that I hoped it would be," she said of her sons' return to their hometown for All-Star weekend. "Seeing Dell out there on the court being able to share that moment with the boys was awesome. And having the family all here to watch — that's hard to beat."With remnants of half-eaten appetizers and drinks still sitting on the counter, some of the young ones were starting to fuss having grown restless after being up well past their bedtimes.Still, Sonya didn't want the night to end.Neither did her husband.Dell... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)1:05 p.m.When Michael Jordan talks, people tend to listen. Apparently the same goes for his mother, Deloris Jordan.The mother of the six-time NBA champion and Hornets owner delivered an inspirational speech during All-Star Weekend to a group of about 100 mothers of current NBA players at a breakfast at a steakhouse in Charlotte, North Carolina.Deloris told the group Saturday that it's time for them to bond together and do more to help others in the community with their resources.Stephen Curry's mother, Sonya, who helped organize the event along with Chris Paul's mom, Robin, says Deloris summed up meeting when she told everyone, "We are blessed to be a blessing" to others.Deloris pushed NBA moms to get together as a group —because there is power in numbers— and make an impact in their communities.It's a message Sonya says is well overdue and the group needed to hear because "there has been a lot of separation over the... [More]

To help you with planning for the NBA All Star weekend, here are some of our plans. This advisory will be updated until Sunday's game. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times ET.SUNDAYBKN--All-Star GameCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Stephen Curry returns home to Charlotte, Kemba Walker is playing on his homecourt with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and others tip it up in the All-Star game. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.Also:_ BKN--All-Star Weekend-The Latest. Updates throughout Sunday on All-Star Weekend from Charlotte, North CarolinaBKN--All-Star-Curry Family WeekendCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Sonya Curry says this All-Star Weekend has been everything she hoped it would be. She has spent quality time with her grandchildren and watched sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the All-Star 3-point contest. The Currys will wrap up the All-Star Weekend on Sunday night when Stephen competes in his sixth... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on All-Star Weekend. (all times local)11:45 a.m.Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues, Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice were honorees at the 20th annual NBA Legends Brunch.The brunch is a tradition on the morning of the All-Star game. About 2,000 people attended Sunday, including about 200 former NBA players.Curry was presented a "hometown hero" award. Bogues was feted for his work as a community ambassador. Mourning received the Global Ambassador Award, and Rice was selected as the Charlotte Hornets Legend of the Year.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was among the speakers, along with Dikembe Mutombo and actor and comedian JB Smoove.___11:30 a.m.All-Star Sunday has arrived.The 68th edition of the NBA's annual midseason showcase exhibition game gets played in Charlotte, with LeBron James set to start for the 15th consecutive year, Kemba Walker ready to excite his home crowd and legends Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade ready to bid the game farewell as their careers wind down.After that, the true All-Star "break" begins. There are no games on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, which gives every player and coach a couple of needed days off before the real playoff push begins.Play resumes Thursday night with six games, as the sprint to the end of the regular season begins.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Boston's Jayson Tatum got his gamewinner from midcourt. Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo went over Shaquille O'Neal to help win his trophy. And Brooklyn's Joe Harris made all the shots at all the right times to deny Golden State's Stephen Curry a storybook ending in his hometown.Say this for All-Star Saturday Night: It had flair.Tatum won the skills competition, Diallo put on a show for the league's annual slam dunk title, and in easily the most anticipated part of the night Harris held off the Warriors' shooting star for the win in the 3-point contest.Harris made 12 straight shots in the final round and went a staggering 15 for 18 on moneyballs — the shots worth the most — to win the 3-point title. He finished with 26 of a possible 34 points in the final round, beating Curry by two. Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 final-round points."Obviously, it's incredible," Harris said. "Steph is the greatest shooter of all time. But, again, shooting off of the rack... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo is the NBA's slam dunk champion.Going over Shaquille O'Neal in the first round, then getting a boost from rapper Quavo in the finale, Diallo soared to the crown by topping New York's Dennis Smith Jr.Diallo topped Smith 88-85 in the finale. Charlotte's Miles Bridges and Atlanta's John Collins went out in the first round.Smith leapfrogged Miami's Dwyane Wade and took a lob from Stephen Curry to give himself a chance with his last dunk, getting a perfect score from the judges — and a round of boos from the crowd, many of whom weren't that impressed.That left Diallo as the night's final participant.Diallo pulled off a dunk that will be talked about for years in the first round — dunking over O'Neal, hanging on the rim by his elbow, then tearing open his jersey to reveal a "Superman" shirt underneath. And then he plucked the ball from Quavo as he went airborne for the dunk that... [More]