Inside Hoops – Page 797 – NBA Blog

Cavs continue to lead the East

With a 27-9 record, the Cleveland Cavaliers have the third best winning-percentage in the league. They are 4.5 games ahead of the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern conference standings. Last night in Dallas they hung on in overtime to beat the Mavericks. Here’s ESPN Cleveland with more:

The Cavs like their chances against anyone these days as they’ve now won 14 of their past 16 games to surge to the top record in the Eastern Conference by a 4.5-game lead over Toronto. As they entered into their toughest portion of the schedule all season on Tuesday — over a six-day stretch their schedule reads at Dallas, at San Antonio, at Houston (on a back-to-back) and home against the defending champion Golden State Warriors — the manner in which they beat the Mavs makes you think they’re ready for whatever comes next.

That’s not to say they’ll sweep the next three games of this murderer’s row to extend their streak to double digits while handing the Spurs their first home loss of the season in the process. It’s just that the way they approached the Dallas game seems like a solid formula for success along the way.

No, not the way they fell down 23-7 in the game’s first seven minutes. And not the way they settled for 44 3-pointers out of their 97 shots. But the way it was a true top-to-bottom type of effort. Seven of the nine players to see the court scored in double figures. Everyone took care of the ball, amassing only nine turnovers as a team in 53 minutes. Everyone shared the ball, too, notching 28 assists on their 40 made field goals.

Celtics lose 4th straight game

The Boston Celtics lost 120-114 in New York to the Knicks last night. Here’s the Boston Herald reporting:

The Celtics weren’t able to win last night, despite the fact the Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony for virtually the entire second half and rookie star Kristaps Porzingis fouled out with the Celts ahead by one and 2:44 left in the game.

Anthony sprained his right ankle late in the first half when he stepped on referee Rodney Mott. He tried to start the second half, but the Knicks had to call a timeout to remove him 19 futile seconds in.

The Celts also weren’t able to win with Isaiah Thomas scoring 34 points. That gives him a combined 69 in the past two games.

“He’s playing awfully well,” Stevens said. “My concern is we’ve lost them both.

Pistons unable to upset Spurs

As is usually the case in this era of the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs are one of the league’s best teams this season. On Tuesday they won their 9th game in a row. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

Stan Van Gundy could only shake his head.

Tony Parker had just scored a season-high 31 points, newcomer LaMarcus Aldridge 25, and the aging San Antonio Spurs, playing some of the best basketball in the NBA today, handed the Detroit Pistons a 109-99 defeat Tuesday night in front of 14,273 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

His team had only played to their potential half the time, Van Gundy said, making it a game down the stretch before the Spurs used their multiple scoring threats to bludgeon Detroit for good.

“Look. They’re very, very good,” Van Gundy said. “But we came out, started the game … we played hard with good energy, defended. Then they went to their bench and their bench destroyed us in the first half. Then our starters came with nothing to start the second half defensively. Absolutely nothing.”

Raphiael Putney is D-League Performer of Week

Raphiael Putney of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 4 through Sunday, Jan. 10. The honor is the first of Putney’s career.

Putney (6-10, 255, Massachusetts) led Rio Grande Valley to a 2-1 week averaging 28.3 points (third in the league) on 47 percent shooting (29-of-62) to go with a league-leading 15.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks (third).

For the season, Putney is averaging 20.3 points (tied for ninth in the league), 10.0 rebounds (fifth), 3.1 blocks (second) and 1.8 assists.

Other top performers considered include Bakersfield’s Xavier Munford, Delaware’s Sean Kilpatrick and Jordan McRae, Erie’s Keith Appling, Idaho’s Bryce Dejean-Jones, Iowa’s Alex Stepheson, Maine’s Terry Rozier (on assignment from the Boston Celtics), Oklahoma City’s Marquis Teague, Sioux Falls’ Josh Richardson (on assignment from the Miami Heat and Texas’ Brandon Ashley.

Cavs trade Joe Harris to Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired the Portland Trail Blazers’ protected 2020 second round pick from the Orlando Magic in exchange for guard Joe Harris, the Sacramento Kings’ 2017 protected second round pick, owned by the Cavaliers, and cash, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today.

This season, Harris appeared in five games for the Cavs and 10 games for the Canton Charge.

He was originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round (33rd overall pick) of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Today, Harris underwent successful surgery in Indianapolis on his right foot for excision of 5th metatarsal apophysis.

The Cavs roster now stands at 14.

Nuggets sign Sean Kilpatrick to 10-day contract

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Kilpatrick, 6-4, 210, has appeared in 22 games (21 starts) for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League this season, averaging 27.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.14 steals in 38.5 minutes per game. He is the seventh D-League-to-NBA “Call-Up” of the season to date.

The New York product played four years at the University of Cincinnati where he was named AP All-American First Team and All-AAC First Team as a senior. He went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Nuggets roster now stands at 15 players.

Quincy Pondexter injured, out for season

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward Quincy Pondexter will undergo left knee surgery and miss the remainder of the season.

“After undergoing further evaluation from our medical staff, additional specialists, and consulting with Quincy and his representatives, we have collectively concluded that it is best for the long-term interest of Quincy to have an additional surgical procedure to correct the cartilage injury in his left knee,” said Pelicans Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “This decision was determined due to a lack of progression in the recovery process.”

Pondexter, who previously had a left knee surgical procedure on May 6, 2015, has appeared in 279 career games (47 starts) and holds career averages of 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18.1 minutes per game over five NBA seasons with New Orleans and Memphis.

Anderson Varejao getting little playing time on Cavs this season

Here’s Cleveland.com reporting on veteran Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, who has struggled with injuries for many years but this season is healthy yet spending most of his time on the bench, playing just 8.8 minutes per game:

The 33-year-old big man has seen a dramatic reduction in his playing time this season. His statistics all across the board are the lowest of his 12-year career. He has not seen action in eight of his last 10 games.

Despite being fully recovered from an Achilles’ tendon injury he suffered last year, he hasn’t been able to crack the rotation.

“Of course, it’s not easy,” Varejao said. “It’s a different season for me. I said at the beginning of the season that my goal was to stay healthy and help this team. I’m not getting a lot of playing time, but I know the season is a long season. We still have the playoffs coming and anything can happen. I just have to stay ready and help the team when coach needs me.”

His focus on the postseason is telling in that he believes he’ll still be a Cavalier after the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

Knicks frontcourt playing well

The Spurs’ home winning streak nearly ended Friday, when Knicks guard Jose Calderon missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in San Antonio. The narrow defeat is the only loss in the last five games for New York (19-20), which has already surpassed last season’s win total and sits only 1.5 games behind Orlando for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks’ starting frontcourt has flourished in those five games, with forward Carmelo Anthony averaging 20.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists, forward Kristaps Porzingis contributing 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks and center Robin Lopez chipping in 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Sunday’s home victory over Milwaukee tipped off a stretch in which the Knicks play 12 of 17 at Madison Square Garden leading into the All-Star break.

Sixers will retire number of Dolph Schayes

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team will retire the late Dolph Schayes’ number “4” in a special halftime ceremony on Saturday, January 23, 2016, when the Sixers host the Boston Celtics.

Schayes, a 12-time NBA All-Star, Hall of Fame inductee and member of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history, passed away on December 10, 2015 at the age of 87. Schayes was one of the league’s most dynamic players for the Syracuse Nationals from 1949-63 and led the team to an NBA Championship in 1955, when he averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds during the playoff run. He accompanied the franchise in its relocation to Philadelphia, where he spent the 1963-64 season as player/coach. Additionally, at the time of his retirement, he was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (18,438 points).

“Dolph Schayes is a legend of the game and we are proud to rightfully raise his number to the rafters alongside his fellow Sixers greats,” said Sixers Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil. “It is heartwarming to know that, prior to his passing, Dolph was humbled and excited to learn of our plans to retire his number this season. We will miss his presence dearly on January 23, but look forward to honoring his life and career as one of the pioneers of the Philadelphia 76ers organization.”

In addition to its new place in the rafters, the number “4” will continue to be represented on the court by Sixers forward Nerlens Noel.

“I am honored to continue wearing the number four as a way to recognize one of the most dominant big men ever to take the court,” said Noel. “I take the responsibility of wearing the Sixers uniform very seriously and will continue representing the organization – and now the legacy of Mr. Schayes – to the best of my ability.”

“Our family is completely humbled by the graciousness of the Philadelphia 76ers organization. My father’s jersey represents not only his great basketball career, but also the dedication and love of his family, teammates and friends with whom he was blessed throughout a very happy life,” said Schayes’ son, Danny, who played 18 seasons in the NBA. “Nerlens Noel is a blossoming star in this league and the Schayes family is honored that he will continue to wear the number four.”

Schayes was originally drafted by both the New York Knicks (fourth overall) in the 1948 Basketball Association of America draft and the Syracuse Nationals of the NBL (the merger forming the NBA happened the following season), after a four-year collegiate career at NYU. A six-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Schayes held career averages of 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in the professional ranks.

He coached the Sixers for two additional seasons following his retirement and netted NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1966. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Schayes will join Allen Iverson (3), Julius Erving (6), Maurice Cheeks (10), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Hal Greer (15), Bobby Jones (24), Billy Cunningham (32) and Charles Barkley (34) as players with their numbers retired, along with legendary public address announcer Dave Zinkoff (microphone).