Inside Hoops – Page 133 – NBA Blog

Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. undergoes season-ending foot surgery

Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. has undergone season-ending surgery on his left foot.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson at Bellin Health Titletown Sports Medicine and Orthopedics in Green Bay, WI.

“This was a tough decision for Otto, he had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health.” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said. “We look forward to his healthy recovery.”

Porter averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in eight games this season. He signed with the Raptors in July 2022 as a free agent.

Lakers forward LeBron James named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Jan. 2 to Jan. 8, it was announced today.

James averaged 35.0 points (.548 FG%), 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists in three games as the Lakers finished the week 4-0 with victories over Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta and Sacramento.

To start the week, James recorded 43 points (16-26 FG), 11 rebounds, six assists and one steal in a win at the Hornets on Jan. 2, good for his second 40-point game of the season. James joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to record consecutive 40-point games at age 35 or older.

In a home win over the Hawks on Jan. 6, the 38-year-old recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 25 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. James then recorded 37 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal in a 136-134 road victory over the Kings on Jan. 7, extending the Lakers’ current winning streak to five consecutive victories. The performance marked James’ 13th consecutive game with at least 25 points, good for the fourth-longest streak of his career.

In 31 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season, James is averaging 29.1 points (.510 FG%), 8.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.9 minutes. James has scored in double figures in all 31 games this season, extending his NBA-record double-digit scoring streak to 1,127 consecutive games.

The 18-time NBA All-Star owns a league-record 66 career weekly awards, including five weekly honors with Los Angeles. This marks his first weekly award since Dec. 13 of 2021.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 12 (games played Monday, January 2, through Sunday, January 8).

This marks Mitchell’s second player of the week honor this season, winning the award in Week 9 (games played from Dec. 12-18), and is his fifth of his NBA career (once in 2021-22 and twice in 2018-19). His honor also marks the 66th time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly award, as he becomes the first Cavalier to win player of the week multiple times in a single season since LeBron James in 2017-18.

The Cavaliers went a perfect 3-0 in games Mitchell appeared in this past week. The sixth-year NBA guard averaged an Eastern Conference-best 37.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 38.7 minutes. He also shot .530 from the field and .861 from the foul line, while scoring at least 20 points in all three games. In addition to leading the conference in points per game, Mitchell ranked sixth in assists per game and was the only player in the East to average at least 30.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists.

Mitchell started the week with one of the highest scoring games in NBA history, registering a franchise-record 71 points (22-34 FG, 7-15 3FG, 20-25 FT), 11 assists, eight rebounds and one block in 50 minutes during a 145-134 overtime win over Chicago on Jan. 2. It marked the most points scored by any NBA player since Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006. Mitchell also became just the seventh player in NBA history to record 70 points or more in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor and Devin Booker. No other NBA player in league history accomplished a 70-point, 10-assist effort until Mitchell’s performance. With 24 points in the third quarter, 18 in the fourth and 13 in overtime, Mitchell combined to score 55 points after halftime, tying Bryant for the most points by any NBA player after intermission in the last 25 seasons, and helping the Cavaliers overcome a 21-point deficit. His 71 points shattered the franchise’s single game scoring record, beating the previous mark of 57 by LeBron James (11/3/17 at WAS) and Kyrie Irving (3/12/15 vs. SAS). The 99 points Mitchell scored or assisted on were the second-most ever behind the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points on March 2, 1962 (104 points created). Additionally, Mitchell became only the fourth NBA player to make 20 field goals and 20 free throws in a single game, along with Chamberlain (March 2, 1962), Booker (March 24, 2017) and Michael Jordan (March 28, 1990).

Mitchell followed his historical 71-point outing with a near double-double of 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds during Cleveland’s 90-88 victory over Phoenix on Jan. 4. He closed out the week by tallying 22 points (7-12 FG, 6-6 FT), one steal and one block in 30 minutes of a 112-98 win at Phoenix on Jan. 8. Through his 36 appearances this season (all starts) with Cleveland, the 6-3 guard is averaging a career-best 28.8 points (eighth-best in NBA) on career highs in field goal percentage (.488), three-point percentage (.405) and free throw percentage (.874), to go with 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.44 steals in 36.5 minutes per contest. He is one of two NBA players averaging 25.0 points or more while shooting at least .400 shooting from beyond the arc (Stephen Curry), and his 136 three-pointers made rank third in the NBA. The Cavaliers’ 26-15 record is the fourth-best mark in the Eastern Conference and the franchise’s best 41-game start since 2017-18 (26-15).

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

Kevin Durant injury update: isolated MCL sprain of the right knee

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with an isolated MCL sprain of the right knee. The injury occurred during the third quarter of last night’s game at Miami.

Durant will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Durant has recorded averages of 29.7 points (sixth in the league), 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 blocks (ninth in the league) in 36.0 minutes per game (12th in the league), while shooting a career-high 55.9 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from 3-point range and a career-best and league-leading 93.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Among the players in the league’s top 10 in points per game, Durant has registered the highest field goal percentage and the fewest shots per game (18.8), and he is one of just two players in the league to rank in the top 10 in both points per game and blocks per game.

Durant ranks second in field goals made (410), third in total points scored (1,158), tied for sixth in blocks (58) and eighth in free throws made (267).

In addition to shooting a career-high 62.2 percent from 2-point range, Durant is in the midst of an incredible season-long midrange performance, shooting a career-best 57.1 percent, which also represents the best midrange field goal percentage in a season among all players with at least 200 attempts across the last 25 seasons.

He is tied for the league lead in 25-point games (32) and leads the league in 25-point games while shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field (25), which is only three games shy of matching a single season Nets record in the category.

Durant has also continued his climb up the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Alex English, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan and Dominique Wilkins this season to vault from 22nd to 14th place with 26,684 career points.

Twice-honored as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, Durant has led Brooklyn to a 27-13 record, good for the second-best record in the league.

Kings sign PJ Dozier to a 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed PJ Dozier to a 10-day contract.

The 6-6/205, 26-year-old Dozier had been playing for the Iowa Wolves, the Minnesota Timberwolves G-League affiliate, where he averaged 18.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 36.8 minutes per game in the regular season.

Dozier has played in 105 regular season NBA games and 12 NBA playoff games.

The Columbia, South Carolina, native played for the Denver Nuggets from 2019-2022. He played two years of college basketball at the University of South Carolina, helping the Gamecocks reach the national semifinals in 2017.

Spurs sign Gorgui Dieng to a 10-day contract

The San Antonio Spurs yesterday (Sunday) signed center Gorgui Dieng to a 10-day contract.

Dieng, 6-10/265, started this season with the Spurs, appearing in 13 games and averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.6 minutes before being waived on Jan. 5. The 10-year NBA veteran has played in 610 total games and holds career averages of 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.4 minutes with Minnesota, Memphis, Atlanta and San Antonio. The native of Senegal was originally selected in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft (21st overall) by the Utah Jazz and before being dealt to the Timberwolves on draft night.

Dieng will wear No. 41 for the Silver and Black. The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Eastbay is shutting down

Via NPR.org:

Growing up in the 1990s, I was obsessed with the Eastbay catalog. I’d spend hours and hours poring over the latest issue, like a detective combing through mounds of evidence.

I’d closely examine the newest sneakers worn by my favorite athletes – Ken Griffey Jr, Shaquille O’Neal, Deion Sanders – circling my favorite ones.

To me, it was like the Sears catalog, only a lot hipper.

So I was especially bummed out when Eastbay’s parent company, Foot Locker, announced that it would be winding down the brand as part of a company consolidation and ending the catalog.

The last issue has already been sent out, but in its heyday, Eastbay was the place to check out the latest sneakers and sports apparel.

Raptors sign Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed guard-forward Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract.

Wieskamp, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, is averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes in 13 games (two regular season/11 Showcase Cup) with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G League this season. He is shooting .494 (79-160) from the field, .402 (33-82) from three-point range and .769 (20-26) from the free throw line. Wieskamp has scored in double figures in 12-of-13 games played, 20+ points three times, and posted two double-doubles. He recorded a season-high 30 points Nov. 5 at Windy City.

A native of Muscatine, Iowa, Wieskamp was picked 41st overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by San Antonio. He appeared in 29 contests for the Spurs last season, averaging 2.1 points and 7.1 minutes. Wieskamp also played 28 games with the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League last year, averaging 15.3 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Prior to being drafted, Wieskamp spent three collegiate seasons at Iowa (2018-21), where he was named All-Big Ten Second Team as a junior. He was also voted to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2019.

Kings waive Chima Moneke

The Sacramento Kings yesterday (Friday) waived forward Chima Moneke.

The Kings are 20-17 this season, which is the 5th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are De’Aaron Fox at 23.9 PPG, Domantas Sabonis at 18.7 PPG, and Kevin Huerter at 15.9 PPG.

The Kings roster now stands at 16 players, including two Two-Way players.

Lakers sign Sterling Brown to a 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Sterling Brown to a 10-day contract.

Brown (6’5”, 219) has appeared in 264 games (29 starts) across five seasons with Dallas (2021-22), Houston (2020-21) and Milwaukee (2017-20), averaging 5.4 points (.364 3P%), 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.8 minutes. He has played in 24 career playoff games (five starts) for the Mavericks and Bucks, averaging 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game.

Most recently, the 27-year-old appeared in four games (all starts) for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League this season, averaging 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game, while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range.

The five-year NBA veteran was selected 46th overall in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft after a four-year collegiate career at SMU (2013-17).