Joel Embiid expects his first playoff game in Philadelphia to be quite a scene."It's going to be lit," Embiid said.And if the 76ers win, there will be more games like it next week.The 76ers can become the first team into the Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Game 5 of the only East series that isn't tied.Also Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors get their second chance to eliminate San Antonio, and the Celtics and Bucks return to Boston for Game 5 of a series in which the home team has won every game.Embiid was still sidelined while recovering from a broken orbital bone around his left eye for the first two games in Philadelphia, then returned to help the 76ers win Games 3 and 4 in Miami.Now the 76ers, who just two years ago lost 72 games in one of the worst seasons ever while the Warriors were winning an NBA-record 73, can join the defending champions in the second round on the same night. The 76ers have advanced to the East semis just twice since... [More]

Joel Embiid expects his first playoff game in Philadelphia to be quite a scene."It's going to be lit," Embiid said.And if the 76ers win, there will be more games like it next week.The 76ers can become the first team into the Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Game 5 of the only East series that isn't tied.Also Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors get their second chance to eliminate San Antonio, and the Celtics and Bucks return to Boston for Game 5 of a series in which the home team has won every game.Embiid was still sidelined while recovering from a broken orbital bone around his left eye for the first two games in Philadelphia, then returned to help the 76ers win Games 3 and 4 in Miami.Now the 76ers, who just two years ago lost 72 games in one of the worst seasons ever while the Warriors were winning an NBA-record 73, can join the defending champions in the second round on the same night. The 76ers have advanced to the East semis just twice since... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Latest on the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife died at 67 (all times local):___11:05 p.m.The San Antonio Spurs have lost to the Golden State Warriors, 110-97 in Game 3 of their best-of-seven NBA playoff series.San Antonio played without coach Gregg Popovich, who was at home mourning the death of his 67-year-old wife, Erin. She died on Wednesday.Winning one for Pop was too difficult for the Spurs, who trailed by 12 entering the fourth quarter. They briefly narrowed the gap to single digits early in the quarter, but the Warriors quickly regained control.Golden State leads the series 3-0, placing the Spurs at the brink of elimination.___10:35 p.m.Winning one for Pop will be an uphill climb for the San Antonio Spurs.They trail Golden State 84-72 heading to the fourth quarter.San Antonio is playing without coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife Erin died Wednesday.A win by Golden State will give the Warriors a 3-0 lead and place the Spurs at the brink of... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Latest on the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife died at 67 (all times local):___10:35 p.m.Winning one for Pop will be an uphill climb for the San Antonio Spurs.They trail Golden State 84-72 heading to the fourth quarter.San Antonio is playing without coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife Erin died Wednesday.A win by Golden State will give the Warriors a 3-0 lead and place the Spurs at the brink of elimination in the best-of-seven NBA playoff series.___10:00 p.m.The Golden State Warriors lead the San Antonio Spurs 52-46 at halftime behind 17 points from Kevin Durant.The Spurs are playing without coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife Erin died Wednesday.The team did not air a video tribute or hold a moment of silence for Erin Popovich in an apparent attempt to make the game as routine as possible for its players, but that was impossible.The Spurs had an emotional start as the sold-out crowd at AT&T Center attempted to invigorate the home team with some... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Latest on the San Antonio Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife died at 67 (all times local):___10:00 p.m.The Golden State Warriors lead the San Antonio Spurs 52-46 at halftime behind 17 points from Kevin Durant.The Spurs are playing without coach Gregg Popovich, whose wife Erin died Wednesday.The team did not air a video tribute or hold a moment of silence for Erin Popovich in an apparent attempt to make the game as routine as possible for its players, but that was impossible.The Spurs had an emotional start as the sold-out crowd at AT&T Center attempted to invigorate the home team with some of the most deafening cheers of the season.Already on the edge of their seats for the first home game of the playoffs, the fans erupted when Rudy Gay threw down a one-handed dunk over Golden State's JaVale McGee. The cheering was nearly constant as the Spurs scored the game's first six points before the Warriors began to settle in.___9:20 p.m.The San Antonio Spurs trail... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The death of the wife of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has brought an outpouring of support across the NBA.Erin Popovich died Wednesday at 67, the team said without disclosing details. Her death came after a long illness, the San Antonio Express-News reported.Spurs star Manu Ginobili says the team is "devastated, we are all hurting." But the players will "go out there and compete" and respect Popovich's philosophy of playing with "fire" and "determination."The Spurs trail the Golden State Warriors 2-0 in the first round, with the playoff series shifting to San Antonio on Thursday night. The 69-year-old coach — one of the NBA's most respected figures — ran practice Wednesday but will not be on the sideline for Game 3. Assistant Ettore Messina will coach the team.Spurs general manager RC Buford said at Thursday's shootaround he spoke to Popovich in the morning and he's "overwhelmed by the support.""Erin and Gregg were best friends who were together for 40 years,... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Andre Iguodala knocked down another clutch 3-pointer and let out some rare emotion, triumphantly reaching his arms out wide as he ran back to the defensive end. The Golden State swingman had thrown down a spectacular alley-oop dunk only 31 seconds earlier, and he was feeling it as the clocked ticked away on a second straight lopsided playoff win.There's something about Iguodala in the postseason. He paces himself through the regular season to be fresh and ready — and sometimes dominant — on the big stage for the defending NBA champions."Everyone gets hyped when Andre gets hyped because that's a rare occurrence," teammate Klay Thompson said. "You might see it on the golf course."It's just what the short-handed Warriors were hoping to see.Iguodala is back in the starting lineup for Golden State's first-round series against the Spurs, filling in for Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP recovers from a sprained left knee. That's how versatile Iguodala is: the 6-foot-6 swingman... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is confident Golden State's struggles down the stretch might be just what makes the defending champions dominant on the postseason stage again.Maybe not quite 16-1 this time around, sure, yet plenty capable of another remarkable run."I always knew everybody on our team had a good spirit, a good energy for the game," said Durant, the reigning NBA Finals MVP. "We might have lost some games and had some tough stretches but that doesn't define everybody here as an individual player. I'm kind of positive on, optimistic on each of these guys and how we approach the game no matter what the score of some of those games. I'm glad we can kind of learn from those tough times and continue to move forward."The Warriors have been hurt and humbled. Beaten handily and beat up hard. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is expected to be sidelined the entire first round with a knee injury. Four All-Stars — Curry, Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson — were out together at times,... [More]

