OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant will miss the remainder of the Golden State Warriors' Western Conference semifinal against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' initial diagnosis. The team is traveling back to Houston for Friday's Game 6 but Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that one as well. The Warriors lead the series 3-2.Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11 left in the third quarter of Wednesday's 104-99 victory at Oracle Arena.The Warriors initially feared the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP might have injured his Achilles, a far more serious issue.He finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Durant was averaging 35.4 points in the playoffs coming into the day.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on Kevin Durant's injury (all times local):12:57 p.m.Kevin Durant will miss the remainder of Golden State's Western Conference semifinal against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' diagnosis of the calf injury. The team was traveling to Houston for Friday's Game 6 but Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that game as well.In the third quarter of Wednesday's 104-99 victory at Oracle Arena, Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11 left in the quarter.The Warriors feared the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP might have injured his Achilles, a far more serious issue.___12:01 a.m.Golden State star Kevin Durant has left Game 5 of the Warriors' playoff series against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.Durant... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo has carried the Milwaukee Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001.The Bucks have reason to believe they can go even further, thanks to a deep roster that received a boost with the return of guard Malcolm Brogdon for the clinching game of their semifinal series win over the Boston Celtics.Brogdon missed the Bucks' first eight playoff games and final 13 regular-season games with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot. He was able to shake off some of the rust as he scored 10 points and played 17 minutes in Milwaukee's 116-91 victory over Boston in Game 5 on Wednesday."It was like he never left," Bucks center Brook Lopez said of Brogdon's long-awaited return. "He just picked everyone up. Our crowd felt it; our team felt it."Now the Bucks will turn their attention to a conference final matchup against either Toronto or Philadelphia. Either way, they will host the first two games next week — and the reserves are heating up.Bench... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State star Kevin Durant strained his right calf during the third quarter of the Warriors' 104-99 playoff victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, leaving his status uncertain for the remainder of the Western Conference semifinal.The Warriors took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, but Durant's status cast a shadow over the win."He's obviously down because he's injured and doesn't really know the extent of it," Stephen Curry said.Durant was scheduled for an MRI exam Thursday and his status for Game 6 on Friday night in Houston had yet to be determined."You lose your best player, it's deflating," said Klay Thompson, who scored 27 points and had a layup to seal it with 4.1 seconds remaining.Curry and the rest of the Warriors were thankful Durant wasn't more seriously hurt.Even coach Steve Kerr initially feared Durant might have injured his Achilles."When I walked into the coaches office after the game the replay of the play was going on and I... [More]

It begins.When the buzzer sounded in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, the question immediately became this: Has Kyrie Irving played his last game for the Boston Celtics?It's very possible.Welcome to free agency, Kyrie.He's now in the place that other big names like Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson all will be whenever their respective seasons end, whether that happens with a playoff defeat, or with an injury — Durant left Game 5 of Golden State's Western Conference semifinal series against Houston on Wednesday night with a right calf strain — or with their fingerprints smudging the golden surface of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.They will all hear some version of the question that Irving got.Free agency doesn't technically start until July 1, but in actuality it began for the superstar point guard with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 — when he checked out for the last time in what capped Boston's ousting from the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Milwaukee... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State star Kevin Durant strained his right calf during the third quarter of the Warriors' 104-99 playoff victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.The Warriors grabbed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal, but Durant's status cast a shadow over the win.Durant was scheduled for an MRI exam Thursday and his status for Game 6 on Friday night in Houston had yet to be determined.Even coach Steve Kerr initially feared Durant might have hurt his Achilles."When I walked into the coaches office after the game the replay of the play was going on and I thought the same thing because he kind of looked back like he had been kicked or something," Kerr said. "I thought, I've seen that before with guys who have hurt their Achilles. That was my first question and I was assured it's the calf. It's a calf strain and not the Achilles."Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State star Kevin Durant has left Game 5 of the Warriors' playoff series against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11 left in the third quarter. The team says he will not return.Durant had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists Wednesday night. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP was averaging 35.4 points in the playoffs coming into the day.The best-of-seven series was tied at two games apiece. Game 6 is Friday back in Houston.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid doesn't know if he will feel better.He certainly knows he has to play better.He's battling an illness, looking like someone who'd rather be in bed than on the court. But the Philadelphia 76ers need their All-Star center, so Embiid is trying to tell himself that he has to dig deeper to find more energy, even if it's only for three hours."You know, can't control my physical condition, but I can also control how much I push myself and I try to do that," Embiid said. "But I've just got to do more."If he can't, he'll have all the time he needs to rest.With Embiid faltering, the 76ers try to fight off elimination and send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Toronto when they host the Raptors for Game 6 on Thursday.Portland will also try to send a series the distance on Thursday, hosting Game 6 against Denver, which has won two straight for a 3-2 lead behind Nikola Jokic, its dominant center.Embiid is supposed to be a dominant center, too.But he hasn't performed at anywhere near... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant vs. James Harden. This duel may just go the distance, and the two stars know it.Everyone figured the Western Conference semifinal between Golden State and Houston had a chance to be more like the NBA Finals in terms of talent on each side, and now it's tied at 2-all.The NBA's best are dazzling on defense and trading big shots on offense."The way both teams are playing with such intensity and aggression, it's fun to be out there," Durant said. "We're looking forward to Game 5."The series resumes Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, which could host its final game if Golden State doesn't handle business at home. The Warriors will move to new Chase Center in San Francisco next season."The mood's good. Playoffs, this is what it's about," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday afternoon once his team touched down in Oakland. "Our team has been here many times. We've been in much worse situations, being down in a series, being on the road for Game 7s. We've pretty... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant vs. James Harden. This duel may just go the distance, and the two stars know it.Everyone figured the Western Conference semifinal between Golden State and Houston had a chance to be more like the NBA Finals in terms of talent on each side, and now it's tied at 2-all.The NBA's best are dazzling on defense and trading big shots on offense."The way both teams are playing with such intensity and aggression, it's fun to be out there," Durant said. "We're looking forward to Game 5."The series resumes Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, which could host its final game if Golden State doesn't handle business at home. The Warriors will move to new Chase Center in San Francisco next season."The mood's good. Playoffs, this is what it's about," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday afternoon once his team touched down in Oakland. "Our team has been here many times. We've been in much worse situations, being down in a series, being on the road for Game 7s. We've pretty... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook each underwent surgery on Tuesday.George had surgery for a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder and his status will be evaluated before the start of the 2019-20 season.George also will have surgery on a small labrum tear in his left shoulder in the coming weeks, the team said in a statement.Westbrook had two procedures. One was for a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand. The other was an elective arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. He is expected to return to basketball activities in approximately three weeks.Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the third straight season with 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game.Both players had their procedures in Los Angeles.ESPN was the first to report the surgeries.George ranked second in the league with 28 points per game this season, and he led the league with 2.21 steals per game. Both shoulders hampered him in the final two months of the... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant vs. James Harden. This duel may just go the distance, and the two stars know it.Everyone figured the Western Conference semifinal between Golden State and Houston had a chance to be more like the NBA Finals in terms of talent on each side, and now it's tied at 2-all.The NBA's best are dazzling on defense and trading big shots on offense."The way both teams are playing with such intensity and aggression, it's fun to be out there," Durant said. "We're looking forward to Game 5."The series resumes Wednesday night at Oracle Arena, which could host its final game if Golden State doesn't handle business at home. The Warriors will move to new Chase Center in San Francisco next season."Nothing's really happened yet. Both teams have won two home games," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.Also Wednesday, Boston will try to stave off elimination playing at Milwaukee. The Bucks are up 3-1."These kinds of situations show a lot about people," Celtics coach Brad Stevens... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gersson Rosas has firsthand experience with success from unconventional strategy from his 17-year run with the Houston Rockets.An outside-the-box approach might be necessary, if the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to catch up in the cutthroat Western Conference."We're going to question the norm with everything that we do," Rosas said.The first Latino to lead an NBA front office has landed with a 30-year-old franchise defined by bad-luck setbacks and self-induced dysfunction as much as any accomplishments on the court. The hiring of Rosas as president of basketball operations was greenlighted by Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor as the remedy to one of the latest backfires, the hiring of Tom Thibodeau three years ago for the dual role of president and coach.As Taylor and chief executive officer Ethan Casson narrowed their search, they couldn't help but notice Rosas appeared as confident and eager about joining them as they were about offering the job to him. The Timberwolves... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics coach Brad Stevens says guard Marcus Smart will be available for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.Stevens says he got the thumbs-up from the medical staff earlier Monday. He says Smart will play limited stints.Smart has been out since tearing a muscle in his side during the second-to-last game of the regular season. He missed the five-game series against Indiana and the first three games against the Bucks.During the regular season, Smart averaged about nine points, four assists and three rebounds in 27 minutes. He led the team with 1.8 steals per game.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Earlier in the playoffs, he was drawing comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. This week, it's Magic Johnson.As the casual basketball fan — everyone, really — is finding out, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has no direct comparison.The All-Star center is turning the NBA playoffs into his own grand stage with each triple-double he piles up. He's in his own unique universe, showcasing his versatility — despite his limited leaping ability."Nikola Jokic is a great player, because you know why? He makes every one of his teammates better ," said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, whose team is tied at 2 games apiece with the Blazers heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver. "He's a basketball purist, if you will. He's always going to make the right play."The "pudgy" body and that awkward gait hardly fools anyone anymore. The lumbering 7-footer sees the court like a point guard, scores every way imaginable and is helping turn the Nuggets into legitimate contenders.The player nicknamed Joker... [More]

Denver and Toronto started this second round of the playoffs feeling great about their chances.And then things went bad.And then they bounced back.So now, going into a pair of big-time swing games on Tuesday night — Denver plays host to Portland, Toronto plays host to Philadelphia — the Nuggets and Raptors can either take a firm grip on their respective series or get themselves into pits of trouble that would be even deeper than the ones they were in a couple of days ago.Game 5s await. Blazers-Nuggets, tied 2-2. 76ers-Raptors, tied 2-2. Toronto and Denver both reclaimed home-court advantage with series-tying road wins on Sunday, and the task now is to keep that momentum going with very high stakes."You win a game, and you've got to play another one," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Monday. "To borrow a phrase that everybody uses, this is a grind. These things are grinders, and being even-keeled, professional, hard-working, tough mentality is what it needs on each game and each possession,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — No team has more riding on next week's NBA draft lottery than the Atlanta Hawks.If the pingpong balls fall Atlanta's way, the Hawks could be the only team to end up with two of the top nine picks.The last two drafts have set the foundation for the Hawks' makeover. John Collins and Trae Young are the new faces of the franchise .More help is needed following 29 wins this season. General manager Travis Schlenk dares to dream of hitting the jackpot in the May 14 lottery and having the first and ninth picks in the June 20 draft. That best-case scenario would add significant momentum to an already promising rebuilding process."We like the position we're in," Schlenk said Friday following a workout with draft hopefuls at the Hawks' practice facility. "We all know right now we're sitting with the fifth odds and potentially the ninth odds, so it'd be real exciting. The best-case scenario would put us at one and nine. That would be great for the franchise."Schlenk said building a strong... [More]

The scenario is simple right now for Milwaukee and Golden State: Win a road game on Monday, go home toting a 3-1 series lead and be one win away from a spot in the NBA's version of the Final Four.The scenario is equally simple for Boston and Houston: Win a home game on Monday, or else.Top-seeded Milwaukee leads fourth-seeded Boston 2-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, and top-seeded Golden State leads fourth-seeded Houston 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal. The Celtics and the Rockets host Game 4s, knowing a win will earn them a berth in what becomes a best-of-three showdown and knowing a loss places them squarely on the abyss that overlooks elimination."It's a great opportunity to respond," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.Boston had the home-court edge over Milwaukee, then gave it back with a loss on Friday night. Houston was a bounce or two away from getting into the most-dreaded 3-0 hole against Golden State, then rallied to win Game 3 on Saturday night and keep... [More]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets could use the kind of break everybody else is getting in the second round of the NBA playoffs.If anybody deserved some time off, it's the All-Star center who just played 65 minutes in a game.But there's no rest for the weary now. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers will be back on the court Sunday for Game 4, surely a little low on fuel after they tied an NBA record by playing four overtimes Friday night in Portland's 140-137 victory."Both teams are exhausted, so it's the same for them as it is for us," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "We will not use that as an excuse. We haven't used it all year long and we won't start using it now."The conference semifinal round is a series of starts and stops, where it's difficult for any team to build much momentum because there have been so many gaps between games.Philadelphia and Toronto, who have Game 4 of their series Sunday, play just twice in a seven-day span. In the other Eastern Conference semifinal, Milwaukee... [More]