NBA: Cavs ride huge first half to crushing win over Warriors

LOS ANGELES  -- The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their perfect start to the NBA season in sensational style on Friday, seizing a 41-point halftime lead on the way to a 136-117 rout of the Golden State Warriors.

The Cavs improved to 10-0, ending the Warriors' five-game winning streak and handing them their first road defeat of the season.

The damage was done early, the Cavs' 83 first-half points tying a franchise record for most scored in any half and their 41-point halftime lead was the biggest in team history.

Against the Warriors' second-ranked defense, the Cavs posted their fifth game of the young season with at least 130 points.

That ties a team record for the most 130-plus point games for an entire season.

"Ten-0 is a magic number," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We're playing really good basketball and I'm just really pleased with where the group is.

"I was worried about tonight -- they're 7-1 and rolling and they're coming in here, they're champions and they're going to try and knock our block off."

Darius Garland scored 27 points, Evan Mobley added 23 and Ty Jerome chipped in 20 off the bench as six Cavs players scored in double figures against a Warriors defense that came in ranked second in the league.

Meanwhile, they kept the potentially explosive Warriors offense in check, opening the game on a 20-2 scoring run.

"The way we came out tonight -- that surprised me, how ready we were, how hungry we were," Atkinson said.

Andrew Wiggins with nine points and Stephen Curry with seven were the only Warriors starters to score before the break.

Golden State were able to adjust after the break, out-scoring the Cavs 41-29 in the third quarter.

"First half, can't play much better than that," Atkinson said. "But second half, way we came out, they scored 13 points in the first three minutes. It was a little frustrating."

The Warriors, however, were in too deep a hole.

Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 21 points off the bench, Curry finished with 12 on five-of-10 shooting, making just one from three-point range.

"We've got to execute better," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Thirteen turnovers in the first half -- we were completely disorganized."

- Celtics edge Nets -

In Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 33 points to lead the Celtics in a 108-104 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who led by as many as 14 in the first half and didn't surrender the lead until the fourth quarter.

In Detroit, Cade Cunningham drove for the go-ahead basket with 8.5 seconds left to play in the Pistons' 122-121 victory over Atlanta, then sealed the victory with a block on a driving Onyeka Okongwu.

Cunningham finished with a triple-double of 22 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists with a steal and the game-saving block.

Jusuf Nurkic's free throw with eight-tenths of a second remaining lifted the Phoenix Suns to a 114-113 victory over the Mavericks in Dallas.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Nurkic added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who notched a seventh straight victory to improve to 8-1.

"It's been fun," Durant said of the Suns' start. "(It has) definitely been nerve-wracking with the tight games we've been in, but I think that's great for our team to understand what it's like in crunch time."

Luka Doncic scored 30 points and Kyrie Irving added 29 for Dallas, who have now lost twice this season to Phoenix.

Elsewhere Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers got back to winning ways with a 116-106 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers at home.

The Lakers had lost four of their five previous games but overpowered the Sixers thanks to 31 points from Anthony Davis and 21 from LeBron James with Austin Reaves adding 20.

In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points for the Knicks, who led by as many as 30 in a 116-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, who trailed all the way.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Knicks dominate Cavs, Hawks claw back against Celtics

LOS ANGELES -- The New York Knicks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-79 on Friday, electrifying Madison Square Garden as they took a 2-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Atlanta Hawks also came up with a big home win, downing the Boston Celtics 130-122 to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole in their Eastern Conference series -- a deficit no NBA team has ever recovered from to win a best-of-seven set.

In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and RJ Barrett added 19 for the Knicks, who rebounded from a humbling game two defeat in Cleveland.

The Knicks' suffocating defense contributed to a dismal night for Cleveland's Darius Garland, who missed 17 of his 21 shot attempts on the way to 10 points.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 to lead the Cavs, who became the first team this season to be held under 80 points in an NBA game.

To top it off, Garland -- who scored 32 points in the Cavs' win on Tuesday -- needed treatment on his left ankle in the second half after stepping on a courtside photographer's foot.

The game was the first playoff contest at Madison Square Garden in two years and the "chaos" that New York native and Cavs star Mitchell predicted materialized.

Both teams made sloppy starts in the raucous atmosphere, but the Knicks steadied to take a 13-point halftime lead that they pushed to as many as 27.

"This was great," said Brunson, but he warned that the Cavs would punch back in game four on Sunday.

"You want to carry it over, but at the same time we've got to be focused, we've got to be ready to go. It's not just going to be handed to us -- we've got to go out there and get it."

In Atlanta, Trae Young scored 32 points and Dejounte Murray added 25 as the hot-shooting Hawks clawed back into their series against the Celtics.

Young shook off two sub-par performances with a stellar display.

"Our whole team was making plays all night and it was up to me to go make the right one," Young said. "It's not only to score, sometimes it's to get everybody involved.

"So I'm just trying to make the right play and tonight I did."

Young connected on 12 of 22 shots from the field, pulled down six rebounds and handed out nine assists.

He also produced a pair of blocks as the Hawks out-hustled the second-seeded Celtics -- who fell to Golden State in the NBA Finals last year.

- A matter of will -

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Boston. Marcus Smart added 24 and Jaylen Brown had 15 for the Celtics, who drained 21 three-pointers but were out-rebounded 48-29.

Smart said there was no secret to the Hawks' advantage on the boards, which led to their 23-9 edge in second-chance points.

"It's just a matter of will," Smart said, "and they wanted it more tonight."

Atlanta shot 67.4 percent from the field in the first half and shot 56 percent for the game overall, Boston managing only for short stretches in the second half to turn up the defensive volume.

Tatum still had a chance to tie it with 58.1 seconds left but his three-point attempt bounced off the rim and the Hawks pulled away.

"I've got to play better," said a dejected Tatum, who said he made too many untimely turnovers and poor decisions. "This one tonight is on me."

Atlanta will try to level the series when they host game four on Sunday.

Elsewhere on Friday, Western Conference top seeds Denver tried to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their series when they visited the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kings edge Warriors in playoff thriller as Sixers, Celtics roll

WASHINGTON -- De'Aaron Fox scored 38 points and Malik Monk added 32 off the bench in leading the Sacramento Kings to a 126-123 victory over Golden State for their first NBA playoff triumph in 17 years.

The Kings, who had not reached the post-season since 2006, seized a 1-0 lead over the defending champions in a Western Conference best-of-seven first round series that continues in Sacramento on Monday.

In Eastern Conference playoff series openers on Saturday, the New York Knicks edged host Cleveland 101-97, Boston routed Atlanta 112-99 and Philadelphia beat Brooklyn 121-101.

Fox made 13-of-27 shots in his playoff debut, 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and 8-of-12 free throws then after the victory pushed the button to send the Kings' laser light -- symbolic of a Kings victory -- from the outside of the arena.

Monk sank 8-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point range plus all 14 of his free throws. He made two late free throws to create the final margin and Stephen Curry missed a final 3-point shot for the Warriors to force overtime.

Reserve Trey Lyles added 16 points and NBA rebounds leader Domantas Sabonis had 12 points and 16 rebounds for Sacramento.

"Our bench came in and they did a hell of a job tonight, especially Malik and Trey. They ignited us," Fox said.

"We knew we had to go out and be physical -- try not to foul because this is probably the best free throw shooting team in the league -- and get it done on the defensive end and we got some key stops."

Fox caught fire in the second half and Sacramento used a late 7-0 run for a 119-114 lead that put the hosts ahead to stay.

"In the second half, I got into a rhythm, my teammates continued to hit me in my spot and I just did what they want me to do," Fox said.

Curry led Golden State with 30 points while Klay Thompson added 21.

At Cleveland, Jalen Brunson scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half to lead New York's victory while the Cavaliers were led by 38 points from Donovan Mitchell.

A late Brunson miss was rebounded by New York's Julius Randle, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and that set up two clinching Knicks free throws by Quentin Grimes.

"They just kept fighting," Brunson said. "We kept our composure. Made plays down the stretch, made a couple of huge stops. We just kept fighting, kept sticking together and stayed poised."

NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid had 26 points while NBA assists champion James Harden added 23 points and 13 assists in the Sixers' romp.

The host Sixers, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, sank a club playoff record 21 3-pointers in 43 attempts.

"(That) was a good win for us," Harden said. "We'll be watching film. Game two is going to be the toughest game of the series for us. We'll be ready to go."

Cameroonian star Embiid went 7-of-15 from the floor and 11-of-11 from the free throw line.

- 'Keep pushing' -

Harden hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range and helped eight Sixers in all make 3-pointers.

"Just finding ways to impact the game possession by possession," said Harden, a former Nets backcourt star.

"It's the playoffs. Things don't go the way you want as much as you want them to. You've got to keep pushing, keep fighting, and I'm happy we got a win."

Philadelphia made a club one-half playoff record of 13 3-pointers on the way to a 67-58 halftime edge.

Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 30 points, but only seven in the second half.

The Celtics ripped visiting Atlanta 112-99 behind 29 points and 12 rebounds from Jaylen Brown and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Jayson Tatum.

Brown played with a wrapping on cut fingers and a protective mask he has had for two months due to a facial fracture.

"Got to come out and be ready to go," he said. "My team depends on me. My city depends on me. I don't make no excuses. I come out and play ball."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Lakers fall to Bulls in James' return, Cavs clinch playoff berth

LOS ANGELES -- The Chicago Bulls spoiled superstar LeBron James's return from a 13-game injury absence on Sunday, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 118-108 to tighten their hold on the final Eastern Conference play-in spot.

As the push to the post-season headed into its final two weeks, the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched their first playoff berth since 2018 with a 108-91 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Jarret Allen tied his season high with 24 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked three shots while All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell added 22 points for the Cavs, who are assured of one of the top six places in the Eastern Conference to avoid the play-in tournament for the seventh- through 10th-placed teams.

It's the first time since 1998 that the Cavaliers have reached the playoffs without James, whose 20-year NBA career has included two stints with his hometown team, where he won one of his four titles in 2016.

James said Sunday that the chance to challenge for a fifth title overall, and a second with the Lakers, had driven his rapid return from what he revealed was a torn tendon in his right foot.

All eyes were on the 38-year-old forward at Crypto.com Arena, where he came off the bench for just the second time in his career -- the only other occasion coming in December of 2007 when he was with Cleveland.

James checked in to a standing ovation with the Lakers up 12-9 in the first quarter -- going through his traditional hand-chalk toss near the scorer's table before hitting the floor.

He led the Lakers with 19 points in 27 and a half minutes on court. Troy Brown and Malik Beasley added 18 apiece while Anthony Davis scored 15.

But the Bulls crashed the party, Zach LaVine scoring 32 points and DeMar De Rozan adding 17 points and 10 assists as Chicago gave themselves a three-game cushion over the Washington Wizards for the 10th place in the East.

"They came out with a sense of urgency tonight," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "We came out a little flat, turned the ball over early. We weren't aggressive enough, physical enough."

The Lakers, who had gone 8-5 in James's absence, saw their three-game winning streak end.

They slipped from eighth to ninth in the Western Conference, half a game ahead of Oklahoma City and half a game behind New Orleans and Minnesota.

James said seeing his teammates claw out wins in his absence had spurred his injury return.

"It definitely changed my mindset on me coming back and trying to be a part of this. Well, I don't even want to say changed my mindset. It just enhanced what I was trying to do as far as my workouts, as far as my treatment and everything."

Elsewhere, Jaylen Brown scored 41 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 137-93 home rout of the San Antonio Spurs.

The injury absence of leading scorer Jayson Tatum was no problem for the Celtics, who kept the pressure on Milwaukee in the race for top seed in the East.

- Morant leads Grizzlies -

Ja Morant returned to the Memphis starting lineup after coming off the bench in his first two games back from suspension, scoring 27 points to lead the Grizzlies in a 123-119 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta.

Desmond Bane added 25 points as the Grizzlies, second in the West, fended off Atlanta's late challenge to push their winning streak to six games.

The Dallas Mavericks' downward spiral continued with a 110-104 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte, where Mavs star Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season, which will trigger an automatic one-game suspension.

After failing to make a basket in the first quarter Doncic finished with 40 points, but it wasn't enough to stave off a second loss in three days to the hapless Hornets -- who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Embiid's 59 points lead Sixers past Jazz, Garland's 51 not enough for Cavs

LOS ANGELES -- Joel Embiid scored 59 points to carry the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-98 victory over Utah on Sunday, just one of two 50-point performances that lit up the NBA night.

Cleveland guard Darius Garland scored 27 of his 51 points in the fourth quarter, but his heroics weren't enough to prevent the Cavaliers from surrendering their first defeat on their home floor, 129-124 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Embiid's epic, which improved on his prior career best of 50 points, proved to be all the 76ers needed to hold off the tenacious Jazz.

The Cameroonian big man added 11 rebounds and eight assists along with seven blocked shots, all just a day after he scored 42 points in a victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

"I've never seen a more dominating performance, when you combine defense and offense," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said after Embiid became the first player in league history with 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game since blocks became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season.

With the Jazz pressing late, Embiid scored 26 of Philadelphia's 27 points in the fourth quarter.

Chants of "M-V-P" were raining down at the Sixers' Wells Fargo Center as Embiid poured it on.

The teams were tied heading into the final period, and Embiid's turnaround jump shot with less than six minutes remaining knotted the score at 94-94.

He hit two free throws on Philadelphia's next possession for a 98-96 Sixers lead. His fadeaway jump shot with a minute remaining put Philadelphia up 103-98 and he closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws.

In Cleveland, Garland barely beat Embiid to the first 50-point performance of the season as he became the fourth Cavaliers player to hit the half-century mark along with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Walt Wesley.

Garland's 10 three-pointers -- six in the fourth quarter -- were just the start as Garland dazzled with an array of agile jump shots and bullish drives to the basket.

"Special," Cavs veteran Kevin Love said of Garland's performance. "A masterclass by Darius that was just beautiful."

Cavs star Donovan Mitchell was cheering from the bench as he sat out with a sore ankle, but Garland's career night wasn't quite enough.

D'Angelo Russell scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting and handed out 12 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points for the Timberwolves, who led by 24 late in the third quarter.

- Thunder silence Knicks -

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into New York and thumped the Knicks 145-135 to the vocal dismay of the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and Josh Giddey had a triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the young Thunder squad.

Australia's Giddey, 20, joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to post triple-doubles in their first two games at the iconic Manhattan arena.

"We come here once a year, so you've got to have fun while we're here and luckily in my time we've had two wins, so it's been going good so far," Giddey said in a post-game interview.

Lu Dort also scored 24 points for Oklahoma City, who connected on 62.5% of their shots from the field. That included making 17 of 31 from three-point range.

The Knicks out-scored the Thunder 48-36 in the first quarter, setting a franchise record for points in the first period.

But Oklahoma City buckled down defensively in the second, holding the Knicks to 25 and scoring 43 to lead by six at the break.

They never trailed and led by as many as 19 in the second half.

In Washington, Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Deni Avdija chipped in 21 to lead the Wizards to a 102-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Washington notched a fourth straight victory despite the continued absence of Bradley Beal. The Grizzlies were short-handed as well, with Ja Morant sidelined by a sore left ankle and Desmond Bane out with a troublesome toe.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Irving shines as Nets advance, Wolves down Clippers

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving produced a near-flawless display of shooting to fire the Brooklyn Nets into the NBA playoffs on Tuesday with a 115-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving drained 12 of 15 from the field to finish with 34 points and 12 assists for a victory that sees Brooklyn into a best-of-seven series against the second-seeded Boston Celtics, starting Sunday.

On the evidence of Tuesday's performance, Irving will be brimming with confidence as he prepares to face his former club in Boston this weekend.

The 30-year-old seven-time All-Star was perfect from the field through the first three quarters, only missing his first shot early in the fourth quarter.

It was the latest in a series of impressive displays from the unvaccinated Irving, who was ruled out of the vast majority of Brooklyn's home games this season due to Covid-19 regulations in New York.

"We only speak positivity on this entire journey thus far," Irving said after Tuesday's win. "It's been ups and it's been downs, but we've stayed together, remained resilient. 

"We've been through a lot of changes and we've evolved since we came out of the All-Star break. It feels good but we know that the job isn't finished."

Irving was backed by another commanding display from Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.

Durant was a composed presence throughout, notably helping Brooklyn re-establish a 10-point cushion with back-to-back buckets after Cleveland –- who at one stage had trailed by 22 points –- cut the Nets' lead to just six points late in the fourth quarter.

"That's as advertised," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said of Durant and Irving's performances. "They're superstars. That's what top, top players do."

Brooklyn led from start to finish, exploding out of the blocks to score 40 points in the first quarter to open up a 20-point lead that Cleveland never managed to recover from.

Nash however was satisfied that Brooklyn had been able to close out the win as Cleveland chipped away at the lead.

"You have to be prepared for that in basketball," said Nash.

- Embracing anxiety -

"Anxiety is part of the game, stress is part of the game. You have to embrace that and continue to compete and continue to find clarity and conviction.

