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The AP reports: Allen Iverson apparently chose family and food over practice — and he’ll be fined for it. Iverson was the only player who didn’t show up when the Detroit Pistons worked out on Thanksgiving.
InsideHoops.com editor says: I think practice should be optional on the select few major family-oriented holidays each season. But, naturally that’s the decision of the team/coach, not an individual player.
The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz center Jarron Collins, who has appeared in only two games this season due to right elbow inflammation and triceps tendinitis:
After meeting with Jazz team physician Dr. Lyle Mason, Collins has opted to take a non-surgical approach to the injury. He will allow the elbow to heal for the next six weeks through triceps strengthening, shooting and cardiovascular work.
Collins will be re-evaluated on January 3, at which point a further update will be provided.
Now in his eighth season with the Jazz, Collins has appeared in two games this season (one start), totaling one rebound and one block in 16 scoreless minutes. He was originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (53rd overall pick) of the 2001 NBA Draft and owns career averages of 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 456 games (204 starts).
The Boston Globe (Julian Benbow) reports: The first thing you should know about technical fouls is that they’re not cheap. They’re $1,000 a pop, and that’s just the first five. The next five go for $1,500. Five more and you’re looking at $2,000 plus a warning letter from the league after No. 12. The 16th is the suspension ceiling, where every other technical costs you a one-game suspension. They also cost you $2,500 each. Kendrick Perkins has eight techs in about a month… “This is what I’m trying to explain to y’all,” he said. “I’m not trying to be out there getting techs. It’s just something, you get caught up in the heat of the moment. It’s something I can’t control, but I’m not trying to get techs. I’m not trying to let them take a thousand dollars out my pockets every time.”
The AP reports: When Pau Gasol made his Lakers debut back in February following his trade from the Memphis Grizzlies, he led Los Angeles to a 15-point victory at New Jersey on a night when Kobe Bryant had the lowest-scoring game of his MVP campaign. Things looked eerily similar against the Nets on Tuesday night in the rematch at Staples Center. Gasol had 26 points and eight rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the defending Western Conference champions overcame Bryant’s shooting woes in a 120-93 rout that improved the NBA’s best record to 12-1… Bryant had difficulty with Vince Carter’s defense, going 5-for-17 from the field in 28 minutes and finishing with 12 points in the Lakers’ fifth straight victory… Devin Harris had 21 points and six assists for the Nets, who again played without Stromile Swift (back), Josh Boone (bruised left ankle) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (right knee strain). Eduardo Najera, who has an injured back, did not make the trip. Yi Jianlian had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who shot only 34.5 percent and went 3-for-19 in the fourth quarter while getting outscored 30-17.
The AP reports: The Dallas Mavericks were missing No. 2 scorer Josh Howard, and Dirk Nowitzki was getting extra attention from Indiana’s defense. So Jason Terry and Jason Kidd came to the rescue. Terry scored 16 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and Kidd hit a pair of key 3-pointers to help the Mavericks rally from a 13-point second-half deficit for a 109-106 victory over the Pacers on Tuesday night… Nowitzki added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Antoine Wright scored a career-high 24 for the Mavericks, who played without Howard for a third straight game because of a left ankle injury… Kidd finished with 11 points and 13 assists as Dallas won its second consecutive home game after dropping the first four… Danny Granger’s 22 points and Troy Murphy’s 21 points and 14 rebounds led the Pacers. Brandon Rush added 18 points off the bench and ex-Maverick Marquis Daniels contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana, which has lost three in a row and five of six.
The AP reports: Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns went back to basics to win without Shaquille O’Neal and spoil Scott Brooks’ home debut as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s head coach. Nash switched into pre-Shaq mode to guide Phoenix back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and Matt Barnes finished it off by hitting the game-winning 3-pointer from the left wing with 25.7 seconds left as the Suns beat the Thunder 99-98 Tuesday night… Amare Stoudemire finished with 22 points, Nash had 20 points and 15 assists and Barnes scored 16. Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Chris Wilcox added a season-high 18 as Oklahoma City (1-14) led by 16 as late as the final 2 minutes of the third quarter. Still, the Thunder dropped their 12th straight game.
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 26 points before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Cavaliers quickly took a charged-up New York crowd out of the game in a 119-101 victory Tuesday night… Delonte West added 16 points and Wally Szczerbiak had 15 for the Cavaliers, who led by as many as 34. They rang up their highest point total of the season and put seven players in double figures, showing they may have more help than ever for James, the NBA’s leading scorer… Quentin Richardson scored 22 points and newcomer Tim Thomas had 16 for the Knicks, who lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to 7-7… Cleveland scored the first eight points of the period, and after Thomas made two free throws, the Cavs followed with a 13-2 spurt to make it 55-26 on Szczerbiak’s 3-pointer with 7:20 left in the period.
The AP reports: The Wizards notched season highs in points, rebounds (54), matched their season high in assists (27), and forced a season-high 20 turnovers as Tapscott experimented with different lineup combinations and ran more isolation plays and less of Jordan’s Princeton-style attack. Butler scored a season-high 35 points, Jamison had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie center JaVale McGee added a season-high 14 points as the Wizards improved to 2-10, avoiding the worst 12-game start in franchise history. The biggest surprise was Andray Blatche, Washington’s Mr. Inconsistency, who had season highs with 25 points and 11 rebounds and also matched career highs with five blocks and five steals… Corey Maggette scored 17 points to lead the Warriors, who have lost three straight.
Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that center Andrew Bogut will miss approximately 7-10 days of action with a bone bruise to his left knee. An MRI taken today in Atlanta, GA, revealed the injury.
Bogut sustained the injury in Monday’s loss at Orlando. In 16 games this season, Bogut is averaging 11.4 points, 10.9 rebounds (4th in NBA), 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocked shot in 31.6 minutes per game.
Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks hosted LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The arena is packed with stars. Here are raw, totally unedited game notes taken from the arena:
In the first quarter the Cavs mostly did it at a team. LeBron James was content to mostly sit back and let his team show they are legit. But he did nail a pair of three-pointers along the way.
It was later in the first that LeBron started operating solo in isolation up top, and each time he drove it looked like a mismatch. Too easy. Even when the play didn’t go as planned he was clearly dominant.
End of first quarter: Cavs 34, Knicks 22. King James had 11 points and three rebounds. Delonte West scored nine. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had six. For the Knicks Chris Duhon had eight on good shooting. The Knicks had just one free throw attempt.
Second quarter:
Bill Bradley is in the house. He received some polite applause.
At 10:12 in the second quarter the Cavs got inside. JJ Hickson, Wally Szczerbiak and Anderson Varejao got easy buckets near the rim and made it 42-22 Cavs, leading to a Knicks timeout and scattered boos from the fans.
After Wilson Chandler got called for traveling the fans booed a bit more. But a play or two later th Cavs kept rolling with LeBron on the bench and a Szczerbiak three made it 55-26.
The Knicks wake up a bit and a Nate Robinson fast break layup over several defenders cuts it to 35-57. But Natev wound up limping off the court to the locker room.
A Cavs fast break resulted in Delonte West throwing down a nice uncontested dunk, hanging on the rim as a defender passed under him. Cavs up 59-35. Mike D’Antoni lashed out at a ref, I am guessing due to no tech being called on West, and the ref handed a tech to the Knicks coach.
The Cavs keep rolling, and LeBron is barely having to do anything. Cleveland guards keep penetrating and creating at will.
The Knicks defense is totally asleep. No energy.
At the end of three quarters the Cavs lead 95-66.
No more game notes from me today. It is a blowout. I will write more later tonight.