WASHINGTON (AP) — For a team that entered the season thinking it was ready to win 50 games and reach the Eastern Conference finals, John Wall's Washington Wizards sure did lose a lot of games against teams that didn't even make the playoffs.And everything revealed by those defeats against the likes of the Hawks and Magic, or the Mavericks and Suns, or the Nets and Bulls — a lack of consistency, for example, or an inability to close out opponents — were the same sorts of problems that failed the Wizards in their first-round exit as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference."We had some great moments. Then we showed bad moments," Wall said Saturday, the day after a 102-92 loss in Game 6 against the No. 1 seed Toronto Raptors ended Washington's season. "Just kind of not respecting some of the opponents that we went against."Asked why that happened, forward Markieff Morris said: "Sometimes it felt like it was immaturity. ... Not coming in and doing our job."The issue might have been as much... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a team that entered the season thinking it was ready to win 50 games and reach the Eastern Conference finals, coach Scott Brooks' Washington Wizards sure did lose a lot of games against teams that didn't even make the playoffs.And everything revealed by those defeats against the likes of the Hawks and Magic, or the Mavericks and Suns, or the Nets and Bulls — a lack of consistency, for example, or an inability to close out opponents — were the same sorts of problems that failed the Wizards in their first-round exit as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference."I don't know if we're too casual or something that was keeping us from being able to compete at the high level against all teams," Brooks said Saturday, the day after a 102-92 loss in Game 6 against the No. 1 seed Toronto Raptors ended Washington's season. "Got to figure that out."They sure do."Sometimes it felt like it was immaturity," forward Markieff Morris said. "It's not coming in and doing our job."The issue... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forward Otto Porter Jr. missed a must-win Game 6 for the Washington Wizards in their playoff series against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night because of an injured left leg."It's hard on him," Washington coach Scott Brooks said. "It's hard on all of us."The No. 8 seed Wizards entered Friday trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series. They announced a few hours before the scheduled tipoff that Porter is sidelined indefinitely after having a medical procedure earlier Friday to prevent permanent damage to muscles in the leg because of compartment syndrome.Porter has averaged only 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while making just five 3-pointers during the playoffs.He was Washington's third-leading scorer during the regular season, behind John Wall and Bradley Beal, averaging a career-high 14.7 points, along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He was third in the NBA in 3-point field-goal percentage at 44.1, another personal best."He... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards say forward Otto Porter Jr. will miss Game 6 of the team's playoff series against the Toronto Raptors because of an injured left leg.The Wizards announced a few hours before the scheduled start of the game that Porter is sidelined indefinitely after having a medical procedure earlier Friday to prevent permanent damage to muscles in the leg because of compartment syndrome.The No. 1 seed Raptors lead the Eastern Conference first-round series 3-2 and can end it by winning Friday.Porter has averaged only 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while making just five 3-pointers during the playoffs. He was Washington's third-leading scorer during the regular season, behind John Wall and Bradley Beal, averaging 14.6 points, along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists.He was third in the NBA in 3-point field-goal percentage at 44.1.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

LeBron James saved a game. Russell Westbrook and Paul George saved a season.And now, Game 6 awaits them all.A trio of possible series-ending games are on Friday night's NBA playoff schedule: Cleveland at Indiana, Toronto at Washington and Oklahoma City at Utah. For the Cavaliers and Raptors, the scenario is they advance with a road win or head back home for Game 7 on Sunday. The Thunder don't have such a safety net; they must win in Salt Lake City, or it'll be the Jazz going to the second round.James went from goaltending to game-winning in a matter of seconds in Game 5 on Wednesday night, his straightaway 3-pointer at the buzzer giving Cleveland a three-point win and a 3-2 series lead. Westbrook and George looked well on their way to summer vacation in their Game 5 matchup with the Jazz , before they combined for 54 points in a 61-28 Oklahoma City run that rallied the Thunder from a 25-point second-half deficit.The stars carried the Cavs and Thunder.The Raptors, they have a 3-2 lead thanks... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than three weeks ago, Ty Lawson was playing professional basketball in China.Nowadays, he's one of the first subs off the bench for the Washington Wizards in their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.Lawson is hardly the only player who went from not having a spot on an NBA roster to getting some run, and maybe even filling a key role, during these playoffs. As much as teams develop plans for acquiring talent via the draft, free agency or trades, sometimes a late pickup can become a piece that completes the puzzle."It's not ideal," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said about adding someone on short notice. "It (requires) a lot of work that has to be done in trying to figure it out and try to incorporate him and integrate him into our offense and defensive schemes."With Lawson, though, Brooks added, "It probably is not as much of a disadvantage because he's been in the league, understands the NBA and understands the schemes. A lot of the schemes... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — By now, LeBron James is usually getting some rest in the NBA playoffs.The Pacers are making him work much harder than he has in years.After splitting the first four games, Indiana and Cleveland will meet on Wednesday night in the critical Game 5 of a first-round series that has been unpredictable, uneven and for James, unusual.This first round hasn't been the norm for the three-time champion.While he's 12-0 in the opening round, before the Cavs dropped Game 1 to the Pacers at home, James had never lost a playoff opener. In fact, James came in with a 21-game winning streak in first-round games and this will be his first Game 5 in Round 1 since 2012 when he was with Miami.The Cavs and Pacers aren't the only ones in a tussle in the Eastern Conference as Washington and Toronto resume their series in Canada tied 2-2. Things aren't quite as tight In the West as Utah holds a 3-1 lead over a fraying Oklahoma City team, and Houston, which dropped 50 points in one quarter... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks knew John Wall would be back to his explosive, elite self for the playoffs when the All-Star point guard was able to play 38 minutes in a regular-season loss at Cleveland.It took Wall one additional outing to be absolutely certain he' d be OK after coming back from surgery on his left knee, pointing to his 29-point, 12-assist effort against Boston five days later."I had a big game," he said Monday, looking back at that victory from a couple of weeks ago. "Kind of just started to see shots fall that I was falling short on the couple of games I had before that."As Wall prepares to lead the No. 8 seed Wizards into Game 5 against the No. 1 seed Raptors on Wednesday night in Toronto, it is as if he never was away for more than two months. As if he never needed that operation in the first place. As if he got a chance to ramp up for the postseason for more than merely four games.And all of that outside chatter about whether Washington might... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards point guard John Wall says he's fine after tweaking his right ankle late in a Game 4 victory over the No. 1 seed Raptors and is looking forward to seeing rapper Drake at Game 5 in Toronto.The teams are tied 2-2 heading into Wednesday night's matchup.The home team has won every game in the first-round Eastern Conference series.Wall is a big reason the No. 8 seed Wizards pulled even after falling behind 2-0.He says that during the games in Toronto, Drake told him the Raptors were going to sweep the series.Wall is averaging 26.8 points, 13 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Not bad for a guy who had surgery on his left knee during the regular season and appeared in only 41 games. He says Monday he never had any doubt he'd be able to excel in the playoffs.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

LeBron James is keeping his thoughts to himself.Whatever concerns — or confidence — he might harbor about his Cleveland Cavaliers facing a 2-1 first-round Eastern Conference series hole heading into Game 4 at the Indiana Pacers on Sunday were not going to be made available for public consumption.James decided not to speak to reporters on Saturday.And he did not have a whole lot to say in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, either, when Indiana erased a 17-point deficit and then held on for a 92-90 victory over the Cavs.Not only has the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champ never lost an opening NBA postseason series, going 12-0 in the past, he had never even trailed in the first round until this one, when Cleveland dropped Game 1 at home.Now he is behind again."We've had some good quarters," James said Friday, "and we didn't have some good quarters."Well, that explains a lot.Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue's synopsis?"They won a game we should have won," Lue said. "That's what's disappointing.... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers look loose and sound confident.They were laughing, smiling and joking around at practice Thursday as turned to a new task — protecting their home court this weekend against LeBron James.Sure, his sensational 46-point, 12-rebound effort in Game 2 exposed flaws in Indiana's defense and allowed Cleveland to even the series, but it sure didn't shake the faith of the fearless Pacers."It's a good sign when you lose by three and the best player in the world has a game like that," Indiana point guard Darren Collison said.The Pacers shouldn't be rattled.They are 4-2 against the three-time defending Eastern Conference champs this season, fought back from an early 18-point deficit Wednesday with Victor Oladipo in foul trouble and still had a chance to tie the score on Oladipo's wide-open 3-pointer with 27 seconds left.They still can seize control of the series by winning the next two in Indianapolis.To avoid such a plight, the Cavs could give their star player... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — A "culture reset" carried the Toronto Raptors to the top of the Eastern Conference for the first time this season.Next, the Raptors will try to hit reset on their playoff history with the Washington Wizards.After Cleveland swept the Raptors in the second round last spring, team president Masai Ujiri promised to change the culture surrounding the club.That meant greater emphasis on ball movement and 3-point shooting, something the Raptors were able to execute immediately. Toronto had 67 games with at least 20 assists, up from 34 the previous year, and averaged 33 shots a game from beyond the arc, third most in the NBA."We won 59 games," All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan said. "I think that speaks for itself. We know what works for us, what got us here, and what's going to take us even further."Thanks to the offensive overhaul, this Raptors team is far removed from the one swept in the first round in 2015, a series in which the Wizards won by an average of 14 points."That's old... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has suspended Washington Wizards guard Jodie Meeks 25 games without pay for using a banned substance.The league announced the suspension Friday, a day before Game 1 of the Wizards' first-round playoff series against the East's top-seeded Toronto Raptors. The NBA says Meeks tested positive for Ipamorelin, a growth hormone that's prohibited under the league's drug program.Meeks' suspension makes Washington's signing of guard Ty Lawson just before the playoffs make more sense. Lawson replaces Meeks on the Wizards' bench behind starting guards John Wall and Bradley Beal.In his first season with the Wizards and ninth in the NBA, the 30-year-old Meeks averaged 6.3 points off the bench and was shooting just under 40 percent.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

WASHINGTON (AP) — Free agent guard Ty Lawson has signed a contract with the Washington Wizards, giving them additional depth heading into their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.The Wizards announced the move Thursday, a day after they wrapped up the regular season with a 101-92 loss to the Orlando Magic and finished with the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.Wizards point guard John Wall sat out the game because it was the second of a back-to-back set. He returned March 31 after missing more than two months because of surgery on his left knee.The 30-year-old Lawson played most recently in the Chinese Basketball Association. He hasn't been in the NBA since last season, when he averaged 9.9 points and 4.8 assists for the Sacramento Kings.He has played eight seasons in the NBA, spending time with four teams.Washington plays Game 1 of its series at No. 1 seed Toronto on Saturday.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

The argument happens most every year. Who is the NBA MVP?LeBron James has been the best player for most of his 15 years in the league, and he's won the award only four times. Russell Westbrook won it last year, buoyed by averaging a triple-double, yet seems to not even be in the conversation this season with very similar numbers. James Harden was a popular pick last season, saw his assist and rebound numbers dip this season, yet is generally considered the runaway favorite.Part of the issue is this: There's no clarity on how the MVP is defined.No one knows the criteria. The award ballot sent to MVP voters simply says "The winner of this award receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the first Commissioner of the NBA."Is it the player most valuable to his team?Is it the player most valuable to the game?Is it the best player?Those are only some of the many gray areas.Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers has said many times over the years that James would win annually, if not for... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — It's rookie Cedi Osman's turn to start at point guard for the Cavaliers. Just about everyone else has gotten a chance.With guards Jose Calderon and George Hill out with injuries, Osman will make his first career start at guard on Thursday night when the Cavs host the Washington Wizards. Osman has made nine previous starts this season, but all were at small forward.The 6-foot-8 native of Turkey follows Calderon, Hill, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert and Isaiah Thomas to the point this season. Cleveland has been besieged by injuries and coach Tyronn Lue, who is back after missing nine games due to health reasons, is using his 29th different starting lineup against Washington.Calderon has given Cleveland a huge lift lately, but he's dealing with a sore left hamstring. Hill will miss his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Calderon took part in the team's shootaround on Thursday, but was later ruled out by the Cavs.Lue could have started Jordan Clarkson... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — All-Star point guard John Wall is set to return to the Washington Wizards for the first time in two months.Wizards coach Scott Brooks said Saturday that Wall would play later in the day against the Charlotte Hornets.Wall hasn't played since having surgery on his left knee on Jan. 31. He is averaging 19.4 points and 9.3 assists in 37 games this season."It's exciting to have John back," said Brooks. We've got one of the fastest players in the league and oiur offense has been sputtering. It's going to be nice to get the Ferrari back."The Wizards went 15-12 without Wall, but have lost four of five to slip into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.Brooks said that there will be no minute restriction for Wall. Brooks also said that Wall most likely will not play on Sunday at Chicago in the second game of a back-to-back.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards point guard John Wall is not planning to change his style whatsoever when he returns from his latest knee surgery — whenever that might be."I'm just going to be John Wall," he said Monday after the second full-contact practice of his comeback from an operation on Jan. 31. "That's all I know how to do."The All-Star declared himself "feeling great" but said he is not sure when he will be able to play in a game for the Wizards, who desperately need help at the moment. Washington has lost three consecutive games heading into Tuesday night against the visiting San Antonio Spurs; coach Scott Brooks said Wall will not play in that one."It's getting close. He's had two really, really good days. His energy level is high. He's anxious. You can tell. He wants to get out there," Brooks said. "We still want to be patient."Washington has dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference at 40-33 and will only have eight games remaining after facing the Spurs.The Wizards... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards point guard John Wall says he feels good after a pair of full-contact practices but is not sure when he will return to game action for his struggling team.Wall spoke to reporters on Monday, his first remarks in Washington since having surgery on his left knee Jan. 31. He said he lost about 10 or 15 pounds during his rehab, without intending to.The Wizards have lost three consecutive games heading into Tuesday night against the visiting San Antonio Spurs. Coach Scott Brooks said Wall will not play in that game.Washington has dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference at 40-33. The team is 14-11 without Wall during his current absence and 19-17 overall this season without him.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks is not entirely sure when All-Star point guard John Wall will return to full-fledged practicing after missing 1½ months so far because of surgery on his left knee.Brooks also doesn't know how much Wall will get a chance to play before the regular season ends on April 11. But Brooks insisted Tuesday that none of that really matters, so long as Wall eventually does make it back into Washington's lineup."He's moving in the right direction. He looked good today, with his shooting and his ball-handling and his work that he does on his own," Brooks said before the Wizards hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves. "I don't know how many games he will play. We're just going to wait until we know that he's ready to play. We're not desperate. It would be great to have him. I'd love to have him tonight. But that's not happening. We're not going to put ourselves in any position that we have to (use) him. We just want to make sure that he's ready to play."Wall... [More]