The AP reports: Down by 12 points after one quarter, the Dallas Mavericks knew better than to panic. Instead, they waited for the struggling Toronto Raptors to crack. It didn’t take long. Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Jason Terry also scored 27 points in the Mavericks’ 96-86 victory over the Raptors on Wednesday night… Josh Howard added 20 points for Dallas in his first start since Nov. 18. Howard, who came off the bench Monday night in a loss to Denver after missing 11 games because of a sprained ankle, scored Dallas’ first nine points and had 11 in the first quarter… Jermaine O’Neal scored 19 points for the Raptors, who have lost three straight and are 2-6 since Jay Triano replaced Sam Mitchell as head coach Dec. 3.
Month: December 2008
Dec 17: Celtics 88, Hawks 85
The AP reports: The Boston Celtics looked to Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter. Garnett scored 10 of his 18 points in the final quarter, and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson missed a late free throw that would have tied it, helping the Celtics beat the Hawks 88-85 on Wednesday night for their 16th straight victory. After Johnson missed the second of two free throws with 2.7 seconds, Ray Allen made a pair of free throws with 0.7 seconds left for the defending NBA champion Celtics, who have a franchise-best 24-2 record. It was only the second loss in 10 home games for the Hawks… Joe Johnson led Atlanta with 20 points, 10 in the final period. He was 7-of-7 from the line before the miss. Marvin Williams added 16 points, and Josh Smith and Mike Bibby had 14 each for the Hawks.
Dec 17: Sixers 93, Bucks 88
The AP reports: Lou Williams matched his career high with 25 points in a reserve role, Miller added 19, and the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the loss of forward Elton Brand to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 93-88. Brand dislocated his right shoulder with 7:23 left in the third quarter after landing on Milwaukee’s Luc Mbah a Moute. Marreese Speights tied his career high with 12 points, and Thaddeus Young had 10 to help the Sixers improve to 11-14 overall and 2-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo. DiLeo replaced the fired Maurice Cheeks on Saturday. Luke Ridnour and Charlie Bell scored 14 points each for Milwaukee, and Mbah a Moute added 13. Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva had 11 apiece. The loss ended the Bucks’ two-game winning streak.
Mike Dunleavy happy to be gone from Warriors
The San Francisco Chronicle (Jon Shea) reports: Mike Dunleavy put up career numbers last season and said Wednesday it wouldn’t have happened if he still were a Warrior. “That wasn’t possible out there,” said Dunleavy, referring to Oakland. “It’s no coincidence so many guys who come from Golden State go elsewhere and succeed. The proof is in the pudding. I take responsibility for certain things. You look at guys who went elsewhere after leaving Golden State, they found a way. Whatever that means or says, you could read it through.” Dunleavy hasn’t played this season because of a sore right knee but said he still hopes to play a significant number of games “and pick up where I left off.”
Elton Brand dislocates shoulder
The AP reports: Philadelphia forward Elton Brand dislocated a shoulder and left the 76ers’ game against Milwaukee last night. Brand injured his right shoulder with 7:23 remaining to be played in the third quarter after landing on Milwaukee’s Luc Mbah a Moute. Brand had four points and six rebounds before going to the dressing room.
Corey Brewer has knee surgery
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. The procedure was performed by Dr. David Fischer at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Bloomington, Minn. Brewer suffered the injury during the Timberwolves Nov. 29 game vs. Denver and will be sidelined indefinitely as he begins rehabilitation.
Brewer had appeared in 15 games for the Wolves this season, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the arc.
Wet floor affects Celtics-Hawks game
Wednesday night in Atlanta the Hawks are hosting the Boston Celtics. But aside from each other, the two teams were facing a mutual opponent: a wet floor.
The Boston Globe (Frank Dell’Apa) reports (via blog): Several Celtics and Hawks lost their footing near the basket near the Hawks’ bench during the first three quarters, and the Celtics’ Glen Davis sustained a bruised right knee during pre-game warmups. After Paul Pierce fell with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter, the game was delayed while the floor was mopped dry.
Wolves almost drafted Ilgauskas
The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Don Seeholze) reports (via blog): Zydrunas Ilgauskas is in his 10th season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and recently became the team’s all-time leading rebounder, but his career could have gone much differently. Wolves coach Kevin McHale said before tonight’s game that the team was prepared to select the 7-foot-3 center in the second round of the 1995 NBA draft until he broke his foot during a workout. “Tough kid,” McHale said. “I’m a big fan of Zydrunas. He broke his foot and he was still practicing. He was working out and he said, ‘My foot hurts a little bit.’ … After seeing it was a broken foot, I said that’s a pretty tough dude.”
Jerry Sloan: The eternal coach
Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has been coaching so long, when he first started basketball was played on ice, and the object of the game was to hurl spears at monsters. Earth was flat. Electricity didn’t exist yet. Neither did light or sound. The continents had not yet separated.
On November 7 the Jazz beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting Sloan the 1,000th win of his NBA head coaching career. He is the only coach in league history to pass that win total with just one team.
Second on the list of one-team wins as a head coach is Red Auerbach with 795 (Boston Celtics).
Third is Gregg Popovich with 647 Spurs wins.
Only three NBA coaches have more total wins than Sloan: Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Don Nelson (1,287) and Pat Riley (1,195). Of those three coaches, only Riley (65.6%) has a higher winning percentage than Sloan (60.3%).
Now in his 21st season coaching the Jazz, Sloan is the longest-tenured head coach in NBA history and has the longest current tenure of any head coach in pro basketball, baseball, football or hockey.
Since Sloan became Utah’s coach there have been 225 coaching changes in the NBA.
When Sloan retires, it’s safe to predict that it’ll be on his own terms.
Utah Jazz Notes: CJ Miles the dunk leader
General Utah Jazz notes coming into Wednesday’s game in New Jersey against the Nets.
Deron Williams last season was one of only three players in NBA history to post 1500+ points, 800+ assists with 50% or better shooting in the same season.
Now a starter at small forward, CJ Miles began the season slowly but has doubled his production since November 15.
Starting on November 1, 2006, power forward Paul Millsap has played in 190 consecutive games, which is 7th amongst all active NBA players.
Ronnie Brewer has the most dunks of any Jazz player this season, with 34. Paul Millsap is a close second with 33. Andrei Kirilenko has 23, CJ Miles 15 and desite all his missed games due to injury Carlos Boozer has 10.
According to Jazz team notes, Deron Williams has no dunks yet this season.
Injuries have messed up Utah’s season so far. Jazz players combine to have missed 81 games thus far. The total for all of last season was 45.