AARON GORDON

Stephen Curry scored 30 points in his return to Golden State’s starting lineup and the Warriors beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 on Wednesday night to end the first-round series in five games.

The Denver Nuggets avoided a sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors with a 126-121 win Sunday to send the series back to San Francisco for Game 5.

Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole scored 27 points each, Klay Thompson made six 3-pointers on his way to 26 points and the Golden State Warriors muscled past the Denver Nuggets 118-113 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the playoff series.

Jordan Poole shined in his long-awaited playoff debut scoring 30 points, staying in the starting lineup as Stephen Curry returned from a foot injury by coming off the bench initially, and the Golden State Warriors’ defense smothered Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 123-107 in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Chris Paul returned from a broken right wrist to help the Phoenix Suns wrap up the top seed in the NBA playoffs with a 140-130 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Stephen Curry scored 24 of his 34 points in the second half, and the Golden State Warriors closed the game with a 13-0 run to beat the Denver Nuggets 113-102.

Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists, and the Denver Nuggets held on after blowing an 18-point lead and beat the Sacramento Kings 106-100.

Nikola Jokic scored 34 points, including four free throws in the closing seconds, and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Detroit Pistons 117-111.

Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers on Tuesday night in a game where the Denver Nuggets barely held off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors 89-86.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says there are no plans to pause the season, even as numbers of players entering the league’s health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus continues to rise.

The NBA has called off five games for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday because of coronavirus-related concerns.

Cam Johnson scored a career-high 22 points, Deandre Ayton added 21 and the fast-starting Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 12, routing the short-handed Denver Nuggets 126-97 on Sunday night.

ST. CHARLES, MI - Starting at a young age, Mary Norris knew she wanted to play football. She waited year after year for her mom to give her permission to play and now she’s a lineman on St. Charles High School’s football team competing for a starting job. Related: St. Charles female football player ‘not too worried what people say’Norris, now a junior, participated in volleyball in the past and didn’t like it. The whole team is just like a big family.”16 ‘I know they have my back' St. Charles female football player says about teammatesSt. Charles coach Aaron Gordon said the team embraces her being on the team. “When you’re on the field there’s no difference really,” St. Charles junior Ashtin Szarenski said.

“Bruises,” she says, “heal.”Norris, a 16-year-old junior on the St. Charles football team, is competing for a starting job on the Bulldogs’ offensive line. “She’s an aggressive player,” St. Charles coach Aaron Gordon said. We’ve had experience with players that some may not consider a ‘normal’ football player, and our players embrace it. During the summer, she missed many of the St. Charles team workouts because she volunteered as a lifeguard and counselor at Camp Rotary in Clare. She also understands that even in the hallways at St. Charles, some students may question her motives or even her femininity.

Jamahl Mosley has agreed to become the new coach of the Orlando Magic.

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns spoiled Nikola Jokic’s MVP celebration with a 116-102 victory over Denver on Friday night in Game 3 that put “The Joker” and the rest of the reeling Nuggets on the brink of a quick second-round exit.

Chris Paul had 17 points and 15 assists without a turnover, Devin Booker added 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns routed the Denver Nuggets 123-98 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Chris Paul and his rejuvenated right shoulder scored 21 points and dished 11 assists, Mikal Bridges added 23 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 122-105 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Nikola Jokic had 36 points and the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games with a 126-115 victory Thursday night.

Norman Powell matched his career playoff high with 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 115-95 on Saturday in Game 4 to even the first-round series.

Kentucky is planning to open Kroger Field to full capacity for Wildcats football games this fall, along with restoring other fan activities and traditions.

Nikola Jokic scored 38 points to overcome a 3-point shooting barrage from Damian Lillard and the Denver Nuggets evened the first-round series by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 in a chippy Game 2.

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portland’s 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers’ 123-109 win over the Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night.

The Denver Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray indefinitely after the dynamic point guard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets held off the San Antonio Spurs for a 121-119 win when DeMar DeRozan’s shot attempt at the buzzer rolled out.

Nikola Jokic scored 27 points in leading the Denver Nuggets past the Detroit Pistons 134-119 Tuesday night.

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 27 points in 27 minutes and the Denver Nuggets spoiled the return of Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee with a 134-119 shellacking of the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. Jokic also dished out 11 assists, his 83rd career double-digit assist game, two more than Wilt Chamberlain had in his Hall of Fame career. The Nuggets got 25 points from Michael Porter Jr. and 24 from Will Barton. Nuggets: Denver shot a blistering 67.3% in the first half. Nuggets: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in the first of a two-game set at Ball Arena that concludes Friday night.

