It’s halftime.The midway point of the NBA regular season arrives this week -- there are 1,230 games between October and April, and after Thursday night’s slate goes into the books 618 games will have been played with 612 left to go.Making statistical judgments after a few games, or even a few weeks, isn’t the wisest thing. But with 50% of the season done, it seems like appropriate enough of a sample size to point out a few trends.3’S, AGAINThe league records for 3-pointers made and attempted are going to get broken for the eighth consecutive year. But the growth rate in that department seems to be slowing down.First, the numbers: NBA teams combined to make 27,955 3-pointers last season and attempt 78,742, both of which are records. That was an increase of 8.3% on makes from 2017-18 and an increase of 10.4% on attempts.This year, the league is on pace to make more than 29,000 3-pointers and attempt nearly 83,000 of them. Both would be records, of course, but the increases over last season... [More]

It could be a Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis rematch in the All-Star Game.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has passed Dallas’ Luka Doncic for the overall and Western Conference lead in fan voting for the Feb. 16 game in Chicago, with about a week and a half left in the race. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the runaway leader in the Eastern Conference voting.The game’s captains -- James and Antetokounmpo held the jobs last year -- will be the All-Star starters who receive the most fan votes from his conference. James also was a captain the first time the format was used in 2018, then going up against a team picked by Golden State’s Stephen Curry.Team LeBron beat Team Giannis last year, 178-164. Team LeBron also won the inaugural edition of this All-Star setup, topping Team Stephen 148-145 in the 2018 game.James’ lead over Doncic was 82,001 votes, the NBA said on Thursday when releasing the second balloting update. James leads the West frontcourt voting with 3,359,871, ahead... [More]

Once Russell Westbrook headed to Houston, the Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to be headed toward a rebuild.The team Westbrook returns to face this week doesn’t look like a team headed for the lottery. It’s playing like one Westbrook might see again in the postseason.The Thunder welcome back their former point guard Thursday, with both doing just fine since going their separate ways last summer.That’s not a surprise for Westbrook, given that he was sent to join former MVP — and one-time Oklahoma City teammate — James Harden on a high-scoring contender. He has scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games, with three straight of at least 30 late last month, and averaged 27.8 in that span to raise his average to 24.1.He said his return would be emotional because of how much Oklahoma City and the organization meant to him, but he didn't want to detail much leading into it. “I don’t want to get that much into before the game and on and on, but after the game we can discuss whatever you... [More]

Dallas’ Luka Doncic received more fan votes than any other player in the opening week of balloting for the NBA All-Star Game.The NBA released the first voting totals on Thursday and Doncic has received 1,073,957 -- 599 more than Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the only other player to top the million-vote mark so far, putting him well on his way to what would be a 16th consecutive All-Star appearance.James, Lakers teammate Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard are the runaway leaders in the Western Conference frontcourt. Doncic and Houston’s James Harden also are off to enormous leads in the West guards race.In the East, Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Toronto’s Pascal Siakam are the leaders for the three starting frontcourt spots. Atlanta’s Trae Young has gotten the most votes so far in the East guard race, about 11,000 ahead of Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving. Boston’s Kemba Walker is 450 votes back of Irving.Other... [More]

Dallas’ Luka Doncic received fan votes than any other player in the opening week of balloting for the NBA All-Star Game.The NBA released the first voting totals on Thursday and Doncic has received 1,073,957 -- 599 more than Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the only other player to top the million-vote mark so far, putting him well on his way to what would be a 16th consecutive All-Star appearance.James, Lakers teammate Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard are the runaway leaders in the Western Conference frontcourt. Doncic and Houston’s James Harden also are off to enormous leads in the West guards race.In the East, Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Toronto’s Pascal Siakam are the leaders for the three starting frontcourt spots. Atlanta’s Trae Young has gotten the most votes so far in the East guard race, about 11,000 ahead of Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving. Boston’s Kemba Walker is 450 votes back of Irving.Other notables... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — James Harden has been scratched from the Houston Rockets' lineup Sunday night against the recently surging New Orleans Pelicans.Harden had been listed as questionable with a right toe sprain after scoring 44 points in Houston's 108-98 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Harden also has knee swelling stemming from a collision in that game, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said.D'Antoni said Harden, who has yet to miss a game this season, probably could play through the pain, “but given the circumstances, it's better that he doesn't. He's banged up a little bit and it's better that he sits.”That left Houston without three prominent players against a Pelicans squad that has won three straight and four of five.Guard Russell Westbrook already was scheduled to sit out for rest and center Clint Capela was out with a right heel bruise.Returning to the Rockets' lineup is former New Orleans guard Eric Gordon, who has been out since having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in mid-November. He'll start alongside Pelicans 2012 first-round draft choice Austin Rivers in Houston's back court.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden scored 55 points — 20 in the fourth quarter — and Russell Westbrook added 23 points as the Houston Rockets withstood an unexpected scare from Cleveland and held on for a 116-110 win Wednesday night over the free-falling Cavaliers, who have lost eight straight and 14 of 15.Harden matched Kyrie Irving's arena record for points in a game, and his fourth with 50 or more this season bailed out the Rockets, who allowed the Cavs to score 24 straight points in the second half. Cleveland was still up 108-107 when Harden, who came in leading the NBA in scoring at 38 points per game, dropped a floater in the lane. After a turnover by Cavs guard Jordan Clarkson, P.J. Tucker hit a 3-pointer from the corner and Clint Capela had a dunk following another Cleveland miscue.The inexperienced Cavs crumbled in the final minute, making three turnovers.Capela added 13 rebounds for Houston, which figured to have an easy time with the Cavs, who are struggling under first-year coach... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets won't get a do-over after officials wrongly disallowed a slam dunk by James Harden in a double-overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, even though the NBA has disciplined the officials who got the call wrong and botched the aftermath by not allowing Houston to challenge.The league announced Monday that it has denied the Rockets' protest of last Tuesday's game, which the Spurs won 135-133. A successful protest, which is rare, would result in part of the game being replayed.Harden's dunk with 7:50 remaining in regulation was so forceful that, after the ball cleared the net, it looped around the basket and upward, creating the appearance that it wasn't a made basket. Crew chief James Capers said after the game that, “in fact it did clear the net and should have been a successful field goal.”Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said he wasn't upset about the protest being denied because he didn't think the Rockets were likely to win it.The Rockets challenged the waved-off... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Houston Rockets won't get a do-over after officials wrongly disallowed a slam dunk by James Harden in a double-overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs, even though the NBA has disciplined the officials who got the call wrong and botched the aftermath by not allowing Houston to challenge.The league announced Monday that it has denied the Rockets' protest of last Tuesday's game, which the Spurs won 135-133. A successful protest, which is rare, would result in part of the game being replayed.Harden's dunk with 7:50 remaining in regulation was so forceful that, after the ball cleared the net, it looped around the basket and upward, creating the appearance that it wasn't a made basket. Crew chief James Capers said after the game that, “in fact it did clear the net and should have been a successful field goal.”The Rockets challenged the call after a timeout, but officials ruled that Houston had exceeded the 30-second time limit for challenges. But the league said Monday the... [More]

Dion Waiters leads the Miami Heat in suspensions and headlines this season.And his future is very unclear.Waiters won't be with the Heat for at least nine more games — his 10-game suspension for repeated conduct deemed detrimental to the team started Friday when Miami visited the Los Angeles Lakers — and what happens from there will be anyone's guess.He'll miss out on about $835,000 in salary, raising his total missed through suspensions (he was also shunned from the season-opener) to about $920,000 this season. That doesn't include a $1.1 million roster bonus he could have gotten by playing in 70 games, a number that is now officially unattainable.All told, this has cost him $2 million and counting.For someone making $12.1 million this season alone, that doesn't sound so bad. The cost to his reputation hasn't been added into that figure yet.When this suspension ends on Nov. 30, the 6-foot-4 guard will be allowed to resume workouts at the Heat facility. By then, the season will be about... [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]

CHICAGO (AP) — Aaaand now ... longtime Chicago Bulls public address announcer Tommy Edwards is retiring.The Bulls say Edwards will work his final game Saturday when James Harden and the Houston Rockets visit, ending a 25-year run.The man behind the famous "Aaaand now ..." introduction is calling it a career after working more than 1,000 games from 1976-1981, 1983-1990 and 2006-2019. The team says Edwards and wife Mary Lou recently sold their home in suburban Lake Forest, and will move to California to be closer to their children and grandchildren.The Bulls will announce plans for PA announcers for the remainder of the season later.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

LeBron James had time, and plenty of it, to figure out how best to answer the questions he knew were coming. Long days in hotel rooms in China and a long flight home gave him every chance to carefully craft a response to a controversy he had no part in making but one that directly affects his bank account.Instead James chose to wing it. He blamed the messenger instead of addressing the message.And the LeBron brand may never be the same.He's still one of the greatest basketball players ever, that hasn't changed. But in the space of just a few sentences Monday night James may have abdicated his spot as someone who should be listened carefully to when it comes to social issues.No one was asking James to come out in support of protesters in Hong Kong. That was always a bridge too far for a player who makes millions in the lucrative Chinese market.But a player who has always prided himself on speaking out on issues ranging from Trayvon Martin to Colin Kaepernick should have made sure in this... [More]

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Rockets are back home in Houston, looking to leave behind the distractions from their trip to Asia.Their two games in Japan were overshadowed by the aftermath of a tweet by general manager Daryl Morey in support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, angering fans and officials in China.In their first practice since returning, the Rockets insisted they wouldn't let the fallout distract them from preparing from the season."Guys can handle it," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We still got good work in. Everything's fine, but you know what happened (is) regrettable, and it happened, but as I said, our work will get done."Veteran P.J. Tucker denied that dealing with this situation has been a distraction to this team trying to contend for its first title since winning back-to-back championships in 1994-95."Not really, honestly," he said. "This time of season, everybody's getting in shape, getting ready for the season, focusing in. So with all of the things that go on in life,... [More]

When major corporations have done something to anger Chinese authorities in recent years, the playbook has called for one thing: an apology.Marriott issued one. So did Delta. Mercedes-Benz, too.The NBA, embroiled in a rift caused by a tweet expressing support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, has avoided going that route — for now. But with billions at stake from things like merchandise sales and media rights, some experts are wondering if anything other than an apology from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will mend this fence, especially with the Chinese indicating that is what they want."I think that Commissioner Silver might have to do what everyone in our country doesn't want him to have to do," said Windy Dees, a sports marketing expert at the University of Miami. "He may have to say, 'I understand that your government, your political system, your culture, your ideologies are different than ours and we shouldn't push our beliefs on you.'""And that's exactly what Americans... [More]

When major corporations have done something to anger Chinese authorities in recent years, the playbook has called for one thing: an apology.Marriott issued one. So did Delta. Mercedes-Benz, too.The NBA, embroiled in a rift caused by a tweet expressing support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, has avoided going that route — for now. But with billions at stake from things like merchandise sales and media rights, some experts are wondering if anything other than an apology from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will mend this fence, especially with the Chinese indicating that is what they want."I think that Commissioner Silver might have to do what everyone in our country doesn't want him to have to do," said Windy Dees, a sports marketing expert at the University of Miami. "He may have to say, 'I understand that your government, your political system, your culture, your ideologies are different than ours and we shouldn't push our beliefs on you.'""And that's exactly what Americans... [More]

When major corporations have done something to anger Chinese authorities in recent years, the playbook has called for one thing: an apology.Marriott issued one. So did Delta. Mercedes-Benz, too.The NBA, embroiled in a rift caused by a tweet expressing support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, has avoided going that route — for now. But with billions at stake from things like merchandise sales and media rights, some experts are wondering if anything other than an apology from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will mend this fence, especially with the Chinese indicating that is what they want."I think that Commissioner Silver might have to do what everyone in our country doesn't want him to have to do," said Windy Dees, a sports marketing expert at the University of Miami. "He may have to say, 'I understand that your government, your political system, your culture, your ideologies are different than ours and we shouldn't push our beliefs on you.'""And that's exactly what Americans... [More]

If the NBA really wanted to make a statement it should have never issued a statement, much less two.No need to complicate things when two team owners had already genuflected to the irate citizens of China. Or when James Harden took it upon himself to apologize to an entire nation.The simple path for the NBA was to do what the creators of the show "South Park" did this week after finding themselves caught between an authoritarian regime that tolerates no dissent and the pile of cash that doing business in China can bring.Admit what is really important."Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts," Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in a statement of their own. "We too love money more than freedom and democracy."The "South Park" creators, of course, make their millions by being funny. And there's a lot to chuckle about in a post that, among other things, declares that the leader of China doesn't really look like Winnie the Pooh after all.There's nothing funny... [More]