KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS

Luka Doncic and Slovenia are headed to the World Cup quarterfinals.

The opponent names will become more recognizable for USA Basketball now.

The Dominican Republic, Australia and Italy have advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Olympic silver medalist France won't make the second round of the World Cup.

The Basketball World Cup started Friday and Canada sent a message.

Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 114-108 in overtime in Game 4 to avoid elimination.

The Denver Nuggets are the league’s best shooting team with a clean bill of health and the two-time reigning NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic had his seventh career triple-double in the playoffs with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets fended off the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-111 to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series.

Jamal Murray scored 40 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 of his 16 in the fourth quarter, powering the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoff series.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Minnesota into the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns had to be helped off the court in the third quarter at Washington because of what the team is calling a right calf strain.

D’Angelo Russell had season highs of 30 points and 12 assists, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 129-124.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-102 to improve to 8-0, the best start to a season in franchise history.

Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 29 points in the third quarter, Rudy Gobert added 22 points and 21 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves extended the Los Angeles Lakers’ winless start with a 111-102 win.

Alex Rodriguez was standing near his courtside seat, oblivious to a few fans who were snapping a quick photo of the baseball great as they walked by.

Rudy Gobert has been traded by the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a massive package of players and draft picks, a person with knowledge of the blockbuster deal said.

Zach LaVine is staying in Chicago.

The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.

Let the talking begin.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have brought in Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly to take a similar role.

Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks each scored 23 points to steer a third fourth-quarter comeback victory in the series by the Memphis Grizzlies, who eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 114-106 victory in Game 6.

Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Karl-Anthony Towns rebounded from two rough games with a career playoff-best 33 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves pull out a 119-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Scoring has rarely looked so difficult for Kevin Durant.

Desmond Bane made seven 3-pointers and had 26 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-95 on Thursday night for a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Ja Morant scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies looked much more like the team that posted the NBA’s second-best record, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-96 to even up their first-round Western Conference series at 1 apiece.

Game 1s brought greatness out of some.

Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in his postseason debut, and the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 to grab home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round Western Conference series.

Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 in a play-in game.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 10 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics coast to a 134-112 over the Minnesota Timberwolves and take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 35 points and had 14 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns surged past trash-talking Minnesota 125-116.

Turns out, March has more madness than just college basketball.

Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 60 points, most in the Nets’ NBA history, to lead Brooklyn to a 150-108 victory over the Orlando Magic.

This is the seventh season for Karl-Anthony Towns with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns had a team-record 60 points, the most scored in the NBA this season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 149-139.

James Harden had 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in his 76ers debut, Joel Embiid added 34 points and 10 rebounds and Philadelphia routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 133-102 on Friday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.

The NBA’s All-Star weekend is about fashion and fun, Saturday night slams and celebrating the very best in the game today.

Kevin Durant wanted no part of James Harden on the day their partnership in Brooklyn ended.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will team up with two of his brothers to compete in a revamped Skills Challenge during the NBA’s All-Star Saturday night.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul were chosen as reserves for the NBA All-Star Game, giving the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns two selections.

Devin Booker scored 29 points, Chris Paul had a triple-double with 21 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns won their ninth straight game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-124 on Friday night.

Stephen Curry rediscovered his 3-point touch after a rough shooting stretch and scored 29 points, Klay Thompson added 23 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-115.

Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the final minutes for their 11th straight victory, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 on Thursday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the depleted Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season with a 110-92 victory.

D’Angelo Russell had a season-high seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 105-104.

Kevin Durant scored 31 points on 11-for-15 shooting in his most productive performance in 2 1/2 months, as the Brooklyn Nets blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-97.

Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 53 points including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime and the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)CHICAGO – The leadership of the National Basketball Coaches Association spoke out Wednesday about its “concern and level of disappointment” with the way the Minnesota Timberwolves went about their coaching change earlier this week. The statement came from NBCA president Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks and NBCA executive director David Fogel. Ad“There were other candidates, minority candidates we considered at this time,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. “During this past offseason, we saw many NBA head coaching vacancies where teams led searches that were both diverse and transparent,” Fogel and Carlisle wrote in their statement.

FILE - This Dec. 15, 2011, file photo shows Houston Rockets assistant coach Chris Finch during an NBA basketball media day in Houston. Chris Finch is the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, after dismissing Ryan Saunders the previous night. The team quickly hired Finch, who was in his first season as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. Finch replaced Ryan Saunders, who was fired Sunday night after Minnesota lost at New York and fell to a league-worst 7-24. “I think we can breathe some confidence back into the roster,” Finch said, "and these guys can maybe find some joy.”___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

