7:17 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Nikola Jokic is a finalist to win a second straight NBA MVP award, along with two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. The NBA unveiled the top three finishers in voting for its individual awards Sunday, with the expected names in the running for the marquee award.
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6:11 PM ET MIAMI — The Heat’s defense might have suffocated Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young all game in Sunday’s 115-91 Game 1 win of their first-round series, but the East’s No. 1 seed knows it can’t expect Young and the eighth-seeded Hawks to go quietly. “He’s going to score the ball,” Heat forward P.J.
8:49 PM ET BOSTON — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving said he was responding to words he heard from the crowd when he flipped off several Boston Celtics fans on two separate occasions during Sunday’s 115-114 loss in Game 1. After the game, Irving made it clear that he would have “the same energy for
12:20 AM ET Jamal CollierESPN MILWAUKEE — On the way to winning their first NBA championship, the Milwaukee Bucks transformed into a defensive juggernaut during the postseason, finishing No. 1 among playoff teams in defensive efficiency after placing near the bottom of the top 10 during the regular season. The Bucks dipped to the No.14
1:41 AM ET PHOENIX — First Chris Paul heard his former teammate and coach Willie Green instruct his New Orleans Pelicans players to dare him to shoot. Then, after Paul eviscerated the strategy, he let his old friend know it. Paul, who will turn 37 in three weeks, became the oldest player to record 30
6:45 PM ET ESPN News Services BOSTON — Jayson Tatum made a layup at the buzzer on a pass from Marcus Smart to give the Boston Celtics a dramatic 115-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday. Tatum scored 16 of his 31 points in the second
1:55 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 Tim MacMahon Close ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009 Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic remains unlikely to play in
2:14 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse said guard Gary Trent Jr. and forwards Scottie Barnes and Thaddeus Young are unlikely to play in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. “I mean, listen, it doesn’t look good for any of those guys,” Nurse said after
12:24 PM ET Marc J. Spears SAN FRANCISCO — Injured Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is holding out hope that he can play in his team’s first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. “Right now, I’m taking it game by game. I’m not ruling anything out. This is a thing I don’t ever want
3:37 PM ET Welcome to Day 2 of the 2022 NBA playoffs! Saturday saw a flurry of impressive postseason debuts, including those from Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole. Sunday, meanwhile, got started with a blowout along Biscayne Bay. The No. 1-seeded Miami Heat