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The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves has been postponed due to a generator malfunction which produced smoke inside Mexico City Arena.
The date for the rescheduled game, which will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis, will be announced at a later time.
Here’s a video clip of the smoke problem that prevented the game from happening:
The New York Knicks are off to a 3-13 start, which is the second worst record in the entire NBA right now, ahead of the 3-15 Milwaukee Bucks. Guard J.R. Smith missed time early in the season, and center Tyson Chandler remains out with an injury and only played in four games. Still, even with injuries, the struggle has been serious. Here’s the New York Post with more:
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Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, now the lead NBA analyst for ABC/ESPN, said he believes the Knicks’ troubles have nothing to do with embattled Mike Woodson but with the roster and the person who built it.
The Post reported in Tuesday’s editions owner James Dolan would consider Van Gundy as a future candidate if he had a vacancy. Van Gundy was until recently persona non-grata with Dolan because he quit on him early in the 2001-02 season.
“This isn’t a coaching issue,’’ Van Gundy said on an ESPN Radio show Wednesday. “This is a roster issue. The absolute most important position on any professional team is the people in charge of picking the players. They have to be talented enough and fit together and have an intangible. It’s a hard job but an important job. The last thing the Knicks have is a coaching issue.”
General manager Glen Grunwald built the roster and was fired four days before training camp.
We’ve all accepted that Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is gone again. We’ll see him next season — presumably. But it’ll still be fascinating to hear what D-Rose himself has to say about his injuries, state of mind and more. Here’s the Chicago Tribune reporting:
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After Thursday’s morning shootaround, Derrick Rose will address reporters for the first time since knee surgery ended a second straight season for him.
Expect resolve.
That’s the message coach Tom Thibodeau said the youngest most valuable player in NBA history has projected since returning to be around his teammates on Tuesday’s offday.
“Frankly, we have to take on Derrick’s approach,” Thibodeau said. “Derrick already has moved past it. He’s thinking about what he has to do the rest of the way, this summer, being ready for next year, talking to me about the team, what we have to do.
“And that’s what I see from our team. I don’t see anyone hanging their head. He’s not going to be here. We know that. We have more than enough here. Just concentrate on what we have to concentrate on; we know what we have to do.”
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Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is expected to be out 4-6 weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his left hand during the third quarter of last night’s game in Dallas. Kidd-Gilchrist, who was examined on-site last night, had additional x-rays taken this morning in Charlotte that confirmed the original diagnosis.
In 18 games this season, Kidd-Gilchrist is averaging 9.1 points on .500 shooting (62-124) and 5.3 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game.
Here’s the News Gazette on a former NBA player that decided, instead of kicking back and enjoying his pro basketball money, to do a whole bunch of dumb crap:
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Former NBA player Keon Clark was sentenced to eight years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to weapons and driving under the influence charges in two separate cases.
“I, uh, did a lot of stuff in my past,” Clark said at his plea hearing in Vermilion County Circuit Court, tears streaming down his face. “I have to own up to it.”
The 38-year-old Danville native faced 10 weapons, drugs and driving-related charges stemming from one 2012 case and four 2013 cases.
Edgar County Circuit Judge Matthew Sullivan, who heard the case after Vermilion County judges recused themselves, signed off on Clark’s agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to one count of unlawful possession/use of a firearm by a felon/parole in the 2012 case and one count of aggravated DUI/license suspended or revoked in his most recent 2013 case and drop the other felony and traffic charges.
The Atlanta Hawks have assigned guard Dennis Schröder to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.
Schröder, Atlanta’s first round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft (17th overall), is averaging 3.7 points, 2.5 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.9 minutes in 11 games this season. He ranks tied for fourth among all NBA rookies in assists and tied for 16th in scoring.
The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has recalled guard Marquis Teague from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League (D-League).
Teague (6-2, 190) has played in nine games for the Bulls this season and averaged 1.2 ppg and 0.8 apg in 8.9 mpg.
Here’s the New York Post on Booklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, who remains out with no clear return date in sight:
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He can’t get on the floor, unfortunately for him and the Nets, managing just 51 minutes across four games this season.
Since going down with back spasms prior to a preseason game against the Pistons on Oct. 12, Kirilenko has been in and out of the lineup with one reoccurrence after another.
After missing the remainder of the preseason, as well as the season-opener, with his initial bout of back spasms, Kirilenko returned to play in the Nets’ home-opening win over the Heat. Then, after playing in a loss to Orlando and a win over Utah, he played the first half of the Nets’ overtime loss in Washington before his back seized up on him again.
He hasn’t played since.
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The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed forward Malcolm Thomas.
Thomas, 6-9/225, most recently played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League. Through two games this season, Thomas was averaging a league-best 33.5 points and 15.5 rebounds.
The San Diego State product previously saw action in three games for the Spurs during the 2011-12 season. He has also suited up for the Chicago Bulls (2012-13) and the Golden State Warriors (2012-13) during his NBA career. In 15 career NBA games, the Missouri native has averaged 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.8 minutes.
In addition to the D-Fenders (2011-12, 2012-14), Thomas has played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011-12), Austin Toros (2011-12) and the Santa Cruz Warriors (2012-13) of the NBA Development League. In 29 career D-League games, he holds averages of 14.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.17 blocks in 33.3 minutes.
Internationally, Thomas has played for Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League (2011-12) and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel (2012-13).
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The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal of his left hand. The injury occurred during the first quarter of the December 1 game against the New York Knicks.
Davis underwent further evaluations by team doctors this morning in New Orleans and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
This is a big blow to the 9-8 Pelicans, who count on Davis for rebounding, shot-blocking and defense in a huge way, and scoring as well.