4:52 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — There is no award for most valuable player of the conference finals. If there were, there’s a good chance Draymond Green would’ve won it for his play with the Golden State Warriors in their sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. His defense was just sensational. His playmaking was at

11:51 PM ET Portland Trail Blazers fans fell in love all over again with their team this season, from the breathtaking performances of their star guards to the toughness of their role players to the mere presence of their wounded center in the playoffs. The end against the Golden State Warriors was bitter. Even as

5:19 PM ET Oh Youngmisuk EL SEGUNDO — New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel called new assistant coach Jason Kidd “an incredible asset” and said he’s not going to worry about looking over his shoulder. Vogel said that while the Lakers’ front office planted the seed of adding Kidd to his staff, he

7:59 AM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Interim coach Ryan Saunders is finalizing a multi-year deal to become head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources told ESPN. The deal is expected to be completed soon, perhaps as soon as Monday, sources told ESPN. Saunders is working on a staff. New Timberwolves president of Basketball Operations Gersson

1:27 AM ET Malika AndrewsESPN TORONTO — These are the nights when Giannis Antetokounmpo frets. Through the first three quarters of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, Antetokounmpo scored just six points and finished with 12 total. He missed two key free throws in the first overtime and fouled out less than one minute

5:31 PM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — As the Golden State Warriors attempt to become the first team since the 1960s Boston Celtics to go to the NBA Finals for the fifth straight season, Warriors forward Draymond Green said the group is motivated to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of the Western

12:54 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MILWAUKEE — It took all of 51 seconds for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to declare to the world — and, more importantly, to the Toronto Raptors — how Game 2 was going to proceed. A rim-rattling dunk of his own miss between two defenders. A vicious rejection of what looked

7:36 PM ET The Houston Rockets are not renewing the contract of associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik, one of the architects of the team’s defensive turnaround this past season. “Jeff’s contract was up. It will not be renewed,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Houston Chronicle. “We’re looking for any way to improve. That

4:09 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — After dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, the Toronto Raptors returned home knowing the odds — at least historically — are against them in their matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. But when told that 94 percent of the teams with 2-0 leads have gone

7:25 AM ET Down 2-0 in the NBA Western Conference finals, the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a must-win predicament on their home floor Saturday night. One big reason the Golden State Warriors are in the driver’s seat: their ability to shut down Damian Lillard, who must get going if Portland has a chance

9:02 PM ET Reigning NBA MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets is one of three finalists for the award for the 2018-19 season, the league announced Friday. Joining Harden, who led the league in scoring with 36.1 points per game, in the top three are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Paul George

3:27 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The fact that Sonya Curry sent a group text to her extended family on the eve of the Western Conference finals is not surprising. She’s always sending inspirational texts to the family. Or as she pronounces it, “texes, like Texas.” But this “texes” message was special, because her sons

9:16 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard believed there was contact before Andre Iguodala‘s strip that sealed the Golden State Warriors‘ 114-111 win in Thursday night’s Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, but he didn’t blame the referees for not blowing the whistle. After the Warriors fouled with 10

4:33 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo admits this isn’t how he envisioned the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season playing out. At the beginning of the season, Antetokounmpo couldn’t have known his team would make it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. The landscape of the Eastern Conference changed drastically in the summer

12:10 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. The plan is for him to be evaluated in one week, the Warriors said in a statement released Thursday night. Durant, who hasn’t played since he

2:27 AM ET MILWAUKEE — At the moment Kawhi Leonard shook Khris Middleton on a backdoor cut for an easy layup midway through the third quarter of Game 1 on Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors looked like their best selves. The Raptors had managed only five shot attempts at the rim in the first half,

7:44 AM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — One by one, the Milwaukee Bucks players pulled into the garage in the team’s practice facility. It was Thursday, less than 12 hours removed from their series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, and Mike Budenholzer had given the team the day off. Yet there was Giannis

3:21 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, whose coast-to-coast rivalry in the 1980s propelled the NBA to a new level of popularity, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The league and Turner Sports announced Wednesday that the Hall of Famers and 1992 U.S. Olympic teammates will receive