TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas spent a dozen years between them developing their games under coach Dwane Casey. Valanciunas had never played for any other NBA head coach before this season.When they welcome Casey and his Detroit Pistons back to Toronto on Wednesday night, the two longest-serving current Raptors know emotions will be running high."It's going to be different, but hey, I'm still going to try to take his head off, the team's head off," Lowry said with a laugh.The Raptors will face Detroit for the first time since Casey was fired, just days after Toronto was ousted from the playoffs by Cleveland for the third consecutive season.Lowry became a four-time NBA all-star under Casey's watch, while Valanciunas has grown into a multi-skilled big man. Casey had kind words for both Raptors on the eve of his visit. Lowry got off to a rocky start with Casey when the Raptors acquired the temperamental guard in 2012, but he and Valanciunas returned the compliment."(Our relationship)... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard spoke publicly in his first appearance as a Toronto Raptor and said he is physically ready to play.Leonard joined the Raptors in a summertime blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. How long he stays in Toronto is unclear but the former NBA Finals MVP and two-time defensive player of the year who was limited to nine games last season because of a right quadriceps injury insists he is ready to go as the team gets ready for training camp in Vancouver, British Columbia.Sharing a podium with Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who pulled the trigger on the trade that included acquiring forward Danny Green and losing DeMar DeRozan, Leonard addressed the biggest question about him: His health."Right now I'm feeling great, ready to play basketball." Leonard said. "Throughout the summer I worked on my body. Took it step-by-step, just getting fully healthy, getting ready to make this extra step this season."The usually reserved Leonard also attempted to offer the crowded... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard has yet to address the media in Toronto since his trade to the Raptors, but team president Masai Ujiri said Tuesday that his star acquisition is happy and healthy."He is determined and seems in the right frame of mind," Ujiri said. "You will be hearing from him shortly. I think there is a fire inside of him and we are all excited about that."Leonard was the centerpiece of one of the NBA's biggest off-season trades. The Raptors acquired the two-time Defensive Player of the Year from the San Antonio Spurs along with Danny Green in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a draft pick. Ujiri swung the deal while in Kenya working with his nonprofit, Giants of Africa.While Leonard has remained mum on the move, Ujiri said he's not concerned about the 27-year-old's commitment to the franchise, saying Leonard worked out with Raptors coaches in Los Angeles, and has visited Toronto a couple of times."Basketball person. Just loves the game," he said. "Wants to play... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri hasn't forgotten the first time he met Nick Nurse.It was 1995 and Ujiri, now president of the Toronto Raptors, was playing for the Derby Storm of the British Basketball League. Nurse was coach of the rival Birmingham Bullets. Not yet 30, Nurse had already been on the bench for six years, quickly establishing himself as a coach on the rise."His teams were tough," Ujiri said Thursday as the Raptors officially introduced Nurse as their coach. "There was always something about the Birmingham team that was different from the whole league. People talked about them that way."More than two decades on from that initial introduction, Ujiri is hoping Nurse has what it takes to turn Toronto into the talk of the NBA.The ninth head coach in Raptors history, Nurse replaces his former boss, Dwane Casey — under whom he spent the past five seasons as a Toronto assistant. Casey was fired after the Raptors were swept out of the second round of this year's... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri hasn't forgotten the first time he met Nick Nurse.It was 1995 and Ujiri, now president of the Toronto Raptors, was playing for the Derby Storm of the British Basketball League. Nurse was coach of the rival Birmingham Bullets. Not yet 30, Nurse had already been on the bench for six years, quickly establishing himself as a coach on the rise."His teams were tough," Ujiri said Wednesday as the Raptors officially introduced Nurse as their coach. "There was always something about the Birmingham team that was different from the whole league. People talked about them that way."More than two decades on from that initial introduction, Ujiri is hoping Nurse has what it takes to turn Toronto into the talk of the NBA.The ninth head coach in Raptors history, Nurse replaces his former boss, Dwane Casey — under whom he spent the past five seasons as a Toronto assistant. Casey was fired after the Raptors were swept out of the second round of this year's... [More]

Nick Nurse spent almost three decades paying his coaching dues, toiling with teams in Britain, Italy and Belgium, college basketball and the G League.The chance he's long coveted has finally arrived.Nurse has agreed to become the next coach of the Toronto Raptors, a person with direct knowledge of the hire told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Nurse will be replacing his former boss, Dwane Casey — under whom he spent the past five seasons as a Raptors assistant. Casey was fired after the Raptors were swept out of the second round of this year's playoffs by Cleveland.Nurse and the Raptors were completing contract terms Tuesday, according to the person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. ESPN first reported the hiring.The move seems to suggest there will be at least some continuity between what the Raptors have been doing and what they'll do on his watch. Toronto went 59-23 this season, the best record in the Eastern Conference and second-best... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Masai Ujiri believes Dwane Casey deserves to be recognized as the best coach in the NBA, but the Toronto president doesn't think Casey should be leading the Raptors.So the Raptors fired Casey, praising him on his way out the door.Hours after the Raptors announced they were parting ways with Casey on Friday — days after the team was swept in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season — Ujiri said he doesn't think he will ever work with a better person."Nothing in particular that coach Casey did wrong, but I think it was time for this to happen," he said.Casey led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins this season as Toronto earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. He posted a 320-238 record in seven seasons and is the franchise's winningest coach."I hope coach Casey gets coach of the year, because he deserves it," Ujiri said. "I saw everything he did here. I saw the job he did this year. He deserves it."But that wasn't... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Masai Ujiri believes Dwane Casey deserves to be recognized as the best coach in the NBA, but the Toronto president doesn't think Casey should be leading the Raptors.So the Raptors fired Casey, praising him on his way out the door.Hours after the Raptors announced they were parting ways with Casey on Friday — days after the team was swept in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season — Ujiri said he doesn't think he will ever work with a better person."Nothing in particular that coach Casey did wrong, but I think it was time for this to happen," he said.Casey led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins this season as Toronto earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. He posted a 320-238 record in seven seasons and is the franchise's winningest coach."I hope coach Casey gets coach of the year, because he deserves it," Ujiri said. "I saw everything he did here. I saw the job he did this year. He deserves it."But that wasn't... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors fired Dwane Casey on Friday after the team was swept in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season.Toronto President Masai Ujiri said the move was a "very difficult but necessary step."The 61-year-old Casey led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins and a top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. He posted a 320-238 record in seven seasons and is the franchise's winningest coach.The Raptors won four Atlantic Division titles and advanced to the postseason five consecutive seasons. But Toronto could not get past the puzzle of the Cavaliers and LeBron James in the playoffs."As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level," Ujiri said in the statement released by the team.Ujiri thanked Casey for what he's done for the organization, saying Casey was "instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team."The Raptors will hold a news conference Friday afternoon... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors have fired Dwane Casey after the team was swept in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for second straight season.Toronto President Masai Ujiri on Friday said the move was a "very difficult but necessary step.""As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level," Ujiri said in the statement released by the team.Ujiri thanked Casey for what he has done for the organization, saying Casey was "instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team."The Raptors will hold a news conference Friday afternoon and are expected to provide more details on the decision to part ways with Casey.The move comes two days after Casey was honored as coach of the year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.Casey, 61, led the Raptors to a franchise-record 59 wins and a top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time. He posted a 320-238 record and is the franchise's winningest coach.The Raptors won... [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]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Down 3-0 in the series to LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Toronto coach Dwane Casey changed his starting lineup for Game 4.Casey is playing guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan on Monday night along with forwards C.J. Miles, rookie OG Anunoby and center Serge Ibaka as the Raptors look to force a Game 5 at home.Miles is making his first start of the Eastern Conference semifinal while Ibaka is back after not starting Game 3. Guard Fred VanVleet is coming off the bench as is center Jonas Valanciunas, who started the first three games.DeRozan sat out the entire fourth quarter of Game 3, and he Raptors played better without one of their All-Stars. Toronto tied the game with eight seconds left before James hit a buzzer-beater for a 105-103 win.DeRozan scored just eight points and shot 3 of 12 in Game 3. He's averaging 18 in the series after scoring 26.7 points per game in the first round against Washington.

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James has perfected a signature, soul-crushing shot that also seems to describe what's happening again to the Toronto Raptors.The fadeaway.With cold-blooded precision, James worked the 24-second shot clock down to single digits before sinking one fadeaway after the next in Game 2 on Thursday night, each swish pushing the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference closer to ending a season that was supposed to conclude differently.Instead, it's a replay: another Raptors extinction is expected.Back from LeBronto, as some have nicknamed Canada's multi-cultural metropolis, James and the Cavaliers — featuring a rejuvenated Kevin Love — will host Game 3 on Saturday night. They look to tighten their stranglehold on a semifinal series that has gotten away from the Raptors.In the East's other semifinal, the Philadelphia Sixers are trusting their process — and that Ben Simmons will shake off a horrible performance in Game 2 — before they fall into their own 3-0 hole against... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James has perfected a signature, soul-crushing shot that also seems to describe what's happening again to the Toronto Raptors.The fadeaway.With cold-blooded precision, James worked the 24-second shot clock down to single digits before sinking one fadeaway after the next in Game 2 on Thursday night, each swish pushing the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference closer to ending a season that was supposed to conclude differently.Instead, it's a replay: another Raptors extinction is expected.Back from LeBronto, as some have nicknamed Canada's multi-cultural metropolis, James and the Cavaliers — featuring a rejuvenated Kevin Love — will host Game 3 on Saturday night. They look to tighten their stranglehold on a semifinal series that has gotten away from the Raptors.In the East's other semifinal, the Philadelphia Sixers are trusting their process — and that Ben Simmons will shake off a horrible performance in Game 2 — before they fall into their own 3-0 hole against... [More]

