Month: March 2018

Magic sign Rashad Vaughn to second 10-day contract

The Magic today signed guard Rashad Vaughn to a second 10-day contract.

Vaughn was originally signed as a free agent to a 10-day contract on Feb. 20.

Vaughn (#20, 6’6”, 210, 8/16/96) has played in a combined 27 games this season with Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Orlando, averaging 2.4 ppg. in 7.5 minpg. He has appeared in four games with the Magic, averaging 1.3 ppg. in 6.2 minpg. Prior to signing with Orlando, Vaughn was traded by Milwaukee to Brooklyn, along with a second round draft pick, in exchange for Tyler Zeller on Feb. 5. He was then traded by the Nets to New Orleans in exchange for Dante Cunningham on Feb. 8. Vaughn was waived by the Pelicans on Feb. 10.

Originally selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, Vaughn has appeared in 134 career NBA regular season games (eight starts) with Milwaukee and Brooklyn, averaging 3.1 ppg. and 1.1 rpg. in 12.2 minpg. Prior to his NBA career, he spent one season at UNLV (2014-15), averaging 17.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 32.3 minpg., while shooting .383 (54-141) from three-point range. Vaughn was named 2014-15 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, as well as Honorable Mention All-MWC.

Lakers sign Travis Wear to 10-day contract

The Lakers today signed forward Travis Wear to a 10-day contract.

Wear has appeared in 33 games (29 starts) for the South Bay Lakers this season, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range. In 2014-15, the UCLA graduate averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.2 minutes with the New York Knicks.

In February, he competed for the second time with Team USA as part of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying first round, helping lead the team to a 4-0 record.

The Lakers roster stands at 16, including two two-way players.

Josh Hart out after hand surgery

Lakers guard Josh Hart, who fractured the fourth metacarpal on his left hand at Wednesday’s practice in Miami, had surgery today to repair the fracture. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven S. Shin.

Hart is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

According to ABC7.com, “Hart is averaging 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 21.5 minutes per game this season. The 30th pick in the NBA draft has started 20 games and four of his six double-doubles have come in his past 10 games as a starter. “He brings a lot to the team,” said point guard Lonzo Ball, who cut Hart’s steak for him at a Miami steakhouse when some players went to dinner the same day Hart injured his hand.”

Timberwolves waive Shabazz Muhammad (contract buyout)

Timberwolves waive Shabazz Muhammad (contract buyout)

The Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday waived forward Shabazz Muhammad.

Muhammad appeared in 32 games this season for the Wolves, averaging 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “by agreeing to the buyout, Muhammad forgoes a veteran’s minimum player option for next season. He re-signed with the Wolves to $1.6 million veteran’s minimum last fall after he turned down $40 million in October 2016, the same time teammate Gorgui Dieng signed a four-year, $64 million contract. The 14th player taken in the 2013 draft, Muhammad was one of the Wolves’ most active players during training camp in San Diego, but didn’t play well early in the regular season and played less and less as the Wolves played better and better.”

After the Muhammad move, Minnesota’s roster stands at 15 players.

Lonzo Ball gets six steals in Lakers win

Lonzo Ball’s recent return from injury has been a success. First in very limited minutes, but now playing most of the game. The scoring stars in tonight’s Lakers win over the Heat were Isaiah Thomas, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma. But Ball filled the stat-sheet quite nicely. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

As Lonzo Ball stood at his locker stall, he mumbled about how tired he was.

Despite still feeling some discomfort in his left knee, Ball was back in the starting lineup and had his best game since returning from a sprained left MCL, leaving his fingerprints all over the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-113 rout over the Miami Heat.

Ball filled up the box score with 8 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and a career-high 6 steals in 34 minutes. It was the most minutes Ball has played in his three games back. He missed 15 games because of his MCL injury.

Six Lakers scored in double figures Thursday night, including Isaiah Thomas (29 points and six 3-pointers) and Julius Randle (25 points, 21 coming in the first half), but Lakers coach Luke Walton said Ball was the best player on the floor despite taking only five shots.

Jordan Clarkson ejected after throwing ball at Dario Saric

Look. Basketballs get thrown around. To teammates. At the basket. And sometimes they get thrown directly at an opposing player who has been annoying you a bit. Here’s ESPN.com reporting on the closing minutes of the Sixers vs Cavs game:

The final moments of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 108-97 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday took an unexpected turn when Cavs guard Jordan Clarkson threw a ball at Sixers forward Dario Saric’s back and was summarily ejected.

With Philadelphia up by eight points and having an opportunity to run out the clock with the game already in hand, Saric dunked with 12.2 seconds remaining.

Upon collecting the ball after it went through the hoop, Clarkson tossed it at Saric’s back and was called for a technical foul, before being ejected.

“Uh, basketball, that’s it,” Clarkson said of the incident. “Part of the game. If anybody say different, that they wouldn’t have did that, that they’d have did something different or anything else, they lying. Especially if it was at that [point] of the game. They know what’s up. That’s it.”

Scott Brooks and Mike D`Antoni named NBA Coaches of Month for February, 2018

The Washington Wizards’ Scott Brooks and the Houston Rockets’ Mike D’Antoni today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

Brooks led the Wizards to an 8-4 record in February, including a 6-1 mark on the road, as Washington took over first place in the Southeast Division and moved up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Playing the entire month without All-Star guard John Wall, the Wizards defeated five of the seven other teams currently among the top eight in the East.

Washington opened February with a 122-119 home win over the current East-leading Toronto Raptors. The Wizards’ road success featured victories at the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. For the month, Washington led the East in assists (29.3 apg) and ranked third in field goal percentage (48.6).

Under D’Antoni, the NBA-leading Rockets went 12-0 in February, marking the third time in team history that they have gone unbeaten in a calendar month with at least 10 games. Houston ended the month with a 14-game winning streak, becoming the sixth team in NBA history with two winning streaks of at least 14 games in a season. At 48-13, Houston has its best-ever record through 61 games and a half-game lead over the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the Western Conference and overall.

In February, the Rockets outscored opponents by 14.0 points per game while finishing 8-0 on the road and 4-0 at home. Houston’s month included two victories each over the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets as well as road wins against the Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month were Charlotte’s Steve Clifford, Denver’s Michael Malone, Golden State’s Steve Kerr, the LA Clippers’ Doc Rivers, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luke Walton, New Orleans’ Alvin Gentry, Philadelphia’s Brett Brown, Toronto’s Dwane Casey and Utah’s Quin Snyder.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis named NBA Players of Month for February, 2018

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

James averaged a triple-double in a calendar month for the first time in his 15-year career, leading the Eastern Conference in scoring (27.0 ppg) and assists (10.5 apg) and adding 10.5 rebounds in 10 games. The 6-8 forward, who tied for the league lead with four triple-doubles, shot 54.6 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range and finished second in the conference in minutes (37.3 mpg). He helped the Cavaliers post a 6-4 record in February.

On Feb. 27, James recorded 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 129-123 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets. With that performance, the 33-year-old James became the first player in NBA history to accumulate 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists.

Davis averaged 35.0 points (first in the NBA), 13.0 rebounds (third), 2.45 steals (second) and 2.18 blocked shots (second) in 11 games, making him the first player in league history to hit these marks for a calendar month since steals and blocks became official statistics in 1973-74. His scoring average was a personal best for a month in which he appeared in at least five games.

Behind Davis, the Pelicans went 8-3 in February and closed the month on a seven-game winning streak, moving into a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference. In a 124-123 overtime victory against the Miami Heat on Feb. 23, the 6-10 forward became the first player ever to produce at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, five steals and five blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first recorded (45/17/5/5).

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Boston’s Kyrie Irving, Golden State’s Kevin Durant, Houston’s James Harden, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal.

Bucks waive Sean Kilpatrick

The Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday requested waivers on guard Sean Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick was signed to a Two-Way contract with the Bucks on Dec. 18. On Jan. 7, Kilpatrick’s contract was converted to a standard NBA contract. Appearing in 23 games for Milwaukee, he averaged 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game.

Kilpatrick began the season with Brooklyn and played in 16 games for the Nets, averaging 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. He was waived by Brooklyn on Dec. 7.

The Bucks roster now stands at 16 players.

Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell named NBA Rookies of Month for February, 2018

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons and the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

Simmons won the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award for the second consecutive month and the third time this season. In February, he led East rookies in scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) and paced all first-year NBA players in assists (7.7 apg). He also tied for the rookie lead in steals (2.00 spg) and ranked third among that group in field goal percentage (55.0). The 6-10 guard/forward from Australia helped the 76ers to an 8-3 record for the month, the second-best mark in the East.

On Feb. 14, Simmons had a triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the 76ers rallied from a 24-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Miami Heat 104-102 in Philadelphia. In his first game after the All-Star break, Simmons scored a career-high 32 points, made the go-ahead free throw with 5.6 seconds left and added 11 assists and seven rebounds in a 116-115 road win against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 22.

Mitchell earned the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for the third month in a row. In February, he averaged a rookie-high 21.4 points to go with 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.30 steals in 10 games as Utah went 8-2 with him in the lineup and 9-2 overall. He topped all first-year NBA players with 29 three-pointers made and led West rookies with 29 free throws made.

The 6-3 guard opened the month by scoring 40 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field (including 7-of-9 from three-point range) in a 129-97 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 2. With that performance, Mitchell became the first player in Jazz history with multiple 40-point games in his rookie season. He scored at least 24 points in each of his final four games before the All-Star break – all Utah victories.

Other nominees for the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Atlanta’s John Collins, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Brooklyn’s Jarrett Allen, Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen, Dallas’ Dennis Smith Jr., the Los Angeles Lakers’ Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Phoenix’s Josh Jackson and Sacramento’s Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox.