Blake Griffin had this season's highest-scoring game for all of about 24 hours before Stephen Curry bettered it — in just three quarters.Then, in Golden State's next game, after Curry poured in 51 points in a rout of Washington, Kevin Durant scored 25 in the fourth quarter, the best total of his career, and finished with 41 in a victory at New York.With the Warriors teammates' big nights and Griffin's 50-point outburst for Detroit coming in just a four-night span, it continued a torrid start for scorers that Curry said made it seem like "everybody's clicking at the same time."But count Curry among those who aren't sure the offensive onslaughts being seen now will still be seen in a few months."Those are just great players just making plays, having great nights. That's not any different than any other year," he said after Durant's big night."We're six games in. We'll see how it goes."Damian Lillard has already had a pair of 40-point nights and Kemba Walker is one point shy of doing the same.... [More]

Blake Griffin had this season's highest-scoring game for all of about 24 hours before Stephen Curry bettered it — in just three quarters.Then in Golden State's next game after Curry poured in 51 points in a rout of Washington, Kevin Durant scored 25 in the fourth quarter, the best total of his career, and finished with 41 in a victory at New York.With the Warriors teammates' big nights and Griffin's 50-point outburst for Detroit coming in just a four-night span, it continued a torrid start for scorers that Curry said made it seem like "everybody's clicking at the same time."But count Curry among those who isn't sure the offensive onslaughts being seen now are will still be seen in a few months."Those are just great players just making plays, having great nights. That's not any different than any other year," he said after Durant's big night."We're six games in. We'll see how it goes."Damian Lillard has already had a pair of 40-point nights and Kemba Walker is one point shy of doing the... [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]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks' key free agent acquisition is a big man who could have an impact from the perimeter.Brook Lopez started at center in the Bucks' preseason opener against the Chicago Bulls, the first basketball game at Milwaukee's new Fiserv Forum.Lopez scored six points on 3-of-8 of shooting, missing all three 3-point attempts, in 15 minutes as the Bucks rolled to a 116-82 victory on Wednesday night at their new home arena.It was a milestone moment for a team featuring All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo that hopes to secure a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year."I think the stars have really aligned. We have all the talent in the world on the floor," Lopez said.The 10th overall pick by the Nets in 2008, Lopez averaged 13.0 points per game last season, matching his career low, in 74 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, after spending his first nine season with the New Jersey-Brooklyn franchise.But Lopez averaged more than 20 points a game in... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo was all smiles but had no jokes.The Milwaukee Bucks' All-Star forward was more business this time around: While he didn't indulge reporters by opening his media day session on Monday with a gag, as he had done in previous years, Antetokounmpo still flashed an infectious grin.Things are looking up for the Milwaukee Bucks as they move into a new arena this fall, with a new coach leading a team headlined by one of the NBA's bright, young stars.The organization once had billboards around the city that read "Own the Future." That future is here."You could make an argument that we're number 1, 2, 3, or 4" in the Eastern Conference, co-owner Marc Lasry said when asked about where the Bucks might fit in the conference picture. "I mean I think if we stay healthy and we play to our potential, we'd be one of the top two or three teams, so I think we're there."The Bucks have made slow, steady progress since an ownership group including Lasry bought the team in... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker recalled playing on the court with the Chicago Bulls' logo as a young child.It was at the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club where his dad was a supervisor and not the nearby United Center. But it sure felt big time to him."It was like our United Center, that gym," he said.Now, the United Center is his home arena.Parker agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract with the Bulls, hoping he can get his promising career back on track after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two times in four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks."No better way to live a dream as a kid than playing down the street from where I grew up — the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club," Parker said Wednesday.The son of a former NBA player, Parker seemed destined for big things. He led Simeon Career Academy on Chicago's South Side to four state championships, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and when he committed to Duke, the announcement was televised nationally.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker and the Chicago Bulls agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract, bringing the talented and oft-injured forward to his hometown team.Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the deal shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks rescinded their qualifying offer. That made Parker an unrestricted free agent, clearing the way for him to join the rebuilding Bulls.The 23-year-old Parker led Chicago's Simeon Career Academy to four state championships and starred for one season at Duke before the Bucks drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014.The Bulls are banking on him to stay healthy after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee twice in four seasons with Milwaukee."Jabari is a 23-year-old player who is a natural fit with our young core, and is a proven scorer at the NBA level," general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back to his hometown."Parker has averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. His best season was... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jabari Parker and the Chicago Bulls agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract, bringing the talented and oft-injured forward to his hometown team.Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed the deal shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks rescinded their qualifying offer. That made Parker an unrestricted free agent, clearing the way for him to join the rebuilding Bulls.The 23-year-old Parker led Chicago's Simeon Career Academy to four state championships and starred for one season at Duke before the Bucks drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014.The Bulls are banking on him to stay healthy after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee twice in four seasons with Milwaukee."Jabari is a 23-year-old player who is a natural fit with our young core, and is a proven scorer at the NBA level," general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back to his hometown."Parker has averaged 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. His best season was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is the cover athlete for the NBA 2K19 standard edition video game.The two-time NBA All-Star known as the "Greek Freek" is the first international player to be featured on the cover.Antetokounmpo says he has "worked hard to earn recognition in the NBA and being on the cover of NBA 2K10 is a dream come true."NBA 2K19 will be available Sept. 11.LeBron James was previously announced as the cover star for the NBA 2K19 20th anniversary edition available on Sept. 7.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tags/NBAbasketball

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donte DiVincenzo's dad can dust off the old Milwaukee Bucks jerseys he used wear as a fan while he was growing up.DiVincenzo will be able to hook his father up with some new gear soon, too.The Villanova guard was formally introduced Monday in Milwaukee at the Bucks' downtown training facility. The team drafted him last week in the first round with the 17th overall pick.The 6-foot-5 DiVincenzo gives the Bucks another 3-point shooter with size and toughness in the backcourt, skills that should fit well with All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's game.The No. 9 Bucks jersey with DiVincenzo's name on the back will soon become the prized piece in the jersey collection belonging to his father, John. An old Ricky Pierce jersey was a favorite."I was seen in a Bucks jersey in Philly in my later years. I had mustard all over me. I don't know if you're familiar with how they roll there," the elder DiVincenzo said with smile at the Bucks' downtown training facility.His son gets a... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named to the All-NBA second team.It's the second consecutive season that Antetokounmpo has been named second team All-NBA. He's the first Buck selected to an All-NBA team in back-to-back seasons since Sidney Moncrief in 1984-85 and 1985-86.In his fifth NBA season, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their second consecutive playoff berth and the team's most wins since the 2009-10 season. He set new career highs in points (26.9) and rebounds (10.0) per game in addition to dishing out 4.8 assists per game, second-highest of his career. He also shot a career-best 52.9 percent from the field.Joining Antetokounmpoon on the All-NBA second team are San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City.

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James was unanimously selected to the All-NBA first team for a record 12th time, while Houston's James Harden also appeared on all 100 first-team ballots.They were joined Thursday on the first team by New Orleans' Anthony Davis, Golden State's Kevin Durant and Portland's Damian Lillard.James passed Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone with the 12th first-team selection of his 15-year career. He also was a second-team selection twice.The second team was forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, and guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto.Injury absences sent Golden State's Stephen Curry tumbling to the third team, where he was joined in the backcourt by Indiana's Victor Oladipo. Minnesota teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler, and Oklahoma City's Paul George rounded out the third team.Voting was done by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have officially announced the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as their new coach.A person familiar with the search had told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks had reached an agreement with Budenholzer, the former Atlanta Hawks coach. The Bucks made the official announcement Thursday."The tremendously supportive fans in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin are waiting and ready," Budenholzer said in a statement released by the team. "Now it's up to us to put all the pieces together, and I can't wait to get started."Budenholzer replaces Joe Prunty, the former assistant who went 21-16 in the regular season after replacing the fired Jason Kidd in late January. The Bucks lost to Boston in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.The 48-year-old Budenholzer went 213-197 in five seasons with the Hawks. Budenholzer was named the NBA coach of the year in 2015, when he led the Hawks to a franchise-record 60 wins and an appearance in the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have officially announced the hiring of Mike Budenholzer as their new coach.A person familiar with the search had told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks had reached an agreement with Budenholzer, the former Atlanta Hawks coach. The Bucks made the official announcement Thursday."The tremendously supportive fans in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin are waiting and ready," Budenholzer said in a statement released by the team. "Now it's up to us to put all the pieces together, and I can't wait to get started."Budenholzer replaces Joe Prunty, the former assistant who went 21-16 in the regular season after replacing the fired Jason Kidd in late January. The Bucks lost to Boston in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.The 48-year-old Budenholzer went 213-197 in five seasons with the Hawks. Budenholzer was named the NBA coach of the year in 2015, when he led the Hawks to a franchise-record 60 wins and an appearance in the... [More]

A person familiar with the search tells The Associated Press that the Milwaukee Bucks have reached an agreement with Mike Budenholzer to become the team's next coach.The 2015 NBA Coach of the Year will replace Joe Prunty, the former assistant who went 21-16 in the regular season after replacing the fired Jason Kidd in late January.The person confirmed the agreement with the former Atlanta Hawks coach on Wednesday. The person requested anonymity because the team has not made an official announcement.The deal was first reported by ESPN.The Bucks lost to Boston in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.Budenholzer went 213-197 in five seasons with the Hawks, leading them to a franchise-record 60 wins and the Eastern Conference finals in 2015. He and the Hawks mutually agreed to part ways last month with two years remaining on his contract, allowing Budenholzer to pursue other opportunities.The one with the Bucks may have been the best available, thanks to All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo... [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]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon plans to interview for the Milwaukee Bucks' coaching job, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.The person requested anonymity because the team does not comment on potential candidates.A woman has never been a head coach in the NBA. Hammon is the first full-time female assistant in the league.ESPN.com first reported the planned interview.Hammon just finished her fourth season as an assistant with the Spurs. She served as coach of the Spurs' Las Vegas Summer League entry in 2015 and 2016.Hammon retired after the 2014 WNBA season following a 16-year playing career.The Bucks have said they have a thorough plan and process in place to hire their next coach, but with no timeline. Interim coach Joe Prunty is also expected to interview for the job after the former assistant led the team to a 21-16 record following Jason Kidd's firing in late January.The job is attractive because of a new arena opening in the fall and budding NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo leading a young core.The Bucks took a small step forward this year after winning 44 games, two better than last year. They were eliminated in seven games in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, a year after losing in six in the first round to Toronto.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MILWAUKEE (AP) — San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon plans to interview for the Milwaukee Bucks' coaching job, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.The person requested anonymity because the team does not comment on potential candidates.A woman has never been a head coach in the NBA. Hammon is the first female assistant in the league.ESPN.com first reported the planned interview.Hammon just finished her fourth season as an assistant with the Spurs. She served as coach of the Spurs' Las Vegas Summer League entry in 2015 and 2016.Hammon retired after the 2014 WNBA season following a 16-year playing career.The Bucks have said they have a thorough plan and process in place to hire their next coach, but with no timeline. Interim coach Joe Prunty is also expected to interview for the job after the former assistant led the team to a 21-16 record following Jason Kidd's firing in late January.The job is attractive because of a new arena opening in the fall and budding NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo leading a young core.The Bucks took a small step forward this year after winning 44 games, two better than last year. They were eliminated in seven games in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, a year after losing in six in the first round to Toronto.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks' coaching search is underway, with interviews starting as early as this weekend."For us we're on a really thought-out process," general manager Jon Horst said Friday. "It will start out immediately and we'll hopefully get to a great result at the end of it."Current coach Joe Prunty will be among those interviewed after the former assistant led the Bucks to a 21-16 record following the firing in late January of Jason Kidd. The Bucks said then that Prunty would get a shot to keep the job."Joe has earned the right to be part of this process. He will be," Horst said at the Bucks' training facility. "Now it's our job to not only focus on Joe but the other candidates that we're going to bring in and try to come up with a great result."The Bucks' job is attractive with a new arena opening in the fall and budding NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo leading a young core.Interviews could start as early as Saturday, Horst said, and there was no timeline to make... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks' coaching search is underway, with interviews starting as early as this weekend."For us we're on a really thought-out process," general manager Jon Horst said Friday. "It will start out immediately and we'll hopefully get to a great result at the end of it."Current coach Joe Prunty will be among those interviewed after the former assistant led the Bucks to a 21-16 record following the firing in late January of Jason Kidd. The Bucks said then that Prunty would get a shot to keep the job."Joe has earned the right to be part of this process. He will be," Horst said at the Bucks' training facility. "Now it's our job to not only focus on Joe but the other candidates that we're going to bring in and try to come up with a great result."The Bucks' job is attractive with a new arena opening in the fall and budding NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo leading a young core.Interviews could start as early as Saturday, Horst said, and there was no timeline to make... [More]