DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets made another aggressive move at the trade deadline by acquiring forward Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Thursday. In exchange, the Magic receive veteran shooting guard Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton and a first-round draft pick, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending NBA approval. Denver also is receiving forward Gary Clark as part of the trade package. Earlier in the day, the Nuggets acquired backup center JaVale McGee from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Hartenstein and two second-round picks. The 25-year-old Gordon averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Magic this season. He was the fourth overall pick by Orlando in the 2014 draft. Gordon could find himself in the running to be in Denver's starting rotation — possibly in place of veteran Paul Millsap. He would join a lineup that includes Michael... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have made another aggressive move at the trade deadline by acquiring Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Thursday. In exchange, the Magic receive veteran shooting guard Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton and a first-round draft pick, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending NBA approval. Denver also is receiving forward Gary Clark as part of the trade package. The 25-year-old Gordon averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Magic this season. He was the fourth overall pick by Orlando in the 2014 draft. Clark appeared in 35 games for the Magic this season, with 11 starts. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds over 18.2 minutes per game. Harris has long been a favorite of Denver's coaching staff due to his defense. He's been plagued by injuries since being picked 19th overall in the 2014 draft. Playing time has been... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — For Utah and Denver, Game 7 awaits.For Toronto, so may a Game 7 approach.The entertaining Western Conference first-round series between Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray — the two leading scorers in the NBA playoffs, averaging a combined 72.7 points per game, a head-to-head show unlike any other in league postseason history — will come to an end Tuesday night, when Denver looks to become the 12th team in NBA history to successfully rally from a 3-1 series deficit.That game gets preceded by Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between Boston and Toronto, with the Celtics leading 1-0 there.“It’s more of the same for us. We welcome the challenge. We welcome the adversity,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday. “And, as we talked about, only 11 teams have done this in NBA history. Why shouldn’t we be the 12th? That’s our attitude.”The last team to successfully rally from 3-1 down was Cleveland, which did it against Golden State... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Luka Doncic and Jamal Murray have put on some of the best shows in the bubble.Without another one Sunday, their shows may be over.With their teams facing elimination, Doncic and Murray might be down to their final day at Disney when they play the two Game 6s in the Western Conference.Dallas trails the Los Angeles Clippers 3-2, the same deficit Denver faces against Utah. But the Mavericks appear to be in the tougher predicament.Not only are they playing again without Kristaps Porzingis, but they have to slow down a No. 2-seeded Clippers team that crushed them 154-111 in Game 5 on Tuesday after Paul George snapped out of a prolonged slump.The Clippers were then one of the teams that expressed frustrations the next night at the leaguewide meeting that followed the three game postponements, but eventually decided they wanted to stay and play. “We’re obviously fully committed to winning a championship here,” George said, “but we just want everything to be basically... [More]

If the NBA playoffs resume, Denver and Dallas will face elimination games.The Nuggets have staved off elimination once and when and if their series with the Utah Jazz resumes — it's scheduled for Thursday, though that now seems very questionable — they will have to do it again. So will the Dallas Mavericks, down 3-2 to the Los Angeles Clippers.Players boycotted Wednesday's three scheduled games in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Wisconsin who was apparently shot in the back by police while his three children looked on. Players were meeting Wednesday night to determine next steps.The Nuggets rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to beat Utah in Game 5 on Tuesday and extend that series, while the Clippers got the biggest win in their playoff history — a 43-point romp over Dallas to take a 3-2 lead in that matchup, two nights after Luka Doncic made a gamewinning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Game 4.“Game 4 is the ultimate high and (Game 5) is the ultimate low,”... [More]

One after the other, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell turned in record book-worthy performances on the same court at Disney.In different series. And in different fashions, too.But the two young players have their opponents sharing a similar dilemma: How to stop them? Or at least, slow them down.Doncic and the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks are tied at two games apiece with the Los Angeles Clippers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The dynamic Doncic made sure of that with a buzzer-beating, 3-pointer in overtime Sunday to cap another triple-double. Adding even more to the intrigue was this: His step-back shot was on a left ankle so tender he was a game-time decision.Not to be outdone in the nightcap, Mitchell erupted for 51 points in Game 4 to give the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz a 3-1 lead over Denver. It was just enough to hold off the Nuggets and Jamal Murray, who went for 50 points. Mitchell “is playing out of this world right now,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks will work around the clock on Luka Doncic, hoping he can be healthy enough to play Sunday.The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets can tell them all about how hard the playoffs are without star guards.Doncic hopes to make a quick recovery, and the 76ers and Nets look to avoid quick exits heading into Game 4 of their series.Doncic sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Dallas' 130-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He came back in the fourth but wasn't moving well and eventually left for good.The Mavericks were hoping to get him an MRI exam Saturday and planning to keep him off the court all day. Coach Rick Carlisle said Doncic would likely be a game-time decision.“Obviously, we know the nature of the game. Sometimes injuries happen,” Dallas guard Trey Burke said. “If he can’t go, guys have got to be ready to play, step up and we’ve got to have the same mentality going out there and that’s to win.”The Mavs beat... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Anyone not giving the Toronto Raptors much of a chance to repeat as NBA champions without Kawhi Leonard might want to reconsider.The Raptors have played mostly under the radar this season, yet earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They are the only No. 1 or 2 seed not to get upset in the first two games of the first round of the postseason.Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam have the Raptors with a 2-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets entering Game 3 Friday.Their battle-tested playoff experience was on display Wednesday when the Raptors trailed for most of the game but rallied to take a lead in the fourth quarter and then held on to beat the Nets 104-99.“There is no situation we haven’t been in before,” VanVleet said.Raptors coach Nick Nurse called it a “gut it out” win on a night when the Raptors struggled with the Nets continuously switching on defense.In the end, the Raptors found a way to win as they have all season, going with a... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have picked up guard Jordan McRae in a trade with Washington that became official Thursday night.In exchange, the Nuggets sent recently acquired guard Shabazz Napier to the Wizards.McRae averaged 12.9 points and 2.8 assists in 29 games for the Wizards this season. The 28-year-old out of Tennessee had surgery on his right ring finger in October. He's recently been dealing with a twisted left ankle.The 6-foot-5 McRae joins a Nuggets team that's off to a 36-16 start and currently sits in third place in the Western Conference. He provides back-court depth behind Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Gary Harris and Monte Morris. McRae has appeared in 115 games over four years with Washington, Cleveland and Phoenix. He was signed by the Wizards on a two-way deal on Sept. 10, 2018, before it was converted to a regular contract on April 9, 2019."Jordan was a great success story for our developmental program, with his hard work and dedication resulting in him earning a full-time... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have picked up guard Jordan McRae in a trade with Washington, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.In exchange, the Nuggets sent recently acquired guard Shabazz Napier to the Wizards, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced.McRae averaged 12.9 points and 2.8 assists in 29 games for the Wizards this season. The 28-year-old out of Tennessee had surgery on his right ring finger in October. He's recently been dealing with a twisted left ankle.McRae joins a Nuggets team that's off to a 36-16 start and currently sits in third place in the Western Conference. He provides back-court depth behind Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Gary Harris and Monte Morris. Napier didn't play for the Nuggets after being picked up late Tuesday as part of a four-team trade involving Minnesota, Houston, Atlanta and Denver. In that deal, the Nuggets got Napier, Keita Bates-Diop and Noah Vonleh from the Timberwolves, along with Gerald Green and a 2020 first-round pick from the Rockets. The Nuggets sent Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez and Jarred Vanderbilt to Minnesota.___AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets will be without backup center Mason Plumlee indefinitely after he suffered a right foot injury.The Nuggets announced Wednesday that Plumlee will be reevaluated in two to four weeks. Plumlee injured a bone in his foot during a game in Minnesota against the Timberwolves on Monday. He rolled his right ankle in the second quarter, but returned in the third. It's a blow to a Nuggets team that's already missing starters Paul Millsap (bruised knee), Gary Harris (strained right adductor muscle) and Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle).Plumlee is averaging 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Nuggets, who are near the top of the Western Conference standings.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA

DENVER (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. often reminded himself to remain patient as the Denver Nuggets gradually eased him back onto the court. Being patient, though, hasn't always been his forte. He's a 21-year-old highly touted rookie eager to show how he can contribute. He's feeling good these days, too, after sitting out all of last season following back surgery. Recently, more and more playing time has arrived for the player dubbed “MPJ” — a trend that figures only to go up and up. Porter completely understands why coach Michael Malone is carefully integrating him into an already deep lineup. A healthy Porter just might be the piece the Nuggets need in a loaded Western Conference.“Coach is doing the right thing bringing me along slowly,” the 6-foot-10 forward with the smooth outside shot and explosive first step said. “But, yeah, it's hard to stay patient."Porter's a self-described perfectionist. He's trying to curb that trait a bit — for his own well-being. He tries not to let missed shots... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was ruled out for the rest of the game against the Charlotte Hornets after leaving late in the first half after rolling his left ankle. Murray tried to contest a 3-point shot by Terry Rozier on Wednesday night and appeared to land on Rozier's foot. Murray instantly grabbed at his ankle as play was stopped. He was helped off the floor by teammates and then placed in a wheelchair once he left the court.Murray had five points and one assist against the Hornets before leaving. He was also dealing with a sore back. Murray is averaging 17.9 points a game this season.The short-handed Nuggets were already without Gary Harris (groin) and Paul Millsap (bruised knee).Reserve Monte Morris figured to get more time with the first unit in Murray's absence.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Things Nikola Jokic needs to improve on in the offseason: "Is there anything?" the Denver Nuggets big man joked.Hard to find many glitches in his game right now.By all measures, Jokic and the youthful Nuggets are ahead of schedule despite the sting of a Game 7 loss at home to Portland in the Western Conference semifinals. No one predicted the Nuggets being the two seed in the West this season. After all, they hadn't even been to the playoffs since 2013.And few projected the meteoric rise of Jokic, the 24-year-old with the awkward gait who sees the game with a point guard's vision. The 7-footer averaged 25.1 points, 13 rebounds and 8.4 assists in his first foray into the postseason."You're supposed to be sad," Jokic said of the season coming to a close. "But at the end of the day we had a good season."Soon, Jokic will head home to Serbia as he turns his focus from hoops to his horses. It's his way of escaping from a Game 7 in which the Nuggets surrendered a 17-point lead to... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nose bloodied, Torrey Craig returned wearing a clear mask.Knocked down later, his Denver Nuggets teammates rushed to his defense.There's no masking the appreciation the Nuggets have for their defensive specialist. Bloodied and bruised, Craig contributed seven points in a 97-90 loss to Portland on Wednesday night as the Trail Blazers tied the Western Conference semifinal series at a game apiece."He fights. He's a fighter," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "Hate to see something like that happen, but for him to come back and be inspiring like he did, it was unbelievable."Craig was going for a rebound early in the second quarter when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of Denver teammate Monte Morris. Craig remained down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel covering his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The celebration will be short-lived for the Denver Nuggets after winning a playoff series for the first time in a decade.After all, Portland awaits.The Nuggets knocked off San Antonio 90-86 in Game 7 on Saturday night to move on to the Western Conference semifinals.A mere hours after their big win — their first series victory since 2009 — the second-seeded Nuggets host a rested Trail Blazers team. Game 1 is Monday, with Game 2 on Wednesday before shifting to Portland. The Blazers have had a few days off after beating Oklahoma City in five games."I've learned over the years you take your accomplishments and you celebrate them. Tonight, celebrate," Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said. "This is a big accomplishment for this team, big accomplishment for this organization. You've got to celebrate it. A lot of people didn't give us a chance to win."On Sunday afternoon, it's back to the business of basketball. Denver was 3-1 against the Blazers in the regular season."It's the next... [More]

Just a few months ago, Enes Kanter was toiling for a New York Knicks team that was heading nowhere.Now, he's a significant contributor for a Portland Trail Blazers team heading to the Western Conference semifinals.Kanter is one of several players starring in their supporting roles and helped put their respective teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Others have helped put their teams on the brink of advancing.The Knicks waived Kanter after the trade deadline in February and Portland swooped in to pick him up. The 6-foot-11 center stepped in as a starter for the Trail Blazers after Jusuf Nurkic suffered a leg injury. The Blazers' playoff hopes looked bleak after Nurkic went down, but Kanter has taken full advantage of his new situation. Kanter averaged 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win against Oklahoma City."I would like to appreciate the teams that didn't pick me," Kanter said after Portland's clinching Game 5 win on Thursday night. "I tried to... [More]

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich goes to the playoffs every season.And he usually sticks around for a while.The Spurs have never gone back-to-back years without a trip to the second round of the playoffs during the Popovich era. But the Denver Nuggets are one win away from changing that, as they'll take a 3-2 lead into San Antonio for Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series on Thursday night.It's the only game on Thursday's NBA schedule.It'll also be nothing like most of these Nuggets — playoff neophytes, for the most part — have ever experienced."The toughest game of our lives," Denver big man Nikola Jokic said.The second-seeded Nuggets are looking to advance to a West semifinals matchup against third-seeded Portland; the seventh-seeded Spurs are trying to send this series back to Denver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night."Leave it all out there," San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge said of the Spurs' mindset going into Game 6. "Nothing to lose right now, go... [More]

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich goes to the playoffs every season.And he usually sticks around for a while.The Spurs have never gone back-to-back years without a trip to the second round of the playoffs during the Popovich era. But the Denver Nuggets are one win away from changing that, as they'll take a 3-2 lead into San Antonio for Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series on Thursday night.It's the only game on Thursday's NBA schedule.It'll also be nothing like most of these Nuggets — playoff neophytes, for the most part — have ever experienced."The toughest game of our lives," Denver big man Nikola Jokic said.The second-seeded Nuggets are looking to advance to a West semifinals matchup against third-seeded Portland; the seventh-seeded Spurs are trying to send this series back to Denver for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night."Leave it all out there," San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge said of the Spurs' mindset going into Game 6. "Nothing to lose right now, go... [More]