Inside Hoops – Page 928 – NBA Blog

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

Josh McRoberts travels with Heat for first time since surgery

The Miami Heat are 32-36, on a three-game winning streak, winners of seven of their last 10 games, and playing without Chris Bosh for the rest the season. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel with an update on Heat forward Josh McRoberts:

For the first-time since undergoing knee surgery in December, forward Josh McRoberts has joined the Miami Heat on a road trip.

McRoberts, who, according to coach Erik Spoelstra, has yet to resume on-court work with the coaching staff, left Saturday with the team for the four-game trip that opens Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

McRoberts, one of Pat Riley’s prime offseason additions last summer in free agency, has been limited to 17 games this season due to a variety of ailments. He has been sidelined since Dec. 10 since a torn right meniscus. He began the season on the team’s inactive list do to an offseason toe issue and later missed time due to a blister on his left foot.

Unlike other teammates who have been sidelined, McRoberts has not joined the Heat on the bench at home games, nor had he traveled with the team until this trip that also includes games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash has announced his retirement from basketball. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

After a 19-year NBA career in which he twice won MVP honors, tallied the third-most assists in league history and assured his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game, Steve Nash formally announced he is walking away from the game Saturday in a letter published on The Players’ Tribune website.

“The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much — visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes,” Nash wrote. “The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my ass by her.

“And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”

Nash, who didn’t play this season with the Los Angeles Lakers because of injuries, finishes his career with 10,335 assists, third-most in NBA history behind John Stockton and Jason Kidd.

Marcus Smart suspended for striking Matt Bonner

Marcus Smart suspended for striking Matt Bonner

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been suspended one game without pay for hitting San Antonio Spurs center/forward Matt Bonner in the groin, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, which resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejection for Smart, occurred last night with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 101-89 loss to the Spurs at AT&T Center.

Smart will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Celtics host the Detroit Pistons.

To view the play, click on this link.

Paul George may return soon for Pacers

Paul George may return soon for Pacers

The 30-38 Indiana Pacers could receive a big boost in the very near future. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

The Indiana Pacers are targeting the next week for Paul George’s season debut, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

The team was considering bringing back George as early as Saturday’s home game against the Nets, but after the Pacers fell to the Cavs 95-92 on Friday night, coach Frank Vogel said George would not face Brooklyn.

A Pacers official said the team plans to update George’s status Monday.

The Pacers repeatedly have refrained from publicly putting a timetable on George as he’s progressed in his long recovery from a broken leg suffered in a Team USA intrasquad scrimmage in August.

Lakers sign Jabari Brown to second 10-day contract

Lakers sign Jabari Brown to second 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Jabari Brown to a second 10-day contract, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Brown, originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 10, appeared in four games for the Lakers, averaging 7.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 20.0 minutes per game.

Prior to joining the Lakers, Brown was a member of the Lakers NBA Development League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, where he led the D-League in scoring at 24.4 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 39 games (25 starts). A 2015 NBA D-League All-Star, Brown tallied two of the highest single-game scoring outputs in the D-League this season, finishing with 50 points on January 10th at Sioux Falls and 48 points on February 28th versus Bakersfield.

The 6’4” rookie out of Missouri averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in his final collegiate season in 2013-14 before declaring himself eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft. An Oakland, Calif. native, Brown was in training camp with the Lakers prior to this season before being waived on October 25.

Clippers sign Jordan Hamilton for remainder of season

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today they have signed forward Jordan Hamilton for the remainder of the season.

Hamilton appeared in eight games (two starts) for the Clippers averaging 4.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 9.6 minutes.

Hamilton, who was the 40th GATORADE call-up of the 2014-15 season, appeared in 27 games (22 starts) for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League and averaged 18.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 28.6 minutes.

Originally drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft, Hamilton was traded to the Denver Nuggets on Draft Day. He has career averages of 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13.1 minutes over 134 games (17 starts) with the Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Clippers.

The Los Angeles native spent two years at the University of Texas, earning second team All-American by the USBWA following his sophomore season. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists for his career at Texas over 70 games.

Bucks: No timetable for return of OJ Mayo, Jared Dudley

Bucks: No timetable for return of OJ Mayo, Jared Dudley

Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blog with a health update on the banged-up Bucks:

It doesn’t sound like key reserves O.J. Mayo and Jared Dudley will be back soon.

Bucks coach Jason Kidd said at Friday’s shootaround that there is “no timetable” for the return of the two players, both sidelined by injuries. Mayo is out with a right hamstring injury and Dudley has a lower back issue.

Mayo and Dudley accompanied the team on its last road trip but were sent home when the Bucks arrived in New Orleans, in an effort to get better treatment for their injuries.

Mayo played 27 minutes against Utah on Feb. 28 but has played very limited minutes in just two games since then. Dudley has been out the last three games after trying to fight through knee and back ailments.

LeBron misses shootaround due to illness

LeBron misses shootaround due to illness

LeBron James is human, people. Like you, he occasionally doesn’t feel well. And can get ill. These things happen, even to LeBron. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

LeBron James missed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ shootaround with illness and is questionable for the team’s home game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

James, who attended the team’s practice on Thursday, last missed a game on Feb. 27, which also was against the Pacers. He has missed 11 games this season — mostly to rest a sore back and wrist — and the Cavs are just 2-9 in those games.

Kevin Durant removed from basketball activities

Kevin Durant removed from basketball activities

This is bad news. Bad for Kevin Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the NBA in general. We all want Kevin Durant back in action. But his foot isn’t cooperating with us. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting:

Kevin Durant is being removed from basketball activities and will be out indefinitely, Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced Friday.

Durant has experienced multiple setbacks from an October surgery to repair a fractured bone in his right foot. He was expected to return to the lineup next week.

“He’s not making the progress that we had hoped and anticipated him making,” Presti said. “He still has some soreness in his foot, and the protocol that’s in place calls for him to be able to compete on the floor without that at this stage.”

Durant underwent a second surgery on Feb. 22 to alleviate persistent swelling, which was said to have stemmed from the screw that was initially placed in his foot pressing against another bone in the foot. In the second surgery, the original screw was replaced with a new screw that didn’t have a head that would push against the other bone.

James Harden drops 50-point game on Nuggets

Even the biggest stars of the Houston Rockets’ past couldn’t outshine James Harden on Thursday night.

Harden scored a career-high 50 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 118-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on a night when the team celebrated the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

Harden got a boost by knowing players such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were watching from the front row.

“That’s a special group right there,” Harden said.

— Associated Press