NBA News Blog – Page 1099 – NBA Blog

Orlando Magic interested in hosting 2016 NBA All-Star Game

Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins said the franchise will bid to host the 2016 NBA All-Star Game at Amway Center if, as expected, city and county government officials support bringing the exhibition back to Central Florida for the second time in four years.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said during the recently completed All-Star weekend that Orlando is “a perfect city to host an All-Star Game with all things good, from the hotels to the golf courses to the spectacular Amway Center.”

Stern added: “We look forward to coming back, but I can’t say when.”

The league solicits bids for All-Star Games in two-year increments. The 2013 game already has been awarded to Houston, and the host city for the 2014 game will announced 12 to 18 months before the 2014 game is played.

In the next few months, the league will ask franchises to make bids to host the All-Star Game in either 2015 or 2016.

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel

Bill Walker out 4-6 weeks after elbow surgery

The Knicks announced reserve forward Bill Walker will be out four to six weeks because of elbow surgery and might be back for the playoffs.

Walker, who had been in the rotation for January and half of February, probably could’ve soldiered on if the Knicks needed him, but they are so deep, he probably lost his rotation spot.

Walker sat out the past six games. He injured himself vs. New Orleans on Feb. 17th, though the Knicks aren’t sure why his elbow blew up. Coach Mike D’Antoni said he hopes he’ll be back for the playoffs.

“We’ll see where the team is then,’’ D’Antoni said.

“Too bad. It’s weird the way it happened. I thought it would get better. He needs to get it well.’’

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post (Blog)

Deron Williams scored 57 on Bobcats

Deron Williams’ eyes grew a little wider when he realized the Charlotte Bobcats had opted not to double-team him off pick and rolls.

It’s something he hadn’t seen all season.

“I’m used to getting double-teamed on those,” Williams said. “It’s kind of refreshing not to be.”

Williams took full advantage, scoring a franchise-record 57 points to lift the New Jersey Nets to a 104-101 victory over the Bobcats on Sunday night. That’s the most points scored in the NBA this season and breaks the team record of 52 points shared by Mike Newlin and Ray Williams.

It was the second-most points scored against the Bobcats, one shy of Kobe Bryant’s 58 in 2006.

Williams, who came into the game averaging 21.7 points per game, shot 16 of 29 from the field and was a perfect 21 for 21 from the free-throw line. He did miss one at one free throw, but the Bobcats were called for a lane violation and it didn’t count.

— Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Kobe Bryant’s mask may be upgraded

For all the Lakers fans who’ve grown quite fond of the “Kobe Mask” through three exciting post-All-Star games, even its job isn’t secure as Bryant searches for the best way to maximize his performance while not 100 percent.

Lakers trainer Gary Vitti plans to meet Monday with the innovator of the basketball mask, Detroit-based Jerry McHale, to look into possible upgrade from the mask Bryant has been wearing to protect his broken nose.

McHale first introduced the mask into the NBA world for the Pistons’ Bill Laimbeer to play with an orbital fracture, and McHale also designed Richard Hamilton’s famous mask that is helped the Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals and Hamilton continues to wear despite his broken nose having healed.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

Rondo drops monster triple-double on Knicks

There was never anyone quite like Rajon Rondo in the Ivy League when Jeremy Lin played at Harvard.

The game that was supposed to signal a changing of the guard in the Atlantic Division instead turned into the All Star point guard from the Boston Celtics schooling the Knicks young point guard.

Rondo recorded a triple-double as the Knicks, who elected not to foul in the final seconds of regulation and instead gave up game-tying 3-pointer to Paul Pierce, suffered a heart-breaking 115-111 overtime loss to the Celtics on Sunday.

Rondo finished with 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds as Boston improved to 19-17 and beat the Knicks for the 11 straight time at TD Garden. The Knicks, who face the defending NBA champion Mavs on Tuesday in Dallas, fell to 18-19.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

Nets owner Prokhorov won’t be president of Russia

The Nets can’t win in the NBA — or in Russia.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov was easily defeated in the Russian president election by Vladimir Putin on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

The Russian billionaire, who purchased a majority stake in the Nets in May of 2010, announced his intentions to run for president of his native country in December.

Despite campaigning, it was widely believed that Prokhorov had no chance of winning the election.

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Charlie Villanueva has first full-contact practice since January

Charlie Villanueva’s shots went up at practice Friday, and according to the hobbled Pistons forward, they were going in.

“You know it was going in,” an upbeat Villanueva said after practicing with full contact for the first time since being placed on the inactive list in January.

He called it significant progress. Coach Lawrence Frank called it very encouraging. Even so, neither side would call when Villanueva would see game action again.

“I’m just taking it step by step,” Villanueva said. “This is the first time I actually had a full day of practice, so we’ll see how my ankle responds. The way it’s feeling right now, it’s feeling OK, so we’ll see what happens.”

— Reported by Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press

Jason Smith still experiencing concussion symptoms

It has been just short of a month since Hornets power forward Jason Smith absorbed two blows to the head at Detroit that left him with a concussion, one that has proven serious enough to keep him off the floor since, with an uncertain timetable to return.

Smith spoke with reporters for the first time Friday since the Feb. 4 loss to the Pistons when he was was injured, on a hard foul by Detroit’s Greg Monroe, who later got Smith in the head again.

Under the NBA’s new concussion policy, Smith has been evaluated by team physician Dr. Matthew McQueen, as well as neurological specialists, and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the newly appointed director of the NBA’s concussion program, also reviews results of current testing against baseline readings obtained from every player during training camp.

Smith said Friday he is still experiencing concussion-related symptoms, which trouble him personally and professionally.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Danny Ainge predicts Rajon Rondo won’t be traded

Rajon Rondo’s trade status and thorny nature are again the stuff of national speculation, and Danny Ainge isn’t surprised.

“It’s never stopped,” the Celtics [team stats] president said yesterday after the latest wave hit with an ESPN.com report Wednesday. “It’s like if the Patriots [team stats] lose three straight games, and people start talking about trading Tom Brady [stats].”

Ainge was quick to insist Rondo’s most likely team following the March 15 trade deadline is the one that pays him now. He added that he is not currently trying to trade the point guard.

“I anticipate him being here for a long time,” said Ainge, who also derided reports that Rondo, who has butted heads with virtually every coach he’s ever had, now has a worsened relationship with Doc Rivers.

“Rondo and Doc get along fine. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t bumps in the road. But I would go so far as to say they get along now better than they ever have. This is nothing new. There are other issues that concern us so much more.”

— Reported by Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald

Rick Carlisle disappointed with Lamar Odom

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle expressed disappointment with Lamar Odom’s ongoing absence from the team and bluntly stated that the forward will face scrutiny upon his return, from owner Mark Cuban to the players in the locker room.

Odom will play Saturday night for the Mavs’ D-League affiliate in nearby Frisco and then is expected to re-join the Mavs for the first time since Feb. 20 when the team travels to Oklahoma City for Monday’s game, Carlisle said.

“When he comes back, we’re going to find out very quickly where things are at,” Carlisle said during his weekly appearance Friday on the ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Galloway & Co.” “He’s going to have to show us with his actions and attitude that he’s in.”

Odom left the Mavs on Feb. 22 to tend to a family matter and missed his fourth consecutive game Friday night when Dallas played New Orleans. He will also miss Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz. Odom left the team to attend to his ill father in Los Angeles, sources told ESPNDallas.com.

— Reported by Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas