The AP reports: It was a win-win night at the Palace. Chauncey Billups got the warm welcome he deserved and the Detroit Pistons won a game they needed. Billups scored a season-high 34 points in his return to suburban Detroit, but the Pistons came away with the 100-95 victory Tuesday night against the Carmelo Anthony-less Denver Nuggets… Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points for the Pistons and four of his teammates scored at least 16, attacking with a balanced offense perhaps not coincidentally because Iverson missed his third straight game with a back injury… Nene scored 20 and J.R. Smith had 16 points for the Nuggets.
Month: March 2009
Balanced Bobcats win 4th straight, 96-80 vs. Bulls
The AP reports: Raja Bell had trouble lifting his right arm, yet started. Gerald Wallace twice got hit near the rib he fractured earlier this season and stayed in the game. Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor played despite tender ankles. All four Bobcats reached double figures Tuesday night, and Charlotte proved too tough for the undermanned Chicago Bulls in a 96-80 victory they hope continues an improbable journey to the playoffs. Bell scored all 18 of his points in the first half before turning into a decoy when his injured biceps proved too painful to shoot, while Felton had 18 points and nine assists in Charlotte’s season-high fourth straight win… While the Bobcats played through the pain, the Bulls were without forwards Luol Deng (leg) and Tim Thomas (knee). Chicago fell behind early and never recovered. Tyrus Thomas had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the disjointed Bulls, who shot 39 percent and committed 18 turnovers.
Magic win big-man battle, top Suns 111-99
The AP reports: Dwight Howard made Shaquille O’Neal run. He made him fall. Then he got the ultimate vindication: he made him flop. Howard had 21 points and eight rebounds in a bruising battle with O’Neal, and the Orlando Magic beat the Phoenix Suns 111-99 on Tuesday night… Rashard Lewis had 29 points and Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 for the Magic, who overcame a season-high 24 turnovers. O’Neal finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, outmuscling his first NBA team for most of the night before he lost his cool late, again drawing boos by the Orlando crowd… Jason Richardson had 27 points, and Steve Nash added 20 points for Phoenix after missing the last three games with a sprained right ankle.
Chris Mihm has right ankle surgery
Memphis Grizzlies center Chris Mihm underwent successful right ankle surgery, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. There is no timetable for his return.
Mihm, a 7-0, 265-pound center, was acquired on Feb. 18 by the Grizzlies along with cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a 2013 protected second round draft pick. The former University of Texas standout did not make an appearance with the Grizzlies after the trade.
The seventh overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mihm averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes in 18 games with Los Angeles this season. The eight-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.02 blocks in 20.1 minutes in 436 career games (236 starts) with the Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Eventually, Mihm and the very concept of surgery will unite, becoming one entity. In the future, “I had Mihm” and “I had surgery” will mean the same thing. Mihm will become a magical being whose very touch, in the form of a handshake, will result in the other person having instant surgery. And with that, I need to go for a walk.
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Nuggets sign Jason Hart
The Denver Nuggets have signed G Jason Hart for the remainder of the season, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Hart, 6-3, 180, averaged 2.3 ppg and 1.5 apg in 28 games with the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being waived on Feb. 27.
In eight NBA seasons, Hart has compiled career averages of 4.9 ppg and 2.3 apg in 16.1 mpg in 325 games with Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte, Sacramento, L.A. Clippers (two stints) and Utah.
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Michael Redd has left knee surgery
Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd had successful surgery this morning to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, General Manager John Hammond announced today.
The surgical procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Cole, M.D., in Oak Park, IL.
Redd will begin rehabilitation immediately for a period of approximately six months. He is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the open of training camp for the 2009-10 season.
Redd injured his knee in the Bucks 106-104 win at Sacramento on January 24. In 33 games this season, Redd averaged a team-high 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.06 steals in 36.5 minutes. Milwaukee’s record was 17-16 in his 33 games, including 17-15 in the games he started.
Rockets sign James White to 10-day contract
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard/forward James White of the NBA D-League’s Anaheim Arsenal to a 10-day contract. White becomes the 12th Call-Up of the season.
White (6-7, 200, Cincinnati) was averaging 25.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.18 steals in 34 games (33 starts) for the Arsenal this season. At the time of his Call-Up, White was tied for first in the D-League in points per game and was ranked tied for 12th in the league in field goal percentage. White posted 30 or more points in 12 contests with the Arsenal this season, including a season-high 47-point performance against Houston’s D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1/20/09).
Originally selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, White had his draft rights sent to Indiana. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in eight preseason games with the Pacers before being released prior to the regular season. White signed with the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 3, 2006, and was assigned to the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League on Dec. 15. In 15 games (11 starts) with the Toros, White averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists. White was recalled twice by the Spurs and averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in six career games (two starts) with San Antonio. His experience also includes a stint with Turkish champions Fenerbahçe, where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
At the University of Cincinnati, White earned Honorable Mention All-Big East honors as a senior. He finished his collegiate career ranked 44th on Cincinnati’s all-time scoring list with 1,088 points. White played his final three seasons at Cincinnati after spending his freshman year at Florida, sitting out the 2002-03 campaign at Cincinnati under NCAA transfer rules.
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Greg Oden injuries continue
The Oregonian (Joe Freeman) reports (via blog): The news just keeps getting worse for Trail Blazers rookie Greg Oden and his mysterious ailing left knee. The Blazers, after evaluating their starting center earlier in the day, announced Monday evening that Oden will miss another seven to 10 days because of his lingering left knee issues. Oden, who chipped his knee cap when he banged knees with Golden State’s Corey Maggette Feb. 12 in Oakland, has missed the Blazers’ last seven games. According to the Blazers’ latest timeline, Oden will miss between four and six more games, which includes pivotal matchups against playoff contenders Denver, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. If he sits out the maximum 10 days, Oden will return just before the team’s five-game East Coast trip later this month.
Bill Laimbeer says Pistons are screwed
The Denver Post (Benjamin Hochman ) reports: “So, the Pistons are struggling, but do you think they’ll work out their problems come playoff time?” “No,” said Bill Laimbeer, as blunt as one of those elbows he threw in the 1980s as part of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys. “Their team is structured incorrectly. (Allen Iverson) is not the best defending guard, and guards got to be defenders these days. He’s small. He’s got a big heart, he still can score, but come playoff time, it’s tough. It’s the Eastern Conference, grind it out, and it’s physical. It’s going to be a hard road.” … Iverson, 33, is averaging a career-low 18.0 points per game, but more than points, it’s the style of his game that hasn’t seemed to click here. At times, the Pistons have looked better without him.
J Dilla beats mix
J Dilla was an extremely respected hip-hop producer who started off in the group Slum Village and went on to produce for tons of great artists. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago.
A lot of J Dilla’s most famous beats were laid back and smooth, yet lively and popping with soul.
Listen to this J Dilla mix a fan of his made: