OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry on the sidelines again, this time with a hurt knee. No longer the sure-thing No. 1 seed. Steve Kerr piecing together rotations based on who's available through illness and injury.It hasn't exactly been an easy course this season for the defending NBA champions.The Golden State Warriors are used to being the best out West, a top target that everyone in the NBA seeks to unseat.It's just a little different this time.Not that Kerr is overly concerned. Golden State's coach thinks the Warriors will be just fine when they open their best-of-seven series against No. 7 seed San Antonio at home this weekend."We're going to have new life when the playoffs start. And I'm well aware of what a long, difficult season it's been," he said. "So many things have been thrown at us here the last month, especially all the injuries, which have really shaken up our rotation. That's made it difficult on everybody and our players. But they're fighting and that's the main thing."We're... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA playoffs that start this weekend already have an extremely tough act to follow.The regular season ended with a flourish.Wednesday's final night of the regular season was well beyond dramatic — an overtime game between Minnesota and Denver to decide the last berth, another overtime game between Miami and Toronto to determine some East fates, a 46-point first quarter by Philadelphia , an absurd 20-rebound, 19-assist night from Russell Westbrook.And now, the best time of the NBA year is finally here.The playoffs are back, with Golden State and Cleveland — who've met in the last three NBA Finals — not exactly looking like the overwhelming favorites the league has come to expect. A fourth straight Warriors-Cavs matchup is no guarantee. A fourth straight trip by either of those teams alone is far from certain, either.It all starts Saturday, the 16-team tournament that will be a two-month grind following the six-month grind of the regular season."I feel pretty ready," Toronto... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA playoffs that start this weekend already have an extremely tough act to follow.The regular season ended with a flourish.Wednesday's final night of the regular season was well beyond dramatic — an overtime game between Minnesota and Denver to decide the last berth, another overtime game between Miami and Toronto to determine some East fates, a 46-point first quarter by Philadelphia , an absurd 20-rebound, 19-assist night from Russell Westbrook.And now, the best time of the NBA year is finally here.The playoffs are back, with Golden State and Cleveland — who've met in the last three NBA Finals — not exactly looking like the overwhelming favorites the league has come to expect. A fourth straight Warriors-Cavs matchup is no guarantee. A fourth straight trip by either of those teams alone is far from certain, either.It all starts Saturday, the 16-team tournament that will be a two-month grind following the six-month grind of the regular season."I feel pretty ready," Toronto... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):1:00 a.m.The NBA playoff bracket is complete.Portland beat Utah to grab the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and that allowed the rest of the bracket to be filled in — finally. The Trail Blazers will play No. 6 New Orleans in the first round, and No. 4 Oklahoma City will have home-court advantage against the fifth-seeded Jazz.The Jazz-Blazers game was the 1,230th and final regular-season matchup of the season. Every other game on Wednesday's schedule was over before the final buzzer in Portland, meaning it took the entire schedule to determine the last two matchups in the West.___11:55 p.m.The first two of the four Western Conference first-round matchups have been set.No. 1 Houston will play No. 8 Minnesota, and No. 2 Golden State (probably with no Stephen Curry) will play No. 7 San Antonio (probably with no Kawhi Leonard).The Rockets swept four games from the Timberwolves, and the Warriors... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):11:55 p.m.The first two of the four Western Conference first-round matchups have been set.No. 1 Houston will play No. 8 Minnesota, and No. 2 Golden State (probably with no Stephen Curry) will play No. 7 San Antonio (probably with no Kawhi Leonard).The Rockets swept four games from the Timberwolves, and the Warriors went 3-1 against the Spurs in the regular season.The rest of the West bracket will be set based on the outcome of the Utah-Portland game. New Orleans will start on the road, regardless of the winner, and Oklahoma City — thanks to its wild 137-123 win over Memphis — could still get a top-four seed.___10:50 p.m.Minnesota is in the playoffs.Jeff Teague's jumper with just over a minute left in overtime put the Timberwolves ahead to stay, and Minnesota topped Denver 112-106 on Wednesday night to grab the final spot in the NBA playoffs.The last West spot was the only one up for grabs on... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):10:50 p.m.Minnesota is in the playoffs.Jeff Teague's jumper with just over a minute left in overtime put the Timberwolves ahead to stay, and Minnesota topped Denver 112-106 on Wednesday night to grab the final spot in the NBA playoffs.The last West spot was the only one up for grabs on the season's final night. It was the NBA's first winner-gets-in, loser-goes-home game since 1997.Denver would have gone to the postseason with a win at Minnesota.Minnesota is in the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — ending what was the longest active drought in the NBA___10:40 p.m.The East is set.It took 82 games, the entire regular season and even an overtime in Miami to decide things, but the bracket for the Eastern Conference playoffs is filled.No. 1 Toronto will play No. 8 Washington, No. 2 Boston will meet No. 7 Milwaukee, No. 3 Philadelphia draws No. 6 Miami and No. 4 Cleveland gets No. 5 Indiana.All... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):10:40 p.m.The East is set.It took 82 games, the entire regular season and even an overtime in Miami to decide things, but the bracket for the Eastern Conference playoffs is filled.No. 1 Toronto will play No. 8 Washington, No. 2 Boston will meet No. 7 Milwaukee, No. 3 Philadelphia draws No. 6 Miami and No. 4 Cleveland gets No. 5 Indiana.All the Game 1s will be Saturday or Sunday, at the lower seed.Indiana went 3-1 against the Cavaliers in the regular season. All the other first-round matchups are ones where the playoff foes split four meetings this season.___10:15 p.m.For the first time since 2001, Philadelphia is a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.For the first time since 2008, LeBron James is not.The 76ers routed Milwaukee 130-95 on Wednesday night to wrap up the No. 3 seed on the East bracket, and that meant No. 4 Cleveland will face No. 5 Indiana when the playoffs open this... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):9:40 p.m.Russell Westbrook will average a triple-double for the second straight season.The Oklahoma City guard came into Wednesday needing 16 rebounds against Memphis to average 10.0 boards this season — and got there in the third quarter of the Thunder's game against the Grizzlies.Westbrook has no issue outdueling teammates for rebounds, and grabbed 16 of the Thunder's first 27 rebounds on Wednesday.It's only the third time in NBA history that someone has averaged a triple-double. Westbrook did it last year, and Oscar Robertson did it in 1961-62.___9:30 p.m.Houston Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute will likely miss at least the first round of the playoffs after dislocating his right shoulder in a meaningless game for the Western Conference leaders.Coach Mike D'Antoni said Wednesday that Mbah a Moute will likely miss two to three weeks with the injury sustained against the Los Angeles Lakers... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James capped his 15th regular season with yet another record.James played in his 82nd game on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, completing an end to end run that underscores the 33-year-old's remarkable consistency. The four-time MVP had never played every game in a regular season as he typically sits out games at the end of the year to rest for the playoffs.Not this year.James' previous high was 81 games in 2008-09, when then-coach Mike Brown sat him for the Cavs' regular-season finale. James never made playing every game a goal, but he has said he wants to break the mold for players of his age.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he tried to talk James out of playing, but relented."He wants to play," Lue said. "I mean, it's hard to play 82 games. I was in the league 11 years. Never had a chance to get to 82. Everything has to go absolutely right. He wants to play and I guess in his 15th year to get to 82, it really says a lot. It says a lot about him. But once... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):9 p.m.There's never been more points in an NBA regular season than this one.For the fourth time in five years, the league's single-season total points record has been broken. The record from last season was 259,753 points across the league, and that went down as most of the night's early games were approaching halftime.It's been a season of milestones for the NBA. The league's assist record was broken, with the NBA players combining for over 1,000 more than they had last season. And even as the points went up, apparently so did the missing — there were 82,311 defensive rebounds league-wide going into Wednesday night, and that was another NBA record.___8:15 p.m.No. 23 has played in all 82.When LeBron James took the floor for Cleveland against New York on Wednesday night, it represented a first for the four-time MVP — this is the first of his 15 seasons in which he's played in every regular-season... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James capped his 15th regular season with yet another record.James played in his 82nd game on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, completing an end to end run that underscores the 33-year-old's remarkable consistency. The four-time MVP had never played every game in a regular season as he typically sits out games at the end of the year to rest for the playoffs.Not this year.James' previous high was 81 games in 2008-09, when then-coach Mike Brown sat him for the Cavs' regular-season finale. James never made playing every game a goal, but he has said he wants to break the mold for players of his age.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he tried to talk James out of playing, but relented."He wants to play," Lue said. "I mean, it's hard to play 82 games. I was in the league 11 years. Never had a chance to get to 82. Everything has to go absolutely right. He wants to play and I guess in his 15th year to get to 82, it really says a lot. It says a lot about him. But once... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Wednesday's final slate of NBA regular-season games (all times local):8:15 p.m.No. 23 has played in all 82.When LeBron James took the floor for Cleveland against New York on Wednesday night, it represented a first for the four-time MVP — this is the first of his 15 seasons in which he's played in every regular-season game.James has ordinarily sat out games at the end of the season when the Cavs have a seed locked up. That didn't happen before the finale this year, so James played all the way to the finish. Cleveland can finish No. 3 or No. 4 in the East, depending on the outcome of its game against the Knicks and the Milwaukee at Philadelphia game.James' previous high for appearances was 81, back in the 2008-09 season. He says he's tried this season to "change the narrative" about what a player in his 15th season is capable of doing.James entered the finale averaging 27.7 points, 9.2 assists and 8.7 rebounds.___7:45 p.m.Toronto coach Dwane Casey is not giving... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James has added another first to his remarkable career by playing in all 82 games.James, who has broken personal and NBA records all season, played 81 games for Cleveland in 2008-09, but then-coach Mike Brown sat him for the Cavs' regular-season finale to get rested for the playoffs.The 33-year-old James never made playing every game a goal, but he accomplished the feat Wednesday night when the Cavs hosted the New York Knicks.In his 15th season, James will finish leading the league in points and minutes played. He entered the finale averaging 27.7 points with career-highs in assists (9.2) assists and rebounds (8.7). He's not expected to be named MVP as Houston's James Harden remains the favorite.James will also lead the Cavs in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.Earlier this season, James eclipsed 30,000 career points and went past Michael Jordan's record (866) by scoring in double digits in consecutive games. That mark is now at 872 games.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams that know Wednesday is the last day of their season. And 15 teams already have clinched playoff berths.Then there are Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7-of-the-playoffs feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams that know Wednesday is the last day of their season. And 15 teams already have clinched playoff berths.Then there are Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7-of-the-playoffs feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams who know Wednesday is the last day of their season. Another 15 teams have already clinched playoff berths.Then there's Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7 feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So there's... [More]

The argument happens most every year. Who is the NBA MVP?LeBron James has been the best player for most of his 15 years in the league, and he's won the award only four times. Russell Westbrook won it last year, buoyed by averaging a triple-double, yet seems to not even be in the conversation this season with very similar numbers. James Harden was a popular pick last season, saw his assist and rebound numbers dip this season, yet is generally considered the runaway favorite.Part of the issue is this: There's no clarity on how the MVP is defined.No one knows the criteria. The award ballot sent to MVP voters simply says "The winner of this award receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the first Commissioner of the NBA."Is it the player most valuable to his team?Is it the player most valuable to the game?Is it the best player?Those are only some of the many gray areas.Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers has said many times over the years that James would win annually, if not for... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams who know Wednesday is the last day of their season. Another 15 teams have already clinched playoff berths.Then there's Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7 feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So there's... [More]

Editors:To help you with the upcoming NBA postseason, here are some of AP's plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org). Times are ET. This digest will be updated.PLAYOFF COVERAGE— Each series will get a preview, 650-750 words.— Game coverage will follow the regular-season format, with final updates of about 750 words. Sidebars on merit.— During the early rounds, we will again move BKN--TIPOFF each day until the conference finals, featuring the top story lines looking ahead to the next day's games.— Team wrapups will move the day after the regular season in most cases.___UPCOMING FEATURESBKN--THE FINAL DAYMIAMI — The last day of the NBA season has arrived, with some statistical races still to be decided and perhaps some milestones even within reach. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. TUESDAYNOTE: Story will move shortly after Tuesday's games are complete___BKN--OLADIPO-INDIANA'S BEST MANINDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers thought Victor Oladipo... [More]

Editors:To help you with the upcoming NBA postseason, here are some of AP's plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org). Times are ET. This digest will be updated.PLAYOFF COVERAGE— Each series will get a preview, 650-750 words.— Game coverage will follow the regular-season format, with final updates of about 750 words. Sidebars on merit.— During the early rounds, we will again move BKN--TIPOFF each day until the conference finals, featuring the top story lines looking ahead to the next day's games.— Team wrapups will move the day after the regular season in most cases.___UPCOMING FEATURESBKN-PLAYOFFS-THE REFSMIAMI — The player-referee relationship is going to be a focus again in these playoffs. It was a season where referee Courtney Kirkland was taken off the floor for a week for getting too aggressive with Golden State's Shaun Livingston, where Warriors star Kevin Durant — who'd been ejected once in his first nine seasons — got kicked out of five games, where even LeBron... [More]