DEANDRE JORDAN

Marcus Smart has been in Boston long enough to appreciate what Bill Russell meant to the Celtics, the city and the country.

Luka Doncic strained his left calf in Dallas’ 130-120 win over San Antonio in what turned out to be a meaningless regular-season finale, putting the superstar’s status in question for the playoff-bound Mavericks.

Joel Embiid had 43 points and 14 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 121-106 in a showdown between two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams headed in opposite directions.

Anthony Davis left the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz after badly rolling his right ankle during the second quarter.

DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points after missing two weeks in the NBA’s health and safety protocols to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 115-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana 124-116 on Wednesday night.

Stephen Curry had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Golden State Warriors, who rallied from 10 points down to stun Lebron James, Anthony Davis and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers 121-114 in a season opener.

The Western Conference has the best regular season team from last year in Utah.

LeBron James has heard the basketball world talking about how the Los Angeles Lakers are too old, and he is laughing.

The Los Angeles Lakers have traded the rights to Marc Gasol back to the Memphis Grizzlies, where the 36-year-old center spent his first 11 NBA seasons.

The Detroit Pistons acquired veteran center DeAndre Jordan in a multiplayer trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The Pistons also received four second-round picks and cash considerations from the Nets in exchange for forward Sekou Doumbouya and center Jahlil Okafor. The 33-year-old Jordan signed a free-agent deal with Brooklyn on July 6, 2019, part of a big summer for the Nets that also included Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joining the team.

The Brooklyn Nets had all the shooting and scoring any team could ever want.

Brooklyn Nets forward Blake Griffin (2) is defended by Detroit Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Detroit. Griffin scored 17 points and was part of a first-half dustup that resulted in Isaiah Stewart's ejection, and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Pistons 113-111 on Friday night. AdBy the end of the game, however, Detroit coach Dwane Casey didn't want to talk about Griffin at all. Brooklyn was still without Kevin Durant (left hamstring strain) and Kyrie Irving (personal reasons), but the Nets had enough to hold off the last-place Pistons. The Pistons went 34 for 47 on free throws.

USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. It’s also already drawing major interest from some NBA stars who have yet to taste Olympic gold. USA Basketball will pare the list to a 12-person Olympic team by early summer. Jordan, who now plays for Brooklyn, is also a newcomer to the pool even though he was on the 2016 Olympic team. “But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden, left, dribbles around Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)LOS ANGELES – James Harden scored 23 points, Joe Harris added 21 with six 3-pointers and the Brooklyn Nets routed the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 109-98 Thursday night for their season-best fifth straight victory. Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder sat out for Los Angeles, leaving the defending champions without two of their top three scorers. AdDavis missed his second straight game after aggravating his strained right calf and Achilles last weekend. TIP-INSNets: DeAndre Jordan had seven points and eight rebounds in the longtime Clippers center's latest return to Staples Center.

Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons, left, dunks the ball against Brooklyn Nets' Iman Shumpert during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Philadelphia. Simmons played a complete game on both ends of the court, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals to help the Philadelphia 76ers to a 124-108 victory over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Joel Embiid scored 33 points and Tobias Harris added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers, who have won five of six. “I think you have to coach him and be around him to see his value,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. “I do think fatigue played a part,” coach Steve Nash said after Brooklyn played the second game of a back-to-back.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)WASHINGTON – Wizards coach Scott Brooks envisioned something like this when Washington acquired Russell Westbrook from Houston for John Wall and a draft pick. Bradley Beal and Westbrook hit 3-pointers in a wild 3.8-second sequence in the final seconds to help the Wizards stun Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 149-146 on Sunday night. Westbrook had 41 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and NBA scoring leader Beal had 37 points. In the fourth quarter, Beal had 22 points and Westbrook had 15. “Russell willed this game,” Brooks said about Westbrook, who has only played in 10 of 16 games due to a quad injury.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK – Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, Bruce Brown made a huge contribution while starting for the absent Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets rallied from 18 down to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-116 on Tuesday night. Durant followed with Brooklyn's next six points, including a 3-pointer that essentially put it away at 120-113 with 27 seconds to play. They want to come out and compete, and everybody came with it tonight, especially in the second half,” Durant said. Nets: Before the game, coach Steve Nash wasn't sure if Durant would play Wednesday at New York. “We have to judge these things day to day and moment to moment.” Durant said afterward he planned to play.

Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan, left, defends against a shot by Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK – Ja Morant exited with a sprained ankle but the Memphis Grizzlies earned their first victory of the season without him, outlasting the short-handed Brooklyn Nets 116-111 in overtime Monday night. Morant rejoined his teammates on the bench in the second half with his foot in a walking boot. Kyle Anderson scored a career-high 28 points and Dillon Brooks added 24 for the Grizzlies, who had dropped their first two games. The Nets opened a six-game homestand, their longest since playing six straight games at Barclays Center during the 2015-16 season.

The victory gave the Raptors a 2-0 lead in the first round plyoff series. Kyle Lowry had 21 points, nine rebounds and forced a big turnover in the closing seconds for the second seeded Raptors. But this game was much closer as the Nets built a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Toronto was in control after that, stretching the lead to eight on Powell's drive and dunk from the right wing. Caris LeVert had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris each had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets.

The Nets moved seven games ahead of ninth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference standings, and now the Wizards hopes of forcing a play-in series are fading. Thomas Bryant had a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Troy Brown Jr. added 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Wizards. The Nets are without DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince because of positive coronavirus tests before the restart. His 170 jams last season tied Kenyon Martin (2002-03) for the most in a season since the stat first was kept during the 1997-98 season. He is in his first season with the Nets after signing a two-way contract with the team in January.

They extended their winning streak to four and moved back ahead of the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Magic outscored the Nets 75-43 in the middle two quarters, allowing them to overcome some shaky defense at the start and finish. So Brooklyn started two players who hadn't started an NBA game this season one who never had. Veteran Jamal Crawford, signed as a substitute player after not playing in the NBA this season, did not play. Nets: Play Washington on Sunday.

FILE - In this a Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts to his shot the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Milwaukee. If Antetokounmpo can shoot like that in real games, maybe the Milwaukee Bucks can finish the job and win the title this season. The Bucks are too, bringing the NBAs best record into the resumption of the season next week at Walt Disney World. The Toronto Raptors exploited that last season, with versatile, big defenders such as Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka who could keep Antetokounmpo from the rim and make him shoot outside. The Bucks believe this season they have enough to go all the way, even without getting to use the home-court advantage they likely would have earned.

SAN ANTONIO – Count Taurean Prince out of the NBA’s restart this month. Joining his teammates was not an option due to the timing of his positive test. Brooklyn Nets forward Taurean Prince has tested positive for the coronavirus and will sit out the NBA’s restart in Orlando, sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2020Prince is now the latest Nets player to test positive for COVID-19, joining center DeAndre Jordan and point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who announced his second positive test Tuesday afternoon. In his first season with Nets, Prince started 61 games and averaged 12 points and six rebounds.

Spencer Dinwiddie is a maybe, with his status unclear after both he and Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus. The Brooklyn Nets don't look ready for a restart, but general manager Sean Marks said Wednesday there was no discussion of the team not traveling to Florida for the resumption of the NBA season. Vaughn had moved Jordan into the starting lineup, but now the job apparently goes back to Jarrett Allen. They eventually decided it was best to first come back to Brooklyn, and both Dinwiddie and Jordan tested positive after returning. He sent his family to Phoenix when the virus struck New York, only to find that Arizona's cases are now rising.

NEW YORK Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan said Monday they have tested positive for the coronavirus, potentially leaving the Brooklyn Nets without two starters when the NBA season resumes. At least six players on the Nets have tested positive for the virus. Both players said they tested positive after returning to New York to rejoin the team. Dinwiddie said he tested negative for the virus multiple times after returning to Brooklyn and took part in a couple practices. But he has since tested positive and said he has a fever and chest soreness.

They agreed to deals with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as part of a sensational start to free agency, giving the longtime No. They also added center DeAndre Jordan, who played with Durant and Irving on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal, and veteran swingman Garrett Temple. They might have to wait a year, as Durant could miss next season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. But with Irving taking controls of the offence and a promising young core around him, the Nets should be a playoff team, even while Durant recovers. The Nets got back to the playoffs last season after going 42-40, stamping themselves as a team on the rise.

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant confirmed on Sunday that he will sign a free agent contract with the Brooklyn Nets once the free agency moratorium ends on July 6. He will reportedly be joined by six-time NBA All Star Kyrie Irving, who will sign a four year $141 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Center DeAndre Jordan reportedly agreed to sign a deal with the Brooklyn Nets as well. Durant will miss the 2019-20 NBA season while recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon he suffered during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Durant is a 10-time All Star, four-time scoring champion and a two-time NBA Champion with the Golden State Warriors.