LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have scratched rookie Zion Williamson from the lineup for Friday night's game against the Washington Wizards.The team designated Friday a rest day for the NBA's top overall draft choice after he scored 24 points in 22 minutes in the Pelicans' 140-125 loss to Sacramento on Thursday.Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry noted that Williamson has not played games on consecutive days at all during his entire rookie season, “and that’s the same thing here.” "We just thought it would be best right now to do it this way, and we’ll evaluate tomorrow and see what’s going on,” Gentry added.The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Williamson has seen his playing time limited after missing nearly two weeks of practice in July to attend to a family medical matter.The former Duke star has played as few as 14 minutes and not more than 25 minutes in a game since the Pelicans resumed their season July 30. Williamson has averaged nearly 17 points and about 19 minutes in the Pelicans'... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — This is the land of in-between for the Los Angeles Lakers.Games right now matter, in the sense that only three contests are left to build momentum for the postseason. And games right now don’t matter, in the sense that the Lakers basically knew five months ago that they would be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.They lost again Thursday night, with LeBron James getting the night off in a defeat to the Houston Rockets. The Lakers are 2-3 so far in the bubble, and their offensive numbers are brutal.There are 22 teams here at the NBA restart at Walt Disney World. Of those 22, the Lakers — the team with the second-best record in the NBA — rank last in field goal percentage (.408), last in 3-point percentage (.234), last in points per game (98.8) and next-to-last in free throw percentage (.729).“This is a totally different season, a totally different drastic situation for all of us, including myself,” James said this week.If they win Game 1 of the... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All the Brooklyn Nets were missing Tuesday were their leaders in salary, points, points per game, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and 3-pointers. If that wasn’t enough, the feel-good story of Jamal Crawford’s return to the NBA lasted for about six minutes.And they won.The severely undermanned Nets beat Milwaukee 119-116 on Tuesday, temporarily delaying what will be the Bucks’ clinching of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Bucks didn’t use Brook Lopez or Wesley Matthews at all, plus didn’t play All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton after halftime, though it should be noted that the Nets were winning at intermission anyway.Who the Bucks played or didn’t play wasn’t all that relevant to the Nets. The walls of the temporary locker rooms at the Visa Athletic Center are paper thin and don’t hold sound, but the Nets probably didn’t mind the fact that anyone within 100 feet could have heard their raucous postgame celebration.“Very... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jamal Crawford made his Brooklyn debut, and it ended quickly.Crawford hurt his left hamstring in the second quarter of the Nets’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Crawford had five points and three assists in six minutes off the bench. He got hurt while being guarded by Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, who appeared to step on Crawford’s foot. Crawford immediately started hopping, asked for a sub, went to the bench and the Nets didn’t need long to determine that his day was over.Crawford hadn’t played in Brooklyn’s first two games of the restart, held out for conditioning reasons. His appearance Tuesday made him the eighth player in NBA history to appear in 20 different seasons — and, with Vince Carter now officially retired, made him the oldest player currently in the league.At 40 years and 137 days, Crawford also became the oldest player to play for the Nets. He was signed July 9 as a replacement player by Brooklyn — which is without seven players because... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA referee David Guthrie said it was a mistake for his officiating crew to charge Miami’s Kelly Olynyk with a flagrant foul during the fourth quarter of what became a four-point Heat loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday.Guthrie, the crew chief on the game, told a pool reporter afterward that in real time he felt that Olynyk was too aggressive when he swiped at Toronto’s Kyle Lowry with 6:56 left in the game. Tre Maddox, another member of the three-man crew, called the foul.Lowry fell to the court on the play, which was reviewed. Guthrie was among those who studied replays of the incident and helped to ultimately determine that it met criteria for a flagrant foul 1. Lowry was awarded two free throws and Toronto kept possession after those.“After reviewing that more postgame, and thinking about it a little bit more, to me, it now is more of a natural basketball play going for the ball and that the contact really did not rise to the criteria of a flagrant foul,” Guthrie said after the game.Lowry made the two free throws for the flagrant to give Toronto a 94-92 lead, and the Raptors scored again on the ensuing possession. It was part of a 9-0 run by the Raptors, who never trailed again and won 107-103.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — So far, so good.The NBA’s bubble remains intact. The extraordinary health protocols put into place to try and save this season seem to be working. The mission shared by coaches and players to use their platform and continue the conversation about racial injustice is off to a strong start.Through four days, here’s just some of what has happened at Walt Disney World: LeBron James had a gamewinner for the Los Angeles Lakers, T.J. Warren put his name all over the Indiana record book with a 53-point outburst, Houston and Dallas combined for more than 300 points in a game, the defending champion Toronto Raptors came out flying and Joel Embiid had a 41-point, 21-rebound night — in a loss.And don't forget the symmetry: Rudy Gobert was the first player to test positive for coronavirus, so naturally, it made sense that the Utah center was the first player to score when the pandemic shutdown was officially over.If that wasn’t enough, the quality of play is so good that... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Butler was not with the Miami Heat for practice Sunday, and one of his teammates suggested that he was quarantining away from the team.The Heat said only that Butler, who scored 22 points in Miami’s restart-opening win over Denver on Saturday, had “an excused absence." But Heat teammate Jae Crowder indicated that it wasn’t just a day off for Butler.“We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine or whatever he’s in,” Crowder said. “It’s just a next-man-up mentality from a standpoint of staying locked in and engaged, because we know he’s locked in and engaged once he’s able to get back with us.“It’s definitely a curveball for all of us to hear stuff like what’s going on with him,” Crowder added. “You never know what to expect.”Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he didn't know whether Butler would be available to play Monday when Miami faces the Toronto Raptors. The Heat play the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.Crowder's reference to “quarantine," especially... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jimmy Butler was not with the Miami Heat for practice Sunday, and one of his teammates suggested that he was quarantining away from the team.The Heat said only that Butler, who scored 22 points in Miami’s restart-opening win over Denver on Saturday, had “an excused absence." But Heat teammate Jae Crowder indicated that it wasn’t just a day off for Butler.“We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine or whatever he’s in,” Crowder said. “It’s just a next-man-up mentality from a standpoint of staying locked in and engaged, because we know he’s locked in and engaged once he’s able to get back with us.“It’s definitely a curveball for all of us to hear stuff like what’s going on with him,” Crowder added. “You never know what to expect.”Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he didn't know whether Butler would be available to play Monday when Miami faces the Toronto Raptors. The Heat then play the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.Crowder's reference to “quarantine,"... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Meyers Leonard has a brother who served two tours in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines. He carries a military-themed backpack, wears combat boots and has a phone loaded with Navy SEALs who are his friends.He also makes this clear: “I absolutely believe Black Lives Matter,” he said.Still, Leonard simply could not bring himself to kneel for the national anthem.Wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt over a jersey that he ordered to say “Equality,” and as all other coaches and players around him knelt, Leonard stood for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Saturday before the Heat re-opened their season by facing the Denver Nuggets at Walt Disney World.“Some of the conversations I’ve had over the past three days, quite literally, have been the most difficult,” Leonard told The Associated Press prior to the game. “I am with the Black Lives Matter movement and I love and support the military and my brother and the people who have fought to defend our rights... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Meyers Leonard has a brother who served two tours in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines. He carries a military-themed backpack, wears combat boots and has a phone loaded with Navy SEALs who are his friends.He also makes this clear: “I absolutely believe Black Lives Matter,” he said.Still, Leonard simply could not bring himself to kneel for the national anthem.Wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt over a jersey that he ordered to say “Equality,” and as all other coaches and players around him knelt, Leonard stood for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Saturday before the Heat re-opened their season by facing the Denver Nuggets at Walt Disney World.“Some of the conversations I’ve had over the past three days, quite literally, have been the most difficult,” Leonard told The Associated Press prior to the game. “I am with the Black Lives Matter movement and I love and support the military and my brother and the people who have fought to defend our rights... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland's 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-135 on Friday.Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.“Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “This is playoff basketball from us and we have that pressure and you can’t shy away from it.”McCollum started fast, scoring 19 points in the first half, and finished strong with two crucial 3-pointers in overtime. The first one to open the extra period gave Portland the lead for good, and he added six assists.Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists... [More]

