Inside Hoops – Page 1520 – NBA Blog

Blazers beat Cavs in double overtime

Nicolas Batum’s first attempt at making the game-winning shot didn’t count. He got it right the second time.

Batum’s 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left in the second overtime gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 118-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

An apparent game-winning basket by Batum in the first overtime was disallowed because it came after time expired. The basket was first ruled good, but the call was changed after a video review. Batum, who celebrated after making that shot, got a chance to do it again and this time it was the winner…

Lillard led Portland with 24 points while Batum added 22. Alonzo Gee paced the Cavaliers with 22 points, but missed a free throw that would have given them a three-point lead before Batum’s shot.

Anderson Varejao had 19 points and 17 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double.

Portland put five players in double figures and improved to 1-4 on its seven-game eastern road trip. The Trail Blazers, who lost to Washington during the trip for the Wizards’ only win of the season, have been in search for something positive…

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters left the game in the second overtime with an ankle injury. Varejao, the NBA’s leading rebounder, dislocated his right ring finger in the first quarter. X-rays were negative and he returned midway through the second period.

— Reported by Steve Herrick of the Associated Press

Parsons, Patterson lead Rockets past Jazz

There’s a lot more to the Houston Rockets’ offense than just James Harden.

Patrick Patterson scored 20 points, Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin had 19 apiece and the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 124-116 on Saturday night.

Harden finished with 18 points and seven assists for the Rockets, who shot a season-best 55 percent (46 of 83) and hit half of their 3-point shots at 11 of 22. Greg Smith and Carlos Delfino each scored 13.

Houston scored a season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, and it’s averaging 113 points during a five-game home winning streak…

The Rockets finished with 26 assists, just shy of the season-high 30 they had in a 117-101 home win over Toronto on Tuesday. Houston had seven players score in double figures for the first time this year…

Omer Asik had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Houston. He briefly left the game after taking an elbow from Hayward, but returned for the final minutes.

Gordon Hayward had 13 of his 21 points in the second half and Al Jefferson and Randy Foye each scored 20 for Utah. The Jazz lost despite shooting 51 percent (48 of 94) overall and going 11 for 20 from 3-point range.

— Reported by Chris Duncan of the Associated Press

Bucks rally for 91-88 victory over Celtics

Scott Skiles wanted to insert Larry Sanders into the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting lineup for Saturday night’s game against the Boston Celtics. The coach relented when the high-energy forward said he preferred a reserve role.

It sure looks as if Sanders knows what’s best for him.

He had a career-high 18 points and 16 rebounds to go along with five blocked shots, and the Bucks rallied for a 91-88 victory after the Celtics scored the first 17 points of the game…

Monta Ellis had 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, while Ersan Ilyasova added 15 points and five rebounds. Brandon Jennings made a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter…

Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 19 points, and Kevin Garnett added 17 points and seven rebounds…

Boston played without point guard Rajon Rondo, who served the second of his two-game suspension for his role in a scuffle during a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Courtney Lee, who started in Rondo’s place, had 13 points, and Jason Terry finished with 15 points and 11 assists.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spurs shrug off fine, beat Grizzlies

So that’s what $250,000 worth of rest looks like.

Tony Parker scored 30 points and Tim Duncan had 27 points and 15 rebounds, giving the San Antonio Spurs their money’s worth for the unprecedented fine from the NBA they absorbed for putting rest over the league’s business interests in a 99-95 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Coach Gregg Popovich said before the victory he was ”disappointed” by the $250,000 fine levied by Commissioner David Stern after the Spurs sent Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili – three of the NBA’s biggest names – home from a road trip early instead of playing them against LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Thursday in a nationally televised game.

This might ease his frustration. Because chances are Popovich wasn’t second-guessing his decision while watching the 36-year-old Duncan put up his best game this season, Parker eclipsing 30 points for the third time in five games and Ginobili sinking the tying 3-pointer with under a minute left to force overtime…

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 20 points. Zach Randolph had 17 points and 15 rebounds and was one of three Memphis players with double-doubles.

Mike Conley had 18 points and 12 assists, and Rudy Gay had 15 points and 10 rebounds…

The Grizzlies played without Tony Allen for a second straight game because of an injured groin. It’s unclear when their starting shooting guard may return.

— Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press

Thunder recall DeAndre Liggins from D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has recalled guard DeAndre Liggins from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

During his recent assignment with the 66ers, Liggins appeared in three games (all starts), averaging 11.7 points on .545 shooting from the field (12-22 FG), 7.0 assists (2nd in the D-League), 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals in 38.7 minutes per contest. On Nov. 23, he notched a triple-double in Tulsa’s 93-79 opening night victory over Texas after posting 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Liggins has appeared in four games with the Thunder during the 2012-13 season, logging a total of 11 minutes.

Warriors recall Kent Bazemore from D-League

The Golden State Warriors have recalled guard/forward Kent Bazemore from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today. He will rejoin the NBA club in time for tonight’s home game versus the Indiana Pacers.

Bazemore was assigned to Golden State’s D-League affiliate yesterday and registered 27 points, nine rebounds, one assist, five steals and one block in 33 minutes of the team’s 101-95 season-opening victory at Reno last night.

Atlanta Hawks assign John Jenkins and Mike Scott to D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have assigned guard John Jenkins and forward Mike Scott to the Bakersfield Jam, their NBA Development League affiliate, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Jenkins, the 6-foot-4 guard from Vanderbilt, has appeared in four games this season, scoring six points in 13 minutes. Scott, a 6-foot-8 forward from Virginia, has played 16 minutes in five games and totaled two points and four rebounds. Jenkins was selected with the 23rd overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft while Scott was selected with the 43rd overall pick by the Hawks.

Both players will be available for the Jam’s next game on Monday night against Santa Cruz.

Spurs re-assign Cory Joseph to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have re-assigned guard Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Joseph started the season with the Spurs before being assigned to the Toros on Nov. 15. He was recalled on Nov. 21. For the season, Joseph has appeared in four games for the Silver and Black, averaging 1.8 points and 1.5 assists in 7.8 minutes.

Last season Joseph had three stints with the Toros, averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.29 steals in 32.9 minutes in 14 games, helping guide the team to the 2012 NBA D-League championship.

Lakers hit 17 3-pointers, beat Nuggets 122-103

By the time Dwight Howard stepped back and oh-so-coolly hit just the second 3-pointer of his entire career in the closing seconds, it didn’t even seem weird to the Los Angeles Lakers.

With so many unlikely numbers in improbable places on that bulging scoresheet, what was one last long-distance shot for a team that finally discovered its elusive rhythm?

Antawn Jamison scored 33 points while leading an outstanding game by the Lakers’ reserves, and Howard had 28 points and 20 rebounds before hitting Los Angeles’ 17th 3-pointer to close a 122-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Jodie Meeks scored 21 points on a career high-tying seven 3-pointers for the Lakers, who improved to 3-3 under Mike D’Antoni while playing at the furious tempo favored by their new coach…

Kobe Bryant had 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who moved the ball to the tune of 33 assists while making 54 percent of their shots. They also tied the club record for 3-pointers in a regulation game, getting five from Jamison in the first 30-point game by a Lakers reserve since Shaquille O’Neal did it in 1998.

Jamison, the high-scoring veteran who signed with Los Angeles for a shot at a title, found the shooting stroke he has lacked for much of the season so far, going 13 for 19 and grabbing 12 rebounds while taking more shots than Bryant or Howard…

Los Angeles led 71-57 at halftime, making 60 percent of its shots in an impressive stretch of offensive basketball.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Doc Rivers not a fan of fine from NBA against Spurs

“I don’t like it, I just don’t like it,” Rivers said before Boston’s game Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. “I do get the other side of it, but it’s a tough one. You have to coach your team to win in the long haul, and you have to do whatever you need to do. If that’s sitting players, then you sit players. It’s a tough one.”

Would Rivers shy away from resting his veterans in a similar situation?

“Listen, we’ll do it when we want to do it. And we should be able to do it,” said Rivers. “It can be early in the season, end of the season. Now if we give a guy [a day] off because he has a family thing — it’s just so many things here. Hopefully we all figure it out.

“Whatever is going to help your team win, a coach is going to do. If you don’t, and it hurts your team, then you’re the one that won’t be around. You have to do whatever’s best for your team.”

— Reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston