Anthony Edwards scored 18 points in his unexpected return from injury and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a huge game by Victor Wembanyama and held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.

Rudy Gobert recognized Victor Wembanyama's potential when he was just 13.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had plenty of lulls during the regular season while struggling to recapture the form that fueled them to consecutive Western Conference finals appearances over the last two years.

Jaden McDaniels had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points in a surprise start for the injury-ravaged Minnesota Timberwolves in a 110-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 that finished off another tense NBA playoff series between the rivals.

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics aim to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs with road victories while the Denver Nuggets look to force a Game 7 against the injured Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Nikola Jokic snapped out of his prolonged funk with a triple-double, Spencer Jones provided a key spark and the Denver Nuggets staved off elimination with a chippy 125-113 win over the injury-riddled Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their playoff series.

Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards will be sidelined for at least a week with a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have developed an intense rivalry.

The left knee of Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards remained structurally intact when he was injured during Game 4 of his team’s Western Conference first-round playoff series, but he is likely to miss multiple weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points, stepping up after leg injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with the highest-scoring playoff performance by a reserve in 50 years, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 on Saturday night.

Donte DiVincenzo's season ends with an Achilles tendon injury, while Anthony Edwards' knee injury remains unclear.

Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets and seized a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting the superstar energy they need from Anthony Edwards in their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points, Julius Randle added 24 and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied past the Denver Nuggets 119-114 to tie their Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece.

Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Victor Wembanyama did not get ejected from San Antonio’s game on Tuesday night.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were missing five of their top seven players for most of their record-setting overtime rally to beat the Houston Rockets.

Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and nine rebounds, corralling a critical offensive rebound in the final seconds, enabling the San Antonio Spurs to fend off Anthony Edwards’ season-high 55 points and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123 on Saturday night.

Influencer Jordyn Woods and New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns are engaged.

Anthony Edwards returned from a three-game injury absence with 26 points and 12 rebounds, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107.

Anthony Edwards returned from a three-game injury absence with 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 112-107 victory over the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.

Rudy Gobert had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Donte DiVincenzo made a clutch 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 127-120.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had an eight-point lead with less than minute to go Friday night, talking a little smack to their opponents as a hard-fought, chippy game between Western Conference rivals came to a close.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have plenty of reason to run back the same roster after reaching the Western Conference finals for the second straight time.

The New York Knicks went further than they’d gone in 25 years, just not as far as they hoped.

Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren could block his hometown team from winning a championship.

When Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer, it seemed like a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks that's already featured headbutts and chokes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year.

These are the NBA playoffs of survival, where not even the stars are safe.

LeBron James sprained a ligament in his left knee during the Los Angeles Lakers’ final playoff game, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press.

The New York Knicks made major moves to bolster their roster, adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, in the hopes of contending for an NBA title.

Regular-season defeats don’t get much more brutal than the one the Minnesota Timberwolves suffered Tuesday.

Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart has been suspended for two games by the NBA and four other players from the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves drew one-game suspensions for the roles in an on-court altercation between the teams earlier this week.

Five players and two coaches were ejected after a fight broke out in the second quarter in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

A brutal season for the Phoenix Suns hit a low Sunday night with a humiliating 116-98 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Donte DiVincenzo, who recently moved into the Minnesota Timberwolves starting lineup, is out indefinitely with a big toe injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns needed some extra time to prepare for playing against the team he always figured he'd be with his whole career.

In his four-plus NBA seasons, Anthony Edwards has never been afraid to speak his mind.

Someone asked New York coach Tom Thibodeau before Wednesday’s game what else he’s looking to get from Karl-Anthony Towns as this season goes along.

Karl-Anthony Towns has joined the Knicks after the Minnesota Timberwolves sent their four-time All-Star to New York in a three-team deal that also included the Charlotte Hornets.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in the Knicks’ building, though not yet on their team.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick in a franchise-altering deal.

Two people with knowledge of the details say that Mikal Bridges is being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and his other former Villanova teammates.

Andrew Nembhard made a 31-foot, tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points and the Indiana Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the banged-up and short-handed New York Knicks 111-106 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Jalen Brunson scored 43 points, becoming the fourth player in NBA history with four straight 40-point games in the postseason, and the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Josh Hart made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey was fouled twice before his turnover that led to the go-ahead 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo in the New York Knicks’ victory over the 76ers in Game 2.

A team spokesman says the Philadelphia 76ers plan to file a grievance related to the officiating during their series against the New York Knicks.

Donte DiVincenzo made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining after a desperate scramble, and the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-101 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Victor Wembanyama had a career-high 40 points and added 20 rebounds and seven assists, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame Jalen Brunson’s career-high 61 points to beat the New York Knicks 130-126 in overtime on Friday night.

Jalen Brunson scored 42 points, becoming the fourth player in franchise history with 40 or more in consecutive games, and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 on Saturday night.

The NBA denied the Knicks’ protest of their loss in Houston, two days after New York won a game in large part because of a call that was determined to be incorrect.

Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams criticized officials for what he said was the “absolute worst call of the season” in the final seconds of a loss to New York.

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 22 and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics easily handled the New York Knicks 116-102 for their eighth consecutive victory.

Jalen Brunson scored 40 points and shook off an apparent eye injury to make the go-ahead basket with 1:46 remaining as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 109-105 for their ninth straight victory.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is out for at least the next two weeks because of a sprained right ankle suffered against the New York Knicks last Friday.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal injured his right ankle during the first quarter of Friday night’s game against the New York Knicks and won’t return, according to the team.

Jalen Brunson scored 42 points, Julius Randle had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the New York Knicks sent the Detroit Pistons to their franchise-record 16th consecutive loss with a 118-112 victory Thursday night.

Kevon Looney tipped in the game-winner on his own offensive rebound as the final buzzer sounded in the second overtime after missing moments before, Klay Thompson scored a season-best 54 points, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks 143-141.

Jordan Poole scored 32 points — highlighted by emphatic one-handed slam off a pass from Draymond Green in the third — to outduel Ja Morant before being ejected, and the Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 on Sunday night in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals won in five games by Golden State.

Stephen Curry scored a season-high 47 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 116-113 to snap a five-game losing streak.

The defending champion Golden State Warriors fell to 0-6 on the road, losing 114-105 to Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sidelined.

Devin Booker scored 34 points, Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 14 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 134-105 on Tuesday night in a game that featured Klay Thompson’s first career ejection and seven technical fouls.

Stephen Curry opened the season with 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 after receiving their championship rings in a pregame ceremony.

Deandre Ayton scored 27 points, Mikal Bridges added 18 and the Phoenix Suns beat Milwaukee 131-107 in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals won by the Bucks.

Trae Young scored 30 points and the struggling Atlanta Hawks rallied for a 121-114 victory over thee Milwaukee Bucks to snap a 10-game home losing streak.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo had a Christmas return on his mind as he made his comeback from an ankle injury that kept him from joining his teammates for much of their championship run last season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from the NBA’s healthy and safety protocols to score 36 points on Saturday for Milwaukee.

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo came back from a two-game absence and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday to help the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-104.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee’s franchise record for career 3-pointers in the Bucks’ 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Dennis Schröder scored eight of his season-high 38 points in overtime and the Boston Celtics took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113.

The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been quite themselves as they’ve opened their NBA title defense.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and the Milwaukee Bucks opened the defense of their first title in half a century by beating the Brooklyn Nets 127-104 on Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Bucks overhauled their roster during the offseason to put more star power around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There's more than a berth in the NBA Finals for the winner of the improbable matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks-Atlanta Hawks.

The Brooklyn Nets will continue to play without Kyrie Irving and don’t know exactly what they can expect from James Harden as the star players deal with injuries.

The Denver Nuggets face a daunting 3-0 deficit in their second-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.

Jrue Holiday made a go-ahead driving layup with 11.4 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Brooklyn Nets 86-83 in Game 3 after two blowout losses in New York.

Turns out, there was a reason the Milwaukee Bucks weren’t worried about a playoff rematch with the Miami Heat in Round 1 this year.

Milwaukee guard Donte DiVincenzo’s season is over.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and the Milwaukee Bucks used a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Brooklyn Nets for the second time in three days, winning 124-118.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 49 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks edged Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 117-114.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and moved into second place on the Milwaukee Bucks’ career scoring list in a 132-94 romp over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. converted a pair of free throws with 7.7 seconds left to give Golden State the lead and Milwaukee missed at the end as the Warriors held off the Bucks 122-121.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers center Andre Drummond (2) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Andre Drummond left his Lakers debut with a bruised right toe, and Jrue Holiday scored 28 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 112-97 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Drummond scored four points in 14 minutes before limping off the court early in the third quarter. The Lakers signed Drummond last weekend after 8 1/2 NBA seasons in Detroit and Cleveland. TIP-INSBucks: Bobby Portis missed his fourth straight game under the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo , left, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)PHILADELPHIA – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. Tobias Harris scored 19 points and Danny Green added 18 for Philadelphia, which had its six-game winning streak snapped. After being hounded by Simmons for most of the game, Antetokounmpo found his offense in the extra session with Simmons in foul trouble. He scored 10 straight Bucks points, the last a 10-foot jumper in the lane that pushed Milwaukee's lead to 105-98 with 1:11 left in overtime.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the LA Clippers Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks showed they can still rally in the fourth quarter to win games with their defense. Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and sparked a game-closing 9-0 run as the Bucks rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory. The Bucks generally haven’t performed quite as well on defense this season but stifled the Clippers down the stretch. Bucks: Antetokounmpo has scored at least 35 points in four straight games, making him the first Bucks player to accomplish that feat since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Jan. 6-14, 1973.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, bottom, and Miami Heat forward Precious Achiuwa go for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)MIAMI – The Miami Heat engineered a 58-point turnaround against the Milwaukee Bucks in 24 hours. “Started to feel like Miami Heat basketball again,” Herro said. Milwaukee is 2-3 this season; the Bucks started 24-3 last season. “You want to constantly develop some grit and some toughness during the course of a long season," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The trade fizzled as the NBA announced it was investigating whether the move had been agreed upon earlier than league rules allow. Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent, ended up signing with Atlanta when Sacramento chose to not match the Hawks’ four-year, $72 million offer sheet. Ilyasova was waived, but DiVincenzo and Wilson remain with the Bucks. NBA officials said they took into account several factors in the decision: the Bucks’ cooperation with the investigation; the Bucks ultimately not signing Bogdanovic; and the lack of evidence of an impermissible early agreement on contract terms. "We were fully cooperative with the league and we look forward to our season beginning on Wednesday,” the Bucks said Monday in a statement.

The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The Pelicans are getting Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and a package of future first-round draft picks from the Bucks, the person told The Associated Press. The trade of Holiday was the second blockbuster involving a point guard since the league allowed transactions to begin again Monday. Holiday is due to earn $25.4 million this season and holds a $26.3 million player option for next season. And it’s now almost certain that the Bucks will have to fill out their roster for this season with several minimum-salary players, since they’ll owe about $86 million to just Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday this season.

Butler and Goran Dragic each scored 17 points for the Heat, who won the series 4-1 and will face either Boston or Toronto when the NBAs final four gets underway next week. It's Miami's first time in the East finals since 2014, and the first time Butler has gotten to the NBA's final four. Jae Crowder scored 16, Tyler Herro scored 14, Bam Adebayo had 13 and Kelly Olynyk had 12 apiece for the Heat. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17, Wesley Matthews and Marvin Williams each had 11 and Eric Bledsoe had nine assists for the Bucks. UP NEXTHeat: Game 1 of the East finals vs. Toronto or Boston, TBD.

Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton (22) goes down during the second half of an NBA conference semifinal playoff basketball game against the Miami Heat Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Having the NBA's best record during the regular season shows the obvious potential of the Milwaukee Bucks. They are now, facing a pivotal Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the rolling Miami Heat on Friday night. We're not focused on anything after Game 3," Bucks center Brook Lopez said. We're not looking back on anything from Game 2 or Game 1.

I felt like I took it up a level in the fourth quarter," Butler said. Bam Adebayo had 12 points, 17 rebounds and six assists for the fifth-seeded Heat, who are 3-1 overall against the top-seeded Bucks this season. Khris Middleton scored 28 points for Milwaukee, which also dropped Game 1 of its first-round series against Orlando. Kyle Korver added 11 for the Bucks, who scored 40 points on the way to an 11-point lead after the first quarter then managed 64 the rest of the way. Bucks: Milwaukee is now 20-32 in Game 1s.

8 team two straight times to advance to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a second straight season. The Grizzlies were eighth in the West with a 3 -game lead over the rest of the pack when they arrived at Florida. TIP-INSBucks: Starting guard Wesley Matthews missed a second straight game with a sore right adductor. UP NEXTThe Bucks will face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs.

Thats the only thing we can control, really.With the league playing the remainder of the regular season and the entire playoffs at Walt Disney World as a safety precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic, owning a No. But the Bucks and Lakers are virtually assured of having the top seeds in their respective conferences regardless. The Lakers will arrive at Disney World with a magic number of three in the race for the No. Like we always would if this were the regular season or if these were the last eight games of the regular season, we would compete to win, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. Typically, once James team is locked into a playoff seed, he shuts it down and begins preparing for the postseason.