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]

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years. That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing."It was pretty cool," Lowry said. "It was pretty good."And it was most definitely worth the wait.Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals — and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line — seven points, six rebounds and nine assists — as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories."I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years. That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing."It was pretty cool," Lowry said. "It was pretty good."And it was most definitely worth the wait.Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals — and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line — seven points, six rebounds and nine assists — as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories."I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.... [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]

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) — Toronto guard Kyle Lowry squarely planted his feet and braced for contact with Milwaukee Bucks athletic big man Giannis Antetokounmpo barreling down on him.Lowry, one of the best in basketball at taking a charge, absorbed the punishment and drew a foul against the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo. These days, not everybody is willing to do what Lowry does in the fast-paced, open-floor NBA game."I think it's kind of a lost art," DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors said of taking a charge.Spurs coach Gregg Popovich won't argue that sentiment."It seems so, doesn't it? You can count on one hand how many charges are taken over the course of five or 10 games, in some situations," Popovich said with a chuckle. "You see it a lot more in college than you do in the NBA. Maybe they're protecting their contracts, don't want to get hurt, I don't know. There aren't very many, that's for sure."Successfully taking a charge is difficult and even those who are willing to try won't... [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]

In a story May 13 about the Curry family, The Associated Press misspelled the name of Seth Curry's fiance. Her name is Callie Rivers, not Callie Rogers.A corrected version of the story is below:Steph or Seth? Coin flip to decide who mom, dad representSteph or Seth? Coin flip to decide who mom, dad will represent each game of the Western Conference finalBy STEVE REEDAP Sports WriterDell Curry was standing near the loading dock at the Pepsi Center in Denver when Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum approached, gave him a big hug and asked, "Which shirt are you wearing?" for the Western Conference final."Got to flip a coin," Curry responded.Literally.With sons Stephen and Seth Curry becoming the first siblings to face each other in an NBA conference final, it's a dilemma most any parent would love.Dell and his wife, Sonya, decided wearing a split jersey with the Warriors and Blazers would be "too easy." Instead, they'll flip a coin before each game in the best-of-seven series to determine which... [More]

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]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant watched from home in the Bay Area as the Golden State Warriors finished off James Harden and the Houston Rockets on the road.The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP has a bit more cheerleading to do before he gets back on the court.Durant is likely to miss Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers while he recovers from a strained right calf. Durant was injured in Game 5 against Houston."Everyone needs to slow down a little bit on the Kevin stuff. He hasn't even stepped on the floor yet," coach Steve Kerr said Monday, a day before Game 1, noting a more extensive update would come Thursday.Golden State showed it can win without KD: Stephen Curry came alive at last in the second half of the clincher at Houston, scoring all 33 of his points after the break.Curry and Splash Brother Klay Thompson will look to build off strong performances in that final game against the Rockets to lead the top-seeded Warriors. The two-time... [More]

Dell Curry was standing near the loading dock at the Pepsi Center in Denver when Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum approached, gave him a big hug and asked, "Which shirt are you wearing?" for the Western Conference final."Got to flip a coin," Curry responded.Literally.With sons Stephen and Seth Curry becoming the first siblings to face each other in an NBA conference final, it's a dilemma most any parent would love.Dell and his wife, Sonya, decided wearing a split jersey with the Warriors and Blazers would be "too easy." Instead, they'll flip a coin before each game in the best-of-seven series to determine which team they'll represent.Stephen Curry can't imagine how this might feel for his folks."I just know watching Seth play I get nervous watching him like on TV and stuff," Stephen said after practice Monday. "For them, it's family and parents who supported us all the way through the ranks."The parents' routine will go something like this: If Sonya flips heads, she will wear Blazers attire... [More]

Bravo, Portland.Bravo.Doing the right thing isn't easy in the NBA, where patience is a rare virtue. The Trail Blazers were swept in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. They got swept again in the first round last season. Portland had lost 10 consecutive playoff games going into this year. Ordinarily, that's a recipe for firings, trade demands and roster dismantling.Instead, the Blazers stayed the course.And their reward is a trip to the Western Conference final, starting Tuesday against two-time defending champion Golden State."It speaks to the character of our organization and what we've become," All-Star guard Damian Lillard said.The Blazers have become a model of consistency.They could have gone the other way. A lot of teams have gone the other way.Neil Olshey, the Blazers' general manager, took an uncommonly measured approach last season and kept Terry Stotts — currently the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the NBA. Lillard stayed committed and didn't stomp his feet or force a trade... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden and the Houston Rockets were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors yet again.Now the Rockets are left to ponder how they'll get over the hump and past the Warriors to contend for a title.The two-time defending champion Warriors beat Houston 118-113 in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night despite the absence of Kevin Durant and behind 33 second-half points from Stephen Curry to send the Rockets home for the fourth postseason in the last five years.With each early playoff exit, the Rockets vow to find a way to defeat the Warriors and get their first championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1994-95. But year after year they are unable to do that and are faced with questions about whether this team ever will.Despite the latest disappointment, team owner and casino and restaurant magnate Tilman Fertitta remains confident Harden will be able to lead them to a title soon."I can promise you, we're going to win some championships with... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Golden State Warriors still have plenty of work to do if they hope to win their third straight championship.But after fending off the Houston Rockets on Friday night without leading playoff scorer Kevin Durant to advance to the Western Conference finals, they did take a moment to celebrate the accomplishment."It shows you how much respect we have for Houston," coach Steve Kerr said. "We just finished the conference semifinals series. We're only halfway home to where we want to be. And yet the celebration in there felt like a much bigger occasion and that's because of the challenge that this team put before us."Stephen Curry scored all of his 33 points in the second half to lead the Warriors to a 118-113 win.Klay Thompson added 27 points to help two-time defending champion Golden State reach the conference finals for a franchise-record fifth straight year and eliminate Houston for the fourth time in five seasons. The Warriors did it with Durant sidelined by a calf injury... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors will be without postseason scoring leader Kevin Durant as they try to close out the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals."Well, we'll just find somebody on the bench who can give us 35 points and two blocks and 11 boards and nine assists," coach Steve Kerr said once the team arrived back in Houston on Thursday evening.An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' initial diagnosis of a strained right calf announced during Wednesday's 104-99 win at Oracle Arena.As the Warriors returned to Houston for Friday's Game 6, Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a decisive Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that one as well. The Warriors lead the series 3-2."He's been the best player in the NBA, in the playoffs. He's been phenomenal, so it's obviously a huge loss, but our team has a lot of confidence," Kerr said. "They trust each other.... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — In the Western Conference finals last season, the Houston Rockets had home-court advantage and took a 3-2 lead over the Golden State Warriors before Houston star Chris Paul went down with a hamstring injury that kept him out for the rest of the series.As these teams prepare for Game 6 of the conference semifinals Friday night, the Warriors find themselves in almost the same situation Houston was in last year.The Warriors are just a win away from advancing to the conference finals for the fifth straight time, but will have to do it without NBA-playoffs leading scorer Kevin Durant, who will miss the rest of the series with a strained right calf.The two-time defending champions took advantage of Paul's injury in 2018 to win two straight after falling behind 3-2 and eliminated the Rockets on their home court to advance.The Rockets don't want to see Golden State celebrate a series victory on their home court again and are determined to bounce back after Wednesday night's loss... [More]