SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry is aiming to return to the Golden State Warriors lineup on Sunday for the first time sine breaking his left hand in October.Coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday that the hope is that Curry will be able to play against Washington. Curry has been practicing in recent weeks and will be re-evaluated on Saturday before a final decision is made."He's had that date in his mind," Kerr said. "He'll continue to work this week and we'll make that determination on Saturday."Curry hasn't played since breaking his left hand on Oct. 30 against the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors (12-45) have the worst record in the NBA this season after making five straight trips to the NBA Finals.Curry has played only four games and Klay Thompson has missed the entire season recovering from a serious knee injury.Kerr said he wants Curry to get time to play with recently acquired forward Andrew Wiggins down the stretch to help make for a smoother transition next season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis rookie forward Brandon Clarke hurt his right quadriceps and will be re-valuated in two weeks. The Grizzlies updated Clarke's status Tuesday night. Clarke left Monday night's 124-97 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after playing only three minutes with what was called hip soreness. The Grizzlies said further tests showed an injury to Clarke's right quadriceps. The Grizzlies already are without Jaren Jackson Jr. after he sprained his left knee in Friday night's loss to the Lakers and will be re-evaluated within two weeks. The 6-foot-8 Clarke has appeared in 50 games and is averaging 12 points and 21.7 minutes played. He was the MVP of the 2019 Summer League and the championship game MVP as Memphis won its first Las Vegas summer league title. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons will miss at least two more weeks with nerve issues in his lower back.The All-Star played just a few minutes in Saturday's loss to Milwaukee before leaving with the back injury. He will undergo daily treatment for his nerve impingement and be evaluated in two weeks.The Sixers are 36-22 as they head down the stretch without one of their best players. They are 27-2 but just 9-20 at home — and leave this week for a four-game West Coast trip that starts Sunday.The 23-year-old Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 54 games.Shake Milton started at point guard for Simmons in Monday's victory over Atlanta. Shooting guard Josh Richardson also played the point and both players will be needed again when the Sixers play Wednesday at Cleveland. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

The Toronto Raptors have done it once already, chasing down a Milwaukee Bucks team that seemed to be sprinting to the NBA Finals.Catching them in the standings this season seems unlikely, with the Bucks (49-8) on their way perhaps to one of the best records in league history.But Toronto might get another shot in the postseason, and before then the Raptors will get three more chances to see how they measure up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.The first comes Tuesday night in Toronto, where the Raptors had the most lopsided win in their franchise history two nights earlier.The Bucks specialize in lopsided victories, beating teams by 12.4 points per game entering the week, on pace to post the largest average margin of victory in league history.“Every game I watch them play it’s 32-12 at the end of one. Every single one. Or, 32-22 like, the closest,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said Sunday.The Bucks were the NBA’s best team in the regular season in 2018-19, but the Raptors stormed back... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons recalled guard Khyri Thomas from Grand Rapids of the G League on Monday.Thomas had foot surgery and has played in only two games for the Pistons this season. He last appeared in a game for Detroit on Nov. 6.Thomas is in his second season. He was a second-round draft pick in 2018.The Pistons play at Denver on Tuesday night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and close friend, recalled his final texts from the NBA superstar minutes before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. Bryant was attempting to secure an internship for the daughter of another friend who was sitting with him in the chopper.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said that when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason roughly 20,000 people gathered Monday for a public memorial service honoring him at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to celebrate Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew Bryant was much more than a basketball icon. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jordan says he didn't see Kobe Bryant as his rival for the mythical honor of being recognized as the best basketball player ever.Instead, he came to love Bryant as the little brother he never had, and as a student eager to learn from Jordan's experiences and skills.“He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be,” Jordan said Monday at Bryant's public memorial service at Staples Center. “And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.”Jordan broke into tears with those words during a moving speech about his largely unpublicized friendship with Bryant, who died along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash Jan. 26.“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said. “And as I look (around) this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died, or else you wouldn’t be here. Those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from. I promise you from this day forward,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and closest friend, recalled getting a text from the NBA superstar moments before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. The message asked for help in securing an internship for another friend’s daughter.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason that 20,000 Lakers fans gathered Monday for a public memorial service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to honor Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew that Bryant was much more than a basketball player. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler will miss his second straight game against the Cleveland Cavaliers for personal reasons.Butler didn't travel with the team for Monday night's game. He also didn't play Saturday night when the Heat routed the Cavaliers 124-106 in Miami.Butler, who leads the Heat in scoring, played in the All-Star Game and scored 17 points in Miami's first game after the All-Star break against Atlanta.The 6-foot-7 guard/forward averages 20.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 47 games. Miami is 36-20 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat begin a five-game homestand Wednesday against Minnesota. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and closest friend, recalled getting a text from the NBA superstar moments before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. The message asked for help in securing an internship for another friend’s daughter.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason that 20,000 Lakers fans gathered Monday for a public memorial service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to honor Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew that Bryant was much more than a basketball player. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb will miss the rest of this season with a left knee injury.Lamb was injured in the second quarter of the Pacers' 46-point loss Sunday at Toronto. Team officials announced Monday that he had a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn lateral meniscus and a lateral fracture in the bone. He will undergo surgery but no date has been determined.Lamb started 42 games this season and was averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He joined the team as a free agent last summer and had been the staring guard until two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo returned from his knee injury in late January and reclaimed the job earlier this month.