MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the “amazing” moves the Milwaukee Bucks have made to improve the team, but the two-time reigning MVP stopped short Wednesday of saying he would sign a supermax contract extension offer. “Right now I’m not focusing on that,” Antetokounmpo said during his first preseason discussion with reporters. “I know my agent, Alex (Saratsis), and (general manager) Jon Horst and the Bucks ownership are focusing on those discussions. I’m just trying to focus on myself and how I can get better, how I can help my teammates be better, how I can be ready Saturday to play our first preseason game.” Antetokounmpo, who turned 26 last week, would be able to receive up to 35% of the salary cap with an 8% escalation each year of the deal under a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million. He has until Dec. 21 to sign the extension, or else he will be eligible to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season. Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday took notice along with the rest of the NBA when he discovered the substantial package of players and picks the Milwaukee Bucks sacrificed to acquire him. The Bucks traded guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, first-round draft choice R.J. Hampton and two future first-round selections as part of a four-team swap that brought them Holiday. The Bucks gave the New Orleans Hornets the right to swap two future first-round picks as well in a deal that also brought second-round selection Sam Merrill to Milwaukee. “Them giving up all the pieces that they did, it really, really made me feel like they wanted me to be here,” Holiday said Thursday. “That’s always a good feeling.” The Bucks hope the addition of the 6-foot-4 guard to a nucleus that already included two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton helps persuade two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million to Antetokounmpo, who... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday took notice along with the rest of the NBA when he discovered the substantial package of players and picks the Milwaukee Bucks sacrificed to acquire him. The Bucks traded guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, first-round draft choice R.J. Hampton and two future first-round selections as part of a four-team trade that brought them Holiday. The Bucks gave the New Orleans Hornets the right to swap two future first-round picks as well. “Them giving up all the pieces that they did, it really, really made me feel like they wanted me to be here,” Holiday said Thursday. “That’s always a good feeling.” The Bucks hope the addition of the 6-foot-4 guard to a nucleus that already included two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton helps persuade two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million to Antetokounmpo, who has until Dec. 21 to accept. Otherwise, he would become a free agent at... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson expects to unleash a version of himself that is healthier, more demonstrative and less restrained in his second NBA season with the New Orleans Pelicans. “Year 1 was a lot mentally and physically for me, but I needed that experience,” Williamson said Wednesday as the Pelicans underwent preparations for training camp. “It showed me a lot and now I’m getting ready for Year 2. “There’s a lot of my game I wasn’t able to showcase last year, due to like, just trying to fit in with the team, find my place, and just trying not to be the rookie to mess up,” Williamson added. There were also injuries, along with concerns about his weight and conditioning that led to a protracted rehabilitation from arthroscopic knee surgery just before the start of the season – and minute restrictions after he made his long-awaited debut in the 44th game of the 2019-20 regular season. Still, the 6-foot-6, 284-pound Williamson made impressions with both his consistent production... [More]

Point guard Jrue Holiday is being traded from New Orleans to Milwaukee, which is aiming to give two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo the improved roster that he seeks with the decision on his supermax contract extension looming, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal had been finalized. ESPN, The Athletic and The New York Times first reported details of the Holiday trade. ESPN also said the Bucks were executing a second trade with Sacramento, with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James going to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Oklahoma City Thunder... [More]

Point guard Jrue Holiday is being traded from New Orleans to Milwaukee, which is aiming to give two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo the improved roster that he seeks with the decision on his supermax contract extension looming, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal had been finalized. ESPN, The Athletic and The New York Times first reported details of the Holiday trade. ESPN also said the Bucks were executing a second trade with Sacramento, with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James going to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Oklahoma City Thunder... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks will play another day.They’re waiting to see if reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will join them.It’s still a dire situation for the team that had the league's best regular-season record this season — they’re down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Miami Heat, with another win-or-go-home test awaiting in Game 5 on Tuesday night. And they don’t know if Antetokounmpo, who sprained his right ankle in Game 3 and then again in Game 4, will be ready.“There’s hope,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’re not ruling him out, so I guess until he’s ruled out you have hope. He’s going to do everything he can to make himself available.”Also Tuesday: Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, with that matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets tied at a game apiece.Antetokounmpo was with the Bucks for their light practice Monday. He got treatment on the ankle, then left wearing a protective boot over his right... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The last time the Houston Rockets played a Game 7, they didn’t have Chris Paul and they wound up losing.Paul wants to see history repeat itself.The former Houston guard simply has willed fifth-seeded Oklahoma City into a deciding game of its Western Conference first-round series against the fourth-seeded Rockets, with Game 7 — the last game of the opening round of this postseason — set to be played Wednesday night.“Ain’t nothing like it,” Paul said.The winner moves on to Game 1 of a West semifinal series against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The loser leaves the NBA’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World and goes home, certain to be lamenting a chance that got away.Houston might already be dealing with some regret. The Rockets had a six-point lead with the ball with 4:01 left in Game 6, a perfect chance to close out the game and the series. They got outscored 12-2 the rest of the way, missing six of their last seven shots and turning the... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Milwaukee guard Eric Bledsoe was ruled out of Game 1 of the Bucks' Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat on Monday night with a strained right hamstring.Bledsoe was listed as questionable and tested the strain before the game, before the Bucks decided that he would not be in the starting lineup.George Hill took over as the first-string point guard for Bledsoe, who started all five of Milwaukee's first-round games against Orlando.Bledsoe averaged 11.6 points and a team-best 6.6 assists per game in that first-round series against the Magic. Hill started for just the third time in 65 regular-season and playoff appearances for Milwaukee this season.Game 2 of the series is Wednesday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Luka Doncic would like to clear up a bit of a misconception: He has playoff experience.Then again, he also knows what awaits now is different.For the first time since 1990, the Dallas Mavericks are going to the playoffs without Dirk Nowitzki on the roster. The German great retired after last season, officially passing the torch as leader of the Mavs to Doncic — the Slovene who nearly averaged a 30-point triple-double in just his second NBA season.So, no, he hasn’t seen what the NBA playoffs are like.There’s also no reason to think Doncic isn’t ready for this stage.“Yes, it is the playoffs, but I have been in the playoffs before, just in Europe,” said the 21-year-old Doncic, who was still a teenager when he led Real Madrid to the EuroLeague title and was basically considered the best player in that league two years ago. “It is not the same level, but it is the same emotions. I am excited for sure.”He should be.Doncic finished the season averaging 28.8 points,... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed Eric Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19, but remains cautiously optimistic the veteran point guard will be ready for the start of the season’s resumption.“With the virus you’re never sure,” Budenholzer said Friday. “There are certainly things that you have to kind of clear and cover, but the opener, if it’s two weeks away, then I think most medical, most things and research would say he is going to be available.’’Budenholzer's comment came a day after multiple reports indicated Bledsoe said he had tested positive but was asymptomatic.The Bucks, who have an NBA-leading 53-12 record, will face the Boston Celtics on July 31 in their first game since the pandemic-imposed hiatus began in mid-March.Budenholzer added that the Bucks will “prepare without him and welcome him with open arms when he does come.’’The 30-year-old Bledsoe is averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds.Budenholzer declined to say whether any other players hadn’t yet joined the team in Florida.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe has tested positive for COVID-19, but has said he doesn't have any symptoms associated with the coronavirus. Bledsoe hasn't been with the team since they reported to Orlando last week, the Journal Sentinel reported.The Bucks began a second training camp early this month but shut it down after someone from the organization tested positive for the coronovirus. They didn't name the person at the time.Bledsoe is among other NBA players to announce positive COVID-19 tests since teams started reporting to the bubble at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex last week, including Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon.Bledsoe is averaging 15.4 points 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season.All 22 NBA teams invited to conclude the season will play eight games before the postseason begins.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledges he initially feared the knee sprain that has caused him to miss his last two games might be a much more serious injury.“I was nervous right when I fell on the floor,” Antetokounmpo said Wednesday. “I was able to walk it off and play a few minutes and I felt better, but the next day I was extremely sore, so I was nervous.’’Antetokounmpo said he practiced Wednesday but remained uncertain over whether he would play Thursday against the Boston Celtics as the NBA-leading Bucks attempt to snap a season-worst three-game skid.“I felt good, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to go, I’ve got to come back tomorrow and see how I feel tomorrow,” Antetokounmpo said. “I might go back home and my knee swells up. I don’t know.”Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team would remain careful. “He looked good,” Budenholzer said. “Always, with something like this, you wait to see how it responds and how he comes in tomorrow. We’ll... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks made quick work of the Oklahoma City Thunder.Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 13 rebounds and Milwaukee surged to a 24-point lead in the second quarter in a 133-86 victory Friday night. The 47-point margin was the Bucks' largest of the season — and the Thunder’s worst of the season. “It feels good. It feels good seeing other guys going out there, playing hard and being up 40 points, sitting on the bench, relaxing, having fun," Antetokounmpo said. "Everyone is smiling. Games like these are always the best games. “We were extremely ready. We moved the ball. We were defending. We know that in the fourth quarter, they always come back to the game. We never relaxed.” Chris Paul scored 18 points for Oklahoma City.“We got a lot of really good looks, but our defense and our rebounding wasn’t much tonight,” Paul said. “It’s just an old-fashioned butt whooping.” Both teams were without their second-leading scorers. Bucks All-Star... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the NBA-leading Milwaukee made quick work of the Oklahoma City Thunder.Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 13 rebounds and Milwaukee Bucks surged to a 24-point lead in the second quarter in a 133-86 victory Friday night. The 47-point margin was the Bucks' largest of the season — and the Thunder’s worst of the season. “It feels good. It feels good seeing other guys going out there, playing hard and being up 40 points, sitting on the bench, relaxing, having fun," Antetokounmpo said. "Everyone is smiling. Games like these are always the best games. “We were extremely ready. We moved the ball. We were defending. We know that in the fourth quarter, they always come back to the game. We never relaxed.” Chris Paul scored 18 points for Oklahoma City.“We got a lot of really good looks, but our defense and our rebounding wasn’t much tonight,” Paul said. “It’s just an old-fashioned butt whooping.” Both teams were without their second-leading scorers. Bucks All-Star... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 13 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks surged to a 24-point lead in the second quarter in a 133-86 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.The 47-point loss was the Thunder’s worst of the season.Chris Paul scored 18 points for Oklahoma City.Both teams were without their second-leading scorers. Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton was a late scratch with a sore neck. An ankle injury kept Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari out.The Bucks had won four in a row and the Thunder had won five straight.The Bucks built their second-quarter lead behind 14 second-quarter points from Antetokounmpo, seven from Donte Divincenzo, who started in place of Middleton, and back-to-back 3-pointers from Wesley Matthews.A key moment occurred late in the second period.With Milwaukee leading, 54-43, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer got a technical foul after approaching a referee during a timeout with 3:43 left in the quarter. That was moments after Eric Bledsoe... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A slow start didn't help Giannis Antetokounmpo's shot at NBA history, but the Milwaukee Bucks are hardly a one-man show.Khris Middleton hit a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds into the game, and the team with the league's best record never trailed Saturday night in a 111-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. It's the 13th time the Bucks have led from wire to wire this season.“It's nice to not trail ... but it doesn't really mean anything. We have to keep playing good basketball," Antetokounmpo said.“We were up 27 and they came back, cut the lead to 11. So it doesn't mean anything," the league's reigning MVP added. “We just try to take it quarter by quarter."Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists while also falling short of becoming the first player in league history with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in six consecutive games.Antetokounmpo was originally listed with 19 points, but the NBA announced later Saturday... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A slow start didn't help Giannis Antetokounmpo's shot at NBA history, but the Milwaukee Bucks are hardly a one-man show.Khris Middleton hit a 3-pointer less than 20 seconds into the game, and the team with the league's best record never trailed Saturday night in a 112-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. It's the 13th time the Bucks have led from wire to wire this season.“It's nice to not trail ... but it doesn't really mean anything. We have to keep playing good basketball," Antetokounmpo said.“We were up 27 and they came back, cut the lead to 11. So it doesn't mean anything," the league's reigning MVP added. “We just try to take it quarter by quarter."Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple double with 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists while also falling short of becoming the first player in league history with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in six consecutive games.With Middleton, Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe picking up the slack, it didn't matter as... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple double with 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, helping the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 112-95 on Saturday night.The Bucks won for the 13th time in 14 games, improving the league’s best record to 45-7 and remaining on course to become just the third team to top 70 wins in a regular season.Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, fell short in a personal bid to become the first player with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in six consecutive games, scoring two points in the first quarter and finishing 6 of 17 from the field.Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player with a stretch of five straight games with 30, 15 and 5, accomplishing it from Dec. 10-17, 1965, with the Philadelphia Warriors.Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 23 points, including 5 for 5 on 3-point attempts. Khris Middleton had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe finished with 18 points for the Bucks, who led by as many as 27 in the third... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo looked over at LeBron James and Anthony Davis and thought about his past.“I wasn't supposed to be here,” the 6-foot-11 Greek Freak said. Hardly looked that way Thursday night. Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat James, Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 in a showdown of the NBA's top teams.The reigning MVP had seven assists and a career-best five 3-pointers as Milwaukee improved to 25-4 after ending an 18-game winning streak against Dallas on Monday night.“I wasn't the No. 1 pick, AD was, LeBron was," Antetokounmpo said. "I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to go up against these two beasts. So I’m just happy that I’m here and happy that I’m going through the process and I always want to be better, do better for my team and that’s what gives me joy.” James had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season, and Davis had 36 points and 10 rebounds. “You tip your... [More]