Month: December 2009

Nowitzki, Landry hurt in under-rim collision

The AP reports:

Houston’s Carl Landry was taken to a hospital after breaking teeth in a collision with Dirk Nowitzki during the second quarter of Friday night’s game between the Rockets and Mavericks.

Nowitzki drove into the lane and missed a short jumper with 9:28 left in the second quarter. He was fouled by Landry, who was hit in the mouth on Nowitzki’s follow-through.

The Houston Chronicle reports:

The Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki and the Rockets’ Carl Landry were lost early in the second quarter when Landry cut off Nowitzki on a drive, catching Nowitzki’s right elbow in the mouth, dislodging or breaking parts of five of Landry’s teeth.

Landry was taken to the emergency room and will see an oral surgeon today to determine the extent of the damage. Nowitzki needed 30 minutes for pieces of Landry’s teeth to be removed from his elbow.

After they left, the Rockets answered the Dallas runs as they could not in the previous two meetings this season, won by the Mavericks by an average of 24.5 points after the Rockets had taken early leads. The Mavericks seemed to lose their poise, drawing six technical fouls, some at the worst possible times.

Gilbert Arenas unleashes 45-point game on Warriors

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports:

He was driving into the lane, hitting finger rolls and off-balanced runners off the glass. He was completing crossover dribbles, stepping back and draining three-pointers, and confidently whirling back with his hand raised high. And, he was setting up teammates with open jumpers and layups.

More importantly, Gilbert Arenas was smiling, having fun and cracking jokes with his teammates. Arenas was playing freely and delivered the type of flashback performance for a full game that the Washington Wizards have only seen glimpses of ever since his left knee betrayed him more than two years ago. Feeling unburdened back in his native West Coast, Arenas erupted for season-highs of 45 points and 13 assists as he led the Wizards to a 118-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on Friday.

“I’ve been the coy fish for a couple of games. I’m just trying to get back in attack mode,” Arenas, a native of Los Angeles, said. “Since I came on this West Coast trip, I don’t have that pressure of Washington standing on my shoulders. I get to play freely and game by game, since we’ve been on this trip, I felt good.”

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Mikki Moore out 3+ months after right ankle surgery

Mikki Moore out 3+ months after right ankle surgery

Golden State Warriors center Mikki Moore underwent successful surgery today to remove bone spurs in his right ankle, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis, IN.  Moore is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of three (3) months.

This season Moore was not contributing a lot to the Warriors, averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game.

With a 7-18 record, the Warriors are currently 14th out of 15 Western conference teams, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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D-League suspends four players for altercations

The NBA Development League today issued suspensions to four players following two separate altercations during Reno’s 98-90 victory over the Bakersfield Jam in Reno on Tuesday, Dec. 15, it was announced by Chris Alpert, NBA D-League Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.

Reno’s Cezary Trybanski received a two-game suspension, while Bakersfield’s Amara Sy and Rodney Webb were each suspended for one game.  Jared Newson, who was waived by the Jam due to injury prior to the game but was seated near the bench in street clothes, received a one-game suspension.

Trybanski was suspended two games for attempting to strike Bakersfield’s Terrence Gamble and for punching Webb.  Webb is being suspended for one game for striking Trybanski in the chest and for escalating the altercation between Trybanski and Gamble.  Newson was suspended one game for leaving the bench area during the altercation.

Sy is being suspended for one game for striking an opposing player in the groin during a separate incident in the same game.  That incident occurred with one minute left to play in the fourth quarter.

Trybanski will serve his two-game suspension beginning tonight when Reno plays the Sioux Falls Skyforce in Sioux Falls and on Dec. 21 when the team travels to play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.  Webb will serve his one-game suspension tonight when the Jam hosts the Idaho Stampede.  Newson will serve his suspension when and if he is reacquired by an NBA D-League team.  Sy will also serve his suspension tonight against the Stampede.

Brandon Jennings fined for Twitter post

Brandon Jennings fined for Twitter post

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks has been fined $7,500 for posting a message on his Twitter account in violation of NBA rules, it was announced today by NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, a message was posted on Jennings’ Twitter account immediately following the Bucks’ 108-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Milwaukee.

Jennings “tweeted” the following message in the locker room immediately after the game: ‘Back to 500. Yess!!! “500” means where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys.’

Players are not allowed to post on blogs, Twitter, etc. directly before, during or after a game.

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Gilbert Arenas not yet living up to giant contract

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports (via blog):

Gilbert Arenas not yet living up to giant contract

Gilbert Arenas had to understand when he signed the deal that he would be viewed as the $111-million guy — if he was unable to produce. No one talks about Kobe Bryant’s salary or LeBron James’s salary or Dwight Howard’s salary because they are getting things done for their organizations.

Right now, Arenas is struggling to regain the form that earned him the salary, but when you put your name on the dotted line, criticism comes with the territory. The bigger the money, the bigger the profile, the bigger the scrutiny. You either live up to the deal and nobody mentions it, or you don’t.

When Arenas made three all-star appearances and a playoff series victory from 2004-07, most viewed the six-year, $65-million contract he signed as a bargain. But with the team going 26-79 since he started his latest deal (with Arenas playing just two games last season), the contract is going to be figuratively tattooed on his forehead.

Mikhail Prokhorov passes NBA background examination

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports:

Mikhail D. Prokhorov has survived the N.B.A.’s background examination, helping the billionaire Russian oligarch take another step toward acquiring 80 percent of the Nets and 45 percent of the proposed Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He is said to be Russia’s richest man…

The N.B.A.’s decision to make known its clearance of Prokhorov’s background came a day after his company, Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holdings, closed on the deal to pay Forest City Ratner Companies, which is developing the Barclays Center as the part of the Atlantic Yards project, $200 million for his stakes in the team and the arena.

Prokhorov has also agreed to fund up to $60 million of the Nets’ losses until they move into the arena in 2012 and assume 80 percent of the team’s $207 million in debt. He has an option to buy up to 20 percent of Atlantic Yards.

Blazers sign Anthony Tolliver

The Portland Trail Blazers today signed Anthony Tolliver of the Idaho Stampede.  Tolliver is the second Call-Up of the 2009-10 NBA Development League Season, and joins 65 other NBA players with NBA D-League experience.

Tolliver has appeared in all seven of Idaho’s games this season, averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 36.9 minutes.  He has recorded three double-doubles this season, including a season-high 30 points, to go with 11 rebounds, in a win over the Reno Bighorns on Nov. 30.  For his efforts, Tolliver was named NBA D-League Co-Performer of the Week for games played Nov. 27-Dec. 6.

The Call-Up marks the second of Tolliver’s career, as he was signed by the New Orleans Hornets on Jan. 21, 2009.  Prior to his call-up last season, Tolliver appeared in three games for the Iowa Energy, averaging 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.3 minutes.  Before joining the Energy during the 2008-09 campaign, Tolliver played in 19 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.  During his time with the Spurs, Tolliver was assigned to the team’s NBA D-League affiliate Austin Toros where he saw action in six games and averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

A four-year contributor at Creighton University, Tolliver averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 124 career games.  As a senior, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 33 games en route to being named First-Team All-MVC, to the MCV All-Tournament Team, earning the Senior CLASS Award All-America honors and a nod as a Second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America.

Tolliver is expected to join Portland today and be available tonight when the team hosts the Phoenix Suns at the Rose Garden.

Mikki Moore to have right heel surgery

The Golden State Warriors have had plenty of injuries this season and the trend will continue now with center Mikki Moore.

Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times reports (via blog):

Mikki Moore to have right heel surgery

He held on as long as he could, but center Mikki Moore is now going to have surgery to repair bone spurs in his right heal. The Warriors are down three centers.

Could that mean Anthony Randolph is back in the starting lineup? Nelson said he would lean on Randolph more. Remember, the last time he played at home, Randolph set a career high against Dwight Howard.

We first reported this back on Dec. 1. Mikki told me the bone spur was causing him significant pain as it was digging into his Achilles tendon. He said that was the reason his dunks were getting blocked (like it did at Philadelphia) because he couldn’t jump without pain. He knew then it would take surgery to fix the problem, which has plagued him since last season. But Moore said he would deal with the pain and the limited mobility because he didn’t want to leave the injuy-depleted Warriors even more depleted.

Even at full health the Warriors are not a playoff team, but it would still be nice to see how well they can play with an actual full, healthy roster. Hopefully we get to see that in the somewhat near future.