LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The kids are having all kinds of fun at Walt Disney World.Donovan Mitchell, just 23 years old, opened the NBA playoffs with 57 points, third-most in history.Luka Doncic, only 21, scored 42, the best postseason debut the league had ever seen.They did everything but win.Numbers have been eye-popping all over the bubble, with individual players and sometimes entire teams pouring it on like never before. There’s no indication so far that’s going to change in the postseason. “In some ways I don’t know if it’s more competitive, but it’s competitive out there,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whose team withstood Doncic’s debut to beat Dallas in Game 1.“I think because everyone in the bubble has confidence right now because they put the work in, so that’s what’s going to make it hard.”The thought was always that defenses tightened up come playoff time, with the pace of the game slowing down and more adjustments being made as teams familiarize themselves with an opponent... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Lowry spent 13 years chasing an NBA championship before finally getting the ring. His career is closer to the end than the beginning. He’s made his money. His jersey will sway from rafters in Toronto one day. He’ll be a candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame a few years after retiring.It begs the question: What’s left?Lowry’s answer is succinct: More.Getting that first NBA title last season finally satisfied one quest for the Raptors’ point guard — but also whet his appetite for another one. So now the defending champions are returning to the NBA playoffs, with their on-court leader determined to win the whole thing once again.“That feeling is unmatched,” Lowry said. “Other than my children being born, I don’t think I’ve had a feeling like that, ever. And that’s the motivation to keep doing that.”He’s shown all season that the fire is real, too.Now 34 years old, Lowry led the Raptors — who lost NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and fellow starter Danny Green... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies' rebuilding plan is ahead of even the most optimistic schedule,They have won more games before the All-Star break than predicted and currently hold the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings.“We had high hopes for what this group could become, and I think it's fair to say that this group has already exceeded I think any realistic expectations that anyone had internally or externally,” Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman said Monday. Kleiman talked to reporters Monday for the first time since the trade deadline. The Grizzlies are 3-1 in February and have won 14 of their last 18 and are 27-26 overall — a game above what most sports books expected this season.It's a quick turnaround from just over a year ago when Memphis was breaking up the final pieces of a group that set a franchise record with seven straight playoff appearances that ended in 2017.The Grizzlies traded center Marc Gasol to Toronto. Then controlling owner Robert Pera shook... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Toronto coach Nick Nurse keeps imploring the defending NBA champions to fix their flaws.The bigger challenge, right now, might be identifying those errors.Two days after rallying from a 19-point deficit to extend their franchise-record winning streak, the short-handed Raptors used another late charge to pull away from Indiana 115-106 on Friday night for their 13th consecutive victory.“I thought we were into it the whole 48 minutes," Nurse said. "I thought we were playing well enough to maybe get away. You know how those games come down to somebody hits a couple at one end, somebody misses a couple at the other and all of a sudden the game's over."Lately, the Raptors seem to have had all the answers.They've won without Marc Gasol and Norman Powell, two key players who are injured. They won Wednesday when it looked as though they didn't have a chance. And this time, they delivered the decisive final flurry without six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry.Lowry missed the final 14... [More]

It is the time of year when every injury report causes eyebrows to raise.D'Angelo Russell, not in Golden State’s lineup at Washington on Monday?Hmmm.Tristan Thompson, scratched by the Cleveland Cavaliers for their game against New York the same night?Interesting.That’s because it’s the week of the NBA trade deadline, when teams need to be careful with the health of players they might be trying to deal.The deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. EST. It arrives quickly now, once the NBA moved it from its longtime spot on the calendar after the All-Star break to its current one the week before. It allows traded players to use the break to acclimate themselves to a new situation, rather than returning to a team that might deal them a couple days later.Russell could be making that adjustment. He’s been considered a trade possibility since virtually the moment the Warriors acquired him from Brooklyn in July in the sign-and-trade transaction that sent Kevin Durant across the country. He’s a point guard... [More]

Giannis Antetokounmpo had become such an attraction after just a few seasons in the league that ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said a couple years ago he wanted to see the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas, even if it was just a practice.The jump out of the gym explosiveness, the ability to go end to end — or until wherever he decides to leap for a dunk — in just a few strides made Antetokounmpo a highlight waiting to happen. The league took notice and put the Bucks on the Dec. 25 schedule last year, their first appearance since 1977.The Bucks are back this year, bringing the NBA's best record to Philadelphia powered by a much more complete MVP.The athleticism that helped the Greek Freak score a career-best 52 points against the 76ers last March is still there, now bolstered by emerging leadership and outside shooting skills that might just make Milwaukee (27-4) the team to beat this season.Things like sugar and soda are absent from his diet, with Antetokounmpo, who turned 25 this month, having... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol has left Wednesday night's game at Detroit with a left hamstring strain.Gasol headed toward the locker room in the first quarter, and by the end of the period, the Raptors had already ruled him out the rest of the game.Toronto was already without guard Fred VanVleet (right knee) on Wednesday night. Detroit got stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond back from injuries of their own.Gasol has started all 27 games for Toronto this season.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale was the latest coach tasked with trying to turn around the New York Knicks.He was given barely 100 games before the longtime losers decided it was time to try someone else.The Knicks cut ties with Fizdale and promoted assistant Mike Miller to interim head coach Friday after two straight blowout losses dropped them to 4-18,Fizdale ran practice earlier in the day, but was then fired along with assistant Keith Smart. The Knicks made no comment on the decision to release Fizdale after he went 21-83, a .202 winning percentage.The Knicks have lost eight straight games, with the last two by scores of 132-88 to Milwaukee on Monday night and 129-92 to Denver on Thursday night. They have the worst record in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season in Fizdale's first season.The Knicks went 17-65 in 2018-19 to match the worst record in franchise history and they are on pace to be even worse this season. New York missed out on... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired coach David Fizdale on Friday after two straight blowout losses dropped them to 4-18, a person with knowledge of the decision said.Fizdale ran practice earlier in the day but was then fired, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.The Knicks have lost eight straight games, with the last two by scores of 132-88 to Milwaukee on Monday night and 129-92 to Denver on Thursday night. They have the worst record in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season in Fizdale's first season.Fizdale's firing was first reported by ESPN.The Knicks went 17-65 last season to match the worst record in franchise history and they are on pace to even worse this season. New York missed out on the top stars that were available in free agency and the players they did get haven't meshed nearly well enough.Still, team executives expected better results, saying so with an unusual... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks fired coach David Fizdale on Friday after two straight blowout losses dropped them to 4-18, a person with knowledge of the decision said.Fizdale ran practice earlier in the day but was then fired, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.The Knicks have lost eight straight games, with the last two by scores of 132-88 to Milwaukee on Monday night and 129-92 to Denver on Thursday night. They have the worst record in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the worst record in the NBA last season in Fizdale's first season.Fizdale's firing was first reported by ESPN.The Knicks went 17-65 last season to match the worst record in franchise history and they are on pace to even worse this season. New York missed out on the top stars that were available in free agency and the players they did get haven't meshed nearly well enough.Still, team executives expected better results, saying so with an unusual press conference to express their disappointment after a loss to Cleveland on Nov. 10 dropped them to 2-8.Things didn't get much better from there, especially once the scheduled turned tougher this month.And it led to the second straight quick exit for Fizdale as a head coach. The former Miami assistant led Memphis to the playoffs in his first season, but then was fired after the Grizzlies got off to a 7-12 start in 2017-18 and he clashed with center Marc Gasol.

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

Preseason numbers often mean almost nothing. Rotations are unusual, starters rarely play much, and few if any teams are putting a premium on winning games.As such, it's tough to glean much from exhibition stats.But what the Boston Celtics and New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson — the No. 1 pick in this year's draft — have been doing so far in the preseason certainly stands out.The Celtics are 3-0 after beating Cleveland on Sunday — and have put together a huge run in all three of those games. The latest was a 50-17 spurt against the Cavaliers, a game that was close for most of the first quarter before Boston built what eventually became a 54-point lead.Boston's other big runs of note in this preseason were a 41-17 stretch last Sunday against Charlotte, and opening the game with a 29-4 burst at Orlando on Friday. On top of the 50-17 run against the Cavs, they added a 26-8 run in the fourth quarter as well.No matter who the Celtics have on the court, defense has been the constant. Boston is... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard has moved on and Danny Green is gone, but the Toronto Raptors still have an NBA title to defend.This season, a group led by All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, breakout talent Pascal Siakam and defensive standout Marc Gasol is turning "We the North" into "We Want More.""If I had to express it in one word, I would say 'hungry,'" Gasol said Saturday when asked what he expects of the new-look Raptors. "I think it's a very hungry team. We all understand what Kawhi meant to the team and how well he played in the playoffs. But we also understand how good we can be as a team, and we're all going to invest everything in it to be that team."Leonard signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers after leading Toronto to six-game NBA Finals victory over Golden State in his lone season north of the border. Once Leonard passed on returning to the Raptors, Green did the same, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.General manager Masai Ujiri, who traded franchise icon DeMar DeRozan... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the deal says the Dallas Mavericks have acquired guard Delon Wright from the Memphis Grizzlies in a sign-and-trade agreement that could make the restricted free agent a starter alongside rookie of the year Luka Doncic.Wright and the Mavericks have agreed on a $29 million, three-year contract, agent Greg Lawrence said Sunday. The Grizzlies will get two second-round picks in the trade, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced.The move by the Mavericks comes after they missed out on free agent target Danny Green, a shooting guard and strong defender who agreed on a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after former Toronto teammate Kawhi Leonard chose the LA Clippers over returning to the Raptors.The 6-foot-5 Wright has a chance to be a solid complement to Doncic because of his versatility on defense. The 27-year-old was chosen 20th overall in the first round by the Raptors in 2015,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol accepted a one-year player option Wednesday for next season.The value is approximately $25.6 million, marking the final year of a five-year contract Gasol signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2015. Had the 34-year-old Spaniard not accepted prior to the Thursday, he would have become a free agent on Sunday.Raptors star Kawhi Leonard also has a one-year player option on his deal with a deadline for a decision Saturday, but he is expected to turn it down and become a free agent Sunday after leading Toronto to its first NBA title. Guard Danny Green is the other Raptors regular slated to become a free agent.The Raptors acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies in February.Gasol averaged 13.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 79 regular-season games with the Raptors and Memphis this season. He averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24 playoff games.

