National Basketball Association roundup

[May 21, 2015]  May 20 (The Sports Xchange) - Dwight Howard was supposed to be the big advantage for the Houston Rockets over the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals, but he might be on the bench Thursday following a Game 1 loss in which he suffered another knee injury.

Howard is listed as questionable for Game 2 against the Warriors, who went small and outran the Rockets on Tuesday, 110-106, the fifth win in as many meetings with Houston this season.

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was fined $5,000 on Wednesday for violating the NBA's anti-flopping rules during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals series against the Rockets.

Curry, the league MVP this season, saved seven of his 34 points for a critical 11-point burst late in the game, allowing the Warriors to overcome a fourth-quarter flurry by Rockets guard James Harden.
 

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San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, the Defensive Player of the Year, headlines the 2014-15 NBA All-Defensive Team, the league announced Wednesday.

Leonard received 116 first-team votes and 242 points from a panel of 129 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

The first team also includes forward Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, guard Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies, center DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers and guard Chris Paul of the Clippers. (Editing by Frank Pingue)

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