Inside Hoops – Page 1140 – NBA Blog

Thunder sign Reggie Williams to 10-day contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed forward Reggie Williams to a 10-day contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

In 20 games this season with the Tulsa 66ers, Williams averaged 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.55 steals in 37.3 minutes per game.

This past week, Williams was named the D-League Performer of the Week for games played Feb. 24 – Mar. 3 after helping lead Tulsa to a 3-0 week while averaging 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals during this span.

Williams has appeared in 177 NBA games (32 starts) and recorded career averages of 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.0 minutes per game as a member of the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats.

The signing of Williams represents the 31st D-League Gatorade Call-Up this season and the sixth Call-Up all-time between the 66ers and the Thunder.

Williams is expected to join the Thunder prior to tonight’s game versus the Suns in Phoenix, AZ.

The Thunder roster now stands at 15.

Nets sign Jorge Gutierrez to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Jorge Gutierrez to a 10-day contract, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Gutierrez (6-3, 195) joins the Nets from the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League, where he has appeared in 35 games (all starts) this season, averaging 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists (tied for third in the D-League) and 1.2 steals in 32.7 minutes per game. Prior to the 2013-14 NBA season, Gutierrez was signed to the Nets’ training camp roster, where he appeared in five preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, before being waived on October 26.

After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, Gutierrez spent last season with the Charge and was named to the NBA D-League’s All-Defensive First Team and All-Rookie First Team. A four-year player at the University of California, Gutierrez was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year following his senior season.

A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Gutierrez will wear #13 for Brooklyn.

Al Jefferson scores 34, Bobcats beat Pacers

Al Jefferson had a pretty good inkling it was Charlotte’s night when he banked in a 31-footer from well beyond the top of the key to beat the shot clock midway through the fourth quarter.

“I didn’t call the bank, but I trusted my right hand,” Jefferson said with a laugh.

Jefferson scored 34 points and the Bobcats stunned NBA-leading Indiana 109-87 Wednesday night, handing the Pacers just their second two-game skid of the season. Jefferson was 16 of 25 from the field and had eight rebounds for the Bobcats (28-33), who won their fifth straight at home to equal their combined win total from the previous two seasons.

“I’m not accepting that we’re a team that guys look at on the schedule anymore and say, ‘OK, we have the Bobcats (so) we can take the night off.” Jefferson said.

— Associated Press

Cavs hope to get Anderson Varejao back soon

Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who would certainly benefit from the return of a hard-working big-man:

The Cavs could receive a boost this weekend with the return of Anderson Varejao, although no one wants to declare Varejao ready. He participated in Wednesday’s practice, but Brown conceded they didn’t do much physical work. That should change with today’s practice, which should give Varejao a better gauge on if he’s ready.

Varejao told the Beacon Journal last week he intended to play this week, but was much more vague Wednesday.

“We can’t set a date yet, but I would love to hopefully play the next game,” he said. “If not, I feel like I’m pretty close. But I just don’t know when yet.”

Varejao has missed the past 11 games with knee and back issues. He missed a week in January with a knee injury and said last week he believes overcompensating for the knee injury after returning might have led to the back problems.

TMZ report on Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian, and unpaid drug dealers

Here is TMZ reporting on some dodgy stuff that they generally seem to be in the know about:

Lamar Odom’s drug dealers could be linked to the $250,000 jewelry heist at Lamar and Khloe’s house … because we’re told the dealers threatened to break in to get the money Lamar never paid.

Multiple sources involved in Lamar’s drug deals last year tell TMZ … Lamar wasn’t paying his tab. In fact, our sources say he was in the hole $15K to just one dealer back in Sept. and he owed another more than $40K.

Lamar would fend them off by saying he was loaded and therefore good for it. He would also justify not paying from time to time because the quality of the drugs was “wack.”

Thunder announce Wichita and Tulsa 2014 preseason games

The Oklahoma City Thunder will return to Wichita, Kan. and Tulsa, Okla. during the 2014 preseason, the team announced today. The Thunder will host the Toronto Raptors at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita on Oct. 17 at 7:00 pm followed by a contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Oct. 19 at 6:00 pm.

“We are excited to be bringing Thunder Basketball back to Wichita and Tulsa, where we have sold out our games in both cities for two straight years,” said Brian Byrnes, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Thunder. “We continue to be overwhelmed and humbled by the tremendous loyalty of our fans throughout Oklahoma and neighboring states. They watch our games on TV, buy Thunder merchandise and strongly support the team. This tradition of bringing games to Tulsa and Wichita is a way for us to continue to connect to and thank our fans in those communities. It serves as a reminder for us about the impact our team has even beyond our local community.”

This marks the Thunder’s third consecutive preseason appearance in Wichita and the sixth time the team has visited Tulsa during the exhibition season.

Tickets for both preseason games will go on sale on a to-be-determined date in mid-April.

The Thunder will announce its entire 2014 preseason schedule at a later date.

Russell Westbrook gets amazingly fast triple-double

Here’s the Washington Post reporting on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who is known to do things with supreme quickness on the basketball court:

If there’s any question on whether stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant can coexist on the court, Tuesday night helped answer it.

Granted it was against the woeful Philadelphia 76ers, but Westbrook logged the NBA’s second-fastest triple-double in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 125-92 win.

Westbrook finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in less than 21 minutes of play for his eighth career triple-double. The NBA’s quickest triple-double belongs to Jim Tucker of the Syracuse Nationals, who did it in just 17 minutes in 1955.

“I never go in looking to shoot first, pass first, rebound first,” Westbrook said (via Associated Press). “I just come in and play off instincts.”

John Wall doing big things for Wizards

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting on Wizards guard John Wall, who is an NBA All-Star this season:

John Wall had never had a better month in his career before March 2013, when he had finally regained his conditioning and confidence after recovering from a stress injury in his left knee that cost him the first 33 games of the season.

After spending the first two months of his comeback easing his way into a rhythm, Wall caught fire and recorded some of his best performances, including a career-high 47 points in a win over Memphis last March 27. He finished the season on a tear and was eventually rewarded with a maximum-salaried extension.

A year later, Wall has reached all-star status for the first time in his career and has gotten off to another solid start this month, averaging 20 points and 12.5 assists in the first two games. On Monday, Wall became the first Wizards player since Gilbert Arenas in 2006-07 to be named Eastern Conference player of the week at least twice in the same season. He has won conference player of the week honors three times, with the first award coming last March.

LeBron, Battier have big respect for Spurs

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel with quotes from LeBron James and Shane Battier of the Miami Heat on the San Antonio Spurs. The two teams face each other on Thursday, for the first time since last season’s NBA Finals:

James, in fact, scoffed at the notion of the Spurs growing too old.

“I never buy into that,” he said. “I’ve always been asked about that. I’ve bought into the Celtics team with Ray [Allen] and K.G. [Kevin Garnett] and all those guys, they were talking about they were too old and they were in the Finals again, so I never bought into it.”

And there the Spurs are, again near the top of the West, San Antonio again potentially the Heat’s final destination of the season.

“They’re awesome, they’re awesome,” forward Shane Battier said. “The fact they’ve done it so long and everyone is just waiting for them to fall off, and they haven’t. Not that they care about what everyone else thinks. But it’s awesome, it’s awesome.”

Lakers considering a lineup change at PG

Here’s the Los Angeles Times blog reporting on the Lakers, who entering Wednesday’s games are tied with the New York Knicks for the 5th worst record in the NBA:

The Lakers appear to be mulling over a lineup change.

Since joining the team in December after the franchise suffered a slew of injuries at point guard, Kendall Marshall has made 33 appearances and 24 starts.

On Tuesday night, in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Marshall started the first half but not the second.

Instead, Coach Mike D’Antoni told Jordan Farmar to take Marshall’s place at halftime.

“Jordan told me that coach told him that he was going to start the second half, and that’s fine,” Marshall said after the Lakers’ 132-125 loss to the Pelicans.