SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — D'Angelo Russell has done this before, forced to take on a far bigger role just last season because of injuries in Brooklyn. And now the new Golden State guard must do it again with the absence of both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a suddenly short-handed backcourt.Curry broke his left hand in a 121-110 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night and it remained unclear a day later how long he might be sidelined, while Splash Brother Thompson could miss the entire season recovering from July 2 surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee that he hurt in a Game 6 loss in the NBA Finals that gave Toronto its first title. Curry underwent a CT scan Thursday but the team said it would have specialists evaluate the results before providing an update on his status.However long he is out, it hurts for far more than what he brings on the court. Curry's presence in the locker room provides an example for the young Warriors, and he is their longest-tenured player and their oldest at age... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Steve Kerr insists he isn't ruling All-Star guard Klay Thompson out for the entire season, yet the Golden State coach cautions that Thompson's recovery from surgery July 2 for a torn ACL in his left knee is still expected to take nine to 12 months.Thompson is "moving great" according to Kerr and certainly looked it as he's back doing shooting work on the court."ACLs, generally they take nine to 12 months. Nine months takes us right to the end of the season," said Kerr, who had recently told NBC Sports Bay Area it was unlikely Thompson would play this season."I wasn't announcing anything. He's doing great with his rehab. It's still possible that he could play. I forgot with modern media that 'unlikely' is going to become on the ticker 'out for the year' and all that stuff, so probably my mistake for opening my mouth. It's not the first time I've gotten myself in trouble for doing that. It's an ACL, so if you just do your research with the history of ACLs, he had surgery... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — New Warriors big man Willie Cauley-Stein will be sidelined for training camp with a left foot injury, while Klay Thompson is making progress from a July 2 surgery for a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee but will be out at least until the All-Star break.General manager Bob Myers said at Monday's media day that Cauley-Stein strained his foot last week while scrimmaging. Cauley-Stein is scheduled to be reevaluated in about a month with an update on his status expected at the end of October."It's disappointing for him mostly, I know he was ready to go," Myers said at the new Chase Center, where the Warriors will begin training camp Tuesday. "You like to have new players get a chance to get acclimated in camp, so for him and obviously the coaches, myself, the whole organization, we want him to get back. The good news is he will be back. But camp is a formative time for him and his teammates. Nothing you can do, injuries are clearly a part of it. We want... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — New Warriors big man Willie Cauley-Stein will be sidelined for training camp with a left foot injury, while Klay Thompson is making progress from a July 2 surgery for a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.General manager Bob Myers said at Monday's media day that Cauley-Stein strained his foot last week while scrimmaging. Cauley-Stein is scheduled to be reevaluated in about a month with an update on his status expected at the end of October."Other than that, we're healthy," Myers said at new Chase Center, where the Warriors will begin training camp Tuesday.The No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft, Cauley-Stein averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds with the Sacramento Kings.Golden State doesn't have its usual depth at center, but re-signed Kevon Looney to a three-year contract.The Warriors have reached five straight NBA Finals but two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant departed for the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Someday, years or even decades from now, at one of those celebratory reunions teams like to do, Stephen Curry knows he and Kevin Durant will reminisce with fondness about their three insanely successful years together on the Golden State Warriors.They will reflect on the greatness, the fun, all they learned from each other shooting side by side day after day. Two championships, a pair of NBA Finals MVP awards for Durant."I'll always remember the three years we had. We'll probably be back here down the road celebrating those like they did the '74-75 team," Curry said, nodding in the direction of the Warriors' recent championship banners. "It'll be cool when that happens."For now, Curry is embracing new beginnings as the oldest player on a Golden State roster that will look far different come training camp next month — and that also was the theme he shared with girls attending his Warriors camp this week in one of his bittersweet final trips to the downtown Oakland... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Someday, years or even decades from now, at one of those celebratory reunions teams like to do, Stephen Curry knows he and Kevin Durant will reminisce with fondness about their three insanely successful years together on the Golden State Warriors.They will reflect on the greatness, the fun, all they learned from each other shooting side by side day after day. Two championships, a pair of NBA Finals MVP awards for Durant."I'll always remember the three years we had. We'll probably be back here down the road celebrating those like they did the '74-75 team," Curry said, nodding in the direction of the Warriors' recent championship banners. "It'll be cool when that happens."For now, Curry is embracing "new beginnings" as the oldest player on a Golden State roster that will look far different come training camp next month — and that also was the theme he shared with girls attending his Warriors camp this week in one of his "bittersweet" final trips to the downtown Oakland... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bob Myers has accepted Kevin Durant's departure for the Brooklyn Nets with an appreciation for all the superstar forward accomplished with the franchise, even if the Golden State general manager would have loved to keep KD around a little longer."I have a peace about it," Myers said Monday as he discussed the Warriors' flurry of moves in free agency.And Myers doesn't think he would do anything differently in an attempt to keep Durant, who told Myers he was ready for a new chapter after winning championships with the Warriors in 2017 and '18 as NBA Finals MVP both years."You do the best you can," Myers said. "I think all along, to me it was a blessing that he came, that he wanted to be a part of this. This is a guy who can move in whatever direction he wants because of his talent. He came and he delivered. In my opinion he was everything we could have asked for. He represented us on the court, he represented us off the court. He still has a great relationship with... [More]

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan agreed to deals with Brooklyn to start one of the wildest days in NBA free agent history.Al Horford went from Boston to the rival 76ers. Kemba Walker is a Celtic after eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets in a sign-and-trade for Terry Rozier. Khris Middleton (Milwaukee) and Tobias Harris (Philadelphia) agreed to big extensions.The Knicks missed out on the biggest targets before adding Julius Randle and Bobby Portis among their agreements with five players.All totaled, there were more than $3 billion in contracts in the first full day. The show goes on, with plenty more players available who could help change the complexion of the league for years to come.The list of remaining players includes:— SF Kawhi Leonard (unrestricted free agent, played with Toronto last season)Leonard is the premier free agent remaining. The two-time NBA Finals MVP led the Raptors to their first championship, averaging 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 24 playoff games.—... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Toronto coach Nick Nurse plays to the beats to his own drum.And that's not even one of the instruments that he's messing around with these days.Nurse's office in Toronto has a guitar stand on one side of his desk and a piano on the other. He's trying to master both; the guitar travels with him on the road and he's been known to strum it while studying film. The piano doesn't exactly fit in the overhead storage bin of the plane so it stays behind.Nurse says he's not any good yet.His team, however, is making plenty of beautiful music so far in these NBA Finals.The moment has not been too big for Nurse or the Raptors. They lead the title series 2-1 after a 123-109 win over injury-depleted Golden State on Wednesday night, an outcome that puts the two-time defending NBA champions in trouble. The maestro of the best season in Toronto history is a 51-year-old NBA coaching rookie, one who's making plenty of right moves."He looks young," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. "But... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The mantra for Golden State during Steve Kerr's five seasons with the Warriors has been "Strength in Numbers."It's more than a marketing slogan.It's a catchy phrase on shirts, for sure, and it's emblazoned plenty of places for all to see — even on one shoulder of Stephen Curry's gray sweat suit, with the NBA Finals logo on the other side. But it's hard to imagine a time where it means more to the Warriors than right now, when the only thing being tested more than their mettle is their depth.The champions are heading home off a win ailing, but not trailing. Whether it was DeMarcus Cousins playing 28 minutes, or Quinn Cook tying a playoff career-high with three 3-pointers, or all 13 Warriors getting into the game — some of them for only four seconds, but in nonetheless — the two-time defending NBA champions found a way.Game 2 is in the books. Golden State 109, Toronto 104. Series tied at 1-1.Off to Oracle Arena in Oakland, California for Game 3 on Wednesday night."When you... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard sustained separated ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5 of 18 from the floor and finished with 19 points in Portland's third straight loss in the series.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter Thursday when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.He said the injury is painful at times when he gets winded and it's difficult to breathe, and when there's contact with other players.The Warriors can close out the series with a victory Monday. No... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard says he separated his ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5-of-18 from the floor and finished with 19 points as Golden State took a 3-0 series lead.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter of Thursday's Game 2 when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.The Warriors would close out the series with a victory Monday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Damian Lillard says separated his ribs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors.Lillard confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after the Trail Blazers lost 110-99 in Game 3. Lillard was 5-of-18 from the floor and finished with 19 points as Golden State took a 3-0 series lead.The injury was originally reported by The Athletic. Lillard said the separation is on the left side, and he wore protective padding in Game 3."I don't think it's something that's affecting my game. It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously you feel it, but that's it," he said.Lillard was hurt in the third quarter of Thursday's Game 2 when Golden State's Kevon Looney landed on top of him in a scramble for the ball.The Warriors would close out the series with a victory Monday.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Steve Kerr remains optimistic Kevin Durant will return from a right calf injury to play for Golden State at some point this postseason but isn't guessing when that might be."There's definitely some gray area with any injury but with a calf injury like that especially," Kerr said Friday before the team traveled to Portland for Game 3. "It's going to be how he responds to the treatment and how his body recovers over the next days and however long it takes."Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini told Kerr from the time Durant was injured in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against Houston that it would be tough to predict the timetable for the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP's healing, based on the wide range in rehab and recovery for this injury.Durant was re-evaluated before a 114-111 Game 2 win Thursday night and won't play in Games 3 or 4 of the Western Conference finals at Portland, Saturday and Monday. He is likely to miss the entire... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors will be without postseason scoring leader Kevin Durant as they try to close out the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals."Well, we'll just find somebody on the bench who can give us 35 points and two blocks and 11 boards and nine assists," coach Steve Kerr said once the team arrived back in Houston on Thursday evening.An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' initial diagnosis of a strained right calf announced during Wednesday's 104-99 win at Oracle Arena.As the Warriors returned to Houston for Friday's Game 6, Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a decisive Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that one as well. The Warriors lead the series 3-2."He's been the best player in the NBA, in the playoffs. He's been phenomenal, so it's obviously a huge loss, but our team has a lot of confidence," Kerr said. "They trust each other.... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant will miss the remainder of the Golden State Warriors' Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' initial diagnosis announced during Wednesday's 104-99 win at Oracle Arena.The team has returned to Houston for Game 6 on Friday but Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a decisive Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that one as well. The Warriors lead the series 3-2."It's a tough injury," teammate Klay Thompson said. "We'll have to collectively make up for what he does. We've done it before. It's going to be incredibly difficult. It's the playoffs. I know they're not going to feel sorry for us, the media, the fans. It will be a gut check time. We go down there and give it our best effort. That's all we can do. If we do that, I have confidence every man on this team will step... [More]

Just a few months ago, Enes Kanter was toiling for a New York Knicks team that was heading nowhere.Now, he's a significant contributor for a Portland Trail Blazers team heading to the Western Conference semifinals.Kanter is one of several players starring in their supporting roles and helped put their respective teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Others have helped put their teams on the brink of advancing.The Knicks waived Kanter after the trade deadline in February and Portland swooped in to pick him up. The 6-foot-11 center stepped in as a starter for the Trail Blazers after Jusuf Nurkic suffered a leg injury. The Blazers' playoff hopes looked bleak after Nurkic went down, but Kanter has taken full advantage of his new situation. Kanter averaged 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win against Oklahoma City."I would like to appreciate the teams that didn't pick me," Kanter said after Portland's clinching Game 5 win on Thursday night. "I tried to... [More]

The Golden State Warriors are trying to regain the lead in a series they probably still can't believe is tied.Same with the San Antonio Spurs, who like the Warriors know they are facing an opponent who won't stay down no matter how far they fall down.The Clippers' historic comeback against the Warriors, followed by Denver's potential season-saving surge against the Spurs, made that clear.So things are all even in those two Western Conference first-round series, which resume with a pair of Game 3s on Thursday night.Philadelphia and Brooklyn play the other Game 3 of the night in an East series that also is tied at a game apiece.Golden State would be up 2-0 if not for the Clippers' colossal comeback — or the Warriors' colossal collapse — on Monday night in Game 2. The Warriors led by 31 in the third quarter before Los Angeles charged back to win 135-131 after the biggest rally in NBA postseason history.The Warriors won Game 1 by 17, appeared headed toward an even easier win in Game 2, and... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Center DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to return this postseason for the Golden State Warriors yet won't require surgery on his torn left quadriceps muscle.Coach Steve Kerr has named Andrew Bogut as his starter in place of Cousins for Game 3 Thursday night of the team's first-round playoff series against the Clippers in Los Angeles.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, the 28-year-old Cousins went down in the first quarter of a 135-131 Game 2 loss Monday night. He fell in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. Cousins immediately grabbed at his left quad then hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.The tear was revealed by an MRI exam Tuesday. The big man returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence while recovering from surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon."More than anything, I'm just crushed for DeMarcus," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's been waiting his whole career... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious when he went down in the first quarter of their first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.An MRI exam Tuesday morning on Cousins' left leg revealed the tear. The two-time defending NBA champion Warriors said Cousins will begin rehabilitation immediately and updates will be "provided as appropriate."Coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors' 135-131 Game 2 loss on Monday night that Cousins would be out for a significant period.Playing in just his second career postseason game after a nine-year wait, Cousins went down in the first quarter in front of the Golden State bench after swiping a ball from Patrick Beverley in the back court. He immediately grabbed at his left quad. Cousins hobbled to the locker room at the 8:09 mark.Cousins had just returned in January from a nearly yearlong absence following surgery... [More]