MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra bounded into his first Miami Heat news conference of the season looking tanned and relaxed, the benefit of having nearly six months off.He's hoping next summer is much shorter.Even without the now-retired Dwyane Wade and after a season where Miami didn't make the playoffs, Spoelstra said Monday at Heat media day that there's no reason for his team to not see big opportunities this season. The Heat landed four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler in July, and go to camp starting Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida with Spoelstra insisting that his expectations will be at their usual lofty level."Feels good to be back," said Spoelstra, entering his 12th season as Heat coach. "We've had plenty of time this offseason to reset, recalibrate and reorganize to get ready for this season. It's been 172 days. I think that is probably 70some days too many for this organization to have during the offseason. ... We're excited. Feels like a new team, a new opportunity."There are new... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler once said he would never wear a Miami Heat uniform. That was when he was in Chicago, part of a Bulls team that disliked the Heat.He remembers saying those words.And now he wants every opponent to keep hating Miami.Butler held his introductory news conference in Miami on Friday, almost three months after he officially became part of the Heat. He is the new centerpiece of a team that will have to adjust to the retirement of Dwyane Wade in its effort to find a way back to the postseason. The four-time All-Star said he already understands the demands that the Heat put on players, and that's the selling point he enjoyed most."It's the culture that I hear about all the time," Butler said. "The work that you put in every single day. The winning habits, the winning ways. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of that. I was excited to have an opportunity to come here, to be here, but when I keep hearing about this culture I was like, 'I need that in my life.'"Miami has... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade has gone full circle.He arrived in Miami in 2003, holding his 16-month-old son Zaire at the introductory news conference the day after the Heat drafted him and changed their franchise forever. The last time he would speak in that very same room as an active NBA player was earlier this week, when he held his 5-month-old daughter Kaavia for the farewell address.A life was starting on his way in. Another life is starting on his way out."This city has allowed me to grow," Wade said. "I hope they're proud of what they have helped me become. So, this city means everything to me. It's forever, forever, forever going to be my home. This is the end of the basketball part of me, but there's so much I want to do in this city. So much more that we can accomplish together. I definitely look forward to that."The only certainty about next season for the Heat is that Wade's jersey will be retired.The rest is anyone's guess.Even with Wade averaging 15 points and shooting a career-high... [More]

In case more proof was needed that the game of basketball has changed wildly in the last few years, check out the starting center for the team with the best record in the NBA — he is often nowhere near the basket.It's by design.Milwaukee's Brook Lopez hardly ever took 3-pointers in high school, or college, or his first eight seasons in the NBA. He's a 7-footer, and 7-footers were told forever to go to the low post and wait to see if someone throws you the ball. Those days are largely gone and perhaps no NBA big man has seen his job description change more than Lopez.He's taken more 3-pointers this season — 461 and counting — than any 7-footer in any NBA season. And that comes after he was 3 for 31, total, from beyond the arc in his first eight seasons as a pro, with many of those heaves coming in end-of-game or end-of-shot-clock situations."In our practice facility we have boxes out deep beyond the 3-point line, from areas we know we can get reps at," Lopez said. "Eventually, you just get... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA is headed to India next week, bringing another Basketball Without Borders camp to Asia.Miami's Kelly Olynyk, Oklahoma City's Corey Brewer, Brooklyn's Caris LeVert and Dallas' Dwight Powell will be among the coaches at the camp that starts May 30, the NBA said Thursday.Olynyk was a BWB camp player in 2009, invited from his native Canada to play in Mexico City.Former WNBA players Ruth Riley and Ebony Hoffman will also be coaching in India, along with NBA assistant coaches — Brooklyn's Bret Brielmaier, Atlanta's Darvin Ham, Minnesota's Ryan Saunders and Utah's Mike Wells.The camp runs through June 2 at the NBA Academy in India. Boys and girls from 16 countries were invited.Other BWB camps are planned this year in Serbia and South Africa.

