• The Canadian Press

    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 finals start Wednesday night at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Make that the towering Timberwolves, even for Gafford and 7-1 rookie Dereck Lively II. “It was for sure a rough game, going against Rudy under the basket, KAT

  • The Canadian Press

    Eastern Conference finals is a matchup of season-long favorite Celtics and proud underdog Pacers

    BOSTON (AP) — So much about the journey the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers have taken to the Eastern Conference finals has been about what – or specifically who – they haven’t had to face to get to here. Top-seeded Boston mostly coasted to a 4-1 first-round series win over a Miami Heat team that played without Jimmy Butler, the player who’d tormented and broken the heart of the Celtics in Game 7 of last season’s conference finals. They then posted another 4-1 series victory in the second roun

  • The Canadian Press

    Nuggets are fifth straight NBA champ to falter in quest to repeat but maintain high hopes for future

    DENVER (AP) — As the shock of blowing their 20-point Game 7 lead settled in, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone repeated what had become somewhat of an underlying mantra for his talented but thinned team. “I consider the San Antonio Spurs a dynasty, and they never won back-to-back,” said Malone, saluting the franchise that won NBA titles every other year between 2003 and 2007. The Nuggets will have to try to follow that formula now that their quest to become the first repeat champion since Gold

  • Yahoo Sports

    Coach Thibs to blame for Knicks falling apart? + First look at conference finals | Good Word with Goodwill

    Vincent Goodwill connects with Boston Globe's national NBA writer Gary Washburn to recap the wild weekend of playoff basketball and look ahead to the conference finals.