MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning for coach Chris Finch to be with them in Denver to begin their Western Conference semifinal series following his knee surgery — and considering seating configurations that would allow him to safely be on the bench during games. Finch’s procedure to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee Wednesday went well, according to assistant coach Micah Nori, who has temporarily taken the lead in Finch’s absence. Finch directed the initiation of the strategy for the Nuggets earlier this week before going into ..read more

DENVER — The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers are murky after their first-round playoff exit. One might choose to leave and the other might not have a choice. For James, the decision is his — whether he wants to wear purple and gold again in his 22nd NBA season. For Ham, it’s about whether the team brings him back for a third season as coach after back-to-back series losses to Denver. Big decisions loom after the defending champion Nuggets eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs with a 108-106 win in Game 5 on Monday. Soon after, James was asked if ..read more

Clutch. In basketball — sports, really — there is no higher level of respect than being known as a clutch player, the type who can execute in critical moments against the highest level of competition. It’s often the final examination determining the difference between good, great and legendary. Not every team has a player that qualifies for the job, a player who can create offence against loaded defences at that point of a pivotal game or a playoff series when tactics and strategies are almost secondary to individual brilliance. The Canadian men’s national team may be very fortunate this summe ..read more

This could look like a very different series come Thursday. Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are “very, very, very close” to returning from their respective injuries. The Bucks survived another day on Tuesday, holding off the Indiana Pacers with a 115-92 win to force a Game 6 despite being extremely short-handed. Lillard has missed the team’s last two games as he deals with an Achilles injury that he suffered late in a Game 3 loss. NBA Playoffs on Sportsnet The chase for the NBA’s ultimate crown is on. Watch select games f ..read more

MILWAUKEE — Bobby Portis apologized to his teammates for his ejection from a Game 4 loss that put the Milwaukee Bucks on the brink of playoff elimination. Then he made amends by helping the Bucks keep their season alive. Portis and Khris Middleton each scored 29 points and the short-handed Bucks routed the Indiana Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night. The Pacers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. “Thursday will be fun,” Portis said. “I can hear some ‘Bobby Sucks ..read more

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352075991112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&i ..read more

CLEVELAND — One number stood out above all the others Paolo Banchero put up in just his fifth NBA playoff game: 21. The second-year forward scored 39 points and nearly pushed Orlando past Cleveland in Game 5 on Tuesday night before the Cavaliers held on for 104-103 win to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference series. Despite the loss, Banchero, who won’t turn 22 until November, showed why he’s one of the league’s up-and-coming stars and why the Magic could be a major problem for years to come. /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll ..read more

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352072649112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&i ..read more

“Is that Shaq and are those skates?” The answer to both those questions from Liam McHugh is an emphatic yes. NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, better known as Shaq Hyman in the hockey world, made a triumphant return appearance on NHL on TNT for their Stanley Cup Playoffs broadcast on Tuesday. O’Neal “skated” his way onto set … kind of. He actually rolled, as the seven-foot-one, 325-pound O’Neal had skateboards strapped to his feet. The 52-year-old also didn’t get very far. Thankfully O’Neal was wearing a helmet and using a stick to keep his balance. O’Neal returned to the TNT set for th ..read more

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6352068891112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&i ..read more