The AP reports: After 19 straight wins and an NBA record 27-2 start, the Boston Celtics have lost that swagger. The lockdown defense and the poise are missing, too, as teams line up to get a shot at the defending champions. On Tuesday, it was the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, as Raymond Felton scored 25 points and rookie D.J. Augustin added 11 of his 20 in overtime in a stunning 114-106 win that sent the Celtics to their fifth loss in seven games… Paul Pierce scored 28 points, but had a key turnover in overtime. Ray Allen scored 20 points, but shot 7-for-20. Rajon Rondo committed nine turnovers. Kevin Garnett had 14 points and 13 rebounds, but shot only 7-of-18 and was called for traveling in Charlotte’s decisive spurt… Bobcats F Adam Morrison had 13 points in his best game in a month.
Month: January 2009
Back home, 76ers top Rockets, stop losing streak
The AP reports: Andre Iguodala tied his season high with 28 points and the reeling 76ers returned home from a dreadful road trip to beat the Houston Rockets 104-96 on Tuesday night… Iguodala nailed a 3-pointer in front of the Rockets bench late in the fourth to halt Houston’s 11-2 run that had sliced the gap to six. He sank a runner in the lane for a 98-92 lead that dashed Houston’s last-gasp at a comeback win. He shot 12-of-19 from the floor… Luis Scola led six Rockets in double figures with 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds… Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Von Wafer and Carl Landry all scored 14 points for the Rockets.
Nuggets recall Sonny Weems from D-League
The Denver Nuggets have recalled G/F Sonny Weems from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.
Weems was assigned to the 14ers on Dec. 10 and averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.3 apg in 10 appearances with Colorado.
Weems was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (39th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft before being traded to Denver for a 2009 second-round draft pick.
In five games for the Nuggets entry in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this summer, Weems averaged 9.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 22.2 mpg.
Carmelo Anthony out 3-4 weeks
After visiting with Denver-based hand specialist Dr. Carlton Clinkscales today, it was confirmed that Nuggets F Carmelo Anthony has a non-displaced 3rd metacarpal fracture on his right hand. Anthony’s hand will be placed in a splint and he will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks.
Anthony’s injury occurred at the 9:44 mark of the third quarter last night against Indiana.
Violent fans harrass an Israel-league team in Turkey
A EuroCup basketball game in Turkey between Israeli team Bnei Hasharon and a Turkish team was suspended after violent fans started making both verbal and physical threats towards the players on the Israeli team.
Two American players on the team are Shawn James, who attended Duquesne University and Sean Munson, who attended Wagner.
The Bnei team players had to flee under police protection to their locker room, and have had to stay there for a length of time for their own safety as uncivilized, violent fans took political anger and applied it towards innocent basketball players who are simply trying to engage in friendly sports competition.
The team from Turkey also left for their locker room, to avoid getting caught in any violence.
UPDATE: My source who is at the game tells me the players are now safe and back at their hotel.
UPDATE: Sean S. Munson exclusively to InsideHoops.com: “We are all good and safe. We are in the hotel right now with police out side protecting us… We were in the locker room for 3 hours waiting for the police escort to clear the street back to our hotel. They were throwing coins, pens, lighters, and one shoe during the warmups. We finished the introduction of players and shook the other team’s hands and then it got quiet in the gym for about a minute. Then the crowd rushed the court. The game was seconds from starting.”
–InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner
Jazz assign Kyrylo Fesenko to D-League
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has assigned second-year center Kyrylo Fesenko to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League (D-League). He is expected to be in uniform tonight as the Flash hosts the Anaheim Arsenal at 7:15 p.m. as part of the D-League Showcase.
In 10 games this season (one start) the 7-1, 278 pound Fesenko has averages of 2.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists. Fesenko has been inactive 13 times this season and DNP-CD 12 games. His best outing of the season came at Houston on December 12 when he picked up his first career double-double, scoring 12 points with 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko’s rights in a draft night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) and trade considerations to the 76ers.
Nuggets mascot on roof to force All-Star votes
Following the third quarter of last night’s Nuggets-Pacers game, Nuggets supermascot Rocky abruptly left the arena and climbed to the Pepsi Center rooftop. The mountain lion plans to remain on the roof until Nuggets fans have submitted 100,000 NBA All-Star ballots.
Rocky’s departure from Pepsi Center was prompted by an announcement made in-arena stating that if All-Star balloting ended today, no Denver Nuggets player would have enough votes to start in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.
Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, however, is third among Western Conference forwards, and trails Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) for second place – and a starting role – by roughly 17,000 votes.
Bucks waive Austin Croshere
The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on Austin Croshere, General Manager John Hammond announced today.
Croshere (6-10, 235) appeared in 11 games with the Bucks and averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game.
The Bucks roster now stands at 14 players.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.
Suns release Dee Brown
The Phoenix Suns have released guard Daniel “Dee” Brown, the club announced today.
The 6-0, 181-pound guard appeared in two games for Phoenix in a reserve role, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 14.0 minutes. Brown hit a three-pointer in his first action with Phoenix on Dec. 29 at Oklahoma City and also finished with one assist in 13 minutes. A night later in Memphis, the Illinois product scored two points, dished two assists and grabbed a rebound in 15 minutes. The two-year NBA performer was signed by the Suns on Dec. 24 after appearing in 17 games (11 starts) with the Washington Wizards to begin 2008-09.
The Suns roster now stands at 12.
A season-high seven games above .500, the Suns return to action tomorrow night, Wed., Jan. 7, hosting the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. at US Airways Center.
Read fan reaction and discuss your opinion in this forum thread.
Antoine Walker charged with DUI
The AP reports: Former NBA player Antoine Walker was charged with suspicion of drunk driving in Miami Beach early Monday morning, further hurting his chances of playing again this season. Walker was driving a black Mercedes without the lights on when he was pulled over at 5:39 a.m., according to the arrest report. Officers detected a strong odor of alcohol and wrote in the report that Walker had a sleepy look on his face. He refused a breathalyzer test… Walker was being held Monday on a $1,000 bond and jail officials said they did not immediately know if he has attorney.
InsideHoops.com reader Goose says: Any word on the secondary charge of making a career out of jacking up careless jumpers?