Watch the top five plays from the September 13 third-place game between Lithuania and France. The bronze medal was won by France, who squeezed out a 95-93 win.
Month: September 2014
Tobias Harris hopes for contract extension from Magic
Here’s the Orlando Sentinel reporting on the Magic:
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Every player reaches some kind of crossroads, and Magic forward Tobias Harris is looking both ways as he steps into the 2014-15 season.
Harris will get an idea how the Magic value him, perhaps before the regular season begins. The deadline for rookie-scale extensions — Harris is part of the 2011 class — is Oct. 31
Does he fit into Orlando’s long-term plans or not?
He and the team can strike a new deal. The Magic also can still retain the ability to match any offer for Harris next summer if he becomes a restricted free agent.
“Obviously, I want to be here. … I love the fans, the city of Orlando and the guys. Management knows I want to be here. It’s the perfect situation for me,” Harris said after presenting a $50,000 check to Orange County Public Schools on Friday at the Orange County National Golf Club.
Rudy Gay suffers fracture in jaw, broken tooth at World Cup
Here’s ESPN.com reporting on a Team USA player that recently took a nasty hit while playing in the World Cup:
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Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay said he has a fracture in his jaw and a broken tooth, but he insists that won’t keep him off the court as Team USA plays Serbia in the gold medal game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup on Sunday.
Gay suffered the injuries after getting elbowed in the fourth quarter of Team USA’s 96-68 victory over Lithuania in the semifinals on Thursday night in Barcelona.
“I’ve got a fracture in my jaw, a broken tooth and am going to probably need a root canal,” Gay told USA Today Sports on Saturday. “The top is where I got hit. It’s painful. It’s uncomfortable, and it still bleeds, so I’ve got to continuously gargle. It is what it is, man.”
James Young eager to play with Rajon Rondo
Here’s ESPN Boston reporting on the Celtics:
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What is James Young looking forward to most during his rookie season with the Boston Celtics?
“Playing with [point guard Rajon] Rondo,” Young told the team’s official website during a recent video Q&A. “He’s a player I looked up to growing up, and he sees the floor very well and has a high IQ for the game. So just getting open with him and seeing if we have can have a good connection.”
Young and Rondo are both Kentucky products and Young is clearly eager to see if Rondo’s playmaking can generate some open looks at the NBA level.
Melo supports LeBron return to Cavs
Here’s ESPN New York reporting Carmelo Anthony’s thoughts on LeBron James’ return to Cleveland:
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Anthony supports his buddy LeBron James’ move to the Cavs.
“I applaud him. I applaud him. I thought it was a great move for him,” Anthony said. “That’s not to take nothing away from what he’s already established and created down in Miami, but for him to go back home at this point in his career, you can’t ask for nothing better than that.”
Anthony didn’t want to talk much about the team James formed in Cleveland with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Knicks play the Cavs in Cleveland on the second game of the season — James’ first game back in his hometown.
“We’ll see them when we play them,” Anthony said. “They’re not on my radar right now. Don’t take that the wrong way. But they’re not on my radar. I’m focusing on one game at a time. When we play them the second game of the season, we’ll be ready.”
Clippers re-sign Hedo Turkoglu
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The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have re-signed free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu.
“We are happy to welcome Hedo back to the Clippers,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “Hedo is a versatile, veteran presence who contributed to the championship culture we are building in Los Angeles.”
Turkoglu, 35, appeared in 38 games for the Clippers last season after being signed on January 10. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.3 minutes of play. Turkoglu has appeared in 935 career games (569 starts) with Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, Toronto, San Antonio and Sacramento. A 14-year NBA veteran, Turkoglu owns career averages of 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. The 6-foot-10 inch forward is a career 38.2 percent shooter from three-point range.
The NBA’s first Turkish born player, Turkoglu was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2007-08 when he averaged a career-high 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists. The Istanbul native was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice (periods ending Jan. 27, 2008 and Feb. 3, 2008) and was a key member of the Orlando Magic team that appeared in the 2009 NBA Finals.
Turkoglu has appeared in 98 career postseason games (72 starts) with averages of 10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Originally selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Kings, Turkoglu played four seasons in the Turkish Professional League before coming to the NBA.
Future of Pau Gasol on Spanish national team in doubt
Here’s Reuters reporting on an aging basketball legend:
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Spain centre Pau Gasol has doubts about his future with the national team following the hosts’ shock quarter-final defeat by France at the basketball World Cup on Wednesday.
The Spaniards, packed with NBA talents and joint favourites with the United States, were expected to reach the final but the contest against France which began with fans in festive spirits ended with calls for coach Juan Antonio Orenga to resign.
The defeat could well mean the end of an era for a successful Spanish side who lifted the 2006 World Cup, bagged silver medals at the last two Olympics and won two of the last three European Championships.
“You never know when it is your last game or your last tournament,” Gasol told reporters after the 65-52 loss.
The Chicago Bulls player has been the talisman for the side but he, like several others in the squad, are approaching the end of their illustrious careers.
Video: Jeremy Lin startles guests at wax museum
Fun video of Jeremy Lin as he startles guests at Madame Tussauds wax museum in San Francisco:
Rebuilding Celtics still have some intrigue
Here’s ESPN Boston looking on the bright side — entertainment-wise, at least — for the Celtics:
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One prominent theme that’s emerging as the new seasons nears is a sense from Celtics players/management that some have simply forgotten what a healthy Rajon Rondo is capable of. As Celtics team president Rich Gotham noted last week, “I think a healthy Rondo is a huge difference-maker for us.” Further removed from the ACL surgery that limited him to 68 games over the past two seasons, it’ll be interesting to see if Rondo can return to All-Star form and just how much he’s able to elevate the play of a young supporting cast….
There’s maybe no bigger reason to watch this year’s team than the development of the youngest players. The Celtics have an intriguing young nucleus with players at all different stages of their development and lingering questions about just how good they can become. You’ve got someone like 23-year-old shooting guard Avery Bradley coming off his first big payday this offseason and he must prove he can be a consistent two-way threat to justify the team’s spending. Then there’s recent draftees like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, both of whom will be expected to take the next step in their developments with potential to assert themselves as key parts of the team’s future. Then there’s rookies Marcus Smart and James Young. Even as the No. 6 overall pick, Smart has created an awful lot of buzz this offseason for both his personality and potential. The 19-year-old Young might even spend a good chunk of the season in the D-League shadows if he simply needs game reps to further his development, but there will be interest in his progress after just one season at Kentucky.
New Nets coach discusses his point guard
Here’s the New York Post reporting on the Nets:
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Nets coach Lionel Hollins has heard all the dire predictions for his team, but doesn’t care. He said Brook Lopez is recovering well and is expected to be ready for the start of the season, and he also said he plans to put the ball in Deron Williams’ hands and let the All-Star point guard do what he does best.
“He’s a point guard,’’ Hollins said. “He’s our point guard. Will we play Jarrett Jack and Deron together? I’m sure we will. But that doesn’t mean Deron has to be off the ball. When you have two guys who can handle the ball, it doesn’t matter who handles it, but he’s going to be the primary ballhandler.’’
Williams, 30, played off the ball frequently last year with the emergence of Shaun Livingston, but this season Hollins said Williams will be the primary playmaker. Either way, Williams has to be better than his last two seasons, when — beset by ankle woes — he shot 44.4 percent and wasn’t his old attacking self.