DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are the Euro stars of the future for the Dallas Mavericks now that Dirk Nowitzki has retired after a record 21 seasons with the same franchise.The rookie sensation from Slovenia and the 7-foot-3 Latvian didn't get to play together in the two months after Dallas acquired Porzingis in a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks.The decision to push the recovery past the one-year mark on Porzingis' knee injury was essentially an admission by the Mavericks that their focus was on 2019-20.And now that an emotional two-day send-off for the NBA's most decorated European player is over, Dallas can concentrate on ending a playoff drought that covered Nowitzki's final three seasons — the longest of the big German's career.The Mavericks didn't win a playoff series in eight seasons with Nowitzki after he led them to their only championship."I cannot tell you what to expect," said Doncic, the overwhelming favorite for rookie of the year despite the second... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The last spot in the NBA playoffs went to the Detroit Pistons.Their reward: A series against MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.The drama of the regular season went all the way to the very end of the regular season, with seven of the eight first-round playoff matchups not being clinched until the final night was in the books — the last three of them, out West, going down to literally the final moments.The two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors will start their quest for a fourth title in five years against the Los Angeles Clippers."It's not going to be as easy as people think it is," Warriors star Kevin Durant said.That's the beauty of the playoffs. It's not supposed to be easy.First-round games in all eight series will be played starting Saturday and Sunday. The second round cannot begin until April 27 at the earliest, the conference finals couldn't start before May 12 and the NBA Finals will start on May 30.EASTERN CONFERENCEThe only matchup... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The last spot in the NBA playoffs went to the Detroit Pistons.Their reward: A series against MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.The drama of the regular season went all the way to the very end of the regular season, with seven of the eight first-round playoff matchups not being clinched until the final night was in the books — the last three of them, out West, going down to literally the final moments.The two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors will start their quest for a fourth title in five years against the Los Angeles Clippers."It's not going to be as easy as people think it is," Warriors star Kevin Durant said.That's the beauty of the playoffs. It's not supposed to be easy.First-round games in all eight series will be played starting Saturday and Sunday. The second round cannot begin until April 27 at the earliest, the conference finals couldn't start before May 12 and the NBA Finals will start on May 30.EASTERN CONFERENCEThe only matchup... [More]

The final day of the regular season has arrived, with one playoff spot to decide, seven of the eight first-round matchups still unknown and nine different seeds still not clinched.It also is the last day that Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Miami's Dwyane Wade will be NBA players before retirement. Dallas is in San Antonio, Miami is at Brooklyn. Nowitzki and Wade played their final home games on Tuesday night, both scoring 30 points apiece.It is the first day of the offseason for a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers — whose season ended Tuesday with a loss to Portland and team president Magic Johnson stepping down in a move that few could have predicted. Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans and Phoenix also are done.The only known first-round matchup is in the Eastern Conference, where Indiana and Boston meet in Round 1. Every other matchup remains to be determined.There are no major individual races left to decide: Houston's James Harden is the scoring champion, Detroit's Andre Drummond... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki notched season highs in points, shots and minutes before telling Dallas Mavericks fans that his record 21st season with the same franchise would be his last.Then the 40-year-old said he gave just about all he had in what he knew would be his final home game , which might make the last game of his career at San Antonio on Wednesday night little more than a curtain call. It's a fitting finale in some regards because the Spurs were probably Nowitzki's biggest rivals."I'm going to try to play a little bit tomorrow and still enjoy and hoist a few jumpers," said Nowitzki, who had 30 points on 31 shots in 33 minutes in a 120-109 win over Phoenix. "Tonight for me, of course, was the big night. One more time in front of these amazing fans that have supported me and pushed me over two decades."The 14-time All-Star said the Mavericks bought more than 300 tickets in order for employees to attend what everyone now knows will be his final game. And the most accomplished European... [More]

The final day of the season has arrived, with one playoff spot to decide, seven of the eight first-round matchups still unknown and nine different seeds still not clinched.It's also the last day that Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Miami's Dwyane Wade will be NBA players before retirement. Dallas is in San Antonio, Miami is at Brooklyn. Nowitzki and Wade both played their final home games on Tuesday night — both scoring exactly 30 points apiece.It's the first day of the offseason for a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers — whose season ended Tuesday with a loss to Portland, and team president Magic Johnson stepping down in a move that hardly anyone could have predicted. Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans and Phoenix are also done.The only known first-round matchup is in the Eastern Conference, that being Indiana and Boston meeting in Round 1. Every other matchup is a mystery.At least there's no major individual races left to decide: Houston's James Harden is the scoring champion, Detroit's... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki cried near midcourt when the second quarter was about to resume.The Dallas Mavericks star nearly jumped for joy with a huge smile on his face after a rare dunk prompted thunderous applause from a crowd celebrating the final home game of his record 21st season with the same franchise.And then after Larry Bird joked during a postgame ceremony that he was "15 when Dirk came into the league and now I'm 62," Nowitzki let fly with a realization the 40-year-old said he reached in recent days.It's time for the most accomplished European player in NBA history to retire after scoring a season-high 30 points in a 120-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night."As you guys might expect, this is my last home game," Nowitzki said, doing a better job of fighting his emotions than he did at the end of a timeout in the second quarter, after a tribute video showing his holiday visit to a children's hospital a little more than two years ago."This is obviously super, super... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki cried near midcourt when the second quarter was about to resume.The Dallas Mavericks star nearly jumped for joy with a huge smile on his face after a rare dunk prompted thunderous applause from a crowd celebrating the final home game of his record 21st season with the same franchise.And then after Larry Bird joked during a postgame ceremony that he was "15 when Dirk came into the league and now I'm 62," Nowitzki let fly with a realization the 40-year-old said he reached in recent days.It's time for the most accomplished European player in NBA history to retire after scoring a season-high 30 points in a 120-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night."As you guys might expect, this is my last home game," Nowitzki said, doing a better job of fighting his emotions than he did at the end of a timeout in the second quarter, after a tribute video showing his holiday visit to a children's hospital a little more than two years ago."This is obviously super, super... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki announced his retirement from the NBA after a record 21 seasons with the same franchise, giving the fans the secret he had kept all season after scoring 30 points in his final home game, a 120-109 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.The 40-year-old showed his emotion during the game, fighting back tears just before action resumed at the start of the second quarter following a tribute video that detailed his holiday visit to a children's hospital.Nowitzki's final basket in Dallas was his signature one-legged fadeaway from slightly above the free throw line for a 120-108 lead with 1:22 remaining after the Mavericks had let a 30-point halftime cushion get cut to four in the fourth quarter.After speeches from Larry Bird and others he idolized growing up in Germany, Nowitzki told the crowd, "As you guys might expect, this is my last home game."The sellout crowd that followed owner Mark Cuban's orders by showing up early chanted "M-V-P"... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki strolled past the crowd of cameras saying "it's like the NBA Finals" for what had all the appearances of his last arrival for a home game.The Dallas Mavericks were making good on owner Mark Cuban's promise to make a big deal about the final home game of Nowitzki's record 21st season with the same franchise.The 40-year-old has never said whether he's retiring because he didn't want a farewell tour. Dallas played Phoenix on Tuesday night, with a visit to San Antonio set to wrap up the season Wednesday. The Mavericks are missing the playoffs for the third straight season, the longest drought of Nowitzki's career.The 14-time All-Star was greeted by hundreds of team employees as he walked from his car to the arena. Dozens of cameras were waiting for the walk to the locker room.Larger-than-life placards of Nowitzki's face were perched on most of the roughly 20,000 seats at American Airlines Center, and a huge mural hung over one of the entrances to the arena."It's... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki has not said whether he is retiring because he never wanted a farewell tour.As much as the Mavericks have tried to honor the 40-year-old's request, owner Mark Cuban makes no secret of the team's desire to recognize the big German in the final home game of his record 21st season with the same franchise. Dallas hosts Phoenix on Tuesday night."I know a little bit. Don't want to know too much," Nowitzki said recently of the plans, which include a giant downtown mural and other tidbits that were detailed in a news release last week around the same time Cuban told fans to show up early and expect to stay late. "I still kind of got to focus on the game. Just want to go out there and hopefully perform a little bit and enjoy competing. Everything else will be a surprise to me."A watch party is planned for the final game of the season in San Antonio on Wednesday, with the Mavericks long since eliminated from the playoff contention for a third straight season. It's the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The game had been over for at least half an hour and 2,000 people remained in the stands at AmericanAirlines Arena, all of them standing.They wore Slovenia jerseys. Miami jerseys. Dallas jerseys.And when Goran Dragic — the player of the night — emerged from the locker room for his curtain call, the roar was deafening. They jumped and chanted, all these Slovenians who made the trip to Miami to see Dragic vs. Luka Doncic, their favorite native sons, meet as NBA opponents for the first time."Unbelievable," Dragic said after escaping the throngs of people and signing dozens of their jerseys, flags, hats and, in one case, a pocketbook. "Every athlete is dreaming about this, to connect with the fans. I really appreciate them."Dragic and Doncic appreciated them as well, and the fans got the fantastic show that they were hoping to see. Dragic had his second-career triple-double — 23 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — and he and Miami topped Doncic and Dallas 105-99 on Thursday night."It... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks became the NBA's sixth-leading scorer Monday night with another of his signature long-range jumpers.Nowitzki took Luka Doncic's handoff and backed down New Orleans' Kenrich Williams before hitting a turnaround from the top of the free-throw circle with 8:35 left in the first quarter.The basket brought Nowitzki to 31,420 points in his career, one more than Wilt Chamberlain. The 40-year-old German trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. James passed Jordan for fourth place on March 6.Coming into the game, Nowitzki needed just four points to pass Chamberlain, and he started for just the ninth time this season. His first basket was a 20-footer off an assist from rookie Jalen Brunson.While Nowitzki stands only an inch shorter than Chamberlain's listed height of 7-foot-1, the two reached their point totals with contrasting styles of play.Chamberlain once averaged more than 50 points in a season,... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks became the NBA's sixth-leading scorer Monday night with another of his signature long-range jumpers.Nowitzki took Luka Doncic's handoff and backed down New Orleans' Kenrich Williams before hitting a turnaround from the top of the free-throw circle with 8:33 left in the first quarter.The basket brought Nowitzki to 31,420 points in his career, one more than Wilt Chamberlain. The 40-year-old German trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. James passed Jordan for fourth place on March 6.Coming into the game, Nowitzki needed just four points to pass Chamberlain, and he started for just the ninth time this season. His first basket was a 20-footer off an assist from rookie Jalen Brunson.While Nowitzki stands only an inch shorter than Chamberlain's listed height of 7-foot-1, the two reached their point totals with contrasting styles of play.Chamberlain once averaged more than 50 points in a season,... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — At some point, Luka Doncic will be measured by wins and playoff success rather than how many triple-doubles he had as a teenager, or so Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle hopes with his rookie sensation.The budding Slovenian star's final game before turning 20 was just the illustration his coach had in mind.The ball was in Doncic's hands late in a close game against a playoff contender, just as it has been regardless of the opponent most of the season once the Mavericks realized what they had in the No. 3 overall pick from last summer's draft.Doncic had a hand in four straight 3-pointers in the closing minutes to help Dallas hold on in a 110-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. He connected on two long 3s and assisted on the other two from behind the arc.The win stopped a five-game losing streak that was more on the mind of Carlisle before the game than the litany of teen milestones for a player who has brightened the outlook of a franchise trying to become... [More]

To help you with planning for the NBA All Star weekend, here are some of our plans. This advisory will be updated until Sunday's game. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times ET.SUNDAYBKN--All-Star GameCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Stephen Curry returns home to Charlotte, Kemba Walker is playing on his homecourt with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and others tip it up in the All-Star game. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.Also:_ BKN--All-Star Weekend-The Latest. Updates throughout Sunday on All-Star Weekend from Charlotte, North CarolinaBKN--All-Star-Curry Family WeekendCHARLOTTE, N.C. _ CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Sonya Curry says this All-Star Weekend has been everything she hoped it would be. She has spent quality time with her grandchildren and watched sons Stephen and Seth and husband Dell participate in the All-Star 3-point contest. The Currys will wrap up the All-Star Weekend on Sunday night when Stephen competes in his sixth... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo is the NBA's slam dunk champion.Going over Shaquille O'Neal in the first round, then getting a boost from rapper Quavo in the finale, Diallo soared to the crown by topping New York's Dennis Smith Jr.Diallo topped Smith 88-85 in the finale. Charlotte's Miles Bridges and Atlanta's John Collins went out in the first round.Smith leapfrogged Miami's Dwyane Wade and took a lob from Stephen Curry to give himself a chance with his last dunk, getting a perfect score from the judges — and a round of boos from the crowd, many of whom weren't that impressed.That left Diallo as the night's final participant.Diallo pulled off a dunk that will be talked about for years in the first round — dunking over O'Neal, hanging on the rim by his elbow, then tearing open his jersey to reveal a "Superman" shirt underneath. And then he plucked the ball from Quavo as he went airborne for the dunk that... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on NBA All-Star Weekend (all times local):9:35 p.m.Brooklyn's Joe Harris held off Golden State's Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday night.Harris made 12 consecutive shots at one point in the final round on his way to a score of 26 points. Curry was second with 24 in the finals, and Sacramento's Buddy Hield was third with 19 points.The Warriors' star made his first nine shots of the final round, then missed three of five shots from the top of the key.Stephen Curry won the first round with 27 points out of a possible of 34. Hield was second with 26 points, and Harris finished with 25 to grab the last spot in the finals.There were 10 players in the event, and seven went out in the first round.Defending champion Devin Booker made his final seven shots but was eliminated in a tie for fourth with Danny Green with 23 points. The other competitors who did not advance: Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard (17), Seth Curry (16), Kemba Walker... [More]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Milwaukee has the best record in the NBA, Denver has its coaching staff at the All-Star Game and Sacramento is in position to end the league's longest current playoff drought.Overseeing a league that has wanted competitive balance, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver likes what he's seeing on those fronts.But he acknowledged during his annual address at All-Star Weekend that there are still ways for the league to have more top-to-bottom competitiveness."You can point to teams like Milwaukee, teams like Oklahoma City, what's happening in Denver now and Sacramento as signs that the system is working better than it has historically," Silver said Saturday. "I'd say we still have work to do, though. ... We can still come up with a better system to create more competition."While Golden State is still widely believed to be the favorite for what would be its fourth title in five years, the Bucks have been a success story all season in the East. Denver was leading the Western Conference... [More]