CLEVELAND (AP) — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich hopes LeBron James never stops speaking up.Long an admirer of Cleveland's superstar, Popovich praised James for his activism and for being a role model to "millions" of kids. Popovich also defended James' right to speak after he was recently criticized by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, who said the NBA's most high-profile player should "shut up and dribble" after he criticized President Donald Trump."To me, when I heard about that, it was just an unbelievable show of arrogance for a talking head to try and tell someone else if they can speak, what they can speak about and when and where to do it," Popovich said before the Spurs faced James and the Cavaliers. "It's just ludicrous, but to not have a feel for who this guy is."I mean, think about when he came into public view, how young was he? And to this day he hasn't missed a step, he hasn't fallen off the ledge and he's been a brilliant example for millions of kids, especially kids... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich hopes LeBron James never stops speaking up.Long an admirer of Cleveland's superstar, Popovich praised James for his activism and for being a role model to "millions" of kids. Popovich also defended James' right to speak after he was recently criticized by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, who said the NBA's most high-profile player should "shut up and dribble" after he criticized President Donald Trump."To me, when I heard about that, it was just an unbelievable show of arrogance for a talking head to try and tell someone else if they can speak, what they can speak about and when and where to do it," Popovich said before the Spurs faced James and the Cavaliers. "It's just ludicrous, but to not have a feel for who this guy is."I mean, think about when he came into public view, how young was he? And to this day he hasn't missed a step, he hasn't fallen off the ledge and he's been a brilliant example for millions of kids, especially kids... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich hopes LeBron James never stops speaking up.Long an admirer of Cleveland's superstar, Popovich praised James for his activism and for being a role model to "millions" of kids. Popovich also defended James' right to speak after he was recently criticized by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, who said the NBA's most high-profile player should "shut up and dribble" after he criticized President Donald Trump."To me, when I heard about that, it was just an unbelievable show of arrogance for a talking head to try and tell someone else if they can speak, what they can speak about and when and where to do it," Popovich said before the Spurs faced James and the Cavaliers. "It's just ludicrous, but to not have a feel for who this guy is."I mean, think about when he came into public view, how young was he? And to this day he hasn't missed a step, he hasn't fallen off the ledge and he's been a brilliant example for millions of kids, especially kids... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves say All-Star guard Jimmy Butler underwent successful meniscus surgery on his right knee.The team announced Sunday that the operation was performed by Dr. Diane Dahm at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dahm is the team's orthopedic surgeon.Butler will be sidelined indefinitely. The team says further updates on his progress will be issued as he begins rehabilitation.The injury occurred Friday in a loss to the Houston Rockets.Butler is averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He has played in 56 games.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves say All-Star guard Jimmy Butler underwent successful meniscus surgery on his right knee.The team announced Sunday that the operation was performed by Dr. Diane Dahm at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Dahm is the team's orthopedic surgeon.Butler will be sidelined indefinitely. The team says further updates on his progress will be issued as he begins rehabilitation.The injury occurred Friday in a loss to the Houston Rockets.Butler is averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He has played in 56 games.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler has a meniscal injury to his right knee that the Timberwolves are optimistic will not sideline him rest of the season as they try to end the NBA's longest playoff drought.The team stopped short of calling the injury a tear, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn't want to speculate on timing. Still, the news Saturday could've been worse for the organization, which feared a season-ending torn ligament after Butler had to be helped off the floor Friday night in a loss at Houston."The big thing is ruling out the ACL, that would've been an extended amount of time, so we're hopeful that it's not too long," Thibodeau said.Nemanja Bjelicao started in Butler's place on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls."A guy like Jimmy, you don't replace him individually, you have to do it collectively," Thibodeau said.Butler was hurt in the third quarter of Minnesota's 120-102 loss and had the MRI on Saturday at Mayo Clinic. In his first season with the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans will undergo a precautionary MRI Sunday on injured right ribs that forced him to miss their game at Miami.Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he doesn't anticipate a long absence for Evans, who is averaging a team-high 19.4 points per game.Evans left Friday's game against Cleveland in the fourth quarter because of the injury. Jarell Martin started for Evans against Miami on Saturday night.