December 2012 – Page 9 – NBA Blog

Nuggets send Bobcats to 15th straight loss

The Denver Nuggets’ inside game was at its best on Saturday night.

Kosta Koufos scored a season-high 16 points, and Kenneth Faried and Andre Iguodala added 15 points apiece as the Nuggets beat Charlotte 110-88 and sent the Bobcats to their 15th consecutive loss.

JaVale McGee added 14 points, and Danilo Gallinari had 12 for Denver, which won its sixth in a row at home behind a fast-paced offense fueled by 36 assists and 78 points in the paint, both season highs…

Koufos (8 of 10), McGee (7 of 8), Faried (6 of 10), and Iguodala (6 of 9) were a combined 27 of 37 from the floor. They took feeds from teammates, finished fastbreaks, and put up high-percentage shots primarily from up close…

Charlotte, playing the second of a back-to-back set on the road, was without injured guards Gerald Henderson and Ben Gordon. Henderson sustained a bruised shin during the second half of a 115-100 loss at Golden State on Friday. Gordon missed a second consecutive game because of soreness in his right knee.

Ramon Sessions had 23 points to lead Charlotte. Byron Mullens added 16 before he went down with a left ankle sprain in the final moments after getting his feet tangled in traffic near the basket…

The Nuggets, who missed an NBA-record 22 3-point attempts in Thursday night’s 101-93 loss at Portland, missed their first six against the Bobcats. Jordan Hamilton finally found the range to give the Nuggets a 40-31 lead with 8:02 left in the second quarter.

— Reported by George Georgatos of the Associated Press

James Harden leads Rockets over Grizzlies

Houston coach Kevin McHale figured the best way to beat the Memphis Grizzlies was to get down the court before they could get their dominant defense set.

His plan worked perfectly.

James Harden scored 31 points with eight assists, and the Rockets earned their third straight win, 121-96 over the Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Memphis entered the game allowing an NBA-low 89.2 points a game. But the Grizzlies had no answer for Harden. He did all his scoring in the first three quarters and reached at least 20 points for an eighth straight game…

Mike Conley had 16 points for the Grizzlies on a night when leading scorer Rudy Gay finished with a season-low six points…

”I think tonight we showed how explosive we can be offensively because we put 120 points on a team that hasn’t allowed over 100 since the first game of the season,” Lin said. ”This is just a testament to people moving and passing the ball.” …

Lin added 15 points and a season-high tying 11 assists, and Marcus Morris scored 16 points…

Randolph finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for his 21st double-double this season, which leads the league.

Houston’s 32 assists were a season-high.

— Reported by Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press

Wizards waive Shaun Livingston and Earl Barron

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived guard Shaun Livingston and center/forward Earl Barron.

Livingston, who was originally signed as a free agent on November 15, averaged 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 17 games (four starts). Barron, who was originally signed as a free agent on September 19, averaged 2.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 11 games (one start).

The Wizards roster now stands at 13.

Hornets guard Eric Gordon cleared for full contact in practice

New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon, who has not played this season because of knee surgery, has been cleared for contact practice.

No timetable has been established for his return.

Shortly before the Hornets were to face Indiana on Saturday, Hornets general manager Dell Demps said Gordon would begin full contact practice with the team next week and officials would monitor his progress.

“We’re going to put him in situations (during practice) and will evaluate him,” Demps said, adding that once he returns, “it would not be smart to play him 48 minutes.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Jazz PG Mo Williams to get MRI on thumb

Utah Jazz starting point guard Mo Williams plans to schedule an MRI test on Sunday to determine the severity of a right thumb injury he sustained midway through Saturday’s loss to the Miami Heat.

Williams was hurt late in the second quarter and did not return for the second half of Utah’s 105-89 loss. The Jazz wrap up their four-game road trip Sunday in Orlando, but coach Tyrone Corbin was uncertain of Williams’ status.

An X-ray taken on Williams in Miami was negative, but the 10-year veteran said the pain in his thumb was similar to what he felt when he tore a ligament in his hand in 2008.

“I can’t feel it now,” Williams said after the game of the numbness.

— Reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN.com

Steve Nash returns to action for Lakers

Steve Nash will start for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Golden State Warriors after missing 24 games because of a small fracture in his lower left leg.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said before the game Saturday night that Nash will have no minutes limit. The 38-year-old was injured in the second game of the season, the former Phoenix star’s first with the Lakers. Los Angeles is 12-14 so far this season.

Nash, a two-time NBA MVP, averaged 4.5 points and four assists in 25 minutes during his two games – both losses – for the Lakers. Los Angeles has won three in a row over Washington, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Dallas Mavericks waive Derek Fisher

Veteran guard Derek Fisher’s time with the Dallas Mavericks has ended.

The Mavs announced today they have requested waivers on Fisher, who was signed as a free agent by Dallas on Nov. 29, 2012.

Fisher (6-1, 210) averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 assists and 25.4 minutes in nine games (all starts) for Dallas this season.

According to ESPN.com, Fisher issued the following statement: “In Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia, I suffered an injury to my patellar tendon. The recovery time will be approximately two weeks. With this news and the difficulty I have been having being away from my family, I have asked the organization to waive me so I can return home. “(Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban has been extremely supportive and has granted me this request. I cannot say enough good things about this organization. From Mark, to Coach (Rick) Carlisle, to the players on the Mavericks’ team, I sincerely thank them for the opportunity. “I have made decisions in the past, leaving money and opportunity on the table, and I will need to do that again. My family is my priority and that is where I choose to be. I won’t close the possibility that I will play again, however for now my family and being close to them remains the priority.”

The Mavericks’ roster now stands at 14 players.

Celtics re-assign Kris Joseph to D-League yet again

The Boston Celtics have re-assigned rookie forward Kris Joseph to the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 68th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Joseph is one of 42 NBA players to have been assigned this season. The previous assignment record was 67, set during the 2011-12 season.

Joseph (6-7, 210, Syracuse) has appeared in three games for Boston this season, scoring two points in nine minutes of action. He returns to the Red Claws having played in seven games, averaging 20.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 38.1 minutes.

Joseph is expected to be in Maine today and available to play when the Red Claws host the Erie BayHawks at 7 p.m. ET.

Rockets recall Scott Machado from D-League

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has recalled guard Scott Machado from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Machado (6-1, 205, Iona), who was re-assigned to the Vipers on Nov. 30, has averaged 12.0 points, 7.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 11 games (nine starts) with Rio Grande Valley. At the time of his recall, Machado ranked third in the D-League in assists per game, which included a league single-game high of 13 helpers at Texas (12/15/12).

Grizzlies recall Josh Selby from D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies recalled guard Josh Selby from the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Selby (6-2, 183) posted 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists on .439 shooting in 34.0 minutes in two games for Reno after being assigned on Dec. 17. The 21-year-old finished with 23 points and scored the Bighorns’ final 10, including the go-ahead free throws with 5.0 seconds remaining, in a 98-97 win on Dec. 21 at Austin. He totaled 21 points in his season debut for Reno on Dec. 20 at Rio Grande Valley.

Drafted by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, the Baltimore native has logged a total of 15 minutes in five appearances for the Grizzlies this season.

Selby will join the Grizzlies for tonight’s tilt with the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. at the Toyota Center, where Memphis will seek its fifth consecutive victory.