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A look at upcoming national TV NBA games

A closer look at some upcoming national television games (all times Eastern):

Monday, Feb. 27: TNT debuts Players Only – a franchise with former NBA and WNBA players serving in all broadcast roles – for tonight’s doubleheader, which features Buck at Cavaliers (7 p.m.) and Pacers at Rockets (9:30 p.m.).

Tuesday, Feb. 28: Warriors at Wizards, 7 p.m., NBA TV – Despite back-to-back losses, Washington is tied for the second-best record in the NBA since Dec. 30 at 19-7. Golden State, the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, is a league-best 21-4 during that stretch.

Wednesday, March 1: Four of the seven teams currently boasting a .610 winning percentage or better will be in action during ESPN’s doubleheader. The Eastern Conference’s top two teams, Cleveland and Boston, match up in the opener at TD Garden at 8 p.m., followed by the Rockets visiting the Clippers at 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 2: Thunder at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m., TNT – Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook has 29 triple-doubles this season, which is two behind Wilt Chamberlain (31 in 1967-68) for the second-highest total in a single season.

Friday, March 3: Spurs at Pelicans, 9:30 p.m., ESPN – San Antonio big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol and New Orleans big men DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis have combined for 18 All-Star selections.

Saturday, March 4: Clippers at Bulls, 8:30 p.m., ABC – LA’s Blake Griffin is averaging 26.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 11 games this month.

Sunday, March 5: Warriors at Knicks, 3:30 p.m., ABC – Four years ago (Feb. 27, 2013), Golden State’s Stephen Curry scored 54 points at Madison Square Garden. That performance, the first of his five career 50-point games, remains a career high.

— Via NBA Newsletter

Dirk Nowitzki, basketball legend

Dirk Nowitzki, basketball legend

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki begins the week on the verge of a major milestone.

The 13-time NBA All-Star from Germany needs 67 points to reach 30,000 for his career, a mark achieved by only the five players ahead of him on the league’s all-time scoring list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Nowitzki, the NBA’s active scoring leader and the highest-scoring player born outside the United States, is set to join Malone and Bryant as the only players to score 30,000 points with one franchise. The 38-year-old Nowitzki has spent his entire 19-year career with the Mavericks; the only player in NBA history with a longer tenure with one team is Bryant, who played 20 seasons with the Lakers.

Dallas plays six of its next seven games at home, beginning tonight against Miami at American Airlines Center. Nowitzki is averaging 18.1 points over his last seven games, putting his season average at 13.8 points.

— Via NBA Newsletter

Hornets sign Briante Weber to 10-day contract

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed guard Brianté Weber to a 10-day contract. Weber joins the Hornets after signing two consecutive 10-day contracts with the Golden State Warriors.

This season with Golden State, Weber played in seven contests and averaged 1.7 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 6.6 minutes per game. In his NBA career, the 6-2 guard has appeared in 14 games (four starts) over two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Warriors, averaging 3.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest. Weber appeared in two postseason games with the Heat, logging six minutes of action during the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

The Virginia Commonwealth University product also played with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League this season. The 24-year-old appeared in 31 games (all starts) posting averages of 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.3 steals in 36.8 minutes per game. Weber was named NBA D-League Player of the Month in January, and was also selected as a 2016-17 NBA D-League All-Star.

The Hornets roster now stands at 15 players.

Joel Embiid bothered by knee

Well, this isn’t good. Sixers center Joel “The Process” Embiid is dealing with a lingering knee issue. Hoping for the best. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Joel Embiid bothered by knee

Joel Embiid on Monday will have an MRI on his injured left knee and is now listed as out indefinitely.

Embiid has been experiencing swelling and soreness in the left knee injury that has caused him to miss 16 out of the last 17 games. Bryan Colangelo announced back on Feb. 11 that Embiid has a minor meniscal tear. In his most recent press conference last Friday, Colangelo had targeted this Friday’s home game against the Knicks as a possibility for Embiid’s return. Now, that isn’t the case.

Nets waive Luis Scola

Nets waive Luis Scola

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on Luis Scola.

Scola, who signed as a free agent with the Nets on July 13, 2016, appeared in 36 games for Brooklyn this season, recording averages of 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

In 743 career NBA games with the Nets, Raptors, Pacers, Suns and Rockets, the 10-year NBA veteran has averaged 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.6 minutes per game.

The Nets are 9-49 this season, which is the worst record in the league.

Rudy Gobert fined by NBA

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been fined $25,000 for making physical contact with a game official, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter of the Jazz’s 109-95 win over the Bucks on Feb. 24 at BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Mavericks sign Quinn Cook to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie guard Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract.

Cook (6-2, 180) went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft and signed as an rookie free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in six preseason games for the Cavaliers before being waived on Oct. 24. He played the 2015-16 season with the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League and averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 33.8 minutes in 43 games (37 starts) on his way to being named a 2016 D-League All-Star, Third Team All NBA D-League and the 2016 D-League Rookie of the Year.

Cook was recently named Most Valuable Player of the D-League All Star Game last weekend in New Orleans. This season, he is averaging 26.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 38.9 minutes in 35 games with Canton.

The Washington, D.C., native was a four-year player at Duke University and, as a senior, helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2015 National Championship. He played 143 games (112 starts) while at Duke and had career collegiate averages of 10.9 points, 3.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 27.8 minutes per contest.

Cook will wear number 2 for the Mavericks.

Mavericks sign Ben Bentil to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie forward Ben Bentil to a 10-day contract.

Bentil (6-9, 235) was drafted by Boston in the second round (51st overall pick) of the 2016 NBA Draft. He signed with the Celtics on July 27, 2016, but was later waived by the club on Oct. 21 after appearing in three preseason games with the team.

On Oct. 31, Bentil was acquired by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League. After appearing in just one D-League game for the Mad Ants, he left the team in mid-November to play in China for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. On Jan. 16, Bentil returned to the Mad Ants after appearing in 11 games for Xinjiang.

In 13 D-League games (three starts) for the Mad Ants this season, Bentil averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 24.1 minutes per game.

A native of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Bentil played two seasons at Providence from 2014-16. As a sophomore in 2015-16, he led the Big East in scoring (21.1 ppg), field goals made (246) and free throws made (194) en route to earning First Team All-Big East and Big East Most Improved Player honors. Bentil declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season.

Bentil will wear No. 42 for the Mavericks.

Warriors clinch spot in 2017 NBA Playoffs

Warriors clinch spot in 2017 NBA Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors have already clinched a berth in the 2017 NBA Playoffs by virtue of Saturday’s 112-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Oracle Arena, becoming the first team to secure a playoff spot this season. Golden State, which owns an NBA-best 49-9 (.845) mark on the season, has earned a playoff appearance in the month of February for the second consecutive season. The 2017 NBA Playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 15.

The Warriors, who are slated to make their fifth-straight playoff appearance for the first time since qualifying for the postseason in each of the first six years of the league’s existence (1946-47 to 1951-52), won the 2015 NBA Championship and earned two Western Conference Championships since their return to the playoffs in 2013. Golden State owns a 40-24 (.625) postseason record in that span.