METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive said he's keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn't rule out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term."We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. "Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we're both excited about what we can potentially build here."Griffin was Cleveland's general manager when LeBron James — who also is represented by Paul — was with the Cavaliers and led them to the franchise's only NBA title.Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under a... [More]

The Golden State Warriors are trying to regain the lead in a series they probably still can't believe is tied.Same with the San Antonio Spurs, who like the Warriors know they are facing an opponent who won't stay down no matter how far they fall down.The Clippers' historic comeback against the Warriors, followed by Denver's potential season-saving surge against the Spurs, made that clear.So things are all even in those two Western Conference first-round series, which resume with a pair of Game 3s on Thursday night.Philadelphia and Brooklyn play the other Game 3 of the night in an East series that also is tied at a game apiece.Golden State would be up 2-0 if not for the Clippers' colossal comeback — or the Warriors' colossal collapse — on Monday night in Game 2. The Warriors led by 31 in the third quarter before Los Angeles charged back to win 135-131 after the biggest rally in NBA postseason history.The Warriors won Game 1 by 17, appeared headed toward an even easier win in Game 2, and... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won't require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team's first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday. The big man returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence while recovering from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon."More than anything, I'm just crushed for DeMarcus," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's been waiting his whole career... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive said he's keeping coach Alvin Gentry and wouldn't out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term."We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. "Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we're both excited about what we can potentially build here."Griffin was Cleveland's general manager when LeBron James — who also is represented by Paul — was with the Cavaliers and led them to the franchise's only NBA title.Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under a different... [More]

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The Pelicans newly hired top basketball executive is keeping coach Alvin Gentry will be retained and won't rule out the possibility of talking six-time All-Star Anthony Davis into rescinding his trade request and committing to New Orleans long-term."We have a very long and successful history together with Klutch Sports," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Wednesday, referring to the agency, led by Rich Paul, that represents Davis. "Rich Paul and I have spoken about Anthony and I think we're both excited about what we can potentially build here."Griffin was Cleveland's general manager when LeBron James — who also is represented by Paul — was with the Cavaliers and led them to the franchise's only NBA title.Davis, who is under contract with the Pelicans for one more season, requested a trade in late January. In the aftermath, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps, who has been effectively replaced by Griffin, albeit under... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — About five minutes after hearing Luke Walton had been dismissed as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac called Walton's agent.Finalizing the deal that brought Walton to Sacramento as the Kings new coach didn't take much longer. After getting the call Friday, Walton changed plans to take some time off and flew to Sacramento the following day instead. He agreed to a deal that afternoon and was formally introduced as coach of the Kings on Monday."I knew these types of offers don't come available very often," Walton said. "I love coaching, so having that opportunity with this type of talented team and doing it alongside somebody the way I feel about Vlade made it too good to pass up on."Divac called Walton one of his basketball "soul mates," who embraces the same philosophies in style of play and building culture on a team. The relationship between the two goes back more than a decade to when they were teammates on the Lakers... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings hired Luke Walton as their coach Monday, just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.Neither the Kings nor Walton waited long following changes that came just after the end of the regular season. Sacramento fired coach Dave Joerger on Thursday following a 39-43 finish that was the best record for the franchise in 13 years, while Walton was dismissed in Los Angeles a day later when he failed to get the Lakers into the postseason in the first year with LeBron James.Kings general manager Vlade Divac met with Walton on Saturday and the two sides quickly came to the agreement that was formally announced Monday.The 39-year-old Walton was 98-148 in three years with Los Angeles in his first full-time head coaching job. He was 37-45 this season and was unable to make the playoffs even once.Walton also has experience as an assistant for Golden State, helping the Warriors win the 2015 title and then leading... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have hired Luke Walton as their coach just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.The Kings announced Monday that Walton will replace Dave Joerger. Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac fired Joerger last week following a 39-43 finish that was the best record for the franchise in 13 years.The 39-year-old Walton was dismissed by the Lakers on Friday after Los Angeles went 37-45. He went 98-148 in three years with Los Angeles in his first full-time head coaching job. The former Golden State top assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Luke Walton will become coach of the Sacramento Kings, securing another NBA head coaching job just a day after parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers following three losing seasons.The 39-year-old Walton was dismissed by the Lakers on Friday after Los Angeles went 37-45. His move to the Kings was confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because it hadn't been finalized. A formal announcement from the Kings is expected in the next couple of days.Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac fired Dave Joerger on Thursday after the coach helped develop the young Kings into playoff contenders before ultimately falling short in the franchise's 13th straight losing season.Also Thursday, the Kings extended Divac's contract through the 2022-23 season — and Walton's deal is expected to run those same four years.Sacramento features several talented young players acquired by Divac: guards De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, forward Marvin Bagley III and center... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luke Walton is out as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after three losing seasons.Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced Walton's departure Friday, three days after the abrupt resignation of president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. Pelinka called Walton leaving a mutual decision.The former Lakers forward went 98-148 after getting his first permanent head coaching job with the 16-time NBA champions. The former Golden State assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.Walton leaves three days after the Lakers' final game of their 37-45 season was upstaged by the shocking pregame resignation of Johnson, who inherited Walton when he took over the Lakers' front office in February 2017. Johnson attributed his decision in part to his desire and reluctance to fire Walton, who is close to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.A potential power struggle instead ended with both men out of their jobs after this wild week.... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Pelicans have reached an agreement in principle to make former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin New Orleans' new executive vice president of basketball operations, three people familiar with the situation said Friday.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because contract negotiations are ongoing and no announcement has been made.Griffin will take over for former Pelicans general manger Dell Demps, who was fired in the middle of his ninth season with the club — a few weeks after All-Star Anthony Davis' trade request in late January.Griffin's agreement to join New Orleans, which was first reported by ESPN, puts him at the center of the club's effort to find the best deal for Davis. Griffin also could decide the fate of Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who has two years left on his contract.The 45-year-old Griffin was the Cavaliers' GM from 2014 to 2017, during which LeBron James returned from Miami to Cleveland and the Cavs... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Three people familiar with the situation say the Pelicans have reached an agreement in principle to make former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin New Orleans' new executive vice president of basketball operations.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because contract negotiations are ongoing and no announcement has been made.Griffin will take over for former Pelicans general manger Dell Demps, who was fired in the middle of his ninth season with the club and a few weeks after All-Star Anthony Davis' trade request in late January.Griffin's agreement to join New Orleans, which was first reported by ESPN, puts him at the center of the club's effort to find the best deal for Davis. Griffin also could decide the fate of Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry.The 45-year-old Griffin was the Cavaliers GM from 2014 to 2017, during which LeBron James returned from Miami to Cleveland and the Cavs won an NBA title.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luke Walton is out as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after three losing seasons.Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced Walton's departure Friday, three days after the abrupt resignation of president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. Pelinka called Walton leaving a mutual decision.The former Lakers forward went 98-148 after getting his first permanent head coaching job with the 16-time NBA champions. The former Golden State assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.Walton leaves three days after the Lakers' final game of their 37-45 season was upstaged by the shocking pregame resignation of Johnson, who inherited Walton when he took over the Lakers' front office in February 2017. Johnson attributed his decision in part to his desire and reluctance to fire Walton, who is close to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.A potential power struggle instead ended with both men out of their jobs after this wild week.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luke Walton is out as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after three losing seasons.Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced Walton's departure Friday, three days after the abrupt resignation of president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. Pelinka called Walton leaving a mutual decision.The former Lakers forward went 98-148 after getting his first permanent head coaching job with the 16-time NBA champions. The former Golden State assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.Walton leaves three days after the Lakers' final game of their 37-45 season was upstaged by the shocking pregame resignation of Johnson, who inherited Walton when he took over the Lakers' front office in February 2017. Johnson attributed his decision in part to his desire and reluctance to fire Walton, who is close to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.Instead, Pelinka announced the move in a possible sign of the increased power of Kobe Bryant's... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — The Cavaliers aren't chasing a championship this spring. They're pursuing a coach.This time, methodically.No longer NBA title contenders, Cleveland is in the initial stages of an expansive, open-minded search general manager Koby Altman hopes will lead to finding the right coach for his young team, which is coming off a 63-loss season."We have to preach patience and we have to continue to grow this thing and we have to find a leader that's obsessed with that process of growing," Altman said Friday while outlining the type of candidates he'll interview. "We're tasked with doing that. We're excited about the next steps. We're done in April for the first time in four years, so we have a lot of time."At this time a year ago, the Cavs were preparing to make another deep playoff run. They made the Finals for the fourth straight year, but fell short in June against Golden State and then suffered a more devastating blow when LeBron James left a month later. The team endured... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers mutually agreed to part ways with coach Luke Walton on Friday after three losing seasons.Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced Walton's departure, which occurred three days after the abrupt resignation of president of basketball operations Magic Johnson.The former Lakers forward went 98-148 after getting his first permanent head coaching job with the 16-time NBA champions. The former Golden State assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.Walton leaves three days after the Lakers' final game of their 37-45 season was upstaged by the shocking pregame resignation of Johnson, who inherited Walton when he took over the Lakers' front office in February 2017. Johnson attributed his decision in part to his desire and reluctance to fire Walton, who is close to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.Instead, Pelinka announced the move in a possible sign of the increased power of Kobe Bryant's former agent... [More]

There's no LeBron James in these playoffs, so the NBA Finals will have a distinctly new look for the first time in nine years.There's no Tony Parker, for the first time in nearly two decades.There's no Dwyane Wade, and he'll never play a playoff game again.San Antonio is in the postseason for a record-tying 22nd consecutive season. Brooklyn, Denver, Detroit, Orlando and the Los Angeles Clippers got into these playoffs after watching the postseason last year.As always at playoff time, there are some familiar things and some not-so-familiar things. With the postseason set to begin Saturday, here's 10 things to know going into the best time of the NBA year:DRIVE FOR FIVEGolden State is trying to reach the NBA Finals for the fifth consecutive season.If the Warriors get there, they would be the second franchise ever with such a streak — joining only the Boston Celtics, who went there in 10 straight seasons from 1957-66.The Warriors are one of five franchises with a streak of four straight NBA... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers' next coach will inherit a better situation than the one Larry Drew got handed.Drew and the Cavs parted ways Thursday after a challenging, 19-win season that followed LeBron James leaving for Los Angeles and included a rash of injuries to a young roster.Although expected, Drew's departure creates more work for a franchise that will sit out the NBA playoffs this season following a four-year run in the Finals with James.The 61-year-old Drew met with general manager Koby Altman, and the two decided it was best if they went in separate directions. Altman said in a release that Drew "respectfully declined to participate in the search process and will not be returning to coach the Cavaliers."The Cavs tied for the league's second-worst record with Phoenix, but Drew kept his team playing hard until the end. He received praise from many of his players, including All-Star forward Kevin Love, who was limited to just 22 games following toe surgery."We have great respect... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers will continue to rebuild with a new coach. Larry Drew's run is over after one season.The team parted ways Thursday with Drew, who took over as the Cavs coach in October and led the club to 19 wins amid a swarm of injuries in Cleveland's first season since LeBron James left as a free agent.The Cavs tied for the NBA's second-worst record, but Drew earned praise for keeping his team competitive despite a young roster and only having All-Star forward Kevin Love for 22 games because of injuries."We have great respect and appreciation for Larry and the job that he did as the head coach of the Cavaliers for nearly the entire 2018-19 campaign. He brought professionalism, class and steady leadership both this past season and prior four years," general manager Koby Altman said in a release. "Larry and I had a productive discussion about this past season, the future of the franchise and the search process that we will shortly launch regarding the head coaching role."Larry... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers will continue to rebuild with a new coach. Larry Drew's run is over after one season.The team parted ways Thursday with Drew, who took over as the Cavs coach in October and led the club to 19 wins amid a swarm of injuries in Cleveland's first season since LeBron James left as a free agent.The Cavs tied for the NBA's second-worst record, but Drew earned praise for keeping his team competitive despite a young roster and only having All-Star forward Kevin Love for 22 games because of injuries."We have great respect and appreciation for Larry and the job that he did as the head coach of the Cavaliers for nearly the entire 2018-19 campaign. He brought professionalism, class and steady leadership both this past season and prior four years," general manager Koby Altman said in a release. "Larry and I had a productive discussion about this past season, the future of the franchise and the search process that we will shortly launch regarding the head coaching role."Larry... [More]