NBA

AP Sports WriterNo Bull: Wade, Butler benched for comments critical of teamBy ANDREW SELIGMANCHICAGO (AP) Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler were dropped from the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup Friday night against the Miami Heat - Wade's former team - as punishment for postgame comments questioning the their teammates'...

AP Sports WriterSilver: Opening of Kings new arena a 'borderline miracle'By JOSH DUBOWSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Just a few years ago, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had a hard time envisioning seeing this day come.He stood outside a Sacramento's new state-of-the-art downtown arena and welcomed Kings fans to the home...

O No, Canada: Singer flubs anthem at Raptors game in NYCNEW YORK (AP) O No, Canada.A Broadway performer botched the Canadian national anthem before the Toronto Raptors' game in Brooklyn on Sunday, singing lyrics that aren't in ''O Canada.''Amber Iman, who has been cast in the national tour...

MIAMI (AP) - Not much happened in the NBA this week.Klay Thompson scored an NBA-record 37 points in a perfect quarter that defied even video-game logic, Kobe Bryant's season likely ended, Brandon Jennings' season definitely ended, the All-Star starter selections were revealed with Stephen Curry winning the overall vote...

AP Sports WriterAP Source: Lakers sign Caldwell-Pope for 1 year, $18 millionBy GREG BEACHAM and JON KRAWCZYNSKILOS ANGELES (AP) A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million contract.The...

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Golden State Warriors backup center Festus Ezeli will begin a rehab assignment with the team's NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz before making his long-awaited return.Golden State assigned Ezeli to the Santa Cruz Warriors on Wednesday and recalled reserve big man Ognjen Kuzmic. Santa...

AP Basketball WriterHow Lakers-Celtics paved the way for the Cavs-WarriorsBy JON KRAWCZYNSKIBy the time the Los Angeles Lakers met the Boston Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals in the 1980s, defensive stopper Michael Cooper had enough with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and the rest of the...

NEW YORK (AP) - Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletovic, out for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs, says he expects to be able to resume playing in July once he is finished with blood-thinning medication.Teletovic was hospitalized in Los...

NEW YORK (AP) Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker has been suspended one game without pay for striking Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert with an open hand to the head.The league announced the fine on Friday.Booker was given two technical fouls and ejected for the hit in the...

AP Sports WriterCitizen/King: LeBron James wins NBA citizenship awardBy TOM WITHERSCLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James has won the Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award given annually for ''outstanding service and dedication to the community.''Cleveland's superstar is being honored for his educational work in Akron, Ohio, his hometown. James has helped more...

Pelicans' Cousins fined for language toward LA, Utah fansNEW ORLEANS (AP) The NBA has fined New Orleans Pelicans front-court star DeMarcus Cousins $50,000 for ''directing inappropriate language'' toward fans during a pair of recent road games.NBA Executive Vice President Kiki VanDeWeghe, who announced the fine on Thursday, says...

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The latest from Game 5 of the NBA Finals:5:12 p.m. PDTThe Cavaliers sure look ready to get started.A couple of players were even walking back to the bench area and taking off their warmup tops before the national anthem was even finished. LeBron James was...