Category Archives: News

Around the Rim: Drama out west

January 12, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Clippers 95 Heat 89 (OT): Could this be the real Clippers that many people expected before the season? The Clips tightened up their defense down the stretch and rallied behind Chris Paul who had 27 points and 11 assists. A lot of people will pick on Lebron James for shrinking in the fourth quarter and overtime, hitting on just 1-of-6 shots. But the entire Miami Big Three struggled during that time, going just 4-of-18. Lebron though did strike out on the free throw line missing four of them in the final six minutes of regulation.

Blake Griffin had 20 points and 12 rebounds while Caron Butler had 20 of his own.

Lakers 90 Jazz 87 (OT): Kobe has another 40 point game but got cold late, missing the game-winner in regulation and then hitting on just 1-of-5 shots in overtime. But his supporting cast bailed him out in overtime. Pau Gasol hit a three (which prompted Jazz TV color commentator Matt Harping to scream “WHAT?!”) and Andrew Bynum a huge block of an Al Jefferson lay in under two seconds to preserve the win.

Both teams looked dog tired, having played the night before. Paul Millsap led the Jazz with 29 points while Josh Howard came off the bench for 18. This was the Lakers first road win and they beat a team that is very tough, especially at home.

Magic 107 Trail Blazers 104: The Magic were on fire, hitting 16 three’s and leading by as much as 23 points in the third quarter. But the Trail Blazers had a run in them and got the game down to just two points with 20 seconds to go. But their magic – pardon the pun – ran out and JJ Redick hit four throws to help Orlando hold on. The Magic had seven players in double digits and when they get balanced scoring and hit from deep, they are very good. They’re now 7-3 on the season but this was their first quality win. LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points while Jamal Crawford had 23 off the bench,

Spurs 101 Rockets 95 (OT): Just a night ago, Gregg Popovich was ripping his team’s defense. But he had to be happy with their effort in overtime, holding Houston to just 2-for-10 shooting. Tony Parker stepped up again with 28 points while Tim Duncan had 17 and 11 rebounds. The Spurs are now a perfect 7-0 at home while the Rockets are hard-luck losers again.

Mavericks 90 Celtics 85: Boston was behind all game long and fighting to get back in the game. But they finally caught up with Paul Pierce hitting a three with 25 second remaining to tie it up 85-85. So the Mavs turned to their star and Dirk Nowitzki drove pass Kevin Garnett and laid the ball in as he was fouled by Brandon Bass for the three-point play. Game over. Rajon Rondo had 24 points but KG, Piece and Ray Allen all struggled shooting.

Knicks 85 76ers 79: The Sixers have looked good so far this season and were riding a six-game winning streak into the Garden. That is where they ran into Carmelo Anthony who torched them for 27 points while Amar’e Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Philly couldn’t get it going on offense, shooting just 39.5%. The Knicks are heating up, having won four straight.

Thunder 95 Hornets 95: OKC was playing for the fifth time in six days so it’s no wonder why they looked sluggish for most of the game. Except for Kevin Durant. He didn’t have tired legs with 29 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. The Thunder swept the grueling stretch and moved to 10-2 with the best record in NBA along with the Bulls. The Hornets went just 1-16 from downtown. Chris Kaman and Carl Landry each scored 17.

Nuggets 123 Nets 115: Ty Lawson sat this one out with a strained right foot but his team didn’t miss a beat as they shot a blistering 59.5% in this score-a-thon. But New Jersey, connecting on 20-of-35 three pointers including six(!) from Jordan Farmar who led the Nets with 26 off the bench. The Nuggets had a season high 37 assists including 12 from Andre Miller who moved into the starting lineup. Danilo Gallinari had 22 points.

Bulls 78 Wizards 64: This game was flat out ugly. Derrick Rose was sidelined with an injured toe so John Lucas III got the start and became the team chucker, taking 28 shots but hitting 11 on his way to 25 points. The Wiz hit just 31% of their shots and had only 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Pacers 96 Hawks 84: Danny Granger broke out of his shooting slump, going 9-of-16 including three from downtown with 24 points total. The Hawks were sloppy with 18 turnovers and missing a bunch of layups. The Pacers are now 7-3 which is their best start in five years.

Kings 98 Raptors 91: Now this is the player many thought DeMarcus Cousins could be. He dominated in the paint with 21 points and 19 rebounds while Tyreke Evans went off for a season-high 29 points. If Cousins can stop complaining and focus on playing basketball, he can be a force. Leandro Barbosa had 24 points for the Raptors.

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Around the Rim: Nate beats Heat, Wiz win!

January 11, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Warriors 111 Heat 106 (OT):  The Heat had this game won, up 17 late in the third quarter before Nate Robinson came in and went on the attack.  He dominated in the fourth quarter with 15 of his 24 and the Warriors went on an 8-0 run to force overtime.  Then Dorrell Wright knocked down a couple of threes and Golden State got a huge win.  Dwayne Wade returned to action and scored a game-high 34 with 20 in the first half.  Lebron James scored 26 but faded down the stretch and was no where to be seen in overtime.

Wizards 93 Raptors 78:  The Wizards win!  Celebration in DC!  Flip Saunders decided to shake up the starting lineup, benching Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis and going with Chris Singleton and Trevor.  And it paid off.  The pair fit in nicely in the starting lineup while Blatche and Lewis were productive off the bench.  It was balanced scoring for the Wiz and good defense, holding the Raptors to just 39.5% shooting.  Andrea Bargnani finished with 22 in the loss.

Lakers 99 Suns 83:  This was all about Kobe Bryant as he went off for 48 points which is the highest scoring game of anyone this season.  Kobe looked spry, even in the fourth quarter where he had 16 points and a pair of dunks including an over-the-head alley oop.  LA needed it too, going on a 16-a run late to secure the win.  Kobe has been on a tear, averaging 36 points a game over his last five outing.  And if you think that’s because he’s shooting too much, well, he’s hit 51.5% of his shots during that stretch.

Trail Blazers 105 Clippers 97:  The Rose Garden is arguably the toughest place to play for road teams with the Blazers now 6-0 on their home floor.   The team fed off the crowd and shot over 51% with all five starters scoring 12 points or more, led by Gerald Wallace who had 20.  Caron Butler had 20 points for the Clippers who had their three game winning streak snapped.

Thunder 100 Grizzlies 95:  Russell Westbrook was on fire, scoring 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting.  The last time the Thunder were in Memphis was during the playoffs went Westbook couldn’t buy a bucket.  Kevin Durant went for 22 and the Thunder have won four straight.  Marc Gasol had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Grizz.

Bulls 111 Timberwolves 100:  The Bulls looked like they were in third gear for this one and didn’t need any more for the win.  They led 33-17 after the first quarter and the Wolves got back on track over the next two quarters.  But the Bulls stepped it up in the fourth.  Derrick Rose won the battle of points guards with a season-high 31 points and 11 assists while ricky Rubio had 13 points and 12 assists.  The Wolves can be very exciting but are just 3-7.  Kevin Love struggled from the field again but finished with 20 and 13.

76ers 112 Kings 85:  The Sixers are on a roll, having won six straight including this thrashing.  Philly hit almost 57% of their shots with Elton Brand having his best game on the season with 21 points and 10 boards.  DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 17 points and 10 rebounds who were without Marcus Thornton with a thigh injury.

Mavericks 100 Pistons 86:  They might not look like world championship material yet but the Mavs are back to .500 on the season.  They came out of the gate hot which continued and led by as much as 28 in the second half, allowing their starters to get some extra rest.  Dirk Nowitzki had 18 while Shawn Marion scored 14 for the Mavs who have now won five of their last six after a slow start.

Bucks 106 Spurs 103:  The Spurs shot 60% but couldn’t stop the Bucks down the stretch, especially Stephen Jackson who had his best game since joining the team with 34 points and 8 assists.  Afterwards, a frustrated Gregg Popovich said this was “the worst defensive team we’ve ever had”.

Rockets 82 Bobcats 70:  The Rockets struggled shooting and turned the ball over 22 times but they clawed out the win.  Rookie Chandler Parsons had 20 points while Jordan Hill had 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.  And the Bobcats couldn’t shoot either which really made this an ugly game.

Jazz 113 Cavaliers 105:  Al Jefferson was huge with a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds.  His team was lights out from the field but need to play better defense if they hope to keep winning as they’re now 6-3 on the season.  Kyrie Irving had another good performance with 20 points and five assists for the Cavs.

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Early roster for Team USA leaked

January 10, 2012   Brian Fritz   1 Comment

Team USA coming together for '12 Olympics. (Getty Images)

Later this month, USA Basketball will announce the preliminary roster for the 2012 Olympics.  Chris Sheridan over at SheridanHoops.com has the scoop with the entire 19-man roster.

The team is expected to include LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.

It was believed that the early roster would be made up of 18 players but one more was included to make room for LaMarcus Aldridge who is having an outstanding season with the Trail Blazers.

Aldridge and Blake Griffin are the only two players that were not on the 2008 Olympics and 2010 World Championships teams.

An official 12-man roster along with alternatives must be submitted to FIBA by mid-June.

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Jeff Green has successful heart surgery

January 10, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Jeff Green undergoes successful heart surgery. (Getty Images)

Former Celtics’ player Jeff Green had successful heart surgery on Monday to repair an aneurysm.  The faulty artery was found before the season during a routine physical and will keep him out of action for the season.

Doc Rivers told CSNNE.com out of Boston that he heard everything went well for Green.

“They’re saying it went great,” said the Celtics’ head coach. “Obviously, our thoughts, our prayers, and every part of our being is with Jeff right now.”

Rivers is also hoping that Green can play again and, if possible, chooses to play with the Celtics.  But if and when Green can return to playing hoops, he will be an unrestricted free agent since the team pulled his qualifying offer before the season.

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Kobe Bryant will not have procedure done on injured wrist

January 10, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Kobe Bryant will fight through his injured wrist and keep playing. (Getty Images)

Over the summer, Kobe Bryant traveled to Germany to have an experimental procedure performed on his sore knee.  The Lakers star was hoping to go back sometime this season to have the same work done on his injured wrist but that won’t be happening according to the LA Times.

Bryant’s wrist issues are apparently here to stay. He will not undergo the same procedure on his wrist that he had on his knee and ankle in Germany last year, for a variety of reasons.

Of greatest importance, the German doctor whom Bryant trusts immensely, Peter Wehling, does not plan on coming to America to do his innovative “regenokine” or “orthokine” procedures that aim to reduce swelling, The Times has learned.

An overseas trip by Bryant looks out of the question because the only ample time for a German getaway is the All-Star break, and it’s a safe bet NBA Commissioner David Stern wants Bryant playing in Orlando that weekend instead of flying to Dusseldorf.

In the meantime, Kobe has said that he won’t stop playing and that means he won’t stop shooting either.   But that means getting injections before each game and even having to keep the wrist moving while sitting on the bench.

With those torn ligaments in his right wrist – an injury that should’ve required surgery and three months of rehabilitation – Bryant is forever one collision from serious seasonal consequences. When he fails to keep the wrist moving during a game, it will swell significantly. That’s why he’s always making that shooting motion with his wrist on the sidelines in down moments. His personal trainer, Tim Grover, says simply: “I’ve never seen anyone do what Kobe’s doing right now.”

It’s risky but Kobe has proven that he is like few other athletes, able to block out pain and still perform at a high level.  Still, he’s averaging nearly 28 points this season and it looks like he has his legs back.  But you never know when his injured wrist could but him on the sideline.

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Around the Rim: Sixers look strong, Bulls cruise

January 10, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

76ers 96 Pacers 86:  Don’t look now but Doug Collins has Philly sitting atop the Atlantic Division at 6-2.  And it’s not a fluke either.  The Sixers are going nine deep in their rotation and winning close games too.  Case in point was the 15-3 run in the third quarter to take control over the Pacers.

They got 41 points off their bench while Andre Iguodala led the balanced offense with 20 points.  But the Sixers attack teams on defense with the Pacers held to just below 37% shooting on the night.  Now, the team is taking advantage of their schedule so far which has been heavy with home games but they’re first in points allowed (85.6), 2nd in rebounds (46.1) and fifth in points scored (100.3).  Those are signs of a good team.

Bulls 92 Pistons 68:  This was a tale of two quarters with the Bulls taking control in the 2nd quarter and a nine point lead at halftime and then shutting down the Pistons in the final quarter, holding them to just nine points.  And no one had to play heavy minutes for Chicago and they breezed their way to a victory.

Carlos Boozer had a big game, missing just four shots on his way to 23 points while Derrick Rose had 22 of his own.  The Pistons have no identity on either end of the court and just can’t seem to put it together.  Greg Monroe has been about the only bright spot with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.  They’re still winless on the road and just 2-7 on the season.

Knicks 91 Bobcats 87:  The Knicks just can’t make anything easy.  They were down 10-0 right out of the gate but came back immediately.  They let the Bobcats hang around the entire game with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudamire ice cold but Melo hit the big shot late to help secure the win.   It wasn’t pretty, shooting just 38% for the game, but New York has now won three straight.

Boris Diaw looks badly out of shape but he almost had a triple double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and seven assists.  Just imagine what he could do if he dropped about 15-20 pounds.

Hawks 106 Nets 101:  Believe it or not, these teams have now played three times already this season.  And the Hawks got the sweep.  Every one of their starters scored in double digits led by Josh Smith and his 26 points with the team shooting almost 54% from the field.  The Nets once again were down big early – 13 after just the first quarter – but fought their way back to make a game of it.  MarShon Brooks got the start and made the most of it with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Just not enough for the Nets who are 0-4 at home so far.

Raptors 97 Timberwolves 87: Dreadful shooting by the T’Wolves who hit just under 34% of their shots with Kevin Love going just 3-16.  Meanwhile, the Raptors got 31 points from big man Andrea Bargnani who has been on a tear, averaging almost 24 points.  The T’Wolves are normally pretty fun to watch but not on this night.  For all the excitement, the team is now just 3-6 on the season.  The Raptors have now won 14 of the last 15 games between these two teams.

Hornets 94 Nuggets 81:  The Hornets were banged up, missing Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Xavier Henry while Jarrett Jack played with a sprained right foot.  But they pulled together in a tough place to play in Denver for the win to snap their six-game losing streak.  Carl Landry had 21 points while Chris Kaman put up 20.  The Nuggets got out to a good start with 27 points in the first quarter but then the offense fell apart with just 54 points the rest of the way.   They had to be kicking themselves over this one, losing to a depleted team on their home floor.

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Around the Rim: Thunder rolling, Rubio dazzles

January 09, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Thunder 108 Spurs 96:  Three games in three night was no problem for the Thunder as they became the first team to complete the sweep this season with a win over the Spurs.  Interesting note: six teams have played their back-to-back-to-back already this season and all six have won the third game.  Anyway, the Thunder broke it open in the third quarter where they outscored the Spurs 37-21 to take a 22-point lead.  And they made it look pretty easy too.

Kevin Durant led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds and only took nine shots.  Kevin Harden continued his strong play with 20 off the bench for the Thunder who have the best record in the West at 8-2.

Timberwolves 93 Wizards 72:  Ricky Rubio had his best game with 13 points and 12 assists and is looking more comfortable each game.  The Wizards are completely lost, still winless the season and it doesn’t look like that first win is right around the corner either.  Their offense is pitiful, shooting under 35% and only breaking 20 points in one quarter.  The days may be numbers for Flip Saunders.

Lakers 90 Grizzlies 82:  This was the definition of an ugly win.  The Lakers shot lights out for free quarters before getting ice cold in the fourth.  But the really trouble stat was the ridiculous 27 turnovers which nearly cost them the game.  Pau Gasol – 13 points and 12 rebounds – outdueled his brother Marc who missed all nine of his shots.  Kobe ‘only’ took 22 shots for his 26 points while Matt Barnes had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

LA could really use some practice time to fine tune Mike Brown’s offense but that’s not coming soon with five games over the next eight days.

Trail Blazers 98 Cavaliers 78: These two teams were stuck in slow motion in the first half before the Blazers finally woke up in the second half.  LaMarcus Aldridge continued to show why he should be on the all-star squad with 28 points while Wes Mathews chipped in with 24.  That’s the same number of turnover the Cavaliers had.  Kyrie Irving 21 points and four assists and is starting to shine in Byron Scott’s system.

Magic 104 Kings 97:  Dwight Howard was immediately in foul trouble and spent almost the entire first three quarters  on the bench.  But his teammates came to the rescue with five of them in double-digits including Jason Richardson with a season-high 22 in the victory.  Howard only played 20 minutes and didn’t even pull down a rebound until four minutes into the fourth.

This game was on a silver platter for the Kings to take but instead of attacking the paint with Howard on the pine, they settled for jumpers, hitting on just 3-of-20 from beyond the line.  Tyreke Evans had 20 points while Orlando’s Ryan Anderson had a good bounce back game with 19 points and 11 rebounds after an awful outing on Friday night against the Bulls.

Suns 109 Bucks 93:  The Suns have flat-out owned at home, having now beaten them 24 times in a row in Phoenix.  The Bucks were dog tried and the Suns just outran them with Steve Nash dishing out 17 assists and his team shooting 62% over the first three quarters.  The Bucks are really banged up but hope to get Andrew Bogut back this week.

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Around the Rim: Heat win thriller without Lebron and Wade

January 06, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

A look around Thursday night in the NBA while must-see TV night repeats.  Again.

Miami 116 Atlanta 109 3OT:  Both Lebron James and Dwayne Wade sat this was out but the Heat found a way to win.  The Hawks had plenty of chances to win this one but they couldn’t stop Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers.  Bosh stepped up with 33 points included a three with 0.6 seconds in regulation to force the game to overtime.  Atlanta could have put this one away but then Shane Battier came to the rescue and blocked a Joe Johnson shot to keep it going.

Johnson should have dominated with both James and Wade out but struggled and only had 20 points on 7-of-20 shooting.  The Hawks have to be disappointed in blowing this one at home no less.  Missing 15 free throws didn’t help one bit either.

Trail Blazers 107 Lakers 96:  Guess who has the best record in the Western Conference?  That would be the 5-1 Trail Blazers.   The Lakers led at halftime and got just about anything they wanted on offense.  But in the second half, the Blazers made them work for it and starting forcing turnovers and making the LA take tough shots.  Plus, Portland went on the attack too and unleashed Gerald Wallace and LaMarcus Aldridge who finished with 31 and 28 respectively.   Kobe Bryant had another big game with 30 points and Andrew Bynum had a double-double (21 and 12) but the Lakers only got 14 points off the bench and went 0-11 from three-point range.

Spurs 93 Mavericks 71:  The Mavericks never got on track, scoring just 42 points in the first three quarters.  Dirk Nowitzki was off, hitting just 3-of-11 for only eight points.   This will happen to every team at some point with the Mavs playing their sixth game in eight days.  The Spurs didn’t miss Manu Ginobili one bit here with five players scoring in double digits and a comfortable 26 points led at the half.

Kings 103 Bucks 100:  Well, it looks like the Kings and especially Demarcus Cousins like their new coach Keith Smart more than the just-fired Paul Westphal.  Cousins actually played hard with 18 points and 15 rebounds and the Kings came back from 21 down in the second half for the win.  Marcus Thornton had 25 in the second half in the big comeback.

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Sacramento Kings fire coach Paul Westphal

January 05, 2012   Brian Fritz   1 Comment

AP

The Sacramento Kings fired coach Paul Westphal on Thursday following the team’s 2-5 start to the season.

