OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins spent his first eight seasons in the NBA chasing two things — peace and the playoffs.After signing with Golden State as a free agent, the four-time All-Star center has no doubts he'll finally find both, and that those will help dispel the notion that he's a bad teammate."Just a chance to play for a winning culture," Cousins said Thursday. "I also have a chance to play with some of the most talented players of this era. Those two things alone, that pretty much sums it up."Looking relaxed while sitting on a stage next to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Cousins was at ease during a news conference at the team's practice facility.Golden State's fiery big man seems content in his new surroundings and wants the hardware to show for it."Every guy said let's go get another championship," Cousins said. "They are a well-established team and they could have easily been like, 'No, we don't need him.' But they were excited like a team that's never accomplished... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins spent his first eight seasons in the NBA chasing two things — peace and the playoffs.After signing with Golden State as a free agent, the four-time All-Star center has no doubts he'll finally find both, and that that will help dispel the notion that he's a bad teammate.Looking relaxed while sitting next to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Cousins was at ease during a news conference Thursday at the team's practice facility.He expressed frustrated by the tediousness of rehab while recovering from surgery on his left Achilles but said he's trying to be smart about it.The 27-year-old with a quick temper and a history of piling up technical fouls at a rapid rate also showed a playful side when he joked about the possibility of fighting with new teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, two players with whom he's had on-court issues in the past.Golden State's fiery big man seems content in his new surroundings and wants the hardware to show for it.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

LAS VEGAS (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins perfectly summed up the potential of the Golden State Warriors."Scary," he said.The rest of the league likely agrees.Cousins signed his contract Friday to join the two-time defending NBA champion Warriors for this coming season, one in which he'll make $5.3 million. He isn't sure when his surgically repaired Achilles will allow him to start playing with his new team — being ready for the start of training camp seems quite doubtful — but he can already envision what might happen when he returns to form."Of course it's going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of hard work and dedication, and also a lot of sacrifice from not only myself but other guys on the team as well," Cousins told reporters Friday night at the NBA Summer League. "That's something that we all are aware of and that's something we accepted already."When he returns, something he says he won't do until he's back to 100 percent, the Warriors could have a starting five composed entirely of 2018... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — As he has long desired, DeMarcus Cousins will finally get a chance to play for a winner once he's healthy from a torn left Achilles tendon.When Boogie returns to the court this season, the volatile big man will give the Golden State Warriors five 2018 All-Stars in their starting lineup to chase another title — with Cousins trying for his first after never appearing in the playoffs. The center, who has had his problems with technical fouls, will sign with the two-time defending champions after the moratorium period is lifted Friday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is yet to be completed.Cousins is set to join a starting lineup of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, who is fresh off his second straight NBA Finals MVP, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green."The 3rd splash Brother," Curry posted on Twitter with a series of happy crying emojis. "Let's... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — As he has long desired, DeMarcus Cousins will finally get a chance to play for a winner once he's healthy from a torn left Achilles tendon.When Boogie returns to the court this season, the volatile big man will give the Golden State Warriors five 2018 All-Stars in their starting lineup to chase another title — with Cousins trying for his first after never appearing in the playoffs. The center, who has had his problems with technical fouls, will sign with the two-time defending champions after the moratorium period is lifted Friday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is yet to be completed.Cousins is set to join a starting lineup of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, fresh off his second straight NBA Finals MVP, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green."The 3rd splash Brother," Curry posted on Twitter with a series of happy crying emojis. "Let's go @boogiecousins."Cousins'... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State first-round draft pick Jacob Evans III has signed his contract and is set to play in the summer league with the two-time reigning NBA champions.The Warriors selected the 6-foot-6 guard/forward with the 28th overall pick out of Cincinnati and formally introduced him at a news conference last week, his proud family in attendance.Evans averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.14 steals during his three-year career at Cincinnati. He says he can't wait to learn from all the superstars around him, such as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Evans called the Warriors "probably the greatest team ever in NBA history."Summer league was set to begin Monday in Sacramento, California.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Warriors general manager Bob Myers expects swift negotiations to re-sign two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant and coach Steve Kerr.Durant could sign for as long as four years and about $160 million, and Myers is prepared to give him "whatever he wants." Durant has said all along he wants to stay put, especially after winning a pair of championships in his first two seasons with Golden State."Sometimes you don't negotiate. I'd love to have him for 10 years. Kevin Durant, look what he did for us last year, he did us a great service," Myers said. "He's earned the right to sign whatever deal he wants. I just want him to sign a deal. But want him to be happy and want him to know that we want him as long as he wants to be here. He's earned that, to kind of lay out the terms. He can do whatever he wants. That shouldn't be a long negotiation. Our goal, to be honest, is to try to keep the whole thing together, so that's the pieces of the puzzle we've got to try to... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The NBA might have to get used to this.Stephen Curry is under contract for basically the rest of his prime. Kevin Durant says he isn't going anywhere. Steve Kerr has more than proven himself as one of the game's best coaches. Free agents will line up for the chance to move west even if that means taking some pay cuts. There's even a new arena coming in a year or so for the Golden State Warriors to call home.It's their league now, without question.For the third time in four years, the Warriors are champions of the NBA world. They've gone back-to-back, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 on Friday night to finish off a sweep of these NBA Finals in the fourth consecutive meeting between those clubs.The Cavs may very well be coming apart.The Warriors look very much built to last, and no matter where LeBron James goes this summer it'll probably be Golden State as the prohibitive favorites to win it all again next year."You don't want to cheat the moment," Curry said, the... [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]

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]

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]

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) — The Houston Rockets have a chance to take their first lead in the Western Conference finals with a victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.To do that they'll need their superstars to step up again, with the pressure on James Harden and Chris Paul to deliver after their big performances in Game 3 spurred Houston to the road victory that tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2."We're back to even," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We know what we have to do and see if we can do it against a great team."After two blowout losses in this series, including an embarrassing 41-point rout in Game 3, the Rockets know they don't have any time to celebrate Tuesday's win. It was a victory that snapped Golden State's NBA-record 16-game home playoff winning streak."We have to get down to normal sea level real quick, because we've got a lot of work left," D'Antoni said. "We know it's not going to be easy, but also they know now it's not going to be easy. We're looking forward to... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — One good beating per series is plenty for Draymond Green and Golden State.The Warriors got it in Game 2 at Houston, and now the defending champions plan to do what they seem to do best: bounce back with brilliance.As the Western Conference finals showdown shifts to Oracle Arena for Sunday's Game 3, tied at one game apiece, the Warriors have spent the past few days discussing their Game 2 troubles and what they're striving to do in order not to be dominated again.It's time to play."I think we're at our best when we feel threatened," Green said Saturday. "Game 1 we felt threatened, we came out with a sense of urgency. Game 2 we maybe didn't feel as threatened and the sense of urgency wasn't there. I think you're allowed one of those a series. We've had our one, now it's time to lock in for the remainder of the series."And for the Warriors that starts on the defensive end against Chris Paul, James Harden and Co., because when they get stops it allows Golden State to... [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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry and Draymond Green admire Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni from afar for how he empowers all his players to be scorers.No matter who you are, just let it fly — and for the Rockets that means regularly from 3-point range. And in transition whenever possible.Golden State coach Steve Kerr praises D'Antoni for influencing the way NBA teams now play offense: the pace and the space; precise ball movement and playing small without a traditional center; shooting at will and shooting from way back.Still, for all his success in leading the West's top team this season, D'Antoni might need a championship to validate his style.Standing in the way are the defending champion Warriors, who open the best-of-seven Western Conference finals at Houston on Monday night."He empowers everyone to shoot the basketball, and that's dangerous," said Green, Golden State's bruising forward. "That's why he's been so successful, especially on that side of the ball with any team he's ever... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Draymond Green's remarkable postseason has pushed beyond basketball, featuring Charles Barkley declaring he'd like to punch the emotional Golden State forward, a death threat from a frustrated fan who Green encouraged to get the help he needs, and an attempt by the All-Star to listen in on the Pelicans huddle.Oh, and it just so happens Green also became the first Warriors player to ever average a triple-double in a postseason series."He's just incredibly engaged and locked in. This is the best I've seen him play all year," coach Steve Kerr said. "Draymond has to play hard to do what he does. I think the playoffs have energized him."Green is at his best on the big stage and playing just on the edge — pushing boundaries by being just physical enough without crossing the line, dishing out just enough trash talk, though others may beg to differ.Just as Barkley did.Green flaps his mouth with the best of them in what many might consider over-the-top gamesmanship, engaging... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Draymond Green's remarkable postseason has pushed beyond basketball, featuring Charles Barkley declaring he'd like to punch the emotional Golden State forward, a death threat from a frustrated fan that Green encouraged to get the help he needs, and an attempt by the All-Star to listen in on the Pelicans huddle.Oh, and it just so happens Green also became the first Warriors player to ever average a triple-double in a postseason series."He's just incredibly engaged and locked in. This is the best I've seen him play all year," coach Steve Kerr said. "Draymond has to play hard to do what he does. I think the playoffs have energized him."Green is at his best on the big stage and playing just on the edge — pushing boundaries by being just physical enough without crossing the line, dishing out just enough trash talk, though others may beg to differ.Just as Barkley did.Green flaps his mouth with the best of them in what many might consider over-the-top gamesmanship, engaging... [More]

The buildup for this series truly began in February, with some pointed comments from Golden State's Draymond Green.Or in October, when Houston won at Golden State on ring night.Or in June, when the Rockets landed Chris Paul.Whenever it started, however it started, it's clear that this is the series that the NBA-watching world wanted. Western Conference finals, Golden State versus Houston, Game 1 on Monday on the Rockets' home floor. Series winner to the NBA Finals, series loser will undoubtedly feel like they let a championship ring slip away."They got us. We got them," Green said. "Got to go out there and play. We'll see who better."After more than 10 months of playing, posturing and some pontificating, it really is that simple.This Rockets team was assembled — the key being the trade for Paul last summer — with hopes of unseating the reigning champion Warriors from their perch atop the NBA. So far, so good. Houston set a franchise record with 65 wins in the regular season, went 2-1 against... [More]