INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Rodney Hood has apologized to coach Tyronn Lue and his teammates for refusing to check into Game 4 against Toronto.Hood, who has lost playing time throughout the playoffs, didn't check in during the fourth quarter Tuesday night when the Cavaliers completed a sweep. Cleveland was leading by 30 points when Lue told Hood to replace LeBron James.The 25-year-old Hood said he knew "it was going to look bad" and regrets his decision. Hood said his teammates accepted his apology and laughed off the situation after all the drama they've been through this season.Hood began the playoffs in the starting lineup but averaged less than one point against the Raptors. He's confident he can have an impact against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Draymond Green's remarkable postseason has pushed beyond basketball, featuring Charles Barkley declaring he'd like to punch the emotional Golden State forward, a death threat from a frustrated fan who Green encouraged to get the help he needs, and an attempt by the All-Star to listen in on the Pelicans huddle.Oh, and it just so happens Green also became the first Warriors player to ever average a triple-double in a postseason series."He's just incredibly engaged and locked in. This is the best I've seen him play all year," coach Steve Kerr said. "Draymond has to play hard to do what he does. I think the playoffs have energized him."Green is at his best on the big stage and playing just on the edge — pushing boundaries by being just physical enough without crossing the line, dishing out just enough trash talk, though others may beg to differ.Just as Barkley did.Green flaps his mouth with the best of them in what many might consider over-the-top gamesmanship, engaging... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City forward Nick Collison is retiring after 15 years with the Thunder.The 37-year-old Collison announced his decision Thursday through the team. The Thunder said Collison is among five NBA players to have spent the past 15 or more seasons all with one franchise.Collison said his goal was to make a career out of basketball and that he was "blessed to be in the NBA for 15 seasons."The 6-foot-10 Collison was selected No. 12 overall out of Kansas by the Seattle Supersonics in 2003.Collison started 177 of his 910 career regular-season games, averaging 5.9 points and 5.2 rebounds. He and Russell Westbrook are the only two players to spend the first 10 years of the relocated franchise in Oklahoma City.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Draymond Green's remarkable postseason has pushed beyond basketball, featuring Charles Barkley declaring he'd like to punch the emotional Golden State forward, a death threat from a frustrated fan that Green encouraged to get the help he needs, and an attempt by the All-Star to listen in on the Pelicans huddle.Oh, and it just so happens Green also became the first Warriors player to ever average a triple-double in a postseason series."He's just incredibly engaged and locked in. This is the best I've seen him play all year," coach Steve Kerr said. "Draymond has to play hard to do what he does. I think the playoffs have energized him."Green is at his best on the big stage and playing just on the edge — pushing boundaries by being just physical enough without crossing the line, dishing out just enough trash talk, though others may beg to differ.Just as Barkley did.Green flaps his mouth with the best of them in what many might consider over-the-top gamesmanship, engaging... [More]

The franchise with the most titles. The best player of this generation. The reigning champions. The probable MVP.The NBA has its Final Four.It certainly does not disappoint.Boston's win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night brought down the curtain on the postseason's second round — one that wasn't exactly loaded with drama, since it was the first time since 2002 that none of the NBA's four conference semifinal series went past five games. Cleveland swept Toronto, while Houston, Golden State and the Celtics all prevailed by 4-1 counts.Everyone gets to catch their collective breaths for a few days, with the league going dark until the weekend. Cleveland and Boston don't tip off the Eastern Conference finals until Sunday, and the Warriors and Rockets start their West title series on Monday. And yes, the Cavaliers and Warriors are four wins away from a fourth consecutive meeting in the NBA Finals.A few things to know going into the conference finals:LEBRON, OF COURSEAny list of anything this... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have been mining possibility out of improbable odds throughout the 2017-2018 season.A season filled with so much promise was jolted just five minutes into their season opener back in October when Gordon Hayward was lost for the year to a fractured ankle.It looked to be derailed for sure when Marcus Smart suffered a torn ligament in his thumb in March, followed by Kyrie Irving being sidelined for the season a month later following a pair of knee surgeries.Yet, after completing a 4-1 series win with their 114-112 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, the Celtics are somehow back where no one — except maybe only them — believed they could be: headed to a second straight Eastern Conference final.A rematch with Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James awaits them, but for a Celtics team that has had to trudge uphill throughout the season, still playing at this point of the postseason feels like reason to celebrate.Coach Brad Stevens said this group... [More]

