MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley has limped out of so many arenas that the Grizzlies point guard had resigned himself to dealing with the nagging pain from his left heel for the rest of his life.No more.After the pain limited him to only 12 games, Conley chose season-ending surgery to smooth out the bone aggravating his Achilles tendon. He used the talk of him being injury-prone as even more motivation during his rehab following the surgery."It is motivational for me to come back and show the world," said Conley, who entering his 12th NBA season is the Grizzlies most experienced player. "You just wake them up again and just understand that I'm not that guy from last year that was hobbling around, and I'm feeling great and just excited for another year to help this team do we try to do and achieve the goals that we have."The Grizzlies started last season 5-1 and atop the Western Conference. Conley averaged 17.1 points a game until the pain sidelined him.Then in late January, the Grizzlies... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Conley and the Memphis Grizzlies want to make very clear that what happened last season was an aberration.Conley and the rest of the Grizzlies — yes even oft-injured Chandler Parsons — are reporting for training camp healthy and ready to erase the memories of that painful and ugly 60-loss season."Now we're back both feet planted, and we give ourselves just as good of a shot as anybody," Conley said Monday.The Grizzlies have been through a whirlwind of changes since wrapping up that 22-60 season.J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over on an interim basis after David Fizdale was fired last November, starts training camp Tuesday as a head coach at the beginning of a season for the first time in his career. Conley has been cleared with no restrictions with his sore left heel finally fixed surgically after limiting him to just 12 games last season.Memphis also has a handful of new faces on the roster trying to keep pace in an ever tougher Western Conference.The Grizzlies drafted... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The more Knicks management asked about David Fizdale, the more they heard how much players respect him.It can't hurt that one of them is LeBron James.And while Knicks fans can dream of Fizdale's relationship with James giving them a shot when the superstar enters free agency as expected, a team building from the bottom can't focus on one player — even the best one in the game.New York needed a coach that can bring out the best in everyone on the roster, and that's what the Knicks believe they have in Fizdale.The Knicks agreed to a deal with the former Memphis Grizzlies coach last week and introduced him Tuesday at a news conference at Madison Square Garden."I think the big thing that we found — and that's obviously terrific that some of the game's greats recognized David for who he is as a man and as a coach — but the players that are not that, just the guys 1 through 15, the reviews coming back on him were all very consistently similar," general manager Scott Perry said."That... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale has been hired as coach of the Knicks, saying he is hoping to "build the type of winning team the passionate fans of New York will be proud of."The Knicks announced the hiring Monday after agreeing to terms with the former Memphis Grizzlies coach last week. They plan to introduce Fizdale at a news conference Tuesday.Fizdale went 50-51 with the Grizzlies, leading them to the postseason in his only full season before getting fired early last year after clashing with star center Marc Gasol. He becomes the 29th coach in franchise history, hoping to lead the Knicks out of what is now a five-year postseason drought.He replaces Jeff Hornacek, who lasted two seasons in New York before getting fired hours after the season finale.The Knicks cited Fizdale's leadership, experience and expertise in player development in a news release announcing the hiring. Fizdale spent eight years as an assistant in Miami, helping the Heat win two NBA titles."I appreciate the enormous responsibility it is to coach the Knicks and am ready to give my all to build the type of winning team the passionate fans of New York will be proud of," he said in the release.Fizdale, 43, also was an assistant for four seasons in Atlanta and one in Golden State.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale has been hired as coach of the Knicks. He says he's hoping to "build the type of winning team the passionate fans of New York will be proud of."The Knicks announced the hiring Monday after agreeing to terms with the former Memphis Grizzlies coach last week. They plan to introduce Fizdale at a news conference Tuesday.Fizdale went 50-51 with the Grizzlies, leading them to the postseason in his only full season before getting fired early last year after clashing with star Marc Gasol. He becomes the 29th coach in franchise history, hoping to lead the Knicks out of what is now a five-year postseason drought.He replaces Jeff Hornacek, who lasted two seasons in New York before getting fired hours after the season finale.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW YORK (AP) — David Fizdale is coming back to coaching as the latest pick of the New York Knicks to turn around their franchise.The Knicks agreed to hire Fizdale on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the details said.The former Memphis Grizzlies coach will replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after two seasons.The Knicks then conducted a lengthy search before agreeing Thursday to a deal in principle with Fizdale, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced.ESPN first reported the agreement with Fizdale.Fizdale led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his first season before being fired early last season following a clash with star center Marc Gasol.That did little to diminish the respect of Fizdale, who had been an assistant to Erik Spoelstra in Miami when the Heat won two NBA championships and developed strong relationships with superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.The Knicks will hope he will have the same... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the details says the New York Knicks have agreed to hire David Fizdale as their new coach.The former Memphis Grizzlies coach will replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after two seasons.The Knicks then conducted a lengthy search before agreeing Thursday to a deal in principle with Fizdale, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced.ESPN first reported the agreement with Fizdale.Fizdale led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his first season before being fired early last season following a clash with star center Marc Gasol.That did little to diminish the respect of Fizdale, who had been an assistant to Erik Spoelstra in Miami when the Heat won two NBA championships and developed strong relationships with superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.The Knicks will hope he will have the same effect on their young team, which has missed the playoffs the past five seasons and could struggle again next season while All-Star Kristaps Porzingis recovers from a torn knee ligament.Fizdale went 43-39 and led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in his lone full season in Memphis. He lasted just 19 games into the following season, when Gasol publicly objected to being left on the bench in the fourth quarter of a game.Fizdale now becomes the 11th Knicks coach since Jeff Van Gundy resigned in the 2001-02 season.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes he can make the franchise competitive immediately with a quick recovery from a 60-loss season.That's what his boss expects as well."We're going into it with an optimistic view and we're planning on success," Bickerstaff said Wednesday, one day after having the interim tag removed from his title . "We're planning on a playoff run. There's no doubt about it."The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Bickerstaff would remain their head coach after he worked the last 63 games of Memphis' 2017-18 season on an interim basis. Bickerstaff began the 2017-18 season as an associate head coach on the staff of David Fizdale, who was fired in late November .Memphis went 15-48 under Bickerstaff and finished the season 22-60 , posting the second-worst record in the NBA and ending a string of seven straight playoff appearances. General manager Chris Wallace said he was encouraged by Bickerstaff's approach during a season derailed by injuries."You... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes he can make the franchise competitive immediately with a quick recovery from a 60-loss season.That's what his boss expects as well."We're going into it with an optimistic view and we're planning on success," Bickerstaff said Wednesday, one day after having the interim tag removed from his title . "We're planning on a playoff run. There's no doubt about it."The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Bickerstaff would remain their head coach after he worked the last 63 games of Memphis' 2017-18 season on an interim basis. Bickerstaff began the 2017-18 season as an associate head coach on the staff of David Fizdale, who was fired in late November .Memphis went 15-48 under Bickerstaff and finished the season 22-60 , posting the second-worst record in the NBA and ending a string of seven straight playoff appearances. General manager Chris Wallace said he was encouraged by Bickerstaff's approach during a season derailed by injuries."You... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have decided to make J.B. Bickerstaff their next head coach, removing the interim tag from his title.The Grizzlies did not disclose terms Tuesday of Bickerstaff's new deal. He will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday.Bickerstaff was the associate head coach when Memphis fired David Fizdale in late November of his second season. Guard Mike Conley had season-ending surgery to repair his left heel and Achilles tendon, and the Grizzlies finished the season at 22-60 for the second-worst record in the NBA behind only Phoenix.They had to win their regular season home finale to avoid the worst record since relocating to Memphis for the 2001-02 season. But they should wind up with their highest draft pick since 2009."J.B. did an admirable job as interim head coach last season in what was a challenging set of circumstances," general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "J.B. has connected with our players and earned their respect throughout... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A season that opened with such promise for the Grizzlies wound up as one of the franchise's worst since moving to Memphis.The Grizzlies couldn't have started better than 5-1, sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings with a pair of early wins over the Houston Rockets and a home victory over the Golden State Warriors. By the end, the Grizzlies' hopes of an eighth straight postseason appearance turned to hopefully landing a top two pick in June's NBA draft.When the injuries started, most notably what wound up a season-ending left heel-Achilles tendon injury to point guard Mike Conley, the season imploded. And kept getting worse through multiple double-digit losing streaks. The first long slide cost coach David Fizdale his job after a short tenure and leaving interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm.The change didn't help as the Grizzlies lost 19 straight between early February and mid-March — the longest skid since the team moved to Memphis in 2001."It's... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Robert Pera has sent a formal notice to the NBA office that he plans to buy out two minority partners and remain controlling owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.The Grizzlies announced Monday night that Pera both alerted the league office and shared his decision in a letter to season-ticket holders in which he also confirmed his commitment to Memphis.The two partners triggered a "buy-sell" clause from 2012 when Pera, the founder of Ubiquiti Networks, bought the team with a handful of minority owners. The clause required Pera to either buy out the shareholders or sell Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus his portion of the Grizzlies.The Commercial Appeal shared a copy of Pera's email to season-ticket holders where he shared his commitment to Memphis and the Grizzlies."I am committed to Memphis as an NBA market and as the home of the Grizzlies," Pera wrote. "We recognize that this has been a trying season for you as fans. That serves to reinforce our dedication to building a successful... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have seven games to go in this strenuous regular season, coming tantalizingly close to the tormented franchise's first appearance in the playoffs in 14 years.The trouble is their once-sturdy postseason bid is also teetering on the brink of being painfully denied.Beginning a supposedly softer stretch of their schedule that has the potential to help propel them to the finish line, the Timberwolves took an egregious loss on Monday to a languishing Memphis team that had lost all 17 road games to date in 2018. The outcome only furthered the doubt among an embittered fan base about whether the Wolves can hang on long enough without All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler to finish in the top eight in the Western Conference."We have to keep pushing forward. For some guys, this is a new experience. This is about your will," coach Tom Thibodeau said after the 101-93 loss. "You can't approach it without knowing what you have to put into it."The word Thibodeau... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.While easy to spot, tanking is not so easy to stop, the NBA is finding.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season, and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York are all on track to lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.Easy to spot, the NBA is finding tanking not so easy to stop.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York should all lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated to lose — they... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — After 20 years in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki can't be fooled.He knows when teams aren't giving an honest effort, when they are out there playing but not playing to win."It's pretty obvious," Nowitzki said.Easy to spot, the NBA is finding tanking not so easy to stop.It's a problem for the league office, which has fined owners, chastised teams and sent out league-wide memos on the topic. And with big brother watching, teams are abiding by the letter of the law, but arguably not the spirit of its intent.Tanking is viewed as a solution — sometimes the only one — for some teams and their fans, hoping something good can come from being bad if they cash in at the lottery and land a top draft pick.Nearly a third of the 30 NBA teams are brutally bad this season and it's hard to believe some aren't losing on purpose. Phoenix, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando, Dallas, Sacramento, Brooklyn, Chicago and New York should all lose 50 or more games, and only the Nets aren't motivated to lose — they... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — After several strange days filled with uncertainty, Tyreke Evans is still a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.Much to surprise of Evans — and his teammates.The Grizzlies sat Evans for five games before the trade deadline, but general manager Chris Wallace said Friday that Memphis never received the right offer, so decided not to deal the team's leading scorer."Basically, we felt that the offers weren't sufficient for a player of Tyreke's caliber and potential," Wallace said. "And particularly they weren't sufficient when weighed against the potential benefits of having him here for the rest of the season. So, we decided not to do anything."The Friday news conference culminated a stretch where Evans has not been with the team as the Grizzlies tried to deal him to better position themselves for the future. With all the rumblings about a trade and hopes for a better draft pick, Evans and teammates acknowledged they were surprised he was still with the team after the deadline."I've... [More]

C Marc Gasol had 27 points to lead six players in double figures for the Grizzlies, who fell to 1-2 on their current five-game trip."We're trying to build something here," Gasol said. "If we're trying to be a really good team, we have to play better defense."

C Marc Gasol finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots.

C Marc Gasol had 18 points for the Grizzlies on Tuesday at Phoenix, but he missed 12 of 16 shots and all four in the fourth quarter. "I played awful," he said. "I made the wrong read too many times, too many bad plays in the fourth quarter."