Month: March 2013

Miami Heat winning streak reaches 26 games

lebron james

The world’s best came out to see if Miami could do it again. Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked men’s tennis player. Wladimir Klitschko, the world heavyweight boxing king. Rory McIlroy, who sits atop the golf rankings for at least one more night.

And they got quite a show.

The Heat won their 26th straight game on Sunday, with LeBron James going for 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a 109-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

”I think it’s very humbling that you can have some of the greats from other sports come to see your team play, come to see you play,” said James, who was 11 for 14 from the field in another surgical performance. ”You try to leave an impression on them, as a team and as an individual, absolutely. So it was great to have them in the building, for sure.”

Chris Bosh and Norris Cole had 15 points apiece for the Heat, who played without Dwyane Wade, held from the lineup because of right knee soreness that the team believes is minor. And after yet another slow start, Miami is now seven victories shy of matching the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the league record of 33 in a row.

The show now goes on the road for a four-game trip that begins in Orlando on Monday, a swing that also will take the Heat to Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio. And the Heat will start that trip 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio in the race for the NBA’s best record.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Al Horford, Josh Smith lead Hawks over Bucks

Al Horford scored 24 points to help the Atlanta Hawks rally for a 104-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Josh Smith added 23 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who trailed 98-95 with 1:05 remaining. Devin Harris added 16 points and Jeff Teague finished with 14.

Smith converted a layup with 33.8 seconds to tie it at 99. After the Bucks turned it over, Dahntay Jones was fouled. He made the first and missed the second, but Anthony Tolliver grabbed the rebound for Atlanta and called timeout.

Horford was fouled with 20.1 seconds remaining and hit both free throws to give the Hawks a 102-99 lead. Monta Ellis missed a 3-pointer for Milwaukee, and Teague made two foul shots to put the game away.

Ellis scored 20 points for Milwaukee, and Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bucks have dropped six of eight to fall to fall two games behind idle Boston for seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with 13 games remaining.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Dwyane Wade out with right knee soreness

Dwyane Wade is not playing for the Miami Heat on Sunday against the Charlotte Bobcats because of right knee soreness.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Wade has been dealing with the issue for several days and that the team believes a bit of rest and treatment will take care of the problem.

It’s the fifth game Wade is missing this season. He’s averaging 21.5 points on 52 percent shooting for the Heat, who took a 25-game winning streak into Sunday’s game against the NBA-worst Bobcats.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Raptors might shut down Rudy Gay for season

Rudy Gay missed his third game on Saturday night because of back problems. And now his season, which started with the Memphis Grizzlies could be over as the Toronto Raptors are considering shutting Gay down.

Gay received therapy on Saturday and depending on how he responds could determine if Gay’s season is over, according to Raptors coach Dwane Casey.

“I would say that it’s something that will be talked about sooner rather than later,” Casey told ESPN.com.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Bobcats sign Jannero Pargo to second 10-day contract

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Jannero Pargo to a second 10-day contract.

The 6-1 Pargo has seen action in five games for the Bobcats, scoring in double figures in each of the last four contests. He is averaging 11.2 points, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 rebound in 17.2 minutes. Since coming to Charlotte, Pargo is shooting .465 from the field (20-43), including .480 from beyond the three-point line (12-25), and is a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line.

Prior to signing with the Bobcats, Pargo had played in 14 total games this season, seven each with the Wizards and Hawks, with overall averages of 4.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.4 minutes.

Antawn Jamison day-to-day with sprained wrist

Lakers forward Antawn Jamison, who was injured during the second half of last night’s game against the Washington Wizards, was examined by hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and underwent an MRI test today on his injured right wrist.

Results of the MRI confirmed a sprained wrist. Jamison’s status will be day-to-day and he will be reevaluated at the conclusion of the season.

Sacramento mayor announces preliminary agreement for a new arena

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says his city has reached a preliminary agreement for a new downtown arena with an investment group that hopes to keep the Kings from moving to Seattle.

Johnson announced the agreement Saturday on his Twitter account. He said the group includes Silicon Valley software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle.

The City Council is planning to vote on the non-binding term sheet Tuesday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol out indefinitely with abdominal tear

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that center Marc Gasol re-aggravated an abdominal tear on March 22 at New Orleans and will be out indefinitely.

Gasol (7-1, 265) originally sustained the injury on March 6 vs. Portland.

The 28-year-old leads Memphis in blocks (1.71) and free throw percentage (career-high .855) while ranking second in scoring (14.3 points), rebounding (7.8) and assists (career-high 3.9). The five-year veteran had been the only member of the Grizzlies to play in and start every game this season.

Shane Battier says Miami Heat have room to improve

Shane Battier

The Miami Heat have won 25 straight games, turned what was a super-close Eastern Conference race into a runaway and seem to be finding different ways to prevail on a nightly basis.

And no, they are not particularly thrilled with themselves right now.

From the Heat perspective, it’s almost like they are simultaneously slumping and streaking after facing double-digit deficits in three consecutive games, yet finding ways to win them all, much like each of the 22 games that preceded this week.

”I’m taking the world view, that we have room to improve,” forward Shane Battier said. ”By no stretch of the imagination are we playing our best basketball right now. We’re winning ball games, but we have a lot of room for improvement. We have not started well the last couple games and our defensive focus has not been there. It’s been there in the second half and when we need it, but we need to do it more consistently.”

Even as they move closer to the NBA-record winning streak of 33 straight established by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72, the bigger concern in the Heat locker room is that they are nowhere near a playoff gear with just 14 games remaining before the postseason arrives. They’ve trailed after five of their past six opening quarters, been losing at halftime in three straight outings and have been outshot in three of their last six contests.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Former Knicks star Ray Williams dead at age 58

Ray Williams, a former Knicks captain who 30 years ago teamed with Michael Ray Richardson to form one of the NBA’s most flamboyant backcourts, died today at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Williams, 58, had been suffering from colon cancer.

A guard with a chiseled physique, Williams was drafted 10th overall by the Knicks in 1977. He came to New York during the bridge years, after the glory championship days of Willis Reed and Bill Bradley, and before Patrick Ewing arrived to lift the franchise.

In the meantime, Williams and Richardson brought sizzle to Madison Garden. Richardson was the taller, wiry slashing player. Williams was built more like a fullback, with well-defined thighs and arms. He entered the league not long before Magic Johnson, and he was of that mold, blurring the lines between positions. He was 6-foot-3 and moved smoothly between the responsibilities of point guard, scoring guard and small even small forward.

— Reported by Craig Wolff of the Newark Star-Ledger