PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia star Joel Embiid is out with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, a potentially critical blow as the 76ers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. Embiid sat out Game 5 against Washington on Wednesday night. Embiid is not scheduled to have surgery, and the Sixers will treat his injury with physical therapy. He is considered day to day. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said only that he was “hopeful” the All-Star big man could return at some point in the postseason. “He's a competitor. The fact that he's not playing tonight, or whenever he can play, it bothers him,” Rivers said. “He's not in a great place that way. But he's good. He's fine.” The Sixers held a 3-1 lead over the Wizards in the first-round Eastern Conference series and a victory would certainly give Embiid more time to rest before the next round. Losing Embiid for a prolonged length of time could end Philly's run at the title — the Sixers played well in spurts without Embiid but went... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 because of a sore right knee. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and his status will be decided before Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the decision on his status was not made official. Embiid was listed as doubtful on the NBA injury report and Seth Curry (left ankle) and George Hill (left knee) are both probable. The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 5 is in Philadelphia in front of an expected first full house of the season. Philadelphia was poised for its first sweep since 1985 before Embiid was hurt and the Wizards rallied to win behind 27 points from Bradley Beal. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The price the Bucks paid to add Jrue Holiday to their roster and the amount they invested to keep him underscores how much Milwaukee believes the guard can help them end a half-century of NBA postseason frustration. Holiday gets his chance to hold up his end of the deal this weekend when the Bucks begin a first-round series with the Miami Heat, who eliminated them in the second round last year. “I think for somebody who just wants an opportunity to win and do the best they can, to come to a team like this and try to make something happen, I’m ready for this,” Holiday said. “I’m excited to get going.” Milwaukee posted the NBA’s best regular-season record in 2018-19 and 2019-20 but fell short in the playoffs both times. The Bucks responded by overhauling their roster and putting a new group around two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton. No change was bigger than the addition of Holiday, who is playing for a legitimate title... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday says it was an easy decision to sign a contract extension in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Holiday pretty much knew he wanted to stay in Milwaukee for years to come once he spoke to team officials shortly after they paid a steep price to acquire him. General manager Jon Horst made it apparent how much the Bucks valued the veteran guard. “I feel like you can tell when somebody’s like super excited or happy about something, and you could hear it in his voice,” Holiday said Monday, one day after agreeing to terms on a four-year extension that would be worth at least $134 million if he exercises his option for the final season. “At that point, I’m like, ‘Man, he really wanted me to be here.’ “I’m really not the type to be wooed and all that. I don’t need to be courted or whatever, but it felt good to be appreciated. It felt good to be wanted.” Under the terms of his new deal, Holiday receives base salaries of $30.1 million next season, $32.4 million... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday followed up his biggest game of the season by making a long-term commitment to his new team. Holiday agreed to a four-year contract extension that would be worth at least $134 million if he exercises his option for the final season. The Bucks announced the agreement Sunday. “I'm a Buck for life,” Holiday said in a video posted on the Bucks' Twitter account. “Just know that I'm glad to be a part of Bucks Nation. Let's do some big things, man. I'm really excited.” The announcement came one day after Holiday had a season-high 33 points as well as 11 assists and seven rebounds in a 129-128 victory at Sacramento. Holiday's performance enabled the Bucks to withstand the absence of reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out with a sore left knee. The move represents the latest step in the Bucks’ heavy investment in their trio of Holiday, Antetokounmpo and two-time All-Star Khris Middleton as the franchise chases its first NBA title... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has agreed to a four-year contract extension that would be worth at least $134 million if he exercises his option for the final season. The move represents the latest step in the Bucks’ heavy investment in their trio of Holiday, two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and two-time All-Star Khris Middleton as the franchise chases its first NBA title since 1971. "Jrue is one of the top guards in the NBA and we are thrilled to sign him to this extension,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement Sunday. “Adding him to our team has made us better on both ends of the floor. He’s an elite defender and an impactful offensive player with the ability to score, shoot and facilitate.” Holiday had a $26.7 million player option remaining for the 2021-21 season as part of the five-year, $126 million contract he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2017. Under the terms of this deal, Holiday declines that option but receives base... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed two-way player Moses Brown to a multi-year deal and waived Austin Rivers. The Thunder made the announcements in releases on Sunday. Brown, a 7-foot-1 center who is in his second year, has emerged this month. In Saturday's game against Boston, he had a career-high 21 points and tied a Thunder record with 23 rebounds. In his last nine games, he’s averaging 12.4 points and 12.3 rebounds while shooting 61% from the field. Oklahoma City announced Saturday that veteran center Al Horford would be inactive for the rest of the season, opening the door for Brown to take over the position. The Thunder originally signed Brown to a two-way contract in Dec. 2020, after he spent the previous season as a two-way player for the Portland Trail Blazers. This season, Brown was named to the All-NBA G League First Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team after he averaged 18.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks Rivers, a 6-3 guard, was originally... [More]

Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. Vucevic is the only player from this season's All-Star Game to be traded at the deadline. It was a steep price; Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu went to the Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder point guard George Hill had a procedure on his right thumb Tuesday and will be out of action for at least four weeks. Hill joined the Thunder in the four-team deal that sent Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams to New Orleans. He is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists per game in 14 games. He is shooting 50.8% from the field and 38.6% percent on 3-pointers. Rookie Theo Maledon, a 19-year-old from France, has been starting in Hill’s absence. The second-round pick scored 24 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 29 and went 6 for 6 from 3-point range. He averages 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

When Washington coach Scott Brooks was a player and would ask coaches about their profession, the response was always the same: It is a lonely job. Never more so than now, probably. As if playing games in arenas that are somewhere between mostly and entirely empty during a still-raging coronavirus pandemic wasn’t hard enough, the rules for players and coaches -- both home and on the road — are getting even tougher. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association on Tuesday agreed to stiffer protocols, including ones where players and coaches will essentially have to stay in their hotels during road trips except for team activities and without receiving visitors. “We have to keep everything in perspective,” Brooks said. “It’s tough, but we get to do something we really, really love to do and we’re fortunate. It’s a privilege to be able to be in the NBA, to coach, to play. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do both.” Even without the new rules, solitude and loneliness have been... [More]

Pelicans first-year coach Stan Van Gundy was hired less than two months before the Pelicans first preseason game earlier this week. Never mind that he's taking over a roster that is loaded with young players and has been entirely overhauled since New Orleans hired David Griffin as executive vice president of basketball operations in 2019. So when Van Gundy was asked whether he expected to have a clear vision for individual players' roles and minutes during the preseason, he didn't hesitate to say he did not even expect to know that when New Orleans' regular season slate opens on Dec. 23. “I’m not sure I’ll be there on Jan. 15 either. It’s going to take some time," Van Gundy continued. "I want these guys in a mindset of competing and having to produce for minutes.” While coaches with overhauled rosters face similar challenges trying to navigate a compressed timeline that is loaded with uncertainty, it's even more difficult for Van Gundy and the eight other NBA teams with new coaches this... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks that takes the two-time reigning MVP off next summer's free-agent market. “I’m blessed to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years,” Antetokounmpo posted Tuesday on his social media platforms. The Bucks announced later in the day that Antetokounmpo had signed an extension without announcing the terms or length. The 26-year-old Antetokounmpo had until Monday to sign the Bucks’ supermax extension offer. If he turned it down, Antetokounmpo could have become a free agent after the upcoming season. The Athletic and Stadium reported that he agreed to a five-year extension worth $228 million that includes an opt-out clause in 2025. “This is my home, this is my city,” Antetokounmpo said in his post on social media. “I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it.” Bucks co-owners Marc Lasry,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks that takes the two-time reigning MVP off next summer's free-agent market. “I’m blessed to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years,” Antetokounmpo posted Tuesday on his social media platforms. The Bucks announced later in the day that Antetokounmpo had signed an extension without announcing the terms or length. The 26-year-old Antetokounmpo had until Monday to sign the Bucks’ supermax extension offer. If he turned it down, Antetokounmpo could have become a free agent after the upcoming season. The Athletic and Stadium reported that he agreed to a five-year contract worth $228 million that includes an opt-out clause in 2025. “This is my home, this is my city,” Antetokounmpo said in his post on social media. “I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it.” Bucks co-owners Marc Lasry,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s staying with the Milwaukee Bucks for at least five more seasons. “I’m blessed to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years,” the two-time reigning MVP posted Tuesday on his social media platforms. The 26-year-old Antetokounmpo had until Monday to sign the Bucks’ supermax extension offer. If he turned it down, Antetokounmpo could have become a free agent after the upcoming season. Although Antetokounmpo didn’t announce the terms of his new deal, The Athletic and Stadium reported that he agreed to a five-year contract worth $228 million that includes an opt-out clause in 2025. “This is my home, this is my city,” Antetokounmpo said in his post. “I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it.” His decision means the Bucks will hang on to their biggest superstar since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who led Milwaukee to its lone NBA title... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the “amazing” moves the Milwaukee Bucks have made to improve the team, but the two-time reigning MVP stopped short Wednesday of saying he would sign a supermax contract extension offer. “Right now I’m not focusing on that,” Antetokounmpo said during his first preseason discussion with reporters. “I know my agent, Alex (Saratsis), and (general manager) Jon Horst and the Bucks ownership are focusing on those discussions. I’m just trying to focus on myself and how I can get better, how I can help my teammates be better, how I can be ready Saturday to play our first preseason game.” Antetokounmpo, who turned 26 last week, would be able to receive up to 35% of the salary cap with an 8% escalation each year of the deal under a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million. He has until Dec. 21 to sign the extension, or else he will be eligible to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season. Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the “amazing” moves the Milwaukee Bucks have made to improve the team, but the two-time reigning MVP stopped short Wednesday of saying he would sign a supermax contract extension offer. “Right now I’m not focusing on that,” Antetokounmpo said during his first preseason discussion with reporters. “I know my agent, Alex (Saratsis), and (general manager) Jon Horst and the Bucks ownership are focusing on those discussions. I’m just trying to focus on myself and how I can get better, how I can help my teammates be better, how I can be ready Saturday to play our first preseason game.” Antetokounmpo, who turned 26 last week, would be able to receive up to 35% of the salary cap with an 8% escalation each year of the deal under a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million. He has until Dec. 21 to sign the extension, or else he will be eligible to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season. Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday took notice along with the rest of the NBA when he discovered the substantial package of players and picks the Milwaukee Bucks sacrificed to acquire him. The Bucks traded guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, first-round draft choice R.J. Hampton and two future first-round selections as part of a four-team swap that brought them Holiday. The Bucks gave the New Orleans Hornets the right to swap two future first-round picks as well in a deal that also brought second-round selection Sam Merrill to Milwaukee. “Them giving up all the pieces that they did, it really, really made me feel like they wanted me to be here,” Holiday said Thursday. “That’s always a good feeling.” The Bucks hope the addition of the 6-foot-4 guard to a nucleus that already included two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton helps persuade two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million to Antetokounmpo, who... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday took notice along with the rest of the NBA when he discovered the substantial package of players and picks the Milwaukee Bucks sacrificed to acquire him. The Bucks traded guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, first-round draft choice R.J. Hampton and two future first-round selections as part of a four-team trade that brought them Holiday. The Bucks gave the New Orleans Hornets the right to swap two future first-round picks as well. “Them giving up all the pieces that they did, it really, really made me feel like they wanted me to be here,” Holiday said Thursday. “That’s always a good feeling.” The Bucks hope the addition of the 6-foot-4 guard to a nucleus that already included two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton helps persuade two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million to Antetokounmpo, who has until Dec. 21 to accept. Otherwise, he would become a free agent at... [More]

Point guard Jrue Holiday is being traded from New Orleans to Milwaukee, which is aiming to give two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo the improved roster that he seeks with the decision on his supermax contract extension looming, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal had been finalized. ESPN, The Athletic and The New York Times first reported details of the Holiday trade. ESPN also said the Bucks were executing a second trade with Sacramento, with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James going to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Oklahoma City Thunder... [More]

Point guard Jrue Holiday is being traded from New Orleans to Milwaukee, which is aiming to give two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo the improved roster that he seeks with the decision on his supermax contract extension looming, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal had been finalized. ESPN, The Athletic and The New York Times first reported details of the Holiday trade. ESPN also said the Bucks were executing a second trade with Sacramento, with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James going to Milwaukee for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Oklahoma City Thunder... [More]