The milestones are piling up, and running out, for Atlanta’s Vince Carter.His next game — which could come as early as Tuesday, when the Hawks visit the New York Knicks — will be the 1,504th in his career, which will tie John Stockton for fourth-most in NBA history. Barring injury, Carter will pass Dirk Nowitzki later this season for No. 3 on the career list.Third place is the ceiling for Carter; assuming he doesn’t change his mind about retirement and play again next season, he can’t catch No. 2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) or No. 1 Robert Parish (1,611). Nowitzki retired after 1,522 games.It has not been the ideal start to the farewell season. The Hawks are 6-21. They need to beat the Knicks on Tuesday just to stay out of last place in the Eastern Conference. But Carter’s last lap around the league has been worth celebrating.“Many different teams, many different highlights, many different moments of his career, too many to count,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “But we’re going to cherish... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — RJ Barrett was asked to explain something that would have been unusual to a 10-year veteran, let alone someone who had played 21 NBA games.Was it strange to have a coach run practice, only to fire him after it ended?“I mean, I have no idea. I just got here," Barrett said. “I don’t know how these things work."Welcome to life with the New York Knicks, rookie.It's nothing new when they change coaches, but the firing of David Fizdale was a head-scratcher even for the Knicks. When they finally got around to announcing his dismissal last Friday, hours after the practice he led, the Knicks did it with a two-sentence statement void of any quotes or any other explanation. They played at home the next night and then departed the following day for a road trip, all without president Steve Mills or general manager Scott Perry commenting on Fizdale's removal. That left it up to the players to do all the talking.The front office did speak earlier in the season, a strange press conference... [More]

A career-best for Damian Lillard. A career-best for D'Angelo Russell.And neither was enough, on a wacky Friday in the NBA.Lillard scored a franchise-record 60 for Portland in its loss to Brooklyn, Russell had 52 in Golden State's loss at Minnesota — and those efforts added up to an absolute NBA rarity. Friday became only the second night in league history in which multiple players scored at least 50 points in losses.The only other such day: April 9, 1978. David Thompson scored 73 points in Denver's loss to Detroit, and George Gervin scored 63 in San Antonio's loss to the New Orleans Jazz. That was the final day of the 1977-78 regular season, one where Thompson and Gervin were going for the league's scoring title.No scoring title was at stake Friday. It was merely a wild night."Obviously, Dame was exceptional tonight," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Carried us, put us in a position to win the game."Lillard capped his 60-point effort, one more than his previous career best, with a 34-footer... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Zion Williamson may not be quite as tall as billed.He still soared in his first NBA preseason game Monday night.Showing off the high-flying talents that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in years, Williamson turned in a ferocious slam less than 2 minutes into his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans and dunked it two more times before the first half was done against the Atlanta Hawks."This isn't high school or college anymore," Williamson said. "You've got to go up strong. So I went up strong and I was able to finish."It was quite the close-range repertoire.One with the right hand.One with the left hand.One with both hands.Williamson finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, helping the Pelicans to a 133-109 victory over the Hawks before a much larger crowd — announced at 15,441 — than what normally be expected in Atlanta for a weeknight exhibition between two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season."I didn't expect that... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Zion Williamson may not be quite as tall as billed.He still soared in his first NBA preseason game Monday night.Showing off the high-flying talents that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in years, Williamson turned in a ferocious slam less than 2 minutes into his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans and dunked it two more times before the first half was done against the Atlanta Hawks."This isn't high school or college anymore," Williamson said. "You've got to go up strong. So I went up strong and I was able to finish."It was quite the close-range repertoire.One with the right hand.One with the left hand.One with both hands.Williamson finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, helping the Pelicans to a 133-109 victory over the Hawks before a much larger crowd — announced at 15,441 — than what normally be expected in Atlanta for an exhibition between two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season."I didn't expect that many people... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Zion Williamson may not be quite as tall as billed.He still soared in his first NBA preseason game Monday night.Showing off the high-flying talents that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in years, Williamson turned in a ferocious slam less than 2 minutes into his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans and dunked it two more times before the first half was done against the Atlanta Hawks.It was quite the close-range repertoire.One with the right hand.One with the left hand.One with both hands.Williamson finished the first half with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, helping the Pelicans to a 75-61 lead over the Hawks before a much larger crowd than what normally be expected in Atlanta for an exhibition between two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season.Of course, the score was irrelevant. This was chance to see the future of the NBA for the first time — not counting his brief stint in the Las Vegas Summer League — and Williamson did not disappoint,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Zion Williams may not be quite as tall as billed.He still soared in his first NBA preseason game Monday night.Showing off the high-flying talents that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in years, Williamson turned in a ferocious slam less than 2 minutes into his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans and dunked it two more times before the first half was done against the Atlanta Hawks.It was quite the close-range repertoire.One with the right hand.One with the left hand.One with both hands.Williams finished the first half with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, helping the Pelicans to a 75-61 lead over the Hawks before a much larger crowd than what normally be expected in Atlanta for an exhibition between two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season.Of course, the score was irrelevant. This was chance to see the future of the NBA for the first time — not counting his brief stint in the Las Vegas Summer League — and Williamson did not disappoint, though... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Vince Carter is on the cusp of a revered NBA career record, the most seasons ever played.He promises season No. 22 will be his last."I wouldn't let you guys say this is the last one if that wasn't the case," Carter said Monday at the Atlanta Hawks' media day. "I don't want to do that. Even if I change my mind now, for me I feel like it's too late, but no, this is it."When Carter checks into his first game — likely the Oct. 24 opener at Detroit — he will break a tie with Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki, all of whom played 21 years.Carter, who turns 43 in January, still can't quite comprehend what the record encompasses, but he's glad to have all of training camp and the preseason to sort out what's next."Stepping on the court to make it official is going to be kind of crazy," he said. "When you see that list and you see that cluster of guys and you see the next number is 22 and to see me passing guys like that — I've been asked that all summer... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Vince Carter is putting off retirement for at least one more season.With that, he'll claim the longest career in NBA history all to himself.A person familiar with the situation confirmed that Carter has agreed to terms on a one-year contract to return to the Atlanta Hawks for his record 22nd season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.The 42-year-old Carter never wavered in his desire to play with someone this season. He is tied with Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and recently retired Dirk Nowitzki — all of whom played for 21 seasons — for the longest career in NBA history."Just waiting for the right opportunity," he said on a recent conference call to discuss the upcoming Jr. NBA Global Championship, when questioned by a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Nothing has changed as far as that goal and that dream of mine."The deal was first reported by ESPN.Essentially an extra coach... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Vince Carter is returning to the Atlanta Hawks for his record 22nd season in the NBA.The person confirmed that the 42-year-old Carter has agreed to terms with the Hawks. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.The agreement was first reported by ESPN.Carter will continue to serve as a mentor to some of the NBA's most promising young talent, including first-round picks D'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. He'll also eclipse the record shared with Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and recently retired Dirk Nowitzki for most seasons in the NBA.Carter showed last season that he's still got some playing skills, as well. He played 76 games in his first year with the Hawks, including nine starts, while averaging 17.5 minutes and 7.4 points per contest.___Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks made a modest improvement in the standings this season, finishing with 29 wins, up from 24 the previous year.John Collins sees a far more dramatic improvement in the Hawks' outlook."Completely different," Collins said Wednesday night after closing the season with a career-high 25 rebounds and 20 points. "I feel we have more of a foundation, more of a solid base than last year. I feel like that's going to give us a lot of comfort going into next year."Rookie point guard Trae Young is the new face of the franchise, but Collins also is part of the foundation . The 6-foot-10 forward, only 21 years old, saw his scoring almost double from 10.5 points as a rookie to 19.5 in his second season while averaging almost 10 rebounds per game.The Hawks' makeover in 2018-19 included the additions of three first-round picks and coach Lloyd Pierce. More youth is coming with two first-round picks in the June 20 NBA draft.Kevin Huerter, a 3-point shooter, joined Young as rookie... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Huerter used to have Dwyane Wade's sneakers.Now, he's got his jersey.Wade has been exchanging uniform tops with opposing players all season long as part of his "One Last Dance" before he retires — swapping with close friends like LeBron James and Chris Paul, fellow longtime stars such as Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter, and the next wave of greats in Paul George and Bradley Beal.And on Monday night in Miami, Huerter — a rookie guard for Atlanta — got his name added to the list. There they stood, side by side, each wearing the other's No. 3 jersey from Miami's 114-113 win."Obviously, us No. 3s got to stick together," Wade said. "But I've been watching this kid grow from the preseason on to now and I like his game. I think his game can go to another level as well. I always want to be someone that a player like that can count on, can reach out to. That was a cool moment for me."Huerter wasn't expecting the gesture. He was leaving the court and heading to the locker room when... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Looking across the Atlanta Hawks' locker room, DeAndre Bembry nodded as he glanced at Trae Young and John Collins."You can obviously tell that's the future," said Bembry, a third-year forward.That future seemed clear to all on Wednesday night. Young and Collins became the NBA's first teammates 21 or younger in almost a decade to score at least 30 points each in the same game.The Hawks' 131-123 overtime win over Minnesota was a showcase for the team's first picks in the last two drafts. Atlanta plays the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.Young, a rookie point guard, scored 36 points, matching his career high set earlier in the week, with 10 assists against Minnesota. Collins, a second-year forward, had 34 points, one shy of his career high."We've been doing it all year, but I feel like this is a nice example of what we can do together," Collins said.Young and Collins are the foundation for the Hawks' rebuilding effort, and they seem to be gaining momentum together. The Hawks (21-41)... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo is the NBA's slam dunk champion.Going over Shaquille O'Neal in the first round, then getting a boost from rapper Quavo in the finale, Diallo soared to the crown by topping New York's Dennis Smith Jr.Diallo topped Smith 88-85 in the finale. Charlotte's Miles Bridges and Atlanta's John Collins went out in the first round.Smith leapfrogged Miami's Dwyane Wade and took a lob from Stephen Curry to give himself a chance with his last dunk, getting a perfect score from the judges — and a round of boos from the crowd, many of whom weren't that impressed.That left Diallo as the night's final participant.Diallo pulled off a dunk that will be talked about for years in the first round — dunking over O'Neal, hanging on the rim by his elbow, then tearing open his jersey to reveal a "Superman" shirt underneath. And then he plucked the ball from Quavo as he went airborne for the dunk that... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):8:40 p.m.Boston's Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer from just beyond midcourt to beat Atlanta's Trae Young in the final round of the skills competition at All-Star Saturday night.Tatum defeated Memphis' Mike Conley in the first round, then topped Denver's Nikola Jokic in the semifinals.Tatum was slightly behind Young going into the 3-pointer, the final shot of the event, and decided he needed to try the long shot to get one in before Young could shoot for the title.Tatum says the trophy will go to his mother's home. He says he was "just out here trying to have fun. I threw one up and it went in."Jokic defeated Orlando's Nikola Vucevic, Young beat Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox and Dallas' Luka Doncic topped the Los Angeles Lakers' Kyle Kuzma in other first-round matchups. Young beat Doncic in the semifinals.___7:30 p.m.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he's pleased with the level of competitive balance that currently exists... [More]