LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jae Crowder will tell anybody who asks that the Miami Heat are extremely well-prepared for whatever comes their way in the Eastern Conference finals. He can say the same about the Boston Celtics, too. Crowder and fellow Heat teammate Kelly Olynyk are both in the East title series for the second time. Their first time was in 2017 — when they were Boston teammates under coach Brad Stevens. And it isn’t hard for Crowder to see the similarities between Stevens and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “Oh, the No. 1 thing that sticks out to me is the attention to detail,” Crowder said. “Both coaches have preached that and pushed that with their teams, respectively. You need that at this level. You need that at this time of the year, because both teams really know exactly what they’re trying to get to. It’s just about the level of detail that you’re doing it and how much you’re imposing your will.” The Celtics lost that 2017 series to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and neither Olynyk... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Meyers Leonard was bent forward at the waist, standing a few feet away from Miami coach Erik Spoelstra on the Heat sideline, screaming with every bit of the volume that his deep and booming voice can generate. This is his role right now for the Heat. His only role. Leonard is in a tough spot these days; a full-time starter during the regular season, he is now out of the rotation as the Heat have made their run to the Eastern Conference finals. It is a bitter pill for him to swallow — yet to his credit, he hasn’t acted the least bit bitter about his current reality. “My team knows this, and our coaching staff knows this,” Leonard told The Associated Press. “I would do anything to be out there. And I’d be lying if I said that I’m not competitive as hell. I wish I was impacting the game on the floor. I’m not, but as a person and as a player, I want what’s best for everybody.” So for now, the 7-foot, 260-pound, chiseled center is the tallest, strongest and best-paid... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — AP source: Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks is NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2nd consecutive season.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Miami center Bam Adebayo went into the locker room at halftime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals knowing that he wasn’t doing enough. He didn’t need to see video. Or talk to Heat teammates. Or check the stats. He only needed to think of his mother. “That first half wasn’t me and I had to reboot myself, man,” Adebayo said. “So, you ask yourself: Where do you come from and what’s your why? What’s your why? And for me, that’s my mom.” Marilyn Blount, this was for you. Adebayo nearly outscored the Boston Celtics by himself in the third quarter, the Heat turned the game around and went on to win 106-101 Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals — putting the kid who grew up in a single-wide trailer with a mom making something like $15,000 a year two wins away from the NBA Finals. Adebayo had four points at the half, and the Heat were down by 13. He had 17 in the second half, when Miami outscored Boston by 18. “Games are long and... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri says re-signing point guard Fred VanVleet is a “big-time priority.” VanVleet, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, averaged 18 points and seven assists this season for the defending NBA champions. Ujiri, who has one year left on his contract, says he hasn’t had any discussions with team owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment since the club’s season ended last week. He spoke to reporters Thursday in his season-ending news conference. Ujiri said feelings were still raw coming out of the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort last week, where the Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Raptors executive said his priority since then has been taking care of his leadership team. Earlier this week, the Raptors signed coach Nick Nurse to a multi-year extension. Nurse’s contract also was due to run out after next season. Ujiri said the team also is close to signing general... [More]

The Sacramento Kings have hired former Houston Rockets executive Monte McNair as their new general manager. The team announced the move to replace Vlade Divac on Thursday, making McNair the team’s top basketball executive reporting to owner Vivek Ranadivé. “Monte is one of the NBA’s top basketball minds who has played an instrumental role in building several winning teams in Houston,” Ranadivé said. “I am excited to bring his extensive experience and vision onboard to lead our basketball operations department, and it is my pleasure to welcome Monte and his family to Sacramento.” McNair has a tough task ahead with the Kings having missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons. That’s the longest active drought and one shy of the NBA record. The Kings went 31-41 this season in the first year under coach Luke Walton. McNair is a Southern California native who spent 13 years working for the Rockets. He has been the assistant general manager since 2018 and also was integral in the team’s analytics... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James now stands alone in All-NBA recognition history, getting there unanimously.James was revealed Wednesday as an All-NBA player for a record 16th time, breaking the mark he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. He was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots, joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only unanimous first-team selections this season.Joining them on the first team: Houston guard James Harden, Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Dallas guard Luka Doncic, who got the nod in just his second season in the NBA — becoming the first player to get there in either his first or second season since Duncan did for San Antonio. Duncan was first-team in each of his first eight NBA seasons, starting in 1997-98 and going through 2004-05.The 21-year-old Doncic is the sixth player to make All-NBA at that age or younger, joining Kevin Durant, James, Duncan, Rick Barry and Max Zaslofsky.James is a first-team pick for the 13th time... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The more things changed for the Los Angeles Clippers, the more they stayed the same.They shocked the league by adding superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a proven cast, immediately creating major expectations for the franchise to win its first NBA championship.In the end, the Clippers reverted to their old selves. They blew a 3-2 series lead and double-digit leads in multiple games against the Denver Nuggets, and got sent packing from the NBA playoff bubble. The franchise once mocked as the laughingstock of the NBA couldn't erase a big part of its ignominious history: 0-8 all time in games in which it could clinch a spot in the conference finals.“We did have championship expectations. We had the talent to do it,” Lou Williams said. "I don’t think we had the chemistry to do it and it showed."George missed time to start the season while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Playing for his third team in three years, Leonard followed a load management... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The more things changed for the Los Angeles Clippers, the more they stayed the same.They shocked the league by adding superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to a proven cast, immediately creating major expectations for the franchise to win its first NBA championship.In the end, the Clippers reverted to their old selves. They blew a 3-2 series lead and double-digit leads in multiple games against the Denver Nuggets, and got sent packing from the NBA playoff bubble. The franchise once mocked as the laughingstock of the NBA couldn't erase a big part of its ignominious history: 0-8 all time in games in which it could clinch a spot in the conference finals.“We did have championship expectations. We had the talent to do it,” Lou Williams said. "I don’t think we had the chemistry to do it and it showed."George missed time to start the season while recovering from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Playing for his third team in three years, Leonard followed a load management... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James now stands alone in All-NBA recognition history, getting there unanimously.James was revealed Wednesday as an All-NBA player for a record 16th time, breaking the mark he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. He was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots, joining Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only unanimous first-team selections this season.Joining them on the first team: Houston guard James Harden, Lakers forward Anthony Davis and Dallas guard Luka Doncic, who got the nod in just his second season in the NBA — becoming the first player to do that since Duncan in 1998-99.The 21-year-old Doncic is the sixth player to make All-NBA at that age or younger, joining Kevin Durant, James, Duncan, Rick Barry and Max Zaslofsky.James is a first-team pick for the 13th time in his career, extending his record there. Bryant and Karl Malone were 11-time first-teamers. Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP and the frontrunner to win the... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Just about everyone had L.A. vs. L.A. written in for the Western Conference finals. Then along came the resilient Denver Nuggets, who crashed the party.Behind Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2009. They will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers starting Friday in Game 1.But this was no ordinary road. The Nuggets fell behind 3-1 in their first-round series against Utah before bouncing back with three straight victories. Then they went down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round before winning in Game 7 again.They made history, too, becoming the first NBA team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason. As expected, Denver is an underdog against the Lakers. Murray & Co. are used to it.“Everybody counts us out. It’s fun to silence everybody,” Murray said. “We love it.”The last time the Nuggets were in the conference finals they faced the Lakers as... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Always a wine connoisseur, CJ McCollum is now a wine maker, too. The Portland Trail Blazers guard has a signature wine coming out Tuesday, and apropos of Oregon, it's a pinot noir. McCollum Heritage 91 is the result of a partnership with Adelsheim Vineyard. “We’re in a bit of a jam because it’s a limited quantity, and demand is very high,” McCollum said. McCollum readied for the launch while recuperating from Portland's 51-day odyssey in the NBA bubble in Florida. The Blazers overperformed in the seeding games, going 6-2 and making the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. It was Portland's seventh straight trip to the playoffs, but it ended in five games in the first round against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. McCollum played the tournament with a fractured vertebra in his back. The 10th pick out of Lehigh in the 2013 draft, McCollum has averaged 18.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists over his career in Portland. This strange season he averaged 22.2 points, 4.2 rebounds... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden and the Houston Rockets believed the addition of Russell Westbrook and their unorthodox small lineup would be what they needed to win their first title in 25 years.Instead, they suffered another early playoff exit and must find a coach after Mike D’Antoni told them he wouldn’t return after he and management couldn’t agree on a new contract.The Rockets beat Oklahoma City in seven games in the first round and won Game 1 against the Lakers before losing the next four games to be eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year. “It’s very, very frustrating,” Harden said. “Especially with the amount of work individually that I put in. But I’m going to keep chipping away, I’m going to keep going and going until I can’t go anymore.”Harden had another splendid regular season, averaging 34.3 points to lead the league in scoring for the third straight year. He was also first in the NBA in 3-pointers (299) and free throws (692) and ranked fifth... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Mike D’Antoni has told the Houston Rockets that he will not be back as coach with them next season, essentially choosing free agency over a return to the club with whom he has spent the last four seasons.D’Antoni told the Rockets on Sunday — not even a full day after the team’s season ended with a playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers — that he would seek coaching options elsewhere for next season and not return to Houston. Team owner Tilman Fertitta confirmed the move later Sunday.