BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are preparing for their Game 2 matchup with the Pacers aware their series-opening win was notable more for its ugliness more than the outcome.Meanwhile, the Rockets and Bucks are heading into their respective Game 2s with the Jazz and Pistons expecting more competitive games after dominating victories.Boston limited Indiana to eight points in the third quarter of its 84-74 Game 1 win. It was the Celtics' lowest point total of the season and the first time they won a game in 2018-19 in which they didn't reach 100 points.Change is on the minds of both teams.For the Celtics that could mean tweaks to the starting lineup as they continue to adjust to the absence of Marcus Smart, who is recovering from a torn left oblique."It's frustrating, but you have to take it day-by-day and one day at a time," Smart said Tuesday.Celtics coach Brad Stevens acknowledged Smart's absence forced them to play differently and will continue to require adjustments.Without Smart to help with... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious when he went down in the first quarter of their first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.An MRI exam Tuesday morning on Cousins' left leg revealed the tear. The two-time defending NBA champion Warriors said Cousins will begin rehabilitation immediately and updates will be "provided as appropriate."Coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors' 135-131 Game 2 loss on Monday night that Cousins would be out for a significant period.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, Cousins went down in the first quarter in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. He immediately grabbed at his left quad. Cousins hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.Cousins had just returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious when he went down in the first quarter of their first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.An MRI exam Tuesday morning on Cousins' left leg revealed the tear. The Warriors say Cousins will begin immediately on his rehabilitation and updates will be "provided as appropriate."Coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors' 135-131 Game 2 loss on Monday night that Cousins would be out for a significant period of time.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, Cousins hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter. At the 8 1/2-minute mark he swiped the ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court and tried to retrieve it when he went down in front of the Golden State bench. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad.Cousins had just returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon suffered while with the Pelicans last season.He had two points, two rebounds and an assist in less than 4 minutes Monday. He fouled out of Saturday's 121-104 Game 1 win with nine points, nine rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — David Fizdale went to his office one day last week and got right to work as usual.He wrote ideas on a board. Met with other staff in the building.After about 45 minutes, something dawned on him."I had to, like, stop myself. Wait a minute, you don't have to get it all done right now," Fizdale said.There's plenty to do when it comes to fixing the New York Knicks, but it can't happen yet.So Fizdale convinced himself to go home for some family time, but he'll be back to work as a coach this week. He expects to get started pouring over film of college players, and of course there will be months of discussions about potential free-agent targets.He was beaten often during the worst season in the NBA, but he certainly doesn't seem beaten down.A 17-65 finish was tied for the worst in the history of a franchise that has lost plenty for nearly two decades, yet Fizdale said fans have been great to him. Part of that, he figures, is because the Knicks made it clear they would... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starting Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins' postseason could be in jeopardy after he injured his left quadriceps muscle in the first quarter of Monday night's 135-131 Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs."There's a pretty significant quad injury," coach Steve Kerr said. "We'll get an MRI tomorrow. But he's going to be out for, I'll just say a while because I think it's not clear right now how long he'll be out. It's significant."This is a terrible blow for Cousins in just his second career playoff game following a nine-year wait. The big man returned in January from a nearly year-long absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon.He hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter. At the 8 1/2-minute mark Cousins stole the ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court and tried to retrieve the loose ball when went down in front of the Golden State bench and grabbed at his left quad."We'll rally behind... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Starting Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins injured his left quadriceps muscle in the first quarter of Monday night's Game 2 in the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers and was done for the night.Golden State said Cousins wouldn't return and was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam in the next 24 hours after he got hurt in just his second career playoff game following a nine-year wait. The big man returned in January from a nearly year-long absence following surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon.He hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark of the first quarter. At the 8 1/2-minute mark Cousins stole the ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court and tried to retrieve the loose ball when went down in front of the Golden State bench and grabbed at his left quad.Cousins fouled out of Saturday's 121-104 Game 1 win with nine points, nine rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Orlando had to fight until the final days of the regular season to get its postseason berth. Portland had to scramble down the stretch to replace a huge part of its success.And as is usually the case, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich had his team playing its best basketball at the end.The Magic, Trail Blazers and Spurs were playoff ready. That's why they're all taking 1-0 series leads into their respective Game 2s on Tuesday night — with Orlando at Toronto, San Antonio at Denver and Portland playing host to Oklahoma City.Orlando and San Antonio, both No. 7 seeds, won on the road and grabbed home-court advantage. But they both know what's coming when Denver and Toronto get fueled by desperation on Tuesday night."It's going to be a lot tougher," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said."We're going to get their best," Magic coach Steve Clifford said.It goes without saying that all the teams that are down 1-0 found ways to get better for Game 2. The same goes for the teams leading those series. Clifford... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — About five minutes after hearing Luke Walton had been dismissed as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac called Walton's agent.Finalizing the deal that brought Walton to Sacramento as the Kings new coach didn't take much longer. After getting the call Friday, Walton changed plans to take some time off and flew to Sacramento the following day instead. He agreed to a deal that afternoon and was formally introduced as coach of the Kings on Monday."I knew these types of offers don't come available very often," Walton said. "I love coaching, so having that opportunity with this type of talented team and doing it alongside somebody the way I feel about Vlade made it too good to pass up on."Divac called Walton one of his basketball "soul mates," who embraces the same philosophies in style of play and building culture on a team. The relationship between the two goes back more than a decade to when they were teammates on the Lakers... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The thinking of DeMar DeRozan before joining San Antonio: Shoot.The mentality now: Share.Always a skilled scorer, the 29-year-old and four-time All-Star has taken his game to another level in San Antonio by taking to the floor with a different approach — a get-teammates-even-more-involved approach."Spurs' way, baby," said DeRozan, whose team leads 1-0 heading into Game 2 on Tuesday against the second-seeded Denver Nuggets.A year under coach Gregg Popovich has rubbed off on DeRozan , who was acquired in a deal last summer that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. He's coming off a regular season in which he averaged 21.2 points, 6.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds. Those are the sorts of numbers no Spurs player has averaged for a season. Not David Robinson. Not Tim Duncan. Not Tony Parker. Not George Gervin.Flattering, for sure."All the great players who came through this organization, the history, for me to be mentioned in something like that is definitely amazing," DeRozan said. "I'm... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Looking back on it now, the Trail Blazers were clearly smart to pick up Enes Kanter after he was waived by the New York Knicks.Kanter was brought aboard by Portland as insurance for the final stretch of the season, meant to back up starter Jusuf Nurkic.Then Nurkic broke his leg and Kanter was thrust into a starting role with his new team. After Portland's playoff-opening victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Damian Lillard dubbed the 6-foot-11 center the Blazers' MVP."He had a huge presence down the stretch and played a huge part in us winning this game," Lillard said after Portland's 104-99 victory Sunday.Kanter finished with 20 points and a career playoff-high 18 rebounds, and was effective on defense against the likes of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.It's been quite a journey from New York castoff to Portland playoff hero for the seven-year NBA veteran.Kanter, 26, was waived by the Knicks following the trade deadline. Once a starter, he fell out of the rotation... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings hired Luke Walton as their coach Monday, just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.Neither the Kings nor Walton waited long following changes that came just after the end of the regular season. Sacramento fired coach Dave Joerger on Thursday following a 39-43 finish that was the best record for the franchise in 13 years, while Walton was dismissed in Los Angeles a day later when he failed to get the Lakers into the postseason in the first year with LeBron James.Kings general manager Vlade Divac met with Walton on Saturday and the two sides quickly came to the agreement that was formally announced Monday.The 39-year-old Walton was 98-148 in three years with Los Angeles in his first full-time head coaching job. He was 37-45 this season and was unable to make the playoffs even once.Walton also has experience as an assistant for Golden State, helping the Warriors win the 2015 title and then leading... [More]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have hired Luke Walton as their coach just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.The Kings announced Monday that Walton will replace Dave Joerger. Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac fired Joerger last week following a 39-43 finish that was the best record for the franchise in 13 years.The 39-year-old Walton was dismissed by the Lakers on Friday after Los Angeles went 37-45. He went 98-148 in three years with Los Angeles in his first full-time head coaching job. The former Golden State top assistant never led the Lakers to the playoffs, not even after the arrival of LeBron James last summer.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry's pregame tunnel heaves have become such a spectacle at Oracle Arena that hundreds of cameras rise in the air to capture the moment.He won't have that anymore when the Warriors move across the bay to San Francisco to Chase Center next season.Everybody figures Curry will come up with a snazzy move to replace it."Shoot, I don't know, probably like a backflip or something like that," quipped Splash Brother Klay Thompson.A new signature shot? For sure.Curry vows to do something new and fun, but will just let it come to him when the time arrives. He's not pre-planning, and especially not now with the playoffs his top priority. The Warriors opened their first-round series with a 121-104 blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers."I've got to let it happen organically, just like this happened," Curry said. "I've got to let it happen organically. I don't really know. It'll come to me, though."Curry typically takes five tries total, fewer when he makes one, from just... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin will not play in Game 1 of the team's first-round playoff series against Milwaukee because of a left knee injury, coach Dwane Casey said."It's one of those things that's day-to-day and still available but just too sore to go (in Game 1)," Casey said Sunday.Griffin missed the Pistons' final regular-season game against the New York Knicks — a game Detroit won to clinch the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. He also missed three other games late in the season due to his knee injury."He's one of the guys who has been through a playoff series a few times when he was with the Clippers," Casey said. "There's a lot that you just can't put a finger on."Griffin averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists while playing in 75 games this season for Detroit.Game 2 of the series between the eighth-seeded Pistons and top-seeded Bucks will be Wednesday in Milwaukee.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — How's this for a blown call: Amir Johnson was busted showing Philadelphia 76ers All-Star teammate Joel Embiid his cellphone on the bench late in a Game 1 playoff loss.Johnson was caught by TV cameras sitting on the bench and scrolling through his phone late in the fourth quarter and the Sixers losing by double digits. Johnson showed Embiid whatever message was on the phone and then slid the device into his warmup pants pocket."I just looked down because he said his daughter was extremely sick and he was checking on her," Embiid said.The Sixers made the easy call and fined Johnson an unspecified amount for conduct detrimental to the team."It's not something that we are about," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.Johnson, who averaged 3.9 points in 51 games, was inactive and apologized for his mistake."I take full responsibility and will accept the consequences of my actions," he said. "I also apologize to my teammates, the 76ers organization and the fans for the distraction... [More]

Luke Walton will become coach of the Sacramento Kings, securing another NBA head coaching job just a day after parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers following three losing seasons.The 39-year-old Walton was dismissed by the Lakers on Friday after Los Angeles went 37-45. His move to the Kings was confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because it hadn't been finalized. A formal announcement from the Kings is expected in the next couple of days.Sacramento general manager Vlade Divac fired Dave Joerger on Thursday after the coach helped develop the young Kings into playoff contenders before ultimately falling short in the franchise's 13th straight losing season.Also Thursday, the Kings extended Divac's contract through the 2022-23 season — and Walton's deal is expected to run those same four years.Sacramento features several talented young players acquired by Divac: guards De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, forward Marvin Bagley III and center... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — How's this for a blown call: Amir Johnson was busted showing Philadelphia 76ers All-Star teammate Joel Embiid his cell phone on the bench late in a Game 1 playoff loss.Johnson was caught by TV cameras sitting on the bench and scrolling through his phone late in the fourth quarter and the Sixers down 16 points. Johnson showed Embiid whatever message was on the phone and then slid it into his warmup pants pocket."I just looked down because he said his daughter was extremely sick and he was checking on her," Embiid said.Sixers coach Brett Brown called Johnson's actions "completely unacceptable.""It's not something that we are about," Brown said.Brown said he would deal with Johnson but declined to address any specific discipline.Johnson was inactive. Embiid scored 22 points and had 15 rebounds.The Nets beat the Sixers 111-102 in Game 1.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Blake Griffin's tone was serious, befitting a man who has had one of the best seasons of his career — but now faces the same old questions about his health.Griffin's status for Detroit's first-round series against Milwaukee isn't clear at the moment, but after he sat out the Pistons' crucial regular-season finale at New York on Wednesday night, it's clear his left knee problems are a significant issue heading into the playoffs. Detroit plays Game 1 at top-seeded Milwaukee on Sunday night."We're taking this day by day," Griffin said Saturday. "I'm not looking forward to a day that's not here right now in front of me. I'll sit with our training staff, and whoever else needs to be in on that decision, and make that each day."It's a tough situation for any athlete to go through — leading your team through the regular season, only to have your playoff participation threatened by an injury. This is the time of year when players and teams want to be at full strength,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A flight was awaiting Miami Heat President Pat Riley on Saturday, just as he hoped.It just wasn't to Toronto or Milwaukee for Game 1 of a playoff series. That's the problem.Riley's second home in Malibu, California, is one of his happy places — though with the NBA playoffs starting this weekend, Malibu is about the last place he wants be right now. The playoffs aren't on Riley's calendar this season, so he's taking 10 blue notebooks to Malibu and plans to fill them with ideas on how to make sure that's not the case in 2020."I'm going to write and write and write and write," Riley said. "That's where we are for the next couple of weeks. Once the hangover subsides, then we'll have more coherent thought."A challenging offseason awaits the Heat, who went 39-43 this season and will return for training camp in about five months without Dwyane Wade — probably their best player this season, and at times certainly their most important player. Wade is retiring, and if the Heat have plans... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid is in the starting lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their playoff series against Brooklyn.The All-Star center had been listed as doubtful to play Saturday because of tendinitis in his left knee that cost him most of the final month of the season. Embiid is averaging 27.5 points and 11.1 rebounds.He has been hurt since the All-Star break, and an MRI in February revealed no structural damageEmbiid missed 14 of the final 24 games of the regular season and played just 64 this season. His injury history offers no assurances his body can hold up over two grueling months and the possible 28 games needed to win a title.