This is what the Toronto Raptors had in mind all along.When they went all-in with the trade for Kawhi Leonard, they knew his time in the Great North was likely to be short.But this one-and-done gamble will certainly be worth it if Leonard can lift his team to five more wins.Don't bet against him.Leonard is playing better than anyone on the planet at the moment, essentially taking the Raptors on his sturdy shoulders and carrying them to the brink of the first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history.After falling behind 0-2 against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, Team Kawhi has won three straight to set up a possible clinching game at home on Saturday night."I'm in the moment right now," Leonard said after another dazzling performance in Game 5.Indeed, these are the moments he lives for, essentially treating the regular season as a six-month tuneup for the games that really matter. When he captured his first title with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2014, he was MVP of the NBA Finals against... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry hears the dynasty discussion about his Golden State Warriors during another postseason run.Draymond Green realizes special teams only stay together for so long before something breaks them apart.That's why the Warriors decided from Day 1 of training camp to cherish this season.Golden State is a franchise in its prime — five straight trips to the NBA Finals and seeking a third consecutive title. But the clock is ticking and the Warriors are well aware of the possible ramifications of free agency and how things could change in a hurry this summer."Basketball careers aren't that long. If you can get 10 out of it, you're lucky," Green explained. "To be to five straight finals, I don't even know what to say about it. This is what you play for. This is our goal every year and to get here five straight times is special."The Warriors started this run with three All-Stars in Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. They added two more in Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry hears the dynasty discussion about his Golden State Warriors during another postseason run.Draymond Green realizes special teams only stay together for so long before something breaks them apart.That's why the Warriors decided from Day 1 of training camp to cherish this season.Golden State is a franchise in its prime — five straight trips to the NBA Finals and seeking a third consecutive title. But the clock is ticking and the Warriors are well aware of the possible ramifications of free agency and how things could change in a hurry this summer."Basketball careers aren't that long. If you can get 10 out of it, you're lucky," Green explained. "To be to five straight finals, I don't even know what to say about it. This is what you play for. This is our goal every year and to get here five straight times is special."The Warriors started this run with three All-Stars in Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. They added two more in Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mired in their worst skid of the season at the worst possible time, the Milwaukee Bucks need an answer in the Eastern Conference finals.A lineup change didn't provide one, so the Bucks have to come up with something else in Toronto.The Bucks returned to the starting five they used most of the season in Game 5, the lineup that helped them to the NBA's best record. But they were left with the same result as the third and fourth games and now face elimination when the series resumes Saturday.Guard Malcolm Brogdon finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Thursday in his first start since returning from a foot injury in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. But his first career postseason double-double wasn't enough as Milwaukee lost 105-99 to the Raptors.The top-seeded Bucks need a win in Toronto after falling there twice already in the series."You know, we've been a resilient group all year," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden got the most votes, and Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker also were big winners when the All-NBA teams were announced.Those guards can cash in with supermax contracts based on their selections to one of the three All-NBA teams that were announced Thursday.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic, who was Denver's first All-NBA selection since Carmelo Anthony in 2010.Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections, receiving all 100 votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters who had to choose two guards, two forwards and one center for each of the three teams.Walker was the final selection but all that matters is that he made it. By doing so, he became eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte, a reward the NBA put... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant won't be ready to play in time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on May 30.The two-time reigning finals MVP has yet to return to on-court work while recovering from a strained right calf.Big man DeMarcus Cousins might be healthy for Golden State's series opener against either Milwaukee or Toronto."Potentially," coach Steve Kerr said Thursday, "but it's up in the air."The team re-evaluated both players Thursday and they are expected to be ready at some point during Golden State's fifth straight finals.Durant is making progress in the training room and with moves he is able to handle in the weight room, Kerr said."We've known all along, it's how he responds. There's never been a point during this process where we've been able to say, 'he's going to play on such and such date,' and there still isn't, so we just keep going, keep moving forward," Kerr said. "... But again, he hasn't spent any time on the court with us, hasn't gone through an individual shooting... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is yet to progress to on-court work in his recovery from a strained right calf and won't be ready to return for Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on May 30.Big man DeMarcus Cousins might be healthy for the series opener against either Milwaukee or Toronto. Both players were re-evaluated Thursday and the Warriors expect they each will be ready at some point during the team's fifth straight finals.Cousins is working back from a torn left quadriceps muscle sustained in Game 2 of the first round against the Clippers. He practiced for the first time Thursday since getting hurt April 16 in just his second career playoff game.Golden State took two days off after completing a sweep of the Trail Blazers on Monday night in Portland. Durant was injured during Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.Warriors coach Steve Kerr wouldn't commit to a role for Cousins when he returns.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden got the most votes, and Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker were also big winners when the All-NBA teams were announced.Those guards can cash in with supermax contracts based on their selections to one of the three All-NBA teams that were announced Thursday.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic, who was Denver's first All-NBA selection since Carmelo Anthony in 2010.Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections, receiving all 100 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters who had to choose two guards, two forwards for each of the three teams.Walker was the final selection but all that matters is that he made it. By doing so, he became eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte, a reward the NBA put in recently... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Phoenix Suns big man Richaun Holmes was arrested for misdemeanor possession of cannabis after a Miami-area traffic stop.Twenty-five-year-old Holmes was arrested Tuesday night along with former Brooklyn Nets forward James Webb III after authorities say the found a recently used marijuana joint inside their vehicle.Both men posted bond soon after being booked into a Miami jail.Holmes became an unrestricted free agent this summer and averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this past season.He's the second Suns player to be arrested in South Florida this month after swingman Josh Jackson was detained when police say he refused to leave a music festival VIP area he had entered without a pass.It wasn't immediately known whether either man has a lawyer.

