January 2015 – Page 9 – NBA Blog

Jazz sign Elijah Millsap to second 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed guard/forward Elijah Millsap to a second 10-day contract.

Millsap signed his first 10-day with Utah on January 5. He has appeared in five Jazz games since, averaging 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 24.0 minutes. Which is more playing time than most players who sign a 10-day deal tend to receive.

When the Jazz signed him from the NBA Development League’s Bakersfield Jam, Millsap (6-6, 215, Alabama-Birmingham) became the 12th overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2014-15 season. At the time of his call-up, Millsap was averaging 20.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals in 36.6 minutes per contest in 19 games (16 starts) for the Jam.

P.J. Hairston fined for flopping

Charlotte Hornets guard-forward P.J. Hairston has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s anti-flopping rules for the second time this season.

The flop was epic, and is being celebrated by anti-flop crusaders on the Internet as the flop of the 2014-15 season so far.

The incident occurred with 11:04 remaining in the fourth quarter of Charlotte’s 98-93 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

You can view the video here.

Clippers sign Dahntay Jones to 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed free agent guard Dahntay Jones to a 10-day contract.

Jones, 34, is a 10-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 589 career games (157 starts) averaging 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 16.3 minutes with Memphis, Sacramento, Denver, Indiana, Dallas and Atlanta.

Jones has appeared in 19 games this season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League and is the 16th call-up of the 2014-15 season.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, Jones was traded to Memphis on Draft Day and spent four seasons with the Grizzlies.

This season, Jones has played in 19 games (15 starts) for Fort Wayne averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 29.2 minutes.

A New Jersey native, the 6-foot-6 inch guard/forward played two seasons at Rutgers before transferring to Duke for his junior and senior season, where he and Clippers guard J.J. Redick were teammates during the 2002-03 season.

Jones averaged 13.3 points in 63 games for Rutgers and 14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 68 games for Duke. As a senior at Duke, he averaged 17.7 points and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by The Associated Press and to the All-ACC First Team.

Pelicans sign Nate Wolters to 10-day contract

Pelicans sign Nate Wolters to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans today added some depth in their backcourt, signing unrestricted free agent guard Nate Wolters to a 10-day contract.

The 6-4, 190-pound Wolters, of South Dakota State, was the 38th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards before his rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and then the Milwaukee Bucks. Appearing in 69 games with Milwaukee, Wolters averaged of 6.4 points, 2.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds.

Wolters will be available for tonight’s Pelicans game in Detroit. He will wear jersey #4.

New Orleans roster now stands at 14.

Mo Williams scores 52 points

Mo Williams scores 52 points in game vs Pacers

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mo Williams scored 52 points in a 110-101 win over the Indiana Pacers Tuesday.

In his 52-point game, Williams shot 19-of-33 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, hitting 8-of-9 free throws. He added four rebounds and seven assists.

Teammate Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, though on 16 shots.

Guard C.J. Miles scored 22 points for Indiana in the loss.

Celtics trade Jameer Nelson to Nuggets for Nate Robinson

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have traded guard Jameer Nelson to the Denver Nuggets for guard Nate Robinson.

Robinson, a 5’9″ guard, appeared in 33 contests for the Nuggets this season and is averaging 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.1 minutes per game. He recorded a season-high 20 points on 6-11 (.545) shooting from the field, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 16 minutes on December 19 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Robinson played in 81 games in two seasons for the Celtics (2009-11) and averaged 6.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 16.9 minutes per game during that span.

Nelson, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks on December 18, has appeared in six contests for the Celtics this season and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 20.1 minutes per game over that span. For the season, Nelson is averaging 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 24.3 minutes per game.

Byron Scott thinks Kobe Bryant played too many early-season minutes

Los Angeles Lakers (12-26) legend Kobe Bryant is averaging 23.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 34.8 minutes per game this season, on just 37.5% shooting. And just 29.3% from three-point range. Lately, he’s needed a rest. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

Kobe Bryant has sat out three of the Los Angeles Lakers’ past four games and six of their past 11 — all in the name of rest after playing far too many minutes earlier this season.

Lakers coach Byron Scott admits Bryant’s heavy work load was his fault, but he’s trying not to dwell on the mistake.

“You try to move away from it and forget about it,” Scott said Monday. “But it’s hard to do when you have a guy you care about so much and you think you kind of messed up. I think I played him too much early.

“If I would’ve stuck to the 32 minutes or 33 at the most, he might have been able to play a little bit more of these games that he’s missed. But you know what, I realize it. You have to move on from it, learn from your mistakes and go forward.”

Kevin Garnett suspended for headbutting Dwight Howard

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended one game without pay for initiating an altercation with Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard and headbutting him. Howard was fined $15,000 for pushing Garnett in the neck area. The penalties were announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter of the Rockets’ 113-99 win over the Nets on Monday, Jan. 12, at Barclays Center.

Garnett will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when the Nets host the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center.

To view the play, click on this link.

Donatas Motiejunas playing well for Houston

Donatas Motiejunas playing well for Houston

Houstono Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas has been playing the best basketball of his career this season. He has recorded three of his four career 20-point performances this season, including a new career-high 25 points vs. DEN on 12/13. He has particularly thrived as his role has increased. D-mo has averaged 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in his career, but is averaging a career best 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season in a career-high 27.5 minutes per game. Motiejunas has recorded 21 games with 10+ points this season, which already surpasses his total of 13 from the 2013-14 season. Currently, after recordeing 14 points and 10 rebounds (his 3rd double-double of the season), Motiejunas is riding a seven game stretch of scoring in double-figures, just one games shy of his career-long streak set earlier this year.

Rockets love the 3-point shot

The Houston Rockets shooting from beyond the arc has been a huge key to their success this year. These notes do not include Monday’s current-ongoing game in Brooklyn against the Nets:

– The Rockets lead the entire NBA in 3PT FGM per game at 11.8 (1.5 more per game than 2nd place LAC). At their current pace, the Rockets are on track to make 967 3PT FG over the course of the 82 game season. This would shatter the NBA single season mark of 891 3PT FG set by New York in 2012-13. Additionally, after making a three-pointer late in the 3Q of the home win vs. POR on 12/22, Jason Terry joined Ray Allen and Reggie Miller as the only players in NBA history to reach 2,000 3PT FG for their careers.

– James Harden hit a career-high 8 3PT FG on just 11 attempts on 12/31 vs. CHA. This is the third most 3PT FG a Rockets player has made in a regulation game, and ties the fewest attempts a Rockets player has hit 8+ 3PT FG on (Alston, 8-11, 3/16/08).

– With Corey Brewer’s 6 three-pointers (6-8 3PT FG) vs. SAS on 12/28, the Rockets now have had five different players with 6 or more threes in a game (Ariza, Beverley, Canaan and Harden). No other team in the league has more than two players who have done it.

– Trevor Ariza and James Harden headline the Rockets long range shooting. Harden has made 90 3PT FG (90-250, .360) good for sixth in the NBA and Ariza has made 85 3PT FG (85-266, .320) good for tenth in the NBA.

– The Rockets made 10+ 3PT FG in each of their first eight games and including last season nine straight overall (4/16/14 to 11/12/14). This surpassed the longest streak in franchise history of seven straight games set in 2013. The Rockets tied the streak again with nine straight from 11/19 through the 12/6. The two nine game streaks sit tied at the fourth the longest streaks in NBA history (2 shy of record). Ultimately the Rockets have done it in all but nine games this season.

– The Rockets tied their season-high with 17 3PT FGM on 17-43 (.395) shooting vs. CHA on 12/31. The Rockets attempted 46 three-pointers vs. DAL on 11/22 (going 15-46) to set a new high mark in the NBA and tied the Rockets franchise record (2/26/13 at WAS).

– On the defensive end, the Rockets are holding teams to 31.1% 3PT FG shooting, the 2nd lowest opponent 3PT FG%.