Inside Hoops – Page 1381 – NBA Blog

Lakers games are also broadcast in Korean

For years, the Lakers claimed a steady fan base in the sprawling Korean American community, but this season the intensity has been amplified — with games now broadcast in Korean, a first in the NBA.

Time Warner Cable, which invested nearly $3 billion for regional TV rights to Lakers games for the next two decades, hired four Korean Americans as play-by-play announcers and color commentators, adding a fifth person just days ago.

For Park and others, it has brought a new intimacy to the action.

“I’m learning who the players really are, not their names only,” says Park, a grocery store clerk who grew up in Seoul.

Daniel Lee, an attorney who practices in Koreatown, said that while it’s a “big deal” for his parents’ generation to now be able to follow the local basketball team, the broadcasts add a new dimension for him as well.

— Reported by Anh Do of the Los Angeles Times

Jordan Crawford pretends to not remember playing for Wizards

Jordan Crawford will face his former team, the Wizards, for the first time since being traded in February.

“Who?” Crawford asked before practice Saturday when the issue was broached.

Washington, he was told. You’ll be playing Washington. Your old team.

“I don’t recall playing for Washington,” Crawford responded, and he repeated himself.

Crawford, who was acquired by the Celtics at the Feb. 21 trade deadline, didn’t enjoy his time in Washington, as one might infer from his comments.

— Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Pistons almost always lose to West teams this season

There are many reasons the Pistons are headed to their fourth consecutive season watching the playoffs from home.

But a main one is their putrid performances against Western Conference opponents this season.

In their final such game of the season, the Pistons fell to 4-26 on the season when they dropped a 107-101 decision to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

“Thank God we’re not in the Western Conference,” Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said.

Several key plays went the Timberwolves way down the stretch with the main one coming when Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic tapped an offensive rebound off a missed free throw to Luke Ridnour with 18 seconds left with the Pistons (25-52) trailing, 103-101.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Dwyane Wade remains out to nurse injuries

Dwyane Wade might be missing games for reasons other than the Heat’s “maintenance program.”

Before Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade has had prolonged swelling in his right knee. Wade rested for his fourth consecutive game Saturday while LeBron James returned to action.

“He has to resolve the swelling right now from getting hit in the knee,” Spoelstra said “That is the issue. His body will tell us when we play him.”

Wade last played against the New Orleans Hornets on March 29. According to Spoelstra, Wade was “beat up” in that game and banged his right knee going to the ground.

The injury apparently has lingered. Wade also has had problems with his right ankle this season.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Kevin Garnett returns to practice for Celtics

Celtics center Kevin Garnett took part in a full-contact practice on Saturday for the first time in nearly two weeks, and the 36-year-old could return to action Sunday against Washington after missing eight consecutive games.

Garnett has been sidelined with inflammation in his left ankle, which he first tweaked March 20 in New Orleans. He played the rest of that game, and then the next against Dallas, before sitting out. Boston has lost five games in his absence.

“Obviously, rest is always a good thing for me,” Garnett said. “I’ve been able to get multiple treatments a day on my foot. I’m getting better.

“I have some issues with my foot. More from like the motion, if you’re pushing the gas pedal. It’s an issue. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be out.”

— Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Thabo Sefolosha, wife work to help children in South Africa

Thabo and Bertille Sefolosha have roots in five countries on three continents; today, they work to make life better for a group of 150 children in South Africa.

At home in Oklahoma City, they juggle schedules that involve young children, OKC Thunder basketball — Thabo is a key player — college classes and community work. And the artwork hanging on the walls reflects their interests near and far. It includes art from a South African market, pictures created by Thabo Sefolosha’s mother and photos of their children.

The Sefoloshas are in the middle of organizing a fundraiser for about 300 people, A Night for Africa, to raise money for an after-school program in the township of Mamelodi, South Africa, where Thabo Sefolosha’s father grew up.

They hope to raise $100,000 to benefit 150 children from six schools currently in the program and expand it to about 200. The first fundraiser in Oklahoma City netted about $50,000 nearly two years ago.

