ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami got 24 points from Jimmy Butler and a big boost from rookie Tyler Herro on Saturday night. But it was a big game from center Meyers Leonard that put the Heat over the top in a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic."Tonight it just happened to be a night where the ball was finding my energy on both ends of the floor, I guess," said Leonard, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game.Herro came off the bench with six 3-pointers and 23 points. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range to help the Heat beat Orlando for the second time this week and stretch their lead in the Southeast Division to 12 1/2 games."Everyone in the locker room wants Meyers to be more aggressive," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “He really worked on it the last couple of days in practice, letting it fly, almost past his comfort zone. I'm talking about shooting it every time he touched it.”The 7-foot Leonard... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Miami got 24 points from Jimmy Butler and a big boost from rookie Tyler Herro on Saturday night. But it was a big game from center Meyers Leonard that put the Heat over the top in a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic."Tonight it just happened to be a night where the ball was finding my energy on both ends of the floor, I guess," said Leonard, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game.Herro came off the bench with six 3-pointers and 23 points. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range to help the Heat beat Orlando for the second time this week and stretch their lead in the Southeast Division to 12 1/2 games."Everyone in the locker room wants Meyers to be more aggressive," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. “He really worked on it the last couple of days in practice, letting it fly, almost past his comfort zone. I'm talking about shooting it every time he touched it.”The 7-foot Leonard... [More]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and rookie Tyler Herro came off the bench with 23 on Saturday night to lead the Miami Heat to a 102-89 victory over the Orlando Magic.Meyers Leonard had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat before going to the bench with five fouls with 5:49 left in the game. Herro and Leonard combined for 10-of-19 shooting from 3-point range.Aaron Gordon scored 24 for the Magic, who lost their fifth straight. Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and nine rebounds.Miami led 57-49 at halftime despite a big first half by Gordon, who was 4 of 6 on 3s and scored 16 points.Herro, bumped out of the starting lineup by the return of fellow rookie Kendrick Nunn, hit three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the first half.Back-to-back 3-pointers by Leonard stretched Miami's lead to double digits early in the second half, and the Heat led 73-60 when Butler converted a three-point play late in the third quarter.After the Magic closed the gap to six early in the fourth,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is making progress in his comeback from a broken left hand and could return in March.Curry was injured Oct. 30 in the fourth game of the season and had surgery two days later."He's made some big strides," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Saturday's game against Cleveland. "I guess the word is a month away from having another evaluation. We're really hopeful that around that time he'll be able to play. We'll determine that around March 1."Kerr said that Curry has been participating in non-contact and individual drills while also working on his conditioning."He needs to progress over the next month to lot of action, one-on-one, three-on-three, five-on five," Kerr said. "That's all part of the plan."Golden State (10-39) has the NBA's worst record without the two-time MVP, who led the Warriors to three titles and five straight Finals appearances. Curry averages 23.5 points in 11 seasons. "It's good to see Steph on the floor and on the sidelines with the team and traveling," Kerr said. "The mood is brighter when Steph is around. He's giving the young guys a lot of words of wisdom."The Warriors and Cavaliers met in the Finals every year from 2015-18, but both have struggled all season. Golden State has lost five in a row overall and 10 straight on the road. Cleveland has lost nine straight at home and 14 of 17 overall.

