The AP reports: Danny Granger’s partner is back. Mike Dunleavy scored a season-high 30 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Heat 114-103 on Friday night. Dunleavy, a leading candidate for the league’s most improved player award last season, missed the first 34 games this season with a sore right knee. He had struggled with his shot since his return, but found his form against Miami. He was 10-for-18 from the floor, including 4-for-8 on 3-pointers… Dwyane Wade scored 24 points for the Heat, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Mark Blount scored 17 points, and Michael Beasley had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Miami.
Month: January 2009
Celtics beat Pistons for 10th straight win
The AP reports: The Boston Celtics finally got a game. The result, though, was the same. Kevin Garnett scored 22, Paul Pierce had 20 points and Ray Allen added 14, leading Boston to an 86-78 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. The Celtics, who have won 10 straight, took their last seven by double digits, including three victories by 20-plus points… Detroit’s Allen Iverson scored 19 points, moving past Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and into 16th place on the NBA’s career scoring list.
Spurs recall Malik Hairston from D-League
The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have recalled Malik Hairston from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (D-League).
Hairston is currently the fifth leading scorer in the D-League with 21.1 points per game. In 23 games for the Toros this season he has also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Hairston was named D-League Performer of the Week on 12/22 after helping lead the Toros to three straight wins while averaging 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists
Hairston was signed by the Spurs on 12/22 and was inactive for three games before being returned to Austin on 12/26. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 48th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and was acquired by San Antonio in exchange for the draft rights to Goran Dragic. He spent training camp with San Antonio where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in six preseason games before being waived on 10/26.
Tarence Kinsey out 3-5 weeks
Cavaliers guard Tarence Kinsey left last night’s game at Orlando with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter with a right ankle sprain. He was re-evaluated at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health today. He is estimated to be out three to five weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate.
Tracy McGrady has minor ankle sprain
The Houston Chronicle (Jonathan Feigen) reports: The Rockets’ run of relatively good health could be over after one game. Tracy McGrady left Friday’s practice with a sprained left ankle. The injury is not considered serious, with McGrady listed as “a game-time decision” to play Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.
No All-Star spot annoys Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony was an All-Star starter last season. This year, he’s not even on the team as a reserve.
Averaging 21.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 43.7% shooting (his lowest field goal percentage since 2004-05), Melo has played in just 31 of Denver’s 46 games. His missed action due to injury certainly played a big role in being left out.
Still, the proud player isn’t going to pretend he didn’t want to make it.
The Rocky Mountain News (Chris Tomasson) reports:
“A little bit,” Anthony told the Rocky Mountain News on Friday morning in his first public comments about whether he was disappointed in not being selected Thursday to the NBA Western Conference All-Star team. “But it ain’t nothing I can control. It is what it is. I’m happy for Chauncey (Billups) making it, though.” Billups, a guard, was selected by Western Conference coaches as an All-Star reserve for the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix. But Anthony, after being selected the past two years, was left off after missing 10 games with a broken right hand. “Of course,” Anthony said when asked if he didn’t make the team because of his injury. “I didn’t think I did nothing wrong. My game didn’t do nothing wrong. That’s the only thing that could have (cost Anthony). It is what it is. There’s nothing I can complain about.”
There aren’t any small forwards on the entire West All-Star team.
I think had Melo not missed so many games he’d have been picked ahead of Hornets power forward David West.
Chris Douglas-Roberts reminded of his place
Chris Douglas-Roberts is a rookie guard on the New Jersey Nets. And just because his shoulders look like they were put on backwards doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve respect.
Still, rookies have to know their place. Especially those who will have to keep working hard to prove they belong in the league.
The New York Daily News (Julian Garcia) reports:
Rookie guard Chris Douglas-Roberts was knocked down a peg by assistant coach Doug Overton Thursday. During a drill that only a few players were participating in, Overton screamed, “Shut the — up. You’re a rookie!” Douglas-Roberts then stood with his shirt pulled up over his face while he waited to get back on the court. He looked to be on the verge of tears as he returned to the locker room after practice ended.
That’s tough love, folks.
Teammates call Mo Williams an All-Star
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams is having a great season, but wasn’t named an NBA All-Star reserve.
Shooting 46.7% from the field, Williams is averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who did make the All-Star team, is shooting better than Mo Williams, getting more steals and dishing more assists.
Still, it’s somewhat close. And Mo’s teammates are outraged. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Mary Schmitt Boyer) reports:
“It’s a tragedy,” Ben Wallace said. “I think it’s an injustice. It’s a fraud. We’ve got the best record in the league, and we’ve only got one guy going. You always make it the next year, after the year you were supposed to make it. It’s a travesty and a sham and a mockery. It’s a shamockery.” Said LeBron James: “It just shows the disrespect that basketball in Cleveland continues to get. I haven’t seen the All-Star list yet, so I can’t comment on who’s in it. But it’s definitely disrespectful that we continue to do work every year with nothing to show for it. They always say when you win, individual accolades will take care of itself. But sometimes it doesn’t happen.
I like that. A sham, and a mockery. A shamockery. I’m going to go outside now and start yelling those words at random strangers on the street here in NYC, while waving my arms around wildly. But not tell them what I’m actually outraged about. This has nothing to do with Mo or Jameer. It just sounds fun.
Hoop Dreams Sequel: Hoop Reality
Hoop Reality is the sequel to the groundbreaking, Academy Award nominated 1995 documentary Hoop Dreams.Narrated by “Hoop Dreams” star Arthur Agee, “Hoop Reality” explores what happened during the last decade from where “Hoop Dreams” left off, following the original basketball hero past his dream and into reality, examining where life has carried him over the decade, and taking a look at where he is today, as the torch gets passed to the next dream seeker. Along the way he mentors and inspires the up-and-coming basketball star, Patrick Beverly, who leads his team, the Marshal Commandos, for the first time since the original Hoop Dreams, to the State Finals. Directed by Lee Davis. (As quoted by the production company)
It’s said to be coming in March of 2009.
Here is the Hoop Reality trailor video clip:
Grizzlies sign Darius Miles for rest of season
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Darius Miles for the remainder of the season, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
The 6-9, 235-pound forward has averaged 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.80 blocks in 12.1 minutes in 10 games with the Grizzlies this season.
The seven-year NBA veteran originally signed with the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 13 (and was later waived on Jan. 7) after missing all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons following microfracture surgery on his right knee. The 27-year-old signed consecutive 10-day contracts with Memphis on Jan. 10 and on Jan. 20.
Miles signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, 2008 and appeared in six preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes before his release on Oct. 20.
The third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles became the first player in league history drafted straight out of high school (East St. Louis High School) to earn All-Rookie honors when he posted 9.4 points and 1.54 blocks for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000-01.
The Bellville, Ill. native holds career averages of 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.14 blocks in 27.4 minutes in 422 career games (190 starts) with Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers.