Month: March 2015

Grizzlies beat Knicks, clinch playoff spot

Grizzlies beat Knicks, clinch playoff spot

The Memphis Grizzlies clinched a playoff spot for the fifth consecutive season on Monday night. They hope this is only the beginning.

Zach Randolph scored 23 points and Marc Gasol had 21, leading Memphis to a 103-82 win over the lowly New York Knicks.

The Grizzlies (50-21) shot 52 percent from the field in their third consecutive victory. Vince Carter added 14 points, Jeff Green scored 12 and Kosta Koufos had 10.

“This is the NBA,” said Randolph, who also had seven rebounds and five assists. “We have been together a long time and we have to keep playing. We know what we are playing and getting ready for.”

— Associated Press

Bulls beat Hornets, clinch playoff spot

Nikola Mirotic scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls clinched a playoff spot with a 98-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

Pau Gasol had 27 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago moved into a tie with Toronto for third place in the Eastern Conference. Jimmy Butler added 19 points in his return to the lineup after missing 11 games with a sprained left elbow.

The Bulls played without center Joakim Noah, who was scratched because of general soreness, but managed to bounce back from an ugly 107-91 loss at Detroit on Saturday.

Kemba Walker had 29 points and Mo Williams scored 15 for the Hornets, who were without Cody Zeller (right shoulder) and shot just 34.6 percent from the field.

— Associated Press

James Harden drops 44 points on Pacers

James Harden scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter and Josh Smith added 18 to help the Houston Rockets beat Indiana 110-100 on Monday night, handing the Pacers their sixth straight loss.

The Rockets (47-23) have won four of five.

Indiana’s sinking playoff hopes took another big hit despite 23 points from C.J. Watson.

George Hill had 20 points for the Pacers (30-40).

— Associated Press

Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul named Players of Week through March 22

dwyane wade

The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 16, through Sunday, March 22.

Wade led the Heat to a 3-1 week, averaging 24.5 points (second in the East), 4.0 assists and 2.25 steals (fourth in the conference). He shot 53.2 percent from the field, including a 13-of-18 performance during a 32-point outing in a 106-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 16. The All-Star guard also scored 32 points and added six assists in a 108-104 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 18.

chris paul

Paul powered the Clippers to one of the NBA’s two 4-0 weeks. He ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring (26.0 ppg) and second in the West in assists (11.3 apg). The All-Star guard had 30 points and 11 assists in a 116-105 victory against the Sacramento Kings on March 18, and two nights later he contributed 30 points and 15 assists in a 113-99 win over the Washington Wizards. Paul totaled 45 assists and seven turnovers in the four games.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Cleveland’s LeBron James, Detroit’s Reggie Jackson, Houston’s James Harden, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Orlando’s Elfrid Payton, Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe and P.J. Tucker, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan.

Jarell Eddie named D-League Performer of Week through March 22

Jarell Eddie named D-League Performer of Week

Austin Spurs forward Jarell Eddie was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, March 16 – Sunday, March 22. The award is the first of Eddie’s career and he joins Kyle Anderson and Bryce Cotton as Spurs to have earned the honor this season.

Eddie (6-7, 220, Virginia Tech) led Austin to a 2-0 week as his Spurs clinched a playoff spot on Friday with the 126-113 win over the Texas Legends and secured the team’s status as the Southwest Division Champion following the 115-95 victory over the Bakersfield Jam on Saturday.

For the week, Eddie averaged 26.0 points on 65 percent shooting to go with 6.5 rebounds. He connected on 63 percent (12-of-19) of shots his from behind the arc last week, securing a season-high 34 points off the bench against the Jam.

Eddie, who earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this month, has appeared in 39 games for the Spurs this season, 16 as a starter, and is averaging 12.6 points and 3.5 rebounds on the season.

Other top performers considered included Bakersfield’s Joe Jackson, Oklahoma City’s Frank Gaines, Sioux Falls’ Shawn Jones, Reno’s David Stockton and Texas’ Jarrid Famous.

Kings sign David Wear to 10-day contract

Kings sign David Wear to 10-day contract

kings

The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has signed David Wear to a 10-day contract, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

The 6-10, 235-pound forward is averaging 16.3 points (.478 FG%, .394 3pt%, .812 FT%), 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 30.0 minutes per game in 43 contests for the Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s NBA D-League affiliate. Wear registered career highs of 33 points (12 of 18 FG) on Jan. 3 at Los Angeles Defenders and has hit seven three-pointers in a game twice (Nov. 16 vs. Grand Rapids and Jan. 3 at Los Angeles Defenders).

The UCLA product will wear jersey number 31 and will be available for the Kings contest Tuesday night at Sleep Train Arena versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

The roster now stands at 15 players.

Amare Stoudemire fined $15,000 by NBA

Amare Stoudemire fined $15,000 by NBA

Amare Stoudemire fined $15,000 by NBA

Be nice to the refs, and go away when they officially instruct you to go away, or there’s going to be a problem.

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Amar’e Stoudemire has been fined $15,000 for verbally abusing an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner upon his ejection, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred last night with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ 112-101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center.

To view the play, click on this link.

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

The Miami Heat are 32-36, on a three-game winning streak, winners of seven of their last 10 games, and playing without Chris Bosh for the rest the season. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel with an update on Heat forward Josh McRoberts:

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

For the first-time since undergoing knee surgery in December, forward Josh McRoberts has joined the Miami Heat on a road trip.

McRoberts, who, according to coach Erik Spoelstra, has yet to resume on-court work with the coaching staff, left Saturday with the team for the four-game trip that opens Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

McRoberts, one of Pat Riley’s prime offseason additions last summer in free agency, has been limited to 17 games this season due to a variety of ailments. He has been sidelined since Dec. 10 since a torn right meniscus. He began the season on the team’s inactive list do to an offseason toe issue and later missed time due to a blister on his left foot.

Unlike other teammates who have been sidelined, McRoberts has not joined the Heat on the bench at home games, nor had he traveled with the team until this trip that also includes games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash has announced his retirement from basketball. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

Steve Nash announces retirement

After a 19-year NBA career in which he twice won MVP honors, tallied the third-most assists in league history and assured his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game, Steve Nash formally announced he is walking away from the game Saturday in a letter published on The Players’ Tribune website.

“The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much — visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes,” Nash wrote. “The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my ass by her.

“And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”

Nash, who didn’t play this season with the Los Angeles Lakers because of injuries, finishes his career with 10,335 assists, third-most in NBA history behind John Stockton and Jason Kidd.