"We'll find lots of positives and also lots of room for improvement... Every day is a day for us to learn about ourselves and how we can improve on both ends of the floor."

While the Nets look forward to the playoffs, the Cavaliers will face the winner of the other Eastern Conference play-in game between the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks for a place in the first round of the postseason.

In Tuesday's other play-in game, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a hard-fought victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Edwards scored 30 points and Russell added 29 as the Wolves won 109-104 to set up a first round playoff series against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

A pulsating clash at Minneapolis's Target Center was briefly interrupted in the second quarter after a woman reported to be an animal rights activist attempted to glue herself to the court in protest. Security staff removed the woman after a few minutes.

Minnesota's victory came despite a poor performance from star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter after scoring just 11 points with three assists and five rebounds.

Towns' departure was the cue for a dramatic late rally from Minnesota, however, with the Timberwolves going on a 13-2 run to take the lead that ultimately proved the difference.

"We've got a special group, it can be anybody's night out there like I've been saying all season," Russell said. 

"Tonight we locked in to the details and what it was going to take to beat that team. Our group is resilient."

Russell, meanwhile, had words of support for Towns, who struggled to impose himself against a hard-nosed Clippers defense.

"That's our guy, he's our All-Star, he's been holding it down for us all season," Russell said. "Tonight their game plan was to take him out of the game and we had to respond as a group."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Pascal Siakam's 35 points lead Raptors past Cavaliers

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points and the host Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-104, on Thursday night.

Siakam was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers. OG Anunoby added 14 points in his return to the Raptors' lineup after missing 15 games with a broken finger.

The Raptors (41-32) have won seven of their past nine games to move into a tie for sixth place with the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland won the first three games between the teams this season.

Chris Boucher added 17 points off the bench for Toronto, Scottie Barnes had 11 points, Fred VanVleet had 10 points and eight assists and Precious Achiuwa scored 10.

Lauri Markkanen scored 20 points for the Cavaliers (41-32), who have lost two in a row. Darius Garland added 18 points and 10 assists, Lamar Stevens had 16 points, Kevin Love had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert each scored 11.

Toronto used a 15-0 run to take a 25-17 lead after one quarter.

Sparked by Thaddeus Young's eight points off the bench, the Raptors stretched the lead to 14 points. Anunoby made two free throws with 1:49 left in the second quarter. Stevens and Markkanen finished off the first half with dunks, cutting Toronto's lead to 58-48.

Toronto regained a 14-point lead on Siakam's 3-pointer with 9:03 remaining in the third quarter. Love's 3-pointer reduced the deficit to eight. Stevens made one of two free throws with 4:22 left, trimming the lead to five. Toronto led, 83-75, after three quarters.

The lead returned to 14 on VanVleet's 3-pointer with 6:10 to go. Cleveland cut the deficit to eight when Mobley banked in a hook shot. Toronto scored the next six points, four by Siakam and two by Barnes, to lead by 14 again with 2:53 to play.

Gary Trent Jr. (toe) was out for Toronto.

Jarrett Allen (finger) and Dean Wade (knee) were out for Cleveland.

-reuters-

NBA: Carmelo Anthony's late 3-point heroics lift Lakers over Cavs

Carmelo Anthony came off the bench to shoot 6-of-8 from behind the 3-point line and finish with 24 points, including igniting a decisive fourth-quarter scoring run that powered the host Los Angeles Lakers past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-101, on Friday.

Anthony connected on three 3-pointers during a game-ending, 23-10 Lakers run that spanned almost eight minutes. He bookended a 15-2 stretch amid that same spell with a pair from long range.

After giving up a 15-3 Lakers run to close the third quarter trailing by three points, Cleveland battled back. Darius Garland made three of his 18 points to give the Cavaliers a 91-90 lead, but Anthony answered on the next possession.

The Lakers scored 10 unanswered including that basket, taking a lead they never relinquished.

LeBron James led all scorers with 26 points despite shooting 1-of-10 from 3-point range. He also dished a team-high eight assists, half of which came during the concluding run.

Two of James' late assists set up Anthony for successful 3-point attempts. James also initiated a crucial sequence with about five minutes remaining, throwing cross-court out of a double-team to Kent Bazemore, who quickly rotated to a wide-open Avery Bradley for a 3-pointer.

Bradley's bucket pushed the Lakers lead to nine points and forced a Cavaliers timeout.

Cleveland came into Friday's contest a winner of three straight, holding all three opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Cavaliers built a double-digits lead in the second quarter, but gave up 25 points in a little more than nine minutes to close out the period.

They held the Los Angeles Clippers to fewer than 25 for the entirety of three of the four quarters in a win Wednesday night.

Rookie Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with a career-high 23 points. Ricky Rubio added 18 points off the bench, and Lauri Markkanen added 17 points. Garland dished a game-high 11 assists.

-reuters-

NBA: Bucks look for back-to-back wins over Cavaliers

The Milwaukee Bucks look to maintain their recent hold on the Cavaliers on Saturday when the teams reconvene in Cleveland.

The Bucks opened a six-game road trip with a 123-105 victory over the Cavaliers on Friday. Six is the operative number; Milwaukee has defeated Cleveland on six straight occasions dating back to the 2018-19 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo overcame early foul trouble in the first half to score 22 of his 33 points after intermission in Friday's victory. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player appeared far more comfortable in the third quarter, and that allowed Milwaukee to turn the tide.

Antetokounmpo "obviously didn't play as much in the first half but got into a good rhythm," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We got some stops, we got out and made some good things happen in transition, and then he was making plays in the half court and plays in the paint."

Milwaukee eschewed the perimeter game in favor of exploiting the interior while rolling up 74 points in the paint. The Bucks made 21 shots from 3-point range in each of their previous two games before attempting just 22 (making seven) on Friday.

Antetokounmpo, who also had 12 rebounds on Friday, sat out with back spasms in Milwaukee's 100-90 win over the Cavaliers on Jan. 9.

Jrue Holiday scored 17 points in the most recent meeting, a game that was complicated for the Bucks after mechanical issues with their plane forced them to fly to Cleveland on Friday.

"It was back to AAU days where you just hop off the plane and you just start hooping," Holiday told Fox Sports Wisconsin. "We feel like we're a team that takes on a lot of things, and to be able to go through this obstacle and get the win is a good feeling."

Good feelings for the Cavaliers have been few and far between of late. Cleveland has lost six of its last eight games to fall a season-worst three games below .500.

The Bucks outscored the Cavaliers by a 63-42 margin in the second half, with Cleveland making just 3 of 13 shots from 3-point range in that stretch.

"I think they broke our spirit," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "They made us pay for mistakes, and they keep coming. They keep coming, they keep coming. I thought we lost some of that determination and the fourth quarter just hit back. I think that's something that we just have to talk about as a team and get through it."

Jarrett Allen also cited his team's defensive mistakes as a reason for the Cavaliers' downfall on Friday.

"We just need to sharpen up on the defensive end and know our coverages a little better and give a little more effort," Allen said.

Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 19 points. He missed the previous encounter with Milwaukee with a sprained left ankle.

Andre Drummond collected 26 points and 24 rebounds in the first meeting and had 18 and nine, respectively, on Friday.

-Field Level Media-

NBA: J.R. Smith beats up man he claims vandalized his truck

Longtime NBA player J.R. Smith said he beat up a looter in Los Angeles on Sunday because the man broke the window in his truck during protests in the area.

The video showing Smith kicking and punching the man was released by TMZ Sports and Smith addressed the incident via a different video.

"He didn't know whose window he broke and he got his (expletive) whooped," Smith said of the man.


Smith's vehicle was parked in a residential area.

The video shows Smith kicking a man on the ground multiple times. When the man finally gets up, Smith delivers a powerful right punch to the man's face. The man proceeds to scurry away.

"One of these (expletive) white boys didn't know where he was going and broke my (expletive) window in my truck," Smith said during his explanation video.

Smith, 34, said his display of violence was solely due to the truck incident and wasn't related to racial tension that has been soaring since George Floyd's death in Minneapolis on Monday.

Floyd, a black man, died after white officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

"I don't have no problem with nobody and nobody has problems with me," Smith said. "I have a problem with the (expletive) system."

Smith, who is currently an NBA free agent, ranks 13th in NBA history with 1,929 career 3-pointers. He has a 12.5 scoring average in 15 seasons with the then-New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Field Level Media

NBA: Cavs forward Nance 'scared' of virus with pre-existing issue

NEW YORK -- Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is "scared" of making an NBA comeback during the coronavirus pandemic due to his weakened immune system because he has Crohn's disease.

And the 27-year-old forward hopes the league will take into account players with pre-existing conditions when pondering plans to restart the season halted March 12 by the deadly disease.

"I would hope there would be an understanding (by the NBA) if someone didn't feel comfortable coming back, that you would get a pass," Nance told ESPN. "Just because you may look like the picture of health, some people have issues you can't see."

Nance, who spent his first two and a half NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to Cleveland in 2018, is among those who conducted individual workouts at the Cavaliers training facility the past two weeks.

His therapy to combat inflammatory bowel illness allows Nance to play but weakens his immune system and leaves him more vulnerable than most to catch COVID-19.

Nance said he was "absolutely terrified" when Utah's Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus -- leading to the NBA shutdown -- because he had recently played against the Frenchman.

"We're young and you know the kind of shape players are in, you'd like to think (the virus impact) wouldn't be what it could be for others," Nance said.

"But you don't know. I'm still scared and don't want to get it."

Nance told ESPN a drug he has taken for 10 years to combat Crohn's has helped those with the disease fight off COVID-19, easing some of his worries with hopes he could join his teammates on the court if the season resumes.

The Cavaliers were 19-46, worst in the Eastern Conference and second-worst in the NBA ahead of only Golden State, when the league went on hiatus.

Nance, averaging 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds when the season was halted, was a very interested spectator last weekend when the Bundesliga made its return in empty German stadiums.

"I'm paying super close attention to everything that is going on," Nance said. "I was watching the German soccer league over the weekend and seeing how the players were interacting with each other and still seeing them make a lot of contact."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Williamson, Pelicans roll over Cavaliers

Rookie Zion Williamson scored 24 points for his 10th consecutive game with at least 20, as the host New Orleans Pelicans routed the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 116-104 on Friday night.

Brandon Ingram scored 29, Jrue Holiday added 22 and E'Twaun Moore and Nicolo Melli had 10 each, as the Pelicans improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break. 

It was their first home game in 15 days and started a three-game home-stand over five days.

Derrick Favors had 15 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball had 12 assists for New Orleans, which has won six of eight games as it pursues Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

Pelicans guard JJ Redick left the game in the first quarter because of a left hamstring strain and did not return.

Collin Sexton tied his career-high with 31 points to lead the Cavaliers, who are just 17-42 but entered the game with a 3-1 record under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over when John Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 16, Darius Garland had 15, Tristan Thompson had 13 and Kevin Love 10.

New Orleans, which beat the Cavaliers 125-111 on Jan. 28 in Cleveland, swept the season series by winning its ninth straight home game against the Cavs.

The Pelicans led by 15 at halftime, and Ingram scored 11 points as they increased the lead to 93-70 midway through the third quarter.

Sexton made three 3-pointers during a 13-2 run that pulled Cleveland within 95-83 at the end of the third quarter.

But Moore made a 3-pointer, and Williamson followed with a basket to start the fourth-quarter scoring, as the Pelicans regained command with a 17-point lead. The Cavs didn't get closer than 15 until the final two minutes.

The Pelicans set a franchise record for assists in a quarter with 15 in the first. They made 18 of 24 field-goal attempts and scored a season-high in first-quarter points by taking a 43-25 lead.

Sexton scored nine of his 19 first-half points as the Cavaliers outscored New Orleans in the second quarter, but the Pelicans still held a 70-55 halftime edge.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers overtake Cavs, pull away for blowout win

Avery Bradley ignited a third-quarter run with a 3-pointer Monday night as the Los Angeles Lakers, after trailing the entire first half, blew past the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers for a 128-99 victory.

LeBron James scored a game-high 31 points while Dwight Howard recorded 21 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, helping the Lakers win their ninth straight while snapping Cleveland's two-game winning streak.

Kevin Love (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (17 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles for the Cavaliers, who had opened a six-game trip with victories at Detroit and Denver.


Love, Darius Garland and Thompson each had a hoop as Cleveland scored the game's first six points en route to as much as a 10-point lead in the first quarter and a 14-point advantage in the second.

The Lakers rallied within 48-47 by halftime, and they still trailed 56-55 after a Garland layup in the fifth minute of the third quarter.

Bradley's 3-pointer with 7:38 left in the third gave Los Angeles the lead for good and began a 13-0 burst that also included a three-point play by James. JaVale McGee's jumper with 5:10 left in the period capped the run and gave the Lakers a 68-56 lead.

The Lakers were up by 14 at quarter's end and gradually pulled away over the final 12 minutes in the opener of a two-game homestand.

James' 31 points came on 12-of-16 shooting from the floor. He also found time for a game-high eight assists.

Bradley finished with 12 points, and he was followed by Kyle Kuzma with 11 and Danny Green and Alex Caruso with 10 apiece.

The Lakers outshot the Cavaliers 54.5 percent to 44.7 percent.

All five Cavaliers starters scored in double figures, with Collin Sexton (16), Garland (16) and Cedi Osman (15) joining Love and Thompson in the distinction.

The Cavaliers shot just 7-for-25 on 3-point attempts, with Osman accounting for four of the seven successes. The Lakers hit 11 of 30 tries from behind the arc.

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NBA: Brown, Tatum lead Celtics past Cavaliers

Jaylen Brown matched his career high of 34 points and Jayson Tatum scored 24 of his 30 in the first half as the host Boston Celtics cruised to a 129-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Brown followed up a season high-tying 30-point performance in Boston's 118-102 victory over Toronto on Wednesday by making 13 of 20 shots, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range.

Tatum, who also made 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, sank 9 of 13 shots from the floor in the first half and finished 11 of 20 to answer a dismal 5-for-18 performance against the Raptors.

Enes Kanter chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench as the Celtics collected their fifth straight win overall and seventh in a row versus Cleveland.

Kevin Love scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half and made 6 of 11 3-point attempts for the Cavaliers, who had won a season-high three in a row after losing 16 of their previous 18.

Collin Sexton chipped in 21 points and rookie Kevin Porter Jr. added 16 off the bench for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers trimmed the Celtics' lead to 92-81 at the end of the third quarter and Dante Exum opened the fourth with a 3-pointer. 

Tatum answered with one of his own, Daniel Theis followed suit and Brown later sank back-to-back 3-pointers to push Boston's advantage to 108-90 with 7:20 to play.

Brown scored the Celtics' first seven points and finished with 12 on 5-of-7 shooting to give his team a 33-22 lead after the first quarter. Boston made 13 of 23 shots in the quarter.

Tatum capped a 10-0 run with a step-back 3-pointer, boosting the Celtics' advantage to 48-26 with 6:50 remaining in the second quarter.

Cleveland chipped away slowly to cut Boston's lead to 62-47 at halftime and scored the first four points of the third quarter before the Celtics reignited their offense.

Tatum took advantage of a mismatch on the low block to convert a 3-point play and give Boston a 76-58 lead with 6:54 remaining in the third quarter.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Why Stephen Curry (not LeBron) is the NBA Player of the Decade

(NBA Decade in Review)

The New York Times is reflecting on the past decade in the NBA, which has evolved perhaps more than any other major sports league.

The choice for the NBA’s player of the decade came down to two superstars. Would it be Stephen Curry or LeBron James?

If it wasn’t Curry holding a championship trophy come June, the expectation was that it would be James instead. Nine of the decade’s NBA Finals featured at least one of them, and their teams claimed six of the championships. They won half of the past decade’s Most Valuable Player Awards. One or the other was likely playing on national television each night. With the previous generation’s biggest stars fading, they boldly staked their claim to the spotlight.

But when it came to picking the player of the decade, our writers’ decisions were pretty clear.

The Case for LeBron James

Victor Mather

Senior staff editor and reporter

Let’s see: the most points in the decade, the most field goals, the top rating in most advanced stats, the most Most Valuable Player Awards (three), the most finals MVP Awards (three). LeBron James even led the decade in minutes played.

Or you could be a contrarian and choose, maybe, the blocks-per-minute leader, JaVale McGee. Probably not the right pick, though.

Scott Cacciola

Sports reporter

Three NBA championships, including the first for the city of Cleveland. Three more MVPs to go with the one he won last decade. More highlight-reel dunks and chase-down blocks and signature moments than any of his peers (no offense, Steph).

But beyond merely being the most dominant player of the decade, James was the figure around whom the rest of the league orbited. For potential title contenders, his presence — in Miami, in Cleveland, in Los Angeles — figured into every calculation other teams made. Which players could they acquire to help vanquish the King? Which picks could they package to trade for more depth, more star power, more scoring and defense?

Now in his 17th season, and on the cusp of a new decade, James is still going strong, positioning the Lakers for their first deep playoff run since the days of Kobe Bryant. Staggering but true: James’ greatest feat may still be ahead of him.

The Landslide for Stephen Curry

Harvey Araton

Hall of Fame sports writer

Stephen Curry. Heresy, right? Maybe not. Curry’s impact on the way NBA games are played now — from deep and deeper — has been more profound than James’ impact, though the King was unquestionably the decade’s best overall player and biggest newsmaker.

Just for the record, Curry was a two-time MVP, won as many titles (three) as James — all against James’ team — and was the most dynamic talent for a Golden State Warriors team that set the record (73) for most games won in a season. He was the most breathtaking long-distance dialer of a far-out decade.

Marc Stein

Hall of Fame sports reporter

This one is impossible. LeBron took his Miami and Cleveland teams to eight consecutive NBA Finals and ushered in the player-empowerment era with “The Decision” in 2010 — followed by two more landscape-altering free agencies — when he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 and then bolted to the Lakers in 2018. Stephen Curry rewrote the boundaries of acceptable shooting distance as the 3-pointer became this sport’s weapon of prominence, and he served as the face of a team that went to five consecutive finals and won three championships.

A tie is the fairest result here, but I grudgingly concede that ties aren’t allowed. So I’m going with Steph, as the starriest force most synonymous with the Team of the Decade, by the narrowest of margins.

Kevin Draper

Sports business reporter

LeBron James was undoubtedly the best player of the decade, but Stephen Curry defined it. Writing about the 3-point revolution has become stale and trite, but Curry really did change the game. It was not all that long ago that shooting pullup 3s, or shooting from more than a foot or two behind the arc, was verboten. But Curry and the Warriors redefined what needed to be defended, warping and breaking defensive schemes in the process.

Oh, and he also won three championships, two MVPs and led the Warriors to the best regular-season ever in 2015-16. Let’s not talk about what happened next.

Shauntel Lowe

NBA editor

It feels weird not to pick LeBron James here, what with him being the best player in the world and all, but Stephen Curry was the defining player of this decade. No one changed basketball the way he did, and no one captivated the world as he did. Suddenly, here was a player for whom there was no such thing as a bad shot. That’s not true for anyone besides Curry. He’s the one.

Benjamin Hoffman

Senior staff editor

Try to imagine Stephen Curry playing in any other decade.

The record for 3-pointers in a season when Curry joined the NBA in the 2009-10 season was 269 by Ray Allen, and only 21 players had ever topped 200. In the 11 seasons since, Curry has topped Allen’s record five times, setting a potentially unbreakable record of 402 in 2015-16.

But Curry didn’t benefit from this era — he created it. Before him, it was unheard of to ignore the shot clock and hoist 30-footers off the dribble with ease. And even though he has his share of imitators (Damian Lillard, Trae Young, etc.), no one has mastered the art nearly as well.

Curry was at the heart of the decade’s best team, winning three titles in a five-year period of total dominance, and his size and smile helped him become the face of the NBA for a new generation of fans.

c.2019 New York Times News Service

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NBA: Kevin Love lifts Cavs over Spurs in OT

Kevin Love scored a season-high 30 points, including a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and pulled down 17 rebounds as the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 117-109 on Thursday.

The Cavaliers snapped an eight-game losing streak on the second night of a home-road back to back.

It was the third straight overtime game for the Spurs.

San Antonio trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter and by 83-80 with 8:04 to play before forging an 11-3 run behind nine points from DeMar DeRozan to pull in front 91-86.

Patty Mills hit a pair of free throws to give the Spurs a 103-98 lead with 20.1 seconds to play in regulation before Collin Sexton responded with a layup.

DeRozan then missed two free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Cleveland the chance to tie the game, which Love accomplished with a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds remaining. DeRozan then missed a 15-footer at the buzzer to force overtime.

The Cavaliers never trailed in the extra period, moving to a 113-109 lead on Jordan Clarkson's reverse layup with 53.6 seconds to play. Sexton then nailed two free throws to cement the game.

Sexton added 28 points, with Clarkson hitting for 25 and Cedi Osman scoring 15 for Cleveland.

DeRozan led San Antonio with 21 points while LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points and took 10 rebounds, Derrick White poured in 17 points and Lonnie Walker IV and Mills added 10 each.

Cleveland led from the middle of the first quarter on, earning as much as a 10-point advantage through the first half on the way to a 53-43 lead at halftime. The Cavaliers outshot San Antonio 46.7 percent to 42.5 percent over the first 24 minutes and outrebounded the Spurs 26-16, including a 6-0 edge on the offensive glass.

Love had 19 points, on 8-of-12 shooting in the half and took eight rebounds in just 15 minutes of court time. Sexton added 10 for in the first half for Cleveland.

White paced San Antonio with 11 points while the Spurs got just eight combined points from DeRozan (6) and Aldridge (2) over the first two periods.

The two teams played an even third quarter before the Spurs picked up the pace in the fourth, pulling to within 81-80 in Walker's layup with 8:29 to play.

--Field Level Media

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NBA: Doncic, Mavs blow out Cavs by 42

Luka Doncic collected 30 points and 14 assists as the Dallas Mavericks recorded a sweep of their four-game homestand with a convincing 143-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Doncic, who shot 11 of 18 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter, became the eighth Mavericks player to score 30-plus points in three straight games.

The last such player to accomplish the feat was Dirk Nowitzki (2010), who received a standing ovation from the crowd after being shown on the Jumbotron during the first quarter.

Nowitzki, who was sitting next to owner Mark Cuban and spotted with former teammates Shawn Marion and Michael Finley, was making his first visit to American Airlines Center since retiring after last season.

Nowitzki saw quite a performance from the home team, which surpassed 140 points for the second consecutive game. Justin Jackson had 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and added four blocks while playing in his 200th career game.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 16 points in just 18 minutes for Dallas, which had seven players finish in double-digit scoring to complete a two-game season sweep of Cleveland.

The Mavericks posted a 131-111 victory over the Cavaliers on Nov. 3.

Darius Garland highlighted his 23-point performance with five 3-pointers and Cedi Osman chipped in with 18 points for Cleveland, which has lost six in a row.

Dallas scored the last five points of the first quarter and began the second with a 19-3 run to build a 48-29 lead.

Jackson drained a pair of 3-pointers to highlight his 9-point run in that stretch, but it was Porzingis' rejection of Tristan Thompson's layup attempt and subsequent Maxi Kleber dunk at the other end that drew the biggest response from the crowd.

The Mavericks kept humming along, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent (8 of 16) from 3-point range to seize a 66-42 lead at halftime.

The third quarter saw more of the same, with Doncic calmly sinking a step-back 3-pointer to stake Dallas to an 80-48 advantage.

Garland answered by sandwiching 3-pointers around Thompson's hook shot, but Dallas stemmed the tide as Porzingis converted Doncic's alley-oop pass to ignite another run.

The Mavericks erupted for 45 points in the quarter to claim a 111-71 advantage before putting it on cruise control in the fourth.

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NBA: Thompson, Cavaliers roll past Wizards

Tristan Thompson led seven Cavaliers in double figures with 21 points and visiting Cleveland held off the Washington Wizards for a 113-100 win on Friday night.

Washington, which trailed by as many as 21 points, pulled within one point twice in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Love and Collin Sexton scored 16 points each for the Cavaliers. Thompson and Love grabbed 12 rebounds apiece.

Thomas Bryant led Washington with 23 points and Rui Hachimura added 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

Bradley Beal scored 20 points for Washington, which has lost five of its past six.

Washington, which trailed by 15 at halftime, closed to within 11 early in the second half but a 6-0 run gave Cleveland a 73-56 lead.

The Wizards soon responded with an 8-0 run capped by Bryant's tip-in. After Beal's 3-point play brought Washington within 12, Hachimura's dunk cut the deficit to 86-76, and Bryant's dunk made it 86-78 with 2:49 left in the third quarter.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Davis Bertans and Ish Smith capped a 27-9 run that pulled Washington within 88-84 after three quarters.

The Wizards pulled within one early in the fourth quarter but never took the lead and the Cavaliers pushed the margin back to seven points on Jordan Clarkson's tip-in.

Cleveland's lead was 10 points after a goaltending violation by Bryant, who then earned a technical, and Love's free throw with 4:57 remaining.

Washington got no closer than within six points the rest of the way and Sexton's 3-pointer made it 111-100 with 1:41 left.

Leading 30-28 early in the second quarter the Cavaliers went on a 17-4 capped by Cedi Osman's jumper with 7:49 left in the first half.

Thompson's free throw gave Cleveland a 20-point lead late in the half, but Hachimura scored eight points down the stretch and the Wizards were within 67-52 at intermission.

The Wizards committed 11 turnovers in the first half and the Cleveland bench outscored the Washington reserves 26-10.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Love's near triple-double leads Cavs over Pacers

Kevin Love came one assist shy of a triple-double, Tristan Thompson scored 25 points, and the host Cleveland Cavaliers held off a late rally to beat the Indiana Pacers, 110-99, Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Cleveland led almost wire-to-wire in Saturday's early-season, Central Division matchup, building an advantage that swelled to as many as 24 points.

The front-court duo of Love and Thompson set the tone, with Love registering 21 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and Thompson posting a double-double with 13 rebounds. His team-high 25 points included his first career 3-pointer.

Behind a game-high 30 points from guard Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana sliced the gap to seven points in the final two minutes of regulation. A Thompson jumper and free throws from guard Collin Sexton, who finished with 18 points, stemmed the rally.

The win is the first of Cavaliers coach John Beilein's professional career. He took over in Cleveland this season after 754 wins and nearly four decades in the college ranks, the last 12 of which were spent at the University of Michigan.

Beilein's new-look offensive approach struggled on opening night against Orlando, but the Cavaliers flourished against Indiana. Twenty-three of the team's 40 made field-goal attempts came off assists, with rookie Darius Garland's four second to Love's nine among all Cavs. Garland added 12 points.

With the offense clicking more efficiently, Cleveland's defense powered it to a double-digit lead in the first half. The Indiana front-court duo of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, who scored 52 combined points in a season-opening loss to Detroit on Wednesday, finished with 14 and 11 points on Saturday.

For a second consecutive game, the Pacers' bench was outscored. Guard Justin Holiday scored 10 for Indiana to lead the reserves, who totaled 22. Jordan Clarkson's 15 points paced a 33-point effort from the Cavaliers reserve.

Turner was the only Pacer to rebound in double figures with 11. Love and Thompson's work on the glass powered a 44-36 Cleveland advantage.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Kyrie Irving suffers facial fracture after getting elbowed

NEW YORK - Six-time NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a facial fracture when he took an elbow during workouts, the Brooklyn Nets said Wednesday.

Irving, who won an NBA title alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is expected to lead a young Nets club after making the jump from the Boston Celtics as a free agent, signing a four-year, $141 million deal.

General manager Sean Marks, a New Zealander, had downplayed the severity of the injury when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday, saying the player had been sent to hospital for evaluation because "Kyrie gets checked out like everybody else".

The team announced the diagnosis on Wednesday in a statement posted on their Twitter feed.

Irving has dealt with facial fractures before. He had to play wearing a plastic facemask for a few weeks after he took an inadvertent hit from then-Celtics teammate Aron Baynes of Australia in November of 2017.

The Nets have a media availability scheduled for Friday before they open training camp at the weekend.

bb/js

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