Month: April 2012

Nets GM Billy King says Nets are headed in right direction

The Nets general manager has been all in from the beginning, trying all season long to leverage Dwight Howard’s obvious desire to play for the Nets into convincing the Orlando Magic to trade the six-time All Star to New Jersey. And when that fell apart, well, then, King went all in on trying to convince Deron Williams that even if the team doesn’t still end up trading for Dwight Howard, it will still be worth the All-Star point guard’s while to re-sign with the Nets and move to Brooklyn with the team next season.

Getting Gerald Wallace — and potentially giving up this year’s first round pick in order to make that happen — was part of that, as King told reporters Friday, after he broke the news that Brook Lopez is done for the season.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction, and if you look at our team this year, being as banged up (as it was), to beat Chicago in Chicago, Philly in Philly, New York in New York… we won some games in tough places,” King said. “And you see things getting in the right direction. Winning is important. And that’s what I told Deron: ‘We’re not rebuilding this year. We’re going to build this team to win next year.’”

— Reported by Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger

Grizzlies snap Heat 17-game home streak

rudy gay

Dwyane Wade knew during pregame warmups that the Miami Heat were going to have a long night. By the end of the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies let everyone else know that Wade was right.

Rudy Gay scored 17 points, Zach Randolph had 14 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and the Grizzlies put seven players in double figures to snap Miami’s 17-game home winning streak by beating the Heat 97-82 on Friday night.

Memphis led wire-to-wire, the first team to do that on Miami’s home floor since Boston on Nov. 11, 2010…

Mike Conley and Marreese Speights each scored 15, and Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo added 10 apiece for the Grizzlies, who have won six of eight.

LeBron James finished with 21 points, six assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who failed in a bid to match the franchise’s longest home win streak, set in the 2004-05 season. Miami committed 11 turnovers in the first quarter—its most in any period since Feb. 14, 2006—and never recovered…

Wade scored 20 points, Chris Bosh added 19 and Terrel Harris scored 10 for Miami, which last lost at home on Jan. 22 to Milwaukee.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Hedo Turkoglu out 3 weeks with facial fracture

Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will under surgery for a facial fracture and miss at least the final three weeks of the regular season.

The team announced the news late Friday, a day after Turkoglu left the second quarter of the Magic’s 96-80 loss to the New York Knicks.

Turkoglu was defending a shot by Carmelo Anthony underneath the Knicks’ basket and inadvertently hit across the face by Anthony. He did not return to the game.

— Reported by Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press

Grizzlies guard Tony Allen out with facial laceration

Memphis guard Tony Allen was not with the Grizzlies for their game at the Miami Heat on Friday night because of a facial laceration.

Allen was injured in the fourth quarter of Memphis’ game at Dallas on Wednesday night, leaving with blood dripping from his mouth. It was the fourth time Allen has missed a game this season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Nets shut down center Brook Lopez for season

The New Jersey Nets have decided to shut down Brook Lopez for the rest of the season after an injury-marred campaign in which he played in five games.

Nets general manager Billy King announced before Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards that the third-year player won’t be used for the final 10 games because it’s not worth the risk with the 24-year-old eligible to become a free agent after this season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

FIU has fired coach Isiah Thomas

FIU Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia announced today that Isiah Thomas has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the FIU men’s basketball program.

“We want to thank Isiah Thomas for his three years here at FIU,” Garcia said. “However, we have decided to take the program in a different direction.”

A national search for the Panthers’ next head basketball coach will begin immediately.

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, “Thomas signed a five-year deal with FIU, taking nothing in base salary for his first season and agreeing to a deal where he would receive nearly half of any gross revenues from ticket sales, commissions collected on food and beverage concessions and sponsorships. But FIU never generated the buzz it and Thomas envisioned. The Panthers averaged 1,071 fans at home this season, nearly four times that many on the road. “We just needed a break here or a break there, and it’s not happening for us,” Thomas said last month, shortly after FIU’s 8-21 season ended with a loss to eventual Sun Belt tournament champion Western Kentucky. “I know we’re getting there. We’ve had so many close games. If we keep working, good things will happen.”

Cavs guard Anthony Parker out at least a few games

Anthony Parker

Cavaliers guard Anthony Parker experienced a bruised sternum during the Cavaliers game in Milwaukee Wednesday night against the Bucks. An examination yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic Canada in Toronto confirmed the injury.

Parker is listed as Out for the Cavaliers games against the Raptors tonight and in New Jersey against the Nets on Sunday. His status will be updated early next week prior to the Cavaliers home game on Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Derrick Rose hopes to return Sunday

Derrick Rose

The Derrick Rose injury watch is nearing its conclusion.

Barring an unexpected setback, Rose said he will return Sunday against the Knicks from the groin injury that sidelined him for the 12th straight time Thursday night.

“I’m dying to play, but we’re being smart,” Rose said. “I guess a couple of more days rest will be good for me.”

Rose again participated fully in Thursday’s morning shootaround and worked out before Thursday’s game. He admitted to still feeling a little discomfort, saying he’s “not able to run at full speed.” When he does return, that will change.

“I’m not going to hold back at all,” Rose said. “My game is to be aggressive and try to get people going.”

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Utah Jazz CEO Greg Miller and Karl Malone resolve dispute

karl malone

Jazz CEO Greg Miller and Hall of Fame power forward Karl Malone are back on good terms, after all. They both attended Wednesday’s Jazz-Suns game and shared a moment of laughter together in the arena prior to tipoff.

“Yeah, Karl and I, we got it worked out,” Miller told the Associated Press. “Everything’s good.”

Malone, who had many run-ins with the late Larry H. Miller, railed on Jazz management on a local sports radio show co-hosted by Deseret News columnist Brad Rock. Malone was upset about how he deemed Jerry Sloan was treated and claimed he was forced to buy his own tickets to attend the first game after Sloan’s resignation in 2011.

— Reported by Jody Genessy of the Deseret News