NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
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The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled center Fab Melo from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.
Melo, a 7’0” center, averaged 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.4 minutes over five games for the Red Claws. Melo recorded a high of 14 points against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on November 25 and recorded a high of 11 rebounds against the Los Angeles D-Fenders on November 30.
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The Lakers still aren’t getting it together under new coach Mike D’Antoni, and the Utah Jazz exposed them again.
Paul Millsap scored 24 points and Mo Williams added 22 in Utah’s third straight victory, 117-110 on Sunday night.
”They did it to themselves,” Millsap said of the 9-12 Lakers. ”Our defense was pretty good, but they had no ball movement and that made it easier on us just to try to load up, keep them out of the paint and let them fire up some 3s.”
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 34 points, making 12 of 14 free throws, as they fell to 4-7 in their last 11 games since D’Antoni took over from the fired Mike Brown…
Al Jefferson and reserves Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter added 14 points each for the Jazz, who improved to 4-9 on the road in ending a two-game skid away from home…
Bryant, who shot 9 of 24 while playing 43 minutes, engineered one last charge. He had seven points in a 17-7 run that got the Lakers to 115-110 with 1:10 to play. But he missed two 3-pointers in the final 33 seconds…
Jordan Hill added a career-high 17 points and Jodie Meeks 16 off the Lakers’ bench.
— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press
A smooth rookie led the Orlando Magic to a successful end of a long road trip.
Andrew Nicholson scored nine of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Magic pulled away to hand the Phoenix Suns their seventh loss in a row, 98-90 on Sunday night.
”I am going out there playing hard,” he said. ”They are just trusting me.”
The 6-foot-9 first-round draft pick from St. Bonaventure made 9 of 11 shots and grabbed nine rebounds, also the best of his young career…
J.J. Redick scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half for the Magic at the end of a 3-2 trip.
Shannon Brown scored 17 and Jared Dudley 15 for the Suns, who were without starting point guard Goran Dragic due to illness…
The Magic extended it to 57-48 with the first two baskets of the second half. The Suns scored the next 11 to go up 59-57 on Gortat’s turnaround 13-footer. The run eventually reached 19-4 with Brown leading the way. He scored 10 in the outburst, including a pair of 3s. The last one came over the outstretched arms of 7-foot Nikola Vucevic to put Phoenix up 67-61 with 4:16 left in the third.
— Reported by Bob Baum of the Associated Press
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Carmelo Anthony insists there is no grudge against the Denver Nuggets. He just didn’t want his old team – or anyone else – walking into his current home and leaving with a victory.
Anthony returned from a two-game absence with 34 points against his former team, and the New York Knicks beat the Nuggets 112-106 on Sunday night to remain the NBA’s lone unbeaten team at home.
Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a cut on the middle finger of his left hand that required stitches, Anthony twice made baskets in the final 2:08 after Denver had pulled within four points…
Jason Kidd scored 17 points for the Knicks, who bounced back from their worst offensive performance of the season a night earlier in Chicago and improved to 8-0 at Madison Square Garden. Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith each had 15 points.
It’s the Knicks’ best start at home since beginning 9-0 in 1992-93.
Ty Lawson had 23 points and Danilo Gallinari had 21 points and nine rebounds against the team that drafted him and later dealt him in the package for Anthony in February 2011…
Knicks F Rasheed Wallace missed the game with a sore left foot. … Corey Brewer finished with 15 points after scoring 19 or more in three straight games, tying a career best.
— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press
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Brandon Jennings had heard all the talk about how Brooklyn’s backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson was considered one of the best in the league.
Jennings and his backcourt mate Monta Ellis were aware of the height advantage Williams and Johnson had on them, but the Milwaukee Bucks’ duo showed they belong in the conversation, too.
Jennings scored 26 points and Ellis added 24 as Milwaukee withstood Brooklyn’s fourth-quarter rally and beat the Nets 97-88 Sunday night.
”It wasnt a competition or anything like that,” said Jennings, who also had seven assists and six rebounds. ”We knew they had height advantage … so we wanted to run tonight and use more of your speed.” …
Marquis Daniels had 13 points for the Bucks and Ersan Ilyasova added 10 as Milwaukee won its second straight. The Bucks have beaten the Nets 12 straight times dating back to March 30, 2009…
Williams had 18 points and eight assists and Wallace added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the struggling Nets, losers of four straight.
— Reported by Adriano Torres of the Associated Press
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The Los Angeles Clippers were lacking energy through three quarters. Their backups came in and changed the game again.
Jamal Crawford led a fourth-quarter rally by the reserves with 16 points and the Clippers defeated Toronto 102-83 on Sunday to win their sixth in a row while handing the Raptors their 10th consecutive road loss.
The backups gave Los Angeles its first double-digit lead of the game after Toronto kept it close through the first three periods before dropping its fourth straight and 10th in its last 11. The Raptors have just four wins this season.
Eric Bledsoe added 14 points on his 23rd birthday to help the Clippers’ reserves outscore their counterparts 47-24.
Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 19 points. Chris Paul added 16 points and DeAndre Jordan had 10 rebounds. Caron Butler was the only starter to play in the fourth, coming in only after Matt Barnes was ejected with 1:36 to play…
Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points in his hometown. Linas Kleiza, who started in place of injured Mickael Pietrus, added 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Amir Johnson had 11 points and 12 rebounds…
Pietrus didn’t play because of left knee tendinitis that flared up after Friday’s loss in Utah. … Clippers G Chauncey Billups missed his third straight game with tendinitis in his left ankle.
— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press
Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach Byron Scott has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.
Scott’s comments were made after to the Cavalier’s 91-73 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Dec. 7.
Boston Celtics forward-center Chris Wilcox has been fined $25,000 for making an obscene gesture directed toward fans during a game, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.
Wilcox’s actions occurred during a timeout with 8:47 remaining in the 4th period of the Celtics 95-94 loss to the 76ers on Friday, Dec. 7.
The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled guard Will Barton and forward Victor Claver from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.
Portland assigned Barton and Claver to the Stampede on Dec. 7. The two rookies played in both of Idaho’s games vs. Austin this weekend in Boise.
Barton averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 42.0 minutes in two games with Idaho. His 18 points Friday matched a team high, and a 21-point outing Saturday led the Stampede.
Claver posted averages of 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.00 steal and 33.5 minutes in the two contests.
Barton, the 40th overall pick out of Memphis in the 2012 NBA Draft, has played in 16 games this season for the Trail Blazers, and has averages of 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 8.8 minutes per game.
Claver has appeared in four games with Portland this season, and averages 0.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 5.8 minutes per contest. Claver was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and signed with Portland on July 11, 2012.
Both players will be in Portland for today’s practice and are available for tomorrow’s game vs. Toronto.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has recalled guard Reggie Jackson from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Jackson, who was originally assigned on Dec. 8, appeared in one game for the 66ers, recording 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in 39 minutes during Tulsa’s 109-98 victory over Rio Grande Valley.
The second-year guard will join Oklahoma City prior to tonight’s contest versus the Indiana Pacers.