NBA News Blog – Page 1062 – NBA Blog

Zach Randolph may be back to starting for Grizzlies

Zach Randolph got rid of that cumbersome knee brace, and now figures he’s ready to shed something else.

The process of simply fitting in with the Grizzlies is over if Randolph has his way.

“I feel good,” Randolph said. “I’m there.”

Coach Lionel Hollins went into the Grizzlies’ 88-76 win over the Orlando Magic in the teams’ regular-season finale intending to judge Randolph’s effectiveness. Hollins reinserted Randolph into the starting lineup, and the veteran power forward played as though he had something to prove.

The verdict? Randolph looked inspired and lively offensively and on the boards, and a bit challenged defensively. But he expects to start when the Griz host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for the start of their first-round playoff series.

If that happens — and Hollins remains noncommittal — then the expectation is for Randolph to be the consistent force he was against Orlando.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Wizards end season on 6-game winning streak

The Wizards ended the season on a six-game winning streak and recorded their most lopsided win in seven seasons, 104-70, over the Miami Heat at Verizon Center on Thursday night.

“All we’re doing is moving forward and looking to the future and I think the future looks good for us,” said President Ernie Grunfeld, who was rewarded with a contract extension this week.

After two years, the Wizards (20-46) finally recognized the error of investing their future in the careers of Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and Young. Blatche was banished, while McGee and Young were sent packing to playoff teams because neither displayed the maturity or consistency to warrant lucrative long-term contracts when they hit free agency this summer. In return, the Wizards added veteran Brazilian big man Nene, whose arrival brought credibility to the locker room, a commitment to playing team basketball and an 7-4 record with him in uniform.

“You give anything a certain amount of time and options arise,” Wittman said. “It comes a point, with this team that’s so young, to add a guy with [Nene’s] experience and his ability was a good thing to do.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post

Roy Hibbert has chance to shine in playoffs

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert doesn’t have any excuses.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, a nemesis of Hibbert and every other center in league, is on the sideline in street clothes for the rest of the season.

It’s Hibbert’s time to star under the bright lights of the playoffs. It’s time for him to show why he was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season. It’s time for him to show he deserves a hefty pay raise when he hits the free agent market this summer.

“I have to take things and look at each matchup and make sure I dominate on both ends of the floor,” Hibbert said. “I can’t have any lags in my game and I have to be on top of my game every game.”

Howard, the league’s premier center, is out for the rest of the season after surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back.

That leaves Hibbert as the marquee attraction in the middle. He has had the best season of his four-year career, averaging 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

— Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star

Spurred by 2011 loss, Heat set for 2nd title shot

Chris Bosh recently peered down the hallway that links the Miami Heat locker room and the team’s home court.

Though nearly a year has passed, he still feels the pain.

It’s what the Heat call ”Championship Alley,” the photo-covered walls paying tribute to the NBA championship run in 2006. For Bosh, it has a totally different meaning. It’s the place where the sting of losing the finals a year ago made him drop to his knees in anguish, a moment captured for the world to see by television cameras he didn’t know were there.

”I want it to be different this time,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. ”I want these guys to feel what they see every day in this arena.”

What they see – hundreds of photos of Miami’s title celebrations – represents what this team is chasing. What the Heat were a year ago, in the first chapter of the ”Big Three” era in Miami, was probably best described as angry and spiteful.

So now, with the start of another playoff run looming, Wade and Bosh say the mental approach is going to be considerably different this time around. The Heat open the postseason at home against the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon, claiming to be just as driven by a title as they were a year ago, except this time they believe for more of the right reasons.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Raptors pick up option on contract of coach Dwane Casey

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have picked up the option on Head Coach Dwane Casey’s contract to extend through the 2013-14 season.

“Dwane did a terrific job this year of adhering to our plan of growth and development for this young team,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “We set out to change the culture and improve defensively and he orchestrated both progressions in an impressive fashion.”

Casey finished his first season as Toronto’s head coach. Under Casey, the Raptors made significant gains on the defensive end of the floor. The team ranked in the Top 10 in the NBA in points allowed (9th), opponent field goal percentage (8th) and three-point field goal percentage (5th). The Raptors ranked in the bottom third in the league in all three categories in the 2010-11 season.

Johan Petro scores final New Jersey basket

Johan Petro became part of Nets history Thursday night.

When he hit 20-foot, left-side jumper with 24.9 seconds left on the clock in the Nets’ 98-67 wipeout loss to the Raptors, Petro scored the final basket in the history of the New Jersey Nets. The team is making its long-awaited move to Brooklyn next season.

“Hey, that’s the way to keep my name in some book,” Petro said with a smile.

And he had no idea when he made the shot. Or even afterward.

“I was just trying to hit the shot, I wasn’t thinking about the whole history behind it,” the 7-foot center said. “But thanks to you guys, now I know. Got my name somewhere.”

— Reported by Fred Kerber of the New York Post

Kobe Bryant ends bid for scoring title

Kobe Bryant didn’t play in the Lakers’ regular-season finale Thursday night, a meaningless 113-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings at Power Balance Pavilion. Pau Gasol also didn’t play. Neither did Andrew Bynum.

Metta World Peace wasn’t allowed to play because of a seven-game suspension.

Matt Barnes couldn’t play because of a sprained right ankle.

Bryant needed to score 38 points to win the NBA scoring title, but in the end, he decided it was smarter to rest for the start of the playoffs Sunday than to try to overtake Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City.

“He’s been in this league for a long time and he understands the importance of getting some rest and going into the playoffs the right way,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said of Bryant. “He was the one who said at first he wanted to sit.”

— Reported by Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News

Charlotte Bobcats played the worst season in NBA history

The Charlotte Bobcats couldn’t even beat a Knicks team resting most of its starters, finishing with the worst winning percentage in NBA history after a 104-84 loss on Thursday night.

J.R. Smith scored 22 points for the Knicks, who pulled away in the second half to clinch the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed and a first-round playoff matchup against No. 2 Miami beginning Saturday.

Gerald Henderson had 21 points for the Bobcats, whose 23rd consecutive loss left them with a winning percentage of .106 (7-59) in the lockout-shortened season. The record was set 39 years ago, when the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers finished 9-73 (.110) in a full regular season.

The Knicks held out Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis, while Amare Stoudemire had 21 points over two quarters.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Eric Musselman named D-League coach of year

Los Angeles D-Fenders head coach Eric Musselman was today named the winner of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award, as voted by his fellow NBA Development League head coaches.

Musselman helmed a Los Angeles team that recorded an NBA D-League record 38 victories during the 2011-12 regular season en route to a Western Conference Championship and the first overall seed in the 2012 NBA D-League Playoffs presented by BBVA.

Musselman’s D-Fenders are undefeated in postseason play, and have a chance to secure the 2012 NBA D-League Championship over the Austin Toros tonight in the second game of the best-of-three NBA D-League Finals presented by BBVA. Tip-off is set for 10:00 p.m. ET.

During his first year with the team, Musselman oversaw the development of six top NBA D-League prospects who earned a total of eight GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA this season, including the 2012 NBA D-League All-Star MVP Gerald Green, now of the New Jersey Nets and Houston Rockets guard Courtney Fortson, who both signed contracts for the remainder of the season with their NBA teams.

Musselman’s D-Fenders led the League in rebounding percentage (.572) and held their opponents to a League-low 44 percent from the field, while its 48 percent from the field was good for second best in the League.

“Eric’s deep knowledge of the game and his unparalleled passion have been evident every step of the way for the D-Fenders this season,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. “Not only was Eric able to achieve a level of on-court success our League has never seen before, he was able to do it while developing top NBA D-League prospects into current NBA contributors. I offer my hearty congratulations to him on a season well done.”

The award is named in honor of the late Dennis Johnson, NBA Legend and former Austin Toros head coach who was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2010. In his playing career, Johnson won three NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics, played in five NBA All-Star games and was named to the All-Defensive First Team six times. He served as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2002, and was in his third season coaching in the NBA D-League when he passed away.

Kevin Love wants Timberwolves roster changes

The Wolves could add Love’s new $13 million salary and still clear more than $12 million for free agency if they let go Beasley, Randolph, Milicic, Webster and retiring Brad Miller. But they still would have to fill out those roster spots, and as many as six NBA teams could have $20 million or more to spend this summer when the Wolves’ best options are difficult-to-sign restricted free agents — O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum — or perhaps overpaying unrestricted free agents Ray Allen or Landry Fields.

More likely is a trade for a player such as Kevin Martin, who played for Adelman twice and whose $13 million salary Houston wants to shed.

Love said he will lobby management to be “aggressive” in adding veterans. “I think we just need to make some moves,” he said.

Adelman said he believes the team’s young, vibrant nucleus will attract free agents.

“When you look at Kevin and you look at Ricky and the style that we’re going to play, it’s going to be good,” Adelman said.

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune