Inside Hoops – Page 2148 – NBA Blog

Kendrick Perkins deserves praise

Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins is known for rugged and great complimentary play, and consistent scowling. He’s having yet another fine season.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports:

In the past five games – three wins – Perkins has averaged 15.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. Among Eastern Conference centers, Perkins is first in field goal percentage, sixth in scoring, and eighth in blocks. He has turned into a defensive presence because of his improved conditioning and footwork.

“He’s a load, he knows his role, he knows how to play the game,’’ Bosh said. “He’s not saying a lot. He’s not asking for the ball a lot. He’s a strong post player. He knows where to pick and choose his spots.’’

Perkins had 11 points and nine rebounds against Horford and an Atlanta team that backed into a zone defense in the second half.

“Every time you come in and play Boston, you know it’s going to be a war,’’ said Horford, who had 9 points and 12 rebounds. “They may blow you out but you are not going to blow them out. It’s a war.”

For the season, Perkins is putting up 12.4 points, 8.2 rebounds (no.26 in NBA) and 1.94 blocks (no.8 in NBA) per game while shooting a ridiculously high 63.9 percent (no.1 in NBA) from the field.

Luke Walton finally plays

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Luke Walton’s long wait to play ended Tuesday night.

He peeled off his sweats and entered the Lakers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs with 5.1 seconds left in the first half, his first appearance in two months.

OK, so it wasn’t exactly a significant one. He didn’t handle the ball as the Lakers misfired on a last-second play before halftime. But it marked his return to action after an extended absence because of a back injury.

Walton also played 5 minutes, 55 seconds in the fourth quarter, scoring four points on 2-for-4 shooting in the Lakers’ 105-85 defeat.

With Pau Gasol sidelined for a fifth consecutive game because of a strained left hamstring and backup small forward Adam Morrison suffering from an illness, Lakers coach Phil Jackson turned to Walton for help up front.

Grizzlies arena evacuated over broken water pipe

TMZ reports: Basketball fans in Memphis went streaming for the exits in droves during the third quarter during a game between the Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers — after signs informed fans there was an emergency — but it was all a false alarm. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the drama was all over a busted water main.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: FedExForum was evacuated tonight when a broken water line caused fire alarms to go off in the building, stopping the Grizzlies’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers. With 47.8 seconds left in the third quarter, a message came on the scoreboard for the crowd at the game to evacuate the building.

InsideHoops.com reports: The game has resumed play. The arena is now almost completely empty.

Scott Skiles back on job after hospital visit

Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via blog):

Coach Scott Skiles was back on the job Tuesday and feeling fine after missing Monday’s game against Phoenix due to a hospital visit.

Shortly before the start of the Bucks’ 105-101 loss to the Suns, Skiles was taken to a hospital in Phoenix for precautionary purposes due to an irregular heartbeat.

But all systems were go on Tuesday where Skiles was concerned.

“I feel good,” he said. “Normal. It’s something that happens to me about once a year since 2001. I take medication for it. It’s not uncommon. A lot of people have it. Unfortunately yesterday the medication didn’t take care of it and I had to go to the hospital.”

Hawks sign Mario West to 10-day contract

The Atlanta Hawks today signed guard Mario West to a 10-day contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund.

West, who attended Douglas County High School in Douglasville before a four-year career at Georgia Tech, has appeared in 117 regular season games (five starts) with the Hawks over the last two years, averaging 0.9 ppg and 0.9 rpg in 4.6 mpg (.422 FG%, .554 FT%). He’s also seen action in 17 playoff contests with the Hawks, putting up 0.4 ppg (.231 FG%) in 3.1 mpg.

Last regular season, he played in 53 games, and averaged 0.8 ppg and 1.1 rpg in 5.1 mpg (.412 FG%, .467 FT%). In 11 postseason contests, West compiled 0.5 ppg and 0.5 rpg in 4.2 mpg.

This season, West attended training camp with the Hawks, and saw action in five preseason games, compiling 2.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.0 spg (.417 FG%, 1-1 3FGs). He was waived by the Hawks on October 21, and has played in 11 games (six starts) with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League, where he recorded 13.7 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.9 rpg and 1.3 spg (.490 FG%, .250 3FG%, .672 FT%) in 29.7 mpg.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard will once again wear uniform no. 6.

Kevin Martin set to return

Sacramento Kings’ guard Kevin Martin today has been cleared for full contact participation after he was examined by Dr. Robert Szabo. Martin will practice tomorrow and accompany the team on the upcoming six-game, 10-day road trip.

Martin underwent surgery to repair a non displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his left wrist on November 9th. He averaged a team-leading 30.6 points per game through the first five outings of the season before missing the last 31 games due to the injury.

The 15-21 Kings are currently the 13th seed out of 15 teams in the strong Western conference.

Scott Skiles hospitalized with irregular heartbeat

The AP reports:

Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat before Monday night’s 105-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Jim Boylan, who coached in Skiles’ absence, said the coach was doing well.

“He’s fine,” Boylan said. “He’ll be joining us in Portland. He has a little arrhythmia.”

Pops Mensah-Bonsu signs in Russia

Euroleague.net reports: Already planning for the Euroleague’s next round, CSKA Moscow on Tuesday announced the siging of center Pops Mensah-Bonsu for the remainder of the season, pending the medical tests. Mensah-Bonsu (206, 26) will replace Courtney Sims, who had been on a tryout with CSKA during the last two weeks. Mensah-Bonsu arrives from Toronto of the NBA, where he averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 53 games.

Knicks believe OKC hotel was haunted

Lots of NBA basketball talk revolves around minor things like offense, defense, wins, and losses. While those trivial things are perhaps worthy of at least partial attention, there’s not enough emphasis on haunted hotel discussion.

That’s right. Teams have to worry about whether the hotel they’re staying in is filled with ghosts. Or at least that’s a concern some Knicks players had when visiting Oklahoma City to play the Thunder.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

For two days, several players had trouble sleeping because they were convinced that their downtown hotel is haunted.

“I definitely believe it,” Jared Jeffries said. “The place is haunted. It’s scary.”

Eddy Curry claims he slept for only two hours Sunday night because he couldn’t stop thinking about ghosts roaming the hotel.

For years, guests staying at the Skirvin Hilton have reported ghost sightings and strange noises.

The Thunder should urge all visiting teams to stay there. That’s a pretty sweet advantage!

Anthony Randolph out 2 months

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Anthony Randolph is the latest player in the Warriors’ string of long-term medical woes. He is projected to miss about two months with multiple left ankle injuries, the team announced before Monday’s game against Cleveland.

An MRI exam revealed Randolph has two torn ligaments on the outside of the ankle and an avulsion fracture where an inside ligament pulled away from the bone. He’ll be in a protective boot for three weeks before starting rehabilitation, which usually takes at least four weeks for similar injuries.

“I expected it to be a long time, and I think it will be,” coach Don Nelson said. “I wouldn’t call it season-ending, but I think it will be pretty close.”