Here’s Rihanna in the Brooklyn Barclays Center checking out the Nets as they host the Atlanta Hawks on a cold winter NYC night.
Day: January 6, 2014
Clippers sign guard Darius Morris to a 10-day contract
The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed guard Darius Morris to a 10-day contract.
Morris started the season with the Philadelphia 76ers where he averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists in 12 games before being waived on Nov. 20. The third-year player has career averages of 4.1 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 79 games (17 starts) with the 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. A Los Angeles native, Morris was the 41st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Lakers out of the University of Michigan.
The 6’4” point guard played two seasons for the Wolverines, earning third team All Big-Ten honors as a sophomore with averages of 15.0 points, 6.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds.
With Clippers start point guard Chris Paul out for up to six weeks, the Clippers were in need of some backcourt depth. If Morris performs well in games or even in practice, he could stick around longer.
Nets bring Tyshawn Taylor back from D-League
The Brooklyn Nets have recalled guard Tyshawn Taylor from the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.
Taylor was assigned to Springfield earlier today.
In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
With Deron Williams banged up and day-to-day, perhaps the Nets brought Taylor back as added depth.
Guard Manny Harris named D-League Performer of Week
Manny Harris of the Los Angeles D-Fenders was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 30 – Sunday, Jan. 5.
Harris, a 6-5, 185 pound guard from Michigan, led Los Angeles to a 3-0 record last week and averaged 29.3 points, leading his team in scoring all three games. On Jan. 4, he recorded a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 107-94 victory over Bakersfield. He followed that up scoring 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals in a 99-95 win at Reno.
This is the first Performer of the Week honors for Harris this season and the third of his career. He is second in the NBA D-League in scoring with 27.9 ppg. Harris has tallied at least 21 points in all nine of his games for Los Angeles this season.
Other top performers considered include Idaho’s Pierre Jackson, Maine’s MarShon Brooks, Santa Cruz’s Dewayne Dedmon, Sioux Falls’ DeAndre Liggins and Springfield’s Darius Johnson-Odom.
NBA Notes: Warriors on fire
GOLDEN STATE: Despite being in the midst of a killer road trip – seven games over 11 days — the Golden State Warriors are riding a nine-game win streak including the last five – and six of the nine — away from home. Golden State’s success of late, spearheaded by the strong play of Stephen Curry and David Lee, has given the Warriors a share of the Pacific Division lead (Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers both are 23-13). To put the Warriors’ streak and place in the standings into proper context, consider this: The last time Golden State won at least nine straight was 1975; and the last time the Warriors led the division this late in season was March 2, 1992.
According to NBA.com/Stats, Lee is the Warriors’ leading scorer during the streak, averaging 22.7 points, to go along with 9.6 rpg. Looking only at the road victories during the streak, Lee paces the team in both categories — 24.2 ppg and 9.3 rpg. Curry is averaging a 19.0-point, 10.4-assist double-double during the streak, with comparable numbers in the road wins (20.7 ppg, 9.5 apg).
PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia has won four straight after not winning consecutive games since starting the season 3-0. To make the feat that much more impressive, the Sixers’ four-game win streak came on a just-completed six-game road trip, that culminated with a 101-99 win at Portland on Jan. 4 — only the Trail Blazers’ fourth loss at home. Thaddeus Young had a game-high 30 points, 20 of which came in the second half, while Evan Turner contributed 23 points. According to NBA.com/Stats, during the win streak, which includes victories at Sacramento, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers, Young and Evan have averaged 25.0 and 23.0 points, respectively. Young also is contributing 3.5 spg and 8.0 rpg, while Turner is adding averages of 7.3 boards and 4.5 assists. During the streak, the Sixers are averaging 109.8 points and winning by an average of 7.5 points.
TORONTO: Although the Heat defeated Toronto 102-97 in Miami last night, Toronto’s run of success includes a 7-3 record over the Raptors’ last 10 games away from home. According to NBA.com/Stats, over their last 10 road games, the Raptors are averaging 99.2 points with Kyle Lowry (18.6 ppg) and DeMar DeRozan (18.1 ppg) responsible for 37 percent of the output.
— Via NBA Broadcasters Bulletin
Dennis Rodman is back in North Korea
Here’s Reuters reporting on the latest Dennis Rodman trip to North Korea:
Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Monday with a team of retired professional basketball players to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
This marks Rodman’s fourth trip to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, where he and his team of fellow former National Basketball Association stars will hold basketball games on Kim’s birthday, which is believed to fall on Wednesday, although it has never been officially confirmed.
On previous visits, Rodman spent time dining as a guest of Kim, with whom he says he has a genuine friendship, though he did not meet Kim on his third trip.
Rodman, however, said he will not interfere in the country’s politics.
Sixers recall Lorenzo Brown and Elliot Williams from D-League
The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that they have recalled guards Lorenzo Brown and Elliot Williams from the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League.
Brown (6-5, 186) was assigned to the Sevens on December 26, 2013 and appeared in five games, averaging 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Williams (6-5, 180) was assigned to the Sevens on January 5, 2014 and had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists in his only game played.
Sacramento Kings waive center Hamady Ndiaye
The Sacramento Kings today requested waivers on center Hamady Ndiaye, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.
Ndiaye averaged 0.4 points (3-9 FG, 0-1 FT), 1.3 rebounds and 5.3 minutes per game in 14 contests this season for the Kings, including two appearances with the team’s D-League affiliate, posting 6.5 points (.455 FG%, .375 FT%), 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 3.50 blocks and 28.0 minutes in two games for the Reno Bighorns.
Thaddeus Young, David Lee named NBA Players of Week through January 5, 2014
Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young and Golden State Warriors forward David Lee today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 30, through Sunday, Jan. 5.
Young helped the 76ers to a 3-0 week, with all three wins coming on the road. He averaged a conference-best 25.0 points on .566 shooting from the field (ninth in the conference), 7.7 rebounds, and tied for the league lead with 3.67 steals. Young’s balanced play on Jan. 2 – 28 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four assists – keyed Philadelphia’s 113-104 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Lee averaged 24.5 points (sixth in the conference), 10.5 rebounds (sixth in the conference) and 3.5 assists in helping the Warriors to a 4-0 week. He posted two point-rebound double-doubles on the week, including tying a season-high with 32 points to go alongside 14 rebounds on Jan. 2, during a 123-114 win over the Miami Heat. All four of the Warriors’ wins came away from Oracle Arena, extending their road winning streak to six games, and their overall winning streak to nine games.
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Brooklyn’s Deron Williams, Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol, Miami’s LeBron James, New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Phoenix’s Goran Dragic and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.
Mavs recall Ricky Ledo from D-League
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.
Ledo (6-7, 200) was originally assigned to the Legends on November 30 and played in 14 games with the Mavericks’ D-League affiliate. The rookie swingman started nine of those 14 games and averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.14 steals in 29.8 minutes per game.
Ledo has seen action in six games for the Mavericks this season and holds averages of 1.2 points and 2.6 minutes.