March 2012 – Page 4 – NBA Blog

Raptors sign Ben Uzoh to 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed guard Ben Uzoh (ooh-ZOE) to a 10-day contract. He is the 43rd Call-Up of the 2011-12 NBA D-League season.

Uzoh, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, joins the Raptors from the NBA D-League’s Rio Grande (Texas) Valley Vipers. He averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 30.8 minutes in 20 appearances.

This is Uzoh’s second stint in the NBA this season. He was signed to a 10-day contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 10, where he played in two games recording four points with four rebounds in 13 minutes.

Uzoh spent the 2010-11 season with the New Jersey Nets, signing with the club as a free agent July 1, 2010. He saw action in 42 outings with the Nets, averaging 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 10.4 minutes. He also appeared in four games last season with the NBADL’s Springfield (N.Y.) Armor.

Uzoh started 140 of 141 career games at the University of Tulsa. He averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds as a senior en route to first-team All-Conference USA honours. He posted career bests of 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 39 games during his sophomore campaign.

The roster now stands at 14 players heading into Wednesday’s game vs. Denver (TSN2/Sportsnet 590 The FAN).

Mike Dunleavy broke Tyler Hansbrough’s nose

Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough is a masked man again thanks to former teammate Mike Dunleavy’s elbows.

Hansbrough suffered a broken nose and facial bone from the hard foul Dunleavy delivered with his elbows in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game in Milwaukee.

Hansbrough and Dunleavy, who were teammates for two seasons, were later given technicals when they were talking about the play during a free throw attempt.

When asked if he’s heard from Dunleavy, Hansbrough, said, “No, I don’t need an apology.”

— Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star

Nets guard Jordan Farmar questionable to play again this season

[Nets guard Jordan] Farmar, who has dealt with groin injuries all season long, was ruled out for at least the next 10 days before last night’s 105-84 loss to the Jazz at Prudential Center.

“Injuries are part of the game,” Farmar said after the game. “I’ve just got to understand that it happens, and you’ve got to get healthy. Health is first and foremost. I’ve got a long career ahead of me — I’m only 25 — and I just want to get it right.

“It was such a nothing-type, minor injury when it first happened that I took it for granted,’’ he said. “I felt I’d be OK in a day, but then it got worse. I sat out a week, and I thought it was OK, because it’s OK when I’m walking around and stuff, but once I get out there and do one thing, it jumps back to square one.”

After meeting with specialists, Farmar said he’s expecting to sit out for at least the next two-to-three weeks. With only a month remaining in the season, that leaves his chances of playing again for the Nets this season in serious jeopardy.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Kyle Lowry uncertain if he will play again this season

Rockets guard Kyle Lowry shoveled a basketball to Goran Dragic with his left hand, unable to use his right because of the antibiotics PICC line in his right arm.

The effort was not much greater than passing the peas at dinner, but it was as much as he has been permitted in weeks or is likely to undergo for several more weeks.

He laughed when Dragic hit the shot Lowry told him would be his last. He celebrated not just his first morning around the Rockets since he was hospitalized March 8 with a bacterial infection but the understanding that if not for an alert technician and luck his serious condition could have been worse.

Lowry, 26, said he might not return this season from his infection and its treatment, but he was happy just to be back at a morning shootaround.

— Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle Blog

Stephen Curry hopes to return this season

The Warriors are expected to provide an update on Stephen Curry’s ailing right ankle later this week, but the point guard beat his team to the punch Monday and offered a little bit of hope.

Curry said he’s still holding onto the bleak possibility that he can play again this season, speaking publicly for the first time since visiting Dr. Richard Ferkel in Southern California on Thursday.

The renowned ankle and foot specialist is studying the history of Curry’s ankle, which cost him eight games last season and has kept him out of 21 games this season.

— Reported by Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle

Clippers guard Mo Williams out at least 2 weeks

Clippers guard Mo Williams will be sidelined at least two weeks and potentially longer with an injured left big toe he suffered against the New Orleans Hornets last Thursday.

Williams was evaluated by a specialist over the weekend and was ruled out for the next two weeks, it was announced Monday before the Clippers played the Hornets.

“It’s going to be at least a couple of weeks and then we’ll re-evaluate him then,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said.