NEW YORK (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden were unanimous selections to an All-NBA team that could mean big payoffs for Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker.Both of those guards were voted to one of the three teams announced Thursday, making them eligible for supermax contract extensions from their teams.LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection.Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic.Walker was voted a third-team selection to the All-NBA team and is eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets if he opts to stay in Charlotte. Lillard, a second-team selection, can get more than $190 million over four years with a new contract in Portland.The three All-NBA teams were voted on by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters, with two guards, two forwards and a center selected for each of the three teams.Philadelphia center Joel Embiid led the second team that along with Lillard included Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.James and Walker headlined a third team that featured Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Rudy Gobert.

MIAMI (AP) — Phoenix Suns big man Richaun Holmes was arrested for misdemeanor possession of cannabis after a Miami-area traffic stop.Twenty-five-year-old Holmes was arrested Tuesday night along with former Brooklyn Nets forward James Webb III after authorities say the found a recently used marijuana joint inside their vehicle.Both men posted bond soon after being booked into a Miami jail.Holmes became an unrestricted free agent this summer and averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this past season.He's the second Suns player to be arrested in South Florida this month after swingman Josh Jackson was detained when police say he refused to leave a music festival VIP area he had entered without a pass.It wasn't immediately known whether either man has a lawyer.

MIAMI (AP) — Phoenix Suns big man Richaun Holmes was arrested for misdemeanor possession of cannabis after a Miami-area traffic stop.Twenty-five-year-old Holmes was arrested Tuesday night along with former Brooklyn Nets forward James Webb III after authorities say the found a recently used marijuana joint inside their vehicle.Both men posted bond soon after being booked into a Miami jail.Holmes became an unrestricted free agent this summer and averaged 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this past season.He's the second Suns player to be arrested in South Florida this month after swingman Josh Jackson was detained when police say he refused to leave a music festival VIP area he had entered without a pass.It wasn't immediately known whether either man has a lawyer.

