The Western Conference starting five was easy enough to predict, and while some fans might quibble with the Eastern Conference selections, that could be more a product of positional designations than the actual votes. Jazz center Rudy Gobert speaks for a lot of frustrated NBA fans and analysts — sorry, Jimmy Butler. NBA ALL-STAR 2020: Final results from fan vote How about we rectify the situation with the reserve picks?...

On Monday, Feb. 14, the Sixers announced that their newly-acquired guard will miss the team’s next two games and will not play in the NBA All-Star Game as he rehabilitates a left hamstring injury. Harden, who earned the 10th All-Star selection of his career this year, was acquired by the 76ers at the Feb. 10 trade deadline. In 44 games with the Nets this season, Harden posted averages of 22....

In last week’s fan returns, Lakers superstar LeBron James was second overall, but he is now the leading vote-getter, surpassing Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry. Nets’ forward Kevin Durant, who is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL, remains first in the East but leads Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo by under 400,000 votes. As in years past, fans will account for 50 percent of the final vote for this year’s All-Star Game....

Line: Cleveland -8, Total: 198.5 (current NBA spreads and totals) Cleveland (49-27) leads Chicago (46-30) by three games in the division with just six remaining. The Cavs are also trying to hold off Chicago and Toronto (45-32) for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has already clinched the top seed. The Cavaliers (39-37 ATS) last played on Thursday night, a 114-88 blowout win over Miami as 9.5-point home favorites....

Line: San Antonio -6, Total: 197.5 (check our odds page for current spreads and totals) Chicago (27-16 SU, 18-25 ATS) last played at Cleveland on Monday, a 108-94 loss as 4.5-point dogs. Point guard Derrick Rose shot just 5-of-14 from the floor (18 points) and afterwards expressed disappointed with his team’s effort. The Bulls are now 2-6 SU and ATS in their last eight games, with injuries partially to blame....

Oklahoma City has won six in a row and eight of 10, a run that coincides with the returns of Russell Westbrook (Nov. 28) and Kevin Durant (Dec. 2). With their two horses back in the fold, the Thunder can surely get back into the playoff picture. They have some work to do to get into the top half of the Western Conference, but they’re only half a game behind Phoenix for the eighth spot....

This new measure will be instituted on Feb. 20, and it will continue through the remainder of the D-League season, according to a press release. The five-month D-League season ends on April 5. MORE: Jeremy Lin on Knicks wish list? | DraftStreet: Make money playing fantasy NBA “There isn’t a better place to experiment with NBA rules than in the NBA D-League, and we are pleased to test this experimental rule that, for the first time, creates an in-game penalty for flopping,” said NBA D-League President Dan Reed....

But every year, that same talented, albeit (typically) short list of lottery-bound international prospects make its way into the NBA Draft story lines, especially when summer hits. As time passes, those names become more household, some becoming fan favorites in the process. MORE: Why Mudiay is locked into top 6 | Post-Lottery NBA Mock Draft This year, Hollywood names to the effect Pau Gasol or Yao Ming won’t be called by Adam Silver on June 28....

Thursday night, forward Alec Peters became the sixth Valparaiso player to be drafted when the Suns selected him 54th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. The emotional moment was captured on video; take a look below. MORE: NBA Draft 2017: Complete results, draft grades The 6-9 Peters was named the 2016-17 Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 23 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. His season was cut short due to injury, but he’ll now have the chance to make an NBA roster....

It’s the one uncertainty he admitted to before an assembled throng of reporters Wednesday at the league’s pre-draft media availability in midtown Manhattan. “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know how I’m going to react,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to cry or have this giant smile on my face. “We’ll see tomorrow night. But I know I’m very excited about it.” Outside of that admission, Williamson offered a mix of self-assessment, draft scouting and, yes, humor as he patiently and calmly answered a half-hour’s worth of questions from the media....

For others such as the Rockets, Timberwolves and Bulls, there’s nervous tension. That’s because these three teams all have conditions attached to their first-round picks. They will keep their selections if they land within the designated protections (top-four protected, top-five protected, etc.). If they don’t, the selections will convey to other teams as parts of previous trade packages. So what are Houston, Minnesota and Chicago hoping for during the draft lottery?...

In fact, for all the talk of a willingness to trade up in this draft, teams besides the Clippers are finding that the asking price for a top-five spot is far too much. “This is a good draft, a very good draft at the top,” one league source told Sporting News. “But the value that teams are placing on these picks is a little unreasonable in some cases.” Among the other teams that have looked into trading up are the Sixers, Cavs, Bulls and Celtics, who might have to give up top rookie Jayson Tatum for a top-five pick, which is a non-starter for Boston....

DeAndre Jordan decided to return to the Clippers Wednesday after one of the strangest days in the history of free agency, which included what had to be the record for most emojis used in 24 hours. There was J.J. Redick, Chandler Parsons, Chris Paul and the closer, Paul Pierce. It was only a matter of time before it extended to the entire league — both past and present. MORE: Free agency winners and losers | Internet has fun with DeAndre drama | Free agency tracker...

Irving delivered more. He gave them 38 points on 16-of-29 shooting (though he was 0 for 7 from 3), six rebounds and three assists in Game 3. With every stutter-step, pull-up jumper and weave through the lane, Irving gave Cleveland a shot to beat the Warriors. MORE: Game 3 of Warriors-Cavs as it happened And yet, even with Irving going for 38 (and LeBron James scoring 39), the Cavs lost 118-113 and fell into a 3-0 hole heading into Game 4....

Golden State will appear in its fifth consecutive championship series, which begins Thursday against the Raptors — who are making their debut in the final stage of the postseason. The Warriors have been here before and are considered favorites to win it all, but Toronto won’t go down without a fight. What the Warriors need to do to three-peat: Slow down Kawhi Leonard No player has scored more points in this year’s postseason than Leonard....

The Raptors star told reporters Saturday about how ‘special’ the team’s run and fanbase have been to him. “I appreciate them for their support,” Leonard said. “Coming in, I wanted to be able to contribute to the team and be able to get them to this point, and we’re doing it so far. I just feel like I did something special for them, just this group, just being able to be the first team to get to the NBA Finals for Toronto....

Despite the Warriors’ 118-109 loss to the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena, Cousins said it was an “incredible feeling” to be out on the floor where he finished with two assists, two steals and three points in eight minutes. “It felt good,” Cousins told reporters after the game. “It felt good to be a part of the energy tonight. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t take any of these moments for granted....

After a grueling 82-game season and three rounds of the NBA Playoffs, the 2022 NBA Finals are set to begin on Thursday, June 2. MORE: Full details of changes to NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy For the first time since 2019, the NBA Finals are back to their regular schedule. In 2020 and 2021, the timing of the NBA Finals was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about watching the 2022 NBA Finals....

NBA FREE AGENCY TRACKER: Latest news, signings of top available players After trading up to take University of Washington product one-and-done point guard Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft, Philadelphia has come to terms with 11th-year sharpshooter JJ Redick to fill out their backcourt. The tandem cold accompany a frontline that will may consist of last year’s top pick Ben Simmons, who’s yet to turn 21, and 2016-17 Rookie of the Year candidates 23-year-olds Dario Saric and Joel Embiid....

Millsap might be the highest-paid player on the team for at least the next two seasons — he signed a deal worth $90 million over three years — but he’ll be expected to complement Jokic rather than overshadow him. MORE: Biggest winners and losers of free agency The Nuggets will also have the option of parting ways with Millsap before the 2019-20 season when Jokic’s extension is expected to kick in if they believe he is no longer worth the amount of money he’s getting paid....