LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Houston's Russell Westbrook hasn't made it to the NBA restart yet.The coronavirus did — but health protocols seemed to work as the league and its players hoped they would.On a day of troubling news for the league — Westbrook revealing that he has tested positive for the virus and two other players facing 10-day quarantines for leaving the league campus perimeter at Walt Disney World — it was also announced that two players tested positive for the virus after arriving in Central Florida last week.But neither of those positive players ever made it out of quarantine, so neither entered the so-called bubble and could mingle freely with other players, coaches and staff. The NBA said both players, neither of whom were identified, “have since left the Campus to isolate at home or in isolation housing.” They could rejoin their teams later.“Our protocols are unbelievable,” said Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, one of the players who helped craft the restart rules.... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Houston's Russell Westbrook hasn't made it to the NBA restart yet.The coronavirus did — but health protocols seemed to work as the league and its players hoped they would.On a day of troubling news for the league — Westbrook revealing that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and two other players facing 10-day quarantines for leaving the league campus perimeter at Walt Disney World — it was also announced that two players tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in Central Florida last week.But neither player made it out of quarantine, so neither entered the so-called bubble and could mingle freely with other players, coaches and staff. The NBA said both players, neither of whom were identified, “have since left the Campus to isolate at home or in isolation housing.”“Our protocols are unbelievable,” Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. “I think our protocols and our health and safety measures have been top-notch. I think this thing will work perfectly.... [More]

A person with knowledge of the situation says that Kawhi Leonard did not accompany the Los Angeles Clippers on their flight to Central Florida on Wednesday night for the restart of the NBA season.Leonard's absence was excused and he is expected to join the team at the Disney complex near Orlando sometime in the next few days, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not publicly disclose the matter.Yahoo Sports first reported that Leonard was not on the flight to the Orlando area.The Clippers are scheduled to spend Thursday and part of Friday satisfying quarantine requirements, and are expected to practice for the first time at Disney on Friday night. They will resume game play on July 30, matching up with the Los Angeles Lakers in the second game of a re-opening night doubleheader.Leonard is averaging a team-best 26.9 points this season for the Clippers, who are currently second in the Western Conference behind only the Lakers. He is the reigning NBA Finals MVP, after helping Toronto win the title last season.The Clippers are 38-13 when Leonard plays, 6-7 when he doesn't. They're also 17-3 in games where he scores at least 30 points this season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are getting together for workouts while the NBA season is suspended — via video conference calls.Up to 10 players at a time tune in to do workouts led by the team's performance staff since the league shut down practice facilities because of the coronavirus pandemic.They've also been using workout equipment specially tailored for each player and provided by the team.“They're challenging each other, a lot of trash talk,” coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. “When we come out of this, (there will be) some of the funny stories guys will have about watching each other work out.”Rivers figures that when the league eventually resumes there will be a high level of competition as a result of the layoff that has allowed players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to train at a level that wasn't possible during the offseason, when they were dealing with injuries.“If we do get back to this, and rhythm and all that, bodies won't... [More]

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas usually know what they’re talking about.But even they get things wrong from time to time, and this season in the NBA there have been a few notable misses from all those preseason prognostications — specifically, ones made in relation to the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.The Grizzlies have already topped most preseason projections for their win total. The sports books had them around 27 wins, and the Ja Morant-led club already has 28 wins and is holding down the Western Conference’s No. 8 playoff spot with 28 games left.“We are just young, very athletic and just get out and run,” said Morant, a clear Rookie of the Year front-runner and probably the favorite at this point. “I feel like we all have something to prove. We just go out with this chip on our shoulder. We keep proving people wrong. But we go out every night and play together.”And the Thunder, who were expected to freefall after losing Paul George, were slotted by most books as a 32-win... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard made it look effortless, nailing one 3-pointer after another and nearly matching an All-Star Game record.The tough part came afterward. Finding the right words to express how he felt after becoming the first Kobe Bryant MVP award winner wasn't so easy.Leonard scored 30 points and hit eight 3-pointers to lead Team LeBron to a 157-155 victory over Team Giannis on Sunday night.He was presented the MVP trophy that the league renamed after Bryant on Saturday, three weeks after the Lakers great and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine people killed when their helicopter crashed near Los Angeles. “It's very special,” Leonard said. “Like I said, I had a relationship with him. Words can't explain how happy I am for it. Able to put that trophy in my room, in my trophy room, and just be able to see Kobe's name on there, it just means a lot to me. He's a big inspiration in my life. He did a lot for me.”Bryant had a huge presence over the first All-Star festivities... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — It has become one of the NBA’s most revered traditions: On the morning of the NBA All-Star Game, the league pays tribute to retired players with what is called the Legends Brunch. It brings together about 3,000 guests, and every year a recent retiree with ties to the game’s host city is honored.When the game was in Los Angeles two years ago, the NBA wanted to honor Kobe Bryant.He declined. He couldn’t attend. His reason: his daughter Gianna Bryant had a game that morning.“That said, to us, everything about his priorities,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Sunday as he recalled that conversation with Bryant.This All-Star weekend was Michael Jordan’s longtime home of Chicago, highlighted by a game where LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo served as captains — but it was, predictably and understandably, overshadowed by the mourning of Bryant.Jennifer Hudson, wearing the Lakers' deep purple, performed a pregame tribute to Bryant and sang “For All We Know." Players on James’... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game (all times local):10:35 p.m. Kawhi Leonard scored 30, LeBron James scored 23 and Chicago product Anthony Davis finished with 20 points after hitting the winning free throw to lift Team LeBron to a 157-155 victory over Team Giannis in the All-Star game.Leonard, who was named the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP, made eight 3-pointers to finish one shy of Paul George's All-Star record in 2016. Davis missed the first attempt, then sank the winning free throw, after Kyle Lowry grabbed him as he attempted to catch a pass in the paint.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 for his team.The winning team needed to reach 157 points after Team Giannis grabbed a 133-124 cumulative lead through the first three quarters. 9:50 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and Team Giannis leads Team LeBron 133-124 after three quarters even though Kawhi Leonard is closing in on the record for most 3-pointers in an All-Star Game.The teams tied 41-all in the third... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game (all times local):9:50 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and Team Giannis leads Team LeBron 133-124 after three quarters even though Kawhi Leonard is closing in on the record for most 3-pointers in an All-Star Game.The teams tied 41-all in the third quarter, after Team LeBron matched an All-Star scoring record while taking the first quarter 53-41 and Team Giannis bounced back in the second 51-30.The first team to reach 157 points will win the game.Rudy Gobert scored 21 points in all and 12 in the quarter, including a a tying alley-oop dunk off a feed from Trae Young in the closing seconds. Russell Westbrook then missed a runner at the buzzer for Team LeBron.Leonard has 28 points and is 8 for 13 on 3-pointers. He needs one from beyond the arc to tie Paul George's All-Star record in 2016.8:50 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 14 points and Team Giannis took the second quarter 51-30 after dropping the opener even though... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game (all times local):8:50 p.m.Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 14 points and Team Giannis took the second quarter 51-30 after dropping the opener even though Kawhi Leonard closed in on the record for most 3-pointers in an All-Star Game.After Team LeBron matched an All-Star record for scoring while winning the first quarter 53-41, Team Giannis returned the favor in the second.Antetokounmpo, the reigning league MVP, threw down dunk after dunk and ended the half with 20 points in all. And Trae Young nailed a shot from just inside halfcourt as the second quarter ended.Leonard, meanwhile, combined to score 25 and nail 7 of 10 3-pointers in the half. He needs two 3's to tie Paul George's All-Star record in 2016.Team Giannis holds a 92-83 lead over Team LeBron at the half.8:15 p.m.Kawhi Leonard scored 12 points and Team LeBron matched an All-Star Game record for scoring in a quarter, beating Team Giannis 53-41 in the opening period.A four-time... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game (all times local):8:15 p.m.Kawhi Leonard scored 12 points and Team LeBron matched an All-Star Game record for scoring in a quarter, beating Team Giannis 53-41 in the opening period.A four-time All-Star, Leonard made all four 3-pointers — the only shots he attempted. Chicago product Anthony Davis scored nine. LeBron James added seven points as his team became the fourth to score 53 in an All-Star quarter.Miami's Bam Adebayo led the team picked by Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo with eight points.The league announced major changes to the All-Star format last month, turning quarters into mini-games.The score was reset to 0-0 prior to the second quarterThe game also has a charity component, with the winner of each of the first three quarters earning $100,000 for a Chicago-based community organization. The money gets rolled over if there's a tie, and the overall winner also earns $200,000 for its group.Team LeBron is playing for... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):9:45 p.m.Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. celebrated his 23rd birthday by winning the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, edging Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in a memorable showdown that required two tiebreaker jams.Jones and Gordon each got a perfect 50 on both of their dunks in the final. Then they got two more perfect scores on their first jam in the dunk-off.Jones then took off from just inside the foul line and threw down a windmill jam with his left hand, drawing a 48 from the panel of five judges.After a short discussion with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, Gordon brought out 7-foot-5 Boston Celtics rookie Tacko Fall and positioned him near the basket. He then took the ball from Fall's hands on his way to a thunderous dunk.The United Center gasped as the courtside NBA stars celebrated. But Gordon was awarded a 47, giving the victory to Jones.Gordon also lost a memorable dunk contest to Zach LaVine... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):8:44 p.m.Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield made a late surge to win the NBA 3-Point Contest.Hield nailed a two-point money ball from the corner to finish with 27 points, edging Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker by one in the final round.Hield is one of the few bright spots for struggling Sacramento, averaging 20.4 points while shooting about 39 percent from 3-point range.Washington's Davis Bertans opened the second and final round with a 22, before Booker eliminated him.Defending champion Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago's Zach LaVine were eliminated after they failed to crack the top three in the first round.Five racks with five balls each were set up around the perimeter — two in the corner, two on the wings and one up top. Four of those racks had four balls worth one point each plus a multi-colored two-point ball. The other had nothing but moneyballs.There were also two green balls worth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):8:44 p.m.Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield made a late surge to win the NBA 3-Point Contest.Hield nailed a two-point money ball from the corner to finish with 27 points, edging Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker by one in the final round.Hield is one of the few bright spots for struggling Sacramento, averaging 20.4 points while shooting about 39 percent from 3-point range.Washington's Davis Bertans opened the second and final round with a 22, before Booker eliminated him.Defending champion Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago's Zach LaVine were eliminated after they failed to crack the top three in the first round.Five racks with five balls each were set up around the perimeter — two in the corner, two on the wings and one up top. Four of those racks had four balls worth one point each plus a multi-colored two-point ball. The other had nothing but moneyballs.There were also two green balls worth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):7:38 p.m.Miami's Bam Abedayo has won the All-Star skills challenge.Abedayo narrowly defeated Indiana's Domantas Sabonis in the final in a matchup of All-Star big men. He shared a hug with former Heat star Dwyane Wade after accepting the trophy.Abedayo eliminated 2018 champion Spencer Dinwiddie and Raptors star Pascal Siakam in the first two rounds on the obstacle course. Sabonis advanced with victories over defending champion Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee's Khris Middleton.The 22-year-old Abedayo is in the middle of a breakout season, averaging 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 54 games for the Heat.___6:43 p.m.The NBA has renamed its All-Star Game MVP award in honor of Kobe Bryant.Commissioner Adam Silver announced the move on Saturday. Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed when their helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain near Los Angeles on Jan. 26.Bryant... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):6:43 p.m.The NBA has renamed its All-Star Game MVP award in honor of Kobe Bryant.Commissioner Adam Silver announced the move on Saturday. Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed when their helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain near Los Angeles on Jan. 26.Bryant became the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game when he made his debut in 1998 at age 19. He made the All-Star team 18 times during his stellar career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning the MVP award a record-tying four times.Silver says Bryant "is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game.”___4:00 p.m.Toronto Raptors and All-Star coach Nick Nurse was in Las Vegas last summer when he got the news that Kawhi Leonard was leaving the defending champions after just one season to join the Los Angeles Clippers.Soon after, Nurse headed down to the... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):4:00 p.m.Toronto Raptors and All-Star coach Nick Nurse was in Las Vegas last summer when he got the news that Kawhi Leonard was leaving the defending champions after just one season to join the Los Angeles Clippers.Soon after, Nurse headed down to the hotel lobby and ran into two of his players, Pascal Siakam and Fred Van Vleet.“I thought the guys might need some cheering up, so I said, ‘Hey, look at it this way: Kawhi leaving means we just freed up something like 20 shots per game,” Nurse said.It was 18.8 per game to be precise, but who’s counting? Well, plenty of Leonard’s former teammates, apparently.“Siakam immediately starts doing this,” Nurse laughed, swinging his right arm in widening circles, like a baseball pitcher loosening up before entering a game. “And Van Vleet just breaks into a crazy grin.”Small wonder. Those two became the biggest beneficiaries of Leonard's departure. Siakam is averaging... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is out because of a sore left knee against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Clippers have been monitoring the workload for Leonard, who will miss his 13th game of the season. Los Angeles is playing the second game of a back-to-back set after losing in Minnesota on Saturday.Leonard scored 28 points in 29 minutes against the Timberwolves, but the Clippers were routed 142-115. He's seventh in the league in scoring with 27.1 points per game.Patrick Beverley will miss his second straight game with a strained right groin. The Clippers (36-16) are third in the Western Conference and acquired Marcus Morris from New York on Thursday.

Anthony Davis is LeBron James’ teammate in Los Angeles, and they’ll be teammates at the All-Star Game in Chicago as well.James took his fellow Lakers All-Star with the No. 1 overall pick of the Feb. 16 game’s draft on Thursday, as he matched wits with fellow captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks for the second consecutive year.James is looking to go 3-0 as an All-Star captain, after his team beat the one picked by Golden State’s Stephen Curry in 2018 and topped the one Antetokounmpo selected last year as well. James had the No. 1 overall pick for this year’s first round, the starters’ round — since he received the most overall votes from fans.And Davis, predictably, was the pick.“I know you’re all surprised,” James said.Antetokounmpo made Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, “my African brother,” he said, his first pick. James stayed with the LA theme by taking the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard with the third overall pick, and Antetokounmpo stayed with African-born players by selecting... [More]

The NBA's All-Stars will be playing this year with Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant in their minds and on their jerseys.So, coming soon: No. 24 Giannis Antetokounmpo, and No. 2, LeBron James.As part of what will be a long series of tributes to Bryant and his daughter Gianna, the NBA announced Friday that every player on Team Giannis will wear 24 on their jerseys at this year’s All-Star Game and every player on Team LeBron will wear 2.Kobe Bryant spent the last 10 seasons of his career in a No. 24 jersey. Gianna Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and an outstanding young player, wore No. 2 on her jersey.All players taking part in All-Star weekend — including the Rising Stars game Feb. 14 and the Saturday night events such as the 3-point contest, slam dunk contest and skills competition — will wear a patch with nine stars to commemorate the nine victims of Sunday's helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.The patches for Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 will also bear the numbers 2 and 24. The patches for... [More]