Basketball

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas fell on his sword and vowed to make changes after the team he constructed missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It's playoff time in the NBA, and the Los Angeles Clippers have four potential Hall of Famers on their roster. But only three of them are healthy going into a first-round matchup with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

BOSTON (AP) — As the Boston Celtics prepare for what they hope will be their latest NBA title run, coach Joe Mazzulla had his team look to past NBA champions for inspiration.

OSAKA, Japan — The Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team has secured its place at the 2024 Paralympic Games with a win at a qualifying tournament in Japan. The team beat Algeria 88-30 at the tournament in Osaka.

A year ago when the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, they were weary and worn down. This year, it's different. That's why the Lakers feel like they have a chance — and why the Nuggets expect this to be a challenge.

The Boston Celtics had almost no trouble at all with the 14 teams that didn’t make the playoffs this season, going 35-4 against those squads. Against the teams that actually made the postseason, the Celtics were really good as well.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hustle plays and production from up and down the lineup helped the New Orleans Pelicans overcome the absence of leading-scorer Zion Williamson, keep their season alive and avoid a historically significant loss.

New Orleans Pelicans (49-33, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25, first in the Western Conference) Oklahoma City; Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK : LINE Thunder -7.5; over/under is 214.

Miami Heat (46-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (64-18, first in the Eastern Conference) Boston; Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK : LINE Celtics -13.5; over/under is 208.

Indiana Pacers (47-35, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (49-33, third in the Eastern Conference) Milwaukee; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK : LINE Pacers -1.5; over/under is 231.