NBA

Associated PressWarriors call Utah boring, but fans say it's place to partyBy BRADY McCOMBSSALT LAKE CITY (AP) Salt Lake City tourism officials playfully jabbed back at Golden State Warriors players who bemoaned the lack of nightlife in Utah, hoping to combat the predominantly Mormon state's reputation as a...

Celtics' Thomas out for rest of playoffs with hip injuryBOSTON (AP) Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas will miss the rest of the playoffs because of a hip injury.The team made the announcement on Saturday, a day after Thomas left Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland...

AP Basketball WriterTop of the draft board shines at Summer LeagueBy JON KRAWCZYNSKIThe depth and quality of the 2017 NBA draft had teams tanking at the end of the regular season in hopes of vaulting into the top three picks.With the huge caveat being that it was only summer...

Associated PressSpurs facing tough task containing high-scoring RocketsBy RAUL DOMINGUEZSAN ANTONIO (AP) After surviving an intense, physical battle with the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs now face James Harden and the freewheeling Houston Rockets.With a leading MVP candidate leading its offense in Harden, Houston averaged 112.8 points...

12 referees selected to officiate NBA FinalsNEW YORK (AP) Danny Crawford has been chosen to officiate his 23rd NBA Finals, making him the most experienced of the 12 referees selected for the series.John Goble was the lone first-time selection Tuesday when the NBA announced the referees who would...

AP Basketball WriterAnthem singer at Heat-76ers game kneels during performanceBy TIM REYNOLDSMIAMI (AP) A woman performing the national anthem prior to an NBA preseason game in Miami did so while kneeling at midcourt.Denasia Lawrence opened her jacket just before she started to sing, revealing a ''Black Lives Matter''...

AP Basketball WriterTimberwolves name John Thomas VP of community engagementBy JON KRAWCZYNSKIMINNEAPOLIS (AP) John Thomas grew up in Minneapolis, becoming a prep star at Roosevelt High School before playing at the University of Minnesota and bouncing around the NBA for five seasons.One of those seasons toward the end...

NBA draft draws second-largest audience on ESPNNEW YORK (AP) The NBA draft averaged more than 3.5 million viewers, the second-biggest audience ever on ESPN.The telecast Thursday peaked with 5.2 million viewers from 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. EDT, shortly after the first picks were made. Philadelphia took Markelle Fultz...

AP Sports WriterWolves sign Gibson, Teague, finalize latest step in overhaulBy DAVE CAMPBELLMINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves have finalized contracts with power forward Taj Gibson and point guard Jeff Teague, two complementary additions to a roster that has undergone a huge overhaul.Gibson and Teague signed their deals on...

AP Sports WriterCollins hopes for hands-on lessons from Millsap with HawksBy CHARLES ODUMATLANTA (AP) John Collins has used Hawks star Paul Millsap's versatile game as a model for the player he hopes to become with Atlanta.The big question for the Hawks: Will Collins have the opportunity to take...

AP Basketball WriterFinals are 1 win away for Warriors, who have Spurs on brinkBy TIM REYNOLDSSan Antonio's sense of humor was still there Sunday.Gregg Popovich predicted that Golden State stayed out way late after winning Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, celebrating with burgers and sundaes before spending...

AP Sports WriterUnderdog Cavs insist they have plenty of bite for FinalsBy TOM WITHERSINDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) They are defending champions and decided underdogs.The Cleveland Cavaliers, however, say they aren't using any snubs to get ready for the NBA Finals.Set for a third straight championship matchup against Golden State,...