NBA

Basketball great Bill Russell hospitalized brieflySEATTLE (AP) NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell has been released from a Seattle hospital after an overnight stay for an unknown condition.Russell confirmed on Twitter Saturday that he went to the hospital late Friday but does not say why.Russell says in the...

AP Basketball WriterBarkley says Warriors still a flawed team even with DurantBy BRIAN MAHONEYNEW YORK (AP) Charles Barkley didn't want Kevin Durant to join the Golden State Warriors and isn't sure Durant changes things now that he's there.In Barkley's mind, the Warriors are still a flawed team.''Let me...

AP Sports WriterWarriors' Klay Thompson set to return for NBA Finals Game 4By JANIE McCAULEYOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Everyone knows about Klay Thompson's ability to get dangerously hot in a hurry on offense.His stingy defense might just be the thing that matters most when he returns for the Golden...

Bulls expect Portis to miss 2-4 weeks with sprained ankleCHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bulls expect forward Bobby Portis to miss two to four weeks because of a sprained right ankle.Portis was injured in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to Brooklyn. The team said an MRI on Thursday...

AP Sports WriterGriffin: Pelicans project Zion Williamson debut for Jan. 22By BRETT MARTELMETAIRIE, La. (AP) Zion Williamson, the top choice in last summer’s NBA draft, is scheduled to make his regular season debut for the Pelicans on Jan. 22 when New Orleans hosts the the San Antonio Spurs,...

AP Basketball WriterNBA says races for the season's individual trophies are overBy TIM REYNOLDSLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) The NBA’s MVP race is over. So is the battle for every other individual regular-season trophy.The league told teams Friday that none of the seeding games will be taken into...

AP Sports WriterNBA fines Clippers $50,000 for statements about LeonardBy BETH HARRISLOS ANGELES (AP) The NBA fined the Los Angeles Clippers $50,000 on Thursday for statements made by coach Doc Rivers and others that were ''inconsistent'' about Kawhi Leonard's heath status.Leonard sat out the Clippers' 129-124 home loss...

AP Basketball WriterLakers brace for Harden, Westbrook and small-ball RocketsBy BRIAN MAHONEYLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers pushed aside one of the NBA's best backcourts in the first round.Here comes another.James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets are the opponent when...

Authorities won't charge Bucks' Brown after Walgreens arrestMILWAUKEE (AP) Police officials say they will not seek charges against Milwaukee Bucks rookie Sterling Brown, who was arrested last week during a confrontation in a Walgreens parking lot.Officers used a stun gun on Brown in an incident that happened about...

AP Sports WriterCavs sign Drew to new coaching contract for rest of seasonBy TOM WITHERSCLEVELAND (AP) Larry Drew's awkward impasse with the Cleveland Cavaliers is over.The team relented to Drew's requests by restructuring his contract and signing him to be their coach for the remainder of this season...

AP Basketball WriterAP Interview: Floyd's death opens old wounds for SefoloshaBy TIM REYNOLDSThabo Sefolosha knows what it’s like to be a black man, on the ground, surrounded by police officers.Such was the scenario when George Floyd died in Minneapolis last week.And when Sefolosha watched that video, his memories came...

AP Basketball WriterHeat embracing chance to start over after Wade departureBy TIM REYNOLDSMIAMI (AP) It's all so different now for the Miami Heat. A franchise that won three NBA championships with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the last decade is now starting over in many...