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

Monty Williams apologizes for Jason Smith foul on Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin

Prefers to not be hacked

New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams said before Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers that he sent Clippers forward Blake Griffin an apologetic text after Jason Smith leveled him to the ground in last week’s game between the two teams.

Williams, in his second season as the Hornets’ coach, texted Griffin on Friday, waiting until the day after Smith hit him to earn a two-game suspension for the buzz to die down, he said. Smith sat out Monday’s game — which the Clippers won 97-85 — to complete the suspension.

“I’ll say this, because I’m here in this city: What Jason did was wrong,” Williams said Monday. “I told him that it was and that he went about it the wrong way, and that’s why I reached out to Blake to let him know that it wasn’t something we do on a regular basis.”

— Reported by Pedro Moura, special to ESPN Los Angeles

Silas says Byron Mullens is a power forward, not center

Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas said before Monday’s game that 7-footer Byron Mullens’ future is at power forward, possibly alongside rookie Bismack Biyombo. Mullens just isn’t providing the consistent rebounding and low-post defense Mullens needs at center.

“Byron is not a center… He’s a power forward, but we don’t have a backup center,’’ Silas said. “I just don’t know if you can make a tough guy out somebody who is not (tough.)”

Mullens came to the Bobcats in a preseason trade. The Bobcats sent a 2013 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

— Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer

Pacers beat Heat by 15

Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Heat 105-90 on Monday night.

Darren Collison added 20 points, and Paul George had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who have won four of five and finally got the signature win they have sought since the All-Star break.

LeBron James had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Dwyane Wade had 24 points and six assists for Miami.

The Heat, coming off a 103-87 loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday night, lost by double digits in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Miami (35-13) lost for the fourth time in eight games overall and is running out of time to catch Chicago (40-10) for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Austin Rivers will enter 2012 NBA Draft

Duke freshman guard Austin Rivers will enter the 2012 NBA Draft with plans to hire an agent, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced on Monday. Rivers, the 2012 ACC Rookie of the Year, joins Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004) and Kyrie Irving (2011) as Blue Devil freshmen to enter the NBA Draft after just one year of college basketball. The three previous freshmen early entrees were each selected among the first 13 players in their respective drafts, including Irving, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

“Austin [Rivers] had a terrific year as a freshman and has put himself in a position to pursue his dream of being a great player in the NBA,” said Krzyzewski. “He is an outstanding young man with an even more impressive family. We are in total support of Austin, his family and his decision. We look forward to watching him continue to develop and excel at the next level.”

Rivers averaged a team-high 15.5 points per game to join Johnny Dawkins (1983) and Bill Sapp (1945) as the only players to lead the Blue Devils in scoring as freshmen. The Winter Park, Fla., native scored in double-figures 30 times, with eight games with 20 or more points scored. He also averaged 3.4 rebounds, while finishing second on the team in assists (71) and steals (33) and third in three-point field goals (58).

In the Duke freshman record books, Rivers ranks among the all-time leaders in points (3rd – 527), points per game (3rd – 15.5), field goals (6th – 174), three-point field goals (5th – 58), free throws (1st – 121), free throw attempts (1st – 184), games started (t-6th – 33), minutes played (7th – 1,129), double-figure scoring games (t-3rd – 30) and 20-point games (t-5th – eight).

Rivers earned NABC third team All-America honors to become the first freshman in Duke history and the 24th player overall (38 honors) under Coach K to earn All-America accolades. He also became just the seventh freshman in ACC history to collect first team all-conference recognition.

“I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and the fans for helping make this past year at Duke so special,” said Rivers. “Coach K and the rest of the staff really helped me develop and improve in all areas of the game. It was a difficult decision to leave Duke, but I am excited about chasing my dream of playing in the NBA.”

He had his best scoring performances of the year on the biggest stage on Feb. 8 at North Carolina. Rivers posted a season-high 29 points and nailed a three-point field goal at the buzzer to give the Blue Devils an 85-84 win over the fifth-ranked Tar Heels. He went 9-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-10 from three-point range, and added five rebounds in the victory.

Rivers reached double-figures in each of the final 17 games of the season averaging a team-best 17.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in that span.

“Duke has prepared me for the challenges that are ahead both on and off the court,” added Rivers. “I have learned so much from the coaching staff and my teammates that will help me succeed at the next level.”