The franchise with the most titles. The best player of this generation. The reigning champions. The probable MVP.The NBA has its Final Four.It certainly does not disappoint.Boston's win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night brought down the curtain on the postseason's second round — one that wasn't exactly loaded with drama, since it was the first time since 2002 that none of the NBA's four conference semifinal series went past five games. Cleveland swept Toronto, while Houston, Golden State and the Celtics all prevailed by 4-1 counts.Everyone gets to catch their collective breaths for a few days, with the league going dark until the weekend. Cleveland and Boston don't tip off the Eastern Conference finals until Sunday, and the Warriors and Rockets start their West title series on Monday. And yes, the Cavaliers and Warriors are four wins away from a fourth consecutive meeting in the NBA Finals.A few things to know going into the conference finals:LEBRON, OF COURSEAny list of anything this... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Restless nights became common for Donovan Mitchell during his rookie season.Mitchell worried about being able to make the playoffs and he worried about whether he was doing enough of the right things to get the Utah Jazz there."There would be nights where I just couldn't fall asleep," Mitchell said. "I'd just be in bed and couldn't sleep because I was thinking about it. This is crazy how all this has come together to be honest."Crazy sums up how the season played out for Mitchell and the Jazz.Few NBA teams have ever experienced as dramatic an in-season turnaround as Utah. The Jazz fell to 19-28 in mid-January and seemed headed for a lottery pick rather than a playoff spot. Things changed dramatically once Rudy Gobert came back from a knee injury and Mitchell emerged as the team's top playmaker on offense.The Jazz won 29 of their final 35 regular-season games to claim a playoff spot. They beat Oklahoma City in six games to reach the Western Conference semifinals, where... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anthony Davis wasn't willing to call the New Orleans Pelicans' season a success.Not that Davis dismissed the determination, grit and growing chemistry the Pelicans showed in the way they adjusted to a season-ending injury to fellow All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.New Orleans exceeded expectations by getting to the postseason and sweeping third-seeded Portland . Then came a second-round matchup with defending champion Golden State, and the Pelicans were reminded why bringing back a player of Cousins' caliber could be crucial to going farther next season. The Warriors needed only five games to end New Orleans' season."Any time you don't win a championship, I don't see how it could be successful," Davis said. "We can take a lot of positive things from the season. Of course, one of our main guys went out and everybody doubted us. Everybody counted us out and we were able to keep fighting, keep pushing as a unit and able to come this far."This offseason could go a long way in determining... [More]

The buildup for this series truly began in February, with some pointed comments from Golden State's Draymond Green.Or in October, when Houston won at Golden State on ring night.Or in June, when the Rockets landed Chris Paul.Whenever it started, however it started, it's clear that this is the series that the NBA-watching world wanted. Western Conference finals, Golden State versus Houston, Game 1 on Monday on the Rockets' home floor. Series winner to the NBA Finals, series loser will undoubtedly feel like they let a championship ring slip away."They got us. We got them," Green said. "Got to go out there and play. We'll see who better."After more than 10 months of playing, posturing and some pontificating, it really is that simple.This Rockets team was assembled — the key being the trade for Paul last summer — with hopes of unseating the reigning champion Warriors from their perch atop the NBA. So far, so good. Houston set a franchise record with 65 wins in the regular season, went 2-1 against... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Rubin poses for pictures and shares bro hugs from his courtside seat before Philadelphia 76ers playoff games with a hodgepodge of celebrities that could be straight out of a "Dancing With The Stars" casting call.Hey, there's Kevin Hart ! Look, it's Questlove! Wait, is that really Dr. Oz ?But there's one VIP that the 45-year old billionaire co-owner of the Sixers really wants to introduce."Hey, have you met Meek?" Rubin asks.Meek Mill is all smiles as he says life is all good in the days since he was released from prison while the Philly-born rapper appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions.Mill had a string of high-profile names — including Hart , rapper Jay-Z and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft — support him during a five-month campaign to be freed on bail from prison for probation violations. But Mill's biggest advocate, one of his closest friends and the e-commerce entrepreneur who arranged for a helicopter to take Mill from prison to a Sixers' playoff... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Rubin poses for pictures and shares bro hugs from his courtside seat before Philadelphia 76ers playoff games with a hodgepodge of celebrities that could be straight out of a "Dancing With The Stars" casting call.Hey, there's Kevin Hart ! Look, it's Questlove! Wait, is that really Dr. Oz ?But there's one VIP that the 45-year old billionaire co-owner of the Sixers really wants to introduce."Hey, have you met Meek?" Rubin asks.Meek Mill is all smiles as he says life is all good in the days since he was released from prison while the Philly-born rapper appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions.Mill had a string of high-profile names — including Hart , rapper Jay-Z and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft — support him during a five-month campaign to be freed on bail from prison for probation violations. But Mill's biggest advocate, one of his closest friends and the e-commerce entrepreneur who arranged for a helicopter to take Mill from prison to a Sixers' playoff... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — After a Game 3 flop in New Orleans, similar to that lone first-round loss against San Antonio last month, coach Steve Kerr provided a quick reminder to the Golden State Warriors:It's not supposed to be easy at this stage — especially for the defending champions.There's no way this postseason can go as brilliantly as the last one. That remarkable, record-setting 16-1 run to the title, well, it's not going to happen often, or maybe ever again."I told our team actually after Game 3 the day we practiced, I said, 'What we did last year was the first time and only time anybody has ever accomplished that in the playoffs, gone 16-1," Kerr said. "I know the Lakers went 15-1, they had a similar kind of joy ride where very little adversity, but that's the extreme exception. Year after year, the NBA champion has to go through so much to get there. And that's why you pour champagne on each other, because it's really hard, and it's supposed to be hard. The fact that it is so difficult... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Chris Paul is an ultra-intense competitor, often the most passionate player on the court.But even for his Houston Rockets teammates, what they saw from him Tuesday night was on another level.Paul scored a playoff career-high 41 points with eight 3-pointers to finally reach the conference finals, helping the Rockets eliminate the Utah Jazz 112-102 in Game 5."He said you get out of the way ... I'm going to put us on my back," James Harden said. "You could see it in his eyes. He had that look in his eyes. If he has that look in his eyes ... he's a problem."The Rockets will meet Golden State after the Warriors closed out their series against the New Orleans Pelicans later Tuesday night. Top-seeded Houston will host the series opener Monday night.It will be Houston's second trip to the Western Conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul. The point guard has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the postseason."He's been... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — When the Detroit Pistons hired Stan Van Gundy in 2014, owner Tom Gores called it the most important decision his organization had made.Van Gundy didn't make it to the end of his five-year contract, and now the Pistons need a plan for a future without him. Multiple plans, perhaps.Van Gundy's ouster leaves Detroit with no coach and a leadership void in the front office. That's what happens when a team entrusts one person with so much authority, then decides to move in a different direction. If healthy, the Pistons may have the talent to reach the playoffs next season, but the franchise's long-term strategy is the more pressing question.The team announced Monday that Van Gundy wouldn't be back as coach or president of basketball operations. There was no news conference — just a release in which Detroit said it would begin the search for a new head of basketball operations and a new coach. Gores spoke highly of Van Gundy while saying the team needed a change to reach the next... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The more Knicks management asked about David Fizdale, the more they heard how much players respect him.It can't hurt that one of them is LeBron James.And while Knicks fans can dream of Fizdale's relationship with James giving them a shot when the superstar enters free agency as expected, a team building from the bottom can't focus on one player — even the best one in the game.New York needed a coach that can bring out the best in everyone on the roster, and that's what the Knicks believe they have in Fizdale.The Knicks agreed to a deal with the former Memphis Grizzlies coach last week and introduced him Tuesday at a news conference at Madison Square Garden."I think the big thing that we found — and that's obviously terrific that some of the game's greats recognized David for who he is as a man and as a coach — but the players that are not that, just the guys 1 through 15, the reviews coming back on him were all very consistently similar," general manager Scott Perry said."That... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — An improbable Eastern Conference finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers is in reach for the Boston Celtics.The only thing delaying it is one more victory against a Philadelphia 76ers team intent on not becoming the latest to join a dubious NBA club.Toronto was swept by Cleveland on Monday to become the 130th consecutive team in NBA history to fail to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Philadelphia is one loss away from becoming No. 131.Philadelphia-born rapper Meek Mill, who has been courtside for several Sixers games this series following his release from prison last month, is one of many hometown fans still hoping they can pull off the comeback."I represent the underdog season," Mill told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "We're the underdogs right now. We're in a (bad) position at 3-1, but I definitely believe we can make a comeback."Philadelphia used its toughness, a little trash talk and 19 big points from T.J. McConnell in its 103-92 victory in Game 4 Monday to finally produce... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — To DeMar DeRozan, regular-season and playoff basketball are as different as checkers and chess.In LeBron James, DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors keep running into the ultimate grandmaster. Their inability to beat him might force coach Dwane Casey into a cruel checkmate.Toronto's postseason fizzled out against a familiar foe on Monday night when James and the Cleveland Cavaliers finished off back-to-back second-round sweeps of Toronto. It's the third straight year the Cavs have bounced the Raptors from the playoffs.After a franchise-record 59 wins, good for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it was as tough a defeat as DeRozan has endured."This is probably the toughest, most frustrating, difficult, lowest feeling I've had," DeRozan said Tuesday. "You get to that point where you're standing firm through everything and you feel like you can't get knocked down again, and you realize you do get knocked back down again. It's kind of the worst feeling."Teammate Kyle Lowry was... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan has his guy.The Hornets owner has finalized a deal to hire San Antonio Spurs assistant coach James Borrego as Charlotte's next head coach, according to people familiar with the situation.The people spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the Hornets haven't officially announced the hiring.A news conference is expected in the next few days.The 40-year Borrego has spent 15 years an NBA assistant coach, 10 of those with San Antonio under Gregg Popovich. He has been a part of two NBA championship teams — in 2005 and 2007. He also was an assistant with the New Orleans Hornets, well before the team moved back to Charlotte.This will be his first head coaching job.However, he did serve as an interim coach with the Orlando Magic late in 2015-16 season after Jacque Vaughn was fired.The Hornets are in the midst of a major change in the organization.Jordan fired general manager Rich Cho midway through last season and hired Mitch... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rodney Hood's playoff problems now extend to off the court.Hood, who has seen his role reduced during his first postseason with Cleveland, will not be fined or suspended for refusing to enter Monday night's Game 4 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.Hood feels bad about the incident that happened with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter, and he expressed remorse on Tuesday to team officials about becoming a distraction, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.The person said disciplinary actions against Hood "were never a consideration."The Athletic first reported that Hood had angered teammates and others in the organization by rejecting coach Tyronn Lue's instruction to enter the game.With Cleveland leading 110-80 and on its way to sweeping the series, the Cavs called timeout to replace superstar LeBron James. Lue told Hood... [More]