MIAMI (AP) — If there was any reason for solace in the Miami Heat locker room after the final game of the season in Philadelphia, it was this: They knew they lost to a better team.The Heat were good. They weren't great.Hence, the challenge of the offseason is clear: The Heat have to not only find ways to improve, but will have to find some creative ways to make it happen. They don't have a pile of salary-cap space to play with, they don't have any picks in this year's draft and they know that fellow Eastern Conference clubs like the 76ers — who needed five games to oust Miami from the playoffs — might only get better."We gave everything we have," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "We have to be OK with that."And with that, there is Question No. 1 of the offseason: Does Wade have any more to give?Wade is considering retirement, a decision that could affect some of the personnel decisions the Heat will make this summer, plus could also have an impact on whether Udonis Haslem returns to Miami for... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thon Maker is having his biggest games at the biggest time of the year.Not bad for a bench guy and someone who, as recently as last week, was a roster afterthought.Maker had never blocked five shots in any NBA game before this postseason began — and now he's blocked that many in each of the last two playoff contests for the Milwaukee Bucks. There's an old coaching adage that tells players to stay ready, because they never know when their chance to make an impact has arrived.Maker is proving that axiom to be correct."Just trying to be there for my teammates, playing aggressive," said Maker, the Bucks' backup center. "It's the playoffs. These are the moments everybody plays for. You've got to find a way to win, you've got to find a way to impact the game. I try to do that every single time."Maker is almost an out-of-nowhere story for the Bucks, who've pulled even with the Boston Celtics four games into their Eastern Conference first-round series in large part because of a... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first taste of the NBA playoffs for Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has been rather bitter, thanks to the 3-point-happy Houston Rockets.The two-game totals tell a frustrating story for the 22-year-old: just 13 points, 5 for 18 shooting and a 2-0 deficit in the series against the Rockets. Towns has found himself the subject of pointed criticism from analysts, fans and even his own team.The switch-heavy Rockets have double-teamed Towns to a stifling effect, and the Timberwolves sure haven't helped their 7-footer out by getting him the ball in favorable situations in the post."They're coming to double. He knows that. He has to face up, be strong with the ball, make quick moves," point guard Jeff Teague said. "But we have to figure out how to get him running, get him some easy buckets."The team's struggles have taken a little luster off Minnesota's first postseason home game in 14 years, but the fans who remember the Timberwolves reaching the Western Conference... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside's numbers are down. He's trying not to be the same way.Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series was difficult on many levels for Miami's center. He was in foul trouble throughout, finished with only five points and was largely a nonfactor in his team's 128-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.Whiteside has a total of 11 points in three playoff games this season, after averaging 14 points in the regular season."It's just different, man. I feel like our offense is a lot different," Whiteside said. "I'm not involved in as many dribble-handoffs as I was and post-ups as I was during the regular season. That's what Coach wants. Coach wants me to just be in a corner and set picks. I mean, that's what he wants so I've just got to trust it."For his part, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he's trying to find ways to get Whiteside involved."That's part of my job, is to figure it out," Spoelstra said.The Heat trail the series 2-1, with Game 4 on... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Monday is the day that the Miami Heat will gather for the annual team picture. They're always set up the same way: coaches sitting in the middle of the front row, the team's shorter players sitting on either side of Erik Spoelstra and his assistants, support staff and taller players standing in the back.Some smiles might be forced.The Heat are dealing with a 7-foot problem, at the wrong time of year. Center Hassan Whiteside was fined an undisclosed amount Sunday for "comments detrimental to the team" — a response to his remarks expressing frustration with his role. He went on an expletive-laden tirade after Miami's 110-109 overtime loss Saturday to the Brooklyn Nets, when the Heat missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, saying he should play more and might be better elsewhere.The team had no additional comment Sunday. They resume practice Monday, when Whiteside's words will be a hot topic again."Man, it's annoying, you know. Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Monday is the day that the Miami Heat will gather for the annual team picture. They're always set up the same way: coaches sitting in the middle of the front row, the team's shorter players sitting on either side of Erik Spoelstra and his assistants, support staff and taller players standing in the back.Some smiles might be forced.The Heat have a 7-foot problem to deal with, at the wrong time of year. The playoffs start in two weeks, and Miami's highest-paid player — center Hassan Whiteside — is voicing his frustration with his role. He went on an expletive-laden tirade after Miami's 110-109 overtime loss Saturday night to the Brooklyn Nets, when the Heat missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, saying he should play more and may be better off elsewhere."Man, it's annoying, you know. Why we matching up? We got one of the best centers in the league," Whiteside said. "Why we matching up? A lot of teams don't have a good center."Whiteside didn't play in the final 21 minutes on... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High hoping to spread some goodwill and bring much-needed smiles to faces of students and teachers.He also went to listen — and was impressed by what the kids said.Speaking Thursday about his surprise visit the previous day to the school in Parkland, Florida were 17 people — mostly students — were shot and killed last month, the Miami Heat guard said he was stunned to see how well-organized the Douglas students are already in their quest for fast and substantive societal change."They are well-prepared and well-aware of what they need to do and what they want to do and the change they want to see," Wade said. "It's great. It's great to hear. It's great to see that, because I come from a community in Chicago where our youth are getting killed daily and don't have the same voice, don't have the same light on them that Parkland has. These kids understand what they have."Numerous students posted video and photos of Wade's visit on social... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA said three plays were officiated incorrectly in overtime of Tuesday's Miami-Washington game, all aiding the Wizards in what became their four-point victory.The National Basketball Referees Association, however, disagreed with the league's assessment in one of those situations.The league said a 5-second inbounding violation should have been called against Washington with 12.2 seconds left in overtime, after determining that Markieff Morris did not release the basketball in time. Replays showed Morris held the ball for more than five seconds, which meant Miami should have gotten possession in what was then a one-point game.But the NBRA said the officiating crew was right."We are taught to count to 5 and make sure the ball has not been released before calling a violation," the NBRA wrote on Twitter . "The official in this game got to 5 and the ball was released. It was the correct decision."The NBA disagreed, calling it an incorrect non-call."Morris (did) not release the... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Miami center Hassan Whiteside is out for the Heat's game at Detroit with an illness.Whiteside is averaging 14.1 points and 11.7 rebounds this season. Kelly Olynyk started at center Saturday night for the Heat.Detroit is not at full strength either, with rookie Luke Kennard (foot) and guard Dwight Buycks (illness) missing the game. The Pistons have been without point guard Reggie Jackson since late December because of an ankle injury.Detroit is playing its second game with newly acquired star Blake Griffin.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

C Kelly Olynyk had 17 points and six rebounds in Saturday's win at Orlando.

C Kelly Olynyk tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 107-89 win over Orlando. The 12 rebounds matched a season-high, and it was his third douhble-double of the season.

C/F Kelly Olynyk scored a career-high 32 points to lead his undermanned Miami Heat to a stunning 90-89 upset of the Boston Celtics. Olynyk, who had 25 points in the second half, played the first four years of his NBA career with the Celtics before signing a four-year, $50 million contract with the Heat. He played in the Nov. 22 game in Miami where the Heat ended Boston's 16-game winning streak, but this was the homecoming. "It was an emotional night, a fun night. I'm glad we came away with the win," Olynyk said.

C Kelly Olynyk scored 18 points in Wednesday's loss at New York. It was his second-most productive showing of the season.

C Kelly Olynyk finished with 23 points for the Heat, who lost their third straight.

C Kelly Olynyk scored 14 points and had nine rebounds in his first game against his former team.