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Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu is having a great season and received consideration for the All-Star reserves. But not making the team seems to have made Turk play even better.
The AP reports: Hedo Turkoglu has put together perhaps the best stretch of his career over his past nine games, averaging 23.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Turkoglu had his first career triple-double – 13 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists – in Orlando’s loss to Dallas.
Brandon Roy did not travel with the Trail Blazers to Detroit and will miss tonight’s game against the Pistons due to a death in the family. Because of the timing of the memorial service, Roy will also miss Saturday’s game with the Indiana Pacers. The Trail Blazers guard is expected to rejoin the team for Monday’s game versus the Houston Rockets.
Roy for the season is averaging 19.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game, on 46.1% shooting from the field. The only thing he needs to improve upon offensively is his three-point shooting.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Sam Cassell has been suspended one game without pay for committing a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two by swinging and making contact with the head of Boston’s Rajon Rondo, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.
The incident occurred with 2:54 remaining in the second quarter of the Clippers 111-100 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Banknorth Garden. Cassell will serve his suspension tonight when the Clippers visit the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
A gold medal and MVP honours at EuroBasket 2007 and another strong showing for club side the Utah Jazz all add up the FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award for Andrei Kirilenko of Russia. The 2.09m forward takes home the prize after winning a vote of both fans and a panel of basketball experts, media and coaches from 25 different countries.
Last year’s winner, Dirk Nowitzki finished second while Jose Calderon of EuroBasket silver medallists Spain came in third.
Kirilenko led the surprise Russian side at EuroBasket 2007; averaging 18 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals to go with nearly two blocks per game. He had 29 points and eight rebounds in a crucial semi-final win over Lithuania and 17 points in the final against Spain.
On club level Kirilenko helped lead the Utah Jazz to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals where they fell to eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs. Kirilenko is currently averaging 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game for the Jazz.
The Charlotte Bobcats have recalled rookie forward Jermareo Davidson from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Davidson is expected to rejoin the team tonight at 7 p.m., when the Bobcats host New Jersey at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
The 6-10, 230-pound forward appeared in six Skyforce games with averages of 18.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 31.5 minutes. He also connected on .478 from the field and .733 from the free throw line.
Over his last four games in which he led the Skyforce to a 3-1 record, Davidson averaged 21 points and 11.3 rebounds, including three 20-plus points scoring outings and two double-doubles – 22 points, 13 rebounds against Fort Wayne on Feb. 1 and 23 points, 15 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 7.