nba finals

Two prolonged contract holdouts early last season hurt the Cleveland Cavaliers, damaging their chances of getting back to the NBA finals.

They made sure it wouldn't happen again. The club signed restricted free agent guard Delonte West to a two-year contract Friday, a deal that includes a third-year club option for 2011-12.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers expects Ray Allen to play in Game 6 of the NBA finals after the guard skipped the team's shootaround following his overnight flight from Los Angeles.

Boston center Kendrick Perkins participated in the workout and is likely to play Tuesday night after missing Game 5 against the Lakers with a shoulder injury.

Dick Bavetta, the referee who worked one of the games Tim Donaghy alleged was rigged, was scheduled to officiate Game 5 of the NBA finals on Sunday night.

Bavetta worked Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers used a huge free-throw advantage in the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings and even a series they eventually won.

With the same purpose as one of his in-your-face jumpers, Kobe Bryant leaned into the microphone. He promised more NBA finals games to come.

"The series ain't over," he said. "It's far from over." Faced with long odds, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers returned to the practice floor Saturday for the first time since Game 4, when the Boston Celtics stormed back from a 24-point deficit to win and take...

The Boston Celtics aren't sure if center Kendrick Perkins will be able to play in Sunday night's Game 5 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Perkins strained his left shoulder in Boston's 97-91 victory Thursday night. He is averaging 4.5 points in the series.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo also aggravated his sprained left ankle, and star forward Paul Pierce rolled his right ankle in...

In their comeback season, the Celtics saved the biggest one of all for the NBA finals. Boston rallied from a 24-point deficit and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 on Thursday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this history-rich series and move within one victory of a 17th championship that seemed impossible a year ago.