BOSTON (AP) — Danny Ainge, who helped bring two NBA titles to Boston as a player and another as the team's basketball boss, stepped down from the Celtics front office just hours after they were eliminated from the postseason, and coach Brad Stevens is giving up his job on the bench to replace him. Stevens will lead the search for his successor, the Celtics said in a news conference Wednesday. He leaves as the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history, but one who failed to hang a championship banner from the rafters. “Hiring a new coach will give us a great opportunity to hire somebody that will be ... a new, fresh voice with a new, fresh perspective,” Stevens said. “They don’t have to fill Doc Rivers’ shoes, like I did. And they don’t have to fill Danny Ainge’s shoes, like I do. They just have to figure out a way to be better than the last guy.” Stevens, who left Butler in 2013 after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back trips to the NCAA championship game, ends his only NBA coaching... [More]

ESPN has gone through many pairings and approaches trying to build a pregame show during its 18 seasons broadcasting the NBA. This time it's using a successful daily show. The Rachel Nichols-led “The Jump” has been a daytime hit since debuting four years ago and is going primetime. It will lead off ABC's Saturday night package, which begins with the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Houston Rockets. “To get the trust of ESPN to do something like this feels good. It's not just me hosting pregame, but have the whole feeling and ethos of 'The Jump' from games," Nichols said.Nichols often takes “The Jump” out of its Los Angeles studio for a big game or newsworthy event, including the NBA Finals. The biggest change is the show will be cut from 60 to 30 minutes, but even that is a throwback to its roots as a half-hour program on ESPN2. Mike Shiffman, head of NBA production for ESPN, said the ability of the show to be nimble and adjust to breaking news was one of the biggest draws to giving it a... [More]

ESPN has gone through many pairings and approaches trying to build a pregame show during its 18 seasons broadcasting the NBA. This time it's using a successful daily show. The Rachel Nichols-led “The Jump” has been a daytime hit since debuting four years ago and is going primetime. It will lead off ABC's Saturday night package, which begins with the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Houston Rockets. “To get the trust of ESPN to do something like this feels good. It's not just me hosting pregame, but have the whole feeling and ethos of 'The Jump' from games," Nichols said.Nichols often takes “The Jump” out of its Los Angeles studio for a big game or newsworthy event, including the NBA Finals. The biggest change is the show will be cut from 60 to 30 minutes, but even that is a throwback to its roots as a half-hour program on ESPN2. Mike Shiffman, head of NBA production for ESPN, said the ability of the show to be nimble and adjust to breaking news was one of the biggest draws to giving it a... [More]

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

Milwaukee didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs last year. Denver didn't even get into the first round of the playoffs, its postseason hopes thwarted by a loss in the last game of the regular season.As such, few may have seen this coming.The perk of getting to coach the All-Star Game goes to the staffs of the teams with the best records in the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference two weeks before the matchup — which this year meant the Bucks' Mike Budenholzer and the Nuggets' Michael Malone got the jobs.So for only the second time in the last 35 seasons, the All-Star coaches are people who weren't participants in the previous year's NBA playoffs. Malone missed by a game, and Budenholzer was coaching Atlanta to a 24-58 record. Yet on Feb. 17 in Charlotte, Budenholzer and Malone will be front and center with their chance to strategize for one night with the best players in the world."I feel like me and Mike are cut from the same cloth," Budenholzer said. "We want to be... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love can't remember being this freshly shaven, gliding his fingers over his smooth cheeks and chin while glancing at a large mirror.The reflection doesn't pain him anymore.From the outside, the Cleveland Cavaliers' All-Star forward appears to have it all: A model's striking looks, a multi-million dollar contract and dream job. At 30, he's in the prime of his career, and maybe for the first time, truly happy."I'm getting there," he said, his voice conveying determination. "It's still a work in progress."Nearly a year ago, Love suffered a panic attack during a game against Atlanta. The desperate, life-altering event eventually led to revealing his long-term battle with anxiety and depression.Now Love is hoping to break down stigmas about men's mental health. He has partnered with Shick Hydro on a website series called "Locker Room Talk" , holding candid conversations with Olympic gold-medal swimming icon Michael Phelps, former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce and Cavs... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers teammates Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul of the Rockets were suspended without pay Sunday for an on-court fight.Ingram was suspended four games, Rondo will sit out three games and Paul two games. The NBA handed down the punishments a day after the incident in the fourth quarter at Staples Center.The incident is costliest to Paul, who will be fined a total of $491,782. Paul is president of the NBA Players' Association. He began serving the suspension Sunday night when the Clippers played the Rockets.Rondo will be fined a total of $186,207, while Ingram's total is $158,816.Ingram and Rondo will start their suspensions Monday night when the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs.The league said Ingram was suspended for aggressively escalating the altercation and throwing a punch in the direction of Paul, confronting referee Jason Phillips in a hostile manner, and instigating the overall incident by shoving Rockets guard James Harden.Rondo has been suspended... [More]

