OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — This was already going to be a summer filled with fireworks in the NBA.Nothing has changed.Kevin Durant's Achilles injury, the severity of which isn't yet confirmed, means he probably won't be able to play much — if any — next season. But this is a testament to how much he overshadows much of the NBA landscape: Durant will still likely dictate how the free-agency dominoes fall this summer.Durant could exercise his $31.5 million player option and stay with the Warriors, and that's likely going to be his worst-case financial scenario. He could opt out and sign a longer deal to stay in the Bay. Or he could opt out, sign elsewhere and start collecting massive checks from either the New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Clippers or someone else.Kyrie Irving's decision could hinge on what Durant does. Kawhi Leonard's decision could be affected by what Durant does. How the Knicks, Nets, Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and all the other... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The scoreboard said Golden State 106, Toronto 105.The reality was that both teams lost.It's almost unimaginable: an NBA Finals game where neither team felt like celebrating afterward. That was the bizarre reality on Monday night, after the Warriors staved off elimination by rallying in the final moments to beat the Raptors and send this series back to Oracle Arena for Game 6 — on a night when Kevin Durant's season came to an end.Durant has an Achilles injury. The Warriors know it's bad. They'll find out how bad on Tuesday."It's devastating," Toronto forward Kawhi Leonard said.He wasn't talking about losing the game.He was talking about seeing Durant get hurt.Leonard knows what it's like to have the game taken away by injury. He missed most of last season with a leg injury, one that limited him to nine games. He saw his commitment to the game questioned — the same way Durant had by some in recent days — and came out the other side an even better player.That was the hope after... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The scoreboard said Golden State 106, Toronto 105.The reality was both teams lost.It's almost unimaginable: An NBA Finals game where neither team felt like celebrating afterward. That was the bizarre reality on Monday night, after the Warriors staved off elimination by rallying in the final moments to beat the Raptors and send this series back to Oracle Arena for Game 6 — on a night where Kevin Durant's season came to an end.Durant has an Achilles injury. The Warriors know it's bad. They'll find out how bad on Tuesday."It's devastating," Toronto forward Kawhi Leonard said.He wasn't talking about losing the game.He was talking about seeing Durant get hurt.Leonard knows what it's like to have the game taken away by injury. He missed most of last season with a leg injury, one that limited him to nine games. He had his commitment to the game questioned — the same way Durant had by some in recent days — and came out the other side an even better player.That was the hope after... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — When Game 4 was over, while Toronto fans were waving Canadian flags in celebration inside an otherwise-stunned Oracle Arena, a glum-faced Kevin Durant was outside the Golden State locker room to greet equally glum teammates as they sauntered off the floor.That's been his only visible role on game nights in the NBA Finals.If that doesn't change Monday, this series is probably going to end.With it, in that case, so would Golden State's reign as NBA champions. And then it's possible that Durant, a free-agent-in-waiting, has played for the Warriors for the last time.Durant limped off the floor at Oracle Arena a month ago — Game 5 of the second round — with what the team called a mild calf strain. It's apparently the most severe "mild" calf strain in the history of injuries, because he hasn't played since and there's no way of knowing if that's going to change on Monday.And the Warriors clearly need him if they're going to pull off a comeback against the Raptors in these... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to trade guard Allen Crabbe, the first step into what they hope can be a big summer.The Nets will deal him along with two first-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that will clear additional salary cap space, possibly putting themselves in position to afford two top free agents.The Nets will get forward Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick in the deal, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot become official until July 6.Brooklyn will hope to have secured at least one high-profile commitment in free agency by then. The Nets were already in position to be able to afford a max player and by moving Crabbe's $18.5 million salary for 2019-20, more money will become available to them.Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving are among the headline names in the class, and the Nets also have to decide if they want to re-sign point... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Toronto coach Nick Nurse plays to the beats to his own drum.And that's not even one of the instruments that he's messing around with these days.Nurse's office in Toronto has a guitar stand on one side of his desk and a piano on the other. He's trying to master both; the guitar travels with him on the road and he's been known to strum it while studying film. The piano doesn't exactly fit in the overhead storage bin of the plane so it stays behind.Nurse says he's not any good yet.His team, however, is making plenty of beautiful music so far in these NBA Finals.The moment has not been too big for Nurse or the Raptors. They lead the title series 2-1 after a 123-109 win over injury-depleted Golden State on Wednesday night, an outcome that puts the two-time defending NBA champions in trouble. The maestro of the best season in Toronto history is a 51-year-old NBA coaching rookie, one who's making plenty of right moves."He looks young," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. "But... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The mantra for Golden State during Steve Kerr's five seasons with the Warriors has been "Strength in Numbers."It's more than a marketing slogan.It's a catchy phrase on shirts, for sure, and it's emblazoned plenty of places for all to see — even on one shoulder of Stephen Curry's gray sweat suit, with the NBA Finals logo on the other side. But it's hard to imagine a time where it means more to the Warriors than right now, when the only thing being tested more than their mettle is their depth.The champions are heading home off a win ailing, but not trailing. Whether it was DeMarcus Cousins playing 28 minutes, or Quinn Cook tying a playoff career-high with three 3-pointers, or all 13 Warriors getting into the game — some of them for only four seconds, but in nonetheless — the two-time defending NBA champions found a way.Game 2 is in the books. Golden State 109, Toronto 104. Series tied at 1-1.Off to Oracle Arena in Oakland, California for Game 3 on Wednesday night."When you... [More]

