Basketball

Denver Nuggets (53-29, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (43-39, seventh in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE : Lakers -5.5; over/under is 223.

DENVER (AP) — After Nikola Jokic's monster game in the opener, his pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray took the spotlight in the Western Conference finals Thursday night. Murray, from Kitchener, Ont.

DENVER (AP) — In what the Denver Nuggets saw as the latest sign of disrespect, ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters revealed she hadn’t watched two-time MVP Nikola Jokic play before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Laker

CHICAGO (AP) — Brandon Miller was a little more than three weeks from being born when LeBron James made his NBA debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Two decades later, James is still near the top of the league Miller is about to enter.

BOSTON (AP) — The latest Eastern Conference finals pairing between the Heat and Celtics will be a matchup that ultimately turns on the play stars like Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith is one of the eight players announced Thursday as members of USA Basketball’s teams headed to the 3x3 World Cup in Austria later this month.

BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat were in need of a calming presence following a sluggish start to their latest conference finals showdown with the Boston Celtics. Jimmy Butler provided that and a lot more.

Miami Heat (44-38, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (57-25, second in the Eastern Conference) Boston; Friday, 8:30 p.m. EDT FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE : Celtics -9; over/under is 215.

BOSTON (AP) — Once so prodigious on their parquet floor, the Boston Celtics can’t seem to squeeze out a home-court advantage during these playoffs. The franchise that once went 40-1 at home over an entire season fell to .

CHICAGO (AP) — Scoot Henderson tried to make the case that he should be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Brandon Miller hoped to convince teams that he learned a lesson after a decision he made played a role in a shooting death in January.