Category: General NBA insight

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard Reggie Jackson to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

In 14 games this season with the Thunder, Jackson is averaging 1.9 points and 1.0 rebound in 6.9 minutes per contest.

Jackson is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Tulsa 66ers host the Iowa Energy at the SpiritBank Event Center.

Mike Stephenson couldn’t talk and still managed to get himself suspended from Minnesota Timberwolves practice for saying too much.

He couldn’t walk and still managed to crawl out of his wheelchair to wipe up a wet spot he noticed on the court before anyone else could get there.

He couldn’t shoot and still managed to leave a lasting impact on the organization that took him in and treated him as one of the guys.

Stephenson was born with cerebral palsy and died earlier this week after the latest in a long line of bouts with pneumonia, leaving Timberwolves past and present to mourn one of the team’s biggest fans, and biggest inspirations. He was 42.

”He was so good for the players and the rest of us,” former coach and executive Flip Saunders said. ”They all make a lot of money and are kind of on a different level. But Mike helped them get a better understanding that there’s other things, bigger things, that make the world go round.”

— Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have assigned rookie forward Arnett Moultrie to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Moultrie (6-10, 245) was the 27th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by Miami. He was traded to Philadelphia on draft night in exchange for the draft rights to Justin Hamilton (45th overall pick) and a protected future first round pick

The 22-year-old has appeared in 11 games for the Sixers this season. He earned First Team All-SEC honors as a junior at Mississippi State after averaging 16.4 points and a conference-high 10.5 rebounds.

The Phoenix Suns have recalled guard Kendall Marshall from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, the team announced today.

Phoenix originally assigned the rookie point guard to their D-League affiliate on Nov. 29. Selected with the 13 th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Marshall appeared in nine games for the Jam, and averaged a development league-leading 7.6 assists to go along with 9.6 points in 31.0 minutes per game. The former North Carolina Tar Heel tallied two double-digit assist performances and eight or more assists in five of his 10 appearances.

Marshall will be with the Suns for their game tomorrow night, Dec. 22, at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Steve Nash and Pau Gasol both took part in the Lakers’ short practice Monday, which not only lifted the team’s spirits and but raised hopes that brighter days lay ahead.

Nash, who has not played since suffering a fractured left leg in the second game of the season, said he could be back by Christmas, while Gasol, who missed eight games because of tendinitis in his knees, could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. Gasol is considered a game-time decision.

“To be fair, I’m starting to get excited just because I’m able to do some things,” said Nash, who tested his stamina in running drills. “The majority of the last six weeks I’ve been inactive, so its nice to be able to get out there with the guys and see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

— Reported by Janis Carr of the Orange County Register

Carmelo Anthony missed his second straight game Monday with a sprained left ankle, while New York Knicks teammate Amare Stoudemire moved closer to returning.

Stoudemire has been out all season after left knee surgery. Coach Mike Woodson says Stoudemire has been cleared to practice and will work out with the Knicks’ NBA Development League affiliate this week.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Joel Przybilla of the Milwaukee Bucks has been suspended one game without pay for throwing the basketball and hitting a referee, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter of Milwaukee’s 111-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Dec. 15 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Przybilla will serve his suspension on Tuesday, Dec. 18 when the Bucks host the Indiana Pacers at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

The Indiana Pacers today re-assigned rookie Miles Plumlee to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment s the 46 th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Plumlee is one of 33 NBA players to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Plumlee (6-11, 255, Duke) re-joins the Mad Ants having played in two games for Fort Wayne during his previous assignment when he averaged 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 28.0 minutes. He has appeared in four games for the Pacers this season, scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes. Selected 26 th overall by the Pacers in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, Plumlee was a four-year member of the Blue Devils where he won an NCAA championship in 2010.

Plumlee is expected to join the Mad Ants today and be available on Friday, Dec. 14 when the team hosts the Maine Red Claws in Fort Wayne.

Gary Neal scored 29 points and Tony Parker had a triple-double to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 134-126 overtime win against the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Parker had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to complement Neal’s 7-of-10 performance from 3-point range.

Jeremy Lin had his best game since joining the Rockets, scoring a career high-tying 38 points with leading scorer James Harden sidelined by a sprained right ankle.

Neal’s last 3-pointer followed by a three-point play by Manu Ginobili put the Spurs ahead 130-122 with two minutes left in overtime, and they held on for the win. It was San Antonio’s fifth straight win overall and second over Houston in three days after a 114-92 victory Friday.

The Rockets provided a stronger challenge in this one after San Antonio never trailed in Friday’s win. But Houston’s inexperience showed in overtime as the Rockets had three turnovers to help the Spurs build the lead…

Asik had a career-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds, and Chandler Parsons scored 20 for Houston.

— Reported by Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press

LeBron James leaped as high as he can soar. Dwyane Wade shot better than he ever has before.

And when the Miami Heat stars are on their games like that … ”We probably won’t lose,” James said.

Such was the case Monday night. James scored 27 points, Wade had 26 and the Heat pulled away in the second half to beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92, improving to 10-1 at home this season.

James (10 for 16) and Wade (11 for 13, the best single-game shooting percentage of his career) made 21 of 29 shots for Miami, which shot 58 percent as a team. Chris Bosh had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Norris Cole made all four of his shots to score 10 for the Heat, who handed the Hawks just their second loss in 11 games.

”Just trying to be as efficient as I can,” Wade said. ”Shooting 13 shots, it’s nothing I’m used to. Some nights you go for 11-for-13. Some nights you go 3 for 13. But you just try to continue to be aggressive and continue taking shots.”

Josh Smith scored 22 points and Al Horford finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta, which briefly held the lead midway through the third quarter before the Heat got rolling and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Hawks in the Southeast Division.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press