NEW YORK (AP) — For the Brooklyn Nets, familiarity breeds continuity.They hope that will lead to a few more wins.Growth was the overarching theme during media day at the Nets' practice facility Monday. Entering its third season under general manager Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, Brooklyn has won 48 of 164 games. In the first season under the new regime, the Nets won 20 games. Last year, that number increased to 28.So the goal for this season is progression."Knowing how the rebuild process goes, we're going to have to slowly get back," Jarrett Allen said. "It's just small steps we're taking."Ten of the 19 players the Nets have on their preseason roster have five or fewer years of NBA experience, including five rookies.But there are questions about how long and how many of the Nets' young pieces will remain in Brooklyn. The Nets will have plenty of money for free agency next summer, but they may not want to wait if they could trade for Minnesota's Jimmy Butler or another All-Star player.Spencer... [More]

CANTON, Mass. (AP) — Last summer, new Boston Celtics arrivals Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward beamed just imagining what it would be like to share the court together.Those dreams lasted all of five minutes before Hayward was lost for the season to a gruesome leg injury on the opening night of the season.The Celtics somehow survived it and had set themselves up to make a run at the Eastern Conference title when Irving was lost for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs following a pair of knee surgeries.But four months after a season with so much potential was tossed into the "what might have been" basket and following an offseason conference shake-up that saw LeBron James head west to Los Angeles, Boston again finds itself in the spotlight heading into training camp.Irving and Hayward are back and healthy. And they are flanked by a loaded roster of veterans and talented young players who are hungry for another shot at the franchise's 18th championship.Irving said last... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — There was a moment during the past month in which Marcus Smart wasn't sure where he'd be playing basketball this upcoming season.A day after signing a four-year deal to remain in the only NBA jersey he's ever played in, Smart said he's focused on doing what he can to help the Celtics win their 18th championship."I'm ecstatic. This is a blessing," Smart said Friday.After being in limbo since the start of free agency, Smart cemented his pact with the Celtics on Thursday. A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press that Smart will be paid $52 million over the next four years. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the terms of the contract.Boston brings back a 6-foot-4 defensive cornerstone who has developed a reputation for toughness and doing the little things that help the Celtics win. Smart is also the longest-tenured player on the roster.The confidence that general manager Danny Ainge is showing in his... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Power forward Robert Williams was projected to be a lottery pick — and that was last year, after his freshman year at Texas A&M.But there he was, sliding down to the Boston Celtics at the 27th pick in the NBA draft Thursday night."It's not my job to know what the other 26 teams are thinking," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after adding the two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. "We thought that he was the right pick for us, and we felt very fortunate to be able to get him."A 6-foot-10, 237-pound Oil City, Louisiana, native, Williams was considered a certain first-round pick as a freshman — maybe in the top 10.But he decided he wasn't ready. He returned and averaged 10.4 points and an SEC-leading 9.2 rebounds while leading the Aggies to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16."He's a rim-protector and a rebounder, and he can play above the rim on both ends of the court," Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said. "We don't have much of that."Williams, 20,... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Power forward Robert Williams was projected to be a lottery pick — and that was last year, after his freshman year at Texas A&M.But there he was, sliding down to the Boston Celtics at the 27th overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night."It's not my job to know what the other 26 teams are thinking," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after adding the two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. "We thought that he was the right pick for us, and we felt very fortunate to be able to get him."A 6-foot-10, 237-pound Oil City, Louisiana, native, Williams was considered a certain first-round pick as a freshman — maybe in the top 10.But he decided he wasn't ready. He returned and averaged 10.4 points and an SEC-leading 9.2 rebounds while leading the Aggies to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16.He still has some work to do— especially on offense, according to scouting reports. Stevens said current Celtics big men Al Horford and Gordon Hayward will be a big help in... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have selected Texas A&M power forward Robert Williams with the No. 27 pick in the NBA draft.The 6-foot-10, 237-pound sophomore is a two-time Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year. He averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Aggies last year. He had been projected as a lottery pick.The Celtics followed an appearance in the 2017 Eastern Conference finals with an offseason overhaul that brought in Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. Despite losing both of them to injuries during the season, they returned to the league's final four.They had picked third in back-to-back years, landing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, thanks to the trades that dismantled their 2008 championship team. Williams could replace free agent Aron Baynes as a big man in the rotation behind Al Horford.

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — Danny Ainge tore apart the team that made the Eastern Conference finals last year, and then put together a new roster that came one victory from playing for an NBA title.This summer may present him with an even bigger challenge: standing pat.With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving coming back from injuries to join fellow All-Star Al Horford and young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics general manager doesn't really need to do much to give the NBA's most-decorated franchise a chance at its 18th title.And that's not really in Ainge's nature."I like this group of guys," he said Monday, a day after the Celtics lost Game 7 of the conference finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. "We're not looking to make changes, other than a handful of tweaks."But he also said: "You never know what opportunities will present themselves."The Celtics finished with the No. 1 seed in the East in 2017, but the five-game loss to the Cavaliers in the conference finals reinforced... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston's Marcus Morris and Cleveland's Larry Nance Jr. had to be pulled apart in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night after a hard defensive play by Morris sent Nance to the floor.Morris and Nance both went up for a pass, and the Cavaliers forward wound up crashing into the first row of seats. Morris appeared to wander over and say something, prompting Nance to jump up and body check him; Morris responded with a one-handed shove to the face.Aron Baynes and Jaylen Brown came in to break it up, and Terry Rozier put a body on Nance. After a review, the referees called technicals on Rozier, Nance and Morris. Korver made the foul shot to make it 36-20 and spark a 7-0 run.

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics expected to see a different LeBron James in Cleveland after the Cavaliers fell into a 2-0 hole to open the Eastern Conference finals.Two games and back-to-back wins later , James has reminded everyone exactly why he's been to seven straight NBA Finals.Boston will be back in the embrace of its raucous fans at TD Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday. But a team that has thrived on youth this postseason suddenly looks disoriented without a go-to player and opposite a more veteran squad that has found a new attitude thanks to the fuel being provided by its biggest star.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said all you can do against James is "make it as hard as you can.""LeBron is the best player of this generation and he's just maintained that because of his commitment to improvement," Stevens said. "He's always been an unbelievable physical player. He's always been a savvy player. And he's always had, just like the natural instincts to make the right basketball play along with his... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics expected to see a different LeBron James in Cleveland after the Cavaliers fell into a 2-0 hole to open the Eastern Conference finalsTwo games and back-to-back wins later , James has reminded everyone exactly why he's been to seven straight NBA finals.Boston will be back in the embrace of its raucous fans at TD Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday. But a team that has thrived on youth this postseason suddenly looks disoriented without a go-to player and opposite a more veteran squad that has found a new attitude thanks to the fuel being provided by its biggest star.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said all you can do against James is "make it as hard as you can.""LeBron is the best player of this generation and he's just maintained that because of his commitment to improvement," Stevens said. "He's always been an unbelievable physical player. He's always been a savvy player. And he's always had, just like the natural instincts to make the right basketball play along with his... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics expected to see a different LeBron James in Cleveland after the Cavaliers fell into a 2-0 hole to open the Eastern Conference finalsTwo games and back-to-back wins later , James has reminded everyone exactly why he's been to seven straight NBA finals.Boston will be back in the embrace of its raucous fans at TD Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday. But a team that has thrived on youth this postseason suddenly looks disoriented without a go-to player and opposite a more veteran squad that has found a new attitude thanks to the fuel being provided by its biggest star."My teammates are putting me in position and wanting me to be in attack mode and trusting me to put our guys in position to be successful," James said. "It's not about me. It's about the collective group, and I'm one of the byproducts of that."While the Cavs are certainly feeling rejuvenated, coach Tyronn Lue said it hasn't changed their sense of urgency."We still gotta play," Lue said. "We have veteran guys... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Celtics were loose, smiling and laughing. They weren't straining to hear each other speak and there were no obnoxious Cleveland fans heckling them.All was quiet as Boston worked out Sunday.Practice isn't an issue on the road in the postseason. Playing games is the problem.Less than 24 hours after a 30-point bludgeoning at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics did some film study and critical evaluation.They were hard on themselves."I thought it was embarrassing," Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said of Boston's 116-86 loss — and his own performance. "I thought we came out, the way I played, the way I performed, how not aggressive I was in the first half, I look at that as fuel to come out in Game 4 and be excited about it and be ready to play and ready to fight."Brown scored just 10 points — 13 below his average after two games in the series — and was in almost immediate foul trouble as the Cavs dominated while... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Celtics were loose, smiling and laughing. They weren't straining to hear each other speak and there were no obnoxious Cleveland fans heckling them.All was quiet as Boston worked out Sunday.Practice isn't an issue on the road in the postseason. Playing games is the problem.Less than 24 hours after a 30-point bludgeoning at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics did some film study and critical evaluation.They were hard on themselves."I thought it was embarrassing," Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said of Boston's 116-86 loss — and his own performance. "I thought we came out, the way I played, the way I performed, how not aggressive I was in the first half, I look at that as fuel to come out in Game 4 and be excited about it and be ready to play and ready to fight."Brown scored just 10 points — 13 below his average after two games in the series — and was in almost immediate foul trouble as the Cavs dominated while... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — They've survived amid turmoil for months, their season morphing into the NBA's most compelling reality show — or, as some have called it, spectacle.The must-watch Cleveland Cavaliers have been hardened by the nonstop drama around them. So it's not a surprise they're calm despite trailing the Boston Celtics 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals."We know what it takes," coach Tyronn Lue said. "We're down 0-2. No need to panic.""We know what we've got to do," added All-Star forward Kevin Love on the eve of Saturday's Game 3.The Cavs have been in dire straits before in the postseason.Just two years ago, Cleveland trailed 2-0 and then 3-1 in the NBA Finals to Golden State before coming back to win in seven games and end the city's 52-year championship drought. And back in the 2007 playoffs, LeBron James rallied the Cavs from a 2-0 deficit against Detroit, the hardwood king commencing his legacy by scoring Cleveland's final 25 points during a Game 5 road win.But while... [More]

