Month: February 2014

Kevin Love hits the Suns with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists

So many times this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves failed in close games down the stretch.

On Tuesday night, they turned the tables on the Phoenix Suns.

Kevin Love fell an assist shy of his second triple-double in three games and the Timberwolves used a fourth-quarter outburst to beat the Suns 110-101.

Love, whose first career triple-double came at Utah on Saturday, had 33 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who trailed by eight with 7:57 to play, then outscored the Suns 24-6.

He knew late in the game about that one missing assist.

“I think when we were up 10 they told me that if I can get an outlet here, you get your triple-double,” Love said, “but at the point I just wanted to secure the rebound and get to the free throw line, get the lead up a little bit more so we wouldn’t have to worry about much. Nine assists again, I have been there a few times.”

— Associated Press

James Harden drops 43 on the Kings

James Harden spent the fourth quarter smiling on the Houston Rockets’ bench. DeMarcus Cousins finished the final period in the Sacramento Kings’ locker room.

Their performances were just as different on the floor, too.

Harden scored a season-high 43 points in three quarters, and the Rockets routed the Kings 129-103 on Tuesday night after Cousins was ejected for vehemently arguing with an official.

“These are the type of wins that we need, especially late in the season, to lock down and focus,” Harden said.

Harden helped Houston go ahead by 25 points in the first quarter, 31 in the second and 33 in the third. He shot 11 of 20 from the floor, made 15 of 16 free throws and added eight assists, three steals and two rebounds.

— Associated Press

Will Cavs eventually lose Kyrie Irving?

Here’s ESPN.com on what would be a very sad day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, should Kyrie Irving someday decide to hit the road for good:

If Kyrie Irving truly wants to be on a different team next season he can probably make it happen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will offer Irving a maximum contract extension once they’re allowed to on July 1, and if he hasn’t signed it by October, the team will likely be forced to trade him before the Oct. 31 deadline for third-year players to extend their contracts.

The Cavs aren’t without leverage. They can match any deal offered if Irving hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2015, and they control his rights through summer 2016. Waiting out that period would cost Irving millions, not to mention open himself up to losing it all should some unforeseen major injury occur. For these reasons, no player in Irving’s position has ever declined to a sign a maximum contract offer.

But the scars of LeBron James’ departure four years ago are far from healed, and they’re certainly going to affect the way the club and its current star player handle their future together.

LaMarcus Aldridge out for Blazers, taking time to heal

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on an upcoming Nuggets opponent:

LaMarcus Aldridge out for Blazers, taking time to heal

The Nuggets will catch a break in facing Portland tonight with the Trail Blazers playing without star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who is resting a groin injury.

And they’ll take it.

“I normally like to face a team when they’re at full strength, to get the best out of us and the best out of them,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said.

Then he smiled.

“But this is one instance where after that 44 that he gave us, his career high, I don’t mind that he’s out,” Shaw said. “We’ve played him twice, and he’s kind of had his way with us both times, so I hope whatever ailment he has, he gets better, but I’m not mad he’s not going to face us tonight.”

Celtics, Rajon Rondo controversy?

Here’s the Boston Herald reporting on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who doesn’t seem to be acting like much of a team captain right now:

The Celtics are not taking it as a major issue, but the team is still hoping to straighten things out with Rajon Rondo after his decision to stay in Los Angeles and not accompany the team to Sacramento for Saturday’s game.

While some were displeased by the move, for which Rondo did not receive official permission, others pointed out he was not scheduled to play in the game anyway (on the second night of a back-to-back), and that he may have simply been making some assumptions based on precedent. Multiple sources say he remained in LA for a birthday celebration. He turned 28 on Saturday.

The captain didn’t want to get into the matter before last night’s 110-98 loss to the Jazz.

“We already talked about it,” Rondo said. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

That doesn’t appear to be the case. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge said yesterday he is still looking into the situation.

No, the NBA is not discussing a bigger court or 4-point shot

ESPN.com reported: NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn and vice president Kiki VanDeWeghe acknowledged in a recent interview with ESPN.com that the league office, at least in an exploratory fashion, has weighed expanding the dimensions of the court and the introduction of a 4-point shot. In a sitdown with ESPN’s TrueHoop TV conducted during All-Star Weekend in New Orleans earlier this month, Thorn and VanDeWeghe spoke of both concepts mostly from a hypothetical standpoint but did concede that both ideas have been presented for discussion at a league level.

NBA RESPONSE FROM SENIOR VP TIM FRANK: “No one at the NBA, nor the competition committee, has had any serious conversations about increasing the size of the floor or adding a 4-point line. Rod Thorn and Kiki VanDeWeghe were entertaining a line of questioning about out of the box ideas and ESPN.com chose to make a story that doesn’t exist.”

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

Dee Bost doing his thing in the D-League

Dee Bost is a former high school quarterback who once collected MVP honors in the North Carolina Class 3A State Championship Game.

Today he’s the NBA D-League’s top quarterback, averaging a league-best 8.8 assists through 35 games with the Idaho Stampede. That’s no small feat, considering he shared a backcourt for much of this season with Pierre Jackson, the most dynamic scorer the NBA D-League has seen in recent years, and someone who had the ball in his hands … a lot. (Jackson left Idaho last week to sign a contract overseas).

In his first full week sans Jackson, Bost did okay, if your definition of okay is averaging a triple-double. In two games, the 6-2 guard from Mississippi State, who went undrafted in 2012 out of Mississippi State, averaged 20.5 points, 14.5 assists and 11.5 rebounds, as the Stampede posted wins over the Maine Red Claws and Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Bost, who played his first professional season for KK Buducnost in Montenegro (Adriatic League), was in training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers in October, and subsequently picked up by the Trail Blazers’ NBA D-League affiliate Idaho. He was recently selected to play in the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game in New Orleans, tallying four points and seven assists in 20 minutes.

As far as his NBA chances go, Bost continues to be somewhat of a mixed bag in the eyes of most scouts. He has NBA-caliber speed and quickness, along with very good vision. The strength of his game is his ability to get in the lane and find people. The flipside is Bost is very turnover prone — he’s averaging 3.5 turnovers this season — and when you pair that with streaky outside shooting, his attractiveness as a backup point guard at the NBA level diminishes.

Still, guards who average better than 8.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds in a very competitive NBA D-League, and have impressive physical tools, are going to be on the radar for NBA teams. If Bost can reign it in a bit, and continue to improve as a perimeter shooter, he has a chance to play in the NBA someday.

— Via NBA D-League News

Knicks reportedly interested in Earl Clark

Here’s Yahoo Sports with a report on the Knicks and Earl Clark, who does seem like he has the skills to stick around in the NBA:

Knicks reportedly interested in Earl Clark

The New York Knicks are pursuing a deal with free-agent forward Earl Clark, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Knicks are trying to sign two defensive-minded players before meeting the Miami Heat on Thursday in Miami, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

After acquiring him in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Philadelphia released Clark, 26, and he cleared waivers to become a free agent.

Kendrick Perkins out six weeks after surgery

Kendrick Perkins out six weeks after surgery

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins underwent a successful procedure on his left groin, the team announced today.

The injury occurred during the third quarter of the Feb. 20 game versus the Miami Heat. This season Perkins has appeared in 54 games (all starts) averaging 3.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.7 minutes per contest.

Perkins is expected to miss approximately six weeks.