Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Hornets sign Darryl Watkins to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed center Darryl Watkins to a 10-day contract.

The 6’11” center is in his second NBA season, originally appearing in nine games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2007-08 season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Undrafted out of Syracuse in 2007 after four seasons with the Orange, Watkins has appeared in preseason games for the Kings (2007-08), San Antonio Spurs (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10) and most recently the Hornets in 2010-11, where he played three games, scoring 2.0 points and pulling down 3.0 rebounds in 9.0 minutes of action.

To make room for Watkins, the Hornets announced today they have waived center Chris Johnson. Johnson has missed the last eight games with a concussion, suffered Apr. 1 against the Phoenix Suns. Originally claimed off waivers on Mar. 20, Johnson played in seven games for New Orleans this season, averaging 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.5 minutes.

The roster currently stands at 15.

Delonte West fined $25,000 for giving `Wet Willy` to Gordon Hayward

Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West has been fined $25,000 for a physical taunt by poking Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz in the ear, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 3:40 remaining in the second quarter of Utah’s 123-121 win over Dallas at EnergySolutions Arena on April 16.

You can read about the initial incident and see a video clip here. And also see more on Hayward’s reaction here.

Five Kentucky Wildcats declaring for 2012 NBA Draft

Kentucky freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague and sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb will enter their names in this year’s NBA Draft. All five players are projected as first-round picks.

Together, the five led Kentucky to its eighth national championship, a 16-0 mark in league play and the program’s 45th Southeastern Conference championship. UK finished with a 38-2 record, tying the NCAA record for wins in a season.

Davis, the National Player of the Year and 2012 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, blocked a national-best 4.7 shots per game while leading the Wildcats in scoring (14.2), rebounding (10.4) and field goal percentage (.623). He broke the school and SEC records and NCAA freshman records for blocks in a season with 186. He finished the season with 20 double-doubles which was the most in the SEC this season while also tying the UK freshman record for double-doubles.

Kidd-Gilchrist, an All-America selection by multiple media outlets and the NCAA Tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player, ranked second on the team with seven double-doubles including three against top-20 ranked teams, with the other three coming on the road. Kidd-Gilchrist ranked second on the team in rebounding (7.4), third in blocks (37) and steals (37) and fourth in scoring (11.9).

Teague led the Wildcats in assists this season with 191, ranking second in the SEC in assists per game (4.8). He finished the season with the second-most assists by a freshman in UK history, and his 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference play was the best by a UK point guard under head coach John Calipari in the last three seasons. Over the last 22 games, he finished with a 2.2 ratio.

Jones ranked third on the team in scoring (12.3) and rebounding (7.2). He ranked 62nd nationally in blocks per game (1.8) and became the 59th member of UK’s prestigious 1,000-point club, finishing his career ranked 52nd on the Wildcats’ all-time scoring list. He is only the 34th player in program history to tally 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Only five prior UK players recorded 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 140 blocks.

Lamb ranked second on the team in scoring (13.7) while hitting better than 46 percent from 3-point range (46.6). He also became a member of the 1,000-point club in Kentucky’s win over Kansas in the national championship game, finishing his career with 1,018 points. He concluded his career as the top 3-point shooter in school history, hitting 47.5 percent of his 3-pointers.

Underclassmen have until April 29 to declare for the draft.

The 2012 NBA Draft will take place on June 28, in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

— University of Kentucky

NBPA committee cancels internal audit

In a pushback against National Basketball Players Association president Derek Fisher, union executive director Billy Hunter convinced members of the NBPA’s executive committee to kill an independent audit of the union’s finances and practices, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Hunter had his legal team send a brief memo to players Tuesday night, telling them the audit voted upon on Friday by the executive committee had been cancelled. The memo was obtained by Yahoo! Sports.

Fisher had pushed for an internal audit of Hunter’s New York offices, and gathered the necessary votes on a conference call Friday to proceed with the inquiry, sources said.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Celtics almost traded Ray Allen to Grizzlies last month

ray allen

As the NBA trade deadline lurched into its final hour a month ago, league sources say the call Ray Allen long feared had come: Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was on the line, telling him he had been traded. Allen had been sent to the Memphis Grizzlies for a package including O.J. Mayo and a draft pick, and the Celtics’ Big Three had come to a most brusque ending.

For 20 minutes or so, Allen had to process the information. They traded me to Memphis? And yet, as the disappointment dissolved to anger, Rivers returned with a messenger’s nightmare: Never mind. The deal fell apart. Take a deep breath and let’s go back to work again.

Before the Big Three could make it past the trade deadline, Allen-to-the-Grizzlies had to fall apart and discussions on a deal that would have sent Paul Pierce to the New Jersey Nets for an expiring Mehmet Okur contract and a lottery pick never reached completion, league sources said. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge loves the talent in the 2012 NBA draft, but he still gets one more run, one more chance with this group in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Ray Allen attributes his ankle problems to having big calves

Ray Allen

Ray Allen has missed more than 10 games this season due to right and left ankle injuries. As the Boston Celtics look ahead to their playoff push, health is of the utmost importance to the 16-year veteran guard.

In order to maintain his ankles, Allen, who has sat out the past four games with a sore right ankle, is paying extra attention to another part of his body: his calves.

He attributes some of his ankle problems over the years to his over-sized muscles. Allen underwent double ankle surgery in 2007.

“I’ve been told that I have huge calf muscles my whole life,” Allen, 36, said earlier this month. “But they’re always like the bane of my pain, of my existence, because I always feel tightness in there. When they do get tight, it keeps my ankles from moving.”

— Reported by Jessica Camerato of CSNNE

Spurs rout Lakers, improve spot atop West

tony parker

While last week’s blowout loss to the Lakers still stings the San Antonio Spurs, they found a way to feel better while moving into prime position to win the West.

Tony Parker had 29 points and 13 assists, Tim Duncan had 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Spurs handed Los Angeles its worst loss of the season, 112-91 on Tuesday night.

Just six days after the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead during a comfortable victory at San Antonio, the Spurs answered by scoring 18 consecutive points during an impressive second-quarter spree. The Spurs snapped Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak while dominating a meeting of division leaders – albeit with Bryant sitting out his sixth straight game to rest his bruised shin…

Manu Ginobili scored 15 points as the Spurs (44-16) improved their position atop the Western Conference with their fourth straight win, moving a half-game clear of Oklahoma City (44-17) for the No. 1 playoff seed. Popovich didn’t sit his stars in the second game of a three-in-three-nights stretch, with Duncan playing 35 minutes and Parker 30…

Andrew Bynum had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, whose Pacific Division lead over the Clippers dwindled to a half-game, although the Lakers hold the tiebreaker. Matt Barnes and Pau Gasol scored 16 points apiece, but with Bryant watching from the bench in a sharp suit, Los Angeles couldn’t match the depth of the Spurs, who got at least four points from 10 players.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Melo has triple-double, Knicks rout Celtics

carmelo anthony

As the Celtics staggered to the locker room after getting hit by an NBA record-tying 3-point assault, the halftime musical selection perfectly summed up how they must have felt.

It was ”You Dropped a Bomb on Me” – and Carmelo Anthony and two sharpshooting subs sure did.

Anthony had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double, and the New York Knicks made 19 3-pointers to keep alive their Atlantic Division title hopes with a 118-110 victory over Boston on Tuesday night.

JR Smith and Steve Novak both scored 25 points for the Knicks, who overcame a season-high 43 points from Paul Pierce and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference while trimming Boston’s division lead to 3 1/2 games.

Novak hit eight 3s in the highest-scoring game of his career. Smith made all seven of his 3s in the first half, equaling a team record.

”Our bench was great tonight,” Anthony said. ”Novak and JR, them guys combined for 50 points off the bench. When they get hot like that, it’s hard to deal with.”

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Gordon Hayward wanted to fight Delonte West after finger in ear incident

Gordon Hayward

Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward said he initially felt like ripping Delonte West’s finger off and fighting him after he jabbed it into Hayward’s right ear during the second quarter of Monday night’s triple-overtime win against Dallas.

”I wanted to fight right there, but you can’t do that,” Hayward said before Tuesday’s practice. ”It wouldn’t have been the smart idea. I’d risk getting a technical foul, getting suspended for the season, whatever. There’s more important things than fighting someone out on the court. The more important thing was getting the win and we were able to do that.”

Hayward acknowledged Tuesday that many of his teammates might have reacted differently.

But Hayward, who raised both arms and walked away, said he ”got the last laugh” as the Jazz prevailed 123-121 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with four games remaining.

— Reported by Lynn DeBruin of the Associated Press