___More AP NBA: apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves say Jimmy Butler has had an MRI that revealed a meniscal injury to his right knee.The Timberwolves did not provide a timeline for Butler's absence Saturday, but it is likely good news that it is a cartilage injury, and not a ligament.Butler was hurt Friday night at Houston in the third quarter and had to be carried off the court by a pair of teammates. The Wolves lost 120-102 to the Rockets and the All-Star had the MRI on Saturday at Mayo Clinic.The Wolves said more updates on Butler's progress would be issued when information became available.In his first season with Minnesota, Butler has helped lead the team to the thick of the Western Conference race, averaging 22.2 points. They were in fourth place before play Saturday, in position to end a 13-year absence from the playoffs.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler will not play in the game against Chicago with the Timberwolves anxiously awaiting further word on the right knee injury he suffered the night before.The Wolves declared Butler out for Saturday against the Bulls, his former team.More news on his condition was expected closer to tipoff. He was hurt on Friday at Houston in the third quarter, needing assistance to leave the court. The Wolves lost 120-102 to the Rockets.In his first season with Minnesota, Butler has helped lead the team to the thick of the Western Conference race, averaging 22.2 points per game. They were in fourth place before play on Saturday, in position to end a 13-year absence from the playoffs.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

HOUSTON (AP) — Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler left the Timberwolves' game against the Houston Rockets with an apparent injury to his right knee.After grabbing a rebound late in the third quarter Friday, Butler pivoted and planted hard on his right foot before collapsing and grabbing his right knee. He was on the floor for at least three minutes before he was carried off the court by two teammates. He appeared to avoid putting weight on his right leg when heading to the locker room.Butler leads the Timberwolves with 22.4 points and 1.9 steals per game, adding 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his first season with Minnesota after being traded from Chicago in the offseason.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jason Terry speaks with such polish and passion about basketball he could be mistaken for a coach or TV analyst.Someday he could do both jobs. For now, the Milwaukee Bucks guard is focused on his current occupation. It doesn't appear he'll be switching careers any time soon.One more year in the league and Terry will reach a rare milestone in the NBA."For sure, 100 percent, my goal is to play 20 seasons," Terry said. "The organization understands that and I think the league is on notice."At age 40, Terry still averages about 11 minutes a game in his 19th season. He might be a step slower from the days when he was popping 3-pointers in Atlanta and Dallas. But a player nicknamed "Jet" can still most definitely take off on the court."He's a player. Now will he be able to coach someday? Yeah," Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty said. "But I think the way he approaches the everyday game right now is going to help him when he goes into the next part of his career ... He's always thinking... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — The NBA fined outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600,000 on Wednesday for comments about tanking during a podcast with Hall of Famer Julius Erving.Commissioner Adam Silver said the fine was for "public statements detrimental to the NBA." The league said the podcast with Erving was posted Sunday, the day the All-Star game was played in Los Angeles.Cuban said during the 30-minute interview that he met recently with some of his players and told them "losing is our best option." Cuban was trying to illustrate to Erving how he believes he is a transparent owner."I'm probably not supposed to say this, but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night," Cuban said. "And here we are. We weren't competing for the playoffs. I was like, 'Look, losing is our best option.'"Adam would hate to be hearing that. But at least I sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans are going to be this summer, that we're not going to tank again. This is like... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki said Wednesday night he was "disgusted" to read about allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct by former team president Terdema Ussery in a Sports Illustrated report that described a hostile workplace for women.The 20-year player who has spent his entire career with the Mavericks told reporters after the first post-All-Star break practice in Los Angeles that he was glad the franchise was addressing the situation by hiring outside counsel to investigate the allegations."It's very disappointing," Nowitzki told The Dallas Morning News. "It's heartbreaking. I'm glad it's all coming out. I was disgusted when I read the article, obviously, as everybody was. I was shocked ... that our franchise, my franchise, that stuff like that was going on."Ussery was accused of making sexually suggestive remarks to several women. He spent 18 years with the team before going to the sports apparel company Under Armour in 2015. Ussery, who was investigated by the team over... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs are preparing to play without star forward Kawhi Leonard this season, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.Leonard has missed all but nine games this season as he battles right quadriceps tendinopathy."We only have X number of games left this season and he's still not ready to go," Popovich said Wednesday. "And if by some chance he is, it's going to be pretty late into the season and it's going to be a tough decision. How late do you bring somebody back? That's why I'm just trying to be honest and logical. I'll be surprised if he gets back this year."Tendinopathy is a disease of the tendon that includes tenderness and pain, particularly during exercise.Leonard began experiencing discomfort in his leg late in the offseason, which caused him to sit out the team's training camp and preseason. Neither Leonard nor the team knew the severity of the injury, which forced the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to miss the first 27 games of the season.Leonard... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Larry Nance Jr. has run into an unexpected snag since joining the Cavaliers."Trying to convince my mom that I'm not living at home," he said, smiling. "We're out looking for rental properties and stuff like that and she's like, 'Oh, our basement is pretty nice.' That's probably been the toughest thing."Nance's Ohio homecoming will become even more special Thursday when the former Lakers forward plays his first at Quicken Loans Arena with the Cavs, the same team his dad starred with from 1987-94Life has been a whirlwind of late for Nance, who was obtained by Cleveland shortly before the Feb. 8 trading deadline along with guards Jordan Clarkson and George Hill and forward Rodney Hill — four players the Cavs feel can get them back to the NBA Finals.Nance competed in last weekend's All-Star dunk contest, an event he turned into an unforgettable family affair by wearing his dad's Phoenix jersey and replicating the same dunk Larry Nance Sr. did while winning the inaugural... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — The NBA fined outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600,000 on Wednesday for comments about tanking during a podcast with Hall of Famer Julius Erving.Commissioner Adam Silver said the fine was for "public statements detrimental to the NBA." The league said the podcast with Erving was posted Sunday, the day the All-Star game was played in Los Angeles.Cuban said during the 30-minute interview that he met recently with some of his players and told them "losing is our best option." Cuban was trying to illustrate to Erving how he believes he is a transparent owner."I'm probably not supposed to say this, but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night," Cuban said. "And here we are. We weren't competing for the playoffs. I was like, 'Look, losing is our best option.'"Adam would hate to be hearing that. But at least I sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans are going to be this summer, that we're not going to tank again. This is like... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — The NBA fined outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600,000 on Wednesday for comments about tanking during a podcast with Hall of Famer Julius Erving.Commissioner Adam Silver said the fine was for "public statements detrimental to the NBA." The league said the podcast with Erving was posted Sunday, the day the All-Star game was played in Los Angeles.Cuban said during the 30-minute interview that he met recently with some of his players and told them "losing is our best option." Cuban was trying to illustrate to Erving how he believes he is a transparent owner."I'm probably not supposed to say this, but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night," Cuban said. "And here we are. We weren't competing for the playoffs. I was like, 'Look, losing is our best option.'"Adam would hate to be hearing that. But at least I sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans are going to be this summer, that we're not going to tank again. This is like... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James says leave the NBA playoffs alone.The Cavaliers superstar said Wednesday he disagrees with a potential proposal to re-seed the 16 teams in the playoffs regardless of conference. The league has always had teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences compete separately in the postseason with the respective conference winners meeting in the NBA Finals.Commissioner Adam Silver recently floated a proposal where the 16 teams would be seeded regardless of their conference.James disagrees with the concept, mostly because it "changes the landscape of the history of the game." The three-time champion, who has played in seven straight Finals, noted that there have been junctures where one conference has dominated, but in the long run there has been balance."It's cool to mess around with the All-Star Game, we proved you can do that," said James, who picked an All-Star team this year under a new format. "But let's not get too crazy about the playoffs."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Golden State and Cleveland are used to looking down at the rest of the NBA, though it's Houston and Toronto enjoying that view at the All-Star break.The Rockets and Raptors are the conference leaders and will try to keep rolling when play resumes. Houston has won 10 straight to edge past the Warriors, and Toronto is two games up in the East after seven consecutive wins.So, are the Raptors the best team in the East?"I don't know. The record says we are, but for me to sit here and say we are the best team — we have confidence, but I'm not going to sit here and say we are the best team," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "Right now, we're No. 1. The numbers say that."Houston coach Mike D'Antoni says the Rockets like being in the Warriors' spot, but don't talk about them — for now."Nobody's ready for that yet," he said. "So as we go forward we'll see what we got, but yeah, we would love to be the No. 1 team without a doubt."___While Commissioner Adam Silver discussed the idea of revamping the... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers have enjoyed post-All-Star break revivals the past two seasons.Those late-season rallies will no doubt be an ongoing theme in the congested Western Conference playoff race once Portland resumes play on Friday in Utah."I mean, I think that's in the back of our minds. We know that we're usually a better team in the second half of the season," Portland guard Damian Lillard said. "We can't just go into it saying, 'All right, we're always good at this part of the season.' I think mentally we have to understand how close of a race it is and that we've got to be sharp all the way through."Portland is 32-26 at the break, tied for sixth in the West, which is better off than it was last season at the same point.But the Blazers are one of five teams in the West with 26 losses. The Warriors and Houston Rockets sit comfortably atop the standings with the next eight teams jostling for position.The Blazers headed into the All-Star Game with a 123-117 victory over... [More]