Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric (knee) underwent successful surgery on his right knee on Thursday. The surgery was to repair the torn meniscus in his knee. Saric initially suffered the tear during the NBA finals last year and he missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season. Following Thursday's surgery, the Suns did not reveal a timeline for his return, so he remains out indefinitely.

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric won't return to Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night after suffering a right knee injury late in the first quarter. Saric is one the team's main contributors off the bench, averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in about 11 minutes per game. Without him, Williams turned to Torrey Craig for more minutes in the first half and also used Frank Kaminsky, who hasn't played much in the postseason. Saric's right knee appeared to buckle when he landed on a jump stop while trying to score against Milwaukee's Brook Lopez. Shortly afterwards, he limped off the court and into the locker room. The Suns led the Milwaukee Bucks 57-49 at halftime. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have waived reserve center Damian Jones. The 25-year-old Jones appeared in 14 games this season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He was never able to consistently break into the playing rotation, falling behind Frank Kaminsky, Dario Saric and Jae Crowder on the depth chart. The 6-foot-11 Jones also has played for the Warriors and Hawks during his five-year career. His most productive season came last year with the Hawks, when he averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. The Suns' roster now has 15 players. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Coach Monty Williams could sense a few eye rolls earlier this summer when the Phoenix Suns and their extremely mediocre 26-39 record were invited to the NBA's bubble.A few months later, the Suns are the talk of the league after winning all eight games in Florida and nearly making a run all the way to the playoffs.“I think we've gained the respect of the league and that's huge,” Williams said. “It's huge for us as an organization. It's huge for us as a team. There was some sentiment before this that we didn't belong. I think we changed that sentiment.”The Suns won't be in the playoffs for a 10th straight season after the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Brooklyn Nets 134-133 on Thursday night to clinch the final spot in the Western Conference play-in series. But for Phoenix, it's hard not to be encouraged by its 8-0 run in the bubble.“We took tremendous strides in so many different ways,” All-Star guard Devin Booker said. “Other than just basketball, too. We became closer... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker is playing some of the best basketball of his career and starting center Deandre Ayton is back in the lineup after missing a long stretch because of a suspension and an ankle injury.But the Phoenix Suns are still struggling to win basketball games.It's been a frustrating month for a franchise that's hungry to get back to the playoffs after a nine-year absence, which is the second-longest current drought in the NBA. The Suns have dropped 11 of their past 14 games and now have a 14-23 record, which ranks 13th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.“Coach always says that everything you want is on the other side of hard,” Booker said. “I think we're in the middle of that right now.”The team's toughest loss might have been the last one on Tuesday, when the Suns fell 114-103 to the Sacramento Kings. Phoenix had a 21-point lead late in the third quarter before coughing up the advantage and losing its second straight game at home.“It feels bad when you lose games... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Starting center Deandre Ayton is returning from his 25-game suspension at a good time for the Suns.Phoenix has been a surprisingly competitive team in the Western Conference through the season's first seven weeks, fighting through its schedule with an 11-15 record despite a patchwork frontcourt that's included Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky III and Dario Saric.But the Suns could use a boost after losing four of their past five games. Ayton's expected return Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers could provide it, especially since it comes just 24 hours after a frustrating 111-110 loss to Portland.“It'll give us a shot of energy, it's exciting," Suns forward Cameron Johnson said. “You know his energy is going to be really high right now. It's exciting to get one of your brothers back.”Ayton played the season's opening game on Oct. 23 — scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds — before being suspended for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program after testing... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Starting center Deandre Ayton is returning from his 25-game suspension at a good time for the Suns.Phoenix has been a surprisingly competitive team in the Western Conference through the season's first seven weeks, fighting through its schedule with an 11-15 record despite a patchwork frontcourt that's included Aron Baynes, Frank Kaminsky III and Dario Saric.But the Suns could use a boost after losing four of their past five games. Ayton's expected return Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers could provide it, especially since it comes just 24 hours after a frustrating 111-110 loss to Portland.“It'll give us a shot of energy, it's exciting," Suns forward Cameron Johnson said. “You know his energy is going to be really high right now. It's exciting to get one of your brothers back.”Ayton played the season's opening game on Oct. 23 — scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds — before being suspended for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program after testing... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Kelly Oubre Jr. was ready for a low-key night on the town with friends and family to celebrate his birthday, dressed head to toe in black with a jacket, shirt, pants and shoes.His work was already done and the results were exactly what he wanted. The new 24-year-old had just poured in 24 points to help the Phoenix Suns top the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-109 on Monday.“It's easy to get lost in the sauce when it comes to the emotions of the game,” Oubre said. “It's my birthday, definitely wanted to win, so I just wanted to go out there and do everything I possibly could to get the win.”Devin Booker led the Suns with 26 points, Oubre shot 8 of 15 from the field and Ricky Rubio finished with 16 points and 14 assists. The Suns won at home for the first time since Nov. 14, snapping a four-game losing streak at Talking Stick Resort Arena.Dario Saric added 20 points for Phoenix. Rubio has dished out at least 13 assists in three straight games and had only one turnover on Monday.“You... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 26 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 24 on his 24th birthday and the Phoenix Suns rolled to a 125-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.Oubre shot 8 of 15 from the field and made all six free throws, while Ricky Rubio finished with 16 points and 14 assists. The Suns won at home for the first time since Nov. 14, snapping a four-game losing streak at Talking Stick Resort Arena.Dario Saric added 20 points for Phoenix. Rubio has had at least 13 assists in three straight games.Minnesota lost its fifth in a row. The Timberwolves were led by Karl Anthony-Towns, who scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. He shot 12 of 18 from the field.Andrew Wiggins added 23 points and Jeff Teague had 16 off the bench.Phoenix trailed by three at halftime but rallied for a 94-85 advantage at the end of the third quarter. The Suns pushed that margin to 12 early in the fourth after Rubio's 3-pointer.The Timberwolves made a few small runs in the final period but... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — First-year Phoenix coach Monty Williams is the epitome of stoic, with a coaching and news conference demeanor that ranges from subdued to serious to slightly bemused. He preaches consistency from day to day and month to month, painstakingly discussing how he plans to build this program the right way.So in the aftermath of Monday's thrilling 114-109 win over the previously undefeated Philadelphia 76ers, the 48-year-old was trying to stay grounded, launching into another answer about how his team had to stay steady and improve each day.Then something weird happened: The facade cracked.Even Williams had to acknowledge this winning run of basketball was pretty darn cool."This is a huge win," Williams said. "This is great for the fans, it's great for our city."Two weeks into the season, Phoenix (5-2) is one of the NBA's surprise stories, beating some of the league's top teams like the 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers after finishing last season with a 19-63 record.The Suns have... [More]

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers did not get out of China unscathed.Davis will have tests Sunday to determine the full severity of a right thumb injury, which the Lakers have initially diagnosed as a sprain. He got hurt in the first quarter of the Lakers' 91-77 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Shenzhen in the finale of the NBA China Games series.Caris LeVert scored 22 points on 8 for 11 shooting for Brooklyn, which swept the two matchups between the clubs in China. Taurean Prince scored 14 for Brooklyn, and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 11 rebounds in 19 minutes.Avery Bradley led the Lakers with 14 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 11.The encouraging sign for the Lakers is that Davis — who has a history of being plagued by injuries throughout his career — continued to play for a few minutes after getting hurt while attempting to block a shot. He and LeBron James both shot 2 for 7 and scored six points apiece for the Lakers; James, like Davis, played the entire first quarter... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. re-signed with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.The team said it was a multiyear deal.Oubre was acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards for veteran Trevor Ariza last December. He averaged 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 40 games with the Suns to go with his energy on defense. The four-year pro led the NBA in steals per game with 2.1 after the All-Star break, to go with 20.2 points and 5.7 rebounds."Right now I'm a Phoenix Sun, and I'm excited to get better every day with the group of guys that we have," the 23-year-old Oubre said. "At the end of the day, I'm super excited about where we're going and where we're going to be. The sky's the limit for us."The numbers don't lie," he added. "You see how my game evolved when I got here and it happened the right way. Nothing was given to me."Oubre returns to a new-look roster that includes star Devin Booker and second-year center Deandre Ayton, plus point guard Ricky Rubio. The Suns also added power forward... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have finalized the acquisition of six players for roster depth and reserve roles, including a sign-and-trade deal with Portland for forward Jake Layman.The Timberwolves then completed a trade with Golden State as part of the deal that sent D'Angelo Russell from Brooklyn to the Warriors, bringing guard Shabazz Napier and forward Treveon Graham to Minnesota for the rights to Israeli forward Lior Eliyahu. The Wolves also announced Monday the signing of free agent forward Noah Vonleh and rookie guard Jarrett Culver and the claiming of guard Tyrone Wallace off waivers from the Los Angeles Clippers.Most of the deals were agreed to last week before the NBA's free agency moratorium was lifted. Culver, the No. 6 overall pick from Texas Tech, was acquired from Phoenix in the draft-day deal that sent No. 11 pick Cameron Johnson and forward Dario Saric to the Suns.Vonleh signed a one-year, $2 million contract. Layman, who was acquired for the rights to Montenegrin forward Bojan Dubljevic, received a three-year, $11.5 million deal.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rarely has a pro sports team experienced such a difference in drama levels from the start to finish of one season that these Minnesota Timberwolves did.As the Timberwolves wound down the second half of their schedule that was as dull as the first part was eventful, they were outspoken in their desire to establish a healthier and steadier environment for 2019-20 in which the excitement would be confined to contention for the playoffs instead of off-the-court issues."Stability is such a big key component in winning in the NBA," All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns said this week. "So hopefully this summer we can find that stability in our coaching staff and everything and find a way to come back ready to go and have a head start this time."Soap opera status was achieved before training, when Jimmy Butler's wish to be traded after just one season in Minnesota became public. Tom Thibodeau, one of the rare dual-role president-coach authorities remaining in the league who acquired Butler... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves will make hiring a new president of basketball operations their first offseason priority.The Timberwolves announced Wednesday before their final game of the season in Denver they will start an immediate search for a front office leader, with the fates of general manager Scott Layden and interim head coach Ryan Saunders yet to be decided. The team said it has no timeline for completing the hire.Tom Thibodeau, who was fired Jan. 6, held the dual role of president of basketball operations and head coach for 2½ seasons, one game short of the halfway point of his contract. Layden stayed on in charge of the roster, and Saunders was promoted to run the team. Owner Glen Taylor said then he would evaluate Layden and Saunders over the balance of the season before determining whether they would return.In a statement distributed by the team, Taylor thanked Layden, Saunders and the rest of the basketball staff for navigating through the challenge of such... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves will make hiring a new president of basketball operations their first offseason priority.The Timberwolves announced Wednesday before their final game of the season in Denver they will start an immediate search for a front office leader, with the fates of general manager Scott Layden and interim head coach Ryan Saunders yet to be decided. The team said it has no timeline for completing the hire.Tom Thibodeau, who was fired Jan. 6, held the dual role of president of basketball operations and head coach for 2½ seasons, one game short of the halfway point of his contract. Layden stayed on in charge of the roster, and Saunders was promoted to run the team. Owner Glen Taylor said then he would evaluate Layden and Saunders over the balance of the season before determining whether they would return.In a statement distributed by the team, Taylor thanked Layden, Saunders and the rest of the basketball staff for navigating through the challenge of such... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — About two months after Jimmy Butler initiated their breakup, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to pay him a visit.Just one week after the ouster of basketball boss Tom Thibodeau , the Timberwolves have enough of their own issues to work through. They did their best to downplay the significance of Tuesday's game at Philadelphia that will pit them against Butler for the first time since the trade , but there are sure to be some raw emotions that night. The question is whether they'll stay bottled up."Philly's a really good team, one of the best teams in the East, so I feel like it'll be a great battle," Wolves guard Andrew Wiggins said Monday after practice, adding: "Jimmy, every game he plays hard. So it's not like he's going to play harder."The energy that Butler brought, of course, was never in doubt. The problem was how disruptive his presence became, after he requested a trade.Thibodeau tried to hang on to his hand-picked locker-room leader as long as he could,... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves had just posted their fourth-largest margin of victory of the season, and Tom Thibodeau looked and sounded satisfied Sunday as the demanding and intense coach used his postgame news conference to praise the attitude and energy with which his team had just played.Minutes later, Thibodeau was fired.Halfway into his third season with Minnesota that began in turmoil surrounding the eventual trade of All-Star Jimmy Butler, Thibodeau's final game was a 108-86 victory over the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers .Assistant coach Ryan Saunders, who is 32, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Scott Layden will stay as the general manager, assuming oversight of the roster. Thibodeau was also the president of basketball operations, with full authority over personnel decisions."We would like to thank Tom for his efforts and wish him all the best," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said in a statement released by the team. "These decisions... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves fired coach Tom Thibodeau on Sunday, halfway into his third season with the team that began with the turmoil surrounding the eventual trade of All-Star Jimmy Butler.Thibodeau was dismissed about an hour after the 108-86 victory over the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers .Scott Layden will remain the general manager overseeing the basketball operations and assistant coach Ryan Saunders will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season."We would like to thank Tom for his efforts and wish him all the best," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said in a statement. "These decisions are never easy to make, but we felt them necessary to move our organization forward."The Athletic first reported that Thibodeau, who was also the president of basketball operations with full authority over the roster, had been let go. Saunders is the son of the late Flip Saunders, who's the winningest coach in club history.Thibodeau finished 97-107 with the... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With a baseline drive by Chris Paul and a bounce pass into the paint to Clint Capela, the Houston Rockets had what appeared to be an uncontested dunk early in the fourth quarter that would have cut Minnesota's lead to five points.Robert Covington closed in from behind, stopped the 6-foot-10 Capela cold and, managing to avoid the body contact that would have drawn him a foul, tied up the NBA's most accurate shooter last season to earn a jump-ball call .Yes, the Timberwolves are playing legitimate defense these days, even after trading their best defensive player.They erased a 19-point deficit in the final minute of the second quarter Monday night and outscored the high-octane Rockets 55-29 in the second half to notch one of the most remarkable victories in three seasons under coach Tom Thibodeau. That was the fewest points allowed in a second half by the Timberwolves in almost 11 years."We've got to change things," said center Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a plus-17 rating... [More]