PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Pau Gasol is already having an impact in Portland without even taking the court: The 7-foot Spaniard has become something of a mentor for the younger Trail Blazers.What a mentor to have.He’s a six-time All Star and one of just four players with over 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks in his career, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. He’s got a pair of NBA championship rings from a stint with the Lakers.About to embark on his 19th NBA season, Gasol is hoping for a fresh start with the Blazers. He came to Portland as a free agent in the offseason but he’s been limited at the start of training camp as he makes his way back from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.Gasol played just three games for the Milwaukee Bucks last season before the surgery. The Bucks signed him in March after he reached a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. In total, he played in just 30 games last season, averaging... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers have a number of new players for Portland's 50th anniversary season— and a new resolve after their playoff run last spring.Joining the well-established backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on Portland's roster are such offseason acquisitions as Hassan Whiteside, Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore. The Blazers open preseason camp on Tuesday."I feel like it's coming together, naturally," Lillard said Monday at the team's media day. "Being together for some weeks now and playing pickup has just been cool. I think the environment that we've created over the years, guys come in and it's easy to get comfortable with it. I think that's what's happening."Last season the Blazers finished 53-29 and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference, earning home court for the first round — and a series with the Thunder. Portland wrapped that series up in five games, capped by Lillard's memorable walk-off 3-pointer, and advanced to the conference finals for the... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have added six-time All-Star Pau Gasol to their roster.President of basketball operations Neil Olshey announced Gasol's signing Thursday."Pau is a future Hall of Famer that brings invaluable championship experience and an elite skill set and basketball IQ to our roster," Olshey said in a statement.The 39-year-old Gasol has averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists over an 18-year career that has included stints with Memphis, the Lakers, Chicago, San Antonio and Milwaukee. He won two NBA titles with the Lakers.Gasol has averaged 15.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and, 3.2 assists in the playoffs.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bucks center Pau Gasol will miss the rest of the NBA playoffs after surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.The Bucks said Friday that the surgery done a day earlier was successful and Gasol is expected to make a full recovery.The 38-year-old Spaniard was signed by the Bucks on March 3 after he reached a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. The two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star averaged 4.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 12.2 minutes in 27 games for the Spurs this season, his 18th in the NBA. He averaged 10.1 minutes in three games for the Bucks, all during the regular season.Gasol is one of four players with over 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks in his career, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The 7-footer helped the Lakers win titles in 2009 and 2010.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Bucks are staggering to the finish line of a special regular season.Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss his second straight game with a sprained right ankle on Wednesday night, one of several key injuries to hit the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks in recent days.A leading MVP contender, Antetokounmpo will rest against the Cavaliers as the Bucks, who enter with the NBA's best record, try to clinch their first Central Division title since 2001.Antetokounmpo also sat Tuesday night when the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers, who played without LeBron James and deprived fans of a matchup of two of the game's biggest names."He's making progress," coach Mike Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo. "He just can't go tonight. It's us hopefully being smart and being somewhat cautious, but it's more than that. He can't play. We'll see how the next 24 to 48 hours go, and I'm hopeful he'll be in a good place as we move forward."The Bucks host Miami on Friday.Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokoumpo and LeBron James, who served as competing All-Star captains, both will miss Tuesday night's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.Antetokounmpo, an MVP front-runner, turned his right ankle during the Bucks' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. He crumpled to the ground after colliding with Joel Embiid while driving to the basket late in the third quarter."Yesterday was an off day but a lot of guys still come in on off days to get treatment," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He got some treatment. Coming in today, he's in a place where he's not good to play. He can't play."James is sitting out with a sore left groin, the same injury that caused him to miss a career-high 17 consecutive games earlier this season.The NBA-leading Bucks have been beset by injuries and took the court against the Lakers without guard Sterling Brown (right wrist soreness), guard Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) and center Pau Gasol (left ankle... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pau Gasol signed with the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, two days after the 38-year-old Spanish center reached a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs.The two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star averaged 4.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 12.2 minutes in 27 games for the Spurs this season, his 18th in the NBA.In 1,223 career games with Memphis, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago and San Antonio, he has averaged 17.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.59 blocks and 33.5 minutes. He is one of four players with over 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 3,500 assists and 1,500 blocks in his career, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The 7-footer helped the Lakers win titles in 2009 and 2010.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls came into the season thinking they would start to climb in the wide-open Eastern Conference with a promising group of young players. A coaching change wasn't part of the plan.The skidding Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday and promoted associate head coach Jim Boylen in hopes of turning around a miserable season. Chicago is averaging 103.4 points — 28th in the NBA — and is getting outscored by 9.6 per game. They are a woeful 5-19, better only than Cleveland and Phoenix.Hoiberg, who had to deal with a veteran roster that didn't fit his style early on and then injuries to key players starting in training camp, never found his footing in Chicago. It added up to a 115-155 mark with one playoff appearance in three-plus seasons.Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson insisted the decision went beyond wins and losses, citing a lack of "energy and spirit.""We were in a similar situation last year at this time," Paxson said. "But the entire... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The skidding Chicago Bulls fired coach Fred Hoiberg on Monday and promoted associate head coach Jim Boylen in hopes of lifting the team from the bottom of the standings.Chicago is averaging 103.4 points — 28th in the NBA — and is getting outscored by 9.6 per game.Hoiberg, who had to deal with a veteran roster that didn't fit his style early on and then injuries to key players starting in training camp, never found his footing in Chicago. It added up to a 115-155 mark with one playoff appearance in three-plus seasons — 5-19 this year. The only teams with worse records were Cleveland and Phoenix.Even so, executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson insisted this decision went beyond wins and losses, citing a lack of "energy and spirit.""We were in a similar situation last year at this time," Paxson said. "But the entire energy about this group was different back then. We felt that here in the last several weeks, that something's different. What we're lacking... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The skidding Chicago Bulls fired coach Fred Hoiberg on Monday and promoted associate head coach Jim Boylen in hopes of lifting the team from the bottom of the standings.The Bulls have been hit hard by injuries this season, but at 5-19 only two teams have worse records."Decisions like this one are never easy to make, however I felt this was the right choice for our organization at this time," said Jim Paxson, the team's executive vice president of basketball operations. "After a thorough evaluation, I elected to make this move with the overall development of our team in mind. As a team, I believe it is imperative that we make unfaltering strides in the right direction and build the right habits to help put our players in the best position to evolve not only now, but into the future."The Bulls have been riddled by injuries all year. Denzel Valentine (ankle), Kris Dunn (knee) and Bobby Portis (knee) have missed significant time and forward Lauri Markkanen didn't make his season... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — San Antonio forward Pau Gasol has a stress fracture in his left foot, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Wednesday.Gasol, who didn't travel with the team to Minnesota and missed his 12th consecutive game Wednesday night, had been out with soreness in the foot but had recently been getting some work on the court."They took him off because he got a second opinion that it was as stress fracture," Popovich said. "That's what they told me, so it's not a secret I guess. So they put him back in the boot."The coach gave no timetable for Gasol's return.In his 17th season and third year in San Antonio, the 38-year-old Spanish star has played sparingly off the bench, averaging 6.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Even so, Popovich said the team misses his ability to move the ball."The players in the second unit miss him because they had a lot of movement around him, he's a good passer," he said. "He can find them so him not being there has really affected that second group."

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade missed Miami's game against San Antonio on Wednesday night for personal reasons.It's the first game Wade has missed this season, his 16th and final in the NBA. He's averaging 14.3 points on 45 percent shooting in nine games, all of them as a reserve.The Heat were also without starting point guard Goran Dragic, out with a sore right knee, and Dion Waiters and James Johnson remain out for the foreseeable future as they recover from surgeries. Heat center Hassan Whiteside returned to the starting lineup after sitting Monday with knee pain.The Spurs not only got point guard Derrick White (heel) back for the first time this season, but he was in the starting lineup. Pau Gasol was out with a sore right foot and Rudy Gay was sidelined with a right heel problem.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan's first month with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been serene, though the All-Star guard acquired in the offseason from Toronto has been warned about provoking "angry Pop.""That hurts me," Popovich said playfully. "I just, just . it hurts me. Our relationship is not starting off well, I guess. I guess I have more work to do than I thought."Welcome to the kinder, gentler Spurs?Hardly.Popovich is still going to scream at his players on the court and will always be mischievous off it. More specifically, the franchise he built is still going to rely heavily on ball movement and defense, albeit with a whole lot of new faces.The era of the Big Three is officially over for San Antonio with Tony Parker leaving in free agency and Manu Ginobili joining Tim Duncan in retirement this summer. DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Chimezie Metu and a host of others were invited to training camp, which starts Tuesday."I still don't... [More]

Manu Ginobili has played his final game, and with that a new era awaits the San Antonio Spurs.Ginobili announced his decision to retire Monday, the 41-year-old wrapping up what he called a "fabulous journey" in which he helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.The smooth left-handed guard from Argentina came to San Antonio in 2002, forming what quickly became a powerful "Big 3" alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Now, they've all moved on: Duncan retired two years ago, Parker left San Antonio earlier this summer as a free agent to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, and Ginobili has worn Spurs colors for the last time as well."Today, with a wide range of feelings, I'm announcing my retirement from basketball," Ginobili wrote on Twitter in making the announcement. "IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."The image Ginobili... [More]

Manu Ginobili has played his final game, and with that a new era awaits the San Antonio Spurs.Ginobili announced his decision to retire Monday, the 41-year-old wrapping up what he called a "fabulous journey" in which he helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.The smooth left-handed guard from Argentina came to San Antonio in 2002, forming what quickly became a powerful "Big 3" alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Now, they've all moved on: Duncan retired two years ago, Parker left San Antonio earlier this summer as a free agent to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, and Ginobili has worn Spurs colors for the last time as well."Today, with a wide range of feelings, I'm announcing my retirement from basketball," Ginobili wrote on Twitter in making the announcement. "IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."The image Ginobili... [More]

Manu Ginobili has played his final game, and with that a new era awaits the San Antonio Spurs.Ginobili announced his decision to retire on Monday, the 41-year-old wrapping up what he called a "fabulous journey" in which he helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.The smooth left-handed guard from Argentina came to San Antonio in 2002, forming what quickly became a powerful "Big 3" alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Now, they've all moved on: Duncan retired two years ago, Parker left San Antonio earlier this summer as a free agent to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, and Ginobili has worn Spurs colors for the last time as well."Today, with a wide range of feelings, I'm announcing my retirement from basketball," Ginobili wrote on Twitter in making the announcement. "IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."The image... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gregg Popovich is not changing how he coaches, not after 22 seasons leading the Spurs.The NBA's most tenured steward is always going to focus on defense. He's always going to dismiss talk of his brilliance because "it's just basketball." And he's not going to overwork his players even though an unprecedented rash of injuries has the Spurs battling for their playoff lives for the first time in two decades."At this point, he's not changing," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It's a formula that has worked quite well. They have great veteran leadership and they pass it along to the young guys. You see the young guys are growing. That's why they're so good."They're not as good as they have been, but their impressive success this year is a testament to Popovich.San Antonio has been without MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games this season and Tony Parker, Rudy Gay and Danny Green have all missed significant time with various injuries. In all, the Spurs have... [More]

C Pau Gasol added 17 points and 11 rebounds to rack up his fourth straight double-double as the Spurs rolled past the New York Knicks 119-107 on Thursday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

F/C Pau Gasol nabbed his third double-double in a row with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

F/C Pau Gasol contributed a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes Saturday.Gasol wasn't sure he'd be able to play after feeling pain in his right groin. He went 5 of 8 from the field, even knocking down 2 of 3 3-pointers.