NBA

AP Sports WriterCeltics guard Isaiah Thomas getting tips from Kobe BryantBy STEPHEN WHYNOWASHINGTON (AP) Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas is getting some assists from Kobe Bryant.Thomas, who has had some huge performances in the playoffs, says he's been talking and texting with Bryant to get tips about his...

AP Sports WriterBulls management gives no clarity on Butler's futureBy ANDREW SELIGMANCHICAGO (AP) There were no bold proclamations or promises for sweeping changes from Chicago Bulls management on Wednesday for a team that barely made the playoffs.They gave no clarity on Jimmy Butler's future with the team and...

AP Sports WriterBrewhaha: LeBron upset with brewery over photo with beerBy TOM WITHERSCLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James is in a bit of a brewhaha over his beer-bottle grab.On Monday night, James jokingly swiped a beer bottle from a surprised courtside server during the third quarter of Cleveland's playoff game...

LOS ANGELES (AP) Together for six years now, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. Heck, the Los Angeles Clippers haven't even gotten out of the first round two years running. And that's not the worst of it. The Clippers are...

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Larry Bird made it official Monday, resigning as the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations and saying simply that it was time to do something else. ''I felt it was time to step away in a full-time capacity,'' Bird said in a statement released ahead of a news...

LOS ANGELES (AP) The only thing stopping Gordon Hayward in the playoffs was a case of food poisoning. Utah's All-Star forward averaged 23.7 points - breaking out for a career-high 40 in Game 3 - over seven games to propel the Jazz into the second round of the playoffs with...

Capsule and prediction for the Western Conference semifinal series between Golden State and Utah that begins Tuesday: --- No. 1 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (67-15, 4-0) vs. No. 5 UTAH JAZZ (51-31, 4-3) Season series: Warriors, 2-1. Story line: The rested Warriors, after a first-round sweep, face a Utah team that won the only...

AP Sports WriterThunder GM Presti sees a bright future with young talentBy CLIFF BRUNTOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Thunder general manager Sam Presti finds wannabe executives amusing.One of the most common questions he gets involves how the Thunder plan to address depth at point guard behind Russell Westbrook. The Thunder...

AP Sports WriterWither Lob City? Clippers facing possible big changesBy BETH HARRISLOS ANGELES (AP) Together for six years now, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. Heck, the Los Angeles Clippers haven't even gotten out of the first...

AP Sports WriterHall-of-Famer Larry Bird resigns as Pacers presidentBy MICHAEL MAROTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) Larry Bird made the decision last year.After nearly 40 years in the NBA, he had started plotting an exit strategy.The 60-year-old Hall-of-Famer finally told the rest of the world Monday: He was stepping down as Indiana's...

AP Sports WriterJazz flatten Clippers 104-91, win 1st-round series 4-3By BETH HARRISLOS ANGELES (AP) The young Utah Jazz have grown up quickly.Gordon Hayward scored 26 points as the Jazz eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday with a 104-91 victory, closing out the first-round series 4-3 to earn...

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...