Inside Hoops – Page 1500 – NBA Blog

Amar`e Stoudemire not 100 percent healthy yet

Amar’e Stoudemire talked big and bold about returning to his “dominant self’’ this season.

“Without a doubt. I’m on pace to return back to dominance,’’ Stoudemire said. “It’s a matter of becoming 100 percent. When I’m healthy, I feel I’ll be back to my dominant self.’’

After participating in his second practice with their D-League squad from Erie Thursday, Stoudemire still couldn’t put a finger on when he will strap on his goggles for real.

Stoudemire said he’s still not “100 percent’’ and not ready to return on the Knicks homestand ending Sunday against the Timberwolves.

Stoudemire said he still has “a little bit of soreness’’ in his left knee but felt smoother yesterday than Tuesday’s practice debut.

“I’m not quite ready yet,’’ Stoudemire said. “I’m taking a little more time to get 100 percent. Hopefully I’ll be back soon enough. I just know I need a little more time. I’m not totally there yet.”

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Brooklyn Nets assign Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor to D-League

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.

Shengelia, acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted 54th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, has appeared in five games this season, scoring 10 points with two rebounds.

Taylor, a rookie out of Kansas, has made 10 appearances on the year, scoring 13 points with three steals and two assists.

Both players will be in uniform when the Armor take on the Erie BayHawks tonight at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Nuggets hit 0-of-22 three-pointers in loss to Trail Blazers

J.J. Hickson had 18 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 101-93 on Thursday night.

Nicolas Batum had 22 points to give the Blazers their first four-game winning streak of the season despite missing forward LaMarcus Aldridge because of a sprained left ankle.

The Nuggets were 0 for 22 from 3-point range, breaking the NBA record of 20 misses set by the Trail Blazers in a game against Toronto last week. Seventy-four of Denver’s point came in the paint.

The Blazers led by as many as 18 in the first half and while the Nuggets were able to close the gap, they were never able to pull even…

Portland saw the return of Matthews, who missed two games with a sore hip, then tried to return against the Hornets but played only about four minutes. The injury had put Matthews on the bench in street clothes for the first time in his four-year NBA career. He had played in 250 straight games, second-most among active players behind Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook…

Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer had 13 points each for the Nuggets.

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press

Video: Wild Kevin Durant shot off top of backboard

In an Thunder loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that ended Oklahoma City’s win streak at 12 games, Kevin Durant unleashed something ridiculous. Watch and enjoy:

LeBron scores 24, Heat beat Mavericks 110-95

LeBron James scored 24 points with some early baskets on nifty passes from Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat rolled to a 110-95 victory over the injury plagued Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

James has scored at least 20 points in all 23 games, the longest streak to start an NBA season since Karl Malone’s 24 in a row opening the 1989-90 season.

Dallas, still waiting for the season debut of 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki after right knee surgery, was also without starting point guard Derek Fisher (right knee).

The Heat never trailed after James drove for a short floater 3 minutes into the game to make it 6-4.

— Reported by Stephen Hawkins of the Associated Press

InsideHoops.com notes: With Dirk Nowitzki still out for Dallas, Jae Crowder came off the bench to lead the Mavs in scoring with 15 points. Dahntay Jones and Bernard James each scored 12. Darren Collison scored 11. The Mavs as a team shot just 38.5 percent, and hit just 3-of-22 from three-point range.

Timberwolves end Thunder 12-game winning streak

J.J. Barea ended Oklahoma City’s 12-game winning streak almost all by himself.

Playing with the tenacity that made him so important to the Mavericks’ run to the title two years ago, Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 99-93 victory over the Thunder on Thursday night.

Kevin Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. But it was Barea who was the key, scoring 12 straight at one point for the Wolves to hold off the team with the best record in the league.

Kevin Durant had 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had not lost a game since Nov. 23 at Boston…

After Durant’s two free throws cut Minnesota’s lead to 80-77, Barea hit two 3s and scored on a putback under the rim amid the tall trees, an 8-0 run by himself that gave the Wolves a little breathing room. His long 3 with 5:26 to play made it 92-81, and the Wolves held on…

Serge Ibaka had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Alexey Shved had 12 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Wolves, who are trying to claw their way back to respectability after years at the bottom of the Western Conference…

Kevin Martin did not play for the Thunder because of a right thigh contusion.

— Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Timberwolves waive Josh Howard, who has a torn ACL

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived forward/guard Josh Howard after an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) revealed he has a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his right knee. The injury, which will sideline him for the remainder of the season, occurred in the second quarter of the Friday, Dec. 14 contest at New Orleans.

“It’s unfortunate to see Josh’s season come to an abrupt end due to injury,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Due to several injuries, we have an immediate need at the wing position, necessitating today’s transaction. Josh was a consummate professional and important contributor to our team in his short time with us and we wish him the best with his recovery.”

Signed by the Wolves as a free agent on November 16, Howard averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11 games this season for Minnesota.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

Stephen Curry finally has Warriors on firm footing

The Warriors (17-9) are off to their best start since the 1991-92 season, when the team began 21-8 behind Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin. Golden State enters Friday night’s game against Curry’s hometown Charlotte Bobcats playing like a playoff-bound team in the Western Conference.

That’s no small feat for a franchise that has missed the postseason 17 of the last 18 years. Neither is it a mild milestone in Curry’s comeback, not after his troubled right ankle sidelined him for most of the last year and had some wondering whether he could ever be the point guard who looked so promising in his first two seasons.

”Missing games and not having complete confidence that my ankle would hold up was tough,” Curry said. ”To be at this point right now playing and helping the team win, it definitely feels great to just be able to focus on games.”

Warriors general manager Bob Myers believes Curry’s breakthrough this season came at Dallas on Nov. 19.

Curry made only 4 of 12 shots through three quarters and rolled his right ankle early in the fourth before he picked it up offensively, scoring 14 of Golden State’s last 17 points in regulation. Curry added six points in overtime to lift the Warriors to a 105-101 win.

— Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press

James and Bosh feel Heat have plenty of room to improve

LeBron James and Chris Bosh feel the defending champion Miami Heat have work to do if they are to reach peak form in time for the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, but both embrace the challenge.

The Heat (16-6) trail only the New York Knicks (19-6) in the Eastern Conference just past the quarter-mark of the NBA’s regular season but Bosh is well aware his team is not playing at the same level compared to this point last season.

“No, not right now. We have to pick it up a little bit to catch ourselves from last year,” Bosh, Miami’s third-leading scorer and top shot-blocker, told Reuters.

“It’s a new year, we just have to slowly build and get back to that place. As long as we continue to win games now and then we are primed and ready come playoff time, I’ll be happy.” …

James, who has been pushing himself physically this season by adding extra workouts and cycling to games and shootouts, agrees the Heat have lots of room for improvement.

“Everything, defensively continue to grind, continue to communicate, continue to rebound, offensively don’t turn the ball over, be efficient looking for shots,” he said.

“Right now we are getting better, we are going to use each and every game, we aren’t going to cut any corners to get better, right now.”

— Reported by Simon Evans of Reuters

Injury opens door for Dorell Wright

No one wants injuries to happen – not players, coaches or fans. But when they do, opportunities arise. And while the situation might not be ideal, a door opening is always welcomed.

That has been the case for 76ers swingman Dorell Wright. Point guard Jrue Holiday missed his fourth straight game Wednesday with a sprained foot. In the three games before Wednesday night’s 125-103 loss to the Houston Rockets, Wright had played between 26 and 30 minutes a game, a huge leap from any other time during the season. Against Houston, he had 20 points and six assists in 39 minutes.

It’s no coincidence that his game is coming back to form.

His defense has gotten to where it was at the beginning of the season, when coach Doug Collins could rely on him to cover anyone from small forwards to centers. He has found his shooting touch again, demonstrated Tuesday in Dallas when he hit seven three-pointers and scored a season-high 25.

— Reported by Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News