SAN ANTONIO (AP) Must-win situations are not a familiar place for the San Antonio Spurs. (MORE)

LAS VEGAS (AP) Charles Barkley acknowledged he owes a $400,000 gambling debt to a Las Vegas Strip casino and promised Thursday to repay it after a prosecutor said the retired NBA star faced criminal charges. (MORE)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson will miss Game 6 of Cleveland's playoff against the Boston Celtics after separating his left shoulder during the second half Wednesday night. (MORE)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups has practiced with the Detroit Pistons and is expected to be ready to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. (MORE)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko missed practice Thursday because of a travel visa, a day before Utah faced the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. (MORE)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Happy to be home, the Utah Jazz are desperate for another chance on the road. (MORE)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) It's do or summertime for the Cleveland Cavaliers. (MORE)

HOUSTON (AP) Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo still isn't ready to retire. (MORE)

BOSTON (AP) Danny Ainge, who engineered the trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that helped the Boston Celtics post the biggest turnaround in league history, was given the Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year award before Wednesday night's playoff game. (MORE)

DALLAS (AP) Rick Carlisle is off to a great start as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He's already won over Dirk Nowitzki and he's saying exactly what Jason Kidd wants to hear. (MORE)