MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside's numbers are down. He's trying not to be the same way.Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series was difficult on many levels for Miami's center. He was in foul trouble throughout, finished with only five points and was largely a nonfactor in his team's 128-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.Whiteside has a total of 11 points in three playoff games this season, after averaging 14 points in the regular season."It's just different, man. I feel like our offense is a lot different," Whiteside said. "I'm not involved in as many dribble-handoffs as I was and post-ups as I was during the regular season. That's what Coach wants. Coach wants me to just be in a corner and set picks. I mean, that's what he wants so I've just got to trust it."For his part, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he's trying to find ways to get Whiteside involved."That's part of my job, is to figure it out," Spoelstra said.The Heat trail the series 2-1, with Game 4 on... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday's postseason production is providing Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis with a more comfortable margin for error — and has left Portland with precious little.Holiday's 54 points, 16 assists and slew of defensive successes in the first two games are big reasons why the sixth-seeded Pelicans hold a surprising 2-0 series lead over the third-seeded Trail Blazers as they prepare for Game 3 Thursday night in New Orleans."Playoff Jrue, I guess," Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "He's in a different mode."Philadelphia visits Miami in one of two other Game 3s on Thursday night, while the Spurs' return to San Antonio after a pair of double-digit losses at defending champion Golden State.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps bet big on Holiday on the first day of free agency last summer, giving the 27-year-old guard a five-year contract worth about $126 million. But if... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday's postseason production is providing Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis with a more comfortable margin for error — and has left Portland with precious little.Holiday's 54 points, 16 assists and slew of defensive successes in the first two games are big reasons why the sixth-seeded Pelicans hold a surprising 2-0 series lead over the third-seeded Trail Blazers as they prepare for Game 3 Thursday night in New Orleans."Playoff Jrue, I guess," Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "He's in a different mode."Philadelphia visits Miami in one of two other Game 3s on Thursday night, while the Spurs' return to San Antonio after a pair of double-digit losses at defending champion Golden State.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps bet big on Holiday on the first day of free agency last summer, giving the 27-year-old guard a five-year contract worth about $126 million. But if... [More]

Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions, and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that's the case.Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand — or at least hope for — on Monday.Popovich's San Antonio Spurs just didn't have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra's Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors."We understand that we are not favorites," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we've got to overachieve. We've got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we'll fight as hard as we can in Game 2."That will have to be a mantra for both... [More]

Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions, and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that's the case.Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand — or at least hope for — on Monday.Popovich's San Antonio Spurs just didn't have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra's Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors."We understand that we are not favorites," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we've got to overachieve. We've got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we'll fight as hard as we can in Game 2."That will have to be a mantra for both... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Opera Philadelphia took a break from its rehearsal for "Carmen" to record an a capella version of the Philadelphia 76ers' catchy retro anthem , "Here Come the Sixers."Philly can belt out the words ."No. 1, Philadelphia. Here they come, team of the year. One, two three, four, five, Sixers."Keep counting — all the way to 16.The Sixers roar into the postseason on a 16-game winning streak, both the longest for a franchise that boasts The Big Dipper, AI, Dr. J and The Boston Strangler on its all-time roster and also the longest in NBA history to end a season.Perhaps it's fitting an opera company saluted the Sixers' first postseason berth since 2012 because it's another masked man who has terrorized the NBA and whose status has the league buzzing — the self-proclaimed "Phantom of the Process ."Joel Embiid will not be lurking in the bowels of the Wells Fargo Center when Game 1 opens Saturday against the Miami Heat (44-38). He'll start the postseason just as he did during the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside regrets his comments about displeasure with his role in game last weekend against the Brooklyn Nets."I was just frustrated," Whiteside said after Monday's practice, his first public comments since his rant Saturday night after not playing the final 21 minutes of a 110-109 overtime loss. "I was frustrated that we lost. I really wanted to get that game."Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra also addressed the comments by Miami's 7-foot center — and highest-paid player on the roster, saying he was disappointed Whiteside elected to publicly express his frustration."Guys want to throw a few eggs after the game or T.P. my house, that's actually a better way to deal with it than speaking to (the media) about the frustrations," Spoelstra said.Whiteside's comments after the game included questioning Spoelstra's decision to play small instead of going big."Man, it's annoying, you know. Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers in the league," Whiteside... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Monday is the day that the Miami Heat will gather for the annual team picture. They're always set up the same way: coaches sitting in the middle of the front row, the team's shorter players sitting on either side of Erik Spoelstra and his assistants, support staff and taller players standing in the back.Some smiles might be forced.The Heat are dealing with a 7-foot problem, at the wrong time of year. Center Hassan Whiteside was fined an undisclosed amount Sunday for "comments detrimental to the team" — a response to his remarks expressing frustration with his role. He went on an expletive-laden tirade after Miami's 110-109 overtime loss Saturday to the Brooklyn Nets, when the Heat missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, saying he should play more and might be better elsewhere.The team had no additional comment Sunday. They resume practice Monday, when Whiteside's words will be a hot topic again."Man, it's annoying, you know. Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Monday is the day that the Miami Heat will gather for the annual team picture. They're always set up the same way: coaches sitting in the middle of the front row, the team's shorter players sitting on either side of Erik Spoelstra and his assistants, support staff and taller players standing in the back.Some smiles might be forced.The Heat have a 7-foot problem to deal with, at the wrong time of year. The playoffs start in two weeks, and Miami's highest-paid player — center Hassan Whiteside — is voicing his frustration with his role. He went on an expletive-laden tirade after Miami's 110-109 overtime loss Saturday night to the Brooklyn Nets, when the Heat missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, saying he should play more and may be better off elsewhere."Man, it's annoying, you know. Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers in the league," Whiteside said. "Why we matching up? A lot of teams don't have a good center."Whiteside didn't play in the final 21 minutes on... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside is apparently nearing a return to the Miami Heat lineup.The Heat are listing their starting center as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Whiteside hasn't played in three weeks because of pain in his left hip, missing nine games.He practiced Wednesday, and coach Erik Spoelstra felt that was a positive step forward."He's put in quite a few days of good work," Spoelstra said. "This was his first real court work and competitive live work. We'll just have to see how he feels."The next step would be to see if Whiteside can go through the team's gameday shootaround practice on Thursday morning."I feel fine," Whiteside said after Wednesday's session. "It was just different being on the court."Miami has gone 5-4 in Whiteside's latest absence. This is the third extended stint he's had this season while dealing with an injury, after missing five games in October and a 13-game stretch in November and December while dealing with bone bruises in his left knee.Backup center Bam Adebayo is listed as out for Thursday, which will be his second straight game missed because of a sprained right ankle.Miami is currently holding the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside is apparently nearing a return to the Miami Heat lineup.The Heat are listing their starting center as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Whiteside hasn't played in three weeks because of pain in his left hip, missing nine games.Miami has gone 5-4 in Whiteside's latest absence. This is the third extended stint he's had this season while dealing with an injury, after missing five games in October and a 13-game stretch in November and December while dealing with bone bruises in his left knee.Backup center Bam Adebayo is listed as out for Thursday, which will be his second straight game missed because of a sprained right ankle.Miami is currently holding the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — As the Heat fell behind early against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami fans were getting eager to see the man of the night.Dwayne Wade was back with the Heat on Friday night, coming off the bench for Miami.As the Heat fell behind 9-0, the crowd chanted, "We want Wade!"Wade took the court midway through the first quarter as the fans gave him a standing ovation. He immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a lob pass to Hassan Whiteside, who was able to slam home a dunk.Wade is Miami's all-time leader in points, games, assists and steals. He was drafted in the first round by Miami in 2003, but left for Chicago in 2016. Miami acquired him from Cleveland as part of the Cavaliers' deadline-day makeover.His return seemed to put everybody with the franchise in a good mood Friday, from office workers to coach Erik Spolestra."I definitely feel it's going to be a great environment," Wade said before the game.It was.The lower bowl was full before tip-off, an uncommon sight for a... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — As the Heat fell behind early against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami fans were getting eager to see the man of the night.Dwayne Wade was back with the Heat on Friday night, coming off the bench for Miami.As the Heat fell behind 9-0, the crowd chanted, "We want Wade!"Wade took the court midway through the first quarter as the fans gave him a standing ovation. He immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a lob pass to Hassan Whiteside, who was able to slam home a dunk.Wade is Miami's all-time leader in points, games, assists and steals. He was drafted in the first round by Miami in 2003, but left for Chicago in 2016. Miami acquired him from Cleveland as part of the Cavaliers' deadline-day makeover.

Dwyane Wade could not be more excited to get back to his familiar surroundings.He's also excited for an unfamiliar uniform.It's an unusual perk, but one of the things Wade said he's looking most forward to when he returns to the Miami Heat on Friday night is the team's new "Vice" jersey and shorts — the design being a play on the themes of Miami in the 1980s, replete with pastel trim and a font the team used when it played in its original arena."OK, I've seen the jerseys — me and a friend of mine, won't say his name — and I was like, 'Listen, I need to get those shorts, at least,'" Wade told The Associated Press in an interview after his trade from Cleveland to Miami was completed Thursday. "The jerseys are unreal."The friend, by the way, was fellow former Heat star — and fellow fashion aficionado — LeBron James."I will not confirm nor deny who it was," Wade said.The Heat are wearing the uniform 15 times this season, with 10 of those left to play. They are in them for Wade's return against... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Miami center Hassan Whiteside is out for the Heat's game at Detroit with an illness.Whiteside is averaging 14.1 points and 11.7 rebounds this season. Kelly Olynyk started at center Saturday night for the Heat.Detroit is not at full strength either, with rookie Luke Kennard (foot) and guard Dwight Buycks (illness) missing the game. The Pistons have been without point guard Reggie Jackson since late December because of an ankle injury.Detroit is playing its second game with newly acquired star Blake Griffin.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

The East is open for business. The West is closed until further notice.There's the takeaway from the deal where Blake Griffin got sent from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Detroit Pistons , and it may be a theme for the next week or so until the NBA trading deadline. The Pistons see opportunity to contend in the Eastern Conference, while the Clippers know the Western Conference is out of their reach and a full reboot is needed.They're both right.Other teams are surely thinking the same way.No rational person would look at the NBA right now and see a logical scenario where the champion this season is anyone besides Golden State or Houston. What Brad Stevens has done in Boston, especially after losing Gordon Hayward on opening night, is coach-of-the-year stuff. Toronto is better than most fans may realize. Cleveland has LeBron James, still the best player alive.Yet would anyone other than Celtics, Raptors or Cavaliers fans pick those teams to beat the Warriors or Rockets in a best-of-seven?Probably... [More]

C Hassan Whiteside returned from a 13-game absence and produced seven points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes in Miami's 107-89 win over the Orlando Magic.

C Hassan Whiteside (knee) missed his ninth straight game and will not travel with the team.

C Hassan Whiteside (left knee) is expected to miss the rest of the month.

C Hassan Whiteside is expected to miss at least two weeks due to a bone bruise on his left knee.