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Jazz say they will investigate allegation of bigoted comment
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)The Utah Jazz said they will “thoroughly investigate” an allegation from former NBA player Elijah Millsap that longtime team executive Dennis Lindsey directed a bigoted statement toward him during an end-of-season exit interview in 2015. Millsap, the brother of former Jazz standout and current Denver forward Paul Millsap, made the allegation in a tweet Wednesday. “The Jazz organization has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind,” the team said in a statement Thursday night. We have proactively engaged outside counsel to work in coordination with the NBA to thoroughly investigate this matter. We seek a comprehensive and unbiased review of the situation.”AdMillsap did not immediately respond to a message seeking reaction to the Jazz statement and the opening of an investigation.
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Murray's 50 points power Nuggets past crumbling Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray (27) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers' Cedi Osman (16) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Cleveland. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he's the first player in league history to score 50 or more points without shooting a free throw. “To do it as efficiently as he did it is really remarkable,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. On his 26th birthday, Jokic had 16 points and 12 rebounds in getting his seventh triple-double this season. AdCavaliers: F Taurean Prince missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.
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AP source: Cavs to sit Andre Drummond while pursuing trade
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)CLEVELAND – Andre Drummond wasn't part of the Cavaliers' future plans. AdAs the Cavs lost their seventh straight game Sunday, Drummond sat on Cleveland's bench wearing a sweatshirt that had “Farewell” written on the front. The Cavs would like to acquire future assets for Drummond, who is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $28.7 million this season. Drummond is only 27 and could be an enticing player for any team looking for a big man. Bickerstaff experimented with Drummond and Allen playing together, but it hasn't worked, with the Cavs consistently outscored on the perimeter.
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Jokic powers Nuggets by Lakers, Davis re-aggravates Achilles
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)DENVER – The sight of Anthony Davis limping off the court was hard for the Los Angeles Lakers to shake. Nikola Jokic recorded his sixth triple-double of the season and the Denver Nuggets beat the Lakers 122-105 on Sunday night in a game in which Davis re-aggravated his sore right Achilles. Now, the only thought for the Lakers is the result of Davis' MRI on Monday for what the team called a strain. For his big game, Jokic credited a new mindset. Entering the game, Davis was questionable with what was described as right Achilles tendinosis.
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Middleton, Antetokounmpo lead Bucks past Nuggets 125-112
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, moves to the rim as Denver Nuggets forward JaMychal Green defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)DENVER – Khris Middleton had 29 points and a career-high 12 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and the Milwaukee Bucks won their fifth straight game by beating the Denver Nuggets 125-112 on Monday night. Middleton's 12th assist was a thing of beauty — a pinpoint pass to Antetokounmpo for a dunk with 1:39 remaining to give the Bucks a 120-110 lead. Bryn Forbes had 15 points for the Bucks, who earned a rare win in the Mile High City. MAIN ATTRACTIONAsked about the marquee matchup between Jokic and Antetokounmpo, Malone feigned hurt feelings.
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Chris Paul helps Suns hold off Nuggets, improve to 5-1
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, right, looks for a shot over Denver Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Denver. Moments like this are precisely why the Suns acquired Paul in a deal with Oklahoma City. “Him being able to knock down shots, and the ability and will to take those shots, is huge for us,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. But on the advice of Paul, Williams decided to challenge the play. The Denver big man is posting big numbers but his production isn’t translating into wins as the Nuggets fell to 1-4.
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Davis, Lakers beat Nuggets to take 3-1 lead in West finals
Anthony Davis scored 34 points, LeBron James had 26 and the Lakers beat the Nuggets 114-108 on Thursday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. James added nine rebounds and eight assists, and the Lakers had 12 offensive rebounds for a whopping 25-6 advantage in second-chance points. Game 5 is Saturday, when the Lakers can reach the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. With an array of short jumpers, Davis made his first six shots before anyone else on the Lakers made a basket. The Nuggets shot 59% in the first half but the Lakers had an 18-2 advantage in second-chance points.
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Murray, Nuggets hang on in Game 3, cut Lakers' lead to 2-1
Jamal Murray had 28 points, 12 assists and two late 3-pointers to halt a Lakers charge, helping the Nuggets to a 114-106 victory Tuesday night that cut Los Angeles' lead to 2-1 in the Western Conference finals. It would grow to 18 and could have been worse if not for Davis, who scored nine straight Lakers points. The Lakers got the first five points of the third to cut the lead in half, but Denver regained control and led 93-75 after three. Nuggets: Denver's last halftime lead had been a 59-57 edge over the Clippers in Game 3 of the West semifinals. THE AIR UP THEREThe Lakers came into the game 4-0 in the playoffs as the designated road team.
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Lakers roll past Nuggets 126-114 in West finals opener
The top-seeded Lakers opened a double-digit lead in the first half that they easily extended in the third quarter. The Lakers quickly knocked off any rust for another long layoff in the bubble against a Denver team that's had things much tougher. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 21 points for the Nuggets, playing in the conference finals for the first time since the Lakers beat them in 2009. The Nuggets fell to 7-22 against the Lakers in the postseason. ... Denver's 16 fouls in the second quarter tied the most by any team in a quarter this season.
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Clippers set to try, again, to reach the conference finals
“Just winning a game in the NBA is hard,” the Los Angeles Clippers’ coach said. For the Clippers, winning a game at this point in the season has been impossible — forever. Game 6 is Sunday, when the Clippers will once again try to get to a level of the playoffs that they’ve never reached before. — KEEP AN EYE ON: How the Clippers finish. There will be an absolute urgency from the Clippers to finish the job on Sunday.
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Millsap helps Nuggets rally, stun Clippers 111-105 in Game 5
Denver — down 16 in the first half — trailed 61-46 with 9:42 remaining in the third before rallying behind the 35-year-old Millsap. The Nuggets took their first lead on Nikola Jokic's 3-pointer with 7:06 left and extended it to eight. After the Clippers pulled within a basket, Porter hit a deep 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining to all but wrap it up. Jamal Murray finished with 26 points, and Jokic added 22 points and 14 rebounds to help the Nuggets pull to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. 9/11 MEMORIESClippers coach Doc Rivers and Nuggets coach Michael Malone reflected on their memories on the 19th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
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George, Leonard lead Clippers to 113-107 win over Nuggets
Clippers coach Doc Rivers called a timeout to calm down the Clippers with 8:29 left and trailing 97-90. Denver was cruising along in the second quarter, leading by 12 points with 3:34 left before halftime, before the Clippers roared back. ... F Marcus Morris had 12 points. Nuggets: Denver outscored the Clippers by a 58-42 margin in points in the paint. He played a little more than 12 minutes in Game 1 and 15 minutes in Game 2.
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Nuggets lead wire-to-wire, top Clippers to tie series at 1
Gary Harris and Paul Millsap each added 13 points to help Denver knot the series at a game apiece. Paul George scored 22 points for the Clippers, who got 15 from Ivica Zubac and endured a rare off night offensively from Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers trailed by 23 and got as close as five in the fourth quarter, but no closer. The Clippers' best run eventually came in the fourth, with George going on a personal 7-0 spurt to get the Clippers within 91-86 the smallest lead for the Nuggets since it was 7-2. It was the second-best scoring quarter in Nuggets NBA playoff history, after scoring 47 in the fourth against the Los Angeles Lakers on May 14, 1985.