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

Gregg Popovich stepped down.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers says injured guard Damian Lillard had two points to make when they spoke Tuesday.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard has a torn left Achilles tendon that will knock him out for the rest of this postseason.

Myles Turner scored 23 points and the Indiana Pacers won 129-103 to grab a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have better size, depth, defense and chemistry than the Los Angeles Lakers and lead the first-round series 2-1.

The Orlando Magic have been here before.

The chippiness and chirping is beginning to heat up as it usually does during the NBA playoffs.

All-Star guard Damian Lillard wanted to give the Milwaukee Bucks a lift Tuesday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves will try to avoid complacency when they return to action on Tuesday after dominating their first-round playoff series openers.

Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard is listed as questionable for Game 2 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard isn’t sure exactly when he will be playing again.

Oklahoma City and Cleveland are the top seeds in the NBA playoffs, which comes with some perks.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo compares himself to a certain action movie star as he discusses his excitement about finally being healthy for the start of a postseason run.

Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to have 35 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 20 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-113.

Giannis Antetokounmpo told his Milwaukee Bucks teammates they were fighting for their lives.

Nikola Jokic had 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his first game back in nearly two weeks to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 127-117 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are sitting out with sprained right ankles when the Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks in Los Angeles’ sixth game in eight days.

Doc Rivers says he saw star potential in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while coaching him as a rookie before the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to Oklahoma City.

Junior Bridgeman, a basketball standout who went on to an even more successful career in business, has died at the age of 71.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo believes his latest milestone should serve as a testament to his consistent work ethic.

Tyronn Lue and Doc Rivers said they were saddened.

Hubie Brown received tributes from across the NBA community as the former coach and longtime broadcaster headed into retirement after spending over half a century in pro basketball.

Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in next weekend’s All-Star Game because of a strained left calf.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his 50th career triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Sacramento 130-115 on Tuesday to snap the Kings’ seven-game win streak.

Carmelo Anthony may go into the Basketball Hall of Fame twice next year.

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo stood side-by-side during the postgame celebration after the NBA Cup final.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers has heard and seen enough.

Trae Young might be the NBA’s biggest enigma.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league’s leading scorer this season, was unexpectedly held out of the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Cup game at the Miami Heat on Tuesday night with swelling in his left knee.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Sunday for public criticism of the officiating on a foul against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo that the referees admitted they got wrong.

Giannis Antetokounmpo shouldn’t have been called for a foul against LaMelo Ball on Saturday, referees determined, agreeing with Bucks coach Doc Rivers’ criticism of the play that gave the Charlotte Hornets the eventual winning points in a 115-114 victory over Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers wasn’t sure it was a good thing that Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 of the team’s 24 first-quarter points.

Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Monday night’s game against the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers with a strained adductor muscle, another early-season hiccup for the struggling Bucks.

Philadelphia 76ers All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss the season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as they return from injuries.

The Milwaukee Bucks appear to be in the latter stages of a championship window and can’t spend much in free agency due to salary-cap concerns.

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed coach Tyronn Lue to a long-term contract after winning a division title in his fourth season.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without injured All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard when their playoff series resumes Sunday night at Indiana.

Damian Lillard underwent an MRI to determine the severity of his Achilles injury, and the Milwaukee Bucks could be without the star guard for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of Friday night's Game 3 of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, but All-Star Khris Middleton be in the starting lineup.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton’s status for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers is uncertain after he hurt his ankle in the last game and didn’t practice Thursday.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers remain unsure when they’ll have their top player back on the floor.

The Milwaukee Bucks are starting the playoffs without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to the left calf strain that knocked the two-time MVP out for the Bucks’ final three regular-season games.

The Milwaukee Bucks are gearing up for the postseason uncertain about the health of both of their top two players.

Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points for a Philadelphia 76ers team that played without Joel Embiid and earned a spot in the play-in tournament with a 107-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets with playoff seeding at stake on Sunday.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the rest of the regular season after an MRI confirmed the two-time MVP has a strained left calf, while his availability for the start of the playoffs remains uncertain.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Celtics combined for a record-low two free throw attempts Tuesday night, when the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to not shoot one.

Giannis Antetokounmpo left the Milwaukee Bucks’ game with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night with an apparent injury to his left leg.

The Milwaukee Bucks have won six straight games and own the NBA’s best defensive rating since the All-Star break.

Damian Lillard scored 41 points and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo to rally past the Los Angeles Clippers 113-106 for their sixth straight victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 46 points and 16 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 113-97 on Friday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points, Damian Lillard had 23 points and Bobby Portis scored 21 as the Milwaukee Bucks pounded the Charlotte Hornets 123-85 for their most lopsided victory of the season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, Damian Lillard added 24 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the 76ers 119-98 on Sunday in Doc Rivers’ return to Philadelphia.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 13 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks surge out of the All-Star break with a 112-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Doc Rivers’ arrival was supposed to ensure the Milwaukee Bucks would develop into one of the NBA’s most dangerous teams by the postseason.

There’s no NBA player who is a bigger fan of harness racing than Denver’s Nikola Jokic.

Defense wasn’t really played in the All-Star Game, which explains why the Eastern Conference scored a record 211 points and the game saw nearly 400 points combined on Sunday night.

A new honor is awaiting Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat: He’ll be an All-Star starter for the first time.

Doc Rivers won his 1,099th regular-season game to move into eighth place on the NBA’s list, Damian Lillard scored 26 points in his return from a two-game injury absence and the Milwaukee Bucks cruised past short-handed Charlotte 120-84 to send the Hornets to their 10th straight loss.

Bojan Bogdanovic left Detroit to join a now even-more-formidable contender in New York.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 48 points and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame a 25-point deficit for their first victory under coach Doc Rivers, beating the Dallas Mavericks 129-117 on Saturday night.

Anfernee Simons scored 24 points, including a key floater with 17.1 seconds left, and the Trail Blazers spoiled former teammate Damian Lillard’s return to Portland with a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Nikola Jokic spoiled Doc Rivers' debut as Milwaukee coach by recording his 14th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets' 113-107 victory over the Bucks.

Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks each have endured plenty of recent playoff disappointment.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations says Doc Rivers is finalizing a deal to take over as the Milwaukee Bucks coach a day after the firing of Adrian Griffin.

Doc Rivers is set to begin his second stint with ESPN as the network's NBA analyst, though he says he doesn't know how long he will remain in the position.

Ben Simmons was so ineffective in his return from back surgery last season that he couldn’t even protest much when he was bounced from his normal position, and eventually out of Nets coach Jacque Vaughn’s rotation entirely.

Add Mark Jackson to the list of ESPN reporters and commentators who have been laid off over the past five weeks.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the brink of entering next season without James Harden.

A person with knowledge of the decision says the Philadelphia 76ers have hired coach Nick Nurse weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Raptors.

The Philadelphia 76ers fired coach Doc Rivers following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs.

Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team.

Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will play in Game 2 of the 76ers’ second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers says NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 1 of the playoff series against the Celtics with a sprained right knee.

Joel Embiid received news this week that he has heard far too many times in the last few years.

Tobias Harris had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-88.

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 apiece, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid left the team's 116-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls with mild right calf tightness.

Joel Embiid had 36 points and 18 rebounds and played the final 4:12 after initially being called for his sixth foul, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to their sixth straight victory, 118-109 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Tobias Harris hit a 3-pointer in overtime that put Philadelphia ahead to stay, and Joel Embiid had 28 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the 76ers extended their winning streak to a season-best five games with a 104-101 win over the struggling Toronto Raptors.

Joel Embiid had 38 points and 12 rebounds, De’Anthony Melton scored a career-high 33 points off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers recovered after blowing a nine-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 133-122 in overtime.

Brookly Nets guard Ben Simmons is ready for his hostile homecoming in Philadelphia.

Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, D’Angelo Russell had 19 and the Minnesota Timberwolves survived a late scare and won their third straight game, 112-109 over the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

Joel Embiid had 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 110-102 on Friday night.

Joel Embiid scored a career-high 59 points, had 11 rebounds and eight assists to carry the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-98 win over Utah Jazz.

James Harden is expected to miss about a month because of a right foot tendon strain.

Wesley Matthews hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 23.8 seconds left to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 90-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

A person familiar with the deal says the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a two-year contract with free agent center Montrezl Harrell.

The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden have agreed on a new multi-year contract.

The last 12 months have been a transformative year in the NBA when it comes to diversity among coaches.

The Celtics’ transition from a team that has gone from just outside the top tier of the Eastern Conference to one that's four wins way from the franchise’s 18th NBA championship began the moment Ime Udoka took the microphone at his introductory news conference.

The Philadelphia 76ers went 51-31 and lost in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Jimmy Butler scored 32 points and waved “bye bye” to the Philly crowd as he sent the Miami Heat into the Eastern Conference finals with a 99-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night in Game 6.

James Harden scored 31 points, Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 116-108 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Joel Embiid inspired the Philadelphia 76ers with his return from a facial injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 99-79 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid returned for Game 3 of the playoff series against Miami after sitting out the first two games with a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion.

Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers would probably need hours to explain everything that he’s learned from Miami President Pat Riley over the last three decades.

Bam Adebayo scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler had 22 points and 12 assists, and the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tyler Herro was told before the season began that he wouldn’t be in the Miami Heat starting lineup.

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are the top seeds in the playoffs and at the moment, they look like it coming off impressive performances.