BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are preparing for their Game 2 matchup with the Pacers aware their series-opening win was notable more for its ugliness more than the outcome.Meanwhile, the Rockets and Bucks are heading into their respective Game 2s with the Jazz and Pistons expecting more competitive games after dominating victories.Boston limited Indiana to eight points in the third quarter of its 84-74 Game 1 win. It was the Celtics' lowest point total of the season and the first time they won a game in 2018-19 in which they didn't reach 100 points.Change is on the minds of both teams.For the Celtics that could mean tweaks to the starting lineup as they continue to adjust to the absence of Marcus Smart, who is recovering from a torn left oblique."It's frustrating, but you have to take it day-by-day and one day at a time," Smart said Tuesday.Celtics coach Brad Stevens acknowledged Smart's absence forced them to play differently and will continue to require adjustments.Without Smart to help with... [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]

The final day of the regular season has arrived, with one playoff spot to decide, seven of the eight first-round matchups still unknown and nine different seeds still not clinched.It also is the last day that Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Miami's Dwyane Wade will be NBA players before retirement. Dallas is in San Antonio, Miami is at Brooklyn. Nowitzki and Wade played their final home games on Tuesday night, both scoring 30 points apiece.It is the first day of the offseason for a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers — whose season ended Tuesday with a loss to Portland and team president Magic Johnson stepping down in a move that few could have predicted. Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans and Phoenix also are done.The only known first-round matchup is in the Eastern Conference, where Indiana and Boston meet in Round 1. Every other matchup remains to be determined.There are no major individual races left to decide: Houston's James Harden is the scoring champion, Detroit's Andre Drummond... [More]

The final day of the season has arrived, with one playoff spot to decide, seven of the eight first-round matchups still unknown and nine different seeds still not clinched.It's also the last day that Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Miami's Dwyane Wade will be NBA players before retirement. Dallas is in San Antonio, Miami is at Brooklyn. Nowitzki and Wade both played their final home games on Tuesday night — both scoring exactly 30 points apiece.It's the first day of the offseason for a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers — whose season ended Tuesday with a loss to Portland, and team president Magic Johnson stepping down in a move that hardly anyone could have predicted. Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans and Phoenix are also done.The only known first-round matchup is in the Eastern Conference, that being Indiana and Boston meeting in Round 1. Every other matchup is a mystery.At least there's no major individual races left to decide: Houston's James Harden is the scoring champion, Detroit's... [More]

