PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard sustained separated ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5 of 18 from the floor and finished with 19 points in Portland's third straight loss in the series.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter Thursday when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.He said the injury is painful at times when he gets winded and it's difficult to breathe, and when there's contact with other players.The Warriors can close out the series with a victory Monday. No... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard says he separated his ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5-of-18 from the floor and finished with 19 points as Golden State took a 3-0 series lead.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter of Thursday's Game 2 when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.The Warriors would close out the series with a victory Monday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard says separated his ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5-of-18 from the floor and finished with 19 points as Golden State took a 3-0 series lead.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter of Thursday's Game 2 when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.The Warriors would close out the series with a victory Monday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant watched from home in the Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors finished off James Harden and the Houston Rockets on the road.The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP has a bit more cheerleading to do before he gets back on the court.Durant is likely to miss Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers while he recovers from a strained right calf. Durant was injured in Game 5 against Houston."Everyone needs to slow down a little bit on the Kevin stuff. He hasn't even stepped on the floor yet," coach Steve Kerr said Monday, a day before Game 1, noting a more extensive update would come Thursday.Golden State showed it can win without KD: Stephen Curry came alive at last in the second half of the clincher at Houston, scoring all 33 of his points after the break.Curry and Splash Brother Klay Thompson will look to build off strong performances in that final game against the Rockets to lead the top-seeded Warriors. The two-time... [More]

Bravo, Portland.Bravo.Doing the right thing isn't easy in the NBA, where patience is a rare virtue. The Trail Blazers were swept in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. They got swept again in the first round last season. Portland had lost 10 consecutive playoff games going into this year. Ordinarily, that's a recipe for firings, trade demands and roster dismantling.Instead, the Blazers stayed the course.And their reward is a trip to the Western Conference final, starting Tuesday against two-time defending champion Golden State."It speaks to the character of our organization and what we've become," All-Star guard Damian Lillard said.The Blazers have become a model of consistency.They could have gone the other way. A lot of teams have gone the other way.Neil Olshey, the Blazers' general manager, took an uncommonly measured approach last season and kept Terry Stotts — currently the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the NBA. Lillard stayed committed and didn't stomp his feet or force a trade... [More]

Kyle Lowry was talking in Toronto on Saturday, discussing any number of topics, offering eloquent answers to every question that came his way. His last sentence was all that really needed to be said."Nothing matters," the Raptors guard said, "but Game 7."There may be nothing better in sports than a Game 7 — and the second round of these NBA playoffs ends Sunday with a pair of deciders: third-seeded Philadelphia at second-seeded Toronto in an Eastern Conference semifinal; third-seeded Portland at second-seeded Denver in a Western Conference semifinal.The Portland-Denver winner will visit top-seeded Golden State in Game 1 of the West finals Tuesday. The Philadelphia-Toronto winner goes to top-seeded Milwaukee for Game 1 of the East finals Wednesday."I've been fortunate to be in a few Game 7s and they're very unique," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. "They're special. They are a life lesson, a life opportunity."There have been 133 Game 7s in NBA history — home teams have won 105, or 79%.... [More]

Joel Embiid doesn't know if he will feel better.He certainly knows he has to play better.He's battling an illness, looking like someone who'd rather be in bed than on the court. But the Philadelphia 76ers need their All-Star center, so Embiid is trying to tell himself that he has to dig deeper to find more energy, even if it's only for three hours."You know, can't control my physical condition, but I can also control how much I push myself and I try to do that," Embiid said. "But I've just got to do more."If he can't, he'll have all the time he needs to rest.With Embiid faltering, the 76ers try to fight off elimination and send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Toronto when they host the Raptors for Game 6 on Thursday.Portland will also try to send a series the distance on Thursday, hosting Game 6 against Denver, which has won two straight for a 3-2 lead behind Nikola Jokic, its dominant center.Embiid is supposed to be a dominant center, too.But he hasn't performed at anywhere near... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets could use the kind of break everybody else is getting in the second round of the NBA playoffs.If anybody deserved some time off, it's the All-Star center who just played 65 minutes in a game.But there's no rest for the weary now. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers will be back on the court Sunday for Game 4, surely a little low on fuel after they tied an NBA record by playing four overtimes Friday night in Portland's 140-137 victory."Both teams are exhausted, so it's the same for them as it is for us," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "We will not use that as an excuse. We haven't used it all year long and we won't start using it now."The conference semifinal round is a series of starts and stops, where it's difficult for any team to build much momentum because there have been so many gaps between games.Philadelphia and Toronto, who have Game 4 of their series Sunday, play just twice in a seven-day span. In the other Eastern Conference semifinal, Milwaukee... [More]