Hey, here's something we haven't heard before.The NBA playoffs are wide open.At perhaps no other time in the league's history have so many teams gone into the postseason with a real shot at hoisting the trophy at the end of this two-month grind.From the top seeds in Houston and Toronto, to the old stalwarts in Golden State and Cleveland, to the brash up-and-comers in Philadelphia and Minnesota, there are potential storylines galore and no real way to predict how it all may shake out."We've got a chance," said LeBron James, who will be seeking his eighth straight trip to the finals. "That's all you can ask for."For pretty much the NBA's entire history, there's been little reason to tune in for the playoffs until they got to the finals. No wonder Charles Barkley became so enamored with the NHL version of the postseason — that's a sport that actually doles out some real drama once the regular season is over.The NBA?Yawn.Over the last four decades, a top-seeded team has claimed 28 championships.... [More]

Maybe this is the year.Maybe the Golden State Warriors, opening the postseason without Stephen Curry or any momentum, won't be the best of the West, where there's a Houston team that can run and gun as well as they do.Maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting from the middle of the pack in the East, just have too big a hill to climb, even with LeBron James carrying them.Or perhaps none of that matters, and the NBA is headed toward Round 4 of its reigning rivalry.The postseason opens Saturday and it's far from a guarantee it ends with a record fourth straight NBA Finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers. Neither was the best team in its conference during the regular season — the Cavaliers were only No. 4 in the East — and it's not hard to envision a Houston to Toronto trip replacing what's become an annual Oakland, California, to Cleveland itinerary.Then again, the Warriors could be as dangerous as ever once Curry returns from a knee injury that could have him back for the second... [More]

Editors:To help you with the upcoming NBA postseason, here are some of AP's plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org). Times are ET. This digest will be updated.PLAYOFF COVERAGE— Each series will get a preview, 650-750 words.— Game coverage will follow the regular-season format, with final updates of about 750 words. Sidebars on merit.— During the early rounds, we will again move BKN--TIPOFF each day until the conference finals, featuring the top story lines looking ahead to the next day's games.— Team wrapups will move the day after the regular season in most cases.___UPCOMING FEATURESBKN--PLAYOFFS SETMIAMI — Finally, the brackets will be set. A race that went to the end in both conferences — just to decide who got in out West, and to decide who plays who in the East — is over, and the long road to the NBA Finals is now underway. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 3 a.m. THURSDAYBKN--WARRIORS-DIFFERENT PATHOAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry on the sidelines again, this time with a hurt knee. No longer the sure-thing No. 1 seed. Steve Kerr piecing together rotations based on who's available through illness and injury.It hasn't exactly been an easy course this season for the defending NBA champions.The Golden State Warriors are used to being the best out West, a top target that everyone in the NBA seeks to unseat.It's just a little different this time.Not that Kerr is overly concerned. Golden State's coach thinks the Warriors will be just fine when they open their best-of-seven series against No. 7 seed San Antonio at home Saturday afternoon."We're going to have new life when the playoffs start. And I'm well aware of what a long, difficult season it's been," he said. "So many things have been thrown at us here the last month, especially all the injuries, which have really shaken up our rotation. That's made it difficult on everybody and our players. But they're fighting and that's the main... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry on the sidelines again, this time with a hurt knee. No longer the sure-thing No. 1 seed. Steve Kerr piecing together rotations based on who's available through illness and injury.It hasn't exactly been an easy course this season for the defending NBA champions.The Golden State Warriors are used to being the best out West, a top target that everyone in the NBA seeks to unseat.It's just a little different this time.Not that Kerr is overly concerned. Golden State's coach thinks the Warriors will be just fine when they open their best-of-seven series against No. 7 seed San Antonio at home this weekend."We're going to have new life when the playoffs start. And I'm well aware of what a long, difficult season it's been," he said. "So many things have been thrown at us here the last month, especially all the injuries, which have really shaken up our rotation. That's made it difficult on everybody and our players. But they're fighting and that's the main thing."We're... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams that know Wednesday is the last day of their season. And 15 teams already have clinched playoff berths.Then there are Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7-of-the-playoffs feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams that know Wednesday is the last day of their season. And 15 teams already have clinched playoff berths.Then there are Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7-of-the-playoffs feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams who know Wednesday is the last day of their season. Another 15 teams have already clinched playoff berths.Then there's Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7 feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So there's... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The end has arrived.Actually, for Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas and Charlotte, the end came in their season finales Tuesday. There are nine teams who know Wednesday is the last day of their season. Another 15 teams have already clinched playoff berths.Then there's Minnesota and Denver.Game 82 for both teams will have a Game 7 feel, which is a fitting way to transition from the regular season to the postseason. Nuggets at Timberwolves, winner to the playoffs, loser to the offseason. It's the first time since 1997 — and only the third time since the NBA went to this postseason format in 1983 — that two teams will play on the season's final day in such a situation."It's bigger than all of us," Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns said.Minnesota is trying to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004 — the longest current drought in the NBA. Denver — winner of six straight to give itself this chance — is trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2013.So there's... [More]

Editors:To help you with the upcoming NBA postseason, here are some of AP's plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org). Times are ET. This digest will be updated.PLAYOFF COVERAGE— Each series will get a preview, 650-750 words.— Game coverage will follow the regular-season format, with final updates of about 750 words. Sidebars on merit.— During the early rounds, we will again move BKN--TIPOFF each day until the conference finals, featuring the top story lines looking ahead to the next day's games.— Team wrapups will move the day after the regular season in most cases.___UPCOMING FEATURESBKN--THE FINAL DAYMIAMI — The last day of the NBA season has arrived, with some statistical races still to be decided and perhaps some milestones even within reach. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. TUESDAYNOTE: Story will move shortly after Tuesday's games are complete___BKN--OLADIPO-INDIANA'S BEST MANINDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers thought Victor Oladipo... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — By rule, any substitute checking into an NBA game must first report his intentions to the scorer's table. Denver's Jamal Murray was on his way there during a game last month, then got derailed when an errant pass came flying his way.That's when referee Jason Phillips intervened.Phillips could have easily been a stickler for rules and told Murray — who never made it to the table — that he had to wait until the next stoppage of play. But Phillips knew Murray was on his way to checking in long before the play was dead and allowed him to enter the game."Thank you," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, and Phillips nodded.There were moments of civility like this between referees, players and coaches this season. They just were overshadowed way too often. Now everyone is watching to see how things unfold in the playoffs.The league wants to avoid more headline-grabbing confrontation with the playoffs starting Saturday and stakes and emotion becoming even higher, so officials met with... [More]

Editors:To help you with the upcoming NBA postseason, here are some of AP's plans. Please direct questions to Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org). Times are ET. This digest will be updated.PLAYOFF COVERAGE— Each series will get a preview, 650-750 words.— Game coverage will follow the regular-season format, with final updates of about 750 words. Sidebars on merit.— During the early rounds, we will again move BKN--TIPOFF each day until the conference finals, featuring the top story lines looking ahead to the next day's games.— Team wrapups will move the day after the regular season in most cases.___UPCOMING FEATURESBKN-PLAYOFFS-THE REFSMIAMI — The player-referee relationship is going to be a focus again in these playoffs. It was a season where referee Courtney Kirkland was taken off the floor for a week for getting too aggressive with Golden State's Shaun Livingston, where Warriors star Kevin Durant — who'd been ejected once in his first nine seasons — got kicked out of five games, where even LeBron... [More]