Inside Hoops – Page 1735 – NBA Blog

Lakers guard Darius Morris day-to-day with bruised wrist

Los Angeles Lakers guard Darius Morris suffered a bruised left wrist Saturday while playing for the franchise’s D-League affiliate team, the D-Fenders, against the Dakota Wizards. Morris was examined today by Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic and his status is listed as day-to-day.

Morris, a rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in 13 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 assists in 10.3 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (41st overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Morris appeared in 67 games (53 starts) in two seasons at the University of Michigan, averaging 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Morris became the 51st Wolverine to be drafted into the NBA and was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection last season. The first Wolverine to lead the Big Ten in assists since Gary Grant in 1988, Morris set a Michigan record for assists in a single season (235) last year.

Derrick Rose fined for public criticism of officiating

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Rose was fined for comments made to the media after the Bulls’ 104-99 win over the New York Knicks on March 12 at the United Center.

According to the AP, “Rose sounded off after a 104-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday, saying he’s “got to be the only superstar in the league that’s going through what I’m going through right now.”

Mavs re-assign Sean Williams to D-League

Today the Dallas Mavericks re-assigned Sean Williams to the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 50th time an NBA player has been assigned to their NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-2012 season and the second assignment for Sean Williams this year.

Williams (6-10, 235) has played in 22 games for the Legends the season averaging 15.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 28.5 minutes. Currently Williams is shooting 50.6% from the field while making a career best 76.6% of his free-throw attempts as a Legend.

In seven games for the Dallas Mavericks this season, Williams averaged 4.1 points on 75.0% shooting, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in nine minutes.

The Texas Legends (21-18) are currently on an eight game winning streak and next play Wednesday against the Idaho Stampede (16-24) at Idaho Center Arena in Boise, Idaho at 8:00PM CST.

Syracuse center Fab Melo ruled ineligible for 2012 NCAA Tournament

The following is a report from Syracuse Athletics:

Syracuse University sophomore men’s basketball center Fab Melo did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh, and will not take part in the NCAA Tournament due to an eligibility issue. Given University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time.

Glen Rice Jr. kicked off Georgia Tech basketball team

The AP reports: Glen Rice Jr. has been kicked off the Georgia Tech basketball team after being charged in a shooting incident outside an Atlanta nightclub. Coach Brian Gregory made the announcement Tuesday, less than a week after Rice, a graduate student manager and another person were charged. The 6-foot-5 junior guard will remain enrolled at school and complete his academic requirements for spring semester.

And direct from Georgia Tech: “It’s an honor and a privilege to represent Georgia Tech and be a part of this basketball program,” Gregory said. “There are certain standards that have to be met both on and off the court, and there has to be accountability when those standards aren’t met. I’m disappointed that we have to take this action. “Glen has done well in school, and we want to make sure he finishes the semester strong, and then we’ll assist him in any way we can with his next steps as a student-athlete.” Rice had been suspended from the team for the final six games of the 2011-12 season, and also had served a three-game suspension at the beginning of the season. Rice averaged 13.0 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets last season, and had three-year career averages of 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Stephon Marbury denies hitting a fan after game in China

Stephon Marbury

Enjoys typing “love is love” thousands of times per day on Twitter

Former NBA star Stephon Marbury has denied hitting a fan after a testy playoff loss in a Chinese Basketball Association game.

The 35-year-old Marbury and his Beijing Ducks teammates were trapped in their team van after their 102-100 road loss on Sunday to the Shanxi Brave Dragons, Marbury’s original team when he joined the league in 2010. A newspaper photograph showed fans pounding on the windows of the van.

Marbury was quoted Tuesday by the official China Daily as saying he and the fans had been separated by guards. However, he disputed reports he’d hit a fan.

“I didn’t do that,” Marbury said. “How could I do that over the security guards?”

Marbury scored 25 points in the game that was interrupted for 10 minutes as Shanxi fans threw water bottles onto the court to protest what they deemed to be a bad call.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Dick Harter, inaugural coach of Charlotte Hornets, dies at 81

Dick Harter, who died Monday at his Hilton Head, S.C. home, was the first coach the Charlotte Hornets hired. Most of us had not experienced the NBA when the Hornets played their first game in 1988. We looked to Harter for guidance.

On the court, he was so rigid he should have been wearing a whistle.

“He was old school, he demanded a lot, and you always knew where you stood,” says Dell Curry, the Charlotte Bobcats’ broadcaster who played for the first Hornets’ teams. “People either wanted to play for him or they didn’t.”

Off the court, Harter was candid and funny and interested in almost everything. I can say with some certainty that he is the only head coach of a major Charlotte team to ride through Myers Park on a two-seat bike with his wife, Mary, in back and their pet rabbit in a basket in front.

— Reported by the Charlotte Observer

Knicks lose 6th straight, fall to Bulls

The AP reports:

Derrick Rose scored 32 points and the Chicago Bulls beat New York 104-99 on Monday night, handing the Knicks their sixth straight loss.

Rose shot 12 of 29 from the floor and had six rebounds and seven assists as the Bulls got their 10th win in 11 games.

Taj Gibson had 15 points and a team-high 13 boards for Chicago, which outrebounded New ork 56-38. The Bulls entered the game leading the league in rebounding margin.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 21 points and Amare Stoudemire added 20, but the two combined for just seven points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls pulled away.

Rudy Gay has a mild concussion

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay has a mild concussion and could miss Tuesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Team doctors confirmed Gay’s condition today after re-evaluating him. Gay left Sunday’s win at Denver with concussion-like symptoms after he received an inadvertent elbow to the head from Denver center Nene.

Under the terms of the NBA’s new protocol for concussions and other head injuries, Gay will have to satisfy a strict set of criteria before being allowed back on the floor.

Anderson Varejao remains out with broken wrist

The AP reports:

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott says center Anderson Varejao’s broken right wrist will not be re-examined by doctors until next week.

Varejao has been out since Feb. 10, when he broke his wrist during a game against Milwaukee. The Cavs expected Varejao to miss from 4 to 6 weeks and were initially optimistic he would return sooner. One of the NBA’s top rebounders, Varejao continues to wear a wrap on his wrist. He has not yet resumed basketball activities and has been limited to working on his stamina.