Month: November 2008

Spurs waive Desmon Farmer and sign Blake Ahearn

he San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed guard Blake Ahearn. Per club policy terms of the contract were not released. At the same time the team announced that guard Desmon Farmer has been waived.

Ahearn is the first player called up from the NBA Development League in the 2008-09 season. He was in Minnesota’s 2008 training camp where he averaged 7.8 points and 1.2 assists in five games. After being waived by the Timberwolves he joined the Dakota Wizards. Ahearn was in camp with the Wizards prior to signing with the Spurs.

During the 2007-08 season the 6-2, 190-pound, Ahearn appeared in 41 games for the Wizards. He averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game. He shot .486 (239-492) from the field, .439 (108-246) from three-point land and .960 (192-200) from the line. Ahearn was named the 2008 D-League Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All D-League Second Team.

Ahearn was signed by the Miami Heat on 3/21/08. He spent the remainder of the 2007-08 season with Miami. In 12 games with the Heat he averaged 5.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.6 rebounds.

Ahearn played his collegiate ball at Missouri State.  In four seasons with the Bears, he averaged 13.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 128 games.  Ahearn earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors his junior and senior seasons. For his career Ahearn shot .423 (483-1,142) from the field, .408 (276-676) from three-point range and .946 (435-460) from the foul line.  He finished collegiate career as the all-time leading free throw shooter in NCAA Division I history.  Ahearn led the nation in free throw shooting his freshman, sophomore, and junior years.

Farmer was signed by the Spurs as a free agent on 9/17/08.  He appeared in three games for the Silver and Black, averaging 4.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes.

Celtics assign JR Giddens to D-League

Boston Celtics guard J.R. Giddens was assigned to the Utah Flash, the Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.  In six preseason games with the Celtics, Giddens averaged 2.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 7.5 minutes.

Giddens, 6-5, was selected in the first round, 30th overall, by the Celtics in the 2008 NBA draft from the University of New Mexico.  During his two-year career as a Lobo, Giddens averaged 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds.  As a senior, Giddens started all 33 of New Mexico’s games, and averaged career highs of 16.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists.  Giddens shared Mountain West Conference Co-Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors during his senior year.

Giddens, the season’s fourth player to be assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, is expected to join the Flash in Orem, Utah in time for training camp this weekend.

Nov 14: Pistons 106, Lakers 95

The AP reports: Rasheed Wallace had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Allen Iverson added 25 points and the Detroit Pistons handed the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the season, 106-95 Friday night. Kobe Bryant scored 29 points for the Lakers, but went 12-of-30 from the floor… Tayshaun Prince added 18 points in Detroit’s balanced scoring. Former Laker Kwame Brown had a double-double, with 10 rebounds and 10 points, and Richard Hamilton also scored 10. Pau Gasol had 10 points and was the only Lakers’ starter other than Bryant in double figures. Lamar Odom had 11 points and Trevor Ariza 10.

Nov 14: Suns 97, Kings 95 OT

The AP reports: Shaquille O’Neal tied a season high with 29 points and had 13 rebounds and six assists Friday night to help the short-handed Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 97-95 in overtime Friday night. Amare Stoudemire was the star in overtime for the Suns… Stoudemire, who finished with 12 points, was quiet through much of the game and failed to score in the second half… Grant Hill had 22 points and had nine rebounds for the Suns, while Raj Bell had 14 points and Boris Diaw added nine. Beno Udrih had 21 points and Miller had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, who fell behind midway through the second quarter and never led again. Salmons scored 21 points and Hawes added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Nov 14: Magic 102, Mavs 100

The AP reports: “Once you’re in a funk, everything seems to go against you,” said Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half, but hit a tying jumper and a tough go-ahead basket in the final minutes… Dwight Howard, coming off his first career triple-double, had 18 points and 13 rebounds but only two blocks. Two more swats were whistled as goaltending. Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and Mickael Pietrus had 20, including two huge 3-pointers down the stretch. Hedo Turkoglu had 12 before fouling out… Josh Howard scored 25 points and Kidd had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Kidd also had six turnovers and fouled out on the play that sent Lewis to the line for the winning points… Jason Terry scored 20 points off the bench, having been dropped to a reserve while Gerald Green moved into the starting lineup as part of Carlisle’s latest attempt to get this team going.

Nov 14: Spurs 77, Rockets 75

The AP reports: Tim Duncan scored 22 points, but his defense helped the Spurs avoid another loss in their injury-plagued early season. Duncan blocked Aaron Brooks’ layup with a second left in the Spurs’ 77-75 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night… Rookie George Hill, playing in place of the injured Tony Parker at point guard, added 17 points to help San Antonio—down 14 points with 7:37 to go— improve to 3-5. San Antonio also is awaiting the return of Manu Ginobili from an ankle injury… “This was a game we should have won,” said Tracy McGrady said, who struggled through a 2-for-12 shooting night for seven points… Ron Artest led Houston with 18 points. Brooks, playing at point guard in place of the suspended Rafer Alston, had 14.

Nov 14: Hornets 87, Blazers 82

The AP reports: David West scored 18 points and James Posey hit two 3-pointers—New Orleans’ only baskets in the last 8:30—to help the Hornets outlast the Blazers 87-82… Portland’s only field goals in the last 6:59 came on Brandon Roy’s two 3-pointers in the final minute. Roy had a chance to tie it in the last 10 seconds, but his wild turnaround 3-pointer came nowhere close. New Orleans guard Devin Brown sealed the win two free throws with 7.3 seconds left… Chris Paul added 17 points, nine assists and four steals to help the Hornets improve to 5-4. Portland lost for the first time in five games… Injury-plagued Portland center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, had career bests with 11 points and 11 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained foot he sustained in the season opener after missing all of his rookie season following microfracture knee surgery… LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points for the Trail Blazers.

Nov 14: Nuggets 94, Celtics 85

The AP reports: The Nuggets are 4-1 since Billups’ arrived after a Nov. 3 trade with the Pistons. And on Friday night, the Nuggets added a statement game to their resume, beating the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 94-85. “It’s a huge win,” said Billups, who scored 18 points and had seven assists… Carmelo Anthony had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets. Martin had 16 points and Nene added 14. Smith and Linas Kleiza each scored 10 points. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Celtics (8-2). Ray Allen led all scorers with 26 points. Paul Pierce had 19 points and Garnett added 16 for the Celtics, who lost at home for the first time this season.

Nov 14: Bucks 101, Grizzlies 96 OT

The AP reports: Ramon Sessions had 20 points, including a pair of free throws that put Milwaukee ahead with 42.3 seconds left in overtime, and the Bucks held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-96 on Friday night. “We were just trying to be persistent,” said Milwaukee forward Richard Jefferson, who led the Bucks with 26 points and 10 rebounds… Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 19 points and 17 rebounds for Milwaukee, while Luke Ridnour finished with 14 points. O.J. Mayo led Memphis with 25 points, while Rudy Gay finished with 24. Marc Gasol had 18 points for the Grizzlies… Ramon Sessions’ 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left in regulation tied it at 87. Sessions missed a desperation shot as the horn sounded to send the game into overtime. “(Sessions) hasn’t shot many threes in his career,” said center Andrew Bogut, who had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Nov 14: Nets 115, Hawks 108

The AP reports: Back in the lineup after missing three games because of a sprained left ankle, Devin Harris scored 30 points to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 115-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. The Nets also got career-best nights from rookies Brook Lopez (25 points), and Ryan Anderson (15). Vince Carter had 26, many coming down the stretch to help the Nets end a three-game losing streak, that not coincidentally, started when Harris headed to the sidelines… The Hawks, who opened the season with six straight wins, have lost two in a row. Joe Johnson scored 30 of his game-high 32 in the second half. Marvin Williams and Flip Murray each had 21 points.