Injuries are having a major impact on the NBA playoffs.A tweak, turn or strain to this or that has sidelined or limited players from All-Stars to reserves — and that has influenced the early outcomes of Round 2.After Jaylen Brown strained his right hamstring in Boston's Game 7 win over Milwaukee, he all but begged the Celtics doctors and trainers to let him suit up for the start of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with Philadelphia.Boston managed to win without him in its 117-101 victory over the sluggish 76ers in Game 1 Monday night, thanks to career nights by Al Horford, Terry Rozier and rookie Jayson Tatum.But despite two days or rest and treatment, coach Brad Stevens said Brown is "very doubtful" for Game 2 on Thursday night."The bottom line is with this hamstring injury is it's not terrible. Not a long-term thing. It shouldn't linger if he comes back at the right time," Stevens said.If Brown can't go for Game 2, it will again put stress on a Celtics rotation that just recently... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors seem to have everything lined up in their favor heading into their postseason matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.They're rested. The Raptors feel they are ready. They have home-court advantage.But they've been confident before heading into a playoff showdown with James and have come up short — twice."Gotta go through the best to get to that trophy," All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan said. "Every step of the way we're going to come across somebody."The Raptors open their second-round playoff series at home to James and the Cavs on Tuesday night. Cleveland has eliminated Toronto in two straight postseasons, including the 2016 conference finals and a second-round sweep last year.This time, however, Toronto is the top-seeded team in the East after a team-record 59-win season. The Raptors have been off since a Game 6 victory over Washington last Friday night finished their first-round series, while James and the Cavs were pushed to the limit... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors seem to have everything lined up in their favor heading into their postseason matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.They're rested. The Raptors feel they are ready. They have home court advantage.But they've been confident before heading into a playoff showdown with James and have come up short — twice."Gotta go through the best to get to that trophy," All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan said. "Every step of the way we're going to come across somebody."The Raptors open their second round playoff series at home to James and the Cavs on Tuesday night. Cleveland has eliminated Toronto in two straight postseasons, including the 2016 conference finals and a second-round sweep last year.This time, however, Toronto is the top-seeded team in the East after a team-record 59-win season. The Raptors have been off since a Game 6 victory over Washington last Friday night finished their first round series, while James and the Cavs were pushed to... [More]

Capsule for the Cleveland Cavaliers-Toronto Raptors second-round NBA playoff series that starts Tuesday:___EASTERN CONFERENCENo. 1 TORONTO RAPTORS (59-23, 4-2) vs. No. 4 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (50-32, 4-3)Season series: Cavaliers, 2-1.Story line: For the third straight year, Toronto and Cleveland meet in the playoffs — with the Cavaliers 2-0 so far in these matchups. If the Raptors are going to finally find a way to overcome LeBron James, they'll need to get over some serious mental hurdles. Cleveland is 11-1 in James' last 12 games against Toronto, and he's averaged 30.9 points in those contests. The Raptors, top to bottom, are the better team. But James remains the most unstoppable force in the game and is a matchup nightmare for Toronto.How They Got Here: Toronto beat No. 8 Washington 4-2, and Cleveland beat No. 5 Indiana 4-3.Key Matchup: Toronto's Kyle Lowry vs. Cleveland's George Hill. It would be easier to say James vs. everybody, but the point guard matchup is particularly significant in this series. Hill has been ailing with a bad back, then got put in for some of the second half of the Cavs' Game 7 win over Indiana and immediately changed the game. Lowry must win this matchup, period.Prediction: Raptors in 7.___Compiled by AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

WASHINGTON (AP) — As postgame questions go, it was relatively innocuous, and maybe because of that, and because it came at a news conference after the Toronto Raptors moved into the second round of the playoffs by eliminating the Washington Wizards in Game 6, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry were in a playful mood.So as Toronto's pair of All-Star guards sat there, waiting for the other to talk, DeRozan eventually spoke up, not to respond, but to kid to his running mate: "You want me to answer everything." To which Lowry retorted, referring to the reporter, "He didn't say 'Kyle.'"DeRozan: "He said both of us." Lowry pointed a hand in his teammate's direction, indicating DeRozan needed to reply, and instructed: "That's how this works." And then Lowry teased: "You don't even remember the question." DeRozan, with a grin, conceded: "No, I don't."As long as the DeRozan-Lowry duo works in harmony on the court — and gets plenty of help from a terrific bench unit, just as it did while No. 1 seed Toronto... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors honored the victims the deadly van attack Monday with a moment of silence Wednesday night before Game 5 of their playoff series against the Washington Wizards/Players from both teams held up banners with the hashtag #TORONTOSTRONG as they stood on the court during the tribute and the national anthems that followed.The Raptors, the Wizards and the NBA will make a donation to a fund for victims and those affected by the incident.Raptors President Masai Ujiri spoke about the attack after the Raptors practiced Tuesday."What we do doesn't really matter sometimes," Ujiri said. "I can't imagine what it would be like to be on that sidewalk."Guard Kyle Lowry said he was impressed by the actions of Const. Ken Lam, who earned international acclaim for peacefully arresting of suspect Alek Minassian."In America he would definitely have been shot up," Lowry said. "He did an amazing job of making a judgment call. I think more people could learn from that."Coach Dwane... [More]