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New York Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari suffered a sore right forearm Tuesday night as the team hosted the Sacramento Kings.
NBA All-Star weekend is February 12-14 in Dallas, Texas, and Gallinari is one of the NBA three-point shootout participants. The event takes place Saturday night.
After the game, there was good news. Speaking to InsideHoops.com and other reporters, Gallinari said he will be fine in a few days and made it clear there is no chance whatsoever that he’d miss the Shootout.
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Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who suffered a sprained left knee with 3:43 remaining in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, underwent an MRI exam earlier today in Palo Alto. The MRI confirmed the injury as a mild left knee sprain. Ellis will be evaluated again on Wednesday and his status for tomorrow night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers will be determined at that point.
This season, Ellis is averaging 26.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.19 steals per game, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three-point range.
The 13-37 Warriors are currently the 14th seed out of 15 teams in the Western conference.
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As part of the Orlando Magic’s “Commitment to the Past,” fan-favorite guard Darrell Armstrong will be honored by the organization when the Magic host Dallas on Friday, Feb. 19 at Amway Arena. Game time is 8 p.m.
Undrafted by any NBA franchise, Armstrong was originally signed as a free agent by Orlando on Apr. 8, 1995. He went on to play 502 regular season games during nine seasons with the Magic, averaging 11.7 ppg., 5.1 apg. and 1.65 stlpg.
Armstrong ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in almost every single category, including games played (3rd, 502), points (8th, 5,898), assists (3rd, 2,555), steals (2nd, 830), three-point field goals made (3rd, 654) and three-point field goals attempted (3rd, 1,892).
From Feb. 5, 1999 to Apr. 3, 2001, Armstrong played in 206 consecutive games, at the time a franchise record (Dwight Howard later appeared in 351 straight games from Nov. 3, 2004 to Dec. 12, 2008). He still holds the team record for most consecutive free throws made without a miss with 47.
Past honorees of the Orlando Magic’s “Commitment to the Past” include Nick Anderson, Matt Guokas, Dennis Scott, Scott Skiles, Jeff Turner and Pat Williams.
Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star writes:
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Reggie Evans, the Raptors’ designated banger, is expected to make his regular season debut on Wednesday, and what kind of shape is he in?
If you’ve watched him in his only regular-season turn as a Raptor – as a sometimes-manic bench presence – it’s been difficult to say. Evans’ courtside wardrobe has mostly consisted of two blazers that run a couple of sizes baggier than Bryan Colangelo’s tailor might advise. They’re Polo brand, one blue, the other beige, both 100 per cent linen. And yes, he has heard the teasing from teammates and Twitterers alike. Linen in winter?
“Hey, I ain’t here to make a fashion statement. Those are my jackets, so I roll with ’em. They save me money. I don’t get fined (for violating the NBA’s jacket-required dress code),” Evans said. “I don’t like suits. … I don’t have one suit, period. I’m not a suit type of guy.”
A well-cut suit, mind you, might have made it a little easier to judge if Evans’s long-time inability to do weight-bearing exercise had a weight-gaining downside. Club employees, though, will happily tell you there are no new wrinkles beneath his baggy wrinkles. Evans was 265 pounds on the day he damaged the ligaments in his left foot in a pre-season game. And when he takes the floor on Wednesday, he’ll be 265 pounds. He’ll have even shaved a few percentage points off his body-fat content.
Tom Moore of The Intelligencer reports:
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The 19-31 Sixers have won three in a row – all against teams with a .500 or better record at the time – with Allen Iverson absent and Willie Green starting in his place.
The 6-foot-3 Green and 6-4 rookie Jrue Holiday have given the Sixers better size and matchups in the backcourt than when the 6-1 Lou Williams and 5-11 Iverson started. They’ve also cut down on opponents’ dribble penetration, allowing teammates to stay on their man rather than having to rotate over to help on the ball.
Green has also scored in double figures all three times, averaging 11.3 points on 15-for-25 shooting (60 percent) from the field.
“It’s a comfort area for him,” Jordan said. “It doesn’t bother him to start. He’s aggressive. He’s playing with other front-line guys on our team, so it’s a little easier for him.”
The AP reports:
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Vince Carter had a season-high 48 points, leading the Orlando Magic back from a 17-point second-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Hornets 123-117 on Monday night.
Carter was 19 for 27 shooting and had 34 points in the second half with some of the most sizzling moves since he joined the Magic, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
Dwight Howard added 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Rashard Lewis finished with 18 points for Orlando…
It was by far Carter’s best performance since he was traded from New Jersey in the offseason, finishing three shy of his career high. The eight-time All-Star expected to be Orlando’s missing piece to a title was back in peak form, and the Magic can only hope he stays there.