The Celtics and Trail Blazers have stolen home-court advantage in their respective second-round playoff series. Now they're focused on keeping it as their series shift to Boston and Portland.Boston, the East's fourth seed, came out strong and took Game 1 against top-seeded Milwaukee before getting blown out in Game 2. The series resumes at TD Garden on Friday night, and the Celtics like their chances on a court where they've won 12 of their last 13 playoff games.For that trend to continue, Boston must get a better performance from Jayson Tatum. The second-year forward averaged 19.2 points per game during the Celtics' first-round sweep of the Pacers, shooting 50 percent from the floor. In two games against Milwaukee, he has nine total points while connecting on 24% of his field-goal attempts."I watched film. I acknowledge that I gotta be better overall," Tatum said. "And I will be better. It's a bad game. It happens. I don't think too much of it. Just ready for Game 3."The Celtics will also... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic got right to the point on his flourishing chemistry with teammate Jamal Murray .After all, he believes it's something to write home about."We are playing really good together," the versatile Denver Nuggets big man said . "He's a great basketball player, a great competitive guy and I just love to have him as a teammate."Did you write that down?"Write on! Or so the Nuggets are hoping.Jokic and Murray combined for 60 points in a 121-113 win over Portland on Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. That eclipsed the Blazers tandem of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, who had 55 points. Game 2 is Wednesday at Pepsi Center.The Murray-to-Jokic, Jokic-to-Murray connection is quickly gaining steam as their pick-and-roll game gave the Blazers fits. It's a contrasting style to the one the Blazers faced in a first-round series with Oklahoma City, when they had to slow Paul George and Russell Westbrook.Paul Millsap said he's seen just about every defense employed... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder plan to keep coach Billy Donovan for a fifth year.Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Monday that he doesn't expect to switch coaches, despite Oklahoma City's third consecutive first-round playoff exit.Presti does expect Russell Westbrook to change, though. The All-Star point guard averaged a triple-double for the third straight season, but his image came under scrutiny after he collected a league-high 16 technical fouls that led to a one-game suspension, trash talked with Portland point guard Damian Lillard before losing the playoff series and refused to answer some of the media's questions."Would we prefer if he handled a few things differently? Sure," Presti said. "We've talked about that. I also think it would probably be worthy and noteworthy to establish the fact that he made some adjustments to that particular approach, and I think that's a sign of tremendous leadership and a sign that he is understanding that when he speaks, he... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — After he made his unforgettable 3-pointer at the buzzer to clinch Portland's first-round series over Oklahoma City, Damian Lillard was mobbed by his teammates.The television camera moved into the scrum, and Lillard looked directly into the lens. His expression was pure told-you-so."Obviously he can score the ball with the best of them. But Dame has a chip on his shoulder, and he has since the day he walked into this league," said Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. "Just the way he grinds, he played like a guy from Oakland with a chip on his shoulder and a guy who has been doubted forever."The doubters don't bother the 6-foot-3 Lillard. They seem to motivate him, fuel his hunger to prove them wrong.He enters the NBA conference semifinals on a roll, as confident as ever.And it's not just because of the 37-footer that eliminated the Thunder: He had 50 points in last Tuesday's deciding game, a 118-115 Game 5 victory that sent the Blazers through to the Western... [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]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter's status for the second round of the playoffs remains uncertain because of a shoulder injury as Portland waits to learn its opponent.Kanter says he separated his left shoulder early on during Portland's deciding Game 5 against Oklahoma City on Tuesday in the opening round. The Blazers returned to practice Friday.Kanter was shooting during the workout, although at times he rubbed the shoulder."I think the Blazers are doing a very good job taking care of it. But, I mean obviously, I'm not going to lie, it hurts pretty bad," he said. "I mean I'm having a hard time changing my shirt or eating food. So it's a process. We're just taking it day by day, see how it feels."Despite the injury, Kanter had 13 points and 13 rebounds in Portland's 118-115 victory over the Thunder, which sent the Blazers through to the Western Conference semifinals.The Blazers will play the winner of the first-round series between the Nuggets and the Spurs, which is... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — After a drama-filled and disappointing season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook remains as defiant as ever.The All-Star point guard averaged a triple-double for the third straight season and nearly averaged one in the playoffs. But Portland bounced the Thunder in five games, and Westbrook's poor shooting played a significant role in another first-round exit. He shot 36 percent from the floor during the series and made just 11 of 31 field goals in the deciding Game 5 loss.Don't expect the 30-year-old gunslinger to change his approach when teams back off, daring him to take a shot."There's no process," Westbrook said. "Shoot it. That's it."The emotional Westbrook has been at the center of the good — and the bad — this season for OKC.He got into a verbal altercation with fans in Utah, led the league with 16 technical fouls and was suspended a game for them, engaged in trash talking with Portland's Damian Lillard during the playoffs and responded during postgame... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — If Damian Lillard's series-clinching walkoff 3-pointer against the Thunder looked vaguely familiar, it's because he's done it before.His buzzer-beating 3 sent Houston packing back in 2014.It may have been from a different spot and against a different team, but it was the same Lillard — cool and confident. As a result, the Trail Blazers are into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in three seasons."That's Dame," teammate Zach Collins said afterward. "Besides the shot, that was one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. ... I think it will go down in the history books as that."Lillard finished with 50 points, including 10 3-pointers — capped by the legend-making 3 — in Portland's 118-115 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night that ended the series in five games.Portland advances to the Western Conference semifinals to face the winner of the series between the Nuggets and San Antonio. Denver won 108-90 earlier Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in... [More]

