DENZEL VALENTINE

Once Ricky Rubio was lost for the season with a knee injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers knew it would take someone special to take his spot.

CLEVELAND — (AP) — The Cavaliers have agreed to acquire veteran guard Rajon Rondo in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Denzel Valentine, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. The Cavs needed an experienced guard to help continue their strong start after losing Ricky Rubio to a season-ending knee injury. A four-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Rondo averaged 3.1 points and 3.7 assists coming off the bench for the Lakers. Valentine averaged just 9.3 minutes for the Cavs, who have been one of the league's most improved teams this season. The Cavs are hoping Rondo can give them many of the same attributes and keep their season headed in the right direction.

A person familiar with the trade tells The Associated Press the Cavaliers have agreed to acquire veteran guard Rajon Rondo in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for swingman Denzel Valentine.

Jaylen Brown scored 34 points and the Boston Celtics beat depleted Cleveland 111-101 on Wednesday night to end the Cavaliers’ winning streak at six.

Bulls Hawks Basketball Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, left, and John Collins (20) battle Chicago Bulls guard Denzel Valentine (45) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Atlanta. The team has been allowing about 3,000 fans per game in its 17,000-seat arena during the regular season. It plans to increase that total to 7,625 for the playoffs. A section with about 500 seats will be available behind the existing courtside seating for those who are fully vaccinated. The Hawks will still require all fans to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

The Atlanta Hawks are planning to increase capacity at State Farm Arena in the postseason, including a new section for fully vaccinated fans.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Zach LaVine bounced back from a poor performance a night earlier and scored 39 points Saturday as the Chicago Bulls routed the injury-plagued Orlando Magic 118-92. He scored 22 points in the first half and chipped in seven rebounds and four assists as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak. Orlando's Nikola Vucevic, who scored a career-best 43 points in Friday’s win, had 17 points and eight rebounds. The guard, who entered the night 10th in the NBA with 26.5 points per game, had another 12 points before exiting for good. Rookie Patrick Williams chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Coby White added 13 points.