It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the l eague has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland.— Gobert shared the court with 50 opposing players in those games, plus 15 referees.— One of the refs was Courtney Kirkland, who was to work th e New Orleans-Sacramento game... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, like his players, heard about the NBA's decision to suspend the season while in the third quarter of their game against the Denver Nuggets. That ended up being the last game completed in the league Wednesday night, and the Mavericks avoided their first three-game losing streak before the NBA season's suspension “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. “Very concerned, but it’s not necessarily about basketball. Obviously this is much bigger than basketball,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.“This is because of just the league being concerned about the health of fans, players and arena personnel," Carlisle said. “There’s going to be more meetings and more talk tomorrow about what the next steps are. There’s no timetable.” Boban Marjanovic had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Luka Doncic scored 28 points and the Mavericks won 113-97, which was secondary considering the entire situation. Nuggets forward... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Boban Marjanovic had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Luka Doncic scored 28 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 113-97 on Wednesday night before the suspension of the NBA season because of the coronavirus. The Mavericks were in the second half of their game when the NBA announced plans to suspend the season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. Jamal Murray had 25 points to lead Denver, and Will Barton had 23.Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told national and regional television broadcasts that players were aware of the situation during the game, and were talking about it on the bench. “It's about the country and life in general ... This is bigger than just the NBA," Cuban told ESPN during an in-game interview. Cuban said he didn't anticipate the players being allowed to leave town, saying the only way to have any control and know about their health was to know where they are and who they are working with. Dallas avoided... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the presumptive positive test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the presumptive positive test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. Eastern. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The majority of NBA owners are leaning toward a proposal to temporarily play games without fans in the buildings in response to the global concerns surrounding the coronavirus, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said.NBA owners met via teleconference Wednesday and have more talks scheduled Thursday with the intention of finalizing plans so an announcement can be made by the league, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details had been made public.The owners discussed an option to temporarily suspend play of all games, but the idea of playing without fans — and stressing that it would be for the short term — is what received the most support.Roughly two hours after the call among owners ended, the Utah at Oklahoma City game scheduled for Wednesday night was called off. Players were on the floor for warmups and tip-off was moments away when they were told to return to their locker rooms. About 30 minutes later,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The majority of NBA owners are leaning toward a proposal to temporarily play games without fans in the buildings in response to the global concerns surrounding the coronavirus, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said.NBA owners met via teleconference Wednesday and have more talks scheduled Thursday with the intention of finalizing plans so an announcement can be made by the league, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details had been made public.The owners discussed an option to temporarily suspend play of all games, but the idea of playing without fans — and stressing that it would be for the short term — is what received the most support.Thursday's Brooklyn at Golden State game will be played without fans, but that will be because of local edict and not because of any leaguewide mandate. It also wasn't immediately clear how soon the NBA's mandate, should it be approved as expected, would take hold. The belief... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was back in the lineup Wednesday night against Detroit after missing five games with a sprained left shoulder. The Sixers also said guard Ben Simmons will miss at least three more weeks with nerve issues in his lower back.Simmons missed his eighth straight game. He will continue to undergo daily treatment for his nerve impingement and that he is gradually increasing the activities in his strength and conditioning program.The timeline could have Simmons back just in time for the playoffs. The 23-year-old Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 54 games.Embiid was injured in a Feb. 26 loss at Cleveland when he collided with Ante Zizic. Embiid has missed 21 games this season. He's averaging 23.2 points and 11.8 rebounds.“It's a spirit uplift. It's a talent uplift,” coach Brett Brown said about Embiid's return.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

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]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons will miss at least three more weeks with nerve issues in his lower back.The 76ers say the All-Star will miss his eighth straight game when the Sixers play Detroit on Wednesday night. Simmons will continue to undergo daily treatment for his nerve impingement and that he is gradually increasing the activities in his strength and conditioning program.The timeline could have Simmons back just in time for the playoffs. The 23-year-old Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 54 games.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison will have surgery on his right shoulder that will likely end his season, the team announced Wednesday.Hutchison is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on the AC joint on Tuesday, with the recovery expected to take three to four months. He was initially hurt Nov. 27 against Golden State, missed 17 games before returning in January and re-injured the shoulder at Washington on Feb. 11.Hutchison has played in just 72 games, averaging 6.2 points, since the Bulls drafted him with the No. 22 overall pick in 2018. He made 28 appearances this season after being limited to 44 as a rookie because of a foot injury.___MORE AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal dished the ball to Washington Wizards teammate Davis Bertans for a 3-point attempt, then turned the other way with a trio of fingers in the air, prematurely celebrating. Turned out Bertans missed. Beal could joke about it afterward, saying, "He's got to make it next time, because I can't be walking back holding my hand up."It was a rare mistake lately for Beal, who emerged from his All-Star snub by playing like someone destined to be an all-NBA pick. He ranks second in the league in scoring with an average of 30.5 points after pouring in 39 on Tuesday night during Washington's 122-115 victory over the New York Knicks."It's kind of hard to contain a guy like that. He's not going to stop coming at you," said New York's Bobby Portis, who was with Washington last season. "Normally, when a guy misses two or three, he gets down on himself. With him, it doesn't matter if he misses four, five, six, seven or eight. He's going to keep coming."Asked what it would mean... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.B. Bickerstaff's impressive start with the Cavaliers has been rewarded.Bickerstaff, who has Cleveland playing its best basketball this season since taking over when John Beilein suddenly resigned last month, agreed to a multi-year contract with the team on Tuesday.The Cavs announced the deal with Bickerstaff shortly before their game in Chicago, where they started a six-game trip.Terms of the deal were not immediately known.Although they still have one of the NBA's worst records, the Cavs have shown major improvement in a short period under Bickerstaff. They're 5-5 going into Tuesday's game against the Bulls and the Cavs have had more energy and exhibited more togetherness than at any time for Beilein.“They bought in automatically,” Bickerstaff said before tip-off in Chicago. "They’re competing, playing together and doing all the things we’ve been trying to push. They’ve led the way and made it easy for us as coaches. It’s exciting just to be a part of it. They’re obviously... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.B. Bickerstaff's impressive start with the Cavaliers has been rewarded.Bickerstaff, who has Cleveland playing its best basketball this season since taking over when John Beilein suddenly resigned last month, agreed to a multi-year contract with the team on Tuesday.The Cavs announced the deal with Bickerstaff shortly before their game in Chicago, where they started a six-game trip.Although they still have one of the NBA's worst records, the Cavs have shown major improvement in a short period under Bickerstaff. They're 5-5 going into Tuesday's game against the Bulls and the Cavs have had more energy and exhibited more togetherness than at any time for Beilein.Bickerstaff was promoted after Beilein stepped down after 54 games in his first season. He had been serving as an associate head coach under the 67-year-old Beilein, who cited personal health issues as one of his reasons for leaving a job he thought he was ready to handle."We are very fortunate to have someone of J.B.’s... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.B. Bickerstaff's impressive start with the Cavaliers has been rewarded.Bickerstaff, who has Cleveland playing its best basketball this season since taking over when John Beilein suddenly resigned last month, has agreed to a multi-year contract with the team, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.The Cavs were expected to announce the deal before their game Tuesday night in Chicago, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract terms have not been finalized.Bickerstaff was promoted after Beilein stepped down after 54 games in his first season. He had been serving as an associate head coach under the 67-year-old Beilein, who cited personal health issues as one of his reasons for leaving a job he thought he was ready to handle.Under Bickerstaff, the Cavs are 5-5 going into Tuesday's game against the Bulls and they've showed more energy and togetherness than at any time under Beilein.Over the weekend, the Cavs won... [More]

LeBron James was making a statement on the court when the Milwaukee Bucks had to make one of their own.Giannis Antetokounmpo had been hurt two nights earlier while losing to James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and on Sunday afternoon they said the reigning MVP had a minor sprain of his left knee and would miss at least two games.Shortly after, James and the Lakers closed out the Clippers for another big win. Milwaukee lost again later Sunday and dropped a third in a row Monday in Denver while resting other regulars.It was a reminder that everything in the NBA always comes down to health.James and the Lakers have it right now, along with suddenly the look of the team to beat.“I feel like right now I’m just playing some really good basketball,” James said. “Last year obviously started out really well but the injury hurt me a lot physically and mentally as well, having an injury like that.” That was a groin injury he sustained while the Lakers were blowing out Golden State on Christmas Day.... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Grizzlies are expecting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. to return from an injured left knee within the next week along with Justise Winslow also making his debut with Memphis in that same time span.Memphis gave an injury update Monday. Jackson hurt his knee Feb. 21 in a road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Grizzlies originally said the No. 4 overall pick of the 2018 draft would be out at least two weeks before updating his status. The Grizzlies acquired Winslow on Feb. 6 in a deal sending Andre Iguodala to Miami, knowing he wouldn't be available immediately because of back soreness that limited him to 11 games this season. Winslow spent his first five seasons in the NBA with Miami, missing most of his second with an injured shoulder. Memphis also said rookie Brandon Clarke is progressing well in his recovery and is expected to return this season. Clarke strained his right quadriceps Feb. 24 in a loss at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Grizzlies currently sit in the eighth spot in the Western Conference with a four-game lead over New Orleans and Sacramento with 18 games remaining this season. ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Clippers have signed free-agent center Joakim Noah, giving them an aggressive, physical presence with playoff experience.The 35-year-old two-time All-Star played 42 games with Memphis last season after agreeing to a buyout with the New York Knicks. He averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds for the Grizzlies.Noah attended the Clippers' loss to the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center, where he was warmly received as he made his way through the crowd and sat in the stands."Joakim is a relentless competitor and a proven winner," Lawrence Frank, director of basketball operations, said Monday. “His experience, acumen and toughness fit well in our locker room.”Noah has been limited to 124 games since the end of the 2014-15 season in Chicago, which selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He was the NBA defensive player of the year in 2014.Noah led Florida to NCAA championships in 2006 and '07.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Andre Drummond returned from a leg injury to score 28 points and add 17 rebounds, and Kevin Love shook off a tough shooting night to make a big 3-pointer in overtime and lift the improving Cleveland Cavaliers to a 132-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.Drummond, who missed the past three games with a strained left calf, put the Cavs up 124-22 with a layup and Love followed with his 3 from the corner 28 seconds later to put Cleveland up by five.Love had missed his first four attempts from long range before his clutch shot and he finished just 3 of 12 from the field, but added 18 rebounds.Derrick White hit a 3 to pull the Spurs within 131-129 in the final seconds, but Collin Sexton made a free throw for the Cavs and San Antonio didn't get off a last-second heave in time.It was the second straight close win for the young Cavs, who beat Denver 104-102 on Saturday. Cleveland improved to 5-5 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff and matched its win total from last season, when... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Andre Drummond returned from a leg injury to score 28 points and add 17 rebounds, and Kevin Love made a big 3-pointer in overtime to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 132-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.Drummond, who missed the past three games with a strained left calf, put the Cavs up 124-22 with a layup and Love followed with his 3 from the corner 28 seconds later to put Cleveland up by five.Love had missed his first four attempts from long range before his clutch shot and he finished just 3 of 12 from the field, but added 18 rebounds.Derrick White hit a 3 to pull the Spurs within 131-129 in the final seconds, but Collin Sexton made a free throw for the Cavs and San Antonio didn't get off a last-second heave in time.It was the second straight close win for the young Cavs, who beat Denver 104-102 on Saturday. Cleveland improved to 5-5 under coach J.B. Bickerstaff.Sexton scored 26, Larry Nance Jr. 19 and Matthew Dellavedova had 14 and 11 assists. Dellavedova... [More]