East-leading Celtics hold off West's best Timberwolves in OT, improve to 18-0 at home
Jayson Tatum scored 45 points โ 14 of them in the fourth quarter and another 12 in overtime โ as the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in a matchup of the two conference leaders to remain perfect at home.
Grizzlies rout Timberwolves 124-96 to tie series at 1 apiece
Ja Morant scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies looked much more like the team that posted the NBAโs second-best record, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-96 to even up their first-round Western Conference series at 1 apiece.
Timberwolves stun Grizzlies, grab Game 1 with 130-117 win
Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in his postseason debut, and the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 to grab home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round Western Conference series.
Porter scores 25 points, Rockets beat Timberwolves 129-107
Houston Rockets guard John Wall (1) drives on Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 27, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)MINNEAPOLIS โ Kevin Porter Jr. scored 25 points in his return to Houstonโs lineup, John Wall had 13 points and 12 assists and the Rockets rebounded to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-107 on Saturday night. The Rockets came back a night later to win for the second time in four games after a 20-game losing streak. Kelly Olynyk added 16 points in his first game for Houston after coming over from Miami in the trade for Victor Oladipo. Led by their holdover star Wall, the Rockets shot 73.9% in the first quarter and scored 41 points.
Towns scores 29 as TWolves come back to beat Rockets 107-101
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell (4) shoots against Houston Rockets forward Sterling Brown (0) in the fourth quarter during an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)(AP) โ Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 16 rebounds, and Juancho Hernangomez had 19 points off the bench as the Minnesota Timberwolves came back to beat the Houston Rockets 107-101 on Friday night. Towns had 14 points during the final stretch as the Timberwolves won for the fourth time in 15 games under new coach Chris Finch. After being held to three points in the second and third quarters, Towns came back to pull Minnesota ahead. Carelessness crept in and Houston took advantage.
NBCA says it has 'concern' about T-wolves' coaching change
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)CHICAGO โ The leadership of the National Basketball Coaches Association spoke out Wednesday about its โconcern and level of disappointmentโ with the way the Minnesota Timberwolves went about their coaching change earlier this week. The statement came from NBCA president Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks and NBCA executive director David Fogel. AdโThere were other candidates, minority candidates we considered at this time,โ Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. โDuring this past offseason, we saw many NBA head coaching vacancies where teams led searches that were both diverse and transparent,โ Fogel and Carlisle wrote in their statement.
Finch aims to 'breathe some confidence' back into Wolves
FILE - This Dec. 15, 2011, file photo shows Houston Rockets assistant coach Chris Finch during an NBA basketball media day in Houston. Chris Finch is the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, after dismissing Ryan Saunders the previous night. The team quickly hired Finch, who was in his first season as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. Finch replaced Ryan Saunders, who was fired Sunday night after Minnesota lost at New York and fell to a league-worst 7-24. โI think we can breathe some confidence back into the roster,โ Finch said, "and these guys can maybe find some joy.โ___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Spurs game at Detroit called off over virus-related concerns
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)Tuesdayโs game between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons has been postponed, marking the second time this month that the NBA has called off a game because of coronavirus-related issues. The NBA does not announce the names of players who test positive; some have revealed positive tests on their own. Being ruled out because of the protocols can suggest any number of things, including a positive test, a suspected positive test or contact-tracing data showing that a player may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19. AdThe only other game called off this month for a virus-related issue was on Feb. 1, also involving the Pistons โ Detroit's night game at Denver was postponed because of contact tracing issues involving the Pistons. Miamiโs Tyler Herro missed a game last week because of a suspected positive test; subsequent tests showed he was fine and he was permitted to return to the Heat lineup after the one-game absence.
NBA says 1 player has tested positive for virus in past week
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)NEW YORK โ The NBA said one player tested positive for coronavirus in the past week, meaning only two have gotten that diagnosis in the last three weeks. The total for the season in the NBA is up to 92, but of those, 48 โ or 52% โ tested positive in November, before training camps officially opened. The NBA reported one positive test for the weekly period ending Jan. 26, and no positive tests for the period ending Feb. 3. Minnesotaโs Karl-Anthony Towns โ who has missed 13 games โ tested positive last month and his recovery is nearly complete. The NBA does not reveal which players test positive for COVID-19, but Milwaukeeโs Khris Middleton said earlier this week that Bucks guard Jrue Holiday tested positive for the virus.
NBA: Zero new players tested positive for virus in past week
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)No additional NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week, the league said Wednesday, after nearly two dozen games had to be called off in the past month because of virus-related issues. That continued a good two-week trend: After 27 players were positive in results released between Jan. 6 and Jan. 19, only one player has been positive since. We all need it, not just NBA players, coaches, families. The planet needs it.โThe NBA has called off 23 games this season for virus issues, 22 since Jan. 10. But itโs important to have weeks like this, because it gives everybody hope.โ___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Wizards return to court, Grizzlies see 6th game postponed
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)The Washington Wizards are finally back. The Grizzlies wonโt play until at least Saturday, after the NBA called off yet another game -- the 20th since Jan. 10 and the 21st postponement this season. Those were called off late last week and now, the Grizzliesโ home game against Chicago that was scheduled for Wednesday is off as well. In all, 23 teams have seen at least one game called off so far this season.
Grizzlies-Blazers called off; NBA stresses new protocols
Memphis Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins holds the play board during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Minneapolis. By NBA rule, teams must have eight eligible players for games; the Grizzlies would not meet that threshold because of โongoing contact tracing,โ the league said. Players, the NBA reminded Wednesday, must limit their interactions to elbow bumps and fist bumps. Portland is the 20th NBA team to have at least one game called off in the last two weeks. Memphis had its game at Minnesota last Friday called off after Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19.
Grizzlies-Blazers called off; Wizards worry about readiness
The Wizards don't expect to have more than eight available on Friday because of a combination of the virus and injuries. Wizards coach Scott Brooks isn't expecting any of the six players who have tested positive back in the next few days at least, and Westbrook is still out with a leg injury. Portland is the 20th NBA team to have at least one game called off in the last two weeks. Memphis had its game at Minnesota last Friday called off after Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19. Players who test positive must undergo a battery of exams before being cleared to return to play, such as cardiac tests.
76ers-Thunder called off as virus concerns still trouble NBA
Memphis Grizzlies' Jonas Valanciunas (17) and Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns get tangled up in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)Another NBA game was called off Sunday because of coronavirus concerns, and the Memphis Grizzlies said center Jonas Valanciunas will not play Monday because of the leagueโs health and safety protocols. He was pulled at halftime of Memphisโ game against Brooklyn on Jan. 8 because of some sort of virus-related issue, but was back on the court for the Grizzliesโ next game Jan. 11 against Cleveland. Minnesota, which had a game Friday called off after Karl-Anthony Towns revealed he tested positive, is scheduled to play Monday in Atlanta. Clevelandโs game in Washington on Sunday also was called off, as was the planned rematch between the clubs on Monday.
More NBA games off, as league continues struggles with virus
(AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)Another three NBA games were postponed Friday, including one in Minnesota only a couple hours before game time, as the league's struggle with increasing coronavirus numbers continued. The Timberwolves' game with the Memphis Grizzlies was called off, as were what would have been Wizards' home games Sunday and Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA said earlier this week that 16 players tested positive in recent days, which was more than the NBA had seen in the last five weeks combined. The NBA gave Orlando coach Steve Clifford a call recently, telling him he had to do a better job of keeping his mask on during games. โI think there were seven of us who got a call from the league about โKeep your mask on,โโ Clifford said.
The wait is over: Delayed NBA draft finally comes Wednesday
1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Nov. 18, 2020. After multiple delays, the NBA draft finally arrives Wednesday. The draft is usually held in June in New York, where Adam Silver announces the first-round picks. It's not the draft night they wanted, but the excitement of becoming a pro player won't diminish. But at the same time, this extra time, itโs only helping me,โ said forward Obi Toppin, the national college player of the year from Dayton.
Butler's big night helps Heat cut Lakers' Finals lead to 2-1
A triple-double later, he joined NBA Finals lore โ and the short-handed Miami Heat might have made this title matchup a series after all. A 13-point Heat lead in the early going? But the rest of the way was all Miami, Butler simply unwilling to let his team go down 3-0. ... Nick Aquilino, the son of Heat neuromuscular therapist Vinny Aquilino, performed the anthem -- a recording from a Heat game with fans in Miami. BUTLERโS TRIPLE-DOUBLEButler became the 21st player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals โ and four of the 21 were part of Sundayโs game.