TORONTO (AP) — Still absorbing the magnitude of his team's accomplishment, Raptors President Masai Ujiri is confident Kawhi Leonard and the rest of Toronto's core will reunite next season in a bid for another title."We're on to the next issue, which for us is coming back and being champions again," Ujiri said Tuesday in his first news conference since Toronto won its first title nearly two weeks ago. "We want to experience this moment here again and again and again."Retaining Leonard is the most pressing issue. The two-time finals MVP is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent. Toronto can offer a five-year deal worth about $190 million — one year and some $50 million more than any other team."I know what we've built here," Ujiri said. "I'm confident, and you see how these things go."Ujiri stressed the main selling points of his pitch to Leonard: health, trust, success."I said we have to be ourselves, and we were ourselves for the whole year," Ujiri... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The title won and the draft over, the Toronto Raptors turn to the next order of business: keeping Kawhi Leonard.He is expected to opt out of the final year of his contact and become a free agent June 30. The two-time NBA Finals MVP and three-time All-Star is likely the biggest prize on the market.Toronto can offer Leonard a five-year deal worth about $190 million — one year and some $50 million more than any other suitor.After a season-long soft sell that ended with the team's first championship and a massive downtown parade, the Raptors have just more than a week to craft, plan and present their final pitch to the best player in franchise history."We obviously want to put a couple of special touches on it," general manager Bobby Webster said Friday. "But, yeah, we're comfortable. Throughout the year we've been talking about the things that we can offer and what made this season so special. I think we'll just continue that."Now, after two months of hectic, high-pressure playoff... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies traded away the final piece of the franchise's best years on Wednesday, sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for a trio of players, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The Grizzlies swapped Conley for forward Jae Crowder, guard/forward Kyle Korver and guard Grayson Allen, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade, which cannot be completed until the new league year starts on July 6.Conley confirmed the trade on Twitter, thanking Memphis for making him the man he is and being his home."Time for another chapter! Excited to give all I have to The Jazz ...!" Conley tweeted.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony... [More]

The Memphis Grizzlies traded away the final piece of the franchise's best years on Wednesday, sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for a trio of players, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The Grizzlies swapped Conley for Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Grayson Allen, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade.Conley confirmed the trade on Twitter, thanking Memphis for making him the man he is and being his home."Time for another chapter! Excited to give all I have to The Jazz ...!" Conley tweeted.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen left in 2017 as free agents, and Memphis traded Marc Gasol to Toronto in February, splitting... [More]

A person with knowledge of the decision says the Memphis Grizzlies have traded veteran point guard Mike Conley, who has played the most games in franchise history, to the Utah Jazz.The person says the Grizzlies swapped Conley for Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver and Grayson Allen. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because neither Memphis nor Utah has announced the trade.ESPN.com first reported the deal, which it says also includes Utah's No. 23 pick overall in Thursday night's draft.Conley was the final piece of the core that led the Grizzlies to seven consecutive playoff berths, including the 2013 Western Conference Finals. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen left in 2017 as free agents, and Memphis traded Marc Gasol to Toronto in February, splitting up a duo that had been the NBA's longest-tenured teammates. Gasol went on to help the Raptors win their first NBA title.___AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports