Month: November 2012

Nets beat Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97

Nets beat Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97

Craving a victory over a top team, all the Brooklyn Nets needed was someone to make a couple of big shots.

That’s one of the reasons they traded for Joe Johnson.

Johnson made the tiebreaking basket with 3:03 left, followed with another jumper, and the Nets beat the Boston Celtics 102-97 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.

Johnson finished only 6 of 17 from the field, but he had the two biggest makes of the game in the biggest victory his new team has recorded since acquiring him from Atlanta…

Williams and Brook Lopez each scored 24 points for the Nets, who were blown out by Miami in their lone game against a top opponent this season, their first with a rebuilt team and high expectations in Brooklyn…

Johnson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds for the Nets in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,732 that was divided but certainly loud in the tense, final minutes.

Pierce scored 22 points and Leandro Barbosa had 17 in place of Rondo, who was out with a sprained right ankle. Kevin Garnett added 14 points but Boston had its three-game win streak snapped and lost to the Nets for just the third time in the past 21 meetings.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

InsideHoops.com note: The Nets are still without forward Gerald Wallace.

J.R. Smith cuts back on nightlife

J.R. Smith cuts back on nightlife

Apparently, the party’s over for New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith.

Smith is off to one of the best starts of his nine-year NBA career and on Thursday he cited a cutback in nightlife as one of the key reasons for his success.

“I’m not going to lie. The New York City nightlife pretty much got to me. I was going out pretty much every other night and not focused on the task at hand,” a candid Smith told reporters in San Antonio after the Knicks’ morning shootaround.

Smith said that a new, disciplined approach to practice has helped his performance for the 5-0 Knicks.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

NBA investigates confrontation between Kendrick Perkins, Zach Randolph

kendrick perkins

As is the NBA’s standard procedure, the league is investigating Wednesday night’s confrontation between Thunder center Kendrick Perkins and Memphis power forward Zach Randolph at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Both players were ejected with 2:05 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies’ 107-97 victory and had an altercation in a hallway near the Thunder locker room after leaving the court. The players were separated by Oklahoma City police officers patrolling the area.

Security officials later said there was no altercation and there would be no investigation, but the league office confirmed Thursday it was looking into the incident to potentially levy fines and/or suspensions for both players…

The game was nationally televised on ESPN and a courtside microphone picked up what was said.

Perkins: “I’ll meet you by the bus.”

Randolph: “I’ll beat your (expletive).”

— Reported by John Rohde of the Oklahoman

With Rondo out, Barbosa starts for Celtics in Brooklyn

Rajon Rondo didn’t arrive until an hour until game time in his sweats tonight, and said he was uncertain if he was going to play on his sprained right ankle.

But in these cases the decision goes to Doc Rivers, who in turn defers to trainer Ed Lacerte. From that perspective, the choice was simple – no Rondo.

The point guard, who sprained his ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s win over Utah, was thus placed by Leandro Barbosa in the starting lineup.

— Reported by the Boston Herald (Blog)

Spurs assign guard Cory Joseph to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have assigned guard Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Joseph, who has appeared in one game for the Spurs this season, had three stints with the Toros in 2011-12. In 14 games in Austin, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.29 steals in 32.9 minutes, helping lead the team to the 2012 NBA D-League championship.

The Spurs selected Joseph with the 29th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas. For his career he has appeared in 30 games for the Silver and Black, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes.

Raptors players Alan Anderson, Landry Fields, Kyle Lowry suffer injuries

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday the following injury updates:

Guard-forward Alan Anderson has a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Anderson is estimated to be out for 3-6 weeks during the rehabilitation process. Anderson sustained the injury with five seconds remaining in the third quarter of the November 10 game versus Philadelphia.

Forward-guard Landry Fields underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery yesterday to address compression/entrapment in his right elbow. The surgery was performed by Dr. Andrew Weiland at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. There is no timetable for a return to basketball activity for Fields. He will be re-assessed in two weeks by Dr. Weiland.

Guard Kyle Lowry has a bruised cuboid bone in his right foot. He will be treated symptomatically with an estimated return time of 1-2 weeks.  Lowry sustained the injury at the 1:29 mark of the second quarter November 6 at Oklahoma City.

Wizards waive Jannero Pargo, sign Shaun Livingston

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Shaun Livingston.

The Wizards have also waived Jannero Pargo.

“We are obviously familiar with what Shaun brings both on and off the court based on his previous time here and we’re confident that he will be a positive addition to our team,” said Grunfeld.  “His size and playmaking ability will give us more flexibility in the backcourt.”

Livingston (6-7, 175) was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of Peoria Central High School in Illinois.  He appeared in 26 games (18 starts) with the Wizards in 2009-10, averaging 9.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds.

In seven seasons with Los Angeles, Miami, Oklahoma City, Washington, Charlotte and Milwaukee, the 27-year old holds career averages of 6.8 points, 3.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game while shooting .460 from the field and .778 from the line.  He has appeared in 12 career playoff games (all with Los Angeles during the 2005-06 campaign), averaging 7.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 27.6 minutes.

Last season with Milwaukee, Livingston appeared in 58 games, including 27 starts, and averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per contest.  He spent the 2012-13 preseason with Houston, appearing in four games and averaging 2.5 points and 3.3 assists in 13.8 minutes.

Pargo, who is now waived, appeared in seven games while averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes.  The Wizards roster now stands at 15.

Mike D`Antoni takes over the Lakers while on crutches after knee surgery

Although Mike D’Antoni is still on crutches after his recent knee surgery, he’s already at work with the Los Angeles Lakers.

D’Antoni coached his first practice with his new team Thursday, four days after the Lakers hired him to replace Mike Brown.

The former Knicks and Suns coach had knee replacement surgery earlier this month, delaying his arrival to take over the star-studded roster that got off to a 1-4 start to the season. Los Angeles has gone 2-1 since Brown’s firing.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press 

Minnesota Timberwolves discuss possible additions

Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn met with coach Rick Adelman and his staff Wednesday, Nov. 14, regarding the possibility of adding a player to help relieve the team’s mounting injury concerns, but Kahn said no decisions were made.

“It’s not feasible to do anything right now,” Kahn said before the Timberwolves’ game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night at Target Center. “It’s harder this time of the season to get a player. Certain players can’t be traded until after December 15 if they signed in the summer.”

Kahn indicated the most likely scenario for the Timberwolves would be to sign a free agent, but the team is at the 15-player roster limit and would have to release someone to make room.

— Reported by Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press