“I want to thank Paul for all his efforts on behalf of the Kings,” basketball president Geoff Petrie said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the overall performance level of the team did not approach what we felt was reasonable to expect. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Assistant Keith Smart will be the coach for Thursday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

During his two-plus seasons with the Kings, Westphal compiled a record of 51-120 as coach.   The team has lost its last four games.

But the other problem was in his locker room where promising but troubled big man DeMarcus Cousins had become a huge problem and a major distraction.  He and Westphal had their recent disagreement when it comes to the offense, after which Cousins may or may not – depending on who you believe – had demanded a trade.

Westphal likely did not help his cause in this matter when he released a statement saying that Cousins had demanded a trade which made the situation even worse.

Kings co-owner Joe Maloof has said that this move was based on the performance of this team this season and the slow start.  But the bottom line is that the Kings had invested the fifth overall pick in the draft on Cousins and while he has been a handful, he has potential and they are not ready to give up on him yet.

The easier move, as always, is to change the coach and see if someone else can get something out of the player no matter how much of a headache he might be.

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Around the Rim: Night of blowouts

January 05, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

AP

A look around Wednesday night in the NBA while nothing else was on the tube.

Spurs 101 Warriors 95: The Warriors looked like they had this game until the fourth quarter where the Spurs took charge.  Tony Parker stepped up, scoring 10 of his 21 points then to lead the charge.  With Manu Ginobili out for the next few months, the Spurs are going to need Parker to have more efforts like this one.  Monta Ellis went off for 38 points but all for nothing.  More bad news for the Warriors as Stephen Curry left the game after spraining his right ankle again.

Heat 118 Pacers 83: Dwayne Wade sat this one out with a sore left foot and the Heat didn’t miss a beat without him.  Lebron James dominated with 33 points and 13 assists as his team got just about shot they wanted, connecting on almost 53% from the field.  Meanwhile, the Pacers got locked down and only shot 35% and were done by halftime.  A scare for the Heat as Lebron twisted his left ankle late in the third quarter and he is now listed as questionable for Thursday night’s game against the Hawks which is the first of the five game road trip for the Heat.

Clippers 117 Rockets 89:  Now this was the exciting run-and-gun Clippers that everyone expected.  Lob City was on full force, scoring 41 in the first quarter and in control throughout with the Rockets wondering what hit them.  Chris Paul had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Clippers blitzed a sluggish Rockets team that simply couldn’t keep up.

Bobcats 118 Knicks 110:  Yes, it’s still early in the season but the Knicks look anything like title contenders right now.  They let the Bobcats go nuts on them at the Garden with Boris Diaw looking unstoppable with a season-high 27 points.  And this was with both Amar’e Stoudamire and Iman Shumpert back in the lineup.  The Raptors had six players in double digits and shot over 55% for the game.  Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 32 but the Knicks need a lot of work on defense.

Grizzlies 90 Timberwolves 86:  The Timberwolves had to be licking their lips going into this one with Zach Randolph out.  But the Grizzlies buckled down on defense and got a balanced scoring attack for the road win.  Kevin Love had another double-double – 27 and 14 – while Ricky Rubio looked strong with 10 assists.  But Minnesota has to find a way to win close games, something they haven’t been able to do yet this season.

Magic 103 Wizards 85: The Wizards are just awful.  They were never in this game, trailing by 17 after the first quarter.  The Magic just cruised through this one with Dwight Howard going for 28 points and 20 rebounds while hitting on 11-of-13 shots.  Ryan Anderson had yet another big game with 23 points and 15 rebounds. He has been arguably the biggest surprise of the season in the league, averaging 19.7 points and 7.4 rebounds for Orlando.

Bulls 99 Pistons 83:  Tom Thibodeau had to pleased with his team holding the Pistons to just 41% shooting on the night and just 14 points in the first quarter.   Rip Hamilton had 14 points and 5 assists in his return to Detroit while Derrick Rose had a pedestrian (for him) 17 points and 10 assists.

Nuggets 110 Kings 83:  The Nuggets have been taking advantage of their depth so far this season and did again, getting 62 points off the bench in the blowout win.  The team didn’t miss Nene who sat this one out with a strained heel.  None of the Nuggets starters played more that 26 minutes and didn’t need to.  Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 23 but Tyreke Evans looked out of sorts and had just 8 points.

76ers 101 Hornets 93:  It looked like the Sixers were going to run out of gas heading into the fourth quarter and down by six on the road.  But Jrue Holiday came to live, scoring 14 of his 23 points including three shots from downtown.  Eric Gordon was back from the Hornets after missing four games with a bruised knee and scored 22 while Jarrett Jack had another good game with 19 points and 11 assists.

Raptors 92 Cavaliers 77: Andrea Bargnani had another big game with 31 points but it was the Raptors defense that got it done, holding the Cavs to under 30% shooting.  DeMar DeRozan had 25 while Jose Calderon put up 13 points and 11 assists.  The Raptors are 3-3 so far and have some life, especially if they continue to play defense like this.

Celtics 89 Nets 70:  No Deron Williams, no Kris Humphries for the Nets so no problem for the Celtics chalking up a win.  In fact, they seemed to be sleepwalking through the first half with just 34 points at halftime.  But they clamped down, holding the Nets to just 12 points in the third quarter and put this one away.  After losing their first three games, Boston has now won four straight.

Mavericks 98 Suns 89:  Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points in what was his 1,000 game while Lamar Odom showed up for the first time in a Mavs uniform with 15 points and five rebounds.  Dallas owned the Suns on the glass and seem to be coming together having won three of their last four.  Steve Nash had 15 points and 12 assists in the loss for a team going nowhere.  In fact, it sure seems like the right time to move the all-star point guard while you can still get something for him.

Brian Fritz is a contributor for Pro Basketball News.  Follow him on Twitter @BrianFritz.

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Spurs lose Ginobili for 6-8 weeks after hand surgery

January 04, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Getty Images

The Spurs have lost arguably their best player in Manu Ginobili for the next six to eight weeks due to his broken left hand.

Ginobili tweeted that he will have surgery on Thursday where he will have a plate and screws inserted to repair the bone in his shooting hand.

(Update: San Antonio released a projected time table regarding Ginobili’s return and estimated approximately six weeks.)

Ginobili suffered the injured on Monday night against the Timberwolves when he tried to knock the ball away from Anthony Tolliver.

Now, the Spurs will have to try and find away to stay relevant in a very competitive Western Conference for the next two months without their most versatile player.

Coach Gregg Popovich was already having to try and juggle minutes for his team in the compacted season.  That’s enough tougher now, especially if his club struggles over the next few weeks.  Tony Parker will be expected to do even more but the Spurs will have to get great pay out of Richard Jefferson who has gotten off to a good start after there were rumors he was going to be released from the team via the amnesty clause.

 

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Zach Randolph has torn knee ligament, out up to 8 weeks

January 04, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

AP

Bad news for the Grizzlies as big man Zach Randolph is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a slight MCL tear in his right knee according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

As bad as it sounds, luckily he will not need surgery and doctors will take another look at it in two weeks for a progress report.

At first, it was thought that Z-Bo just had a bruised knee after teammate O.J. Mayo crashed into him while driving to the basket during Monday’s game against the Bulls.  It looked much worse and it turns out that it is.

It’s just another blow to the Grizzlies who lost Darrell Arthur for the entire season after suffering a torn ACL during training camp.

The team did make a deal today, getting Marressee Speights from the 76ers that also included the Hornets.  As part of the trade, Xavier Henry was sent to the Hornets and the Grizz shipped a pair of second round picks to Philly.

Still, it’s going to be tough to replace the nearly 15 points and 7.5 rebounds that Randolph was averaging on the season, numbers that were probably only going to increase as the season went along.

 

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Morning Drills: Rondo likes bench, Jamison wants to go home

January 04, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

Getty Images

Morning Drills is a spin around the league with some newsy links.

Rajon Rondo is learning a lot sitting on the Celtics bench next to backup point guard Keyon Dooling.

