HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets were up by 14 in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors when they started missing from 3-point range. They shot themselves all the way from prime position to advance to the NBA Finals to the end of a solid season.James Harden was the first to miss. Eric Gordon soon bricked one, and P.J. Tucker did the same. It was miss after miss after miss as the cold streak stretched to nine by halftime. There were 14 more in the third quarter in a surprising performance for a team that relied on the 3 all season. By the time Tucker connected with about 6 1/2 minutes left, the Rockets had missed an NBA-record 27 straight 3-pointers and the Warriors were on their way to a 101-92 victory.Though Gordon believes the result would have been different if Houston had Chris Paul for the last two games of the Western Conference finals, saying: "if he was out there, we'd have been playing on Thursday," the rest of the Rockets agreed that even the nine-time All-Star... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's Chris Paul has been ruled out for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals against Golden State because of a strained right hamstring.Coach Mike D'Antoni says: "Everybody came to the same conclusion. There's no way." The nine-time All-Star got hurt late in the fourth quarter of Game 5 and missed the Rockets' 115-86 loss on Saturday.The Rockets are trying to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995 against a Golden State team that hopes to reach the finals for the fourth straight season.D'Antoni says they made the decision because: "He couldn't explode. He couldn't push off of it."

HOUSTON (AP) — When the Golden State Warriors lost Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to the Rockets on Thursday night to send them to the brink of elimination they vowed to be back in Houston for Game 7.After a resounding win in Game 6 that's exactly where the defending champions are, preparing for a winner-take-all game Monday night for a spot in the NBA Finals."It's going to be fun," Stephen Curry said. "It's what you play for, to be in a situation where you're one win away from going to the finals. Pressure both ways because of how big the moment is, and you've got to want it."The Warriors trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half Saturday night before using a splendid second half to roll to a 115-86 victory. Curry knows that if the Warriors hope to return to the finals for the fourth straight year they'll have to get off to a better start in Game 7."I guarantee if we start the game out like we did (Saturday) and they jump out to the lead, it's going to be 10 times harder... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Rockets star Chris Paul is receiving treatment "around the clock" on his injured right hamstring and coach Mike D'Antoni hopes it will only be a matter of days before he is healthy enough to play again.The timeline remained unclear whether Paul might be fine to play a possible Game 7 if the Rockets lost Saturday night's Game 6 and had to return to Houston to face the Golden State Warriors again Monday night. Eric Gordon started in Paul's place Saturday at Oracle Arena."I think he'll play as soon as he can," D'Antoni said before the game Saturday. "It's just not a question of trying to outsmart. He's going to play. As soon as he's able to walk and run, he'll do it. There was no shot at it today."Golden State forward Andre Iguodala was out for a third straight game this series after he sustained a bone bruise in his left knee during Game 3. Coach Steve Kerr said Iguodala continues to have pain when running, so he's still listed as day to day."It's a bone bruise, and... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers won't get any sympathy from the Celtics when they return to Boston for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.Already laboring to reach his eighth straight NBA Finals with a supporting crew made mostly of cast-offs and throw-ins, James lost the only other All-Star on the roster on Saturday when Kevin Love was declared out for the series finale with a concussion.Now, in what could be his final game in a Cleveland uniform — again — James will have to do it largely on his own.In Boston, where the Celtics are perfect so far this postseason.And in a series where the road team hasn't really even come close."There's something different about LeBron, period," Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. said after James scored 46 with 11 rebounds and nine assists on Friday night to send the series to a decisive seventh game. "I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: 'We're going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.'... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love won't be able to help LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 7 against the Celtics.Love was placed in the NBA's concussion protocol and the All-Star forward will miss Sunday's series finale of the Eastern Conference finals, a personal blow and yet another challenge for Cleveland to overcome.The Cavaliers said Love, who inadvertently bashed heads with Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum in the first quarter of Game 6, experienced concussion-like symptoms Saturday before the team's flight to Boston.Moments before the Cavs sent a news release updating Love's status, coach Tyronn Lue held a confusing teleconference during which he said the 29-year-old was still being evaluated and there was a possibility he could play.However, like everything else in this erratic, convoluted season for Cleveland, things changed quickly.Now, the Cavs will be without their second-leading scorer and top rebounder as they try to win their fourth straight conference title against a younger team... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love won't be able to help LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 7 against the Celtics.Love was placed in the NBA's concussion protocol and the All-Star forward will miss Sunday's series finale of the Eastern Conference finals, a personal blow and yet another challenge for Cleveland to overcome.The Cavaliers said Love experienced concussion-like symptoms Saturday before the team's flight to Boston. Moments before the Cavs sent a news release updating Love's status, coach Tyronn Lue said the 29-year-old, who inadvertently bashed heads with Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum on Friday, was still being evaluated and there was a possibility he could play.However, like everything else in this erratic, convoluted season for Cleveland, things changed quickly.Now, the Cavs will be without their second-leading scorer as they try to win their fourth straight conference title. Love is averaging 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds in 17 playoff games, and he's the No. 2 scoring option on... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love will miss Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics with a concussion.The team said Saturday that Love, who bashed heads with Boston rookie Jayson Tatum in the first half of Cleveland's Game 6 win on Friday night, experienced concussion-like symptoms before the team's flight and has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol.Just minutes before the team announced Love's status, coach Tyronn Lue said he was still being evaluated.Love was kept out of the second half of Cleveland's 109-99 victory as a precaution after he and Tatum accidentally knocked heads. Love has suffered at least two other known concussions in his career.The Cavaliers were able to overcome the loss of Love, their second-leading scorer and top rebounder, as LeBron James scored 46 and Cleveland got solid contributions from George Hill, Jeff Green and others.___More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love's troubled season has twisted again.The Cavaliers All-Star forward, who has battled injuries and criticism while revealing he suffered panic attacks in the past, may have to sit out Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals after injuring his head Friday night during the first quarter of Cleveland's 109-99 win over the Boston Celtics.Love was kept out of the second half of Game 6 following his violent collision with Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum.Cleveland's medical staff checked Love for a concussion, and the team announced at halftime the 29-year-old would not return to the game as a precaution.Love has not been placed in concussion protocol, but that could change if he has an onset of symptoms — headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light — in the hours ahead. He will be re-examined Saturday before the team flies to Boston.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue did not know if he would have his second-best player for the season's biggest game as the Cavs try to win their fourth... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love will miss the remainder of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals after banging heads with Boston's Jayson Tatum.Love and Tatum inadvertently collided midway through the quarter and both dropped to the floor. Love, who missed a March 28 game at Charlotte with a concussion, immediately raised his left arm as if to signal he needed help.He stayed down for several minutes before he was pulled to his feet. Love walked unsteadily to the bench with guard George Hill holding one of his arms. Love sat briefly before heading to the locker room for further evaluation.The Cavs said Love is being evaluated for a concussion and being kept out as a precaution.Love was replaced by Jeff Green, who sparked the Cavs to a 54-43 halftime lead.Tatum stayed in the game.Love, who is in his fourth season with Cleveland and is the club's second-best player, is averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds in the series.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love left Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals after banging heads with Boston's Jayson Tatum.Love and Tatum inadvertently collided midway through the quarter and both dropped to the floor. Love, who missed a March 28 game at Charlotte with a concussion, immediately raised his arm as if to signal he needed help.He stayed down for several minutes before he was helped to his feet. He walked unsteadily to the bench with guard George Hill holding one of his arm. Love sat briefly before heading to the locker room for further evaluation.The team had no immediate word on Love's condition. He was replaced by Jeff Green.Tatum stayed in the game.Love, who is in his fourth season with Cleveland and is the club's second-best player, is averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds in the series.

HOUSTON (AP) — If the Golden State Warriors are worried as they head into Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on the brink of elimination, they aren't showing it."We have a chance to tie the series at home. That's a pretty good position to be in," coach Steve Kerr said. "We've got to win two basketball games and we've done that an awful lot, so we're very confident."The defending champions trail Houston 3-2 in the best-of-seven series after consecutive wins by the Rockets, capped by Thursday night's 98-94 victory . Now the series shifts to Oracle Arena, a place where the Warriors have lost just one time in their last 17 playoff games.Stephen Curry said the Warriors are encouraged despite falling behind in the series because they believe both games could have gone their way and that a few simple corrections will get them back on track."We have an opportunity to re-establish ourselves at home, get a big win, keep ourselves alive, and then roll the dice into Game 7," Curry said. "Not all... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets will be without star guard Chris Paul for Game 6 because of a strained hamstring, a huge blow for a team trying to close out the Golden State Warriors.Paul was injured in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's victory that gave the Rockets a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals."I hate it for him, above all," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's practically won us the last two games. But great opportunity for other guys and we have plenty to choose from and we'll be ready."Eric Gordon, the star of Game 5, will start in Paul's place Saturday night. He started 30 games this season while Paul and James Harden dealt with injuries."It will not change anything that we do or how we do it," D'Antoni said.Paul's right leg will be re-evaluated after the team returns to Houston following Game 6. On Friday, he was with the team, laughing and joking with teammates as they walked on the court for practice.Harden said the Rockets don't have time to dwell on the absence... [More]

