Pistons need serious rally to make playoffs

The Pistons got off to a nice start to the season, began to fade, traded for Blake Griffin, but have kept fading, and are now four games behind the Heat for the 8th spot in the Eastern conference. Detroit needs a serious rally starting fairly immediately if qualifying for the playoffs is something they aim to achieve this year. Here’s the Detroit News reporting after tonight’s results:

The result could be the death knell for the Pistons season: a 105-96 loss to the Heat on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena.

The loss is the second straight and eighth in the last 10 for the Pistons (29-34), who fell four games behind the Heat for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 19 games remaining.

Blake Griffin had his best game since the trade to the Pistons, with 31 points, four rebounds and six assists and Andre Drummond added 22 points and 18 rebounds. Reggie Bullock was the only other Piston in double figures with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Pistons needed more.

More defense. More scoring. More fight.

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Pacers sign Trevor Booker

Pacers sign Trevor Booker

The Indiana Pacers signed veteran free agent Trevor Booker today.

Booker, a 6-8, 228-pound forward, is in his eighth season in the NBA. Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 (first round, 23rd overall) out of Clemson University, Booker was traded to the Washington Wizards on draft night and spent four seasons with the Wizards before signing with the Utah Jazz in July 2014. Most recently, Booker signed with the Brooklyn Nets in July 2016 before being traded to Philadelphia on Dec. 7, 2017. He was waived by the 76ers on March 1.

“As we head into this final stretch of the season Trevor will add to the depth of our roster,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “Not only is he a solid player and a solid team player, his character fits with our team and what we are trying to accomplish.”

Booker has career averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. For the 2017-18 season, he is averaging 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds over 51 games.

Booker will wear jersey #20 and is expected to be in uniform with the Pacers when they face the Milwaukee Bucks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday.

Suns sign Shaquille Harrison to second 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed guard Shaquille Harrison to a second 10-day contract.

Harrison signed his initial 10-day contract with the Suns on February 21.

Harrison has appeared in five games with the Suns, the first five games of his NBA career, totaling nine points, 10 rebounds, eight steals and seven assists in 43 minutes. In Wednesday’s win at Memphis, Harrison recorded seven points, five rebounds, four steals, two assists and a block. Harrison also had four steals in his NBA debut on February 23 against the LA Clippers; he and Alvan Adams are the only players in Suns history to record multiple performances of at least four steals through four career games.

A 6-4, 190-pound guard, Harrison was originally called up from the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League. In 36 games with the NAZ Suns this season, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals (10th in G League). In five games after taking over the starting point guard role on February 2, Harrison averaged 14.0 points on 48.3 percent shooting, 9.2 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals, guiding the NAZ Suns to a 4-1 record in those games. On February 9 at the South Bay Lakers, Harrison scored 25 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists.

The 33rd GATORADE Call-Up in the NBA this season and league-high fourth from the NAZ Suns, Harrison has averaged 10.3 points on 45.8 percent shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 84 career G League games, all with the NAZ Suns over the past two seasons.

The 24-year-old went unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of Tulsa. In addition to two seasons with the Suns’ NBA G League affiliate, Harrison participated in Phoenix’s training camp prior to the 2016-17 season and played for the Suns’ Summer League team in 2017, averaging 10.3 points on 61.1 percent shooting in three games.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Harrison left Tulsa as the only player in Golden Hurricane basketball history to start every game in a four-year career. He averaged 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 133 games for his career, finishing second in program history with 461 career assists and third with 244 steals.

Thunder sign Corey Brewer

The OKC Thunder signed free agent guard/forward Corey Brewer today.

According to the Norman Transcript, it is a minimum-salary contract.

Brewer (6-9, 186) has appeared in 765 career games (291 starts) and registered career averages of 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.24 steals in 23.2 minutes with Minnesota, Dallas, Denver, Houston and most recently the Los Angeles Lakers. The 11-year NBA veteran holds the sixth-best steal-to-turnover ratio off the bench in NBA history (1.10) and ranks sixth among active players in steal percentage (2.68).

More from the Norman Transcript: “The Thunder have been on the lookout for a wing ever since starting shooting guard Andre Roberson suffered a season-ending knee injury Jan. 27. Brewer struggled to find playing time with the 27-34 Lakers, averaging 3.7 points while shooting 45 percent from the field and 18 percent from 3-point land in 12.9 minutes a game, but he fits the body type and style Oklahoma City values. ”

The 2011 NBA Champion was originally drafted 7th overall by Minnesota in the 2007 NBA Draft and this season has appeared in 54 games (two starts) with the Lakers, averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.

In three years at the University of Florida, Brewer helped guide the Gators to two National Championships (2006 and 2007), appearing in 108 games (106 starts) and averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.63 steals in 27.2 minutes. The Tennessee native was also named NCAA Most Outstanding Player in 2007 and was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team in 2006 and 2007.

Magic sign Rashad Vaughn to second 10-day contract

The Magic today signed guard Rashad Vaughn to a second 10-day contract.

Vaughn was originally signed as a free agent to a 10-day contract on Feb. 20.

Vaughn (#20, 6’6”, 210, 8/16/96) has played in a combined 27 games this season with Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Orlando, averaging 2.4 ppg. in 7.5 minpg. He has appeared in four games with the Magic, averaging 1.3 ppg. in 6.2 minpg. Prior to signing with Orlando, Vaughn was traded by Milwaukee to Brooklyn, along with a second round draft pick, in exchange for Tyler Zeller on Feb. 5. He was then traded by the Nets to New Orleans in exchange for Dante Cunningham on Feb. 8. Vaughn was waived by the Pelicans on Feb. 10.

Originally selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, Vaughn has appeared in 134 career NBA regular season games (eight starts) with Milwaukee and Brooklyn, averaging 3.1 ppg. and 1.1 rpg. in 12.2 minpg. Prior to his NBA career, he spent one season at UNLV (2014-15), averaging 17.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 32.3 minpg., while shooting .383 (54-141) from three-point range. Vaughn was named 2014-15 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, as well as Honorable Mention All-MWC.

Lakers sign Travis Wear to 10-day contract

The Lakers today signed forward Travis Wear to a 10-day contract.

Wear has appeared in 33 games (29 starts) for the South Bay Lakers this season, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range. In 2014-15, the UCLA graduate averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.2 minutes with the New York Knicks.

In February, he competed for the second time with Team USA as part of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying first round, helping lead the team to a 4-0 record.

The Lakers roster stands at 16, including two two-way players.

Josh Hart out after hand surgery

Lakers guard Josh Hart, who fractured the fourth metacarpal on his left hand at Wednesday’s practice in Miami, had surgery today to repair the fracture. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven S. Shin.

Hart is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

According to ABC7.com, “Hart is averaging 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 21.5 minutes per game this season. The 30th pick in the NBA draft has started 20 games and four of his six double-doubles have come in his past 10 games as a starter. “He brings a lot to the team,” said point guard Lonzo Ball, who cut Hart’s steak for him at a Miami steakhouse when some players went to dinner the same day Hart injured his hand.”