Category: General NBA insight

Spurs forward Matt Bonner underwent an MRI earlier today which confirmed a right calf strain.

Bonner, who has missed the previous two games with the injury, is expected to be out approximately two weeks.

The Spurs currently have the best record in the NBA.

Former SMU and NBA basketball player Quinton Ross had to ease the fears of friends and family members after he was erroneously reported dead.

Ross lives in the suburbs near Dallas and was attending Monday night’s NIT game between LSU and SMU.

He said he woke to a phone loaded with messages from people concerned about his well-being.

“My phone was going crazy,” he said. “I checked Facebook. Finally, I went on the Internet, and they were saying I was dead. I just couldn’t believe it.”

— Associated Press

Here’s an NBA video of the top 10 assists of the week, through March 22, 2014:

Here’s an NBA video of the top 10 dunks of the week, through March 22, 2014:

After two disappointing losses, the Charlotte Bobcats bounced back in a big way.

Al Jefferson scored 28 points and two others finished with more than 20 as the Bobcats routed the Portland Trail Blazers 124-94 on Saturday night.

Kemba Walker added 26 and Gerald Henderson 23 for Charlotte, which posted season bests in points and margin of victory to snap a two-game losing streak…

The Bobcats shot 52 percent from the field (49 of 94), outscored the Trail Blazers in the paint 54-32 and held a 50-36 rebounding advantage over Portland, which had won its last four games against Charlotte.

But the Trail Blazers, playing without leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge, could never get on track against the Bobcats, trailing by as many as 34 points late in the second half in losing for the first time in their last three games…

Damian Lillard scored 20 points, Dorell Wright added 17 and Wesley Matthews 15 for Portland, which shot 40.5 percent (34 of 84) and made just 9 of 27 3-pointers.

— Associated Press

Lakers guard Xavier Henry, who injured his left wrist in last night’s game against the Washington Wizards, had an MRI on the wrist today. Results of the MRI showed that Henry has a torn ligament in the wrist.

He will be examined by a hand specialist on Monday and an estimate on his return will be given at that time.

Denver Nuggets forward J.J. Hickson has been diagnosed with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, General Manager/Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.
Hickson suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

A date for surgery is pending and he will miss the remainder of this season.

Hickson joined the Nuggets as a free agent last summer. In his first season in Denver, he averaged 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 69 games (52 starts). Entering Saturday, his team-leading 26 double-doubles were tied for 20th in the NBA.

James Harden had 28 points with eight assists and the Houston Rockets rolled to an easy 129-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Houston trailed by as many as 10 before using a big run in the second quarter to take the lead and padding the advantage with another run to start the third quarter.

It was Houston’s second straight game without Dwight Howard, who sat out with a strained left ankle. Omer Asik started in his place and filled in ably with a season-high-tying 12 points as the Rockets won for the seventh time in 10 games.

Kevin Love had 29 points and rookie Gorgui Dieng 22 points and 21 rebounds, which were both career-highs.

Ricky Rubio had five points, eight assists and two rebounds for Minnesota a night after posting his third career triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a 123-122 overtime win at Dallas.

— Associated Press

The NBA Development League announced today that Devin Ebanks of the NBA D-League’s Springfield Armor has been suspended without pay for five games for violating the league’s Anti-Drug Program.

Ebanks’ suspension will begin tonight when the team hosts the Erie BayHawks.

LeBron James scored 43 points (on 14-of-19 shooting) — 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display — and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving…

Miami’s Dwyane Wade sat out resting his knees, but the Heat’s two other megastars put away the Cavs.

Jarrett Jack scored 22 and Dion Waiters added 17 and 11 assists for Cleveland, which was also without forward Luol Deng (sprained ankle).

— Associated Press