Hassan Whiteside out with knee injury

The Miami HEAT announced today that center Hassan Whiteside will begin rehab immediately due to a left knee bone bruise. The rehab process will include a strength and conditioning program over the next one-to-two weeks.

Whiteside has appeared in 15 games this season averaging 14.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.60 blocks, 1.07 steals and 26.8 minutes while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Among league leaders, he ranks third in rebounding average and tied for ninth in blocks per game.

Terrence Ross out with multiple injuries

After further evaluation, including an MRI, Orlando Magic guard/forward Terrence Ross has been diagnosed with a sprained right medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a non-displaced fracture of his right tibial plateau, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced. Ross suffered the injury at the 4:38 mark of the second quarter during last night’s victory over Oklahoma City.

He will be out indefinitely and miss a significant amount of time. His return to play will depend on how the injury heals and how he responds to treatment.

Ross (6’7”, 206, 2/5/91) has played in all 22 games this season for Orlando (20 starts), averaging 9.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 1.6 apg. and 1.23 stlpg. in 26.2 minpg. He has scored in double figures nine times and had 20+ points once, including a season-high 22 points on Nov. 22 @ Minnesota.

Joe Johnson injury update

Joe Johnson injury update

The following is a team medical update on Jazz forward Joe Johnson:

Johnson re-consulted with a hand specialist on Tuesday and is showing progress to make a return. He will be reevaluated in two weeks. Further updates will be provided when appropriate.

Now in his 17th season, Johnson (6-7, 240, Arkansas) has appeared in seven games averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.2 minutes per contest.

Nikola Mirotic accepts apology from Bobby Portis

Teammates often get into it with each other during practices, but rarely are serious punches thrown, and even rarer do those punches actually land. But that’s what went down in Bulls practice earlier this season. Here’s ESPN Chicago with an update:

Nikola Mirotic accepts apology from Bobby Portis

Nikola Mirotic says he has accepted Bobby Portis’ apology and is hoping both he and the Bulls can move forward after a practice altercation between the pair last month. Speaking for the first time since an Oct. 17 fight with Portis that left Mirotic with multiple facial fractures and a concussion, the veteran forward made it clear that he feels he can coexist with Portis again in the future.

“We are teammates,” Mirotic said after Wednesday’s practice. “We are on the same team. Obviously we are fighting for this team. We both are going to do what we need to do to make it work. Yeah, I did accept his apology.”

Mirotic said he did not want to address events in the past and did not directly answer a question regarding whether the pair has actually sat down and spoken. When asked if Portis knew that he had accepted his apology, Mirotic responded that he would eventually.

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No Hassan Whiteside tonight vs Knicks

The Heat visit the Knicks in New York tonight, and they’ll be without one of their best players. Here’s the Palm Beach Post with the latest:

No Hassan Whiteside tonight vs Knicks

Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who missed practice Saturday because of soreness and swelling to his left knee, will sit out tonight’s game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden because of the same lingering injury.

Whiteside, who missed five games earlier this season after banging knees with Magic center Nikola Vucevic in the season opener, has played just 40 minutes the last two games, none in the fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra has said the reduced playing time was not because of the knee but it was clear that Whiteside at times appeared affected by the injury.

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Pontiac Silverdome is being demolished

Any NBA or Detroit Pistons fans who have been around for a while know the Pontiac Silverdome. The Pistons called the Silverdome home from the late 1970’s through the late 1980’s. Well, that venue will soon be just a memory. Here’s the Detroit News reporting:

Plans are set for the public viewing and farewell for the demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The implosion at 8:30 a.m. will be the first phase in a yearlong demolition of the 400,000-square-foot former home of the Detroit Lions.

There will be a public parking and viewing area for the demolition at the Oakland County Water Resource Commission site at 155 N. Opdyke. Vehicles must be parked by 8:15 a.m.

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Knicks have logjam at center

The Knicks have roughly 47 centers, give or take. That’s too many. Managing the frontcourt rotation is tricky business. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

With Enes Kanter set to return from a three-game absence, the questions as to what the Knicks will do about their logjam at center continues to loom.

Primary backup Kyle O’Quinn earned three straight starts as Kanter sat with back spasms, while Willy Hernangomez got more than garbage time and Joakim Noah finally made his debut.

The 23-year-old Hernangomez, a member of the All-Rookie first team last season, averaged five points and 6.7 rebounds in 19 minutes during the stint without Kanter.

Noah, who was suspended for the first 12 games and inactive for the ensuing seven, received his first three minutes in a loss Monday to the Trail Blazers, scoring two points, blocking one shot, grabbing one rebound and committing one careless foul.

Jeff Hornacek was vague about how the rotation will take shape.

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Enes Kanter urges teammate to fight opponent

NBA players need to show fight on the court in the form of competitive basketball. Not in the form of actual fighting. With that in mind, here’s the New York Daily News reporting on enthusiastic Knicks center Enes Kanter:

Enes Kanter urges teammate to fight opponent

Enes Kanter was warned by the Knicks and may even hear from the league about openly telling a teammate to fight the opponent.

“The front office told me I cannot say stuff like that,” Kanter confessed Tuesday following practice. “It’s a learning process. This is my second language. When I say fight it means compete, play hard, compete. You get a tech; you get a tech. They told me I cannot say stuff like that. I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry NBA, my fault.”

Following Monday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, Kanter said he told an unnamed teammate that he’ll pay his fine if he goes out there and fights with somebody. “It will get the energy up,” he said.

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Ben Gordon reportedly arrested in Los Angeles

Former NBA player Ben Gordon has been going through some things in 2017. There have been several incidents this year. Here’s TMZ Sports reporting the latest:

Ben Gordon reportedly arrested in Los Angeles

Ex-NBA player Ben Gordon was arrested in L.A. Monday afternoon — after allegedly roughing up a guy at an apartment building … and leaving with several thousand dollars of his money, TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us … the 34-year-old went to the apartment complex where he used to live in an effort to get his security deposit back. We’re told there was a dispute about the money and Gordon allegedly put hands on the guy and threatened him.

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Alex Len on bench for Suns lately

Alex Len is an interesting young prospect in Phoenix. But lately he’s been interesting while sitting on the bench. That’s not as interesting as being interesting on the court. You interested in this? Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting:

Alex Len on bench for Suns lately

This was supposed to be the season Alex Len showed off.

When Len didn’t get the free-agent contract he wanted over the summer and had to sign a one-year, $4.2 million qualifying offer from the Suns, he re-dedicated himself, working on his body to become stronger and, at the suggestion of the front office and coaching staff, trimming the fat in his game.

Forget the low-post moves or jumpers from the elbow. Phoenix wanted Len to do three things: defend, rebound and finish at the rim on pick-and-rolls.

“Simplify things,” Len said.

That’s exactly what Len has done. He’s averaging nine points per game on 48-percent shooting and pulling down a career-best 9.3 rebounds per game. At 36 minutes a game, his averages would jump to 14.1 points and 14.6 rebounds.

But there’s the rub. Len is averaging 22.9 minutes instead of 36. Recently, he’s become the odd man out among the Suns’ three centers. Len has not played in two of Phoenix’s past three games, the 119-108 loss to Minnesota on Sunday and the 113-107 overtime loss to Milwaukee last Wednesday. He sandwiched those games around 19 minutes in a blowout loss to New Orleans.

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