Zion Williamson completed the Pelicans' opening possession by slicing through two converging Jazz defenders and laying the ball in off the glass with his left hand as he was fouled.It was an auspicious beginning to a performance that was efficient and produced some dazzling moments — while it lasted. The Pelicans stuck to a cautious plan to ease Williamson back into action after he missed nearly two weeks of practice this month while attending to a private family medical matter. Perhaps just a few more minutes on the court for the NBA's top overall draft choice would have made a difference in a 106-104 loss to Utah in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Thursday night.“It is frustrating, but it’s not so frustrating,” Williamson said, noting the Pelicans "could probably not even let me play. But I’m able to play, so I’m going to do as much as I can while I’m out there.”Williamson scored 13 points in about 15 minutes, using spin moves and explosive drives to hit contested, leaning layups. He also... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Rudy Gobert sank two free throws with 6.9 seconds left to cap a 14-point, 12-rebound and three-block performance, giving the Utah Jazz a 106-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of the NBA's restart on Thursday night.New Orleans, which led for most of the game and by as many as 16 points, nearly pulled out the victory as time expired when Brandon Ingram's 3-point attempt rimmed out in a bitter end to his 23-point night.“He’s made a ton of big shots for us this year, but the bottom line is I don’t think it should have come down to that,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “We let a golden opportunity slip away.”Zion Williamson, who missed nearly two weeks of practice after leaving the team for a family medical matter on July 16, was deemed fit to start, although his playing time was limited.He scored 13 points in just more than 15 minutes, highlighted by a couple alley-oop dunks, one on a nearly half-court lob from Lonzo Ball.But Williamson... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau brought the Chicago Bulls to their greatest success since Michael Jordan.He returned the Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs after a 13-year absence.All the while, there was one challenge he sought. He has seen what it's like in New York when the Knicks win and wanted to be the coach to make it happen again.“This a dream come true for me,” Thibodeau said. “This is my dream job.” He got it Thursday, when the Knicks brought the former NBA Coach of the Year back to the organization he helped reach the NBA Finals as an assistant.Thibodeau was an assistant with the Knicks from 1996-2003, part of Jeff Van Gundy's staff when they made a run from the No. 8 seed to the finals in 1999. He's had success all around the NBA since he left and the Knicks have had almost none, but that hasn't dampened his desire to come back.“Maybe part of that is I grew up in Connecticut. My father, my family, we grew up as Knick fans,” Thibodeau said during a Zoom press conference. “I... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau is back in New York as the Knicks' new coach.The former NBA Coach of the Year was hired Thursday, returning to the team he helped lead to the NBA Finals as an assistant.“I know what New York is like when the Knicks are successful and there is nothing comparable," Thibodeau said in a statement. "I look forward to being a part of what we are building here and can’t wait to get to work.”Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Thibodeau, 62, is 352-246 in eight seasons coaching Chicago and Minnesota. He was the Coach of the Year in 2011 in his first season with the Bulls, whom he led to 50 wins in three of his five seasons.Thibodeau was an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy when the Knicks reached the 1999 NBA Finals. He reached the finals two other times as an assistant to Doc Rivers with the Boston Celtics, winning the 2008 championship. The Knicks have had almost no success since Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season. New York has won just one playoff series... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Irene Pollin, who co-owned the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Capitals along with late husband Abe, has died. She was 96.Monumental Sports and Entertainment said Pollin died Tuesday at her home in Amherst, Massachusetts.“Much like her husband, Abe Pollin, she was an icon in the sports world and beloved throughout the Greater Washington communities who have benefited from her generosity over the course of her lifetime," Monumental chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis said. “Irene will always be remembered and truly missed.”The Pollins owned the Wizards, who were known as the Bullets until the mid-1990s, for 46 years. They were the NBA’s longest-tenured owners when they sold the franchise to Leonsis in 2010.Irene Pollin is perhaps best remembered for her excited reaction to the Wizards winning the 2010 NBA draft lottery for the opportunity to select John Wall. She also played a role in the construction and operation of two arenas in the Washington area.Outside of sports, Pollin was a psychotherapist and philanthropist and a pioneer of women's health causes.

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago?” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving is making sure WNBA players can sit out the season and not stress about a paycheck.The Brooklyn Nets star is committing $1.5 million to supplement the income of players who choose not to play this season, whether it be because of coronavirus concerns or social justice reasons.The funds will come from the KAI Empowerment Initiative that Irving launched Monday. It will also provide players with a financial literacy program created by UBS.Irving said that with the help of WNBA players Natasha Cloud — who chose to sit out — and Jewell Loyd, he connected with several WNBA players who discussed with him the challenges they faced in deciding whether to play. The season began Saturday and will be played entirely at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.He decided to help with the financial burden in a league where the top annual salary is a little more than $200,000."Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health,... [More]