NBA

AP Basketball WriterRussell Westbrook wins NBA MVP; Rockets, Bucks take 2 awardsBy BRIAN MAHONEYNEW YORK (AP) Russell Westbrook moved past Oscar Robertson and kept right on going to the top of the NBA.Westbrook was voted MVP on Monday night after setting a record with 42 triple-doubles during his...

AP Sports WriterWade: Future with Bulls hinges on course set by front officeBy ANDREW SELIGMANCHICAGO (AP) Dwyane Wade wasn't ready to make any declarations about his future with the Chicago Bulls.The 12-time All-Star and three-time champion is waiting for management to set the direction of the franchise. Then...

AP Basketball WriterPat Riley says Heat growth will be up to the playersBy TIM REYNOLDSMIAMI (AP) Pat Riley has a trip to his California home awaiting, followed by a vacation with his wife.He can now relax a little.The 2017-18 Miami Heat are going to look a lot like...

AP Sports WriterPelicans sign 31st overall draft choice Frank JacksonBy BRETT MARTELNEW ORLEANS (AP) The New Orleans Pelicans say they've signed former Duke guard Frank Jackson, who was the first pick in the second round of last month's NBA draft.A person familiar with the contract says it spans...

AP Sports WriterTransition-oriented Wizards getting physical in postseasonBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) One game into the playoffs, Paul Millsap said his Atlanta Hawks were playing basketball while the Washington Wizards were ''playing MMA.''One game into the second round, Isaiah Thomas had his tooth knocked out by an elbow from...

AP Sports WriterLeBron James' Los Angeles home vandalized with slurBy JANIE McCAULEYOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James wanted to be with his family, to hug his wife and three kids back in Ohio.Visibly shaken by an event he couldn't control, Cleveland's star struggled Wednesday to focus on his seventh...

Nets to play Thunder, Heat in Mexico City this DecemberNEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets will travel to Mexico City in December for two regular-season games as part of the 25th anniversary of the first NBA game in Mexico.The league announced Wednesday that the Nets and Oklahoma City...

Associated PressFormer NBA bad boy Rodman is back in North KoreaBy ERIC TALMADGEPYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) Dennis Rodman, the former NBA bad boy who has palled around with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, flew to Pyongyang on Tuesday on a trip he says he hopes will ''open...

AP Basketball WriterAnthony sharp in OKC debut, Rockets look fine without himBy BRIAN MAHONEYCarmelo Anthony sizzled in his first game with the Thunder, though Chris Paul and the Rockets look like they will be just fine without him.Houston overcame Anthony's 19 points in just 20 minutes and Paul George's...

Associated PressBeverley brings defensive mind to ClippersBy JILL PAINTER LOPEZLOS ANGELES (AP) Patrick Beverley was first in line among all the newest Clippers to walk into an introductory news conference.Then Beverley, who was dealt to the Clippers in a six-player trade that sent Chris Paul to Houston, stopped...

AP Sports WriterCoach AI: Iverson doesn't play in Philly Big3 homecomingBy ROB MAADDIPHILADELPHIA (AP) Allen Iverson walked onto a familiar court to a rousing ovation and then took an unfamiliar spot on the sideline.The Answer was Coach AI in his Big3 homecoming.Iverson said a few hours before his...

Associated PressCops: Racial slur sprayed on LeBron James' Los Angeles homeBy MICHAEL BALSAMOLOS ANGELES (AP) Police are investigating after someone spray painted a racial slur on the front gate of LeBron James' home in Los Angeles on the eve of the NBA Finals.An unidentified person spray painted the...