Kevin Love still finding his place on Cavs

Kevin Love still finding his place on Cavs

Here’s the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporting on Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, who is averaging 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season and is still working to fit in with the squad:

Kevin Love still finding his place on Cavs

On Monday Kevin Love scored a season-low five points on 1-of-7 shooting while pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds in a 97-84 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rather than the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 11th straight victory receiving the bulk of the attention, Love’s ongoing battle to find a level of consistency within the offense stole the spotlight.

Three days later Love quieted the noise with a game-high 24 points and nine boards to lead his team past the robust Los Angeles Clippers. But in Friday’s 103-99 loss to the Pacers, Monday’s version of Love returned as he registered five points for the second time this week to go with eight rebounds.

He was 2-of-8 from the field, 0-for-4 in the second half. His Indiana counterpart, David West, supplied 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Bucks sign Jorge Gutierrez to second 10-day contract

Bucks sign Jorge Gutierrez to second 10-day contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Jorge Gutierrez to a second 10-day contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Gutierrez appeared in four games for the Bucks during his first 10-day contract and averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 14.8 minutes per game. He made one start for Milwaukee on Feb. 2 at Toronto, and on Feb. 6 at Houston, tied his career high for scoring with 13 points in the game.

Gutierrez signed his initial 10-day contract on Jan. 28.

Kings interested in George Karl

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on the Kings, who would probably benefit from a number of changes, with one possibility as follows:

Kings interested in George Karl

The Kings are engaged in intense conversations with George Karl about their head coaching position, multiple sources have told The Bee.

Assistant Tyrone Corbin replaced Michael Malone on Dec. 14 after the Kings faltered to a 2-8 record during DeMarcus Cousins’ absence due to viral meningitis. The plan was to have Corbin complete the season, conduct an extensive coaching search, and give the incoming coach the benefit of an entire offseason and training camp.

Besides Karl, an ESPN analyst who is known for dramatically improving franchises, particularly in Denver, Seattle and Milwaukee, the list of future candidates is known to include current NBA assistants Alvin Gentry and Nate McMillan, along with head coaches whose job security is thought to be tenuous, among them Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks.

Cavs winning streak ends with loss to Pacers

Cavs winning streak ends with loss to Pacers

Here’s ESPN Cleveland reporting on the Cavs, whose 12-game winning streak did not extend to 13 games thanks to hard work by the Indiana Pacers:

It’s a given that all streaks eventually come to an end. Yet, certainly, the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ ended at 12 on Friday night, with a 103-99 loss to an Indiana Pacers team that is 13 games under .500, could be construed as a disappointment.

The loss prevented the Cavs from tying their franchise record of 13 wins in a row (set twice in 2009-10, the last season of LeBron James’ first stint in Cleveland), and, considering they squandered a nine-point lead with eight minutes to go in the fourth, it’s fair to say they blew an opportunity to set a record Sunday at home against the struggling L.A. Lakers.

Yes, the Cavs need as many wins as they can over these final 30 or so games in the regular season to bolster their position in the Eastern Conference standings. The streak did wonders, moving Cleveland into a virtual tie with Chicago for fourth and just a half game behind the slumping Washington Wizards for third, but there is still plenty of ground to make up to catch Toronto (three games ahead at No. 2) and Atlanta (eight games ahead at No. 1 and coming off an impressive 124-116 win over Golden State on Friday).

Chris Paul fined for criticizing referee

Chris Paul fined for criticizing referee

Chris Paul fined for criticizing referee

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Paul made his comments following the Clippers’ 105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Feb. 5, at Quicken Loans Arena.

According to the Associated Press, “the penalty is in line with others the NBA has levied for being critical of officials. Paul was given a technical by Lauren Holtkamp on Thursday night and afterward said the call was ”ridiculous” and seemed to imply that one of the NBA’s two female officials may have been in over her head, saying ”this might not be for her.”

Greg Monroe`s grandmother passes away

Here’s Michigan Live reporting some sad news for Greg Monroe on a day where he shined especially bright on the basketball court:

Greg Monroe's grandmother passes away

Greg Monroe’s bittersweet day ended with a choked-up disclosure Friday that the Detroit Pistons big man compiled his first 20-20 game on the same day his maternal grandmother died.

Monroe’s All-Star break figures to be melancholy when family join in New Orleans to celebrate Althea Dixon’s life, but he started the memorials early with a personal milestone in the Pistons’ 98-88 win over the Denver Nuggets, before 17,035 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Monroe later recounted some childhood memories of his grandmother, who surely would have been proud of his 21-point, 21-rebound night.

“Just playing hard,” the understated Monroe said. “A couple good bounces but just playing hard.”