Month: November 2008

Nov 3: Grizzlies 90, Warriors 79

The AP reports: The Golden State Warriors should have paid more attention to Memphis rookie Marc Gasol. While the Warriors were worrying about high-profile Grizzlies Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo, Gasol had 27 points and 16 rebounds to help the Grizzlies beat the Warriors 90-79 on Monday night… Gasol went 9-for-11 from the field and the free throw line for Memphis, which ended a seven-game skid in the series against Golden State. The rookie also blocked three shots… Andris Biedrins had 16 points and 22 rebounds for Golden State. Stephen Jackson finished with 17 points and Corey Maggette scored 13 despite sitting out the second quarter with an injury… Rudy Gay scored 14 points and Mayo added 13 for Memphis. Kelenna Azubuike scored 10 for the Warriors, who shot 34 percent from the field.

Nov 3: Pistons 101, Bobcats 83

The AP reports: Richard Hamilton scored 19 points and the Pistons toyed with Larry Brown’s Bobcats, improving to 3-0 and perhaps showing Iverson that he’ll have plenty of scoring options when he takes over at point guard… Rasheed Wallace added 15 points and four other players scored in double figures. Rodney Stuckey replaced the departed Billups at point guard and had nine points and three assists as Detroit shot 50 percent… Shannon Brown came off the bench to score 16 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which couldn’t build off Saturday’s win over Miami in the beginning of a week of reunions for the well-traveled Brown, who has his own problems… Held most of the time to one shot, the Bobcats were outrebounded 42-31.

Nov 3: Magic 96, Bulls 93

The AP reports: Dwight Howard had 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Magic, but he was a non-factor in the fourth quarter with only two points and one rebound. Instead, the Magic went to a two-man game with point guard Jameer Nelson and forward Hedo Turkoglu. Nelson and Turkoglu each had four of the Magic’s 19 turnovers, four coming in the final quarter… Rashard Lewis finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Drew Gooden led Chicago with 21 points. Nocioni added 20 and Gordon 17… Magic backup Keith Bogans, who’s had 13 points off the bench after play sparingly in the preseason, continued to take minutes away from J.J. Redick at the shooting guard.

Nov 3: Sixers 125, Kings 91

The AP reports: Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall have to hope the way they almost flawlessly buried all those open looks earns them a second look at a bigger role in the rotation. Thaddeus Young scored 18 points, Lou Williams had 17 and the 76ers led by as many as 40 points in a 125-91 rout of the winless Sacramento Kings on Monday night… Marshall and Rush went a combined 6-for-7 from 3-point range and each played their season-high in minutes, even though most of their playing time came when the game was put away… Willie Green scored 16 points and Elton Brand had 15 for the Sixers, who were up 20 points at halftime and were able to stretch the lead in the second half instead of blowing it like they did Saturday at Atlanta… Jason Thompson scored 17 points and Spencer Hawes had 15 for the Kings (0-4), who can’t wait to head home after a dreary season-opening road trip.

Wade not feeling team yet

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ira Winderman) reports: Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade said Monday that not only doesn’t he look like himself through the first three games of the season, but he also doesn’t feel like himself. Wade is shooting 41.2 percent from the field through the first week, down from his career 48.1. He is coming off a 5-of-15 performance in Saturday’s 100-87 road loss against the Charlotte Bobcats that dropped the Heat to 1-2. Wade said he still is having trouble finding himself in an offense that features several new players to the rotation, including rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers.

Roy Hibbert not getting minutes yet

The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports: Pacers rookie Roy Hibbert is averaging just nine minutes in the first two games, which includes a total of 68 seconds in the second half. O’Brien said it’s not because Hibbert, the No. 17 pick last summer, has done anything wrong. It’s due to the fact that he’d rather go with more experienced players in the second half. “I see a guy growing well,” O’Brien said about Hibbert. “When you’re playing against Detroit and Boston, I’m going to go with veterans down the stretch. “I thought Roy did some good things. He needs to maintain his focus. His work ethic is great and I’m very, very pleased with how he’s developing.”

Mike Conley benched for 4th quarters

The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Ronald Tillery) reports on Mike Conley: The second-year point guard, taken fourth overall in the 2007 draft, hasn’t logged a single minute in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies’ past two games. He’s yielded to third-year reserve Kyle Lowry, whose defensive toughness, speedy play and adequate decision-making has earned him a role as the closer at that position. So what’s going on with Conley? He’s not injured. “That question requires reflection,” Griz coach Marc Iavaroni said after benching Conley for the entire fourth quarter of a 96-86 loss Saturday at Chicago. “Right now, Kyle is playing with more energy and physicality so I’m going with him.”

Thunder waive John Lucas

Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has waived point guard John Lucas III.

Lucas averaged 5.0 points and 2.7 assists in three preseason contests. He was inactive for all three of the Thunder regular season games.

The Thunder roster now stands at 14.