Day: December 15, 2009

China investor finalizes deal to buy part of Cleveland Cavaliers

Reuters reports:

A Michigan investment firm has finalized a deal to sell its 15 percent stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers to a group led by Kenny Huang, bringing LeBron James’ team a step closer to adding the National Basketball Association’s first big Chinese investor.

A Cavaliers spokesman declined to comment, but Cavaliers Vice Chairman David Katzman, whose Camelot Venture Group owns the stake being sold, said an all-cash deal was reached and should be approved by year’s end. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Kings lure fans with beer

Cynthia Hubert of the Sacramento Bee reports:

The Sacramento Kings have given away food, offered discount ticket packages and touted their prized rookies.

But they have yet to find the formula for bringing raucous sellout crowds back to Arco Arena.

Could the answer be cheap beer?

Quite possibly. Wednesday night, with a national television audience watching, the Kings could be playing before a sellout crowd at Arco for only the second time this season. The draw? Dollar Beer Night.

“Sacramento and its fans have such a good reputation nationally,” said Kings spokesman Mitch Germann. “We want to showcase that on national TV.”

Their efforts seem to be paying off. As of Monday afternoon, only “a limited number of tickets” were available for the Wednesday game, Germann said.

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Celtics love the pick-and-roll

Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe reports:

The pick-and-roll is among the most basic of basketball maneuvers. But it is also difficult to defend, especially when Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are executing the play.

“It’s a tough pick-and-roll,’’ Pierce said, “because you’ve got a big guy [who’s] able to knock down shots. I’m able to knock down shots or drive off the pick and they got to make a decision whether to trap or switch. Then, if you trap you’ve got to rotate to Kevin, so it puts teams in a predicament down the stretch. It’s been a bread and butter play for us.’’

The play – also known as a pick-and-pop, Garnett becoming a perimeter threat – led to the Celtics’ final 7 points in a 110-105 win over the Grizzlies last night.