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — Home-court advantage has proven to be a valuable commodity for the Celtics so far this postseason.Boston is 9-0 at TD Garden during these playoffs and has blistered opponents early in games, shooting 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line. It's often led to cushions that have helped the Celtics sustain opponents' runs in the second half.But after boasting the third-best road record in the NBA during the regular season, the Celtics have looked like a totally different team since the postseason began. They are just 1-4 away from their building and seen their shooting numbers dip to 41 percent overall and 31 percent from beyond the arc.That can't persist if Boston is going to have success as the series shifts to Cleveland on Saturday.Marcus Smart, who was all over the court in the Celtics' Game 2 win , didn't take any offense to Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's comment that the Celtics have "shown they haven't played that well on the road.""We haven't played... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James recovered quickly from his neck strain. There's still too much stress on his back.He's carrying the Cavaliers. It's a springtime tradition.As has been the case for much of his 15-year career, James has had to perform at an extraordinary level throughout these playoffs, most recently in Cleveland's Game 2 loss at Boston.Bouncing back after taking a blow to the jaw from Jayson Tatum's shoulder that violently twisted his head and sent a chill down the spines of Cleveland fans, James finished with 42 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.It was not enough, however. His teammates failed him and the Cavs fell into a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference finals.Kevin Love (22 points, 15 rebounds) helped, so did Kyle Korver (four 3-pointers) and Tristan Thompson (8 points, 7 rebounds). But too many other Cavs ranged from mediocre to awful.If Cleveland is to even the series at home, that has to change starting in Game 3 on Saturday."We have to ramp it up," said J.R.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.R. Smith reached out, placed his hands on Al Horford's back and shoved Boston's big man out of bounds.It was the only time Smith was on target.Smith's shoddy performance in Game 2 — he missed all seven shots and committed a flagrant 1 foul in 27 forgettable minutes — underscored a startling disparity between Cleveland's and Boston's starting backcourts that allowed the fearless Celtics to withstand a brilliant, 42-point effort by LeBron James and take a 2-0 series lead.Smith and point guard George Hill were outscored 41-3 by Boston's Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, who were faster, hungrier and maybe tougher."I don't think tougher," Smith said afterward, showing better defensive instincts than during the game. "They made shots, we missed shots at the end of the day. We had some good looks, they didn't fall. For them playing on their home court, they fell. It's a matter for us to bounce back, go home, try and get (win) two, even the series up and come back here."Smith will... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.R. Smith reached out, placed his hands on Al Horford's back and shoved Boston's big man out of bounds.It was the only time Smith was on target.Smith's shoddy performance in Game 2 — he missed all seven shots and committed a flagrant 1 foul in 27 forgettable minutes — underscored a startling disparity between Cleveland's and Boston's starting backcourts that allowed the fearless Celtics to withstand a brilliant, 42-point effort by LeBron James and take a 2-0 series lead.Smith and point guard George Hill were outscored 41-3 by Boston's Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, who were faster, hungrier and maybe tougher."I don't think tougher," Smith said afterward, showing better defensive instincts than during the game. "They made shots, we missed shots at the end of the day. We had some good looks, they didn't fall. For them playing on their home court, they fell. It's a matter for us to bounce back, go home, try and get (win) two, even the series up and come back here."Smith will... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.R. Smith reached out, placed his hands on Al Horford's back and shoved Boston's big man out of bounds.It was the only time Smith was on target.Smith's shoddy performance in Game 2 — he missed all seven shots and committed a flagrant foul in 27 forgettable minutes — underscored a startling disparity between Cleveland's and Boston's starting backcourts that allowed the fearless Celtics to withstand a brilliant, 42-point effort by LeBron James and take a 2-0 series lead.Smith and point guard George Hill were outscored 41-3 by Boston's Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, who were faster, hungrier and maybe tougher."I don't think tougher," Smith said afterward, showing better defensive instincts than during the game. "They made shots, we missed shots at the end of the day. We had some good looks, they didn't fall. For them playing on their home court, they fell. It's a matter for us to bounce back, go home, try and get (win) two, even the series up and come back here."Thanks to... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James has made Boston's TD Garden his personal playground during the playoffs in recent years.The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the Eastern Conference finals with a 9-3 record against the Celtics in games played at the Garden over the last four years, including six straight wins.James' 979 postseason points against Boston were the most by any player against any opponent in the last 50 years. And his 21 playoff wins against the Celtics were also the most against them during that span.But none of that mattered Sunday in Boston's dominating 108-83 win over Cleveland in Game 1 , in which James committed seven turnovers while being held to just 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.It would be solid night for most NBA players, but was pedestrian by the super-human standard that LeBron has set for himself this postseason, at times single-handedly carrying the Cavs to victories.But he was clear that his concern level down being 1-0 was "zero.""I didn't go to college, so... [More]