The Boston Globe (Peter May) reports: Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni often wonders why the name Manu Ginobili doesn’t surface when the topic concerns today’s great swingmen. “If you were picking a small forward or a big guard for your team, he’s got to be one of the top five that you’d be talking about,” D’Antoni said. “I mean, look at what he’s done. Three [NBA] championships. An Olympic gold medal. And yet he doesn’t even make the All-Star team. I don’t know if you mention him in the same sentence with the real greats, but if this is about winning, then what he has done is unbelievable. I don’t think we put enough of a premium on that. I think he’s one of the best players in the league.”
Author: Inside Hoops
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Rockets sign Mike Harris for remainder of season
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Mike Harris for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. As per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. Harris originally signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets on March 8 and was re-signed to a second 10-day contract on March 18. In eight games with the Rockets, Harris has averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Harris (6-6, 240, Rice), who signed with the Rockets as a rookie free agent on July 13, 2007, averaged 5.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while playing in Houston’s first two preseason games this season. Released by the Rockets on Oct. 22, Harris averaged 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds in just 28 minutes per game in 25 outings with DongGuan (2007-08) of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Harris’ season highs in the CBA included a 46-point, 26-rebound game. The former standout at Rice University also averaged 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds in five games with Houston in the 2007 NBA Summer League presented by adidas.
In 2006-07, Harris averaged 6.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in five preseason games with the Milwaukee Bucks. Selected third overall in the 2006 D-League Draft by Colorado, Harris also averaged 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.54 blocks in 48 games (16 starts) with the 14ers in 2006-07.
Mar. 29: Clippers 110, Grizzlies 97
The AP reports: Rookie Al Thornton scored 20 of his career-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Corey Maggette added 26, and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a season-worst 10-game losing streak with a 110-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Chris Kaman had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for only the third time in 19 games after consecutive home victories over Memphis and Utah. Among the numerous Clippers sidelined by injuries were Tim Thomas (sore Achilles’) and Quinton Ross (sore left foot). Brevin Knight had 14 points and 11 assists. It was only the second double-digit assist game by the Clippers, who have used seven players at the point guard spot this season because of Shaun Livingston’s yearlong rehab from knee surgery. Knight had 12 assists on Feb. 29 in a 110-104 loss at Denver. Rudy Gay had 23 points and Kyle Lowry added 20 off the bench for the Grizzlies, who are 6-23 since beating the Clippers in overtime at home on Jan. 26.
Mar. 29: Bobcats 93, Blazers 85
The AP reports: Emeka Okafor scored 21 points and Jason Richardson added 20 for the Bobcats in a 93-85 victory over the Blazers on Saturday night. The Bobcats broke open the back-and-forth game in the final 2 minutes, and won despite being outrebounded 57-32 by the Blazers. “We got out rebounded and we still won so that shows a lot for our team,” said Raymond Felton, who added 18 points. Travis Outlaw tied a season-high with 26 points to lead Portland, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and 13 rebounds for his team-leading 15th double-double of the season.
Mar. 29: Nuggets 119, Warriors 112
The AP reports: Allen Iverson’s 4-for-20 performance hardly mattered thanks to Kenyon Martin, who scored a season-high 30 points, leading the Denver Nuggets past the Warriors in the wild, wild Western Conference playoff race with a 119-112 win Saturday night… So did Carmelo Anthony, who hit 11-of-16 shots for 25 points, and a trio of reserves whose third-quarter play keyed the victory: J.R. Smith (20 points, seven assists), Eduardo Najera (11 points, 7 rebounds) and Linas Kleiza (8 points)… Martin’s biggest bucket was a buzzer beater from the left corner that made it 115-110 with 1:11 remaining, and Baron Davis, who led the Warriors with 28 points, misfired twice on 3-pointers in the final minute. Stephen Jackson added 25 points for Golden State, Monta Ellis had 22 and Andris Biedrins 17 points and 17 rebounds.
Mar. 29: Bulls 114, Bucks 111
The AP reports: Joakim Noah had a season-high 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks to lead the Bulls to a 114-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night after nearly squandering a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Bulls couldn’t hold an 18-point lead earlier in the month at home against the 76ers and dropped a game to the Wizards after leading by 20 points in the second half… Larry Hughes scored 19 points and Luol Deng added 16 to help the Bulls win for just the fourth time in 12 games. Chicago pulled 3 1/2 games behind eighth-place Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Michael Redd scored 33 points to lead the Bucks, who lost for the 12 time in 14 games in March. Charlie Villanueva scored 15 of this 26 points in the third quarter, and Mo Williams added 13 points for Milwaukee.
Mar. 29: Pistons 85, Cavs 71
The AP reports: Richard Hamilton returned to Detroit’s lineup and scored 14 points, leading the Pistons to an 85-71 win over the injury-riddled Cavs… “You want to get better and it’s tough when you can’t practice much,” said LeBron James, who had a lackluster night with 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting with five assists and five turnovers. Daniel Gibson was healthy enough to play for the first time since Feb. 20, when he sprained his left ankle. He scored only one point in 18 minutes. The Cavs chose to rest guard Delonte West, who has been slowed by left ankle tendinitis… Chauncey Billups and reserve Jason Maxiell each scored 13 while Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess had 12 points apiece for the Pistons, who have won three of four… After missing his first eight shots, Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with 11 points. Reserve Devin Brown scored 11 points and Joe Smith, who was acquired last month from Chicago along with Wallace, had 10 points off the bench.
Mar. 29: Suns 110, Nets 104
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire had 33 points and 15 rebounds and O’Neal stunned everyone, hitting 7 of 10 from the free-throw line in a 110-104 win over the New Jersey Nets that put the Suns into a first-place tie with Los Angeles Lakers with nine games left in the regular season. “This was very important,” said Stoudemire, who was 12 of 15 from the field… The Suns had a lot of big efforts from a lot of players on a night that Steve Nash struggled playing with a shoulder spasm. The All-Star point guard finished with 10 points and 11 assists. He was only 2 of 9 from the field, but both 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter… Leandro Barbosa added 21 points and Shaquille O’Neal had 17 points and seven rebounds as the Suns won their second game in two nights and their ninth in 11 games… Vince Carter had 30 points to lead the Nets, who lost for the second straight night to fall two games behind Atlanta in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
JR Isaiah Rider jailed in auto theft investigation
The AP reports: Former NBA player Isaiah Rider was jailed Saturday for investigation of auto theft, police said. Rider, 37, was driving a car that failed to stop at an intersection about 2:30 a.m. in the city’s Skid Row district, police Officer Norma Eisenman said. “He failed to stop at the limit line for a posted stop sign,” she said. Officers checking the license plates discovered the car had been reported stolen from South Los Angeles and Rider was arrested, police said. The car was impounded.
Jazz recall Almond, Fesenko from D-League
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has recalled rookies Morris Almond and Kyrylo Fesenko from the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League (D-League).
Almond, a 6-6, 225-pound guard out of Rice was selected by the Jazz in the first round (25th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft. He has appeared in six games for the Jazz, totaling three points, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes of action.
Almond has appeared in a total of 31 games for the Flash during two separate stints (Dec. 6 – Jan. 8 and Jan. 25 – March 29), averaging a D-League leading 25.0 points, along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 36.8 minutes per game. He was named D-League Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23) after averaging 43.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals while shooting 32-of-68 (.471) from the field. During that week, Almond scored a D-League record-tying 51 points in a win over the Austin Toros on December 21. He later broke the D-League scoring record, posting 53 points in a win at the Bakersfield Jam on January 30.
Fesenko, a 7-1, 288-pound center has appeared in seven games for the Jazz, averaging 1.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. He scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in 17 minutes in a 120-96 Jazz win over the Los Angeles Lakers in his NBA debut on November 30.
Fesenko has been assigned to the Flash three times this season (Nov. 10-30, Dec. 6-13, and Dec. 27-March 29), and per league rules will remain with the Jazz for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 37 games (25 starts) for the Flash, averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.92 blocks with five double-doubles, while shooting .502 from the floor. Fesenko ranks seventh in the D-League in blocks and ninth in rebounding.
The 21-year-old native of the Ukraine was originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft; the Jazz acquired Fesenko’s rights in a draft night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) and trade considerations to the 76ers.
Almond and Fesenko will travel with the Jazz to Minneapolis for the team’s game vs. Minnesota on Sunday, March 30.