MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, the mother of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, died Monday due to complications from COVID-19 after more than a month of fighting the virus.The Timberwolves made the announcement via the Towns family, which requested privacy. Karl Towns Sr., the father of the two-time All-Star player, was also hospitalized with the virus but has since recovered. A native of the Dominican Republic, Cruz-Towns was a fixture at Timberwolves games from the start of Karl-Anthony Towns' NBA career in 2015.“Jackie was many things to many people — a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend,” the statement from the Towns family said. “She was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring, and extremely loving person who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable, and her energy will never be replaced.”The family expressed gratitude to the “warriors” at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and JFK Medical Center... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls came into the season thinking they were poised to contend for a playoff spot. The plan did not unfold the way they envisioned, and now, they have a new leader in the front office.The Bulls hired Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to run their basketball operation, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday night.The person, who confirmed reports by several outlets, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.Longtime executive John Paxson was expected to move into an advisory role. The futures of general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen were unclear.The move allows the Bulls to have their new top executive in place if the season resumes from the COVID-19 pandemic suspension.The 48-year-old Karnisovas starred at Seton Hall and had a successful international career that included two Olympic bronze medals playing for Lithuania. He worked in basketball operations for the NBA from 2003 to 2008 and... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls came into the season thinking they were poised to contend for a playoff spot. The plan did not unfold the way they envisioned, and now, they have a new leader in the front office.The Bulls hired Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to run their basketball operation, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday night.The person, who confirmed reports by several outlets, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.Longtime executive John Paxson was expected to move into an advisory role. The futures of general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen were unclear.The move allows the Bulls to have their new top executive in place if the season resumes from the COVID-19 pandemic suspension.The 48-year-old Karnisovas starred at Seton Hall and had a successful international career that included two Olympic bronze medals playing for Lithuania. He worked in basketball operations for the NBA from 2003 to 2008 and... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls came into the season thinking they were poised to contend for a playoff spot. The plan did not unfold the way they envisioned, and now, they have a new leader in the front office.The Bulls hired Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to run their basketball operation, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday night.The person, who confirmed reports by several outlets, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.Longtime executive John Paxson was expected to move into an advisory role. The futures of general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen were unclear.The move allows the Bulls to have their new top executive in place if the season resumes from the COVID-19 pandemic suspension.The 48-year-old Karnisovas starred at Seton Hall and had a successful international career that included two Olympic bronze medals playing for Lithuania. He worked in basketball operations for the NBA from 2003 to 2008 and... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling Chicago Bulls hired Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas to run their basketball operation, a person familiar with the situation said on Thursday night.The person, who confirmed reports by several outlets, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.Longtime executive John Paxson is expected to move into an advisory role. The futures of general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen were unclear.The 48-year-old Karnisovas had big roles in Denver taking two-time All-Star center Nikola Jokic in the second round of the 2014 draft with the 41st overall pick, as well as recent lottery selections Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets were third in the Western Conference and leading the Northwest division with a 43-22 record when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the NBA to a standstill on March 12.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NBA players will receive their full checks when the next payday for most of them arrives on April 15 despite no games having been played for more than a month at that point.The league gave teams the directive on Thursday in a memo that was obtained by The Associated Press.The league and the National Basketball Players Association has been in talks for weeks about the status of salaries during the game’s shutdown. The last NBA games were played March 11, the day that Utah center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league to test positive for the coronavirus.The pandemic will lead to the delay of at least 259 regular-season games through April 15, what would have been the end of the regular season. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week that no decisions about the rest of the season, including whether play can resume, would occur before May.None of the games have been canceled yet. The playoffs were to begin on April 18, and the losses in revenue should the season either... [More]

NBA players will receive their full checks when the next payday for most of them arrives on April 15 despite no games having been played for more than a month at that point.The league gave teams the directive on Thursday in a memo that was obtained by The Associated Press.The league and the National Basketball Players Association has been in talks for weeks about the status of salaries during the game’s shutdown. The last NBA games were played March 11, the day that Utah center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league to test positive for the coronavirus.The pandemic will lead to the delay of at least 259 regular-season games through April 15, what would have been the end of the regular season. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week that no decisions about the rest of the season, including whether play can resume, would occur before May.None of the games have been canceled yet. The playoffs were to begin on April 18, and the losses in revenue should the season either... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are getting together for workouts while the NBA season is suspended — via video conference calls.Up to 10 players at a time tune in to do workouts led by the team's performance staff since the league shut down practice facilities because of the coronavirus pandemic.They've also been using workout equipment specially tailored for each player and provided by the team.“They're challenging each other, a lot of trash talk,” coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. “When we come out of this, (there will be) some of the funny stories guys will have about watching each other work out.”Rivers figures that when the league eventually resumes there will be a high level of competition as a result of the layoff that has allowed players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to train at a level that wasn't possible during the offseason, when they were dealing with injuries.“If we do get back to this, and rhythm and all that, bodies won't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Instead of preparing for a playoff run, LeBron James is mostly spending the spring playing hoops with his teenage sons and enjoying tea time with his young daughter.And when he isn't binge-watching “Tiger King” with his wife, he is scanning the news for information on whether the coronavirus pandemic will allow the Los Angeles Lakers to finish their impressive season chasing an NBA championship.James is still optimistic about the Lakers' future, but he also knows safety comes first.“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we do not have an opportunity to finish this season,” James said from his home Wednesday on a conference call with Lakers beat reporters.The Lakers were cruising toward their first playoff berth since 2013 when the NBA season was suspended March 11. They have the Western Conference’s best record at 49-14, leading the second-place Clippers (44-20) by 5 1/2 games and trailing only Milwaukee (53-12) in the overall league standings.The Lakers did... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Instead of preparing for a playoff run, LeBron James is mostly spending the spring playing hoops with his teenage sons and enjoying tea time with his young daughter.And when he isn't binge-watching “Tiger King” with his wife, he is scanning the news for information on whether the coronavirus pandemic will allow the Los Angeles Lakers to finish their impressive season chasing an NBA championship.James is still optimistic about the Lakers' future, but he also knows safety comes first.“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we do not have an opportunity to finish this season,” James said from his home Wednesday on a conference call with Lakers beat reporters.The Lakers were cruising toward their first playoff berth since 2013 when the NBA season was suspended March 11. They have the Western Conference’s best record at 49-14, leading the second-place Clippers (44-20) by 5 1/2 games and trailing only Milwaukee (53-12) in the overall league standings.The Lakers did... [More]

Kobe Bryant is back atop the best-seller lists, days after the late Los Angeles Lakers superstar was selected to the Hall of Fame.The latest release from Bryant’s Granity Studios, “The Wizenard Series: Season One” will debut at No. 1 on The New York Times’ middle-grade hardcover list that will be published April 19. Earlier this week, it had already hit No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for children’s basketball books.Bryant and daughter Gianna were among nine who died in a helicopter crash in late JanuarySeason One, the latest installment of Bryant’s Wizenard story line that follows the progress of a young basketball player dealing with various trials and tribulations, was released last week. Bryant’s company describes it as “a story of strain and sacrifice, supernatural breakthroughs, and supreme dedication to the game.”Bryant was the series creator and envisioned the story lines. Other books created by Bryant’s content company soared in popularity in the days following the basketball... [More]

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is bracing for several more weeks of uncertainty about the remainder of this halted season, revealing Monday night that he does not expect the league will be able to decide anything until at least May.Silver spoke on the NBA’s Twitter account as part of the league’s new NBATogether initiative, in a conversation hosted by Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson. Silver touched on many topics, including how the league is looking at numerous scenarios for a return, but in every case the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic makes it impossible right now to move too far forward.“Essentially, what I’ve told my folks over the last week is that we just should just accept that, at least for the month of April, we won’t be in a position to make any decisions,” Silver said. “And I don’t think that necessarily means on May 1 we will be.”The NBA was the first of the major U.S. pro leagues to shut down because of the COVID-19 threat, doing so after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became... [More]

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is bracing for several more weeks of uncertainty about the remainder of this halted season, revealing Monday night that he does not expect the league will be able to decide anything until at least May.Silver spoke on the NBA’s Twitter account as part of the league’s new NBATogether initiative, in a conversation hosted by Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson. Silver touched on many topics, including how the league is looking at numerous scenarios for a return, but in every case the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic makes it impossible right now to move too far forward.“Essentially, what I’ve told my folks over the last week is that we just should just accept that, at least for the month of April, we won’t be in a position to make any decisions,” Silver said. “And I don’t think that necessarily means on May 1 we will be.”The NBA was the first of the major U.S. pro leagues to shut down because of the COVID-19 threat, doing so after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became... [More]

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver does not expect any decisions to be made until at least May about the possible resumption of the 2019-20 season, saying the coronavirus pandemic simply makes it too difficult to project what will happen next.Silver spoke on Monday on the NBA’s Twitter account as part of the league’s new NBATogether initiative, in a conversation hosted by Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson.“Essentially, what I’ve told my folks over the last week is that we just should just accept that, at least for the month of April, we won’t be in a position to make any decisions,” Silver said. “And I don’t think that necessarily means on May 1 we will be.”The NBA was the first of the major U.S. pro leagues to shut down because of the COVID-19 threat, doing so after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league to test positive for the virus. The league’s regular season was to end April 15, and the playoffs were to begin April 18.Silver said no decision has been made about whether the regular season will resume, or if the league — assuming the season can begin again — will go right to the playoffs.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo is spending much of his time during the coronavirus-imposed hiatus working out, helping care for his newborn son and playing occasional video games.What the reigning MVP isn’t doing very often is shooting baskets since the NBA has closed team practice facilities.“I don’t have access to a hoop,” the Milwaukee Bucks forward said Friday during a conference call. “A lot of NBA players might have a court in their house or something, I don’t know, but now I just get my home workouts, (go) on the bike, treadmill, lift weights, stay sharp that way.”The hiatus is forcing thousands of athletes, pro and otherwise, to work out from home as they try to keep in shape. Equipment varies from player to player, too.“It all comes down to what they have and what they’re capable of doing,” Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “We can do a lot of body weight stuff. That’s how they stay ready. That’s the most I can offer as a coach for them to stay ready. I can’t say ‘Hey,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo is spending much of his time during the coronavirus-imposed hiatus working out, helping care for his newborn son and playing occasional video games.What the reigning MVP isn’t doing very often is shooting baskets since the NBA has closed team practice facilities.“I don’t have access to a hoop,” the Milwaukee Bucks forward said Friday during a conference call. “A lot of NBA players might have a court in their house or something, I don’t know, but now I just get my home workouts, (go) on the bike, treadmill, lift weights, stay sharp that way.”The hiatus is forcing thousands of athletes, pro and otherwise, to work out from home as they try to keep in shape. Equipment varies from player to player, too.“It all comes down to what they have and what they’re capable of doing,” Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “We can do a lot of body weight stuff. That’s how they stay ready. That’s the most I can offer as a coach for them to stay ready. I can’t say ‘Hey,... [More]

The votes are in, and word is about to come if this, finally, is the year that former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich gets the call from the Basketball Hall of Fame.He's due.“Long overdue,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.The opinions that matter are held by the 24 people who submitted their ballots to decide who goes into this year’s class, which will be announced on Saturday. Candidates need 75% of the vote — 18 ballots — to earn the congratulatory phone call from Basketball Hall President and CEO John Doleva.The late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, San Antonio great Tim Duncan and former Minnesota and Boston star Kevin Garnett headline this class, and it’s assumed they’ll all be officially announced Saturday. They’re first-time finalists, as is four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings.The other finalists have been close before: Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey, Bentley women’s coach Barbara Stevens, two-time AP college coach of the year Eddie Sutton are among... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks remain confident the coronavirus pandemic won’t put a permanent halt to the season and that they’ll get to resume chasing their first league title in nearly half a century.The Bucks had a league-best 53-12 record when play was suspended three weeks ago. With Giannis Antetokounmpo having a a potential second straight MVP season, the Bucks seemed poised to make a run at the title that has eluded this franchise since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led them to an NBA championship in 1971.Bucks general manager Jon Horst thinks they will get that opportunity. “We believe that we’re going to play,” Horst said Wednesday in a conference call. “Everything that we’re doing every day in our communications, in our preparations, everything we talk about is being prepared to play at some point, finish out the season and have a resumption.”That’s why Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer has spent part of this hiatus making sure the Bucks don’t lose their edge whenever... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — With so much uncertainty around the NBA season, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks is no longer ruling out Kevin Durant for the season.Marks repeatedly had said he didn't expect Durant to play this season while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, but he acknowledged Wednesday that everything is unknown now that the season is suspended because of the new coronavirus.Durant was injured in the 2019 NBA Finals, so he would have a year to recover if the league were to resume in June.Even Kyrie Irving, who had shoulder surgery on March 3, might be available if play stretched into the summer.But Marks said he couldn't even give an answer if the superstars would be able to play this season.“I don’t think that’s fair, one to those athletes, nor the performance team, to put a timeline on this. I think everybody is dealing with bigger items, far more pressing items,” Marks said during a conference call. “I do know that those two players are continuing their rehab, but again,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — With so much uncertainty around the NBA season, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks is no longer ruling Kevin Durant out for the season.Marks had repeatedly said he didn't expect Durant to play this season while recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, but he acknowledged Wednesday that everything is unknown now that the season is suspended because of the new coronavirus.Durant was injured in the NBA Finals, so he would have a year to recover if the league were to resume in June.Even Kyrie Irving, who had shoulder surgery on March 3, might be available if play stretched into the summer.Marks said he couldn't even give an answer if the superstars would be able to play this season.“I don’t think that’s fair, one to those athletes, nor the performance team to put a timeline on this. I think everybody is dealing with bigger items, far more pressing items,” Marks said during a conference call. “I do know that those two players are continuing their rehab, but again, when... [More]