OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson sustained a concussion in a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks and has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol.The Thunder made the announcement Monday, a day after the injury. Ferguson took a shot to the head during the 113-94 win and did not return. There is no set timetable to complete the protocol.Ferguson appeared in 61 games, including 12 starts for the Thunder last season. He averaged 3.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have waived forward Desi Rodriguez a week before the season begins.The team announced the move before its preseason home game against Denver on Tuesday night.Rodriguez had one assist and one steal in two preseason games. He appeared in six games for the Clippers' Las Vegas Summer League team, averaging 7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.Rodriguez played four years at Seton Hall, averaging 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds.The Clippers open the season on Oct. 17 against the Nuggets.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Steven Adams is invaluable to the Oklahoma City Thunder.He's also a reminder: Big men in the NBA are still vital.The imposing 7-foot center from New Zealand is helping change the recent narrative that NBA centers are an endangered species, something that — based on spending and drafting this summer — is evidently not the case.The perimeter-oriented and defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors landed All-Star DeMarcus Cousins this summer, albeit on a $5.3 million bargain deal. NBA teams went big at this year's 2018 draft, with Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley going No. 1 and No. 2 and centers taking four of the first seven spots. And this summer, $285 million worth of contracts went to three centers — Nikola Jokic, Clint Capela and Jusuf Nurkic.Not bad for often underappreciated guys."I just think guys are just getting more opportunities to play their game, play outside the box," Detroit's Andre Drummond said.Adams is a great example.He doesn't get many, if any, plays... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki hasn't won a playoff series since leading the Dallas Mavericks to their only championship in 2011 and has watched the franchise's steady slide to depths not seen since he was the fresh-faced rookie out of Europe 20 years ago.If Nowitzki's record 21st season with the same team is his last, the superstar from Germany at least wants to be able to say he was there for the beginning of a turnaround.Those hopes are grounded in another precocious Euro transplant, No. 3 overall pick Luka Doncic from Slovenia, and second-year point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who can tell his new young teammate what it's like to start an NBA career as a teenager. The Mavericks open the season next Wednesday at Phoenix."To me it was always about winning and keeping us a winning franchise," Nowitzki said. "Ever since the championship we had a few rough seasons, snuck into the playoffs a couple times, missed the playoffs. So it's been tough to be part of it at times. But hopefully we're headed... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George is back, and so are the high hopes be brought when he joined the Thunder.Oklahoma City acquired George last year in the deal that sent rising star Victor Oladipo to the Indiana Pacers. It was thought by many that Oklahoma might be just a detour on George's road home to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. Instead, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder made a winning sales pitch. George, an All-Star and one of the league's best two-way players, shocked many by staying instead of leaving in free agency."I just developed these really good relationships here, almost feeling like I've been here for a while," George said. "And then just over the course of the whole season, it just steamrolled, just got better and better, and here I am."George's return is fueling hopes that Oklahoma City can improve on a disappointing, inconsistent season that ended with a first-round playoff exit."I just think we worked through a lot in one year, and people expected us to be a lot... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — In his never-ending quest to improve, Giannis Antetokounmpo connected in the offseason with one of the NBA's retired greats.No way was the Milwaukee Bucks star going to be late for a summer workout with Kobe Bryant.But showing up three hours early? That sends a message.It's all part of an effort by Antetokounmpo to help get the Bucks take another step in the postseason."I just wanted to show him I'm not here to mess around ... I'm here to get better, simple as that. I think he understood that," Antetokounmpo said. "It was an amazing day. It was a dream working out with Kobe."Expectations are on the rise in Milwaukee after three first-round exits over the last four seasons. The Bucks are moving into a new downtown arena, the Fiserv Forum, and new coach Mike Budenholzer has experience winning playoff series.The Bucks hope they'll be able to get a top-four seed. Whatever the case, they believe they have the talent to get out of the first round.It's just the type of growth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs for the second time in three years last season and finished with their worst record in a decade-and-a-half.Even so, management believes the team is setting itself up to climb the Eastern Conference standings."You're not going to hear (general manager) Gar (Forman) or I talk about wins or anything like that," executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. "But the expectations are to see this team come together. ... We feel we're deep. We've got at least two deep at every position."If Paxson's message sounds similar to the one he delivered after last season, well, not much has changed since then.Though the Bulls hardly appear to be championship contenders, they believe they have the potential to make a jump after going 27-55, their worst finish since 2003-04. They are banking largely on improvement from within to start climbing in the Eastern Conference, starting with the season opener at Philadelphia on Oct. 18.That... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — For all of the changes Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks wants to see John Wall, Bradley Beal and other players implement this season with an eye to finally making a deep playoff run, the most important might have nothing do with better shot selection or a more concerted effort on defense or taking every opponent seriously."Stop talking," Brooks said. "There's enough talk. Players and teams that talk are the ones that usually don't have success. The players that just let their play speak for themselves are the teams that are successful."The Wizards are coming off a 43-39 finish, No. 8 seeding in the Eastern Conference and first-round playoff exit, hardly the sort of showing they seemed to think they were capable of a year ago.One major problem, acknowledged by all, was that they tended to fail to show up against lesser teams."The professionalism is going to be a big thing for us," forward Markieff Morris said."We've just got to perform," Morris said. "Quite honestly,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — There was no need for introductions when the Miami Heat got to work this season.It's the same team as last year.That won't be the case next year.Dwyane Wade's 16th NBA season, almost all of which was spent in Miami, will be his last — and the Heat are determined to send the franchise's career leader in just about everything out the right way. Miami slogged its way through injuries to make the playoffs last season, and in an Eastern Conference that seems more open than it has now that LeBron James has moved West the Heat are hoping to send Wade off with a deep postseason run."I'm going to treat it with the appropriate respect," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Wade's final season. "I want him to know that I'm going to give it everything I have to make sure it goes the way that he wants it to — and then in turn, for him to give everything he has to make sure this team goes the way we want it to."Wade wouldn't have it any other way.He labored over this decision to come back or... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets are looking to change their style of play.The Hornets have been working with a 12-second play clock since the summer under first-year coach James Borrego in an effort to dramatically improve their pace of play. Borrego believes he has a team that is athletic enough — and fast enough — to push the ball up the floor to get more easy baskets, more open looks and create open 3-pointers.It's been a challenge for the players, but they say they're adapting well."It was interesting for me that first day, to say the least," said veteran forward Marvin Williams of the 12-second shot clock.Williams joked that at first the Hornets were running down the court and simply launching 3-pointers without much passing. But that changed as they got used to playing at an increased pace.The Hornets have grown to like Borrego's offense."We've been moving the ball well," said shooting guard Jeremy Lamb. "Some nights I score. Some nights Kemba (Walker) scores. Some nights... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — First-year Magic coach Steve Clifford is aware that the most consistent them about his new NBA team over the last few years has been losing.Consider this: Four head coaches and dozens of players have come and gone since Nikola Vucevic arrived in Orlando six years ago in a four-team trade.The 7-foot center has been one of the positive constants, averaging 15.6 points and 10.5 rebounds in 405 games with the Magic. But Vucevic has never been in a playoff game, and this season could be his final shot in Orlando."Trade rumors have been part of my last three years and I've kind of grown used to it," Vucevic said. "I know it's the last year (of his contract) but I also don't focus on that. If you focus on things you can't control, it doesn't really work out for you."Vucevic prefers to focus on the young help he will have this season in the frontcourt.Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba, the Magic's first-round picks in the last two drafts, are the centerpieces of the team's new... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brett Brown made the bold decree that the Philadelphia 76ers would be "star hunting " this summer.Hope the Sixers coach made some nice trips to the local observatory.The only stars the Sixers saw this summer were the ones that passed them by on the way to joining other teams. LeBron James' camp gave the ownership group a cursory meeting on the same day he agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. No other major free agents showed a glimmer of interest in joining a franchise trending from history-making losers toward Eastern Conference contenders in just a few seasons.In social media terms, the 76ers were blocked and muted. They even unfriended their own general manager.Bryan Colangelo split from the Sixers as GM after, of all things, a Twitter scandal that found him guilty of sharing insider information with his wife, who used those details to criticize the Sixers and rival colleagues.It was a stunning fall for Colangelo, a former two-time executive of the year who... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Bringing back a roster virtually unchanged from the end of last season isn't intended to be a sign that the Utah Jazz have embraced the status quo.The Jazz want to send a much different message.This is a team eager to prove last season's strong finish was simply a snapshot of a climb toward becoming an elite team. One thing is certain: Utah will not be sneaking up on anyone this time around, so an even better encore performance will be needed."That focus for me is maybe the unspoken thing when you talk about a team that has guys back and all of that," coach Quin Snyder said. "I want to see them get better. I want to see guys get better individually and I want to see us collectively get better."Donovan Mitchell lessened the blow of Gordon Hayward's departure, averaging a team-high 20.5 points per game during a breakout rookie season. He was even better in the playoffs, averaging 28.5 points on 46.2 percent shooting to help power a first-round series win over Oklahoma... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — There's a lot on the line for Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors this season.A two-time NBA defensive player of the year, Leonard is eager to show he's healthy again after being limited to nine games last year because of a quadriceps injury.The Raptors want Leonard at his best right now, so they can push for the Eastern Conference crown, but also hope their new star likes playing in Toronto enough to stick around when he becomes eligible for free agency next summer.Leonard was the biggest splash in a busy offseason for the Raptors, who traded a package including franchise icon DeMar DeRozan to acquire the 2014 NBA Finals MVP from San Antonio."I want to do great things, so I'm going to make sure that I put all my effort on the court, each and every night," Leonard said in his first public comments with his new team.Toronto also fired Coach of the Year Dwane Casey, replacing him with former assistant and first-time NBA head coach Nick Nurse."The summer was crazy but, you... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Fair warning: Don't challenge Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris to a game of Spikeball.The Denver duo are the team's undisputed champions of a sport that's a little like volleyball, only players hit the ball off a trampoline-style net that's set up on the ground. They recently won a team tournament."It's the perfect sport for me," the 6-foot-10 Jokic said.Or basketball. Because he's pretty good at that, too.The versatile big man averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season. His reward from the Nuggets was a max contract worth around $147 million for five seasons.Next on The Joker's to-do list: Lead the Nuggets back to the postseason for the first time since 2012-13. Denver lost out on the eighth and final playoff spot last season with an overtime loss in Minnesota during their last game."We have an identity now and Nikola is a huge part of that identity," coach Michael Malone said. "He's slowly and surely having that confidence and that swagger to be a franchise... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — All-Star guard Victor Oladipo promised to spend the offseason becoming a better all-around player.Promising young center Myles Turner beefed up, fine-tuned his defense and worked on his flexibility. Darren Collison, the NBA's 3-point percentage champ, continued working on his shooting touch, and the Indiana Pacers added depth to improve their chances of winning an NBA title.The key to this season might actually be maintaining the selfless approach the Pacers used to emerge as one of last season's biggest surprises."We want to continue to build that culture," coach Nate McMillan said. "We've been throwing that around a lot because I thought that was a big part of us having success last year — creating an atmosphere in which we play together, an atmosphere of sacrifice. All that was created last year and we've got to do that again this season, I think, to have success.'It's going to take more words to rekindle the togetherness they had last season when the Pacers proved... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies know only too well that they won't outshoot or race up and down the court with the likes of Golden State and Houston. Their version of grit 'n grind that got them to seven straight playoff berths might not work with this current roster.But Memphis still has guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies know who they are and that they need to play defense to be competitive in the loaded Western Conference."We've got to be a contrarian team, and we've had a lot of success here over the years in this grit-grind era of being a contrarian team," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said.Most of the Grizzlies' confidence stems from having Conley back from a heel injury that limited him to 12 games last season , and Conley averaged 17.1 points per game in his short stint. Gasol remains one of the NBA's top centers, and he and Conley are the NBA's longest-tenured teammates without any interruption.Memphis revamped the roster in the offseason,... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — There's a big difference between comfort and complacency for Damian Lillard.Yes, the Portland Trail Blazers return all five starters from a team that finished third in the Western Conference. So there's a level of ease among the players.But their season went sideways in the first round of the playoffs, when Portland was swept by New Orleans. Lillard said the Blazers have to guard against allowing that to happen again."I don't see how we could be complacent about anything," he said. "I think it's a level of comfort with each other we've you know been teammates for a few years now we know each other pretty well so I think there is comfort. But I don't think we're in a position to be complacent."And certainly this is true in the loaded West, with the defending champion Warriors, talented Rockets, as the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers.The Blazers went 49-33 last season and secured the third seed in the conference, earning a trip to the playoffs for the fifth straight... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love wore a pair of LeBron James' signature sneakers on media day. It's the last time he'll try to fill them.Four years after aligning with James and Kyrie Irving to form a Big Three of stars that ended Cleveland's five-decades-long championship drought by winning an NBA title in 2016, Love is the only one who remains with the Cavaliers.While James left for Los Angeles as a free agent this summer, and Irving forced his way to Boston via trade a year ago, Love has found a home — and peace — in Cleveland.Before James announced that the next chapter of his career would be written in Hollywood, Love — who had been the focus of trade rumors almost from the moment he arrived — told the Cavs he was willing to lead."I'm staying," he informed general manager Koby Altman. "I want to be a part of this.""This" is life without James, the end of the four-year run and start of a rebuild as massive as the $140 million renovation taking place at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers'... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are entering a new era without the Big Three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. For the first time in years, they lack star power in a city that thrives on high-wattage talent. But it may be a short-term problem.While the Clippers seek to be competitive this season, the franchise already has an eye on next year. That's when a blockbuster list of potential free agents comes on the market and the Clippers could go shopping for a big name or two.They might not even wait that long.In order to attract talent, the Clippers would need some of it to lure a big name. It could be that the team will be active in the trade market this winter, especially with multiple players heading into the final year of their contracts.Another playoff appearance would make the Clippers more attractive to potential free agents, too. They finished with a winning record of 42-40 last season, but their streak of consecutive postseason appearances ended at six.Coach... [More]