SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry is confident he has put his left hand through every possible test aside from actually getting into an NBA game.He will get that chance Thursday night, when the two-time MVP is set to return following a more than four-month absence with a broken left hand to play for Golden State against the Toronto Raptors. Curry said he is comfortable enough to play, though it may be months before his hand feels completely “normal” again to where he can compare it to the right side. Yet he still plans to play in the Tokyo Olympics this summer with the Team USA training camp scheduled to open in July.“Hopefully, there aren't any thoughts and I get to play my game the way I see it and just be able to react and make plays without having second thoughts or hesitation,” Curry said after shootaround Thursday morning at Chase Center. “If I need to make a left-handed pass, no matter where it is, or finish with my left or defend and get a deflection or take a hit with it, that... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, to the G League.The Bucks announced Wednesday that Atnteokounmpo and Dragan Bender have been assigned to the Wisconsin Herd.Antetokounmpo, who signed a two-year, minimum contract with Milwaukee during the offseason, has appeared in one game for the Bucks this season, while Bender has yet to see any action for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo had two points, two rebounds and one assist in six minutes in a 123-91 win at Orlando on Nov. 1Bender started the first two games of the season for the Herd and averaged 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.0 assist and 1.0 steal in 29.9 minutes per game.Both are expected to be in uniform for the Herd on Wednesday night.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Expectations for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have never been higher.After leading the Bucks to a league-best 60 wins in the regular season and losing to the NBA champion Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year, Antetokounmpo is putting his league MVP trophy on the shelf and focusing solely on taking Milwaukee to the next level."We gotta focus on ourselves, which is getting better each day, competing in practice so you can carry over to the game, and just build that winning culture, the great habits that we built last year," Antetokounmpo said. "If we do that, we're going to be one of the teams that will be the last one standing. That's our goal."Antetokounmpo, who is entering his seventh season with the Bucks, had the busiest offseason of this career. He had new press obligations after winning the MVP, launched his signature shoe with Nike, and played on the Greek national team in the FIBA World Cup. Somewhere along the way, Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Expectations for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have never been higher.After leading the Bucks to a league-best 60 wins in the regular season and losing to the NBA champion Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year, Antetokounmpo is putting his league MVP trophy on the shelf and focusing solely on taking Milwaukee to the next level."We gotta focus on ourselves, which is getting better each day, competing in practice so you can carry over to the game, and just build that winning culture, the great habits that we built last year," Antetokounmpo said. "If we do that, we're going to be one of the teams that will be the last one standing. That's our goal."Antetokounmpo, who is entering his seventh season with the Bucks, had the busiest offseason of this career. He had new press obligations after winning the MVP, launched his signature shoe with Nike, and played on the Greek national team in the FIBA World Cup. Somewhere along the way, Antetokounmpo... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Trevor Ariza has agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement cannot be officially announced during the free agent moratorium.The 33-year-old Ariza brings a reputation for winning and veteran leadership that general manager Ryan McDonough said the team needed around its young core that features Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton.It's a nice raise for the 14-year NBA veteran, who earned $7.4 million last season, his fourth with Houston.Ariza averaged 11.7 points last season for a Rockets team that compiled the best record in the NBA at 65-17 before losing to Golden State in a seven-game Western Conference finals. Phoenix had the league's worst record at 21-61 and has missed the playoffs eight years in a row.Ariza has averaged 10.5 points per game, shooting 42 percent from the field... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Maybe, just maybe, the worst is behind the Phoenix Suns.Their 50th anniversary season was awful, even worse than the two that came before.For the eighth season in a row, the Suns won't make the playoffs. The win totals the past three seasons: 23, 24 and — this year 21. That 21-61 mark is the worst since Phoenix went 16-66 in its inaugural 1968-69 season.The season devolved in the final months, with injuries depleting the already exceedingly young roster, leaving a contingent of G League transfers to fill out the lineup in the final days. The Suns lost a franchise-record 15 straight in one stretch.Now, everyone involved is insisting, enough is enough."I'm done with not making the playoffs," rising star Devin Booker said as the players cleaned out their lockers and conducted exit interviews Wednesday. "I'm serious. This is probably my last year ever not making the playoffs. If that's putting pressure on myself, I'm going to take this summer and work that hard so that it doesn't... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Maybe, just maybe, the worst is behind the Phoenix Suns.Their 50th anniversary season was awful, even worse than the two that came before.For the eighth season in a row, the Suns won't make the playoffs. The win totals the past three seasons: 23, 24 and — this year 21. That 21-61 mark is the worst since Phoenix went 16-66 in its inaugural 1968-69 season.The season devolved in the final months, with injuries depleting the already exceedingly young roster, leaving a contingent of G League transfers to fill out the lineup in the final days. The Suns lost a franchise-record 15 straight in one stretch.Now, everyone involved is insisting, enough is enough."I'm done with not making the playoffs," rising star Devin Booker said as the players cleaned out their lockers and conducted exit interviews Wednesday. "I'm serious. This is probably my last year ever not making the playoffs. If that's putting pressure on myself, I'm going to take this summer and work that hard so that it doesn't... [More]