— Reported by Lillie-Beth Brinkman of the Oklahoman

Milwaukee Bucks qualify for NBA playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks had been sputtering lately, but that was all forgotten after they clinched a playoff berth by crushing Toronto, 100-83, Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Milwaukee (37-39) won for just the third time in its last 10 games to move within two games of idle Boston, which holds the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

“You work hard all season,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “It’s a long season. We’ve had ups and downs. It’s 82 games. We’ve still got a few games left. We kind of hit a rough patch here toward the end, but we’ve had some good patches, too, at certain times during the season, which enabled us to be in this position.

“It’s pretty nice to clinch when you have six games left so you can start getting yourself ready for whoever it is you’re going to play against. The guys have worked very hard, and it’s very satisfying for us.”

— Reported by Dave Boehler, special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nets have some Joe Johnson health concerns

Brooklyn Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo remains concerned about Joe Johnson’s health.

“If he can get healthy and do it in a timely manner, that’s fine,” Carlesimo said after Johnson had 15 points in 32 minutes in the Nets’ 105-96 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night at Barclays Center. “We need Joe Johnson.”

Since returning from heel and quad injuries that caused him to miss five games, Johnson is 9-for-27 from the field.

“I’m all right,” Johnson said. “Maybe a little limited to some of the things I can do out there on the court, but the coaches and guys are telling me just my presence out there makes a difference, so I’m just giving it all I’ve got.”

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Bucks beat Raptors, clinch spot in NBA playoffs

Monta Ellis had 22 points and nine assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks secured their first playoff berth in three seasons with a 100-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

Brandon Jennings had 16 points and seven assists, while Larry Sanders added 12 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for Milwaukee, which needed a win and a Miami victory over Philadelphia on Saturday to clinch at least the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat beat the 76ers, 106-87.

The win was Milwaukee’s 10th straight over Toronto, its longest active winning streak over any opponent. And it pulled the Bucks within two games of the idle Boston Celtics for the No. 7 seed.

Alan Anderson led Toronto with 14 points off the bench, and Quincy Acy had 13. Rudy Gay, Toronto’s leading scorer with 18.2 points per game, made 1-of-10 shots and matched his season low with four points.

Toronto shot just 36 percent (30 of 83) and had 18 turnovers.

The game wasn’t close after the first quarter, as the Bucks used a 15-4 run late in the period to go up 24. They led 61-42 at halftime behind 14 points and seven assists from Ellis.

— Reported by Erik Brooks of the Associated Press

Rick Adelman reaches 1,000 wins as an NBA head coach

With tonight’s Minnesota Timberwolves’ 107-101 win over the Detroit Pistons, Wolves head coach Rick Adelman becomes the eighth NBA head coach to record 1,000 career victories, joining Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl as the only active members of the 1,000-win club. By reaching the milestone in his 1703rd NBA game, Adelman becomes the fifth-fastest NBA head coach to win 1,000 NBA games. In his 22nd season as an NBA head coach, tonight’s victory moves Adelman’s career coaching record to 1000-703, a winning percentage of .587.

Adelman, 66, has served as head coach of five NBA teams: Portland (1988 – 94), Golden State (1995 – 97), Sacramento (1998 – 2006), Houston (2007 – 11) and Minnesota (2012 – current). Some of his coaching highlights include: two NBA Finals appearances (1990 and 1992 with Portland), four Western Conference Finals (1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland and 2001-02 with Sacramento) and four division titles (1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland; 2001-02 and 2002-03 with Sacramento).

Adelman’s teams have reached the NBA playoffs in 16 of his 21+ seasons as a head coach, and he holds an all-time playoff record of 79-78 (.503 winning percentage). He is one of only five head coaches in NBA history to win 60+ games in a season with two different teams (Portland and Sacramento). Adelman has been runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year award four times.

Adelman began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, where his teams amassed a 141-39 record over six seasons (1977-83). Chemeketa won or shared in three Oregon community college championships and one regional title.