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Stephen Curry scores 40 points vs Heat

Stephen Curry scores 40 points vs Heat

The Golden State Warriors, playing on the road, beat the Miami Heat 114-97 Tuesday. They enjoyed an amazing performance from Stephen Curry, who so far in the 2014-15 NBA season is playing as well as anyone in the league. Golden State is now 11-2. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:

As good as he had been through 12 games, we knew Stephen Curry was capable of more. The Warriors point guard was going to demoralize some poor team, and soon. The only questions were when and which team.

It was Tuesday night against the Heat in Miami.

Curry went off for 40 points in a 114-97 win at American Airlines Arena. Of his 19 shots, 12 splashed through the net. He was even better on 3-pointers, drilling 8-of-11. Because he could, Curry added seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.

“I thought he played the perfect game,” coach Steve Kerr said, “so I’m pretty happy with everything he did.”

Kevin Martin will miss 6-8 weeks

Kevin Martin has been one of the only Minnesota Timberwolves this season who produces points in a big way, and he’s now out 6-8 weeks after surgery.

On the bright side of things, this puts even more pressure on young Wolves players to step up. While the results aren’t always positive in such scenarios, it could give team management a better sense as to which young players have a bigger upside than the rest.

More info on this injury here: http://www.insidehoops.com/kevin-martin-wrist-surgery-112514.shtml

Kings recall Eric Moreland from D-League again

The Sacramento Kings have recalled rookie forward Eric Moreland from the team’s NBA D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, it was announced today by General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Moreland was assigned to the Bighorns on November 21 for the second time this season and scored 10 points (5-10 FG, 0-2 FT) and grabbed six rebounds in a 154-143 loss to the Bakersfield Jam on Friday, Nov. 21.

The 6-10, 218-pound forward from Oregon State is averaging 13.3 points (.581 FG%), 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in three games for the Reno Bighorns.

Heat sign Hassan Whiteside, waive Shannon Brown

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center Hassan Whiteside and waived guard Shannon Brown.

Whiteside has appeared in three games for the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League this season averaging 22.0 points, 15.7 rebounds, 5.33 blocks and 28.7 minutes while shooting 85.7 percent from the field, helping them to a perfect 3-0 record. He has appeared in 19 career NBA games averaging 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 5.8 minutes of action while shooting 44.4 percent from the field. Additionally, he has appeared in 64 career NBA Development League games (14 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.30 blocks and 13.5 minutes while shooting 57.9 percent from the field.

Since being drafted in the second round (33rd overall) by Sacramento in the 2010 NBA Draft, Whiteside spent two seasons with the Kings before playing overseas in Lebanon and then in China where his team won the 2013 National Basketball League Championship as he was named the NBL Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Center of the Year and selected to the NBL First Team. The former Marshall product then signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for training camp prior to joining the Iowa Energy.

Whiteside will wear number 21.

Brown, who was originally signed by the HEAT as a free agent on August 27, appeared in five games with Miami this season and averaged 4.0 points and 17.8 minutes.

Xavier Henry injured, out for rest of season

Lakers guard Xavier Henry underwent an MRI exam today which revealed a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Henry suffered the injury at this morning’s practice. He is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow morning with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Steve Lombardo of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. Henry is expected to be out the reminder of the season.

Henry, who re-signed with the Lakers as a free agent on July 25, has appeared in nine games this season, averaging 2.2 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.33 steals in 9.5 minutes per game. The five-year pro averaged career-highs in points (10.0), rebounds (2.7), and assists (1.2) per game last season.

Lou Williams, DeMarcus Cousins named Players of Week through Nov. 23

Toronto Raptors guard Lou Williams and Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 23.

Williams helped the Raptors to a 3-0 week, finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with 23.7 ppg and ninth with 2.0 spg. He scored a career-high 36 points and matched his career high with 15 free-throws made, becoming the first player in team history to come off the bench to shoot 15-for-15 from the line, in a 110-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 22. He connected 10 of his 19 attempts from three-point range. Williams has sparked the Raptors to their best start in franchise history and an Eastern Conference-best 11-2 record.

Cousins led the Kings to a 2-1 week and paced the league in rebounding (16.3). He averaged 25.7 points (second in the league) on .577 shooting (30-for-52) and tallied five blocks. On Nov. 22, he recorded his sixth consecutive double-double with 31 points and 18 rebounds, matching his season high, in a 113-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Denver’s Ty Lawson, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, Miami’s Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers, Memphis’ Marc Gasol, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic and Phoenix’s Markieff Morris.

Damien Wilkins named D-League Performer of Week

Damien Wilkins of the Iowa Energy today was named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Friday, Nov.14, through Sunday, Nov. 23.

A 6-6, 225-pound guard/forward out of Georgia, Wilkins averaged 28.3 points (fourth in the league) on .561 shooting (32-for-57), 10.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists to lead Iowa to a 3-0 start to the season. On Nov. 14, he recorded a double-double, scoring 32 points and snatching 13 rebounds, to go along with nine assists, one block and one steal in a 152-144 victory over the Reno Bighorns. On Nov. 15, he tallied 30 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in a 102-100 victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors. Wilkins is in his first season in the NBA D-League and was selected by Iowa in the 2014 NBA Development League Draft with the 16th overall pick.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s JaMychal Green, Bakersfield’s Elijah Millsap, Canton’s Alex Kirk, Delaware’s Ronald Roberts Jr., Fort Wayne’s Andre Emmett, Idaho’s Kevin Murphy, Reno’s Brady Heslip, Rio Grande Valley’s Earl Clark and Texas’ Eric Griffin.

Eric Gordon out with left shoulder injury

The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a 7-5 start this season and enjoying the rise of star forward Anthony Davis, and look to be on the rise, but they’ve just suffered an injury to their starting lineup.

The team announced today that guard Eric Gordon will be out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury. An MRI revealed Gordon suffered a torn labrum as a result of the left shoulder subluxation injury that occurred Saturday night at Utah.

Gordon will undergo further evaluation throughout this week by the team’s medical staff to determine the best course of action moving forward.

Gordon, who starts at shooting guard, hasn’t been a standout this season, averaging just 9.5 points and 2.0 assists in 31 minutes per game, and shooting just 39.8% from the field.

More details will be released as they become available.

Mavs recall Ricky Ledo from D-League

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends.

Ledo (6-7, 200) averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 33.0 minutes in two games (two starts) with the Legends.

Ledo will join the Mavericks tonight when they take on the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m.

Cavs recall Alex Kirk from D-League again

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled center Alex Kirk from their D-League affiliate Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today.

Kirk has played in three games (all starts) for the Charge this season with averages of 23.7 points on .483 shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 39.3 minutes per game. He has appeared in two games for the Cavs this season.