December 2015 – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Warriors 24-game winning streak ends with loss to Bucks

The streak is over for the Golden State Warriors.

Their NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95 on Saturday night.

Golden State fell to 24-1. Its 28-game winning streak, counting the final four games of last season, came to a halt. The NBA’s longest winning streak was 33 by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72 — and it was also snapped by Milwaukee.

Greg Monroe scored 28 points for the Bucks, who got the all-around effort needed to beat the defending NBA champions.

It also helped that the Warriors, perhaps fighting fatigue after needing two overtimes to win at Boston on Friday, were cold from 3-point range. They usually make 13 a night, but were just 6 of 26 from behind the arc playing on the final game of a seven-game road trip.

Stephen Curry had 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, including 2 of 8 from 3-point territory.

— Associated Press

Gregg Popovich not surprised that Kobe will retire after this season

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is always worth listening to — at least when he’s actually willing to talk and answer a question in straightforward fashion. Here’s the Los Angeles Times reporting Popovich’s views on Lakers great Kobe Bryant’s announcement that he will wrap up his career at season’s end:

Coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn’t surprised when Kobe Bryant announced this would be his final season, though Popovich added that the league will definitely be taking a hit.

“It will be a great personality gone,” Popovich said Friday before the Lakers played the Spurs. “He’s an iconic figure, and when those kind of guys stop playing, the league misses them. You miss them.”

Popovich said Bryant’s consistent intensity was a rarity.

“There aren’t too many people who understand how you bring it, night after night after night, for all those years at that level, and he’s one of the few guys who did that,” Popovich said.

Thunder assign Josh Huestis to D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Huestis has appeared in seven games (all starts) for the Blue this season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.57 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game.

He is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Blue hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors at the Cox Convention Center at 7 p.m.

Bradley Beal out at least two weeks with lower leg injury

Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula. He will miss the next two weeks and then be re-evaluated. The injury was initially diagnosed following an MRI yesterday and confirmed today after further testing.

Beal has appeared in 17 games for Washington this season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 36.5 minutes per game.

Mario Chalmers plays on road in Miami Sunday

The Memphis Grizzlies visit the Miami Heat Sunday (6 p.m. ET), and the matchup brings Grizzlies backup guard Mario Chalmers (averaging a career-high 11.1 ppg this season) back to Miami and the arena he used to call home. Expect love for Chalmers from fans. As for players? Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting:

Chris Bosh plans to keep it simple.

“I’ll probably yell at him during the game for old-time’s sake,” he said.

Dwyane Wade also envisions a basic welcome.

“I’m taking him into the post,” he said. “He going to foul me.”

Both laughed, mostly because of the countless times that Mario Chalmers made them smile.

At a time when both teams are struggling to gain their footing, Sunday’s game between the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena will be about more than the moment.

It will be about the moments Chalmers helped create for the Heat, especially during that run to four consecutive NBA Finals and two NBA championships.

James Harden calls Kobe Bryant a legend

Saturday night in Houston the Rockets (just 11-12 this season) host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (an NBA second-worst 3-20). Unless something crazy happens, this will be Kobe Bryant’s final season in the league. Here’s the Houston Chronicle reporting:

“Obviously, we know the game is extra hyped because of Bean,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “We still have to go out and win the game and focus on what we have to do.

“He’s somebody I watched growing up since I was little. This is his 20th year. I’m just 26 years old. He’s been playing a long time. Obviously, you definitely want to win the game. That competitive nature, going against him, no matter how old he is, he still has the competitive nature. He still wants to go out there and compete at a high level. I’ll definitely take advantage of it and cherish it.

“He’s a legend, not just here but every arena you go to on the road, games are sold out, ticket prices are going up to see a legend in his last year.”

Derrick Rose may ditch mask soon

The Chicago Bulls are 12-8 and getting a modest 13.4 points and 5.7 assists per game from Derrick Rose this season. Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times with the latest D-Rose update:

Derrick Rose cut his hair. Has he cut his mask?

At the Bulls’ shootaround before Saturday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Rose was showing off a new do. Gone was the look he’s shown off all season, and in was a haircut similar to what he wore during his 2010-11 MVP campaign.

Perhaps of more importance could be the status of Rose’s mask that he’s worn to protect the left orbital bone he broke during training camp. He forgot to wear it during the second half of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers but has the option of ditching it for good, and left open the possibility following the win.

But if he has made a call, the Bulls don’t know.

LeBron James pre-game music

Wonder which music LeBron James listens to before games? Here’s ESPN Cleveland reporting:

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ pregame locker room is noisier this season than it was last season.

LeBron James has taken to turning on his portable speakers from Beats by Dre, a company he endorses, and playing tunes as he and his teammates stretch out and put on their uniforms.

Only it’s not the music that’s the noisy part. It’s the debates that the music sparks. The ribbing usually centers between two people: James and Jared Cunningham. While James picks the songs, Cunningham picks on the songs…

James’ playlist features artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, OutKast, Jadakiss, Lupe Fiasco and sometimes even Cleveland’s own Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Cunningham, meanwhile, prefers performers such as Ty Dolla $ign, Migos, Young Thug and Yo Gotti.

Rajon Rondo suspended one game by NBA

Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended one game without pay for directing a derogatory and offensive term towards a game official and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Rondo was assessed two technical fouls and ejected, occurred with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter of Sacramento’s 114-97 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Dec. 3 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City.

Rondo is having a very good season as a new member of the 9-15 Kings. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game and providing an entertaining spark to the squad.

John `Hot Rod` Williams dies of cancer

Here’s ESPN.com reporting some very sad news about a well-known, talented former NBA player:

John “Hot Rod” Williams, one of the NBA’s best sixth men in the 1980s and ’90s, has died of cancer at his home near Sorrento, Louisiana. He was 53.

Williams’ agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed his death Friday.

Williams, a 6-11 power forward, played 13 seasons in the NBA but was best known for being a standout with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1995. The news stunned former teammates and executives who had been encouraged when Williams came through an earlier cancer diagnosis this year.

“It’s devastating,” said Wayne Embry, the Cavs general manager from 1986-99. “He was a hard worker and a great player but I liked him more as a person than a basketball player.”