The NBA is looking to see what sanctions Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram should face for their roles in an altercation that marred the final minutes of Saturday's game between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.A person with knowledge of the situation said that an NBA investigation into what led to the altercation was underway Sunday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the teams nor the league released any details of the probe.It's likely that some sort of announcement comes by Sunday night, simply because Paul and the Rockets are scheduled to play in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The league typically delivers sanctions before a player involved in an incident can appear in his next game.The Lakers next play on Monday at home against San Antonio.The Rockets were up 109-108 with 4:13 remaining when Ingram fouled Houston's James Harden. Ingram then shoved Harden and confronted referee Jason Phillips after getting a technical... [More]

The NBA is looking to see what sanctions Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram should face for their roles in an altercation that marred the final minutes of Saturday's game between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.A person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday that the NBA was investigating what led to the altercation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the teams nor the league released any details of the probe.It's likely that some sort of announcement comes by Sunday night, simply because Paul and the Rockets are scheduled to play in Los Angeles against the Clippers. The league typically delivers sanctions before a player involved in an incident can appear in his next game.The Lakers next play on Monday at home against San Antonio.The Rockets were up 109-108 with 4:13 remaining when Ingram fouled Houston's James Harden. Ingram then shoved Harden and confronted referee Jason Phillips after getting a technical foul.As... [More]

Paul George can count.That's what we forgot.Everyone knows that the lure of home is strong for George, a Los Angeles kid who took countless jumpers as a youngster while pretending to be Kobe Bryant and wearing purple and gold. And players tend to go home: Paul Pierce played in LA toward the end of his career, Dwyane Wade briefly played in Chicago, Chauncey Billups had stints in Denver.So while diving into the magnitude of the numbers in George's soon-to-be-official deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder — four years at an average of $34 million a season, a contract that sure seems like it will help push the OKC payroll and luxury tax bills for next season alone to perhaps well over $200 million — there was one number that seems to have mattered most.It is 28.His age.He's still a young man, even by NBA standards. Consider this: George might not even be at his NBA peak yet. Barring an extension, which is possible, he could exercise his option to become a free agent again in the summer of 2021... [More]

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) — Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are about to find out what the NBA playoffs are really about.After dispatching the Miami Heat in five games in the first round in their first career postseason appearance, the Philadelphia 76ers' youngsters will open the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night in Boston against the Celtics.All those banners hanging from the Garden rafters.All that history on the parquet floor.All that bad blood between the two cities.A civic rivalry that dates back to the Revolutionary War era came of age on the basketball court with Wilt Chamberlain leading the Philadelphia Warriors, and later the 76ers, against Bill Russell's Celtics in the 1960s. Larry Bird and Julius Erving picked it up in the 1980s.Celtics forward Marcus Morris, a Philadelphia native, grew up watching the Allen Iverson-led 76ers that went to the NBA Finals in 2001 but lost to Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker's Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals the following year.He's not... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With every Anthony Davis put-back dunk, reverse alley-oop jam, step-back 3-pointer or game-sealing block in the playoffs, the New Orleans Pelicans take a step closer to becoming the NBA's next small-market success story.That didn't quite happen with Chris Paul, who essentially forced a trade after his sixth season in the Big Easy amid concerns about uncertain ownership.The 25-year-old Davis is now in his sixth season in New Orleans. And the five-time All-Star is not only playing historically good basketball, but seems to see no need for moving vans in order to go ring hunting.Davis, after all, was a young fan when Reggie Miller was in the twilight of an 18-year career with Indiana that transformed the Pacers into playoff regulars — and while Tim Duncan was embarking on a long career in San Antonio highlighted by five NBA titles."There's always, you know, 'You can't win in a small market or you can't get noticed in a small market,' but then you look at those guys and they've... [More]

This is the worst season for the San Antonio Spurs in the last 21 years.They're on pace for only 46 wins.ONLY 46 wins.That's a season fans in other many cities would celebrate wildly. Philadelphia hasn't won 46 games since 2002-03, Minnesota not since 2003-04, Sacramento not since 2004-05. Detroit hasn't had a 46-win season in the last decade. The Knicks have one in the last 17 seasons. Milwaukee reached it once in the last 16 seasons entering this year. Charlotte, once in the last 15 seasons. The Nets, once in the last 12 seasons.But this is San Antonio, the silver-and-black standard for the league, where winning 55 or 60 games and making a deep playoff run is considered as much of an annual rite as the rodeo and the Texas Folklife Festival. And even after a blowout win over Orlando on Tuesday night, the Spurs (38-30) are still on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.No need to panic just yet. The Spurs are a mere one game in the loss column behind Oklahoma City,... [More]

This is the worst season for the San Antonio Spurs in the last 21 years.They're on pace for only 46 wins.ONLY 46 wins.That's a season fans in other many cities would celebrate wildly. Philadelphia hasn't won 46 games since 2002-03, Minnesota not since 2003-04, Sacramento not since 2004-05. Detroit hasn't had a 46-win season in the last decade. The Knicks have one in the last 17 seasons. Milwaukee reached it once in the last 16 seasons entering this year. Charlotte, once in the last 15 seasons. The Nets, once in the last 12 seasons.But this is San Antonio, the silver-and-black standard for the league, where winning 55 or 60 games and making a deep playoff run is considered as much of an annual rite as the rodeo and the Texas Folklife Festival. And even after a blowout win over Orlando on Tuesday night, the Spurs (38-30) are still on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.No need to panic just yet. The Spurs are a mere one game in the loss column behind Oklahoma City,... [More]

LeBron James says he won't be traded, though every other move should be on the table for the Cleveland Cavaliers.It's just unclear if anything can make a difference.The Cavaliers are a team that's deeply in a rut and badly in need of a change to jump-start a season that shows signs of slipping away. But they're down to their final hours to find help via trade, with the deadline set for Thursday afternoon.Impact players are traded, but this season the biggest ones may have already been moved. Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony all were dealt over the summer, as was Kyrie Irving — in a move that may have backfired for the Cavs. Their former point guard has led Boston to the top of the Eastern Conference, while Isaiah Thomas has struggled in the brief time he's been available since returning from his hip injury.Cleveland also acquired the Brooklyn Nets' No. 1 pick in that deal, a likely high lottery selection. But the type of names most heavily mentioned in the days... [More]

G/F Paul Pierce's No. 34 will be retired by the Boston Celtics during the season next year, cementing his 15-year legacy with the franchise. The Celtics announced Friday they will honor Pierce after a midseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Feb. 11. A 10-time All-Star, Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with the Celtics, helping the club to the NBA title in 2008. Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.44 steals and 36.6 minutes in his 1,102 career games with the Celtics.

F Paul Pierce signed a one-day contract with the Boston Celtics on Monday in a move that allows him to retire as a member of the franchise. A 10-time All-Star, Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with the Celtics, helping the club to the NBA title in 2008. "It's an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic," the 39-year-old Pierce said a statement. "The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn't imagine ending my career any other way. I'm a Celtic for life." Pierce was selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick of the 1998 draft. He averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists while playing in 1,343 career games with the Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.

F Paul Pierce played his final NBA game in Sunday's loss to Utah. He scored six points in 22 minutes.

F Paul Pierce, used only occasionally during the season, scored 10 points Monday to pass John Havlicek for 15th place on the all-time NBA list with 26,397 career points. "I am extremely proud of what Paul Pierce has done," teammate DeAndre Jordan said. "When you have done so much in this league like he has, it's cool to see him to do it in his hometown."