January 2013 – Page 24 – NBA Blog

Kyrie Irving scores 33, Cavs beat Hawks

Kyrie Irving gave the Cleveland Cavaliers some much-needed good news Wednesday night.

Irving scored 18 of his 33 points in the third quarter and the injury-riddled Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 99-83 – Cleveland’s largest margin of victory this season.

Irving’s big night came at a perfect time for his team, which hasn’t had much to feel good about lately. The Cavaliers lost five of six overall and six straight at home going into the game, but that seemed minor compared to the news that came earlier in the day.

Center Anderson Varejao will have surgery Thursday to repair a muscle that split near his right knee. He will miss six to eight weeks. Varejao was having an All-Star caliber season, averaging 14.1 points and an NBA-leading 14.4 rebounds. Irving admitted the Cavaliers, who had only 10 available players, were thinking about their sidelined teammate throughout the night…

Josh Smith scored 17 points to lead Atlanta, which has lost a season-worst four straight. Hawks coach Larry Drew, who called his team ”soft” following Tuesday night’s loss to Minnesota, watched them get completely outplayed after tying the game early in the third. His mood wasn’t any better following the latest lackluster effort…

Alonzo Gee scored 15 points for Cleveland, while Tristan Thompson added 11 points and 14 rebounds. Rookie Tyler Zeller, who moved into the starting lineup after Varejao was injured Dec. 18, scored 11 points and had a career-high 12 rebounds.

Jeff Teague added 15 points for Atlanta and Horford scored 14…

C.J. Miles (back spasms), Daniel Gibson (concussion) and Luke Walton (personal matter) also missed the game for Cleveland.

— Reported by Steve Herrick of the Associated Press

Al Jefferson scores 26 in Jazz win over Bobcats

Utah coach Tyrone Corbin preached to his team before the game not to take the Charlotte Bobcats for granted.

Apparently his team listened.

Al Jefferson had 26 points and eight rebounds, and the Jazz posted a wire-to-wire 112-102 victory Wednesday night over the Bobcats for their fourth win in five games.

Jefferson was 11 of 15 from the field and the Bobcats simply had no answer for the 6-foot-10 center in the paint.

Paul Millsap chipped in with 19 points and Gordon Hayward was 4 of 5 from 3-point range for 14 points as the Jazz made light work of the Bobcats’ zone defense, shooting 54 percent from the field.

”They tried to double-team me and Paul got off,” Jefferson said. ”They start worrying about Paul, I got off. They start worrying about both of us, Gordon and (DeMarre Carroll) and all those guys start hitting big shots. It just all worked out.” …

Ben Gordon led six Bobcats in double figures, scoring 20 points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Gerald Henderson, Ramon Sessions and Kemba Walker each had 14 points for the Bobcats (9-25)…

The Bobcats continue to be without center Byron Mullens, who remains out with an ankle injury.

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Amir Johnson leads Raptors past slumping 76ers

After finishing off a long stretch of games with another deflating defeat, the Philadelphia 76ers are finally getting a chance to rest.

Jrue Holiday, for one, couldn’t be more excited.

Amir Johnson had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Jose Calderon added 14 points and 11 assists, and the Toronto Raptors never trailed in a 90-72 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night, handing the slumping 76ers their fifth straight loss.

Holiday and Thaddeus Young each scored 16 points and Evan Turner had 10 as the Sixers set a season low in points and lost for the 13th time in 16 games. Philadelphia has played 12 of its past 16 on the road, winning just twice…

Starting for the first time since Nov. 7, Toronto’s Landry Fields set season highs with 10 points and 11 rebounds…

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points and Ed Davis had 17 for the Raptors, who had lost six of their previous seven meetings with Philadelphia, including three straight…

Philadelphia’s Jason Richardson did not play because of a sore wrist. Collins said he gave Richardson, who has missed time with back and ankle injuries this season, ”a San Antonio Spur day.”

— Reported by Ian Harrison of the Associated Press

Seattle investor seeking to buy Kings

Investor Chris Hansen has contacted the Maloof family about buying the Sacramento Kings, setting up the possibility of the NBA’s return to Seattle.

Hansen’s interest was confirmed Wednesday by people with knowledge of the situation. They spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no deal has been reached.

One person said the Kings could sell for more than $500 million. The Kings’ future in Sacramento has been uncertain because the Maloofs and the city haven’t been able to come up with a long-term arena solution.

Yahoo! Sports first reported the discussions between the Kings and Hansen. Yahoo! reported a possible sale could land the Kings in Seattle for the 2013-14 season where the team would play at KeyArena as a temporary home until a new arena is constructed.

”I know as much as you do,” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said when asked about the situation. ”If it’s true, ain’t it cool?”

His counterpart in Sacramento thought the news anything but cool. At an afternoon news conference, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Wednesday was significant because for the first time Kings fans know the team is for sale. Johnson said he would do all he could to try to find a buyer with a Sacramento connection to possibly purchase the team and keep it in California’s capital city.

— Reported by Tim Booth of the Associated Press

Carmelo Anthony suspended one game for confrontation with Kevin Garnett

New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony has been suspended for one game without pay for confronting Boston’s Kevin Garnett in the arena tunnel, near the players’ locker rooms, and in the parking garage following the Celtics at Knicks game on January 7, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

“There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game,” Jackson said. “Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday’s game and therefore a suspension was warranted.”

Anthony will serve his suspension on January 10 when the Knicks play the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Kevin Love injury update: Out 8-10 weeks

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that after an examination by Dr. Andy Weiland, a hand specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, forward Kevin Love will require surgery to repair the third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand. He injured his hand during the third quarter of the Jan. 3 game at Denver.

Details of the surgery expected to be announced tomorrow. Love is expected to be sidelined for 8-10 weeks.

For the season, Love has played in 18 games and leads the Wolves in scoring (18.3 ppg), rebounds (14.0 rpg) and double-doubles (14).

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

Miami Heat sign forward Jarvis Varnado to 10-day contract

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed forward Jarvis Varnado to a 10-day contract.

Varnado, who was signed by Boston this season on December 14, appeared in five games with the Celtics totaling six points, three rebounds, one assist and a steal in 18 minutes of action while shooting 2-of-4 from the field before being waived on January 6. He previously played in eight games (all starts) earlier this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League and averaged 14.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.38 blocks and 30.4 minutes while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.

Varnado was originally a second-round draft choice (41st overall) by the Heat in the 2010 NBA Draft after concluding his collegiate career at Mississippi State as the NCAA’s all-time leader in blocks (564). He was signed earlier this season by Miami on September 7 and waived on October 26 after appearing in two games (one start) on the Heat’s 2012 Summer League team tallying four points, seven rebounds, one steal and a block in 30:07 minutes of action.

The Heat’s roster now stands at 14.

Trail Blazers recall Nolan Smith and Will Barton from D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled guards Nolan Smith and Will Barton from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Portland assigned Smith and Barton to the Stampede on Sunday, Jan. 6. The guards played in both of Idaho’s games at the 2013 NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nev., on Monday, Jan. 7 and Tuesday, Jan. 8.

Smith posted averages of 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.00 steal and 38.0 minutes per game. Smith led Idaho with a game-high 28 points on Jan. 7 against Texas.

Barton averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 33.5 minutes per contest. The first-year guard out of Memphis tied for the team lead in rebounds (8) and assists (6) vs. Texas on Jan. 7.

Both players will be in Portland for today’s practice and are available for tomorrow’s game vs. Miami.

Maloofs close to selling the Sacramento Kings to group in Seattle

Years after losing the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, Seattle may be getting an NBA team back.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports via Twitter, “the Maloofs are finalizing an agreement to sell the Sacramento Kings to the Hansen-Ballmer led Seattle group, sources tell Yahoo! Sports. The deal will sell the Kings for approximately $500 million, with the Seattle group seeking relocation to Key Arena for the 2013-’14 season. The Seattle group’s plans, with support of the NBA, is to play two seasons in Key Arena before moving into a new Seattle arena, sources say. The Maloofs are expected to keep an extremely small percentage of team, but will have no real input or say in franchise, sources say.”

More coming shortly.

Cavs center Anderson Varejao will miss 6-8 weeks

Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao was injured during the Cavaliers game against the Toronto Raptors on December 18th at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Diagnosis was a right knee contusion, specifically to the vastus medialis which connects to the medial (inner) border of the patella.

As Varejao’s treatment and recovery process continued, an MRI revealed the contused area included a small longitudinal split in the vastus medialis. Despite continued, gradual recovery of the contusion, symptoms also continued in the specific area of the split. Another MRI revealed an increase in the split and symptoms persisted. Dynamic ultrasound imaging also revealed tissue from underneath the split was herniating and pinching with knee flexion.

A second opinion was recently obtained with Dr. J. Richard Steadman of The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, which confirmed Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker of the Cleveland Clinic’s recommendation for surgical intervention. Varejao will undergo surgery this Thursday (January 10th) at the Cleveland Clinic and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.