Both the Hawks and the Cavaliers are coming off tough six-game series in which they had to bounce back from heart-breaking, buzzer-beating defeats in Game 3. With that said, both teams have had time to rest — Cleveland last played on May 14, while Atlanta last played on May 15 — and prepare for the conference finals. MORE: SN experts pick the conference finals | Smith, Shumpert happy with Cavs PHOTOS: Must-see images from Round 2 Schedule/TV (All times Eastern)...

Toronto averages 104 points per game, the most in the Eastern Conference. If the Raptors’ offense can stay strong in the postseason, they’ll have a big advantage. Another obvious advantage is Toronto’s home court. MORE: 8 teams that can win the title | Playoff tickets The Raptors play well at home, but more important is how poorly the Wizards play on the road. Washington has a 17-24 record when playing away from Verizon Center....

At least four members of the roster are out because of COVID-19 contact tracing protocol while others have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the league. Star James Harden is unavailable after violating NBA health protocol; he was seen maskless at a club this past week. “Three Houston Rockets players have returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive for coronavirus under the NBA’s testing program,” wrote the NBA in a statement....

The deal, ratified at a meeting Thursday in Chicago, takes effect this season, replacing the final year of the existing contract, and runs through 2022. MORE: 10 must-see games this season | Ref Crawford tells Mozgov to shut up “The NBA takes great pride in our world-class referee program and we are pleased to extend the league’s partnership with the NBRA for another seven years,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement....

WIN $500: Play DraftStreet Fantasy Basketball for big prizes UPDATE: Here is the full gallery of images for Christmas Day unis, courtesy of the NBA and adidas.

If you don’t know by now, the Clippers were able to sign Kawhi Leonard in free agency and immediately after made a blockbuster deal for Paul George. But a similar deal was almost sent to the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In Woj’s story recapping the deal, he reports the Thunder were willing to trade Russell Westbrook and George to the Raptors, assuming Leonard stayed in Toronto. The deal was centered around Toronto’s Pascal Siakam....

The league appeared to take China’s side in its statement. It said it recognized that Morey’s tweet Friday — “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” — “have deeply offended many of our fans and friends in China, which is regrettable.” (Full release per Tim McMahon of ESPN.) That stance elicited a largely negative response on Twitter. The primary claim: The NBA is more concerned with protecting its business interests in communist mainland China than it is in supporting democracy in the region....

The league released its full 2017-18 schedule Monday night, about a week after releasing its opening-week and Christmas slates. It’s beginning the season about a week earlier than usual to cut down on the number of back-to-back games, which in turn might entice teams to not rest stars for big nationally televised games on the road. MORE: What has been unveiled from NBA’s new Nike uniforms (so far) So start marking those calendars for the best rematches, reunions, beefs and boasts (all times Eastern)....

The specific targets: player-to-player and team-to-player recruiting efforts that land, for instance, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the same team. Team owners will vote on a series of new rules Friday in New York at the Board of Governors meeting, with specific changes designed to prevent tampering and salary cap circumvention, The Athletic reported. Per ESPN.com: “In conversations with numerous league officials, team owners, general managers and agents, some uncertainty was expressed about the means the NBA might use to investigate alleged rules violations....

The trade is pending NBA approval, The Associated Press reported. The Los Angeles Times first reported Blake had been traded. Yahoo! Sports reported that Brooks and Bazemore were in the deal. Golden State wasted no time welcoming Blake to the organization, complete with this digitally altered image: MORE: Nets’ owner gives OK to acquire Hill | Nets add Kings’ Thornton | Knicks, Clips talking Word of the Blake trade started to spread just before the Warriors played in Sacramento and the Lakers hosted Houston in Los Angeles....

Where will Davis head next? If we take Paul’s words, the agent said Davis “wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.” But why listen to agents when you can listen to NBA fans who have played with ESPN’s Trade Machine? MORE: Pelicans’ patience with Davis is bad news for Lakers The Trade Machine, per the website, “will let you know if your trade works based on the NBA’s trade rules....

The Bucks will offer the two-time MVP a five-year supermax extension when free agency kicks off — there is no doubt about that. The big question is whether he will sign on the dotted line or turn down that contract and explore his options after the 2020-21 season. MORE: Evaluating Anthony Davis’ contract options Even if Antetokounmpo does decline the supermax, though, Milwaukee won’t change course and attempt to trade him for a pile of assets....

Let’s have a look in this week’s Rumor-rama, or as it is known in Canada, Rumour-rama. MORE: Will Kevin Love become available in trade talks? One of the difficulties that arises for those with players to peddle at this time of year is the way teams clasp tightly to first-round picks, protecting them as though they possess part of the nuclear codes. First-rounders are the best way to get high-quality cheap labor and, naturally, there is little incentive to part with cheap labor....

The Pistons and Magic have discussed a deal that would send Jackson to Orlando in exchange for D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. The trade is certainly not imminent, as Stein notes Detroit has been exploring the NBA market to find out what kind of return it could get on Jackson’s services. MORE: Ranking every player in the 2017 All-Star Game Jackson has struggled this season — to say the least....

Beverley, who averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season, has been open to a trade away from Houston leading into this offseason, the source said, and has consulted with the team about the possible move. The Rockets could get a deal done before Thursday’s NBA Draft. MORE: Rockets plan to extend Harden, hope to add other stars Tuesday night, Beverley took to Twitter and appeared to lend credence to the idea he may be on the move:...

Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels later said on air that the unorthodox TV timeouts in the second half were planned. MORE: Prime-time games in 2018 to begin earlier “More evenly spaced break times,” Michaels said, sounding as though he was reading from a prepared statement. “The league is evaluating how this change impacts operations and viewer experiences before determining use in any future games.” MORE: Hall of Fame Game takeaways...

TV: The Selection Show will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Selection process: Thirty conference champions qualify automatically; the remaining 34 teams are selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. Format The tournament begins with 16 four-team regionals hosted by the highest seeded teams. One winner advances from each double-elimination regional to the super regionals. The super regionals are hosted by the eight national seeds if those teams advance....

Each of the 16 Regional sites is hosted by one of the tournament’s top 16 seeds. Here’s what you’ll need to catch the action this weekend (all times ET): MLB MOCK DRAFT: Who will go No. 1? Clemson Regional Friday, June 3 Game 1: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State, noon (ESPNU) Game 2: Western Carolina vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. (ESPN3) Columbia Regional Friday, June 3 Game 1: Duke vs. UNCW, 1 p....

The decision comes one day after NCAA president Mark Emmert announced that the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would still be played, but with “only essential staff and limited family attendance.” That changed after an hours-long meeting, and the following statement: “This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities....

The newly formed NCAA Football Oversight Committee had a conference call Monday and has two more scheduled, one Tuesday and another next Monday, to discuss the bowl challenge it faces. MORE: Week 13 bowl projections | Which one-loss team can make CFP? Heading into this week’s play, the second-to-last week of the regular season, there are only 71 teams that have the six wins required to be bowl-eligible with 80 slots needed to be filled in this year’s 40-bowl schedule....