NEW YORK (AP) — Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and MVP finalists Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George were the leading vote-getters for the All-Defensive first team.Boston's Marcus Smart and Milwaukee's Eric Bledsoe rounded out the first team that was announced Wednesday.Gobert finished with 97 first-team points and 196 points, giving the Utah center his third straight first-team selection. George had 96 first-team votes and 195 points, followed by Antetokounmpo (94, 193).Smart and Bledsoe both earned their first All-Defensive team selections.The second team included Golden State's Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who earned his first selection. They were joined by Toronto's Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday.The teams were selected by a panel of 100 writers and broadcasters.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have gone through coaches like tear-away racing visors, the count up to five in five years.The instability has hurt them on the court, the run of playoff-less appearances stretching to nine straight seasons with this year's 19-63 finish.Monty Williams, the man GM James Jones hired to coach the Suns, hopes to change the trend."Continuity, having a staff here for a while and putting in a system that the players can rely upon, but ultimately it will come down to James, myself and the players pushing this thing forward," Williams said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. "The players are going to have to embrace a level of work and commitment that it takes to be a champion."Williams was hired on May 3 to replace Igor Kokoskov, who was fired after one season in the desert.Williams's arrival in Phoenix was delayed while he finished out the playoffs as an assistant to Philadelphia coach Brett Brown. The 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last week... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have gone through coaches like tear-away racing visors, the count up to five in five years.The instability has hurt them on the court, the run of playoff-less appearances stretching to nine straight seasons with this year's 19-63 finish.Monty Williams, the man GM James Jones hired to coach the Suns, hopes to change the trend."Continuity, having a staff here for a while and putting in a system that the players can rely upon, but ultimately it will come down to James, myself and the players pushing this thing forward," Williams said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. "The players are going to have to embrace a level of work and commitment that it takes to be a champion."Williams was hired on May 3 to replace Igor Kokoskov, who was fired after one season in the desert.Williams's arrival in Phoenix was delayed while he finished out the playoffs as an assistant to Philadelphia coach Brett Brown. The 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last week... [More]

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]

DENVER (AP) — The prospects of a return home to Washington were undeniably appealing to Tim Connelly.Not nearly as alluring as this: Finishing what he's started.The Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations elected to stay in town even with the Wizards calling. Things are booming these days with a Nuggets team that boasts a young nucleus led by big man Nikola Jokic and that won 54 games in the regular season. They were the No. 2 seed in the West before losing to Portland in Game 7 at home during the second round of the playoffs.There was just too much work left to be done in Denver to consider taking Washington's front office job even if it would've been with the organization where Connelly got his start and in the area where he and his wife are from."It's safe to assume, and maybe it's me being overly optimistic, that we're going to see a better version of us next year," Connelly said Tuesday. "I don't know if that means more wins. I don't know if we're going to win a playoff series... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — High on a wall and across the courts from where John Beilein was sitting, the Cavaliers' basketball history stared the new coach in the face.He wants to make it richer."Look at all those banners up there," Beilein said, pointing toward reminders of the 2016 NBA championship, Eastern Conference titles and division crowns won by the Cavs — most of them in the past decade. "It's been done before. Why can't it be done again?"This basketball renaissance man is ready for his next recovery project.Saying he won't use the word "rebuild," Beilein was introduced Tuesday by the Cavs, whose surprising choice of the 66-year-old was met with skepticism only by those who haven't crossed paths with him over his more than four decades as a coach.Cleveland's expansive search ended last week with someone who has won at every level in college — most recently during a 12-year run at Michigan — and will now see if his team-first, family-oriented style can work in the pros."He's all... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin asserted Tuesday that luring new general manager Trajan Langdon away from a playoff team in Brooklyn is an example of positive momentum in New Orleans that should make Anthony Davis reconsider his trade request.Griffin said he hopes to meet with Davis in Los Angeles, where Davis has an offseason home, around the time player agents are hosting workouts in southern California for clients that are eligible for the NBA's June 20 draft."We'll definitely visit. And I think that's the next step — really to look each other in the eye and talk about what's important to us," Griffin said Tuesday during a conference call with the newly hired Langdon and reporters. "We're very optimistic from previous conversations with Rich Paul, his agent, and with all of the people here that know Anthony and know what he's about, we're very confident that we have a compelling situation for him here.Davis, a six-time All-Star who is under contract... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — High on a wall and across the courts from where John Beilein was sitting, the Cavaliers' basketball history stared the new coach in the face.He wants to make it richer."Look at all those banners up there," Beilein said, pointing toward reminders of the 2016 NBA championship, Eastern Conference titles and division crowns won by the Cavs — most of them in the past decade. "It's been done before. Why can't it be done again?"This basketball renaissance man is ready for his next recovery project.Saying he won't use the word "rebuild," Beilein was introduced Tuesday by the Cavs, whose surprising choice of the 66-year-old was met with skepticism only by those who haven't crossed paths with him over more than four decades as a coach.Cleveland's expansive search ended last week with someone who has won at every level in college — most recently during a 12-year run at Michigan — and will now see if his team-first, family-oriented style can work in the pros."He's all the... [More]