Take a look at the five highest-scoring seasons in NBA history.— Wilt Chamberlain scored 4,029 points in 1961-62.— Chamberlain scored 3,586 in 1962-63.— Michael Jordan scored 3,041 points in 1986-87.— Chamberlain scored 3,033 in 1960-61.— Chamberlain scored 2,948 points in 1963-64.There they are. The five best seasons in terms of points that the NBA has ever seen. And those five seasons all have something in common — when they were over, someone not named Chamberlain or Jordan was the MVP.What James Harden did this season for the Houston Rockets was scintillating. He scored 50 or more points nine times. He scored 61 twice. He scored at least 30 points in 32 consecutive games, a stretch that lasted more than two months. He will finish this season with the seventh-highest scoring average in NBA history and win the scoring title by more than 8 points per game — a ridiculous margin.He wins Most Voluminous Points.But maybe not the Most Valuable Player.There are some tremendous individual races... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — For the last two years, they were the final two steps in what had become LeBron James' annual climb to the NBA Finals.Now that he's gone, maybe the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics are done being stepping stones.They are among the teams capable of winning the Eastern Conference, which no longer has its longtime ruler and has plenty of candidates ready to replace him."Top of the East is awfully good," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "It's a different East than it was the last couple of years, that's one thing, and so I would say that we'll see. We'll see how it all plays out."It played out the same way the last two years. The Raptors went out weakly in the second round, swept by James' Cleveland Cavaliers, before a banged-up Boston team put up as good a fight as it could in the conference finals before falling.The Raptors made wholesale changes even after winning 59 games last season, firing Coach of the Year Dwane Casey and promoting Nick Nurse, and trading DeMar DeRozan... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The playoff field is largely set.The positioning, that's still anyone's guess.So even while some of what we could have had for drama over the final 2½ weeks of the NBA regular season won't materialize — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are already out of the playoffs, robbing us of one potential story line — the races for seedings and home-court edges are almost certain now to go down to the final days of the season.Milwaukee has the edge over all other teams in the race for the No. 1 overall seed. Dwyane Wade's career still isn't guaranteed of going past Miami's regular-season finale in Brooklyn on April 10. Golden State, bidding for a third straight NBA championship and fourth in five years, still has a fight on its hands just to get the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference."We're ready to take on any challenger," Warriors forward Draymond Green said.There have been nights where that's looked like a very accurate statement. Others, not so much.The Warriors have lost... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets are finally healthy and have won a season-high nine straight heading into their final regular-season meeting against the Golden State Warriors.Despite the surge, James Harden & Co. still trail first-place Golden State, which has lost six of 10 capped by a loss to the lowly Suns, by 3½ games in the Western Conference standings. Houston has won all three games against the Warriors this season, but win or lose on Wednesday night, the Rockets have much bigger goals."We beat them four times or three times in the regular season ain't nobody going to remember in about a month," Chris Paul said.Indeed.The Rockets not only want to finish out the season strong to try to pass Golden State and second-place Denver for the top seed in the West. They also have their eyes on finally toppling the Warriors after Golden State has eliminated Houston from the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. They've twice lost to them in the Western Conference finals, including... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden will play on Sunday night when the Houston Rockets visit the Dallas Mavericks after X-rays on his injured right wrist were negative.Harden first injured it last Sunday in a win over Boston and aggravated it on Friday night in a fall in the first half of a victory over Philadelphia. The win extended Houston's winning streak to a season-high seven games.Harden leads the NBA in scoring with 36.6 points a game. He said when he fell on Friday night that he was worried the injury was worse than it was.He says: "I was. But I'm happy it's not."As for what he can do to protect his wrist, Harden says: "Just try to not fall on it. That's the only thing I can do. Keep icing it, keep getting treatment on it. But when you keep falling on it, it keeps aggravating it and it keeps getting worse."Houston's recent surge has the team in third place in the Western Conference behind Golden State and Denver. After Sunday's trip to Dallas, the Rockets play four straight home games, highlighted by a visit from the Warriors on Wednesday night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TOKYO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets will play two pre-season games in October at the Saitama Super Arena, the basketball venue for next year's Tokyo Olympics.In a statement Tuesday, the NBA said it has staged 12 regular-season games in Japan, beginning in 1990 when the Utah Jazz played the Phoenix Suns. The NBA says this was the first regular-season game played outside North America by a U.S. sports league.The Rockets played two regular-season games in Japan in 1992. The Raptors will be making their first visit to Japan.Houston is led by James Harden and Chris Paul. Toronto is led by Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Marc Gasol.The Saitama Super Arena is located northwest of central Tokyo.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TOKYO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets will play two pre-season games in October at the Saitama Super Arena, the basketball venue for next year's Tokyo Olympics.In a statement Tuesday, the NBA said it has staged 12 regular-season games in Japan, beginning in 1990 when the Utah Jazz played the Phoenix Suns. The NBA says this was the first regular-season game played outside North America by a U.S. sports league.The Rockets played two regular-season games in Japan in 1992. The Raptors will be making their first visit to Japan.Houston is led by James Harden and Chris Paul. Toronto is led by Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Marc Gasol.The Saitama Super Arena is located northwest of central Tokyo.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball needs at least one more week to recover from his bone bruise and sprained ankle.The Lakers' medical staff evaluated the point guard Thursday.Ball has missed 14 consecutive games since Jan. 19, when he sprained his left ankle in a collision with Houston's James Harden. The Lakers projected Ball would miss four to six weeks, and he will pass six weeks this weekend.The Lakers plan to re-evaluate Ball in one week, the team says. They are 5-9 in his absence.Ball is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds while playing strong defense in his second NBA season.Rajon Rondo returned to the Lakers' starting lineup Wednesday in their 125-119 victory over New Orleans.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The NBA is not happy that tensions between teams and referees seem to be rising.Then again, 'tis the season.Playoff-race pressure is real, and the NBA thinks — or hopes — that some tantrums in recent weeks can be attributed to that and not an eroding of the always-tenuous relationship between those who commit infractions and those who call them. Golden State coach Steve Kerr smashing clipboards and Houston star James Harden calling out longtime official Scott Foster are sights and sounds that the league doesn't want, so the NBA is once again reaching out to teams to offer reminders about not going too far when ripping the refs."This is the dark ages of the season," said Michelle Johnson, the NBA's senior vice president and head of referee operations. "Teams are shaping up where they stand and it matters more to some teams than others, and some coaches do tactical outbursts for the good of their teams. So even if we go to teams and they don't have a lot of issues ... we want to keep the... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — James Harden is sitting out the Houston Rockets' game against the Golden State Warriors because of flu-like symptoms.While Harden also has a strained neck, coach Mike D'Antoni said the reigning MVP and league scoring leader probably could have played through that. Harden hurt the neck when he got hit during a practice leading up to Thursday night's road loss to the Lakers and woke up sore the next day."He might've played even with a sore neck, he had a little touch of the flu. It was a combination of everything," D'Antoni said.In the Rockets' last visit to Oracle Arena, Harden hit a contested 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in a 135-134 overtime victory Jan. 3 in which he finished with a triple-double and his fifth straight 40-point game. He was 13 for 32 with 10 3s.Harden, who missed three games in the season's first month with a strained left hamstring, is averaging an NBA-best 36.5 points. Houston entered Saturday's game 1-2 in games without him.Also Saturday, Harden was fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing the officiating after the loss to the Lakers.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston Rockets star James Harden has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing the officiating.The NBA announced the penalty Saturday, two days after Harden said he didn't think official Scott Foster should be allowed to work any Rockets games.Harden fouled out in Houston's 111-106 loss to the Lakers at Los Angeles. He scored 30 points, the 32nd straight time he's reached that mark.After the game, Harden criticized Foster and said he realized his words likely would result in a fine."Scott Foster, man. I never really talk about officiating or anything like that, but just rude and arrogant," Harden said."It's lingering, and it's something that has to be looked at for sure," he said. "For sure, it's personal. For sure. I don't think he should be able to even officiate our games anymore, honestly."The Rockets, who lead their division in the Western Conference, played at Golden State on Saturday night.

