March 2013 – Page 16 – NBA Blog

Pau Gasol should return soon for Lakers

[Lakers head coach Mike] D’Antoni said Pau Gasol could return as soon as Monday at Phoenix, and Gasol could be in the starting lineup against the Suns, too. The forward from Spain has been recovering from a torn plantar fascia in his right foot since early February. Gasol spent the last part of the shootaround working one-one-one against center Dwight Howard.

But the focus Friday was on one swollen ankle that D’Antoni hasn’t even taken a peek at yet.

”I think if you look at his tweets, you’ll see it,” he said, drawing laughter.

The Lakers need Bryant to continue their surge toward the playoffs.

He is the NBA’s third-leading scorer at 27.5 points and has helped stabilize his team during a tumultuous season that has included the early firing of coach Mike Brown, a prolonged skid, All-Star center Dwight Howard’s struggles to fit in with his new team, and the death of owner Jerry Buss.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spurs re-assign Aron Baynes and Nando De Colo to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today re-assigned center Aron Baynes and guard Nando De Colo to the Austin Toros, San Antonio’s NBA Development League affiliate. The assignments are the record 156th and 157th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while the pair are two of the record 56 NBA players to be assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Baynes (6-10, 260, Washington State) has played in 11 games for the Spurs, averaging 2.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 6.5 minutes. Signed by San Antonio on Jan. 23, Baynes rejoins the Toros following two previous assignments, when he averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 26.7 minutes.

De Colo (6-5, 200, Saint Catherine, France) has appeared in 57 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 3.4 points, 1.7 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 11.5 minutes. He returns to the Toros averaging 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 36.5 minutes in two games during two previous assignments.

Baynes and De Colo are expected to join the Toros today and be available when the team hosts the Los Angeles D-Fenders in Austin tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Lester Hudson now on Austin Toros in D-League

The Austin Toros today announced they have acquired guard Lester Hudson. Hudson (6-3, 190, Tennessee-Martin) will wear jersey No. 22 when the team takes on the LA D-Fenders tonight at Cedar Park Center.

Hudson played five games for the Toros last season (March, 2012) before earning NBA call-ups from the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Memphis Grizzlies. In five games with the Toros, Hudson averaged 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 29 minutes of play.

Hudson’s NBA experience includes the Boston Celtics (09-10), Memphis Grizzlies (09-10, 11-12), Washington Wizards (10-11), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (11-12). In 52 games played in the NBA, Hudson averaged 4.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 10.3 minutes.

Clippers sign DaJuan Summers to a 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed Maine Red Claws forward DaJuan Summers to a 10-day contract. It is the 26th Call-Up of the 2012-13 NBA Development League season. Summers joins 121 players with NBA D-League experience currently on NBA rosters.

Summers (6-8, 240, Georgetown) has played in 29 games, 16 starts, for the Red Claws this season, averaging 18.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 33.1 minutes. He has led Maine in scoring 13 times, finishing with more than 20 points in 11 games and recording 30 or more points in two other contests. A 2013 NBA D-League All-Star, Summers scored 28 points in 25 minutes for the Prospects Team in Houston.

A three-year contributor at Georgetown, Summers averaged 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 27.6 minutes in 101 career NCAA games for the Hoyas.

Summers is expected to join the Clippers today and be available on Sunday, March 17, when the team hosts the New York Knicks at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Damian Lillard leads Blazers to 105-90 win over Knicks

The Portland Trail Blazers are pretty happy with how their point guard situation has turned out.

Damian Lillard had 26 points and 10 assists to lead the Trail Blazers to a 105-90 victory over the Knicks on Thursday night, outplaying New York point guard Raymond Felton in his return to Portland.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Nicolas Batum added 18 points for Portland, where Felton drew the ire of fans during a disappointing stint last season. The crowd was on Felton all night…

J.R. Smith had 33 points and Kenyon Martin added 12 to lead New York, which went ice cold in second half, shooting just 33 percent. The Knicks lead the Atlantic Division but have lost three straight after a rash of injuries that has decimated their starting five.

Tyson Chandler suffered a bruised knee in a collision Wednesday at Denver and was unavailable. Leading scorer Carmelo Anthony returned to New York to have his right knee drained after leaving Wednesday’s game early. Amare Stoudemire is expected to miss at least six weeks after having knee surgery on Tuesday.

”Being short-handed didn’t affect us at all (tonight),” said Jason Kidd, who was 1 of 8 from the field for New York.

— Reported by Joel Fowlks of the Associated Press

Duncan, Spurs edge Mavericks 92-91

Tim Duncan had 28 points and 19 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 92-91 victory over Dallas on Thursday night, sweeping their season series with the Mavericks for the first time in 15 years.

Gary Neal added 16 points and Kawhi Leonard had 12 for San Antonio, which has the Western Conference’s top record at 50-16.

Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Darren Collison added 12 points and O.J.Mayo, Mike James, Brandan Wright and Vince Carter had 10 points apiece.

San Antonio last swept Dallas during the regular season in 1998, Duncan’s rookie season.

The Mavericks pulled within 92-91 on a 7-0 run capped by Nowitzki’s fall-away jumper with 28.2 seconds left. After Manu Ginobili missed a jumper, Carter missed a long, fall-away 3 at the buzzer that would have won the game.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Wizards are better than their record suggests

The Wizards are playing better than their overall record suggests. They have won eight of their last 11 home games, including triumphs vs. the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks in the last month. But since starting 4-28, they get losses vs. teams such as the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings overshadow those accomplishments.

“I don’t know what that’s about,” forward Trevor Ariza said of the Wizards’ improved focus vs. winning teams. “We need to fix that. We got 19 games left. We have to play that way, not worried about the records or anything and just play.”

The fact is, however, that good teams aren’t good by accident. They have better individual talent which gives them a bigger margin for error, but they also know how to close out.

— Reported by J. Michael of CSN Washington

Clippers waive forward Trey Thompkins

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Trey Thompkins. The 37th overall selection of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Clippers out of Georgia, Thompkins averaged 2.4 points and 1.0 rebounds in 24 games during his rookie season. He did not appear in a game this season due to a left knee bone bruise.

“We want to thank Trey for his contribution to the Clippers,” Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said. “Unfortunately, he was never able to truly showcase his talents this season due to injuries. We wish him all the best and believe he has a bright future.”

The Clippers roster currently stands at 14.

Legendary New York high school coach Jack Curran dies at 83

Jack Curran, who spent more than a half century at Archbishop Molloy High School and was among the nation’s winningest prep coaches in basketball and baseball, has died. He was 83.

His death was confirmed Thursday by the Queens school. The family has yet to release further information, the school said.

Curran had been weakened by lung and kidney problems. He broke his kneecap last month when he slipped on ice while on his way to church. The mishap did not prevent him from attending church that day.

Curran coached 55 years at the school. In 1958, he became the basketball coach at what was then St. Ann’s Academy. He succeeded Lou Carnesecca, who left to coach St. John’s.

NBA players Brian Winters, Kevin Joyce, Kenny Smith and Kenny Anderson played under Curran at Archbishop Malloy. Curran was the winningest coach in New York state, with 972 victories in basketball and 1,708 in baseball.

— Reported by the Associated Press

No Shawn Marion for Mavericks tonight

Being the warrior that he is, Shawn Marion doesn’t particularly like to sit out basketball games.

Especially a game that’s as big as the one the Dallas Mavericks play tonight at 7 at the AT%T Center against the San Antonio Spurs. But Marion will sit out tonight’s game with a left calf contusion, marking the fourth straight game he’s missed since suffering the injury during a Mar. 6 home game against the Houston Rockets.

“It’s real frustrating, but everybody’s been very supportive and I’m just trying to get myself right,’’ Marion said after this morning’s shoot around at the AT%T Center. “I’m here to support the team the best way I can and let’s keep it going.’’

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Blog)