“I would like to thank Mike D'Antoni and his wife, Laurel, for their incredible contributions to the Houston Rockets organization and the Houston community," Fertitta said. “Mike is a true professional and an amazing basketball mind. He is a winner, and we have been blessed to have such an outstanding coach and leader to work with the past four seasons."ESPN first reported the 69-year-old coach's decision.It was not totally unexpected; the Rockets and D’Antoni couldn’t agree on... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Mike D’Antoni has told the Houston Rockets that he will not be back as coach with them next season, and he essentially becomes a free agent, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.D’Antoni told the Rockets on Sunday — not even a full day after the team’s season ended with a playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers — that he would seek coaching options elsewhere for next season and not return to Houston. The person with knowledge of those talks spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce anything publicly.ESPN first reported D’Antoni’s decision.It was not totally unexpected; the Rockets and D’Antoni couldn’t agree on an extension last year, meaning he was coaching this season with no guarantee of his future in Houston. D’Antoni had already been mentioned as a potential candidate for vacancies in Indiana and Philadelphia, but when the season ended Saturday night there appeared to be at least some hope... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The secret can be told now: When the NBA was shut down for a few months because of the coronavirus pandemic, when most players in the league didn’t have a place to play because team facilities were closed as a precaution, Miami guard Tyler Herro was in a gym all the time.A couple of hours in the morning. A couple more at night. Almost every day.“I don’t think the Heat even know I did this,” Herro told The Associated Press.Given the way he’s played since the season resumed, the Heat probably could have suspected he used his downtime wisely. No rookie in these playoffs is averaging more points (14.7), 3-pointers (2.3), assists (3.3) and minutes (32.3) per game than Herro, the baby-faced 20-year-old who’ll make his Eastern Conference finals debut when Miami opens its series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.Herro averaged 16.5 points in the first round of the playoffs, the most by a Heat rookie in a first round ever. And in the second round, he became... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The secret can be told now: When the NBA was shut down for a few months because of the coronavirus pandemic, when most players in the league didn’t have a place to play because team facilities were closed as a precaution, Miami guard Tyler Herro was in a gym all the time.A couple of hours in the morning. A couple more at night. Almost every day.“I don’t think the Heat even know I did this,” Herro told The Associated Press.Given the way he’s played since the season resumed, the Heat probably could have suspected he used his downtime wisely. No rookie in these playoffs is averaging more points (14.7), 3-pointers (2.3), assists (3.3) and minutes (32.3) per game than Herro, the baby-faced 20-year-old who’ll make his Eastern Conference finals debut when Miami opens its series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.Herro averaged 16.5 points in the first round of the playoffs, the most by a Heat rookie in a first round ever. And in the second round, he became... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — A small number of protesters carrying signs and shouting into megaphones blocked at least two buses chartered by the NBA from briefly from entering the Walt Disney World campus on Saturday night, with the group saying it wanted LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and other top players to take notice.The group blocked charter buses carrying members of the news media and some NBA staff, but no players or team personnel. Among their chants: “Black Lives Matter” and “LeBron can you help us?” Some also carried signs with messages such as “Russell Stand With Us.”The protesters assembled near one of the entrances and were not inside the so-called bubble, where teams, NBA staff and other have been for more than two months in some cases for the resumption of the season. They appeared to have gathered on a road that is open to the public, then stopped buses on an access road near a primary entrance to the resort.All entrances to the bubble — whether it is the hotel properties... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — A small number of protesters carrying signs and shouting into megaphones blocked at least two buses chartered by the NBA from briefly from entering the Walt Disney World campus on Saturday night, with the group saying it wanted LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and other top players to take notice.The group blocked charter buses carrying members of the news media and some NBA staff, but no players or team personnel. Among their chants: “Black Lives Matter” and “LeBron can you help us?” Some also carried signs with messages such as “Russell Stand With Us.”The protesters assembled near one of the entrances and were not inside the so-called bubble, where teams, NBA staff and other have been for more than two months in some cases for the resumption of the season. They appeared to have gathered on a road that is open to the public, then stopped buses on an access road near a primary entrance to the resort.It was not known if they were able to be seen by any buses... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Lowry was understandably torn.Lowry and the Toronto Raptors spent nearly three months in Florida for the NBA restart. That’s a lot of time away from his children, and Lowry made no secret during his time in the league’s Walt Disney World bubble that it was brutally hard to be separated from them for that long.He was heading home Saturday. On the one hand, that’s great news. On the other, that’s a disaster.The Raptors are the reigning NBA champions no more. Their run ended Friday night with a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, ending the longest season in team history and ushering in an offseason where Toronto has plenty of personnel decisions to make.“I get to go see my babies, man,” Lowry, the Raptors’ point guard and face of the franchise, said while fighting off emotion that his Philly-kid toughness usually allows him to hide. “I’ve been going damn near three months without seeing my kids. I don’t want to be going... [More]