Antawn Jamison says his dream scenario is to end his career with the Bobcats.  Really?

The Warriors are close to signing Nate Robinson and coach Mark Jackson likes his toughness.

Kobe Bryant says he is feeling pretty good considering how bad his wrist is.

The Lakers will be without one of their bigs Josh McRoberts for a little time as he tries to get his sprained toe healthy.

Minnesota fans love them some Ricky Rubio and are gobbling up tickets and their sponsorship deals are increasing too.

Dwayne Wade has a new diet that includes Chlorphyll.  Yummy.

D.J. Mbenga is about to sign with Olympiacos in Greece rather than with the Clippers.

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Around the Rim: Kobe still shooting, Bulls late heroics

January 04, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

A look around Tuesday night in the NBA while they were caucusing in Iowa.

Lakers 108 Rockets 99:  LA just abused the Rockets in the paint.  Andrew Bynum had yet another huge game – 21 points and 22 rebounds – and Pau Gasol chipped in with 14 of his own.  And Kobe Bryant kept shooting the ball too, taking 29 shots.  But he got a bulk of his shots down on the block against Kevin Martin Kyle Lowry and finished with 37 points.  This was the best the Lakers have looked on offense this season but they still need an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to put away the pesky Rockets.

Bulls 76 Hawks 74:  This game was just outright ugly for the first three quarters.  The Bulls couldn’t hit a shot and the Hawks were a little better but enough to take a 56-42 lead into the fourth quarter.  Atlanta even increased the lead to 19 points before Derrick Rose decided he had enough.  The reigning MVP then took over, scoring 17 of his 30 points while Luol Deng hit the game winning layup to give the Bulls the win.

Trail Blazers 103 Thunder 93:  In case you haven’t noticed, the Trail Blazers are good.  LaMarcus Aldridge dominated on the inside, scoring 30 points and his team got to the free throw line at will, making 29-of-36.  On the other side, Kevin Durant had an off game, making just 8-of-26 shots for 19 points.   Portland is now 4-1 on the season and look to be getting stronger.

Grizzlies 113 Kings 96:  No Zach Randolph for the Grizzlies but Rudy Gay stepped up with 23 points and Marc Gasol had his best game this season with 14 points and 15 boards.  Memphis dominated the game with their bench scoring 54 including 20 from Sam Young.  DeMarcus Cousins did play 22 minutes off the pine but was largely ineffective.

Cavaliers 115 Hornets 101:  Kyrie Irving was impressive with 20 points and six assists and the Cavs, believe it or not, are over .500 at 3-2.  DJ Augustin led the Bobcats with 26.

Jazz 85 Bucks 73:  Milwaukee took 95 shots but could only connect on 29 which is just 30.5% shooting.  Still, the Jazz couldn’t pull away due to sloppy play and had 24 turnovers.  Al Jefferson had 26 points and 10 rebounds.

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Morning Drills: Kevin Love wants deal, Kobe is hurting

January 03, 2012   Brian Fritz   No comments

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Morning Drills is a spin around the league with some newsy links.

Kevin Love and his agent Jeff Schwartz supposedly want an extension offer from the T-Wolves by January 15 or else he won’t re-sign with the team next summer.

Speaking of Love, Lamar Odom thinks he is the Bill Laimbeer of this generation.

Mike Brown thinks Kobe Bryant is hurting a lot.

DeMarcus Cousins says he did not demand a trade from the Kings.

Despite his issues, the Celtics have called Sacto about Cousins.

Others have also inquired about Cousins but the Kings say he’s not available.

The Clippers are searching for another big man and have the retired Antonio McDyess on their radar.

Josh Howard had a costly flagrantly foul over the holiday weekend.

The Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili for a while with a broken left hand.

Amare Stoudamire hopes to be back for the Knicks on Wednesday night.

Zach Randolph needs some time off for a swollen knee.

Josh Smith is playing through swelling in his knee for now.

Kris Humpries can barely move his shoulder and is having an MRI.

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