TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Toronto Raptors got another big lift from their bench and won consecutive games for the first time this season. Chris Boucher, Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Fleet converted eight straight free throws in the final two minutes Saturday night, helping Toronto beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-113. Norman Powell led the Raptors with 24 points, and Boucher added 20 points and nine rebounds. Both came off the bench. “I think we're starting to understand what we have to do,” said Powell, who played 28 minutes and made six 3-pointers. “Guys are getting more comfortable with the flow of the game. That's what you try to do early in the season.” Gordon Heyward scored 25 points and Terry Rozier added 24 for the Hornets, losers of three straight, two of them against the Raptors in the last three nights. P.J. Washington finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Devonte Graham had 20 points and seven assists.. The Hornets had a chance to tie or take the lead but were called for a 24-second... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Chris Boucher, Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Fleet converted eight straight free throws in the final two minutes Saturday night, helping Toronto beat the Charlotte Hornets, 116-113 for the Raptors first two-game win streak of the season. Norman Powell led the Raptors with 24 points, and Boucher added 20 points and nine rebounds. Gordon Heyward scored 25 points and Terry Rozier added 24 for the Hornets, losers of three straight. P.J. Washington finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Hornets had a chance to tie or take the lead but were called for a 24-second violation with 14.8 seconds left. Van Fleet's two free throws with 13.3 seconds left put the Raptors up 114-110, and after Devonte Graham's 3-pointer brought Charlotte within a point, Boucher answered with two free throws. Rozier missed a long 3-point try just before the final horn. After missing eight of their first nine shots and falling behind 14-2, the Raptors got the 3s to drop, as seven players hit 13 from long... [More]

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]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry will miss at least three months for the ailing Warriors because of a broken left hand that required surgery, the toughest blow yet early in an already difficult season for struggling Golden State following five straight trips to the NBA Finals.Now, both Splash Brothers are on the sidelines, leaving Golden State thin in the backcourt while facing a 1-3 record and just trying to stay in games. Klay Thompson is recovering from surgery July 2 for a torn ACL in his left knee that he injured June 13 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals that won Toronto its first championship.Before Friday night's game against San Antonio, Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged his team's incredible injury misfortune, dating back to the Finals last spring when star forward Kevin Durant was lost to a ruptured Achilles tendon shortly before Thompson went down.However, Kerr also stressed he didn't want his players dwelling on the negative with so much season still ahead."It's just insane... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry will miss at least three months for the ailing Warriors because of a broken left hand that required surgery, the toughest blow yet in an already difficult season for struggling Golden State following five straight trips to the NBA Finals.Now, both Splash Brothers are on the sidelines, leaving Golden State thin in the backcourt while facing a 1-3 record and just trying to stay in games. Klay Thompson is recovering from surgery on July 2 for a torn ACL in his left knee. Thompson was injured June 13 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals that clinched Toronto its first championship.Curry underwent surgery Friday on the hand and second metacarpal of his index finger, and the team said he will miss at least three months but is expected to make a full recovery.The Warriors said the surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Shin at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. An update on his progress is planned after three months, which would be early February. If... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry underwent surgery on his broken left hand and the Golden State Warriors say he will miss at least three months but is expected to make a full recovery.The Warriors announced Curry had undergone surgery Friday morning performed by Dr. Steven Shin at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. An update on his progress is planned after three months.Specialists examined a CT scan Curry had Thursday, a day after the two-time MVP broke his non-shooting hand in the third quarter of a 121-110 home loss to the Phoenix Suns.Curry was injured while driving to his left while defended by Kelly Oubre Jr. and with big man Aron Baynes standing in the paint. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first, landing awkwardly on his hands as he tried to brace himself. Baynes then landed on Curry's left hand. The 31-year-old Curry grimaced in pain, grabbing at his fingers then walking to the locker room.He joins the injured Klay Thompson on the sidelines. Thompson is recovering from a July 2 surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — D'Angelo Russell has done this before, forced to take on a far bigger role just last season because of injuries in Brooklyn. And now the new Golden State guard must do it again with the absence of both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a suddenly short-handed backcourt.Curry broke his left hand in a 121-110 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night and it remained unclear a day later how long he might be sidelined, while Splash Brother Thompson could miss the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he hurt in a Game 6 loss in the NBA Finals that gave Toronto its first title. Curry underwent a CT scan Thursday but the team said it would have specialists evaluate the results before providing an update on his status.However long he is out, it hurts for far more than what he brings on the court. Curry's presence in the locker room provides an example for the young Warriors, and he is their longest-tenured player and their oldest at age... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry broke his left hand on a hard fall in the third quarter of Golden State's game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.The two-time MVP drove to his left defended by Kelly Oubre Jr. and with big man Aron Baynes standing solidly in the paint. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first landing awkwardly on his hands to brace himself from the court, with Baynes crashing onto Curry's left hand. Curry grimaced in pain grabbing his hand then walked to the locker room with 8:31 left in the third quarter.Losing Curry, Golden State's longest-tenured player and oldest at age 31, for an extended period would be a huge blow for a young Warriors team.Golden State is struggling to start the season with Kevin Durant's departure to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson out for perhaps the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry fell hard on his left wrist in the third quarter of Golden State's game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.The two-time MVP drove to his left defended by Kelly Oubre Jr. and with big man Aron Baynes standing solidly in the paint. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first landing awkwardly on his hands to brace himself from the court, with Baynes crashing onto Curry's left wrist. Curry grimaced in pain grabbing his hand then walked to the locker room with 8:31 left in the third quarter.Losing Curry, Golden State's longest-tenured player and oldest at age 31, for an extended period would be a huge blow for a young Warriors team.Golden State is struggling to start the season with Kevin Durant's departure to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson out for perhaps the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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) — The Phoenix Suns have the unenviable task of trying to gain ground in the NBA's Western Conference, which is once again home to several of the league's powerhouse teams.There's a young nucleus already in place. Guard Devin Booker and forward Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick one year ago, are back after productive seasons. The frustration was that the big numbers didn't lead to much winning — the Suns were last in the West with a 19-63 record.Suns general manager James Jones said it is his job to find some talent to help Booker and Ayton. In his mind, the mission has been accomplished."We just wanted to get some good players, and we've done that," Jones said during media day Monday. "We've added some maturity and we have a good mix of people."The Suns signed point guard Ricky Rubio and Frank Kaminsky. They acquired rookie Cameron Johnson and veteran Aron Baynes in trades and re-signed Kelly Oubre Jr. after he had an impressive run with the Suns last season following his... [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]

The MVP front-runners are in some trouble.It's a virtual certainty that either Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo or Houston's reigning MVP James Harden will win the coveted award this season. And while the voting results there won't be known until June 24, the only results that truly matter right now to both players are the ones that were determined on Sunday — and the ones that are coming on Tuesday.Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were handed their worst loss of the season, a 22-point defeat by the Boston Celtics that cost the NBA's No. 1 overall seed the home-court edge in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. And the Rockets were angered by what they felt were a series of calls that didn't go their way in a 104-100 loss to Golden State on Sunday in Game 1 of a West semifinal series.Both matchups resume with Game 2s on Tuesday: Boston at Milwaukee and Houston at Golden State."Right now, we've got to focus on playing better," Antetokounmpo said after Milwaukee fell 112-90 in Game 1. "Obviously,... [More]

The MVP front-runners are in some trouble.It's a virtual certainty that either Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo or Houston's reigning MVP James Harden will win the coveted award this season. And while the voting results there won't be known until June 24, the only results that truly matter right now to both players are the ones that were determined on Sunday — and the ones that are coming on Tuesday.Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were handed their worst loss of the season, a 22-point defeat by the Boston Celtics that cost the NBA's No. 1 overall seed the home-court edge in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. And the Rockets were angered by what they felt were a series of calls that didn't go their way in a 104-100 loss to Golden State on Sunday in Game 1 of a West semifinal series.Both matchups resume with Game 2s on Tuesday: Boston at Milwaukee and Houston at Golden State."Right now, we've got to focus on playing better," Antetokounmpo said after Milwaukee fell 112-90 in Game 1. "Obviously,... [More]