The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard/forward Malik Hairston. Per team policy terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 6-6, 215-pound Hairston has spent the season with the Austin Toros, the Spurs affiliate in the NBA Development League. In 11 games with the Toros, Hairston averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He was named this week’s D-League Performer of the Week after averaging 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in three Toros wins.
The former Oregon Duck spent training camp with San Antonio where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in six preseason games. He was waived by the Spurs on 10/26. Hairston was selected by Phoenix Suns with the 48th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was acquired by San Antonio in exchange for the draft rights to Goran Dragic.
The Boston Herald (Mark Murphy) reports: The Celtics defeated the Knicks, 124-105, to tie a franchise record originally set by the 1981-82 team with 18 straight wins. Now 26-2, they also pulled even with the 1969-70 Knicks and 1966-67 76ers for the league’s best start through 28 games. This historic run, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t imperfections. It doesn’t mean that the C’s occasionally take their eyes off the ball. “We have things that we’re talking about all the time – the bench playing better, cutting down on turnovers, a long list of things,” coach Doc Rivers said before the game. “Because you’re winning games, people think you’re throwing stuff out there when you talk like this. But it’s true.”
The Oklahoman (Mike Baldwin) reports: Thunder coach Scott Brooks has harped for weeks that Jeff Green needs to improve his 5.5 rebounding average. He’s even sent Green text messages on game days. Green responded with a 10-rebound performance Sunday night. “I was guarding one of the best rebounds in this league in Ben Wallace,” Green said. “I tried my best to keep him off the boards. When the ball went up, I tried my best to go get boards, and they were dropping right in my hands. And Nick (Collison) and Kevin did a good job blocking their man out.”
The Bay Area News Group (Marcus Thompson II) reports: Finally, guard Marco Belinelli said he has made it to the NBA. Sure, he has been in the league since the Warriors’ drafted him with the No. 18 overall pick in 2007. And he’s certainly collected more than a third of the nearly $5 million he will earn over his first three seasons. But Belinelli said it wasn’t until now that he felt as if he’d arrived. For the first time in his career, he said he feels as if he is part of the team. He’s getting minutes, providing offense and growing with teammates. There’s no telling how long this will last, as the Warriors’ injured players figure to return and Coach Don Nelson’s whims are likely to change. In the meantime, Belinelli is enjoying the experience.
The Detroit News (Chris McCosky) reports: By almost every definition, the Pistons are an average team right now. They have the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference (14-11) and have one fewer loss than the Heat. And average teams don’t often overcome 18-point deficits on the road, especially against a Hawks team that right now is younger, bigger and stronger at almost every position. “They were just too much for us,” Allen Iverson said, after the Hawks beat the Pistons, 85-78, at Philips Arena. “They were better than us tonight.” Like the Lions, the Pistons remain perfect on Sunday — perfectly winless, 0-6.