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Ricky Rubio injury: Torn ACL, out for season

Ricky Rubio

Super-fun passer

Due to the following unfortunate news, NBA assist highlights just got a lot less fun to watch.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken this morning revealed that Wolves guard Ricky Rubio has a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his left knee. Rubio, who will have surgery scheduled at a to-be-determined date, will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 NBA season. The injury occurred with 16.4 seconds remaining in last night’s game vs. the L.A. Lakers.

“Obviously, Ricky’s injury is an unfortunate turn of events for him and our team,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “I feel bad for Ricky having to miss the rest of this season. But Ricky is a competitor, and I am confident that he will work hard to get back on the court next year and continue his progression as one of the top point guards in our league. We have 25 games left this season, and I look for our team to continue to play hard and fight for a playoff spot.”

In 41 games, 31 starts, Rubio averaged 10.6 points, 8.2 assists (5th in the NBA), 4.2 rebounds and 2.22 steals (3rd in the NBA) in 34.2 minutes per game. Rubio led all NBA rookies in assists, minutes and steals while recording 12 point-assist double-doubles, ranking him third in the NBA. Rubio was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January.

Luol Deng still dealing with hurt wrist

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said he held Luol Deng out of Saturday’s morning shootaround but that the forward is a game-time decision for Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz.

Deng said after Thursday’s loss to the Orlando Magic that he might sit for one or two games to rest his injured left wrist, which has a torn ligament.

“You look at it medically first,” Thibodeau said. “The one thing about Lu is he has a lot of toughness. He’s going to play through pain. Medically, if it makes more sense for him not to play, he won’t.”

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Andrew Bogut may be on trading block

Andrew Bogut

Taller than you

Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut could be a candidate to be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Bogut’s agent, David Bauman, said Friday there was interest around the league regarding the 7-foot center.

“There’s a lot of teams interested in calling John,” Bauman said of Bucks general manager John Hammond. “I don’t know what they (the Bucks) will end up doing.”

The 27-year-old Bogut is currently out of the lineup after fracturing his left ankle Jan. 25 in Houston. It’s uncertain whether he will be able to play again this season.

“It is a business and everyone is looking to get better; teams are looking to get better,” Bogut said in the locker room before the Bucks played the New York Knicks on Friday. “I can’t control that. I can’t even comment on it, really.

“If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

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

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CP3, Mo Williams put Clippers past Parker-less Spurs

Chris Paul didn’t need Tony Parker to get up for this game, and Mo Williams didn’t care about the Los Angeles Clippers winning in San Antonio for the first time in a decade.

Steering the skidding Clippers back on course was plenty incentive.

While Parker sat in street clothes with a sore thigh, shelving an All-Star matchup, Paul took advantage with 36 points and 11 assists as the Clippers salvaged the end of a disappointing road swing with a 120-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Paul matched a season-high yet he was still nearly upstaged by Williams, who added 33 off the bench and was 7 of 9 from behind the arc—including consecutive makes midway through the fourth that sucked the wind out of a Spurs rally…

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 22 points. Parker missed just his second game this season, and was a surprise scratch from the lineup after averaging 28 points his last two games.

— Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press

Ricky Rubio may have serious knee injury

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio will have an MRI on his left knee Saturday morning amid fears he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

“Possible ACL,” the source briefed on Rubio’s condition said. “We’ll know more after the MRI. … There’s a lot of worry right now.”

Rubio’s knee buckled with 16.4 seconds left in the Timberwolves’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in Minneapolis.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

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Derrick Rose dismisses talk of trade for Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard

He’s tall

If Dwight Howard is in town, that means questions about where he will be playing after the March 15 trade deadline are too.

“It definitely is getting old,” Derrick Rose said of being asked about the center before the Bulls lost to the Magic 99-94 Thursday night at United Center. “I’m sick and tired of hearing it. Chicago, marketing-wise is a great city. If someone chooses to come here, they definitely could.

“But I’m cool with the teammates I have. We have a winning record. It ain’t like we need to change anything. It’s not up to me. It’s up to the front office.”

There are zero indications Howard will add the Bulls to his list of teams with which he would sign an extension or that the Bulls are pursuing him.

“If it’s not about the Bulls, I really couldn’t care less about it,” Rose said.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Suns get first win over Mavericks in 9 tries

Jared Dudley

Enjoys Twitter

The Phoenix Suns finally got the best of the Dallas Mavericks. Barely.

Jared Dudley scored 12 of his 18 points in a third-quarter comeback and Phoenix held on to beat Dallas 96-94 on Thursday night, the Suns’ first victory over the Mavericks in nine tries, four this season.

“This is definitely big for us,” Dudley said. “We’ve struggled against this more than any other team, especially at home.”

Dallas blew out the Suns in Phoenix 122-99 on Jan. 30.

Grant Hill scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half for Phoenix, but missed two free throws with 15.4 seconds left. Dallas had two chances after that, but Rodrigue Beaubois missed a driving layup, then couldn’t hit an open 18-foot jumper at the buzzer…

Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Suns won their fourth straight home game, their longest streak in nearly two years. Steve Nash had 11 points and 11 assists.

Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki had 18 points apiece for Dallas in the Mavericks’ fifth road loss in a row.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Magic end Bulls’ 8-game win streak

Dwight Howard

Jumps very high

Dwight Howard had 29 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 win over the Bulls on Thursday, snapping Chicago’s eight-game winning streak.

Chicago twice overcame double-digit deficits and led 91-89 with 2:56 to play after Derrick Rose passed to Carlos Boozer for a jumper.

Orlando responded with an 8-1 run started by Jameer Nelson’s lob to Howard for a dunk. Ryan Anderson hit a 3 and a pair of free throws in the game-deciding rally.

The Magic bounced back from a 100-84 loss at Charlotte, beating the league-best Bulls two nights after losing to the last-place Bobcats.

Boozer led the Bulls with 26 points. Rose added 17 points and nine assists, but shot just 6 for 22 from the field.

Jason Richardson scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Magic. Orlando hit 11 3-pointers.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Nets sign Gerald Green to second 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed forward Gerald Green to a second 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Green, who signed his first 10-day contract with the Nets on February 27, has played in five games, averaging 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game.

Prior to joining the Nets, Green was named MVP of the 2012 D-League All Star Game and played in 22 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders this season, averaging 19.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 30.6 minutes per game.

The 6-8 forward was selected in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft (18th overall) by the Boston Celtics, entering the draft out of high school. Green played two seasons for the Celtics, having his best year in 2006-07 with averages of 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over 81 games (26 starts), as well as winning the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Following his stint in Boston, Green appeared in a total of 30 games with Houston and Minnesota in 2007-08, and 28 games in 2008-09 with the Dallas Mavericks.

Hornets decline to keep Solomon Jones

Despite starting in Wednesday night’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, the New Orleans Hornets released center-forward Solomon Jones instead of signing him for the remainder of the season, the team confirmed Thursday afternoon.

Jones went scoreless in 11 minutes after starting in place of injured forward Gustavo Ayon in Wednesday night’s 99-98 loss to the Kings.

— Reported by John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune