BOSTON (AP) — A man was arrested and escorted out of the arena after throwing a can of hard seltzer onto the court near the San Antonio Spurs bench during Wednesday night's game with the Boston Celtics, Boston police said Thursday.Justin Arnold, 22, of Everett, was charged with disturbing a public assembly.He was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty Thursday but was held without bail because of an alleged probation violation in an unrelated assault case.Arnold appeared to be intoxicated, police said in a statement.The 20-ounce can thrown from the balcony landed on the court and sprayed all over the floor “when the crowd started to scrutinize the refs for what appeared to be a terrible call against the Celtics,” police said. The can missed a Spurs player by just a few inches, police said.The can was thrown as Celtics guard Kemba Walker argued with a referee.Arnold apologized in a call to an iHeart Radio station in Boston, saying he was angry with the call and was not thinking. He said he did not have any disrespect for the Spurs organization. Arnold was arrested after police reviewed surveillance video and talked to witnesses.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he apologized to the Spurs after the game.

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]

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]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics forward Gordon Hayward started Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers and scored 14 points, returning to the Boston lineup ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand.Hayward received a loud ovation when he was introduced and got his first basket on a fast-break layup nearly halfway into the opening quarter. He also grabbed his first rebound and had his initial assist on Jayson Tatum’s 3-pointer from the left wing in the first 4 1/2 minutes of action.Hayward finished with five rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes as Boston beat the struggling Cavaliers 110-88. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said during his pregame media session that Hayward wasn’t on any minutes restriction but expects him to need time to build up his stamina.“There’s no set time. But any time you’re coming back not having played an NBA game for four weeks, you just manage it appropriately,” Stevens said. “He’s done a good job of staying in shape and he’s worked hard at that. But it will... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics forward Gordon Hayward started Monday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to the Boston lineup ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand.He received a loud ovation when he was introduced and got his first basket on a fastbreak layup nearly halfway into the opening quarter. He also grabbed his first rebound and had his initial assist on Jayson Tatum’s 3-pointer from the left wing in the first 4 1/2 minutes of action.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said during his pregame media session that he wasn’t on any minutes’ restriction but expects him to need time to build up his stamina.“There’s no set time. But any time you’re coming back not having played an NBA game for four weeks, you just manage it appropriately,” Stevens said. “He’s done a good job of staying in shape and he’s worked hard at that. But it will hit him early.” Stevens figured his star forward will fit right into his old role with his teammates. “One thing that Gordon is, is he’s... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was cleared to play in Monday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to the Boston lineup ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the team's morning shootaround that Hayward was able to participate fully in the practice and would go through the pregame walkthrough "with the intention of playing. About two hours before the scheduled tipoff, the team announced that he would be available.“It's always good to get good players back,” Stevens said at the team's practice facility. “We're hopeful that he'll be able to play."Hayward broke a bone in his left hand Nov. 9 and was expected to miss about six weeks. But he said this weekend that the bone is healed and — thanks to a plate with screws — might even be stronger than it was before. “The bone is healed. I can’t hurt it worse,” Hayward said on Sunday, adding that the soft tissue is sore and the motion and strength are limited. "It’s... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand and aiming to play in Boston's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the team's morning shootaround that Hayward was able to participate fully in the practice. He was then scheduled to meet with the medical staff and participate in the pregame walkthrough “with the intention of playing,” Stevens said. “It's always good to get good players back,” Stevens said at the team's practice facility. “We're hopeful that he'll be able to play."Hayward broke a bone in his left hand Nov. 9 and was expected to miss about six weeks. But he said this weekend that the bone is healed and — thanks to a plate with screws — might even be stronger than it was before. “The bone is healed. I can’t hurt it worse,” Hayward said on Sunday, adding that the soft tissue is sore and the motion and strength are limited. "It’s whether or not you can play through that and... [More]

