OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The ending was weird.The postgame was weird.At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson's knee to send the Warriors' sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.And all that was just J.R. Smith.The opener of this Cleveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons — LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a triple-double. Instead, this game's legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith's gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the final seconds.Warriors... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The ending was weird.The postgame was weird.At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson's knee to send the Warriors' sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.And all that was just J.R. Smith.The opener of this Cleveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons — LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a triple-double. Instead, this game's legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith's gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the final seconds.Warriors... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny Smith is an outsider wanting in. The Detroit Pistons could change that.Detroit needs a new head coach and reportedly has plans to interview the TNT NBA analyst, who has no prior coaching experience.The former first-round draft pick out of the University of North Carolina played in the NBA for a decade, making appearances with six teams. He's mainly known for his six-year stint in Houston, where the Rockets won championships in 1994 and '95. He hung up all his jerseys in 1997 and put on a suit for TV.During his final season, Smith made a pit stop in Detroit. He played just nine games for the Pistons.Smith would not be the first former player to go directly from broadcasting to coaching. Nor is basketball the only sport plucking people out of the booth and plopping them down on the bench; it actually hopped on the trend late compared to baseball.Here's some others who paved the path from the booth to the bench:Aaron Boone (MLB)The current Yankees manager spent seven... [More]

If there is a glaring hole on Golden State's championship resume, it's that the Warriors have never gone back-to-back.That will change.The Warriors are about to win their second straight NBA championship and their third in the last four seasons — all of them coming at the expense of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won't have enough even if LeBron James plays to the absolute utmost of his capabilities. The Warriors have home-court advantage, and have three of the best four players who will appear in the series.They're just too good to lose.If they were going to lose, it would have been in the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets. Houston was a team that was built for one purpose — beating the Warriors. And the Rockets might have done it, too, had Chris Paul's hamstring not popped in the final seconds of Game 5 and forced him to the sideline for the rest of the series.Golden State rallied in both Game 6 and Game 7, as Paul looked on helplessly. Yes, the Warriors caught a huge... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors, so used to making things look easy, overcame one of their toughest tests to return to the NBA Finals.They climbed out of huge holes in the last two games of the Western Conference finals to beat Houston, but may have to play in the first half the way they have after halftime if they hope to knock off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers and repeat as champions."They played a great series, they made us work for everything ... I'm just proud of the way we battled," Klay Thompson said. "We've been through a lot with this team, and believe it or not, it's not all success with the Warriors.""We've got our bumps throughout the season," he continued. "But to get to this point again, we earned it."Without Andre Iguodala again, the Warriors shook off another terrible first half in Game 7 on Monday night to rally for a 101-92 victory that made them the fifth team in NBA history to advance to the finals in four straight seasons.Golden State trailed by... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson flashed back to a night he left the arena still in uniform, furious about his forgettable performance against Denver.It used to be he struggled to shake off a bad night, or even a bad start to a game.Now, he just keeps shooting. Whenever he feels like it, from wherever. No conscience. A hand or two in his face, no matter."I was not always like this. I used to be so hard on myself, especially early in my career," Thompson said. "... I learned, as I get older, if you play with passion, you play hard, and you leave the game saying I gave everything I have tonight in those 48 minutes, you can live with the result."The Warriors' season lives on largely thanks to Thompson's shooting touch. Golden State is one win from a fourth straight NBA Finals, headed back to Houston for Monday night's Game 7.He came through with the defending champions' season on the line in another do-or-die Game 6, just as he did two years ago at Oklahoma City. This time he scored 35... [More]

The NBA playoffs never go according to plan. The Golden State Warriors are proof of that.Again.They have been the league's best team over the last four seasons, without question. But even the great teams need injury luck on their side, as has been evident in each of their playoff runs over that span.Enter Chris Paul and Andre Iguodala this year.In 2015, Golden State didn't have to face injured Cleveland stars Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love in the NBA Finals and won the title.A year later, the Warriors blew a 3-1 finals lead against the Cavs because the series turned in Game 5 — not because Draymond Green was suspended (the often-offered and incorrect narrative), but because Andrew Bogut got clumsily taken out by J.R. Smith and the Warriors had no one left to defend the rim from LeBron James' constant onslaughts.Last year, Kawhi Leonard came down on Zaza Pachulia's foot in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, San Antonio's big lead was gone in an instant and the Warriors steamrolled the... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Andre Iguodala's bruised left knee improved Wednesday, but he was still listed as questionable for the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.Iguodala missed Tuesday night's game after banging his left knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. Kerr says: "He's feeling a little better today. He's out on the floor, not doing a whole lot but making progress."Houston got a 95-92 win in Game 4 on Tuesday to even the series at 2-2 heading in Thursday's game.Klay Thompson is also listed as questionable after straining his left knee Tuesday night. But Kerr said that Thompson was "moving around really well" on Wednesday and that he thought he'd be fine.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Rockets have reason to feel good, tied with Golden State after winning Game 2 in a rout in the Western Conference finals.But a big challenge awaits Sunday at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have won an NBA-record tying 15 straight playoff games.Houston coach Mike D'Antoni knows all about Golden State's success in Oakland, but thinks it has less to do with being at home than the fact that the Warriors are a great team."The challenge is you're playing Golden State. That's why they've won 15 in a row. Not because of the building, but because they're good," he said. "All these players are used to playing in hostile environments ... it helps a little bit (but) sometimes you feed off the energy also from the other crowd. So you try to take them out as soon as you can and take out the crowd."The Rockets aren't daunted by Golden State's winning streak there and are looking forward to the challenge."It's definitely a great place to play," Trevor Ariza said. "Their fans are great.... [More]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ray Allen has enjoyed watching former teammate LeBron James lead Cleveland through the NBA playoffs. And it's not much different than what Allen saw almost daily when the two were part of the Miami Heat's run to a NBA title in 2013."He's the main cog of what the Cavaliers are doing," Allen said Monday. "I don't see him doing anything outside of his spectrum. He's doing what he's been doing most of his career. When we start talking playoff basketball and about the players who are good, we expect them to do their jobs when it's time to do their jobs."For the two-time NBA champion in Allen, there's no higher compliment.Allen spent his stellar, 19-year career well prepared for whatever moment there was. He was a 10-time NBA all-star who helped a trophy-starved Boston to a championship in 2008, then joined James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Heat to capture the 2013 crown.Allen, the son of an Air Force veteran, starred for Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are in the unfamiliar position of opening on the road as they prepare for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with the top-seeded Rockets in Houston on Monday night in the series that many have been waiting for all season.It's the first time the No. 2 Warriors have been in a playoff series without home-court advantage since 2014 when they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in the opening round.For a team that has matched the Chicago Bulls' NBA record with 15 straight home playoff victories, the feeling is a bit unsettling."It's different," coach Steve Kerr said. "I think our guys, they are taking the challenge and they're embracing it. They feel like, 'OK, we don't have home court for the first time,' but we seem to be at our best when we are threatened. That's been kind of the M.O. of this team. We're definitely threatened. We're on the road for Game 1, we've never felt that."The Rockets, who earned the top seed for the first time in franchise... [More]

Capsules for NBA's conference finals that start Sunday in the East, Monday in the West:___EASTERN CONFERENCENo. 2 BOSTON CELTICS (55-27, 8-4) vs. No. 4 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (50-32, 8-3)Season series: Cavaliers, 2-1.Story line: Cleveland's LeBron James is one round away from his eighth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and it's an East finals rematch between two franchises that look incredibly different than they did 12 months ago. Kyrie Irving went from Cleveland to Boston last summer; his season is over because of a knee injury. Isaiah Thomas went from Boston to Cleveland in that deal; his season is over because he's long moved on from the Cavs. It's two teams that were written off plenty of times this season, yet here they are again.How They Got Here: Boston beat No. 7 Milwaukee 4-3 and No. 3 Philadelphia 4-1. Cleveland beat No. 5 Indiana 4-3 and No. 1 Toronto 4-0.Key Matchup: Boston's Al Horford vs. Cleveland's Kevin Love. James is going to be great; that's a given. The Cavs will need... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — After a Game 3 flop in New Orleans, similar to that lone first-round loss against San Antonio last month, coach Steve Kerr provided a quick reminder to the Golden State Warriors:It's not supposed to be easy at this stage — especially for the defending champions.There's no way this postseason can go as brilliantly as the last one. That remarkable, record-setting 16-1 run to the title, well, it's not going to happen often, or maybe ever again."I told our team actually after Game 3 the day we practiced, I said, 'What we did last year was the first time and only time anybody has ever accomplished that in the playoffs, gone 16-1," Kerr said. "I know the Lakers went 15-1, they had a similar kind of joy ride where very little adversity, but that's the extreme exception. Year after year, the NBA champion has to go through so much to get there. And that's why you pour champagne on each other, because it's really hard, and it's supposed to be hard. The fact that it is so difficult... [More]

The "Death Lineup" breathed new life into the Golden State Warriors.It was yet another reminder: In the NBA playoffs, where even a brief downward slide can be enough to end a season, even the best teams won't hesitate when they feel a need to shake up their starting lineups.Desperate times in the first round sent Cleveland to desperate lineup measures. Toronto, the team that finished with the NBA's second-best regular season record, sought a spark by changing its starting five against the Cavs for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Utah showed Houston a new look Sunday in Game 4 of their West semifinal matchup, and while the Jazz slowed the high-powered Rockets at times they still fell into a 3-1 series deficit.And then there's the Warriors, who were coming off a big loss in Game 3 against New Orleans so they put their five best players — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — on the floor Sunday to start a game for the first time all season.... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rajon Rondo and Draymond Green have won NBA titles and never have been known to shy away from conflict on the court.Now their combustible convergence in the playoffs is providing a spicy subplot to the Western Conference semifinal series between New Orleans and Golden State."We're here to fight," Rondo said following New Orleans' lopsided Game 3 victory that trimmed the Warriors' series lead to 2-1. "With my guys on the court, I'm going to fight as hard as I can ... and do whatever it takes."Green and Rondo had to be separated after whistles twice in the first three games — never mind some other antics in the flow of the game — and they'll be back at it again in one of two pivotal Game 4s to be played on Sunday. The other pits Houston against Utah in a series that the Rockets lead 2-1.The Rondo-Green sideshow is compelling because of what both players mean to their teams. They are not the type of trash-talking, loud-mouths who otherwise play marginal roles. They are accomplished... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rajon Rondo and Draymond Green have won NBA titles and never have been known to shy away from conflict on the court.Now their combustible convergence in the playoffs is providing spicy subplot to the Western Conference semifinal series between New Orleans and Golden State."We're here to fight," Rondo said following New Orleans' lopsided Game 3 victory that trimmed the Warriors' series lead to 2-1. "With my guys on the court, I'm going to fight as hard as I can ... and do whatever it takes."Green and Rondo had to be separated after whistles twice in the first three games — never mind some other antics in the flow of the game — and they'll be back at it again in one of two pivotal Game 4s to be played on Sunday. The other pits Houston against Utah in a series that the Rockets lead 2-1.The Rondo-Green sideshow is compelling because of what both players mean to their teams. They are not the type of trash-talking, loud-mouths who otherwise play marginal roles. They are accomplished... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — When Stephen Curry's shot needs a little something, he dives into "The Menu." Warriors teammate Klay Thompson might put up a few extra shots after an off night. If Kevin Durant is trying to rediscover his rhythm, he does some studying that usually means watching his made shots.Golden State boasts some of the world's best shooters and each has his own way of bouncing back from a poor performance.For Curry, there is no actual list or book for "The Menu." The two-time MVP and his right-hand shooting man, Bruce Fraser, keep all the details in their heads for what the record-breaking 3-point sharpshooter could use work on any given day. It comes in especially handy when the shots aren't falling, though Curry certainly found his touch fast in returning from nearly six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury to score 28 points in a Game 2 win against New Orleans on Tuesday night. Golden State leads the series 2-0 going into Friday.Maybe Curry needs more catch and shoots... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — When Stephen Curry's shot needs a little something, he dives into "The Menu." Warriors teammate Klay Thompson might put up a few extra shots after an off night. If Kevin Durant is trying to rediscover his rhythm, he does some studying that usually means watching his made shots.Golden State boasts some of the world's best shooters and each has his own way of bouncing back from a poor performance.For Curry, there is no actual list or book for "The Menu." The two-time MVP and his right-hand shooting man, Bruce Fraser, keep all the details in their heads for what the record-breaking 3-point sharpshooter could use work on any given day. It comes in especially handy when the shots aren't falling, though he certainly found his touch fast in returning from nearly six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury to score 28 points Tuesday night against New Orleans.Maybe Curry needs more catch and shoots. Or off-the-dribble work. Sometimes, it's ballhandling into his shot. Perhaps... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — When Stephen Curry's shot needs a little something, he dives into "The Menu." Warriors teammate Klay Thompson might put up a few extra shots after an off night. If Kevin Durant is trying to rediscover his rhythm, he does some studying that usually means watching his made shots.Golden State boasts some of the world's best shooters and each has his own way of bouncing back from a poor performance.For Curry, there is no actual list or book for "The Menu." The two-time MVP and his right-hand shooting man, Bruce Fraser, keep all the details in their heads for what the record-breaking 3-point sharpshooter could use work on any given day. It comes in especially handy when the shots aren't falling, though he certainly found his touch fast in returning from nearly six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury to score 28 points Tuesday night against New Orleans.Maybe Curry needs more catch and shoots. Or off-the-dribble work. Sometimes, it's ballhandling into his shot. Perhaps... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr refers to Pelicans star Anthony Davis "one of the very best players on earth."That means the Golden State Warriors' defense will face a far different test than what San Antonio presented in the first round of the NBA playoffs when New Orleans arrives for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday night on the defending champions' home floor.The pace. The playmakers. And, of course, the load that is Davis.Davis' daunting playoff averages: 33 points, 12 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.New Orleans got here even after losing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins three months ago to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. That's when Davis said the Pelicans became "great.""It was tough. We were still learning when he was here," Davis said."We were still in that early stage of trying to figure out how to close games, how to play for each other, defensive assignments. And we started to figure it out before he got hurt. ... Then when he went down, we had to... [More]