MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Add Miami's Tyler Herro to the list of rookies who look ready for the regular season.Herro scored Miami's first 14 points on Monday night, going 5 for 5 in that stretch, and finished with 23 points in a 120-87 Heat victory over the Atlanta Hawks.Through three games in this preseason, Herro — the No. 13 pick in this year's draft — is shooting 18 for 33 from the field for 49 points."The kid can play," Heat assistant coach Malik Allen said in a televised halftime interview. "He has a confidence but he's a student of the game, he's smart, he's an extremely quick learner and you're seeing that."Among those taken in June's draft, some have wasted no time in announcing their presence to the NBA world.New Orleans' Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick, is averaging 23.3 points and shooting 71% in the Pelicans' four preseason games — all wins. Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick for Memphis, is among the league's assist leaders in exhibition season with 23 in his first three games.No. 3 pick RJ Barrett... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder general manager Sam Presti took on a new look during the summer, just like the team he runs.The normally clean-shaven Presti returned from a summer trip with a neatly groomed beard."I went to Vermont and let it go for a little bit, and then when I got back, nobody seemed to have a problem with it," he said. "So I just kind of let it roll for a little while. I can't tell you this is something that's going to be around that much longer, but that is really the story behind it. So thanks, Vermont."If only the changes for the Thunder were as simple.Paul George's surprise trade request accelerated the end of an era. The Thunder sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers, then traded former MVP and scoring champion Russell Westbrook to Houston and rising star Jerami Grant to Denver. Now, for the first time, the Thunder enter a season with no players who were part of the team that debuted in Oklahoma City in 2008.The Thunder got a slew of draft picks in the deals and some... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same name, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself and be the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same game, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself, the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has star... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The words rebuilding and tanking don't sit well with Thunder general manager Sam Presti.He prefers the terms repositioning and replenishing.No matter what he calls it, he has quite a task in front of him after trading Oklahoma City's two best players __ All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook __ and a rising star in Jerami Grant.It's the start of a new era, a transformation that began abruptly when George made a trade request, leading Westbrook to seek another destination, too. George joined Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Westbrook is now partnered with former Thunder teammate James Harden in Houston.Presti publicly thanked Westbrook and George on Thursday, then said he is looking forward to the challenges ahead. Oklahoma City has stocked up on future first-round draft picks, and Presti believes the deals netted some good players in Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander."I think our focus right now is on the team that we have,"... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti says he is looking forward to the challenges ahead.Oklahoma City traded its two best players this season as All-Stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook departed. Also gone is a rising star in Jerami Grant.The Thunder stocked up on future first-round draft picks. Presti also says he believes the deals netted some good players in Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Presti didn't say how long he expected the 34-year-old Paul to be in a Thunder uniform. Paul has three seasons left on his deal with a player option in 2021-22. He averaged 15.6 points and 8.2 assists last season with Houston.__More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers made a huge decision.That meant Kawhi Leonard could finally make his.The Clippers will be landing Leonard as a free agent after they acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a massive trade for players and draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations said.George will be traded for at least four first-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity early Saturday because none of the moves have been finalized. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said.ESPN, which first reported the trade, also said the Thunder were getting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the Clippers.Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers made a huge decision.That meant Kawhi Leonard could finally make his.The Clippers will be landing Leonard as a free agent after they acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a massive trade for players and draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations said.George will be traded for at least four first-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity early Saturday because none of the moves have been finalized. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said.ESPN, which first reported the trade, also said the Thunder were getting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the Clippers.Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says the Los Angeles Clippers will be landing Kawhi Leonard as a free agent after they acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a massive trade for players and draft picks.George will be traded for at least four first-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity early Saturday because none of the moves have been finalized. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said.ESPN, which first reported the trade, also said the Thunder were getting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the Clippers.Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the team he led to last season's NBA title.The most the Clippers can offer Leonard... [More]