James Harden turned to it to become the NBA's most unstoppable scorer.Luka Doncic has ridden it to stardom on both sides of the Atlantic.The step-back 3-pointer is the perfect weapon for the modern NBA, practically a necessity in a game where the ability to find space to shoot from behind the arc is more valued than ever before."Things have changed and the game is so spread out," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "All over the NBA and all over the world really, everybody's stretching the range out a few feet more. The 3-point line is being covered much better than it has in the past so guys are moving back, and guys that can create space to shoot 3s unassisted have a special skill . It's going to be a necessary skill more as the game continues to evolve."But before guys who belong in the paint start hoisting them up from the perimeter, or taking balls off the rack and shooting step-backs during this weekend's All-Star 3-point contest, there a few things to consider.Even Stephen Curry said... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan says James Harden's streak of 30 straight 30-point games and Russell Westbrook's 10 straight triple-doubles are both impressive and tough to accomplish.But the Charlotte Hornets owner said Tuesday — flashing a big grin — that there is one accomplishment tougher than both those feats: "Which is harder from the player's standpoint? Six championships by all means."Jordan praised both players for what they're doing, noting that both streaks are hard to accomplish.Jordan said the milestones show "the talent that we have within the league.""It shows progression in the league," Jordan said during an interview at his Hornets facility while discussing the upcoming All-Star weekend . "I am very proud of how both guys have done because they are making a mark for the league and I think it really helps grow the league."Harden needed a late scoring spree on Monday night to extend his streak to 30 games, scoring 11 points in the final 100 seconds as the Rockets defeated... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan says James Harden's streak of 30 straight 30-point games and Russell Westbrook's 10 straight triple-doubles are both impressive and tough to accomplish.But the Charlotte Hornets said Tuesday — flashing a big grin — that there is one accomplishment tougher than both those feats: "Which is harder from the player's standpoint? Six championships by all means."Jordan praised both players for what they're doing, nothing that both streaks are hard to accomplish.Jordan said the milestones show "the talent that we have within the league.""It shows progression in the league," Jordan said during an interview at his Hornets facility while discussing the upcoming All-Star weekend . "I am very proud of how both guys have done because they are making a mark for the league and I think it really helps grow the league."Harden needed a late scoring spree on Monday night to extend his streak to 30 games, scoring 11 points in the final 100 seconds as the Rockets defeated... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall has a history of trying to play through pain. His latest setback is forcing the Washington Wizards guard to take a different approach."I guess God is telling me something," Wall said Friday night about the ruptured Achilles tendon that will force him to miss at least the majority of the 2019-20 season. "To sit down and get yourself fully healthy. I've played through injuries my whole career. I know a lot of people who played through injuries and don't sit down. That's one thing I don't like to do. If something that's nagging or not broken, I want to play. I guess it kind of caught up to me."Wall was already out for the season after having surgery to repair bone spurs in his left heel. The rupture in his tendon was discovered by a team doctor during a follow-up procedure to clean out an infection. His recovery time has been estimated at 11 to 15 months."I didn't want to hear it," Wall said of the diagnosis. "I'm kind of glad it happened now instead of when I'm... [More]

LeBron James finally has Anthony Davis as a teammate.For one game.His Los Angeles Lakers were unable to swing a deal for Davis, but James drafted the New Orleans Pelicans star on Thursday when he and fellow captain Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down to choose their teams for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in Charlotte.Davis told the Pelicans he wanted a trade, and James has made it clear that he'd love to play with him. But the Pelicans kept Davis as the trade deadline passed, so for now, their time as teammates will be limited to All-Star weekend and James pounced at the chance to grab him with the second pick of the reserve round."I'm very sure of that," James said, when asked by TNT host Ernie Johnson if he was sure he wanted Davis as a teammate."Isn't that tampering?" Antetokounmpo asked.Responded James, as both players laughed: "Tampering rules do not apply on All-Star weekend," a thinly veiled reference to the reaction James got when he listed Davis as one of many players he would like the... [More]