Kevin Love knows change could be coming.A couple of years ago, uncertainty might have been something that stressed him out, triggered the sorts of feelings like the ones that manifested themselves in the form of an in-game panic attack in 2017, rendered him unable to compete as efficiently as he wanted.Not this time.Even though he has three full years and about $90 million left on his contract after this season, it's no secret that Love could be traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Plenty of teams even make sense for such a move — Portland, Dallas, Denver, Miami among others.But going public with the details of his panic attack — and his ongoing involvement in the conversation about the need to take care of mental health — has not left Love feeling vulnerable. He's more at peace than anything else, and that's why the rumors that are out there aren't gnawing at him."I'm just going to let the chips fall," Love said. "I know that this is a young team. I think I can help them. I'm going to do... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics guard Kemba Walker wasn’t seriously injured during a scary collision with a teammate last week that led to him being taken from the court on a stretcher, Boston’s team doctor said Monday, but Walker will be kept out of the lineup until he goes through a full practice.Walker was on the bench for Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, the team’s first game since the injury.Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye’s abdominal area head-first and went down to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.A brace was placed around his neck and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.“It looked like it was going to be a very serious injury, but thankfully it turned out not to be a very a serious injury,” team physician Dr. Tony Schena told reporters Monday.Schena said Walker had “numbness and tingling in his hands” immediately after the collision, which is why trainers were so cautious with... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics say guard Kemba Walker didn’t suffer any serious injury from his collision with a teammate in a game last week, but they are keeping him out of the lineup for Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings until he goes through a full practice.Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye’s abdominal area head-first and went down to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.A brace was placed around his neck and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.“It looked like it was going to be a very serious injury, but thankfully it turned out not to be a very a serious injury,” head team physician Dr. Tony Schena told reporters Monday.Schena said Walker had “numbness and tingling in his hands” immediately after the collision, which is why trainers were so cautious with him.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye late in the second quarter, striking Ojeleye's abdomen area head-first and going down on to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.In a tweet, the Celtics said Walker has been diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. He was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.Walker grimaced in pain as he went down and play was stopped as medical personnel from both teams tended to the star guard who was prone on the floor for several minutes.His teammates gathered round as did Nuggets players, plainly concerned about Walker. A brace was placed around his neck to stabilize the area and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.Walker entered the game averaging a team-leading 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season with Boston.Earlier this month, the Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to a fractured left hand. He suffered the injury when he collided with LaMarcus Aldridge in a Nov. 9 game against San Antonio.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker collided with teammate Semi Ojeleye late in the second quarter, striking Ojeleye's abdomen area head-first and going down on to the court in a heap against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.Walker grimaced in pain as he went down and play was stopped as medical personnel from both teams tended to the star guard who was prone on the floor for several minutes.His teammates gathered round as did Nuggets players, plainly concerned about Walker. A brace was placed around his neck to stabilize the area and he was strapped to a backboard before being placed onto a gurney and wheeled off the court.Walker entered the game averaging a team-leading 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season with Boston.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker says he holds no ill feelings toward Michael Jordan, even though the Hornets owner and six-time NBA champion decided not to keep him in Charlotte by paying him a $221 million supermax contract.In fact, Walker only has love for Jordan."MJ is always going to be a special guy in my life," Walker said Thursday night after his return to Charlotte as a member of the Boston Celtics. "He's one of the reasons I am where I am today."Jordan drafted Walker with the ninth pick in the 2011 NBA draft, and Walker took it from there. He beat out DJ Augustin for the starting point guard spot and flourished into a three-time All-Star despite being undersized — he's listed at 6-foot — for his position.Along the way, he became tight with Jordan, and the two still talk regularly. Although Walker said they didn't have a chance to catch up Thursday, he said he feels like he can talk with Jordan anytime."He gave me the opportunity to flourish as a basketball player," Walker said.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets' transformation from the shadows to the spotlight happened in just one night.Building a team that can live up to their new expectations is going to take much longer.Even with Kyrie Irving's terrific start, the Nets remain just what they were early last season: good enough to be in just about every game, but not yet good enough to win many of them.The Nets are just 2-4 and later this week begin a five-game road trip that includes difficult stops at Portland, Utah and Denver."We have three new starters and we're still working through getting on the same page. You say well, that's your job, to get it done. And we're working towards that. We're not there yet," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said.Though the Nets landed commitments from Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan on the opening night of free agency, they also lost a lot from a team that went 42-40 and reached the playoffs. All-Star D'Angelo Russell is gone along with what Atkinson counts as seven... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have signed forward Jaylen Brown to a contract extension, beating a Monday deadline to extend the player who has emerged as a key part of the team's future.The four-year deal could pay Brown as much as $115 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The total includes incentives, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because terms of the deal were not announced."Jaylen has made tremendous strides over the last three years and has become a fantastic player for us on both ends of the court," said Danny Ainge, the team's president of basketball operations."He's a great person and hard worker who, at 22 years old, can score and defend against the best players in the NBA," Ainge said. "Jaylen is a true professional who did a great job accepting his role last season, and he is a major part of our championship goals."The third overall pick in the 2016 draft, Brown averaged 14.5 points and almost five rebounds... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Mitch Kupchak doesn't see the Charlotte Hornets being major players in free agency as they attempt to build a winning franchise in the post-Kemba Walker era — at least not right away.Instead, the second-year general manager said Monday he anticipates the Hornets will construct the roster through draft picks and "savvy trades" during the season, while compiling as many assets as possible."We will not be an active player" in free agency, Kupchak said. "I think we can build a culture here and get enough assets and have a promising enough future and really attract the kind of free agent you want to spend that kind of money on — but I don't think you can do it right now."So in the meantime, the Hornets will give young players like Dwayne Bacon, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, Devonte Graham and even rookie PJ Washington extensive playing time this season as part of their No. 1 overall goal of player development after going 39-43 last season and losing Walker, a three-time All-Star,... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]