Golden State was looking ahead to facing Houston. At least, Klay Thompson acknowledged that was the case.Kevin Durant said he wasn't sure about that.And Stephen Curry flatly dismissed the notion.The Warriors weren't in sync for Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers — and still weren't in sync afterward when asked if their minds drifted ahead to what would be a second-round date with Houston in a rematch of last season's West finals. And perhaps to the surprise of many, the Warriors-Clippers series is still chugging along.The Clippers will play host to Game 6 on Friday night, looking to knot the series at 3-3 and send it back to Oracle Arena for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. They staved off elimination with a 129-121 win on the Warriors' home floor in Game 5 on Wednesday."We're looking forward to going home," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "My guess is that probably not a lot of tickets sold because I don't think a lot of people thought... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The best NBA team in Los Angeles right now isn't the one with LeBron James.It's the no-name Clippers.Going into Wednesday, the Clippers were fourth in the rugged Western Conference at 8-5, with overtime wins against defending NBA champion Golden State and Milwaukee, as well as Oklahoma City and Houston (twice)."We're going to keep on getting better," leading scorer Tobias Harris said. "We've showed we can play with the best of them."While they don't have talent on par with those teams, the Clippers are transitioning to a new era with a mix of veterans like Danilo Gallinari, Harris, Marcin Gortat and Patrick Beverley. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cracked the starting lineup as a rookie point guard. Montrezl Harrell brings a contagious energy off the bench.In a win over Washington, they had a franchise-record nine players score in double figures."They seem to all have a chip on their shoulder because a lot of those guys are really good players but they might not get the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Big Three have cleared out and Lob City is no more.For the first time in 10 years, the Los Angeles Clippers will soon begin a season without DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin or Chris Paul on the roster.So just who is this team?Well, coach Doc Rivers isn't sure yet.But Patrick Beverley offers a bold take: Clamp City."You got two of the best on-ball defenders in the league," he said, referring to himself and Avery Bradley. "We can be a defensive juggernaut."Despite coming off a season in which the team missed the playoffs for the first time in his five-year tenure and LeBron James joining the Lakers, Rivers feels good about the Clippers' future."This is the healthiest this franchise has been," the coach said Monday. "We never had flexibility and now we have flexibility. We have an owner who is willing to do whatever it takes."Heck, even All-Star Jimmy Butler of Minnesota is saying he'd like to be a Clipper.And Luc Mbah a Moute decided to return as a free agent, impressed... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson were introduced in Los Angeles on Monday as the newest Clippers guards. The duo, selected in the NBA draft last week, won't be under the bright spotlight just yet.That's reserved for center DeAndre Jordan.This is the final week before the NBA's free agency period begins Sunday, and the biggest question mark for the Clippers is whether center Jordan will opt in or out of his contract."I talk to him," coach Doc Rivers said. "We pretty much stay away from the subject for the most part. But I talk to him. We stay in touch."Lawrence Frank, executive vice president of basketball operations, wasn't sure what Jordan would decide about his $24.1 million player option."No new updates. We continue to have dialogue with his agent, Jeff Schwartz," Frank said. "We'll see how everything plays out."Guard Milos Teodosic has exercised his $6.3 million option with the Clippers. Frank visited him in Belgrade, Serbia, last month."We'll see how everything... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson were introduced in Los Angeles on Monday as the newest Clippers guards. The duo, selected in the NBA draft last week, won't be under the bright spotlight just yet.That's reserved for center DeAndre Jordan.This is the final week before the NBA's free agency period begins Sunday, and the biggest question mark for the Clippers is whether center Jordan will opt in or out of his contract."I talk to him," coach Doc Rivers said. "We pretty much stay away from the subject for the most part. But I talk to him. We stay in touch."Lawrence Frank, executive vice president of basketball operations, wasn't sure what Jordan would decide about his $24.1 million player option."No new updates. We continue to have dialogue with his agent, Jeff Schwartz," Frank said. "We'll see how everything plays out."Guard Milos Teodosic has exercised his $6.3 million option with the Clippers. Frank visited him in Belgrade, Serbia, last month."We'll see how everything... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Clippers are finally out of their misery, a long season marred by significant injuries coming to an end just short of the playoffs.They finished with a winning record of 42-40, but their streak of consecutive postseason appearances ended at six. They closed out the season Wednesday night with a 115-100 loss to the Lakers, dropping their last four games in a row.They kept their playoff hopes alive until the final week of the regular season despite the injuries. Eleven players missed a total of 265 games.Coach Doc Rivers started an NBA-leading 37 different lineups because of the injuries. The Clippers were forced to dip into the G League for starters, most notably C.J. Williams (who was signed to a multi-year deal) and Tyrone Wallace.The season began with nine new players on the roster after the offseason departures of Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford.But injuries soon befell the newcomers. Point guard Patrick Beverley was lost for the season after right knee... [More]

F Danilo Gallinari will be out of action longer than expected after a scan revealed Wednesday that he has a partial tear in his left glute. Gallinari has played only two games since Nov. 5 because of two separate glute injuries.

G Danilo Gallinari (left knee) sat out Saturday for the third straight game.

F Danilo Gallinari, after playing 36 minutes Saturday in his second game back from a strained glute, was ruled out of the Monday game with the same issue, although coach Doc Rivers called it an entirely new glute injury.

F Danilo Gallinari played his first game Wednesday since Nov. 5 after he missed 13 contests with a strained left hip. He started and scored five points on 2-of-13 shooting, with two rebounds in 25 minutes."I wanted to be better," Gallinari said. "I didn't expect to shoot the ball that bad. I was expecting myself to be better already, but I wasn't. Hopefully I will be better next game."