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Markieff Morris has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the postseason push.The Lakers announced the deal Sunday to add the nine-year NBA veteran immediately after he cleared waivers.Los Angeles waived injured center DeMarcus Cousins to clear a roster spot.Morris reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons on Friday. He averaged 11 points and 3.9 rebounds in 44 games with Detroit this season while hitting a career-best 39.7% of his 3-pointers and playing solid defense.He is expected to provide rebounding and defense as the backup power forward for the Lakers, who lead the Western Conference at 43-12 after beating Boston 114-112 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win.The nine-year veteran has 24 games of playoff experience, all in the last three seasons with Washington and Oklahoma City. He began his career with Phoenix in 2011.Markieff Morris' twin brother, Marcus, plays down the Staples Center hallway for the Los Angeles Clippers, who acquired him earlier in the... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss at least two weeks with a sprained left knee after getting hurt in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies announced Sunday that Jackson will be re-evaluated in two weeks. An MRI exam showed Jackson sprained his knee Friday night contesting a shot late in the second quarter. He did not return for the second half of Memphis' 117-105 loss to the Lakers. Jackson is the Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game. The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft is shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range. Memphis currently is in the midst of a four-game road swing, holding the eighth spot in the Western Conference at 28-28. They visit the Clippers on Monday night. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have signed Donta Hall to a 10-day contract.The Pistons announced the move Saturday. The 6-foot-9 Hall has averaged 15.4 points in 36 games this season with the Pistons' Grand Rapids affiliate in the G League.Hall played four seasons of college basketball at Alabama and was a member of Detroit's 2019 summer league team. He was also in training camp this season with the Pistons.Detroit plays at Portland on Sunday night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Guard-forward Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat's leading scorer, was ruled out of Saturday night's game against Cleveland for personal reasons.Cavaliers forward-center Kevin Love sat out for the second time in the past three games because of a sore right Achilles' tendon. Love is the Cavs' third-leading scorer and rebounder.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — All-Star Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is skipping the second night of a back-to-back in Atlanta to rest the right ankle he has sprained twice, an injury that sidelined him both times.Doncic was listed as out with right ankle soreness for the visit to the Hawks on Saturday night. Fellow European star Kristaps Porzingis also is sitting to rest his surgically repaired left knee. It's the third straight back-to-back Porzingis has missed.Doncic was out four games the first time he sprained the ankle in December, then another seven when the 20-year-old sensation did it again before the All-Star break. Doncic played the final game before the break and the first game back, a 122-106 win at Orlando on Friday.The Mavericks are 2-0 without their top two scorers, including a 123-100 home win over Atlanta on Feb. 1. The other win was at home against Charlotte.Center Willie Cauley-Stein is out against Atlanta for personal reasons, and guard Seth Curry is questionable with right knee soreness that kept him out of consecutive games earlier this month.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons announced on Friday that they have signed guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a 10-day contract. Walton last played for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. In 23 games, with one start, he averaged 2.2 points, .7 rebounds and one assists before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 6. He was then waived by the Hawks. In college, the Detroit native played at the University of Michigan.Per team policy, terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.Also Friday, the Pistons said they and Markieff Morris reached an agreement to buy out the veteran forward’s contract. The Pistons have requested waivers on Morris.Morris signed as a free agent on July 6 last year. He averaged 11 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his stint with Detroit.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns will sit out for at least two more weeks because of an injured left wrist that the team announced Friday is broken.Towns first had an X-ray after hurting his wrist Jan. 25 against Oklahoma City, coach Ryan Saunders said. Towns played through discomfort in the next six games, posting 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in five of those, but he was ruled out of Minnesota's last game before the All-Star break with the injury. Further evaluation by multiple medical specialists revealed the fracture, the Timberwolves said.Towns will be re-evaluated in two weeks and his playing status reassessed, meaning his absence will total at least 10 games. Towns missed 15 games earlier this season with a left knee injury. He played in all 82 games in each of his first three seasons and 77 games last season.“Karl’s done everything to play through any type of pain, and he’s put the team first," Saunders said. “You can’t say enough positive... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will not play this season, though it has not been ruled out that he could still compete in the Olympics this summer.It was expected that Thompson would miss the entire season as he recovers from a torn knee ligament, and the Warriors said it definitively before their game against Houston on Thursday night. Coach Steve Kerr said it is too early to rule Thompson out to play for the U.S. team and he hasn't formed an opinion on what would be best for Thompson given July is still five months away.“Just the determination by the training staff that even though he's coming along well there isn't really any chance that he's playing,” Kerr said. “This is what I expected from the beginning given the severity of the injury and the normal timetable, and so here we are. It's no surprise.”Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee last June 13 during the deciding Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors and had surgery July 2. He was... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will not play the rest of the regular season, the team said Thursday.It was expected that Thompson would miss the entire season as he recovers from a torn knee ligament, and the Warriors said it definitively before their game against Houston.Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee last June during the deciding Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors and had surgery July 2. He was re-evaluated over the All-Star break and the team said Stephen Curry's Splash Brother “is making good progress and is right on track with his rehabilitation timeline.” Golden State expects him ready to go for training camp in late September.The question now will be whether Thompson still wants to play in the Tokyo Olympics if he hasn't returned to game action.An update on Curry's recovery and progress from a broken left hand is planned for Feb. 28 and he expects to be back on the court in March.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports