Inside Hoops – Page 682 – NBA Blog

Kristaps Porzingis puts up big game vs Lakers

Phil Jackson greatest move as Knicks president was on full and incredible display at the Staples Center, flaunted in front of the team that passed him up in the draft less than two years ago.

Kristaps Porzingis finished with a game-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks, terminating his shooting slump emphatically in New York’s 118-112 victory Sunday over L.A.

The 21-year-old Latvian came into the game shooting just 30 percent over his previous five while dealing with a minor knee issue. Then he helped pummel the Lakers for the streaking Knicks’ fourth straight road win.

“I’ve been confident the whole time. Maybe it was just more getting shots in rhythm, good shots, and not being too anxious. Sometimes I try to force things a little too much and (Sunday) I wanted to slow down a little bit and take good shots. Good decisions” Porzingis said. “And it came to me, I really didn’t have to force things.”

— NY Daily News

Quick Take: Porzingis is 7-foot-3, can run the fast break, and hit three-pointers. He’s got as much potential as any young player in the league. There is no reason to expect consistent play from him just yet, but it’s going to be very cool watching him continue to develop. And as he gets better, the Knicks will presumably go to him in more consistent fashion. And then the real fun begins.

Celtics not beating good teams yet this season

The Celtics have become a stay-in-your-own-yard team. They have been beating up on the sub-.500 opponents, but another painful late-game fade has left them just 2-6 against those from the NBA’s higher rent district.

And it’s clear after last night’s 99-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder — coming, as it did, on the heels of Friday’s fold against Toronto — just how badly the C’s would like to break the chain and run with the bigger dogs.

“Words can’t even explain it at this point,” said Marcus Smart, whose rushed 3-pointer to tie at the buzzer caught only iron. “We’ve been in too many situations like this, and it’s got to stop. We played good for three quarters, first half, and then a goose egg in the fourth and we let teams come back and take over the game on us.”

The Celts squandered a 14-point lead against the Raptors and dispensed with a 13-point advantage against the Thunder. Another potential big win dissolved in 1-for-8 shooting down the stretch, as the Thunder won the last minute-plus, 7-2.

— Boston Herald

Quick Take: Despite their unimpressive start, the Celtics have the 6th best record in the East, but are just one game behind the Hornets, who are the East 3-seed right now. So, a quick leap in the standings is a very realistic goal.

Heat have faced lots of injuries and a tough schedule

Not only does the Miami Heat lead the league in games missed because of injury (77), but the team has also faced the third-toughest schedule in the league thus far.

Saturday night, the Heat wrapped up a three-week stretch of playing 10 of 13 on the road with a heartbreaking loss to Dwyane Wade and the Bulls in frigid Chicago.

So, it’s no wonder why Goran Dragic and his teammates are looking forward to what’s around the corner.

The Heat (7-17) open a six-game home stand Monday against the Washington Wizards (9-13) , one of four opponents on tap over the next 10 days which have a .500 record or worse.

— Miami Herald

Quick Take: The Heat have the third worst record in the Eastern conference through yesterday’s games. Their offense has been a struggle. Their defense has been average.

Pelicans sign Reggie Williams

The New Orleans Pelicans signed guard/forward Reggie Williams today.

Williams, 6-6, 210, most recently played for the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League. In 11 games this season for the Blue, Williams has averaged 17.1 points, shooting .459 from the field, including .419 from three-point range, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 33.3 minutes per contest. His signing marks the sixth GATORADE Call-Up of the season from the D-League, and the second by the Pelicans.

Undrafted in 2008 out of Virginia Military Institute where he was a two-time NCAA Division I scoring leader (2007, 2008), Williams has appeared in 200 career regular season games with Golden State, Charlotte, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, holding averages of 7.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.

Williams will wear #5 for the Pelicans and be available for their game Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers. New Orleans’ roster currently stands at 15.

Pelicans waive Anthony Brown

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived guard/forward Anthony Brown.

Brown, 6-7, 211, who was originally signed by New Orleans on Nov. 21, appeared in nine games for the Pelicans, averaging 3.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game.

New Orleans’ roster currently stands at 14.

Nerlens Noel almost ready to return

The weeks and months have quickly piled up. Nerlens Noel has not played an NBA regular-season game since last season ended for the Sixers on April 13. Nearly eight months later, Noel is nearing the return he has been eyeing for quite some time now.

“It’s always an excitement to be able to play basketball after this amount of time, including the summer, not being able to play organized basketball at a competitive level,” Noel said Thursday. “I’ve been really looking forward to this. I think I’ve gained some momentum coming back from this minor surgery, and I think I’m in a really good place and I’m feeling good with my body. Everything is on point.”

Noel has been sidelined since undergoing elective left knee surgery in October to address an inflamed plica. He traveled to New Orleans on Wednesday to join the Sixers ahead of their 99-88 win over the Pelicans (see game recap). Noel continued his rehab Thursday while the team prepped for the game.

— CSN Philly

Quick Take: The Sixers are 5-18 this season, the second worst record in the NBA, ahead only of the 4-17 Mavericks. It’s nice that they’re getting Noel back, but it’s very unclear how he, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor will fit together. The chemistry experiment will be worth watching.

Ian Mahinmi having knee checked out

Ian Mahinmi, who has appeared in just one game for the Wizards this season because of injuries to both knees, will get another MRI on his right one Friday, league sources tell CSNmidatlantic.com.

Mahinmi was the Wizards’ most expensive offseason acquisition this summer and set to back up Marcin Gortat in the middle. However, he required surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee before the season tipped and then developed soreness — believed to be tendinitis, league sources told CSN — in the right knee after playing just 14 minutes vs. the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 26.

— CSN MidAtlantic

Quick Take: The Wizards have gotten a total of 14 total minutes in one game of action from Mahinmi so far this season. Hopefully he’s able to produce soon. The team needs him.

Lakers dealing with multiple injuries

When Lakers coach Luke Walton and his staff meet before every game to finalize offensive sets and defensive schemes, they often tackle another question. Who do we start?

Finding themselves without D’Angelo Russell (left knee), Nick Young (right leg) and Jose Calderon (right hamstring) in recent weeks, those conversations have become more difficult.

As the Lakers were reminded in their 134-95 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Toyota Center, seemingly none of the combinations they have tried since the slew of injuries has adequately addressed the team’s diminished backcourt situation or its slow starts. On Wednesday, Walton started seldom-used guard Marcelo Huertas at point guard and inserted reserve Jordan Clarkson into the starting shooting guard spot he assumed for all of the 2015-16 season.

— OC Register

Quick Take: The Lakers are 10-14 this season, which is solid considering they’ve lost four games in a row and seven of their last 10. Earlier in the season when they enjoyed good health, they were one of the most fun teams to watch in the league. There’s no reason why they can’t resume that once the squad is complete again.

Derrick Rose misses game vs Cavs

Derrick Rose missed the Knicks’ game against Cleveland Wednesday night at the Garden because of lower back pain, the first game he’s missed since joining the team.

The point guard underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which the Knicks said revealed no structural damage. He’s day-to-day and is expected to travel with the Knicks on Thursday to the West Coast for their five-game road trip that begins Friday night in Sacramento.

Rose has missed 228 games over the last five seasons and made one of his goals to play in all 82 in his first year as a Knick.

— NY Newsday

Quick Take: The Knicks are missing D-Rose early, trailing the Cavs by 16 points mid second quarter.

Jodie Meeks helping Magic so far

Jodie Meeks made a major impact in his first few games back from foot surgery in mid-July.

The veteran shooting guard made 54.5 percent of his 3-point tries and averaged 11.7 points in games against the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

It’s no coincidence that the Orlando Magic won all three games.

Meeks was especially efficient in the Magic’s 124-116 win over the Wizards on Tuesday. He scored 18 points in 16 minutes as he sank four of his five attempts from beyond the arc.

— Orlando Sentinel

Quick Take: The Magic are 10-12 this season, which is tied for 10th best in the East. They’re being led this season by Evan Fournier (16.9 ppg), Serge Ibaka (14.5 ppg) and Nikola Vucevic (12.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg). Their offense has been a major struggle all season. So far, Meeks is helping.