HOUSTON (AP) — Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will be out at least six games with a sprained right ankle.Doncic was injured during a scrimmage in practice on Thursday and coach Rick Carlisle said before Friday's game against the Rockets that he'd be out until at least Feb. 10. Carlisle added that he expects that Doncic will be healthy in time to participate in the All-Star Game after he was selected to the team for the first time and voted a starter. Carlisle said the Mavericks expect to have an update on Doncic's condition on Feb. 8, which is the day of the sixth game. “There's not much I can say about the timetable because one day in it's really hard to know exactly what the timetable is," Carlisle said. “Once it gets to be two or three or four days it becomes a little clearer."The 20-year-old star is averaging 28.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists this season. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Marcus Morris talked tough in the preseason, when the New York Knicks made their annual boasts that things were going to be different.He spoke softly Friday, apologizing for his misplaced machismo on another night the Knicks embarrassed themselves on the court and in the locker room.Exactly a year after trading Kristaps Porzingis, it’s the same old basketball story in New York, nothing more than a rumored stop for superstars in the offseason, and the site of very little success in the regular season.The latest low point was Wednesday, when the Memphis Grizzlies rolled to a 127-106 victory in a game that featured an altercation in the final minute after New York’s Elfrid Payton shoved Jae Crowder as he was attempting a shot, and frustrated fans chanted “Sell the team! “Sell the team!” with owner James Dolan sitting in his baseline seat.Things got even worse afterward, when Payton said he’d do the same thing again and Morris mocked Crowder for playing with “female... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — All-Star starters Luka Doncic of Dallas and Trae Young of Atlanta headlined the list of players released Friday to participate in the Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend in Chicago.Also on the list: likely rookie of the year frontrunner Ja Morant of Memphis, and No. 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson of New Orleans.The format has 10 first- and second-year players from the U.S. on one team, against 10 first- and second-year players from other nations. Doncic leads the World team, joined by Nickeil Alexander-Walker of New Orleans, Deandre Ayton of Phoenix, RJ Barrett of New York, Brandon Clarke of Memphis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City, Rui Hachimura and Moritz Wagner of Washington, Svi Mykhailiuk of Detroit and Josh Okogie of Minnesota.Joining Young, Morant and Williamson on the U.S. team are Miles Bridges, PJ Washington and Devonte’ Graham of Charlotte, Wendell Carter Jr. of Chicago, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn of Miami, Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis and Eric Paschall of Golden State.Williamson is an injury replacement for Carter, who has a sprained right ankle and is not expected to play for the Bulls until after the All-Star break.With Alexander-Walker, Barrett, Clarke and Gilgeous-Alexander, the game features a record four Canadians. Hachimura is the first Japanese player to be selected for the game.The game is Friday, Feb. 14.__More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said he was pushed by a fan when he dove into the stands going after a loose ball during Thursday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.The play occurred late in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 115-109 win. Lowry retrieved a missed shot by teammate Pascal Siakam that was headed out of bounds. Video showed Lowry landed on two fans in the first row of seats and one appeared to press his hand on the six-time All-Star's back as he returned to the floor. Lowry turned and looked at the fan as play continued. “I got pushed, and that’s the second time it’s happened to me,” Lowry said. "The next time it happens, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself. Fans like that shouldn’t be able to lay any hands on you and shouldn't be a part of our game.”Lowry was pushed by a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors during last season's NBA Finals when he dove into the stands going after a loose ball under similar circumstances. This time, Lowry saved the possession for the Raptors and Serge Ibaka hit a 3-pointer that gave Toronto a 105-101 lead. Lowry, selected to next month's All-Star Game earlier in the day, went up court on defense after the basket.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The All-Star Game is going to have plenty of new faces.The NBA released the list of the players Thursday voted by the league’s head coaches as reserves for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago, including six who will be All-Stars for the first time.Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors is headed back to the game, as are Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Houston’s Russell Westbrook and — for the first time since 2016 — Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul.The other reserves are all first-time selections: Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and the Utah duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.“Definitely it is an honor,” Tatum said in a statement. “I am extremely blessed and grateful. Third year, to make the All-Star team, it is a surreal feeling. I’m just very excited and it is a dream come true.”Those six — combined with starters Pascal Siakam,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marko Guduric of the Memphis Grizzlies and Knicks guard Elfrid Payton were suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Thursday for their roles in an altercation between the teams.New York's Marcus Morris also was fined $35,000 not only for his role on the court but for his comments afterward, when he said Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder played with “female tendencies.” Crowder was fined $25,000 for escalating the skirmish, which began when he stole the ball and shot a 3-pointer, causing a frustrated Payton to shove him to the floor while he was in the air with 48 seconds left in the Grizzlies' 127-106 victory at Madison Square Garden.Payton was given a flagrant-2 foul and ejected. He said after the game he would do the same thing again, believing Crowder was disrespecting the game.Morris, who shoved Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, later apologized on Twitter for his remarks about women. The Knicks said they understood the NBA's penalties for both their... [More]

The All-Star Game is going to have plenty of new faces.The NBA released the list of the players Thursday voted by the league’s head coaches as reserves for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago, including six who will be All-Stars for the first time.Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors is headed back to the game, as are Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Houston’s Russell Westbrook and — for the first time since 2016 — Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul.The other reserves are all first-time selections: Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and the Utah duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.“Definitely it is an honor,” Tatum said in a statement. “I am extremely blessed and grateful. Third year, to make the All-Star team, it is a surreal feeling. I’m just very excited and it is a dream come true.”Those six — combined with starters Pascal Siakam,... [More]

The All-Star Game is going to have plenty of new faces.The NBA released the list of the players voted by the league’s head coaches as reserves for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago, including six who will be All-Stars for the first time.Kyle Lowry of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors is headed back to the game, as are Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Houston’s Russell Westbrook and — for the first time since 2016 — Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul.The other reserves are all first-time selections: Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and the Utah duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.Those six — combined with starters Pascal Siakam, Luka Doncic and Trae Young, whose spots were revealed last week — mean nine first-time All-Stars will be at the game.That's the highest number of first-time All-Stars in a decade.Among the notable omissions from the... [More]

Kobe Bryant’s final jersey number will be something this year’s NBA All-Stars play to reach.The NBA announced major changes to the All-Star format on Thursday, turning every quarter into a mini-game for charity before an untimed final quarter with a target score that will decide which team wins. Scores will be reset — back to 0-0 — at the start of the second and third quarters, then restored to begin the fourth quarter.That’s where the tribute to Bryant and the No. 24 jersey he wore for the last decade of his NBA career comes into play. The team that wins the All-Star Game will be the first to reach a target score, determined by the total points the team in the lead scored in the first three quarters combined — plus 24, the obvious nod to Bryant.The NBA said there will be multiple tributes to Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the seven others who lost their lives in Sunday's helicopter crash throughout All-Star weekend, including the showcase game on Feb. 16. The target score... [More]

