NBA Preview: It's the Warriors, and then everyone else

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night, handing the Golden State Warriors what will be their third set of championship rings from the last four seasons.

A banner will be displayed. Highlights will be shown.

And then the Warriors will have to start all over again.

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2018, file photo, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry shoots next to Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game, in Las Vegas. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night, handing the Golden State Warriors what will be their third set of championship rings from the last four seasons. A banner will be displayed. Highlights will be shown. And then the Warriors will have to start all over again.(AP PhotoJohn Locher, File)

The NBA's 73rd season starts Tuesday night, beginning a year where LeBron James will play for the Los Angeles Lakers, where Carmelo Anthony will aim to push the Houston Rockets over the top, where Dwyane Wade will take his 16th and final lap around the league. A new arena is opening in Milwaukee, eight teams will have new coaches, and everyone will be looking to see if the Warriors can win a third straight title.

"None of us are ready for this run to come to an end," said Golden State's Draymond Green, part of all three Warriors' titles in this four-year run of dominance. "So we've got to continue to approach it like we've got zero. And that's cliche and impossible to do, but you want to try to get as close to that as you possibly can. And that's my mindset always entering the season."

They will be the overwhelming favorites, with good reason.

FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2018, file photo, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Jae Crowder (99) looks on in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, in Salt Lake City. The NBA season begins Tuesday night, Oct. 16. (AP PhotoRick Bowmer, File)

The Warriors still have Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Green, plus added All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins — coming off an injury — on a bargain $5.3 million deal. And calling all the shots is coach Steve Kerr, who won five rings as a player and now three more as a coach.

"If they don't win, it's a failure," Memphis guard Mike Conley Jr. said. "I know that's how they feel as well. For us, for the other 29 teams, we're the underdog. We're trying to take what they have. It's a lot easier playing from the underdog perspective than coming in with a lot of expectation."

In this NBA, everybody else is an underdog.

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2018, file photo, Houston Rockets' Carmelo Anthony shoots during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, in San Antonio. Anthony will aim to push the Rockets over the top. (AP PhotoDarren Abate, File)

That even applies to Houston — which won 65 games last season, has the reigning MVP in James Harden, an elite point guard in Chris Paul who re-signed for $160 million this summer, a deep-pocketed owner in Tilman Fertitta and an always-tinkering GM in Daryl Morey. The Rockets had the Warriors against the ropes in last season's Western Conference finals, leading that series 3-2 yet falling after Paul was lost to a hamstring injury.

"We've all got one goal, man," Harden said. "You'll keep hearing the same story over and over until I'm not here no more. We've got to win a 'chip. We've all got the same goal. We kind of, a little bit, we kind of know what it takes to almost get there. But we haven't gotten there yet."

The Warriors are the best team and the Rockets had the best record, but the best player is now in L.A.

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound over Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in San Diego. The NBA's 73rd season starts Tuesday night, beginning a year where LeBron James will play for the Los Angeles Lakers. (AP PhotoGregory Bull)

After 15 seasons in the Eastern Conference, James — who has played in each of the last eight NBA Finals — has moved West. He signed a four-year deal in July with the Lakers, one that makes him the biggest star on the league's glitziest franchise. He's teamed up with talented young players like Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, and former rivals like Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson.

"I'm a basketball player," James said. "I play ball. That's what I do and that's what I live by. And when I do it at the level I do it at, everything else takes care of itself."

The only certainty in the NBA this season is that James won't win the East — ending an eight-year run of that, four in Miami and four in Cleveland.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) drives past Atlanta Hawks' Vince Carter during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Miami. (AP PhotoLynne Sladky)

Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto (with the newly acquired Kawhi Leondard) are the top candidates to take over as East champions. The Celtics had a Game 7, at home, to get to the NBA Finals last season and lost to James and Cleveland, but now get Gordon Hayward back and a healthy Kyrie Irving again. Miami has been trying to get Jimmy Butler from Minnesota, and if they do — someone will get Butler before the trade deadline — the Heat may be able to get back into East contention.

It might be Dirk Nowitzki's last season in Dallas. Gregg Popovich no longer has Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili with him in San Antonio, and the Spurs (who have been battered by injuries, including one to point guard Dejounte Murray) are no lock to extend their 21-year run of playoff appearances. Sneakerheads will have a big season, because the NBA now says players may wear whatever colors of kicks that they want.

There's plenty of stories.

But in the end, it'll be all about someone finding a way to beat Golden State — or not.

"I'll get back to you when somebody cracks that code," Wade said. "In this game, the most important thing is health. If they stay healthy, it's tough to beat them. There's teams that can, but you've got to do it, and you're going to have to do it four times."

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)