(AP Photo/Darren Abate)Tuesday’s game between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons has been postponed, marking the second time this month that the NBA has called off a game because of coronavirus-related issues. The NBA does not announce the names of players who test positive; some have revealed positive tests on their own. Being ruled out because of the protocols can suggest any number of things, including a positive test, a suspected positive test or contact-tracing data showing that a player may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19. AdThe only other game called off this month for a virus-related issue was on Feb. 1, also involving the Pistons — Detroit's night game at Denver was postponed because of contact tracing issues involving the Pistons. Miami’s Tyler Herro missed a game last week because of a suspected positive test; subsequent tests showed he was fine and he was permitted to return to the Heat lineup after the one-game absence.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)NEW YORK – The NBA said one player tested positive for coronavirus in the past week, meaning only two have gotten that diagnosis in the last three weeks. The total for the season in the NBA is up to 92, but of those, 48 — or 52% — tested positive in November, before training camps officially opened. The NBA reported one positive test for the weekly period ending Jan. 26, and no positive tests for the period ending Feb. 3. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns — who has missed 13 games — tested positive last month and his recovery is nearly complete. The NBA does not reveal which players test positive for COVID-19, but Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton said earlier this week that Bucks guard Jrue Holiday tested positive for the virus.

(AP Photo/Darren Abate)No additional NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week, the league said Wednesday, after nearly two dozen games had to be called off in the past month because of virus-related issues. That continued a good two-week trend: After 27 players were positive in results released between Jan. 6 and Jan. 19, only one player has been positive since. We all need it, not just NBA players, coaches, families. The planet needs it.”The NBA has called off 23 games this season for virus issues, 22 since Jan. 10. But it’s important to have weeks like this, because it gives everybody hope.”___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)The Washington Wizards are finally back. The Grizzlies won’t play until at least Saturday, after the NBA called off yet another game -- the 20th since Jan. 10 and the 21st postponement this season. Those were called off late last week and now, the Grizzlies’ home game against Chicago that was scheduled for Wednesday is off as well. In all, 23 teams have seen at least one game called off so far this season.

Memphis Grizzlies Taylor Jenkins holds the play board during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, in Minneapolis. By NBA rule, teams must have eight eligible players for games; the Grizzlies would not meet that threshold because of “ongoing contact tracing,” the league said. Players, the NBA reminded Wednesday, must limit their interactions to elbow bumps and fist bumps. Portland is the 20th NBA team to have at least one game called off in the last two weeks. Memphis had its game at Minnesota last Friday called off after Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19.

The earliest Washington will play now is Sunday in San Antonio — 13 days after the Wizards' most recent game. The Wizards didn't expect to have more than eight available on Friday because of a combination of the virus and injuries. Players, the NBA reminded Wednesday, may elbow-bump and fist-bump, but hugs and handshakes are not permitted. Memphis had its game at Minnesota last Friday called off after Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19. Towns and Ricky Rubio were among the Timberwolves still sidelined by the league's virus protocols Wednesday for a game against Orlando.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)Another NBA game was called off Sunday because of coronavirus concerns, and the Memphis Grizzlies said center Jonas Valanciunas will not play Monday because of the league’s health and safety protocols. The 76ers played in Memphis on Saturday night, losing 106-104 in a game where Valanciunas played 20 minutes. He was pulled at halftime of Memphis’ game against Brooklyn on Jan. 8 because of some sort of virus-related issue, but was back on the court for the Grizzlies’ next game Jan. 11 against Cleveland. Minnesota, which had a game Friday called off after Karl-Anthony Towns revealed he tested positive, is scheduled to play Monday in Atlanta. Cleveland’s game in Washington on Sunday also was called off, as was the planned rematch between the clubs on Monday.

(AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)Another three NBA games were postponed Friday, including one in Minnesota only a couple hours before game time, as the league's struggle with increasing coronavirus numbers continued. The Timberwolves' game with the Memphis Grizzlies was called off, as were what would have been Wizards' home games Sunday and Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington has seen four of its games pushed back, Boston and Phoenix have had three postponements. The NBA said earlier this week that 16 players tested positive in recent days, which was more than the NBA had seen in the last five weeks combined. The NBA gave Orlando coach Steve Clifford a call recently, telling him he had to do a better job of keeping his mask on during games.

1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Nov. 18, 2020. After multiple delays, the NBA draft finally arrives Wednesday. The draft is usually held in June in New York, where Adam Silver announces the first-round picks. It's not the draft night they wanted, but the excitement of becoming a pro player won't diminish. But at the same time, this extra time, it’s only helping me,” said forward Obi Toppin, the national college player of the year from Dayton.

With a triple-double, he joined NBA Finals lore — and the short-handed Miami Heat might have made this title matchup a series after all. Miami's starters outscored the Lakers' starting five 89-51, and the Heat held the Lakers to a 14-for-42 night from 3-point land. It’s going to be a tough game, Game 4," Herro said. ... Nick Aquilino, the son of Heat neuromuscular therapist Vinny Aquilino, performed the anthem -- a recording from a Heat game with fans in Miami. BUTLER’S TRIPLE-DOUBLEButler became the 21st player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals — and four of the 21 were part of Sunday’s game.