The NBA playoffs never go according to plan. The Golden State Warriors are proof of that.Again.They have been the league's best team over the last four seasons, without question. But even the great teams need injury luck on their side, as has been evident in each of their playoff runs over that span.Enter Chris Paul and Andre Iguodala this year.In 2015, Golden State didn't have to face injured Cleveland stars Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love in the NBA Finals and won the title.A year later, the Warriors blew a 3-1 finals lead against the Cavs because the series turned in Game 5 — not because Draymond Green was suspended (the often-offered and incorrect narrative), but because Andrew Bogut got clumsily taken out by J.R. Smith and the Warriors had no one left to defend the rim from LeBron James' constant onslaughts.Last year, Kawhi Leonard came down on Zaza Pachulia's foot in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, San Antonio's big lead was gone in an instant and the Warriors steamrolled the... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night because of a hamstring injury.Paul was injured in the fourth quarter of Houston's win over the Warriors on Thursday night. The win gave the Rockets a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.The Rockets say Paul's strained right hamstring will be re-evaluated after the team returns to Houston following Game 6.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets are so full of physical defenders that Golden State coach Steve Kerr said many look like they could play football.And with three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt watching from a courtside seat Thursday night, this team long known for its powerful offense relied again on its defense to beat the Warriors 98-94 and take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals."Both teams are playing their guys heavy minutes so shots will fall or not," James Harden said. "But I think whoever can buckle down and get stops consecutively and create opportunities with their defense is going to win or have a chance at winning games."The last two games, we've done that."Indeed. The Rockets bounced back from an embarrassing 41-point loss in Game 3, when Golden State scored 126 points, to hold the Warriors to fewer than 100 points in two straight wins. Houston's stingy defense helped the Rockets come out on top on a night when Harden, the MVP front-runner, was 0... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was answering a question about Boston's defense on LeBron James during a teleconference when he tripped the security system at his home.A piercing alarm sounded."Uh-oh," Lue said Thursday as he punched in a code to silence the screaming siren.While Lue and his home were clearly safe, and the light-hearted moment passed quickly, it was also symbolic of Cleveland's urgent situation.The Cavs are in a dangerous spot.Beaten for the third time in Boston in these home-sweet-home Eastern Conference finals, Cleveland will face its second elimination game of the postseason on Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena.Game 6 is for everything.Except, of course, if there's a Game 7 on Sunday in Boston.Fueled by fueled-up Boston fans who must feel some sort of birthright to see their cherished team play in the Finals, the youthful Celtics again showed zero fear or hesitation on their parquet floor on Wednesday night during a 96-83 win in Game 5 that was never in... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named to the All-NBA second team.It's the second consecutive season that Antetokounmpo has been named second team All-NBA. He's the first Buck selected to an All-NBA team in back-to-back seasons since Sidney Moncrief in 1984-85 and 1985-86.In his fifth NBA season, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their second consecutive playoff berth and the team's most wins since the 2009-10 season. He set new career highs in points (26.9) and rebounds (10.0) per game in addition to dishing out 4.8 assists per game, second-highest of his career. He also shot a career-best 52.9 percent from the field.Joining Antetokounmpoon on the All-NBA second team are San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City.

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James was unanimously selected to the All-NBA first team for a record 12th time, while Houston's James Harden also appeared on all 100 first-team ballots.They were joined Thursday on the first team by New Orleans' Anthony Davis, Golden State's Kevin Durant and Portland's Damian Lillard.James passed Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone with the 12th first-team selection of his 15-year career. He also was a second-team selection twice.The second team was forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, and guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto.Injury absences sent Golden State's Stephen Curry tumbling to the third team, where he was joined in the backcourt by Indiana's Victor Oladipo. Minnesota teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler, and Oklahoma City's Paul George rounded out the third team.Voting was done by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA is headed to India next week, bringing another Basketball Without Borders camp to Asia.Miami's Kelly Olynyk, Oklahoma City's Corey Brewer, Brooklyn's Caris LeVert and Dallas' Dwight Powell will be among the coaches at the camp that starts May 30, the NBA said Thursday.Olynyk was a BWB camp player in 2009, invited from his native Canada to play in Mexico City.Former WNBA players Ruth Riley and Ebony Hoffman will also be coaching in India, along with NBA assistant coaches — Brooklyn's Bret Brielmaier, Atlanta's Darvin Ham, Minnesota's Ryan Saunders and Utah's Mike Wells.The camp runs through June 2 at the NBA Academy in India. Boys and girls from 16 countries were invited.Other BWB camps are planned this year in Serbia and South Africa.