CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love returned against Orlando after missing two games because of a sore back.Love has averaged team highs of 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds in 14 games. He had been listed as questionable, but was in the starting lineup Wednesday after completing pregame warmups.The 12-year veteran didn't play against Portland on Saturday when Cleveland broke a six-game losing and also missed Monday's loss to Brooklyn.Love was out against New York on Nov. 18 because of the back issue, but played the following two games. He aggravated the injury Friday in Dallas.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rudy Gobert started at center for the Utah Jazz at Indiana on Wednesday after missing two games because of a sprained left ankle.Gobert was named the league’s top defensive player each of the past two seasons and is averaging 14.1 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 15 games this season.He returned against one of the league’s other top post defenders, Pacers center Myles Turner — the top shot-blocker in the NBA last season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks say guard Kevin Huerter will miss their upcoming road trip while he recovers from a shoulder injury.Huerter strained his left rotator cuff when fouled by Denver’s Nikola Jokic on Nov. 12. He was examined again by team doctors Monday night and has been cleared to begin limited on-court work.Rookie Cam Reddish and DeAndre’ Bembry have filled in for Huerter, who is averaging 9.3 points. Reddish recently missed two games with a sprained left wrist.The three-game road trip begins Wednesday night at Milwaukee.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Knicks star Charles Oakley was forcefully removed from his seat at Madison Square Garden, handcuffed and arrested after a scuffle near team owner James Dolan.Oakley shoved security guards before they pulled him away from his seat behind the baseline during the first quarter of the Knicks' 119-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Fans chanted "Oakley! Oakley!" in support of the popular power forward.The 53-year-old Oakley played for the Knicks from 1988-98, helping them reach the NBA Finals, but has a poor relationship with the team because of his criticism of Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman."Charles Oakley came to the game tonight and behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner," the Knicks wrote in a statement on Twitter. "He has been ejected and is currently being arrested by the New York City Police Department. He was a great Knick and we hope he gets some help soon."The NYPD said Oakley was arrested on three counts... [More]

Kevin Love knows change could be coming.A couple of years ago, uncertainty might have been something that stressed him out, triggered the sorts of feelings like the ones that manifested themselves in the form of an in-game panic attack in 2017, rendered him unable to compete as efficiently as he wanted.Not this time.Even though he has three full years and about $90 million left on his contract after this season, it's no secret that Love could be traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Plenty of teams even make sense for such a move — Portland, Dallas, Denver, Miami among others.But going public with the details of his panic attack — and his ongoing involvement in the conversation about the need to take care of mental health — has not left Love feeling vulnerable. He's more at peace than anything else, and that's why the rumors that are out there aren't gnawing at him."I'm just going to let the chips fall," Love said. "I know that this is a young team. I think I can help them. I'm going to do... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Oklahoma City guard Hamidou Diallo will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a hyperextension sprain in his right elbow, a tough setback for the second-year player after he had just returned from a knee injury.Yet as soon as Diallo is healthy again, the Thunder plan to put him right back into the rotation.“I feel bad for him just as I do for Andre (Roberson) or any of these guys,” coach Billy Donovan said. “... I think for Hami, going through what he went through last year, in the rotation, out of the rotation, down in the G League, back with us and then going in and having the summer he had, having the training camp he had, and then the early part of the season playing like he had been playing, yeah, I think your heart goes out to somebody that’s put that kind of work in and has made that kind of jump.“I always say I think generally players make the biggest jump from their first year to their second year and he clearly has made a really good jump. You feel bad for... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Oklahoma City guard Hamidou Diallo will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a hyperextension sprain in his right elbow.The Thunder announced Diallo’s status before Monday night’s road game against the Warriors at Chase Center, saying he would be re-evaluated after that timeframe.In Friday’s 130-127 home loss to the Lakers, Diallo left in the fourth quarter after taking contact from LeBron James on a driving lay-in early in the period.Diallo was called for a foul on the play. Thunder coach Billy Donovan challenged the play because James extended his elbow on the drive, causing Diallo to fall back. The call and the basket both stood, and James made the free throw.On Friday, Diallo had just returned from a three-game absence for a sprained left knee. He has played in 12 games with one start, averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 21.4 minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics guard Kemba Walker wasn’t seriously injured during a scary collision with a teammate last week that led to him being taken from the court on a stretcher, Boston’s team doctor said Monday, but Walker will be kept out of the lineup until he goes through a full practice.Walker was on the bench for Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, the team’s first game since the injury.Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye’s abdominal area head-first and went down to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.A brace was placed around his neck and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.“It looked like it was going to be a very serious injury, but thankfully it turned out not to be a very a serious injury,” team physician Dr. Tony Schena told reporters Monday.Schena said Walker had “numbness and tingling in his hands” immediately after the collision, which is why trainers were so cautious with... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics say guard Kemba Walker didn’t suffer any serious injury from his collision with a teammate in a game last week, but they are keeping him out of the lineup for Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings until he goes through a full practice.Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye’s abdominal area head-first and went down to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.A brace was placed around his neck and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.“It looked like it was going to be a very serious injury, but thankfully it turned out not to be a very a serious injury,” head team physician Dr. Tony Schena told reporters Monday.Schena said Walker had “numbness and tingling in his hands” immediately after the collision, which is why trainers were so cautious with him.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is out for the second game this week because of a sore back.Love, who averages a team-high 17.9 points, isn't playing Saturday against Portland as Cleveland tries to break a six-game losing streak.The All-Star also missed Sunday's game against New York. He played Wednesday in Miami and aggravated the injury Friday in Dallas.The Cavaliers complete a stretch of five games in seven days Saturday and play three games next week. Cleveland coach John Beilein wants to be cautious with Love, who is in his 12th season."He could probably gut through it, but it's not advantageous for us or the team tonight or in the future if he tries to gut this through," Beilein said.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/NBA and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has been fined $35,000 by the NBA after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of a victory at Oklahoma City.The league announced the punishment on Saturday. It said Rondo made “unsportsmanlike physical contact” with Thunder guard Dennis Schroder, verbally abused an official and didn’t leave the court in a timely manner after he was thrown out.Rondo was ejected after he kicked Schroder in the groin area. The veteran guard had eight points and four assists in Los Angeles’ 130-127 win Friday night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA is investigating an incident between Boston guard Marcus Smart and a fan in Denver, after the Celtics guard said he heard a derogatory comment and was unhappy with the way that he believed security in the arena responded to the matter.Smart said a fan told him to "get on your knees" after he pursued a loose ball along the sideline during Friday's game in Denver. Smart said one of his feet got tangled in frame of a courtside chair, and while he was trying to free himself he heard the comment.NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Saturday the league is investigating the matter.“The fan told me, ‘That’s right, stay on the ground, get on your knees,’” Smart told reporters postgame Friday night. “Excuse me? I just told him, 'Listen, just watch the game because if we retaliate to you guys and if we were on the street, I guarantee you wouldn't say that.”Smart said security at Denver's Pepsi Center essentially ignored him. At least one security guard was seen speaking to fans in that section moments... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Minutes after an NBA game ended Friday night, the Utah Jazz’s home arena was evacuated because of a suspicious package.Salt Lake City police said the package turned out to be a toolbox, and the Jazz said employees were cleared by authorities to re-enter the building a couple of hours after the evacuation.Most fans had already exited Vivint Smart Home Arena following Utah’s 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors when players, coaches and reporters were instructed to leave immediately.Not long after both coaches finished answering postgame questions from the media, a spokesman for the Jazz told reporters to exit the building due to the suspicious package. Outside, they were directed by security to leave the premises.Utah players quickly headed for their cars in the parking lot — center Rudy Gobert was still in uniform as he left. Warriors players boarded their team bus.Salt Lake City police Lt. Carlos Valencia said he received a call about the package from an... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — About 15 minutes after the end of an NBA game Friday night, the Utah Jazz’s home arena was evacuated because of a suspicious package.Salt Lake City police say the package turned out to be a toolbox, and the Jazz say employees were cleared by authorities to re-enter the building a couple of hours after the evacuation.Most fans had already exited Vivint Smart Home Arena following Utah’s 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors when players, coaches and reporters were instructed to leave immediately.Not long after both coaches finished answering postgame questions from the media, a spokesman for the Jazz told reporters to exit the building due to the suspicious package. Outside, they were instructed by security to leave the premises.Utah players quickly headed for their cars in the parking lot — center Rudy Gobert was still in uniform as he left. Warriors players boarded their team bus.Salt Lake City police Lt. Carlos Valencia said the suspicious package looked like a shoebox and was discovered under a table at a restaurant in the northeast corner of the arena. He said the call came in from a uniformed officer working part-time at the game around 9:30 p.m.Arena bomb dogs went near the package and “got a hit on it,” Valencia said.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — About 15 minutes after the end of an NBA game, the Utah Jazz’s home arena has been evacuated because of a suspicious package.Most fans had already left the building Friday night following Utah’s 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors when players, coaches and reporters were instructed to leave Vivint Smart Home Arena immediately.Not long after both coaches finished answering postgame questions from the media, a spokesman for the Jazz told reporters to exit the building due to the suspicious package. Outside, they were instructed by security to leave the premises.Utah players quickly headed for their cars in the parking lot — center Rudy Gobert was still in uniform as he left. Warriors players boarded their team bus.Salt Lake City police Lt. Carlos Valencia says the suspicious package was a shoebox discovered under a table at an eatery in the arena. He says the call came in from a uniformed officer working part-time at the game around 9:30 p.m.Arena bomb dogs went near the package and “got a hit on it,” Valencia said.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — About 15 minutes after the end of an NBA game, the Utah Jazz’s home arena has been evacuated because of a suspicious package.Most fans had already left the building Friday night following Utah’s 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors when players, coaches and reporters were instructed to leave Vivint Smart Home Arena immediately.Not long after both coaches finished answering postgame questions from the media, a spokesman for the Jazz told reporters to exit the building due to a suspicious package. Outside, they were instructed by security to leave the premises.Utah players quickly headed for their cars in the parking lot — center Rudy Gobert was still in uniform as he left. Warriors players boarded their team bus.

DENVER (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye late in the second quarter, striking Ojeleye's abdomen area head-first and going down on to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.In a tweet, the Celtics said Walker has been diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. He was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.Walker grimaced in pain as he went down and play was stopped as medical personnel from both teams tended to the star guard who was prone on the floor for several minutes.His teammates gathered round as did Nuggets players, plainly concerned about Walker. A brace was placed around his neck to stabilize the area and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.Walker entered the game averaging a team-leading 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season with Boston.Earlier this month, the Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to a fractured left hand. He suffered the injury when he collided with LaMarcus Aldridge in a Nov. 9 game against San Antonio.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye late in the second quarter, striking Ojeleye's abdomen area head-first and going down on to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.Walker grimaced in pain as he went down and play was stopped as medical personnel from both teams tended to the star guard who was prone on the floor for several minutes.His teammates gathered round as did Nuggets players, plainly concerned about Walker. A brace was placed around his neck to stabilize the area and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.Walker entered the game averaging a team-leading 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season with Boston.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is suing a home remodeling contractor he says failed to perform the work for which he was hired.The lawsuit says Antetokounmpo hired David Gonzalez, of Cedarburg, to do some remodeling work at his suburban Milwaukee home. The work included painting, installing new countertops, flooring, landscaping and fencing.Gonzalez, doing business as DIG Enterprises, did not immediately respond to an email for comment and his cellphone mailbox was full.The Journal Sentinel says Antetokounmpo made a $40,000 down payment on work that was expected to top $238,000. The lawsuit says some of the work was never done or wasn’t done correctly.Antetokounmpo claims Gonzalez fraudulently obtained more than $144,000 just for the fence project, didn't install it or get the necessary permits.___Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forgive Gregg Popovich for not being in much of a mood to discuss the current state of the San Antonio Spurs.Fact is, he’s just not used to losing like this.Here’s how long it’s been since the Spurs dropped seven games in a row, the way they now have after DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the team were beaten by the lowly Washington Wizards 138-132 on Wednesday night: You have to go all the way back to the 1996-97 season to find such a rut for Pop and Co.That was before Tim Duncan had even played a game for them — and that guy was in the arena Wednesday, sitting on the sideline as an assistant to Popovich. Before Popovich led the franchise to five NBA championships and 22 consecutive playoff appearances. Before folks such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard had come and gone.After the latest setback, Popovich spoke to reporters only briefly.“All in all, if you score 132 points, you should probably have a pretty good chance to win a game.... [More]