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

It all comes down to this.No, really.It ALL comes down to this.The next four, five, six or seven games of the NBA Finals between Golden State and Toronto will not only decide the 2019 championship, but how this series plays out is inevitably going to affect how free agency unfolds starting in a month or so.It'll affect Warriors star Kevin Durant and his annual stay-or-go decision. It'll affect Raptors star Kawhi Leonard as he ponders his next move, or if he'll be moving at all. Klay Thompson will be a free agent this summer. DeMarcus Cousins will be free this summer. Their thinking will inevitably be moved one way or another by this series; the decisions they'll all make in the coming weeks will have a ripple effect on the rest of the NBA.Durant made clear over the weekend that he's tired of the incessant talk about his future."I know what I bring to the team," Durant said, "but I also know that a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together."New York will be paying intense... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry hears the dynasty discussion about his Golden State Warriors during another postseason run.Draymond Green realizes special teams only stay together for so long before something breaks them apart.That's why the Warriors decided from Day 1 of training camp to cherish this season.Golden State is a franchise in its prime — five straight trips to the NBA Finals and seeking a third consecutive title. But the clock is ticking and the Warriors are well aware of the possible ramifications of free agency and how things could change in a hurry this summer."Basketball careers aren't that long. If you can get 10 out of it, you're lucky," Green explained. "To be to five straight finals, I don't even know what to say about it. This is what you play for. This is our goal every year and to get here five straight times is special."The Warriors started this run with three All-Stars in Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. They added two more in Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry hears the dynasty discussion about his Golden State Warriors during another postseason run.Draymond Green realizes special teams only stay together for so long before something breaks them apart.That's why the Warriors decided from Day 1 of training camp to cherish this season.Golden State is a franchise in its prime — five straight trips to the NBA Finals and seeking a third consecutive title. But the clock is ticking and the Warriors are well aware of the possible ramifications of free agency and how things could change in a hurry this summer."Basketball careers aren't that long. If you can get 10 out of it, you're lucky," Green explained. "To be to five straight finals, I don't even know what to say about it. This is what you play for. This is our goal every year and to get here five straight times is special."The Warriors started this run with three All-Stars in Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. They added two more in Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant won't be ready to play in time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on May 30.The two-time reigning finals MVP has yet to return to on-court work while recovering from a strained right calf.Big man DeMarcus Cousins might be healthy for Golden State's series opener against either Milwaukee or Toronto."Potentially," coach Steve Kerr said Thursday, "but it's up in the air."The team re-evaluated both players Thursday and they are expected to be ready at some point during Golden State's fifth straight finals.Durant is making progress in the training room and with moves he is able to handle in the weight room, Kerr said."We've known all along, it's how he responds. There's never been a point during this process where we've been able to say, 'he's going to play on such and such date,' and there still isn't, so we just keep going, keep moving forward," Kerr said. "... But again, he hasn't spent any time on the court with us, hasn't gone through an individual shooting... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is yet to progress to on-court work in his recovery from a strained right calf and won't be ready to return for Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on May 30.Big man DeMarcus Cousins might be healthy for the series opener against either Milwaukee or Toronto. Both players were re-evaluated Thursday and the Warriors expect they each will be ready at some point during the team's fifth straight finals.Cousins is working back from a torn left quadriceps muscle sustained in Game 2 of the first round against the Clippers. He practiced for the first time Thursday since getting hurt April 16 in just his second career playoff game.Golden State took two days off after completing a sweep of the Trail Blazers on Monday night in Portland. Durant was injured during Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.Warriors coach Steve Kerr wouldn't commit to a role for Cousins when he returns.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

And now, they wait.Again.The Golden State Warriors have gotten used to going to the NBA Finals, and their win in Portland on Monday night clinched their fifth consecutive trip. They've also gotten used to waiting for those finals to begin, with long layoffs after the Western Conference finals having become their norm.By the time Game 1 of the NBA Finals arrives in either Milwaukee or Toronto on May 30, it'll be a 10-day gap between games for the Warriors. It's not the longest in NBA history, but it matches the length of the break that the Warriors handled in 2017, and this marks the third time in this five-year run of finals trips that they've had at least a week off."Happy to get a little rest before we have to play again," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.It is much-needed rest, too.The Warriors clinched the series in Portland without Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala — all sidelined by injuries. There's no way of knowing yet if Durant and Cousins will be back in time for... [More]

And now, they wait.Again.The Golden State Warriors have gotten used to going to the NBA Finals, and their win in Portland on Monday night clinched their fifth consecutive trip. They've also gotten used to waiting for those finals to begin, with long layoffs after the Western Conference finals having become their norm.By the time Game 1 of the NBA Finals arrives in either Milwaukee or Toronto on May 30, it'll be a 10-day gap — nine full off days — between games for the Warriors. That matches the length of the break that the Warriors handled in 2017, and this marks the third time in this five-year run of finals trips that they've had at least a week off."Happy to get a little rest before we have to play again," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.It is much-needed rest, too.The Warriors clinched the series in Portland without Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala — all sidelined by injuries. There's no way of knowing yet if Durant and Cousins will be back in time for the finals, either.... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr remains optimistic Kevin Durant will return from a right calf injury to play for Golden State at some point this postseason but isn't guessing when that might be."There's definitely some gray area with any injury but with a calf injury like that especially," Kerr said Friday before the team traveled to Portland for Game 3. "It's going to be how he responds to the treatment and how his body recovers over the next days and however long it takes."Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini told Kerr from the time Durant was injured in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against Houston that it would be tough to predict the timetable for the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP's healing, based on the wide range in rehab and recovery for this injury.Durant was re-evaluated before a 114-111 Game 2 win Thursday night and won't play in Games 3 or 4 of the Western Conference finals at Portland, Saturday and Monday. He is likely to miss the entire... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Warriors star Kevin Durant will miss the upcoming Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals in Portland as he continues to recover from a strained right calf, and the timing of his next examination by doctors likely means he would not return until the NBA Finals if Golden State advances.Durant was re-evaluated Thursday before Golden State's 114-111 Game 2 win in of the best-of-seven series with the Trail Blazers that put the Warriors up 2-0. Durant is not ready for on-court work — a necessary step before the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP can return to game action. He will be re-examined in another week.The Warriors said Durant "has shown good progress since beginning his rehabilitation program one week ago. At this point, Durant is not ready to advance to on-court work.""There's no mental adjustment, you just play. You go out there with what you have," coach Steve Kerr said. "This is our third game, 3 ½ games really, without him. We're just trying to hold... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Warriors star Kevin Durant will miss the upcoming Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals in Portland as he continues to recover from a strained right calf, and the timing of his next examination by doctors likely means he would not return until the NBA Finals if Golden State advances.Durant was re-evaluated Thursday before Game 2 of the best-of-seven series with the Trail Blazers and is not ready for on-court work — a necessary step before the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP can return to game action. He will be re-examined in another week.The Warriors said Durant "has shown good progress since beginning his rehabilitation program one week ago. At this point, Durant is not ready to advance to on-court work."Durant's 34.2 points per game lead all postseason scorers. He strained his right calf during the third quarter of Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Rockets last Wednesday and didn't travel to Houston for the Warriors' Game 6 clincher. He... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Warriors star Kevin Durant will miss the upcoming Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals for Golden State in Portland as he continues to recover from a strained right calf.Durant was re-evaluated Thursday before Game 2 of the best-of-seven series with the Trail Blazers and is not ready for on-court work — a necessary step before the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP can return to game action. He will be re-examined in another week.The Warriors said Durant "has shown good progress since beginning his rehabilitation program one week ago. At this point, Durant is not ready to advance to on-court work."Durant's 34.2 points per game lead all postseason scorers. He strained his right calf during the third quarter of Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Rockets last Wednesday and didn't travel to Houston for the Warriors' Game 6 clincher. He then sat out Game 1 against Portland on Tuesday and again Thursday.Andrew Bogut has started in Durant's place the past three games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins won't necessarily return from injuries in time to play for the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.Durant is likely to miss at least the first two games of the best-of-seven series beginning Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Coach Steve Kerr said after practice Monday a more extensive update on Durant's status would come Thursday once his calf injury is re-evaluated.Reserve Portland guard Rodney Hood was listed as questionable for Game 1. The team said Monday an MRI exam showed a bone bruise from the third quarter of a 100-96 Game 7 win Sunday at Denver to clinch the West semifinals. Hood, who had to be helped off the court, has contributed key minutes off the bench to help Portland reach its first conference final since 2000.Durant, the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP leading all postseason scorers, strained his right calf during the third quarter of Game 5 against the Rockets... [More]