Towns treasures Timberwolves' trip to West finals as Doncic-Irving duo hits stride for Mavericks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The road Karl-Anthony Towns has taken with the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach the Western Conference finals has been far more lonely and rocky than smooth and straight. For all the setbacks and struggles over nine NBA seasons that largely overshadowed the...

Mavs big men are quite the tandem, but now comes quite the challenge from towering Wolves

DALLAS (AP) — Daniel Gafford remembers facing Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and company about two weeks before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks this season. That memory alone is enough for the 6-foot-10 center to know the challenge that's coming when the Western Conference...

Wolves reach conference finals brimming with talent and tenacity in quest for first NBA championship

DENVER (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals brimming with talent, trust and tenacity after staging the biggest Game 7 comeback since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data 28 years ago. The Wolves trailed the Denver Nuggets by 15 points at...

P.J. Washington's free throws finish rally as Mavericks beat Thunder 117-116 to reach West finals

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving probably wondered if his uncanny run of closeout victories without a loss in his career was finally near an end. The streak lives, and the Dallas Mavericks are through to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. ...

The sequel has been much better for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as Mavs head to West finals

DALLAS (AP) — A smiling Luka Doncic pumped his fist as he settled in next to Kyrie Irving to answer questions about the Dallas Mavericks advancing to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Doncic's co-star wasn't there for the run that ended with a...

Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games to advance to the Western Conference finals

A kinder, gentler Luka Doncic has Mavs on verge of series win over top-seeded Thunder

DALLAS (AP) — A kinder, gentler Luka Doncic has the Dallas Mavericks in the same place they were in the first round, headed home with a chance to clinch a playoff series in Game 6. The difference is the smile on the face of the 25-year-old superstar, replacing the scowl that often...

Pacers hope home cooking energizes push to even series with New York, force Game 7

The Indiana Pacers' season is on the brink. It's win or it's over. So the last playoff team with a perfect home record has to dig deep and make the most of the energy it receives from its own crowd as it tries to rebound from an embarrassing loss at New York with a season-saving win...

Doncic posts 31-point triple-double as Mavericks top Thunder to take 3-2 series lead

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic stopped worrying about calls and just played. It worked. He scored 31 points in a triple-double, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. ...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34, Thunder overcome Mavs defense to even series 2-2

DALLAS (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was making his normal share of shots through three quarters for Oklahoma City. Most of his teammates weren't, until it mattered most. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and the Thunder overcame a Mavericks franchise playoff-record 13 blocks,...