DENVER (AP) — In response to an early call, Toronto coach Nick Nurse formed the perfect "O'' with his mouth and held it for a dozen or so seconds.Oh, these playoffs. They can leave your mouth agape — just like Nurse's gone-viral expression on the bench during a win Sunday in Orlando.Now leading 3-1, Nurse and the Raptors look to close out their series with the Magic at home Tuesday. The same goes for Philadelphia against Brooklyn and Portland against Oklahoma City.The second-seeded Denver Nuggets return home Tuesday following their first victory in San Antonio since 2012. Tied at 2, they've reclaimed home-court advantage as Nuggets coach Michael Malone finds himself in quite a chess match with his counterpart Gregg Popovich."He's Bobby Fischer," Malone said, in comparing Popovich to the chess prodigy. "He's a savant. So I'm not worried about matching wits with Gregg Popovich. I'm worried about helping our team."Face it, this was comical: The look of Nurse, who instantly became a meme with... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — If there was a silver lining for Indiana fans after the Pacers were the first team to be bounced from the 2019 NBA playoffs, it's this: They won't have to watch any more first-round games.For that, they should be thankful.Drama is in very short supply so far in these playoffs. Close games? Few and far between (more on this later). Ratings? They're down double-digit percentages from last year, a massive hit that suggests casual fans aren't watching if LeBron James — out of the playoffs for the first time since 2005 — isn't playing. Tickets? There were seats on the secondary market available for Monday's Milwaukee-Detroit game for as little as $18.That's $18, by the way, to see a Bucks team that was the best team in the NBA during the regular season. The Bucks have the likely MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pistons fans had to have known it would be their team's last home game of the season. And it was, with Milwaukee winning in a rout to finish off a four-game sweep.A... [More]