Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

UNC basketball hires Hubert Davis as assistant coach

Former University of North Carolina guard, 12-year NBA veteran and ESPN analyst Hubert Davis is the Tar Heels’ newest assistant men’s basketball coach, head coach Roy Williams announced today.

Davis has spent the past seven years with ESPN as a highly regarded college basketball analyst and co-host of College GameDay. He is replacing Jerod Haase, who spent nine years on Williams’ staff at Carolina prior to being named the head coach at UAB.

“I am very excited, thankful and honored to re-join the Carolina basketball program as an assistant to Coach Williams,” says Davis. “I loved being a part of college basketball during my time at ESPN by attending practices and games and developing relationships with players and coaches. Now I will have the opportunity to do this on a more personal level at a university and with a basketball program that I have loved my entire life.”

The Burke, Va., native played in 137 games as a Tar Heel from 1988-92, during which time UNC went 102-37, won the 1989 and 1991 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournaments and played in the 1991 Final Four. He scored 1,615 points, an average of 11.8 per game, and holds the UNC record for career three-point percentage at .435 (197 of 453). He scored in double figures 80times, had 23 games with 20 or more points, including 25 against Kansas in the 1991 national semifinals.

Davis averaged 21.4 points and earned second-team All-ACC honors as a senior. He scored in double figures in 32 of 33 games that season, including 20 games with 20 or more points and 30 or more in four games. He netted a career-high 35 points at Duke on March 8, 1992.

As a junior, Davis made 64 of 131 three-pointers, a percentage of .489 that is second-best in UNC history. He shares the UNC single-game record for three-pointers, as he made eight at Florida State as a senior.

“I am ecstatic to announce that Hubert Davis will be joining our program as an assistant coach to replace Jerod Haase,” says Williams. “Jerod was phenomenal as a player and assistant and I am elated that I can fill this spot with Hubert. I helped recruit him to Carolina in 1988, coached him in the World University Games in 1991 and have always admired him on and off the court. I knew the day would eventually come when I would need to replace staff members as they moved on. For the last four or five years Hubert has alwaysbeen on my mind in case a spot did come open. I didn’t know if I could get him to come back, but I knew I wanted him to be the first option. Coaching is about teaching, relationships and passion and I feel Hubert is the perfect choice. Our student-athletes will benefit greatly from what he adds to our staff.

“I really was overjoyed by the interest from former players and I knew I wanted the hire to be a former Tar Heel. I considered several current college coaches as well as people wanting to get into college coaching – it was a fabulous group. Guys like Shammond Williams are not in college coaching now, but is going to be great when his time comes. We also had interest from NBA assistants, so it truly was a diverse group, but Hubert is taking the job and I know all former Tar Heels will be extremely happy.

“Again, I am ecstatic to make this announcement and look forward to working with Hubert. My entire staff and team are excited about Hubert and his family being with us.”

The New York Knicks selected Davis in the first round of the 1992 NBA Draft. He played in 12 seasons in the NBA, scoring 5,583 points, an average of 8.2 per contest. He made 728 three-point field goals and prior to the 2011-12 season was third in NBA history in three-point percentage at .441.

— UNC Basketball Info

Scott Skiles will return as Bucks coach

Scott Skiles

Scott Skiles still will be in charge of the Milwaukee Bucks next season.

Skiles confirmed Tuesday that he would return for his fifth season as coach with the franchise.

And it was clear he believes he has unfinished business after the Bucks faded to a 3-7 record in the last three weeks of the season, hardly good enough to catch the surging New York Knicks or the fading Philadelphia 76ers for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The lockout-shortened season became just the latest non-playoff year for the franchise, its fifth in the last six seasons and third in four years under Skiles.

Skiles confirmed in a phone call that he would return to the Bucks and said he wanted to “hit the ground running” this summer to prepare for next season.

Skiles had discussions during the past few days with owner Herb Kohl and general manager John Hammond. The coach decided to work in the final year of his deal with a clear goal of returning to the playoffs.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Shaq getting doctoral degree in education

shaquille oneal

This week’s graduating class at Barry University is about to get bigger.

Retired NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal will graduate Saturday with a doctoral degree in education from the Miami Shores university. His 7-foot-1 frame will don a red-and-black velvet gown as he joins 1,100 graduating students at the commencement ceremonies at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.

Known simply as Shaq, he now can call himself Dr. O’Neal. For 4 1/2 years, the former Miami Heat center took 16 courses, completed 54 credit hours and carried a grade point average of 3.813, according to the university. The 40-year-old’s exact degree is in Organizational Learning and Leadership, with a specialization in human resource development.

“He was a good student,” said Dr. David M. Kopp, chairman of the university’s Organizational Learning and Leadership program. “He is very intellectually curious. He is like a sponge, he takes everything in.”

— Reported by Johnny Diaz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

USA Basketball likely to add to Olympic pool

In the wake of an injury crisis, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Tuesday that he’s likely to add “one or two players” to the list of finalists for Team USA’s Olympic roster.

The U.S. announced 20 finalists in January, but has since lost five of those candidates. Starting center Dwight Howard recently had back surgery and point guard Derrick Rose tore a knee ligament Saturday.

The losses of Howard and Rose follows previous season-ending injuries suffered by Chauncey Billups (Achilles) and LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) and the exclusion of Lamar Odom from consideration after Odom was deactivated by the Dallas Mavericks before the playoffs began after a poor season.

Colangelo announced the intent to add a player or two to the preliminary roster at a news conference in Las Vegas with Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski in the midst of meetings with Krzyzewski’s staff about the roster and logistics for the summer.

Colangelo said Tuesday that the 12-man final roster won’t be selected “until the very last moment,” but the deadline still falls before the NBA playoffs will be over in late June. A final roster with up to six alternates is due June 18, although USA Basketball had been planning to make the selections by June 1 before the rash of injuries.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Kobe scores 38, Lakers beat Nuggets, take 2-0 series lead

kobe bryant

Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers weathered Denver’s late rally for a 104-100 victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday night, taking a 2-0 series lead.

Pau Gasol had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the third-seeded Lakers, who still haven’t trailed in this series despite nearly crumbling against a much-improved effort by the Nuggets and Ty Lawson, who scored 25 points and led the fourth-quarter charge.

Los Angeles’ 19-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to four with 3 minutes to play, but Ramon Sessions scored four key points in the final 1:14 before Bryant’s icing free throws with 9.4 seconds left.

Game 3 is Friday in Denver.

Lawson shook his awful series opener with 17 second-half points, but the sixth-seeded Nuggets lost their ninth straight road playoff game despite playing much closer to their preferred speedy tempo after the Lakers muzzled them in Game 1.

Sessions scored 14 points for Los Angeles, which played just enough fast-break ball of its own to stay ahead of Denver – and now the Lakers are halfway to the second round. They have only lost one playoff series in franchise history after winning the first two games, going 42-1.

Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 10 rebounds while Danilo Gallinari and Corey Brewer added 13 points apiece, but Denver still couldn’t consistently defend Bryant or negate Bynum, who played another outstanding low-post game on both ends until disappearing a bit in a three-point fourth quarter.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

76ers pull away in 3rd, beat Bulls, tie series 1-1

jrue holiday

Jrue Holiday scored 26 points, Lou Williams added 20 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Chicago 109-92 on Tuesday night to even their first-round series in the Bulls’ first game since Derrick Rose’s season-ending knee injury.

The superstar point guard received a standing ovation and waved to the crowd as he limped onto the court to present the game ball, then watched from a suite as the 76ers simply blitzed the Bulls in the third quarter.

They outscored Chicago 36-14 in the period, turning an eight-point deficit into an 83-69 lead, and pulled even with the league’s top-seeded team. Game 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.

Holiday was 11 of 15 from the field, and the Sixers shot 59 percent overall. Williams came up big, going 8 of 13 after hitting just 1 of 6 shots in the opener, and Chicago product Evan Turner chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 21 points and eight rebounds. John Lucas III scored 15 points, but Carlos Boozer scored just nine and Luol Deng finished with eight. More alarming, the Bulls simply couldn’t stop the Sixers, particularly in the third quarter.

Turner scored 11 points in the period, and Philadelphia wiped out a 55-47 deficit.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Pierce scores 36, Celtics beat Hawks to tie series 1-1

paul pierce

Paul Pierce battled through another tough shooting night to score 36 points and the Boston Celtics wiped out Atlanta’s 11-point lead in the second half even without Rajon Rondo, stunning the Hawks 87-80 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, and Rondo will be back for the Celtics in that one, his shorthanded team having claimed the home-court edge. The stellar point guard sat out a one-game suspension for bumping an official in the opener.

The Hawks appeared to be in control when they pushed out to a 65-54 lead late in the third quarter. But Boston sliced it to 66-61 by the end of the period, and Pierce led a dominating fourth.

The Celtics were up 74-72 when a quick spurt essentially finished the Hawks, especially when Josh Smith went out late in the game with a sprained left knee…

For good measure, Pierce also led his team in rebounding with 14. Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Bradley, who shifted over to take Rondo’s spot at the point, chipped in with 14 points but only three assists – a far cry from what the Celtics usually get out of that position.

Johnson had 22 points but never got many open looks, hitting just 7 of 17 from the field. Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds, the state of his knee now becoming a major concern for the Hawks, who already have played most of the season without Al Horford.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Amare Stoudemire has surgery on hand

Amare Stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire’s difficult season may be over.

Stoudemire had a small muscle in his left hand repaired Tuesday and will not play for the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat on Thursday.

Stoudemire met with a hand specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, a day after he was badly cut when he punched the case surrounding a fire extinguisher after the Knicks’ 104-94 loss in Miami.

The Knicks are listing Stoudemire as doubtful for Game 4 on Sunday.

Stoudemire apologized on his Twitter account for the act, which leaves the Knicks without another key player as they try to rally from a 2-0 deficit. Jeremy Lin is still recovering from knee surgery and Iman Shumpert is out for the season after tearing a knee ligament in Game 1.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Rockets guard Kyle Lowry has surgery, should be OK in 6-8 weeks

Kyle Lowry

Houston Rockets guard Kyle Lowry underwent successful surgery this morning to correct a sports hernia. Lowry is expected to return to his normal offseason training program in six to eight weeks.

In his fourth season with Houston, Lowry averaged 14.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.55 steals in 47 games (38 starts).

The Rockets finished the season with a 34-32 record, good for 9th in the Western conference.