Inside Hoops – Page 1508 – NBA Blog

Raptors recall Quincy Acy from D-League

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday rookie forward Quincy Acy has been recalled from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.

Acy was reassigned to the Jam on December 6. He appeared in three games, averaging 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 21.7 minutes. He posted his highs of 18 points, five rebounds and 23 minutes in his debut December 7 at Reno.

Acy has appeared in three games with the Raptors. He has played 21 minutes, averaging 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds. The club selected Acy with the 37th choice in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Acy will be available for tonight’s game versus Brooklyn at Air Canada Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE/Sportsnet Radio FAN 590)

Celtics re-assign Fab Melo to D-League

The Boston Celtics today re-assigned rookie center Fab Melo to the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the 45th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Melo is one of 33 NBA players to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Melo (7-0, 215, Syracuse) returns to the Red Claws having played in five games for the team, averaging 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 23.4 minutes. Originally selected in the first round, 22nd overall, by Boston in the 2012 NBA Draft, Melo appeared in eight preseason games with the Celtics, scoring two points and grabbing ten rebounds in 47 minutes.

Melo is expected to join the Red Claws today and be available on Friday, Dec. 14 when the team travels to face the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Detroit Pistons assign Khris Middleton and Kim English to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they have assigned rookies Khris Middleton and Kim English to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Middleton was drafted 39th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Pistons. The Texas A&M product has appeared in three games this season averaging 1.3 points, 0.7 assists and 0.7 steals. He scored a season-high four points and recorded two steals at Houston (11/10).

English, the 44th pick of the 2012 NBA Draft from the University of Missouri, has seen action in 10 games with the Pistons this season. He scored a season-high eight points twice [vs. Houston (10/31) and at L.A. Lakers (11/4)]. English is averaging 3.2 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 50% (8-16) from three-point range.

Ty Lawson steps up in Nuggets win over Pistons

The Denver Nuggets have watched this scenario play out a few times already this season – just from the opposite viewpoint.

Ty Lawson had 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead Denver to a 101-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Corey Brewer added 15 points and Andre Iguodala had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who rallied from a slow start in which they trailed by as many as 17 in the first quarter. JaVale McGee also had 12 points for Denver.

”We’ve had about four or five close games and didn’t win,” Lawson said. ”We’ve lost a bunch of times when teams came back on us when we were up 17 or 18 points.” …

Brandon Knight had 20 points and five assists for the Pistons. Jason Maxiell added 18 points, six blocks and six rebounds, and Rodney Stuckey scored 17 points.

”We got off to a great start. You’re not going to win a game 150-14,” Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. ”I think the key is, when they made their run, even the last four minutes of the first quarter, the key is this: a team’s going to make a run. It’s the mistakes we made and how they got them. With that, the mistakes, they multiplied, they came in succession so they become a little bit deflating.”

— Reported by Paul Harris of the Associated Press

Clippers beat Bulls for 7th straight win

Chris Paul liked the way the Los Angeles Clippers grinded out an ugly win when they were challenged.

Blake Griffin had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles beat the Chicago Bulls 94-89 on Tuesday night for its seventh straight victory, the team’s longest winning streak in two decades.

Marco Belinelli hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to cut Chicago’s deficit to 89-87, but Paul answered with a floater in the lane, then iced it with three free throws down the stretch as Los Angeles snapped the Bulls’ season-high three-game winning streak.

Paul finished with 18 points and four assists, below the 20 and 10 he averaged in his first dozen games against Chicago but enough for the Clippers to sweep the season series for the first time since 2009-10…

The Clippers (15-6) are on their longest winning streak since an eight-game run during the 1991-92 season. They have won 10 of 12 at the United Center.

Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who had won five of six overall…

Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds in his team’s 101-80 win over Chicago on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.

Joakim Noah finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. It marked the first time the Bulls have lost when both Noah and Boozer have double-doubles (8-1).

Luol Deng was held to just eight points, his lowest output since a seven-point performance in Chicago’s season opener.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Melo scores 45, Knicks beat Nets in Brooklyn

Now, this Knicks-Nets rivalry is really on.

If it hadn’t started when the Nets left New Jersey and set up shop in the Knicks’ city, it surely arrived when Jason Kidd delivered the tiebreaking 3-pointer Tuesday night, making himself an enemy of his former franchise.

”I hate him,” Nets guard Deron Williams said.

Williams was kidding, the point guards are friends. But Nets fans who watched Kidd ask out of the organization and Carmelo Anthony refuse to come could easily work up more dislike of the Knicks after watching those two Tuesday.

Anthony scored a season-high 45 points, Kidd made the tiebreaking shot with 24 seconds left, and the Knicks rallied from an early 17-point hole to beat Brooklyn 100-97.

Kidd finished with 18 points against his former team, who used to dominate the Knicks when he played in New Jersey. He pumped his fist afterward in what he said was as much emotion as he shows, though denied taking any special pleasure in beating the Nets…

Andray Blatche scored 23 points in place of Brook Lopez, who missed his sixth straight game with a sprained right foot. Williams added 18 points and 10 assists, and Reggie Evans grabbed 18 rebounds, but the Nets lost their fifth straight.

Gerald Wallace scored 17 points, but both he and Williams missed potential tying 3-pointers on the last possession after Kidd broke a 97-all tie with his 3-pointer from the left side while being fouled by Jerry Stackhouse.

Kidd missed the free throw in an otherwise terrific effort for the 39-year-old point guard who helped carry the Knicks while fellow point guard Raymond Felton was struggling through a 3-for-12 night. Kidd had six rebounds and six assists, playing 38 minutes.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Kyrie Irving returns, Cavs beat Lakers

There had to be a low point. The Los Angeles Lakers can only hope they’ve reached it.

This chaotic season has gotten worse.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 points in his return after missing 11 games with a broken finger, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-94 win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who look nothing like a team projected to win an NBA title – or anything else.

”This is one of the most challenging stretches of my 17 years, and the most baffling, too,” a puzzled Bryant said after the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. ”We have the talent and personnel to do it, but we’re not, and it’s baffling. It’s extremely frustrating.

”It doesn’t make any sense. We’re still finding ways to lose games.”

Irving added 11 assists in 39 minutes and showed off his dizzying array of moves as the Cavs, who came in with just four wins, ended a five-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 42 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Lakers, who were still missing Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, from opening a four-game road trip with a with a loss that could sting for a while…

C.J. Miles scored 28 in his first start this season, Anderson Varejao had 20 and Alonzo Gee 17 for the Cavs…

”I’m very upset,” Bryant said. ”When things get hard, you should get more determined, not shake your heads. It just seems when it rains it pours. It’s like this cloud is following us around at all times. I’m one of the fastest guys on the team – and I’m like 50. What does that tell you?”

— Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press

NBA suspends Amir Johnson for throwing mouthpiece at ref

Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors has been suspended one game without pay for throwing his mouthpiece and hitting a referee it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5:01 remaining in the third quarter of Toronto’s 92-74 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, Dec. 10 at the Rose Garden.

Johnson will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Dec. 12 when the Raptors host the Brooklyn Nets at Air Canada Centre.

To view the play click on this link.

Brook Lopez remains out for Nets tonight

Nets center Brook Lopez missed a sixth straight game because of a sprained right foot, sitting out Tuesday night against the New York Knicks.

The Nets hoped Lopez would be able to return, listing him Monday as a game-time decision, but coach Avery Johnson said everyone involved decided earlier Tuesday that Lopez was not ready.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Mavericks assign Jared Cunningham to D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have assigned Jared Cunningham to the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

Cunningham (6-4, 194) has seen action in seven games for the Mavericks and holds averages of 2.3 points and 3.4 minutes per game.

Cunningham will join the Legends on Saturday night, Dec. 15, when they take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers at 7:00 pm CT at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco.