International Basketball Blog – Page 10 – NBA Blog

An overseas NBA All-Star game someday?

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer with reporting on some of what NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently told media here at All-Star weekend:

Sunday marked the first the time the NBA All-Star Game was played outside of the United States. The top players in the world had their showcase at the Air Canada Center.

One would assume the next step is to take the All-Star Game overseas. However, logistically, that would be more difficult than it seems even though the all-star break has been expanded from four to eight days.

“There’s a ripple effect in terms of the number of days we take off on the rest of the schedule,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday.

Right now, teams play an 82-game schedule in roughly 162 days. The amount of days decreased when the additional time was added for the all-star break.

Damian Lillard added as Team USA finalist

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been added to the roster of finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today. The addition was approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. The official 12-member 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team roster will be announced later this year.

Named to the 2014-16 USA Basketball Men’s National Team in January 2014, the 6-foot-3 guard was a finalist for the 2014 USA World Cup Team, and played in two exhibition games during the 2014 USA National Team Tour, recording seven points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 24 minutes of action in the USA’s 105-62 win against Dominican Republic on Aug. 20, 2014.

Currently in his fourth NBA season, Lillard in 2015-16 is averaging career-highs of 24.2 points (6th in the NBA) and 7.3 assists per game (7th in the NBA), while adding 4.4 rebounds per game, and shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from 3-point and 86.5 percent from the foul line.

“I recently received a call from Damian, and during our conversation he expressed his desire to be considered for the U.S. Olympic Team and to remain involved with the USA National Team in the future as well,” said Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005. “Both Mike (Krzyzewski) and I feel like Damian is playing at a very high level and that he should be added to our list of Olympic finalists. Damian has been a member of the USA National Team since 2014, and he participated in National Team training camps in 2013 and 2014, so he does have equity in USA Basketball, which is always important to me.”

Raptors beat Magic in London

Thursday in London, the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 106-103 in overtime. In the win, Kyle Lowry scored 24 (on just 5-20 shooting), and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Cory Joseph was great off the bench, shooting 9-of-11 for 19 points. In the loss, Victor Oladipo scored 27, and Evan Fournier had 21. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting:

A visit to the O2 just wouldn’t be right without overtime.

For the second time in three games here, the Raps found themselves providing a deserving English fan base a little more than they were actually entitled.

The last time it took triple overtime and it resulted in a loss to the then New Jersey Nets.

But this is a different Raptors team, a “relevant” team as Masai Ujiri likes to call them, and they proved their GM right with a professional overtime period that included timely shooting, some patient offence and some determined defence to pull out a 106-103 win over the Magic on Thursday.

The Magic had a match for the Kyle Lowry/DeMar DeRozan backcourt but they didn’t have the bench support or the defence the Raptors brought with them across the Atlantic.

And by the slimmest of margins, the Raptors will head back across that ocean with a well-deserved win.

Rajon Rondo suspended one game by NBA

Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended one game without pay for directing a derogatory and offensive term towards a game official and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Rondo was assessed two technical fouls and ejected, occurred with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter of Sacramento’s 114-97 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Dec. 3 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City.

Rondo is having a very good season as a new member of the 9-15 Kings. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game and providing an entertaining spark to the squad.

Lakers beat Maccabi Haifa 126-83

Here’s the OC Register reporting on a Lakers preseason win:

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points in 19 minutes and six of his teammates scored in double figures as the Lakers rolled to a 126-83 win over Israel’s Maccabi Haifa on Sunday at Staples Center.

Bryant shot an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.

Roy Hibbert tallied 16 rebounds to go with 8 points and 5 assists.

It was a breakout night for many, and especially appreciated after the Lakers lost their first three preseason games.

Video: Tony Parker to Rudy Gobert alley-oop

Watch this Tony Parker to Rudy Gobert alley-oop for France in the Eurobasket 2015 tournament:

France and Spain reach 2015 EuroBasket semifinals

France and Spain reach 2015 EuroBasket semifinals

Familiar foes France and Spain will meet once more in the EuroBasket 2015 semi-finals after both prevailed in their quarter-finals in Lille on Tuesday.

The European powers have met eight times at major competitions in the past five years, with Spain winning five of those contests – although France have the more recent advantage, edging their rivals in the EuroBasket 2013 semi-final and 2014 FIBA World Cup quarter-final.

They have also shared the last three EuroBasket titles, although only one will make the 2015 final after Spain clung on for a 73-71 defeat of Greece and France rose above Latvia 84-70…

Pau Gasol led the Spanish once again with 27 points and nine rebounds while his Chicago Bulls team-mate Nikola Mirotic added 18.

— Eurobasket2015.org

No FIBA Asia play for Jordan Clarkson

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News blog reporting on Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson, who will be more rested coming into the upcoming NBA season, as explained below:

Jordan Clarkson had wanted to play for the Philippine national team. The team wanted Clarkson to play, too.

But amid concerns that his participation would conflict with his responsibilities to the Lakers, Clarkson will not play during for the Gilas Pilipinas during this month’s FIBA Asia championships, the Philippine Basketball Assn. announced on Tuesday on their website.

The statement added that Philippine national team executives Ricky Vergas and Patrick Gregorio met recently with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and president Jeanie Buss about Clarkson’s participation.

Nigeria wins 2015 AfroBasket, clinches spot in 2016 Olympics

Here’s FIBA.com reporting on Nigeria, who will compete in the 2016 Olympics:

Nigeria beat Angola 74-65 in the Final of AfroBasket 2015 in Rades, Tunisia on Sunday to claim their first-ever continental championship.

Angola went into the game looking to win a 12th African title, but some poor shooting boosted Nigeria’s confidence as they led by as many as 19 points.

The win also saw Nigeria qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

In finishing second, Angola joined third- and fourth-place teams Tunisia and Senegal in booking their places for the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).

Al-Farouq Aminu steps up for Nigeria at AfroBasket

This summer, basketball teams around the world are trying to lock down spots in the 2016 Olympics. Here’s the Oregonian reporting on a new member of the Portland Trail Blazers:

Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu helped Nigeria get one step close to qualifying for the 2016 Olympics on Wednesday. Aminu led his home country to an 88-63 win over the Central African Republic at the AfroBasket, a FIBA tournament held in Tunisia in which the winner earns an automatic bid to the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.

Aminu scored a team-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists in just over 20 minutes of playing time. He hit 6 of 8 shots and added an impressive dunk in the opening minutes of the game when he finished a half court alley-oop lob from teammate Olaseni Lawal.