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Pacers break losing streak with win over Pistons

It’s been a little while, but the Pacers are back in the win column. Via the Indianapolis Star:

It didn’t matter it was against the previously 6-18 Detroit Pistons. Nate Bjorkgren’s Pacers would have taken a win against anyone, in the middle of their longest losing streak since a first-round sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat in Orlando last summer.

In the middle of Indiana’s three-game trip, and on the back-end of a back-to-back, the Pacers recovered from the kind of slow start that has plagued them of late to knock off the Pistons 111-95 on the heels of big games from their three stars.

All three just missed the mark on double-doubles: Domantas Sabonis finished with a game-high 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, to go with eight rebounds and eight assists. Malcolm Brogdon followed with 18 points and nine rebounds while also adding a pair of 3s. Myles Turner finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, coming off a three-point, three-rebound game in Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn.

A bright spot for Detriot in the loss was the play of undersized 6-foot-8 center Isaiah Stewart, who shot 8 of 9 for 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Examining possible NBA MVP candidates from the Jazz

Through yesterday’s games, the Jazz have the best record in the NBA. But do they have an NBA MVP candidate? Or two? Via the Salt Lake Tribune:

Donovan Mitchell is certainly the Jazz’s highest-profile player. He averages 24 points per game, has the Adidas shoe deal and ranks fourth in the Western Conference guards in All-Star votes — the only Jazzman to appear in the top 10. He’s unquestionably the Jazz’s offensive leader, and even as a younger player, is the most important player voice in the Jazz’s locker room. Over the course of the winning streak, he’s been terrific in multiple facets: scoring, playmaking, rebounding, you name it, he’s done it…

Rudy Gobert is another plausible candidate. He leads Las Vegas’ odds as the most likely player to be named Defensive Player of the Year, which would be the third of his career. He has taken yet another defensive leap this season, getting more blocks per minute than he’s had since his rookie year.
He’s being increasingly recognized for his offensive contributions, too.

The best records in the league through yesterday’s games belong, in order, to the Jazz, Lakers, Sixers, Clippers, Bucks and Suns. Those squads have .600 or better records. And if you’re going to pick out MVP candidates from that list, both Mitchell and Gobert do at least deserve consideration.

Mavericks transfer Tyler Bey from G League team Long Island Nets to Salt Lake City Stars

The Dallas Mavericks have recalled two-way rookie Tyler Bey from the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League and have transferred Bey to the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League.

Bey (6-7, 216) has appeared in four games for Dallas this season, logging 13 total minutes. He recorded season bests of five points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3FG), two rebounds and one block in his most recent appearance against Houston on Jan. 23. Bey recorded one appearance with the Long Island Nets, logging six minutes and two points (1-3 FG) and three rebounds against the Iowa Wolves.

The 2020-21 NBA G League season tipped off on Wednesday, Feb. 10, and features 18 teams competing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, opted not to travel to the NBA G League’s campus. NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate participating in Orlando have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer two-way players using the league’s flexible assignment and two-way rules.

No Bradley Beal for Wizards Friday against the Knicks

The Wizards will be without their star shooting guard tomorrow against the Knicks, as Bradley Beal will be out for rest purposes. Via the Washington Post:

Beal, who leads the league with 32.8 points per game and leads the Wizards with 35.3 minutes per game, will miss his first contest in more than a month. He missed Washington’s 128-124 loss to Miami on Jan. 9 because of the league’s coronavirus protocols, but the guard has not missed a game for rest all season.

The timing is understandable: The Wizards (6-16) are in the midst of a 16-game stretch in 27 days this month because of rescheduling in the wake of the team’s two-week coronavirus pause in January. After Friday, Washington faces the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets back-to-back on Sunday and Monday before playing the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The team then leaves on a West Coast trip with four games in six days.

A fun season-long thing to watch will be chemistry development between Beal and new backcourt-mate Russell Westbrook.

Luguentz Dort a defensive stopper for Thunder

Thunder guard Luguentz Dort is great on defense, not so great on offense. Via the Oklahoman:

Luguentz Dort keeps jacking up 3-pointers. And missing. Missing badly, in most cases.

Dort has missed 13 straight from deep. Over the last six games, he’s made three of 30. Thunder fans know the drill well. A defensive stopper who can’t shoot a lick.

It can be quite frustrating. Slammed if you do. Slammed if you don’t.

But the Thunder is not careening down Andre Roberson Boulevard. Dort is different from Roberson and Thabo Sefolosha and Terrance Ferguson, the latter a wannabe in OKC’s pantheon of defensive aces.

Dort is bold. Bold on defense, yes. But bold on offense also. And that’s a good thing. That’s a very good thing.

Dort is young. And with the Thunder in a rebuilding state, there is plenty of time for his offense to develop.

