Category: General NBA insight

The San Antonio Spurs pushed their winning streak to 11 on a night when coach Gregg Popovich committed to playing just 10 men.

That health prioritizing isn’t likely to change—whether first place is on the line or not.

Tony Parker scored 28 points, Manu Ginobili had 23 off the bench and the Spurs reached their second 11-game winning streak of the season, beating the Utah Jazz 114-104 on Sunday night to maintain their slim lead atop the Western Conference.

Tim Duncan added 13 points and 16 rebounds, making this 28th win in 33 games for the Spurs look like countless other Big Three showcases. But different this time was Ginobili, who has missed 29 games with injuries this year, deliberately seeking out contact to toughen up before the playoffs. Popovich also sat starting center DeJuan Blair for the first time all season

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Boston Celtics turned consecutive games against teams they’re jockeying with for playoff positioning into a notice for the rest of the Eastern Conference: They have every intention of breaking off a postseason run.

Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo dished out double-digit assists for his 17th consecutive game, finishing with 15 to help lead Boston to a 103-79 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.

One night earlier, the Celtics posted a double-digit win at Indiana, a team one spot ahead of them in the East’s playoff chase.

“We know what’s at stake,” said forward Paul Pierce , who had 17 points. “A fourth seed, maybe a third.”

Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley each added 18 points as the Celtics won for the seventh time in nine games, improving their Atlantic Division lead to three games over both the 76ers and New York Knicks.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Heat guard Dwyane Wade will not play Sunday when his team hosts the Detroit Pistons. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade is nursing a minor ankle injury he suffered Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

It is the second time this week the Heat have given Wade a day off because of a minor injury. Wade skipped last Tuesday’s game with the Philadelphia 76ers with a bruised knee. Spoelstra denied the Heat were giving Wade the recent days off just to rest him ahead of the playoffs but admitted the rest would be an “ancillary benefit.”

— Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

—Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 43 points, making the go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds left in overtime as the New York Knicks spoiled a rusty Derrick Rose’s return to the lineup and beat the Chicago Bulls 100-99 on Sunday.

Rose scored 29 points after missing the previous 12 games with a strained right groin, but he shot only 8 of 26 from the field and missed a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left in regulation and the Bulls ahead by three.

Anthony made a 3-pointer eight seconds later to tie it, and scored the final five points of the extra period as the Knicks pulled out a thriller in a possible playoff preview.

The Bulls trailed by 21 in the first quarter, led by 10 in the fourth quarter, then failed to put it away by missing four straight free throws in the final 34 seconds of regulation.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will under surgery for a facial fracture and miss at least the final three weeks of the regular season.

The team announced the news late Friday, a day after Turkoglu left the second quarter of the Magic’s 96-80 loss to the New York Knicks.

Turkoglu was defending a shot by Carmelo Anthony underneath the Knicks’ basket and inadvertently hit across the face by Anthony. He did not return to the game.

— Reported by Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press

Memphis guard Tony Allen was not with the Grizzlies for their game at the Miami Heat on Friday night because of a facial laceration.

Allen was injured in the fourth quarter of Memphis’ game at Dallas on Wednesday night, leaving with blood dripping from his mouth. It was the fourth time Allen has missed a game this season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The New Jersey Nets have decided to shut down Brook Lopez for the rest of the season after an injury-marred campaign in which he played in five games.

Nets general manager Billy King announced before Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards that the third-year player won’t be used for the final 10 games because it’s not worth the risk with the 24-year-old eligible to become a free agent after this season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of NBA officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Cousins was fined for comments made to the media after the Kings’ 93-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last night at Power Balance Pavilion.

Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points, Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 12 rebounds and the New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 96-80 on Thursday night.

J.R. Smith and Toney Douglas each added 15 points for the Knicks, who won for just the third time in their last 13 visits to Orlando. New York also hit 13 3-pointers.

Jason Richardson scored 16 points and Glen Davis 15 to lead Orlando.

Howard was held to just eight points and eight rebounds.

— Reported by Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed forward James Singleton to a 10-day contract.

Singleton (6-8, 230) averaged 17.8 points and 11.9 rebounds while shooting .576 from the floor in 43 games with the Guandong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association this season. He appeared in 32 games for Washington during the 2009-10 season and averaged 6.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 32 games.

Singleton was originally acquired by the Wizards from the Dallas Mavericks on February 16, 2010 along with Josh Howard, Quinton Ross and Drew Gooden in exchange for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. The four-year pro holds career averages of 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 231 career games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.