Month: April 2012

Nets sign guard Armon Johnson to 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Armon Johnson to a 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Johnson (6-3, 195), started the 2011-12 season with Portland appearing in one contest before being assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the D-League.  In six games with the Stampede, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 27 minutes.  He was recalled on January 15 before being waived by Portland on February 27.

The University of Nevada product was selected in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft (34th overall) by Portland.  Johnson appeared in 38 games as a rookie in 2010-11, averaging 2.9 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.2 assists in seven minutes per game.  In 39 career games, he holds averages of 2.9 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.2 assists in seven minutes.

LeBron James and Goran Dragic named Players of Week

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Houston Rockets’ Goran Dragic today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, April 2, through Sunday, April 8.

James led the Heat to a 3-1 week with averages of 30.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals. James led Miami in scoring and minutes in all four games, and steals and assists three times each. James tallied a season-high 41 points during a 99-93 win over Philadelphia on April 3.

Dragic helped the Rockets to a 3-0 week with averages of 20.7 points, 8.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals. Dragic, who has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 18 consecutive games, posted 21 points and tied a career high with four steals during a 99-93 win over the Bulls on April 2.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Josh Smith, Memphis’ O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Utah’s Al Jefferson.

Cavaliers sign Lester Hudson to second 10-day contract

Lester Hudson

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Lester Hudson to a second 10-day contract, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Hudson has appeared in six games for the Cavs this season, averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 23.8 minutes per game.  He has set a career high in scoring in two consecutive games. Hudson totaled 23 points and seven assists at Toronto on April 6 and finished with 26 points, including shooting 6-12 (.500) from three-point range, to go along four rebounds and three assists at New Jersey on April 8.

Over his last two games, Hudson is averaging 24.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and is shooting .867 from the free throw line in 30.5 minutes per game off the bench.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from the University of Tennessee-Martin was originally drafted in the second round with the 58th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Mavs recall Kelenna Azubuike from D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have recalled guard-forward Kelenna Azubuike from the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

Azubuike (6-5, 215) was signed as a free agent by the Mavericks on March 23 and immediately assigned to the Legends. During his time in Frisco, he appeared in seven games and averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per contest.

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson will enter 2012 NBA Draft

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson will announce at a news conference Monday that he will enter the NBA draft, Jayhawks coach Bill Self told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

Robinson’s decision to forgo his senior season has been commonly known in Jayhawks circles for the past month.

Robinson averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds a game in leading Kansas to a Big 12 Conference regular season title and a trip to the national championship, where the Jayhawks lost to Kentucky.

— Reported by ESPN.com News Services with Andy Katz contributing

Hornets guard Jarrett Jack done for season

jarrett jack

Already a massive struggle, the New Orleans Hornets’ season just got even more challenging.

The team announced today that Jarrett Jack will miss the remainder of the season due to a stress fracture in his right foot. Jack has missed the last three games due to the injury.

Jack has appeared in 45 games (39 starts) this season for the Hornets, averaging career-highs of 15.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 34.0 minutes of play.  The seventh-year guard led the team in scoring 16 times this season, in assists 27 times and in rebounds once. He collected five double-doubles and recorded his first triple-double of his NBA career with 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds 3/21 vs. GSW.

Dallas Mavericks to let Lamar Odom sit out rest of season

Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom’s brief and bumpy ride with the Dallas Mavericks has come to an abrupt end.

The Mavericks and Odom spent Easter Sunday working out a parting, according to sources close to the situation, that frees the struggling Odom to leave the team immediately without actually being released.

“The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it’s in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team,” Odom said in a statement to ESPN.com.

“I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs’ organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship.”

Sources said Monday that Odom’s departure will be immediate and that the Mavericks intend to simply list him as inactive for the rest of the season instead of outright releasing him, leaving open the possibility that they could still trade him after the season in conjunction with the draft. Any team that has Odom on its roster as of June 29 must buy him out by that date for $2.4 million or otherwise accept responsibility for the full $8.2 million that Odom is scheduled to earn in 2012-13.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

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Gerald Green scores 32, Nets beat Cavs in OT

gerald green

Gerald Green scored a season-high 32 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 36.7 seconds left in regulation and a high-flying dunk in overtime, leading the New Jersey Nets to a 122-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night…

Anthony Morrow scored 24 points, Deron Williams had 18 points and 10 assists and Kris Humphries added 16 points and 11 rebounds as New Jersey finished with its highest scoring total of the season—topping the 115 in a loss to Denver on Jan. 11.

Antawn Jamison scored a season high-tying 34 points, Lester Hudson had 26 and Alonzo Gee added 22 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which lost for the 10th time in 11 games and the 13th in their last 15. Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 15 rebounds.

The teams traded the lead seven times in the final 5 minutes of regulation before Green gave the Nets a 109-106 lead with his 3-pointer. However, Hudson sent the game to overtime with a fall-away 3 with just 0.3 seconds left.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spurs beat Jazz for 11th straight win

The San Antonio Spurs pushed their winning streak to 11 on a night when coach Gregg Popovich committed to playing just 10 men.

That health prioritizing isn’t likely to change—whether first place is on the line or not.

Tony Parker scored 28 points, Manu Ginobili had 23 off the bench and the Spurs reached their second 11-game winning streak of the season, beating the Utah Jazz 114-104 on Sunday night to maintain their slim lead atop the Western Conference.

Tim Duncan added 13 points and 16 rebounds, making this 28th win in 33 games for the Spurs look like countless other Big Three showcases. But different this time was Ginobili, who has missed 29 games with injuries this year, deliberately seeking out contact to toughen up before the playoffs. Popovich also sat starting center DeJuan Blair for the first time all season

— Reported by the Associated Press

Celtics hand struggling 76ers another loss

The Boston Celtics turned consecutive games against teams they’re jockeying with for playoff positioning into a notice for the rest of the Eastern Conference: They have every intention of breaking off a postseason run.

Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo dished out double-digit assists for his 17th consecutive game, finishing with 15 to help lead Boston to a 103-79 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.

One night earlier, the Celtics posted a double-digit win at Indiana, a team one spot ahead of them in the East’s playoff chase.

“We know what’s at stake,” said forward Paul Pierce , who had 17 points. “A fourth seed, maybe a third.”

Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley each added 18 points as the Celtics won for the seventh time in nine games, improving their Atlantic Division lead to three games over both the 76ers and New York Knicks.

— Reported by the Associated Press