Toronto Raptors will stay based in Tampa, Florida for entire 2020-21 NBA season

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday that they will finish the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida. Because of ongoing border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mindful of public safety measures in Canada, the team has decided they will continue to play their home games at Amalie Arena.

“Florida has been really welcoming to us and we’re so grateful for the hospitality we’ve found in Tampa and at Amalie – we’re living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”

The Raptors initially announced in November that Amalie Arena, in downtown Tampa, would serve as their home court for the first half of the 2020-21 season. A schedule release for the second half of the season is expected in the coming days.

Pacers fall to Nets for 4th straight loss

The Pacers are in a rut lately. Via the Indianapolis Star:

Exactly seven days ago, the Indiana Pacers trailed by 40 to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wednesday, they had season-lows for first-quarter points (18), points in a half (30) and trailed by 36 in what became a 104-94 loss at the Brooklyn Nets to open a three-game trip.

The difference was Milwaukee, which has had the conference’s best record the previous two seasons, played well. The Nets, one of the league’s worst defensive teams, didn’t. And they didn’t have Kevin Durant.

The Pacers (12-13) were just that bad. Yet again.

They played late into the shot clock, had two violations in the first quarter and there wasn’t anything special that the Nets did to earn those turnovers.

The Pacers have a young star shooting guard in Caris LeVert. But after being traded by the Nets to Indiana, a health issue has prevented him from making his Pacer debut, and it’s unclear when his return to action will be.

But there’s no time to rest. Up next for the 12-13 squad is a game in Detroit tomorrow against the Pistons, who just yesterday handed a Nets squad that was without Kevin Durant a loss.

Patrick Beverley returns to action for Clippers

The Clippers have their scrappy, defensive-minded point guard back. Via the OC Register:

“Super-fired up!” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said before Wednesday’s game in Minneapolis, where Beverley made his return to action after missing eight games with right knee soreness. “That’s what me and the coaches were just talking about – he’s excited to be back, and we’re happy to have him.”

Beverley started in his return Wednesday, joining a lineup that was short superstar Paul George (bone edema right toe) but still featured Reggie Jackson, who’d been starting in Beverley’s place.

Following four days of pain-free on-court workouts, Beverley was cleared to play Wednesday, said Lue, who noted that the 32-year-old would be on a minutes limit, the specifics of which he declined to detail.

Without Beverley these past couple of weeks, the Clippers went 4-4 and their defensive rating in that span slipped to 112.2, a couple of ticks above what it was – 110.1 – before that.

The Clippers have one of the league’s best offenses this season, but have been merely average on defense. Getting Pat Bev back clearly should help there.

Nets fans can attend home games starting February 23, limited to 10 percent arena capacity

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that Barclays Center has been approved to reopen beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23, when the Nets take on the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Following State guidelines, the venue will be limited to 10 percent capacity until further notice.

Per BSE Global, who manage and operate Barclays Center and the Nets, “Barclays Center will employ robust health and safety protocols that have been developed in coordination with the New York State Department of Health, the National Basketball Association and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC). These protocols include: a negative PCR test for all patrons, administered within 72 hours in advance of the game; mandatory temperature checks; social distancing and use of face masks; and thorough cleaning and sanitation procedures. To help further ensure the safety of Barclays Center fans and employees, the venue will also continue to provide COVID-19 testing to all arena employees prior to each game. Barclays Center has achieved GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities.”

“Thank you to Governor Cuomo and his team at the Department of Health for collaborating with us in creating a robust health and safety plan that allows fans to return to our arena,” said BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi. “The Governor has played a tremendous role in getting New York businesses back on their feet and we are proud to announce that for the remainder of the season we are donating a portion of ticket proceeds to support vaccination efforts here in Brooklyn. We would also like to thank our fans for their support this season and we are looking forward to bringing their energy back to Barclays Center!”

Dennis Smith Jr. happy for fresh start with Pistons

Sometimes, players make no secret of being happy about a change of scenery. Such is the case with former Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who is now a Detroit Piston. Via the NY Post:

Dennis Smith Jr. said he was “smiling all day’’ after hearing on Sunday he was being traded from the Knicks to the Pistons for Derrick Rose.

At the time, Smith, a key acquisition in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, was in the G-League’s bubble in training camp for the Westchester Knicks — upon his request.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau had banished him from the rotation after an early season quad injury, and Smith, 23, knew his chances of getting back weren’t good.

“I was super excited,’’ Smith said in his introductory Zoom call Wednesday after his first practice. “I was down in the ‘G’ getting ready to have our first scrimmage. I heard the news. I was just smiling all day. I couldn’t really sleep that night. I was looking at it as an opportunity and a fresh start and make the most out of it.”

The Pistons were the talk of the NBA yesterday, beating the Nets, who were without Kevin Durant but, on paper, certainly looked like the favorite. Smith didn’t play, but could make his Pistons debut Thursday in Detroit against the Pacers.