FILE - In this Feb 5, 2021, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers' Andre Drummond drives the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)LOS ANGELES – Andre Drummond is joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push. The Lakers announced the signing of the two-time All-Star center less than an hour before Sunday night's game against the Orlando Magic. AdThe Lakers currently rank ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.1), but just 17th in offensive rebounds (9.6). Ad___AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Los Angeles contributed to this report___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) celebrates a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — considered perhaps the biggest prize who was on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Questions swirled around Lowry all the way to the 3 p.m. EST deadline, and there were signs that the Raptors were positioning themselves to make the move. “Everything will be fine," Lowry said on Wednesday, when asked about the looming deadline and incessant reports about his trade prospects.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, left, drives around Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)ORLANDO, Fla. – Fred VanVleet set a franchise record with 54 points and hit a career-best 11 3-pointers as the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Orlando Magic 123-108 on Tuesday night. AdNorman Powell had 23 points for Toronto, and Kyle Lowry posted a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Orlando, which has lost 12 of 14, tried almost every guard on its roster against the 6-foot-1 VanVleet with little to no success. AdMagic: Orlando was without Gordon, who severely sprained his left ankle later in Sunday’s game against Toronto. Magic: Orlando hosts Chicago on Friday and Saturday in a two-game set.

Deni Avdija, the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft, scored 15 points for the Wizards. Danilo Gallinari scored 17 points and De’Andre Hunter added 15 for Atlanta, which made 17 3-pointers. Aaron Gordon scored 15 points and Nikola Vucevic had 14 for Orlando. Alec Burks finished with 15 points for New York, which defeated the Pistons on Friday. Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 points, Derrick Jones Jr. scored 15 and CJ McCollum added 13 for the Trail Blazers.

Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford talks to players during a timeout in the first half of the team's NBA preseason basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. The NBA preseason — a truncated 49-game, nine-day sprint — opened Friday with a five-game slate, action returning to NBA arenas for the first time in exactly nine months. 8 pick Obi Toppin of the Knicks, got their first NBA minutes. Paul George had 10 for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard managed three in 14 minutes. Both teams shot exactly 30 for 84 from the field, and none of the Clippers' starters logged even 15 minutes.

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool)It was only a week ago when the sky was falling on the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks lead the Orlando Magic 3-1; the Lakers lead the Portland Trail Blazers 3-1. The bottom line is weve come out and competed so much harder.The wake-up call helped the Lakers as well. James teams went 5-5 in his first 10 series-clinching opportunities; theyre 30-5 in those situations since. NEED TO KNOW: If the Bucks win, the Eastern Conference first round would be completed in just 17 games.

Middleton scored 18 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 rebounds after being held to one field goal in the first three quarters on 1-of-9 shooting. Wesley Matthews added 12 points for the Bucks, who can close out the Magic on Wednesday. ... We had to pick up our intensity.Nikola Vucevic continued his strong play for the Magic, finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Terrence Ross had 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The top-seeded Bucks led by three entering the fourth quarter before Middleton came alive.

But right now it's more hurting the teams that should be playing in front of rowdy fans, not virtual ones. With Domantas Sabonis lost to injury, the Pacers need Turner to do even more on the inside to pick up the slack. Game 2, 9 p.m. ESPN NEED TO KNOW: These teams are seeded No. 8 based on what they did over the entire season, but there is no such difference in the bubble. Vogel said he believes in adjusting when necessary and may decide the Lakers need more speed on the floor and go smaller.

Los Angeles Clippers 99, Orlando Magic 90The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic, with Lou Williams leading the way with 22 points, while Paul George had 18 points for the winning squad. Vucevic led the way for the Magic with 18 points and 10 rebounds. High flyer Aaron Gordon had 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block. Nikola Jokic added 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Troy Brown added 12 points and six rebounds, while former Piston, Ish Smith had 10 points and two rebounds.

The NBA is set to begin pre-season scrimmages in the bubble at Disney World in Orlando. Los Angeles Clippers vs. Orlando Magic -- 3 p.m. ESTThe Los Angeles Clippers bring back superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while the Orlando Magic bring back high flyer Aaron Gordon. Sacramento Kings vs. Miami Heat -- 8 p.m. ESTThe Sacramento Kings have to rally back after losing star forward Marvin Bagley III to a foot injury for the season. With Jimmy Butler and rookie Tyler Herro, the Heat bring some fire players. The NBA will be using 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 minutes for the scrimmages.

So, when it came time to figure out what was getting packed for Disney, Pimental came to a realization. All 22 teams in the NBA restart had to pack more than ever, for a road trip like none other. The challenges for players and coaches are obvious, but the challenge for equipment managers among the unsung heroes of this restart plan arent anywhere near as visible to those watching games from afar. This is what equipment managers were built for, honestly, Orlando Magic equipment manager Jacob Diamond said. ... Were all going to be involved in every aspect of it.Days will be long for equipment managers.