PHOENIX (AP) — Deandre Ayton went through what he said would be his only pre-draft workout Wednesday and expressed supreme confidence that the Phoenix Suns will use the No. 1 overall pick to select him."I know I'm going No. 1," he told reporters.Not that the Suns have told him that, he's just that confident that the team won't pass on his combination of size, strength, athleticism and shooting touch.The 7-foot-1, 250-pound center was born in the Bahamas and moved to the Phoenix area during high school. He said most of his family now lives here. Ayton played his one year of college basketball a couple of hours down I-10 at the University of Arizona. He said it would be "a blessing" to stay in Phoenix for his NBA career.Ayton said teaming with young Suns star Devin Booker would be "Shaq and Kobe 2-point-0."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released police video of the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown's ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down a black professional basketball player.The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV and posted online Sunday, show the moments after Milwaukee police officers swarmed Brown in January when he didn't immediately take his hands out of his pockets as ordered. Brown had been standing and talking with a group of officers as he waited for a citation for illegally parking on a disabled spot outside a Walgreens.Brown wasn't charged with anything and three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications. Brown has said he plans to sue the department.In one of the videos, Brown is on the ground and handcuffed when an officer... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released police video of the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown's ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down a black professional basketball player.The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV and posted online Sunday, show the moments after Milwaukee police officers swarmed Brown in January when he didn't immediately take his hands out of his pockets as ordered. Brown had been standing and talking with a group of officers as he waited for a citation for illegally parking on a disabled spot outside a Walgreens.Brown wasn't charged with anything and three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications. Brown has said he plans to sue the department.In one of the videos, Brown is on the ground and handcuffed when an officer... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released police video of the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown's ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down a black professional basketball player.The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV and posted online Sunday, show the moments after Milwaukee police officers swarmed Brown in January when he didn't immediately take his hands out of his pockets as ordered. Brown had been standing and talking with a group of officers as he waited for a citation for illegally parking on a handicap spot outside a Walgreens.Brown wasn't charged with anything and three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications. Brown has said he plans to sue the department.In one of the videos, Brown is on the ground and handcuffed when an officer... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released police videos showing the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown's ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down an African American professional basketball player.Brown was arrested for a parking violation in Milwaukee in January.The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV , show Brown asking why the officer was stepping on his ankle. The officer told Brown he wanted to make sure Brown wouldn't kick officers.Later an officer converses with two others who are seated in a squad car as they explained they were trying to protect themselves during the arrest and how police could be perceived as racist for arresting a black Bucks player.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly released police videos showing the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown's ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down an African American professional basketball player.Brown was arrested for a parking violation in Milwaukee in January.The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV , show Brown asking why the officer was stepping on his ankle. The officer told Brown he wanted to make sure Brown wouldn't kick officers.Later an officer converses with two others who are seated in a squad car as they explained they were trying to protect themselves during the arrest and how police could be perceived as racist for arresting a black Bucks player.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Learn from your mistakes, Golden State.Learn from how one got away in 2016. Learn from how sleepwalking through the third quarter on Sunday night made Game 2 of this series much more interesting than it ever should have been, at least until Stephen Curry went wild in the fourth quarter. Learn from Boston, both this year and six years ago. Learn from what cost San Antonio a title in 2013, too.Don't give LeBron James hope.Or else.Golden State leads these NBA Finals 2-0, after a 122-103 win put the defending champions two wins away from what would be their third title in the last four seasons. Only four teams have ever wasted a 2-0 lead in the finals — and Golden State is one of them, letting a championship ring slip away against James and the Cavaliers two years ago.The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday night. James looked exhausted when Game 2 was over, but he'll be somewhat rested by then. And he will most definitely be fueled by a boisterous home... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Learn from your mistakes, Golden State.Learn from how one got away in 2016. Learn from how sleepwalking through the third quarter on Sunday night made Game 2 of this series much more interesting than it ever should have been, at least until Stephen Curry went wild in the fourth quarter. Learn from Boston, both this year and six years ago. Learn from what cost San Antonio a title in 2013, too.Don't give LeBron James hope.Or else.Golden State leads these NBA Finals 2-0, after a 122-103 win put the defending champions two wins away from what would be their third title in the last four seasons. Only four teams have ever wasted a 2-0 lead in the finals — and Golden State is one of them, letting a championship ring slip away against James and the Cavaliers two years ago.The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday night. James looked exhausted when Game 2 was over, but he'll be somewhat rested by then. And he will most definitely be fueled by a boisterous home... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James' face said it all. J.R. Smith messed up. And the Cleveland Cavaliers paid for his mistake as they lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals 124-114 to the Golden State Warriors in overtime.The score was tied at 107 with 4.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Cleveland was at the line. George Hill's free-throw attempt bounced off the rim, and Smith rebounded. Instead of putting a shot up while near the basket, Smith dribbled out toward midcourt and kept it , despite James' shouts for the ball.Time ran out. Overtime ensued. Golden State won.Welcome to the club of big blunders, Smith.___CHRIS WEBBER - 1993The announcer said it before the game-deciding moment even happened: "Remember, the Wolverines are out of timeouts." Well, Michigan's Chris Webber didn't remember.After dribbling into a corner with 11 seconds left in the championship, surrounded by defenders, Webber called a timeout . Automatic technical foul. North Carolina hit two free throws, then two more to seal it.Michigan... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James' face said it all. J.R. Smith messed up. And the Cleveland Cavaliers paid for his mistake as they lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals 124-114 to the Golden State Warriors in overtime.The score was tied at 107 with 4.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Cleveland was at the line. George Hill's free-throw attempt bounced off the rim, and Smith rebounded. Instead of putting a shot up while near the basket, Smith dribbled out toward midcourt and kept it , despite James' shouts for the ball.Time ran out. Overtime ensued. Golden State won.Welcome to the club of big blunders, Smith.___CHRIS WEBBER - 1993The announcer said it before the game-deciding moment even happened: "Remember, the Wolverines are out of timeouts." Well, Michigan's Chris Webber didn't remember.After dribbling into a corner with 11 seconds left in the championship, surrounded by defenders, Webber called a timeout . Automatic technical foul. North Carolina hit two free throws, then two more to seal it.Michigan... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The ending was weird.The postgame was weird.At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson's knee to send the Warriors' sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.And all that was just J.R. Smith.The opener of this Cleveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons — LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a triple-double. Instead, this game's legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith's gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the final seconds.Warriors... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The ending was weird.The postgame was weird.At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson's knee to send the Warriors' sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.And all that was just J.R. Smith.The opener of this Cleveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons — LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a triple-double. Instead, this game's legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith's gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the final seconds.Warriors... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kenny Smith is an outsider wanting in. The Detroit Pistons could change that.Detroit needs a new head coach and reportedly has plans to interview the TNT NBA analyst, who has no prior coaching experience.The former first-round draft pick out of the University of North Carolina played in the NBA for a decade, making appearances with six teams. He's mainly known for his six-year stint in Houston, where the Rockets won championships in 1994 and '95. He hung up all his jerseys in 1997 and put on a suit for TV.During his final season, Smith made a pit stop in Detroit. He played just nine games for the Pistons.Smith would not be the first former player to go directly from broadcasting to coaching. Nor is basketball the only sport plucking people out of the booth and plopping them down on the bench; it actually hopped on the trend late compared to baseball.Here's some others who paved the path from the booth to the bench:Aaron Boone (MLB)The current Yankees manager spent seven... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have announced a three-year contract extension for coach Brett Brown while team president Bryan Colangelo is embroiled in controversy.Brown, who took the 76ers from 10 wins to the third seed in the Eastern Conference in just two seasons, got a new deal Thursday that runs through the 2021-2022 season. On Wednesday, the team said it is investigating whether Colangelo used a variety of Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media."Brett has done a terrific job over the past several years building and cultivating a program, but the substantially positive growth in the win column these past two seasons has proven he is the right man to continue leading this team in our quest for an NBA championship," Colangelo said in a statement. "I couldn't be more thrilled for Brett, his family and the organization to be moving forward for several years to come."The... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics say forward Gordon Hayward had surgery to remove a plate and screws in his broken left leg and will be ready to start next season.Hayward missed almost the entire season after breaking his leg in the first quarter of the season opener. The Celtics went on to reach Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers.The team says his leg and ankle are sound, but the plate and screws that were implanted to help the injury heal were irritating his tendons. He is scheduled to resume basketball activities in six to eight weeks and be ready for training camp.Also Wednesday: the Celtics said center Aron Baynes had successful surgery to repair a nasal fracture he sustained during Game 6 of the Cleveland series. He is expected to be back on the court in two to four weeks.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are investigating whether team president Bryan Colangelo used a variety of Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media.The allegations, reported Tuesday by the sports website The Ringer , raised questions about Colangelo's future and that of the NBA team itself, a rising franchise heading into perhaps its most important summer ever as it tries to attract free agents to contend for championships.The five Twitter accounts under suspicion took aim at Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to The Ringer.Among other things, the user or users of the accounts complained that Embiid, the 24-year-old All-Star center, was "playing like a toddler having tantrums" and was "a bit lazy," ''selfish"... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are investigating whether team president Bryan Colangelo used a variety of Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media.The allegations, reported Tuesday by the sports website The Ringer , raised questions about Colangelo's future and that of the NBA team itself, a rising franchise heading into perhaps its most important summer ever as it tries to attract free agents to contend for championships.The five Twitter accounts under suspicion took aim at Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to The Ringer.Among other things, the user or users of the accounts complained that Embiid, the 24-year-old All-Star center, was "playing like a toddler having tantrums" and was "a bit lazy," ''selfish"... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love's arms are lined with finger-nail scratches, discolored bruises and abrasions, hard-earned mementos from months battling under the basket against other NBA big men.Some of the surface wounds are healing, some are fresh.Other marks are hidden.On the eve of his fourth straight NBA Finals with Cleveland, and while recovering from a concussion suffered last week against Boston that could keep him out of Game 1, Love has persisted and prevailed during a season in which he revealed dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for much of his life.It's been an emotionally straining — but ultimately rewarding — journey for the 29-year-old All-Star, who laughed when told it feels like he's been with the Cavaliers much longer than four seasons."I've been through enough for a guy who has been here for 12 years," he told the AP following a recent practice. "It's been well worth it."Love, though, has had to pay a price for his new-found peace.Almost since the moment he arrived... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are investigating whether team president Bryan Colangelo used Twitter accounts to anonymously trash some of his own players and fellow executives and to defend himself against criticism from fans and the sports media.The five accounts took aim at Philadelphia players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to a report by The Ringer website.Colangelo acknowledged using one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events, but said he wasn't familiar with the other four and didn't know who was behind them."The allegations are serious and we have commenced an independent investigation into the matter," the Sixers said Wednesday in a statement. "We will report the results of that investigation as soon as it is concluded."Embiid, the 24-year-old All-Star center, tweeted that he didn't believe... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have started an investigation into tweets linked in a report to team president Bryan Colangelo that criticized Sixers players Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz, among other NBA figures.The burner accounts also took aim at former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri and former Sixers players Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, according to a report by The Ringer website."The allegations are serious and we have commenced an independent investigation into the matter," the Sixers said Wednesday in a statement. "We will report the results of that investigation as soon as it is concluded."The website asked the team about five Twitter accounts it suspected Colangelo was operating. He said in a statement that he used one of the accounts to monitor the NBA industry and other current events, but that he was "not familiar with any of the other accounts" brought to his attention and that he didn't know who was "behind them or what... [More]