The AP reports: With its reserves playing most of the minutes, Detroit closed the regular-season Wednesday night with an 84-74 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that beat the Pistons four straight times last season and denied them a trip to the NBA finals… Rookie Aaron Afflalo scored 15 points, Jason Maxiell had 13 and Rodney Stuckey 12 for the Pistons, who will meet the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round starting Sunday. Wally Szczerbiak, who has struggled to find his shooting touch since coming to Cleveland in a trade, scored 18 points to pace the Cavaliers. Delonte West, another of the newer Cavaliers, added 11 points and Dwayne Jones had 10 rebounds. Not wanting to risk injury to James or center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown didn’t activate his two best players so they’d be ready for the Wizards.
Day: April 16, 2008
Cavs sign Billy Thomas for playoffs and next season
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Billy Thomas for the remainder of the season and playoffs and for the 2008-09 season. He was signed to a 10-day contract on February 22 and to his second 10-day contract on March 3. Thomas has played in six games with the Cavaliers this season.
Thomas is often called a shooting guard due to his height, but he’s got the strength and weight of a small forward. He’s not your average NBA player. Decent addition.
Suns sign Linton Johnson for playoffs
The Phoenix Suns signed forward Linton Johnson for the remainder of the season, the team announced today. Johnson is eligible to be on the Suns’ 2008 NBA Playoff roster.
The 6-8, 205-pound Johnson returns to Phoenix after signing two separate 10-day contracts on Feb. 22 and March 3 earlier this season. Johnson appeared in six games in his first stint with Phoenix, averaging 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.8 minutes. The 27-year-old also signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on March 27, 2008 and appeared in two games, scoring six total points in 10 minutes.
In 141 career games (27 starts), Johnson owns averages of 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. The four-year NBA veteran enjoyed his best career season in 2005-06 with the Hornets, posting averages of 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 18.1 minutes in 27 games. Johnson signed his first NBA contract with the Bulls on Sept. 29, 2003.
The Suns roster now stands at 14. An updated roster is attached.
Lakers win top spot in West
The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliot Teaford) reports: Purple-and-gold streamers and confetti fell on a roaring sellout crowd after the Lakers clinched the top spot in the Western Conference and secured home-court advantage for the first three rounds of the playoffs with a 124-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. “Now we’re in the No. 1 spot, but it doesn’t mean anything unless we move forward and take care of business,” guard Derek Fisher said. Added forward Lamar Odom: “It feels great. We’ll get something to eat and talk about it a little bit and then we’ll move on. We really came together at the end of the season, and we found ourselves in first place.”
Only Heat trainer ever is retiring
The Miami Herald (Sarah Rothschild) reports: Ron Culp’s 3,001st game will be his last. The only head trainer the Heat has known in its 20-year history is retiring. Culp, who also serves as travel coordinator, is leaving after Wednesday’s season finale. It will end his run of a record-setting 37 seasons on the job. He started with the 1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers expansion team and went to Portland in 1974, where he was part of the 1977 championship team, and arrived in Miami for its inaugural season in 1988… Culp is a three-time winner of the NBA trainer of the year award and has two championships on his résumé (including 2006 with the Heat), but his devotion to the players is as much his legacy as his decades of service.
Raptors pimpin dat dancer booty
The Toronto Star (Dave Feschuk) reports: In their insatiable quest to fatten the bottom line, the crude capitalists who run the Raptors hit below the belt this year: specifically, they sold advertising space on the backsides of the resident scantily clad dance troupe. In doing so, they gifted the lecherous among their courtside seatholders a handy excuse. Something like: “But I was looking at her ad, honey.” Branded heinies are but one of the relatively new developments casual observers might have missed in Raptorworld this season.
InsideHoops.com editor says: I support anything that gives me an excuse to look even more closely at the dancers.
Chris Paul making big MVP noise
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jan Hubbard) reports: Chris Paul has been a nightmare for the entire league, because if opponents try to double-team him to limit his scoring, he is such a great passer that he will find the open man. “He’s really a mature player for his age, and he can do it all, ” Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. “He can shoot the 3, he can penetrate, he gets steals, he’s very, very confident. “He’s very heady, very knowledgeable of the game, can beat you in between, at the basket, he gets to the free-throw line, just causes havoc. And if you have to play against him in a seven-game series, I don’t think the opposing head coach is going to get much sleep.”
The Star-Telegram continues: Much was expected from Paul, who goes by the nickname “CP3,” which is the first letter of his first and last name and his uniform number and has nothing to do with Star Wars. Paul was the fourth player taken in the 2005 draft behind Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams and Deron Williams. But he has exceeded even high expectations, which is why he is getting considerable support for the Most Valuable Player award this season. Kobe Bryant is the favorite, but Paul has gained momentum. If he doesn’t win it, he’s likely to finish second, ahead of Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Cleveland’s LeBron James.
Apr. 15: Lakers 124, Kings 101
The AP reports: Pau Gasol had 22 points, leading MVP candidate Kobe Bryant added 20, and the Lakers beat the short-handed Sacramento Kings 124-101 Tuesday night to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West and home-court advantage throughout the conference playoffs… Lamar Odom added 15 points and 12 rebounds, Vladimir Radmanovic scored 14, Jordan Farmar added 13 points, and Ronny Turiaf had 10 points and six assists for the Lakers, who went strictly with reserves in the fourth quarter. Quincy Douby led the Kings (38-44) with a career-high 32 points. Beno Udrih scored 22 points, Francisco Garcia added 15 and Sheldon Williams had 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds… The Kings played their final game of the season without their top three scorers: Kevin Martin, Ron Artest and Brad Miller.
Apr. 15: Blazers 113, Grizzlies 91
The AP reports: Brandon Roy had 16 points and 11 assists for the Blazers (41-40) who play their final game of the season Wednesday at Phoenix. Portland has not finished with a winning record since the 2002-03 season. James Jones hit six 3-pointers to lead Portland with 20 points. Jarrett Jack scored 18 points and Channing Frye added 16 for Portland… Hakim Warrick led Memphis with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Rudy Gay and Andre Brown each added 16 points… The Grizzlies were without veteran guard Mike Miller because of back spasms, and guard Javaris Crittenton, who has a sprained right thumb.
Apr. 15: Hornets 114, Clippers 92
The AP reports: The New Orleans Hornets gathered in front of their bench, wearing ball caps and T-shirts commemorating the first division championship in the franchise’s 20-year history… David West scored 32 points and Chris Paul had 12 during a decisive run in the third quarter as the Hornets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-92 on Tuesday night… Chris Paul finished with 22 points and 12 assists, while Chandler added 11 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Julian Wright scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter, including a thunderous dunk. Rookie Al Thornton led the Clippers with 26 points. Corey Maggette contributed 13 off the bench.