Kobe Bryant’s final jersey number will be something this year’s NBA All-Stars play to reach.The NBA announced major changes to the All-Star format on Thursday, turning every quarter into a mini-game for charity before an untimed final quarter with a target score that will decide which team wins. Scores will be reset — back to 0-0 — at the start of the second and third quarters, then restored to begin the fourth quarter.That’s where the tribute to Bryant and the No. 24 jersey he wore for the last decade of his NBA career comes into play. The team that wins the All-Star Game will be the first to reach a target score, determined by the total points the team in the lead scored in the first three quarters combined — plus 24, the obvious nod to Bryant.The NBA said there will be multiple tributes to Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the seven others who lost their lives in Sunday's helicopter crash throughout All-Star weekend, including the showcase game on Feb. 16. The target score... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo spent 12 months working, wondering and watching. He strengthened his body, his mind, his injured right knee and promised to return a better player.Now, he's finally healthy enough to start proving it.The All-Star guard expects to make his long-anticipated season debut Wednesday when the Indiana Pacers host Chicago.“I don't expect to do anything out there miraculous, I just expect to play basketball to the best of my ability,” he said Tuesday. “I know I'll get better as time goes on and I've got to be patient with my body and patient with the game. But I'm a competitor. I know it isn't going to be easy."Oladipo probably knew that much the moment he couldn't get up after crashing to the floor late in the first half of last January's game against Toronto. He left the court on a stretcher amid a crescendo of cheers from his adoring fans.Players around the league quickly took to social media to offer their encouragement, too.The next day, team officials announced... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup three weeks after surgery on a torn ligament in a finger in his left hand.Embiid was in the starting lineup wearing No. 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant instead of his usual No. 21 for Tuesday's game against Golden State. The Sixers went 6-3 without Embiid, their All-Star center who returned for each of their last two practices. He's the first Sixer to be voted to three straight All-Star Games since Allen Iverson.Embiid has averaged 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in 31 games this season. He joined the rest of the 76ers in warming up in No. 8 or No. 24 jerseys in honor of Bryant, who was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders was eager to work after a restless night, a lack of sleep that was not attributable to the nocturnal habits of his 7-month-old son.His team was the cause after a late-game collapse so stunning it's all but destined to serve as the defining moment of the season no matter what else comes down the stretch.“We put ourselves in the history books for the wrong reason," said star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has not been on the floor for a victory since Nov. 27.The Timberwolves lost a 17-point lead on Sacramento on Monday with just 2:49 left in regulation, proceeding to lose 133-129 to the Kings in overtime. According to ESPN research, this was the first time in 8,379 games — since the tracking of NBA play-by-play data began with the 1996-97 season — that a team trailing by 17 or more points in the final three minutes had rallied to win.“Trust me, I understand, especially as a Minnesota fan, a game like last night hurts. It does.... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, an injury that ended his season.The team said Monday the surgery was performed by Dr. Bob Anderson in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 28-year-old Powell could be ready for training camp in early October, although the timetable could be more in line with the start of the regular season.Powell went down with a non-contact injury with 2:57 left in the first quarter in a 110-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 21. Three days after the injury, the Mavericks acquired center Willie Cauley-Stein in a trade with Sacramento. The Kings got a second-round pick in this year's draft.In six NBA seasons, Powell has averaged nearly 10 points and six rebounds per game. Powell has played all but five of his 371 career games for the Mavericks since coming over from Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade in December 2015. Rondo didn't stay with Dallas beyond that season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ROME (AP) — At a Lakers preseason game in Beijing in 2013, the arena rang out with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” — despite the injured superstar not even having suited up.From Los Angeles to Italy, Asia and beyond, Kobe Bryant was bigger than just a basketball player. He was the sport’s global ambassador.It was a role that Bryant began studying for at an early age, during his seven-year childhood tour of Italy while his father played pro basketball in the country.“Because of that, he was fluent, he could understand the mentality,” Italian coach Ettore Messina, a former consultant with the Los Angeles Lakers, told The Associated Press. "And he played soccer so he learned to use his feet, not only his hands. Because of that he was open minded.”Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star with the Lakers and a lifelong soccer fan, died Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. He was 41.“The other thing that was crucial in his career was USA Basketball. Because... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, an injury that ended his season.The team said Monday the surgery was performed by Dr. Bob Anderson in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 28-year-old Powell could be ready for training camp in early October, although the timetable could be more in line with the start of the regular season.Powell went down with a non-contact injury with 2:57 left in the first quarter in a 110-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 21. Three days after the injury, the Mavericks acquired center Willie Cauley-Stein in a trade with Sacramento. The Kings got rookie Isaiah Roby.In six NBA seasons, Powell has averaged nearly 10 points and six rebounds per game. Powell has played all but five of his 371 career games for the Mavericks since coming over from Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade in December 2015. Rondo didn't stay with Dallas beyond that season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports