4:09 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — After dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, the Toronto Raptors returned home knowing the odds — at least historically — are against them in their matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. But when told that 94 percent of the teams with 2-0 leads have gone

7:25 AM ET Down 2-0 in the NBA Western Conference finals, the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a must-win predicament on their home floor Saturday night. One big reason the Golden State Warriors are in the driver’s seat: their ability to shut down Damian Lillard, who must get going if Portland has a chance

9:02 PM ET Reigning NBA MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets is one of three finalists for the award for the 2018-19 season, the league announced Friday. Joining Harden, who led the league in scoring with 36.1 points per game, in the top three are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Paul George

3:27 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The fact that Sonya Curry sent a group text to her extended family on the eve of the Western Conference finals is not surprising. She’s always sending inspirational texts to the family. Or as she pronounces it, “texes, like Texas.” But this “texes” message was special, because her sons

9:16 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard believed there was contact before Andre Iguodala‘s strip that sealed the Golden State Warriors‘ 114-111 win in Thursday night’s Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, but he didn’t blame the referees for not blowing the whistle. After the Warriors fouled with 10

4:33 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo admits this isn’t how he envisioned the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season playing out. At the beginning of the season, Antetokounmpo couldn’t have known his team would make it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. The landscape of the Eastern Conference changed drastically in the summer

12:10 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. The plan is for him to be evaluated in one week, the Warriors said in a statement released Thursday night. Durant, who hasn’t played since he

2:27 AM ET MILWAUKEE — At the moment Kawhi Leonard shook Khris Middleton on a backdoor cut for an easy layup midway through the third quarter of Game 1 on Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors looked like their best selves. The Raptors had managed only five shot attempts at the rim in the first half,

7:44 AM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — One by one, the Milwaukee Bucks players pulled into the garage in the team’s practice facility. It was Thursday, less than 12 hours removed from their series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, and Mike Budenholzer had given the team the day off. Yet there was Giannis

3:21 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, whose coast-to-coast rivalry in the 1980s propelled the NBA to a new level of popularity, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The league and Turner Sports announced Wednesday that the Hall of Famers and 1992 U.S. Olympic teammates will receive