NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jrue Holiday's postseason production is providing Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis with a more comfortable margin for error — and has left Portland with precious little.Holiday's 54 points, 16 assists and slew of defensive successes in the first two games are big reasons why the sixth-seeded Pelicans hold a surprising 2-0 series lead over the third-seeded Trail Blazers as they prepare for Game 3 Thursday night in New Orleans."Playoff Jrue, I guess," Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "He's in a different mode."Philadelphia visits Miami in one of two other Game 3s on Thursday night, while the Spurs' return to San Antonio after a pair of double-digit losses at defending champion Golden State.Pelicans general manager Dell Demps bet big on Holiday on the first day of free agency last summer, giving the 27-year-old guard a five-year contract worth about $126 million. But if... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Andre Iguodala knocked down another clutch 3-pointer and let out some rare emotion, triumphantly reaching his arms out wide as he ran back to the defensive end. The Golden State swingman had thrown down a spectacular alley-oop dunk only 31 seconds earlier, and he was feeling it as the clocked ticked away on a second straight lopsided playoff win.There's something about Iguodala in the postseason. He paces himself through the regular season to be fresh and ready — and sometimes dominant — on the big stage for the defending NBA champions."Everyone gets hyped when Andre gets hyped because that's a rare occurrence," teammate Klay Thompson said. "You might see it on the golf course."It's just what the short-handed Warriors were hoping to see.Iguodala is back in the starting lineup for Golden State's first-round series against the Spurs, filling in for Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP recovers from a sprained left knee. That's how versatile Iguodala is: the 6-foot-6 swingman... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki's 21st NBA season will include a trip in China.His Dallas Mavericks will play a pair of preseason games against the Philadelphia 76ers there, 10 years after Nowitzki played for Germany in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He will become the first player in NBA history to play 21 seasons with the same franchise.The league announced Tuesday that the Mavericks and 76ers will meet Oct. 5 in Shanghai and then Oct. 8 in Shenzhen.The 76ers, who are back in the playoffs this season, have a large international fan base. They are led by Joel Embiid, a native of Cameroon, and Australian rookie Ben Simmons.Dallas and Philadelphia both will be playing in China for the first time. The games will be the NBA's 25th and 26th in China, which is passionate about basketball and will host the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George has found his shot.Actually, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star has been on a roll heading into the playoffs.In the five regular season games in April, he averaged 27.6 points and made 41 percent of his 3-pointers and 90 percent of his free throws. He closed the regular season with a 40-point outburst against Memphis.He kept it up in OKC's playoff opener, scoring 36 points and setting a Thunder playoff record with eight 3-pointers as Oklahoma City beat Utah 116-108 .It took George a minute to consistently take the scoring pressure off Russell Westbrook. He struggled on offense right after the All-Star break and said he couldn't find his shot."To his credit, when he was going through a little bit of that slump where he wasn't shooting the ball particularly well, he really put extra work in," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I felt like he was really driven and focused to work his way through it."A couple of former OKC standouts are also thriving early in... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder forward Paul George and Utah guard Donovan Mitchell, the leading scorers for their respective teams in their first-round playoff series, are uncertain for Game 2 on Wednesday because of injuries.George scored 36 points in the opener and set a team playoff record with eight 3-pointers in Oklahoma City's 116-108 win, but he missed the last minute to get treatment for a bruised right hip. Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he'd wait until Wednesday to determine George's status. He said George was limited in practice and did not do contact work.Mitchell suffered a left foot bruise in Game 1, and a Jazz spokesman said he is questionable. The rookie went through portions of Tuesday's practice. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds in the opener after averaging 20.5 points in the regular season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Kyle Korver is getting daily treatment on his bruised right foot and taking medication to fight off a "nasty little bug" that has made its way through Cleveland's roster.Only time can heal his broken heart.As he begins chasing a championship, Korver is wrestling with the recent death of his younger brother, Kirk, who died at 27 from complications following a sudden illness.Following Tuesday's practice, Korver paused several times while discussing a "very complicated month" that has changed his life and split him in two. He's walking an emotional balance beam."You come back from dealing with death and the family and you hold that in one hand and you hold the playoffs here in another hand and it's interesting to kind of balance both of those at the same time and try to get yourself ready to play basketball," he said. "And, I've been hurt. I feel like it's been a very complicated month in my mind, but I feel like I'm in a good spot right now and I'm ready to play."Korver... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder forward Paul George and Utah guard Donovan Mitchell, the leading scorers for their respective teams in their first-round playoff series, are questionable for Game 2 on Wednesday.George scored 36 points in the opener and set a team playoff record with eight 3-pointers in Oklahoma City's 116-108 win, but he missed the last minute to get treatment for a bruised right hip. Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he'd wait until Wednesday to determine George's status. He said George was limited in practice and did not do contact work.Mitchell suffered a left foot bruise in Game 1, and a Jazz spokesman said he is questionable. The rookie went through portions of Tuesday's practice. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds in the opener after averaging 20.5 points in the regular season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Kawhi Leonard has a new team, and Gregg Popovich isn't the coach.This is where the San Antonio Spurs are at right now, as this impasse between the franchise and its best player continues even as the season is almost certainly winding down. There are only questions, no answers.How is Leonard doing? The Spurs act like they don't know. Leonard isn't saying, either. He hasn't been around the Spurs so far in these playoffs, rehabbing in New York, and Popovich is deferring questions to "Kawhi and his group."That's ironic. Unwillingness to answer certain questions is part of the Spurs' mystique. Popovich can be an interviewer's dream or an interviewer's nightmare, but now, it's the Spurs who are the ones seemingly frustrated by the lack of answers. Their best player was barely around this season, and with the Spurs looking almost certain to be knocked out of the playoffs soon by Golden State an offseason of what's next is looming.Leonard won't be on the floor for the Spurs in Game 3 when their... [More]

The Portland Trail Blazers fought their way through a pressure-packed playoff race to earn home-court advantage in a series, then lost it in one game.The Toronto Raptors know that problem all too well, so they want to take advantage of playing from ahead for a change.They try for their first 2-0 playoff series lead ever Tuesday night against Washington, while the Trail Blazers try to even things up in against the New Orleans Pelicans.Boston and Milwaukee play the other Game 2 on Tuesday after the Celtics pulled out a 113-107 overtime victory on Sunday.The No. 3 Trail Blazers were the highest-seeded team to lose so far, falling 97-95 on Saturday. Anthony Davis was dominant, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were slow-starting, and the Pelicans got a couple big defensive plays down the stretch from Jrue Holiday to hold on after the Blazers nearly came back from a 19-point deficit."I think it puts some pressure on us," Lillard said. "You know, you come in with home court, the first two games... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Rajon Rondo is healthy and he's locked in.That's good news for the New Orleans Pelicans, not so much for the Portland Trail Blazers. When Rondo is locked in during the postseason, the 6-foot-1 guard who won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics has shown he can be a tough out.Over the course of his career, Rondo has averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Comparatively in the playoffs, he has averaged 14.3 points, 9.2 assists and six rebounds per game.Not that he is buying into the Playoff Rondo hype, however."There's a lot of factors into that. I don't think you can break it down as simple as one or two things," Rondo said after practice Monday. "The interview would probably be too long for me to break it down completely. It's a matter of me being healthy, minutes, my teammates trusting me, my coaching staff trusting me."I think we, as a team, we're playing pretty good under pressure."They are indeed.Rondo dished out 17 assists in Game 1 of the series,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — They've spent the entire season on the fringe, virtually ignored by all but the most savvy fans and NBA insiders.They don't have any household names or any superstars on their roster, just one All-Star and a role player best known for foolish on-court antics.But as the Indiana Pacers strolled quietly into practice on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena, a building they silenced less than 24 hours earlier with an eye-catching playoff win in Game 1 over the Cavaliers, there was something unmistakable about them.They're confident — and they're no longer a secret."People didn't expect us to do this well," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said, leaning back in a cushioned chair at the end of Indiana's bench. "We like that. That's what kind of drives our motor a little bit, being overlooked and no one expecting us to do what we're currently doing."The Pacers were the better team — by far — on Sunday, leading from tip to final horn in a 98-80 victory over Cleveland that snapped a 21-game... [More]

The Portland Trail Blazers fought their way through a pressure-packed playoff race to earn home-court advantage in a series, then lost it in one game.The Toronto Raptors know that problem all too well, so they want to take advantage of playing from ahead for a change.They try for their first 2-0 playoff series lead ever Tuesday night against Washington, while the Trail Blazers try to even things up in against the New Orleans Pelicans.Boston and Milwaukee play the other Game 2 on Tuesday after the Celtics pulled out a 113-107 overtime victory on Sunday.The No. 3 Trail Blazers were the highest-seeded team to lose so far, falling 97-95 on Saturday. Anthony Davis was dominant, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were slow-starting, and the Pelicans got a couple big defensive plays down the stretch from Jrue Holiday to hold on after the Blazers nearly came back from a 19-point deficit."I think it puts some pressure on us," Lillard said. "You know, you come in with home court, the first two games... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has a left foot bruise and his status is uncertain for Game 2 of the Western Conference playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.Mitchell left Oklahoma City's 116-108 win Game 1 on Sunday after stubbing his toe in the third quarter, and he played sporadically the rest of the way. A team spokesman said Mitchell had an MRI on Monday, and the team will provide a status update on Tuesday. When asked if he was concerned about missing Game 2 on Wednesday, Mitchell said, "Not at all.""I can walk," he said. "I think tomorrow will be the deciding factor, but I feel fine. I feel fine right now."Mitchell is one of the league's top rookies. He averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the regular season. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1.Mitchell did not try to run on the foot on Monday, saying there was no need to. He said he expects to be able to help the Jazz bounce back."We were stagnant," he said. "The ball... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder guard Corey Brewer will start Sunday's playoff opener against the Utah Jazz after spraining his right knee during Oklahoma City's regular-season finale against Memphis on Wednesday.Thunder coach Billy Donovan made the announcement during his pregame media availability.Brewer didn't practice Friday and was limited Saturday.The Thunder added the 32-year-old Brewer after the All-Star break to fill the void left when Andre Roberson was knocked out for the season with a ruptured left patellar tendon. Brewer started 16 of 18 games with the Thunder and posted averages of 10.1 points and 2.1 steals per game. Oklahoma City is 11-5 with him as a starter.Thunder shooting guard Alex Abrines is available after being in concussion protocol. He was injured during a win over the Miami Heat on Monday and didn't play against Memphis on Wednesday.

Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions, and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that's the case.Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand — or at least hope for — on Monday.Popovich's San Antonio Spurs just didn't have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra's Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors."We understand that we are not favorites," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we've got to overachieve. We've got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we'll fight as hard as we can in Game 2."That will have to be a mantra for both... [More]

Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions, and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that's the case.Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand — or at least hope for — on Monday.Popovich's San Antonio Spurs just didn't have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra's Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors."We understand that we are not favorites," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we've got to overachieve. We've got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we'll fight as hard as we can in Game 2."That will have to be a mantra for both... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — So far the trade for Chris Paul to give the Houston Rockets another superstar to help James Harden has worked famously.Now the two, who have both had their fair share of playoff disappointments, will try to carry their regular-season success into the postseason when the Rockets open a first-round series with Minnesota on Sunday night.The guards have been effusive in their praise for one another, with Harden recently joking that his relationship with the nine-time All-Star was "love at first sight." Paul didn't go quite that far, but a huge smile crossed his often serious face when asked how their pairing has worked."Unbelievable," he said. "You just (don't) get this opportunity too often in a career to play with somebody like James ... you get a chance to appreciate greatness."What he's doing on a nightly basis and stuff like that, it's crazy and I'm in awe," Paul continued. "I'm grateful I get to play alongside him."When told of what Paul said about him, Harden was quick... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James has mastered the first-round knockout.Better protect those chins, Pacers.One of the most dominant postseason players in NBA history, James is undefeated in Game 1 of any opening series, a perfect 12-0 since making his playoff debut with the Cavaliers back in 2006.James is a ridiculous 48-7 overall in the first round with seven sweeps, and his teams in Miami and Cleveland have ripped off 21 consecutive opening-round victories, a winning streak that stretches to 2012 in his second season with the Heat. Since rejoining the Cavs in 2015, he's 12-0 in Round 1.Facing him means an early exit.But while all those overbearing facts would seem to give Cleveland a huge advantage against Indiana in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that starts Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena, James isn't taking the Pacers lightly. They beat the Cavs three times during the regular season and guard Victor Oladipo and Co. have enough talent to maybe upset the No. 4 seed."It's... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The last time Carmelo Anthony was in the playoffs, he was with the New York Knicks facing rising star Paul George and the Indiana Pacers back in 2013.Now, Anthony and George are teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They join Russell Westbrook in a quest for their first NBA title, starting Sunday when the Thunder host the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.Because it's been so long, Anthony appreciates the opportunity to play in the postseason. He came to Oklahoma City in a trade before training camp expecting to compete for an NBA title."It's important," he said. "I'm here now, so ain't no looking back. I'm here. It's important, it's exciting. At the same time, I'm not here just to say I made it back to the playoffs. I'm here to make a statement as a team and prove why we put this team together. This is the place where I belong, we belong, and we have an opportunity to start something good on Sunday."Westbrook became the... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — By now, the Boston Celtics have come to expect adversity.They were barely five minutes into the season when Gordon Hayward's gruesome ankle injury offered the first collective gasp in what would be an 82-game schedule replete with more head-shaking moments.The most recent setback, season-ending knee surgery for Kyrie Irving, left teams in the East almost hoping for a chance to face the wounded Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.Boston enters as the No. 2 seed. But it is certainly vulnerable opposite a seventh-seeded Bucks team with which it split four games this season. Milwaukee is led by one of the league's budding young talents in 23-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo.If there is a silver lining for the Celtics it's that they went 14-8 without Irving for the last 22 games."It's forcing our group to grow up quicker than maybe some of our guys were supposed to," forward Al Horford said. "I think that this is a great opportunity that we have in front of us. We've really... [More]