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Chicago Bulls guard C.J. Watson sprained his left elbow in the fourth quarter of tonight’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
He was evaluated by Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. Greg Nicholson of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Watson is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday and his status will be determined once all medical information has been gathered.
The Sacramento Kings have assigned center Hassan Whiteside and rookie forward Tyler Honeycutt to the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today.
Whiteside has not appeared in a game this season. Honeycutt recorded two points (2-2 FT) and one rebound in four minutes off the bench versus New York (12/31). Honeycutt becomes the third Kings player to be assigned to the D-League (Donté Greene in 2008-09, Hassan Whiteside last season).
Whiteside, a 7-0, 235-pound center, appeared in one game last season, playing two minutes against the Timberwolves on October 27, 2010. He was assigned to the Bighorns on November 29, 2010 and was recalled on January 9, 2011. While with the Bighorns, Whiteside averaged 4.4 points (.509 FG%, .412 FT%), 2.7 rebounds, 2.14 blocks, and 10.5 minutes per game in 14 games (started 3). Whiteside was selected by Sacramento as a freshman out of Marshall in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft.
Honeycutt, a 6-8, 188-pound forward, was selected by the Kings as a sophomore out of UCLA in the second round (35th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.3 points (.431 FG%, .359 3pt%, .684 FT%), 6.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 31.7 minutes per game in 59 career games for the Bruins.
STATEMENT FROM KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL
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“Whenever a new season begins, in any sport, there is great hope that everything will progress in only a steady, upward direction. As we all know, it seldom happens like that in this life!
As coaches, we can only ask that our players do everything they can to improve themselves as individuals and teammates. If they do this with all their hearts, we live with the results.
Everything that happens on a team does not become known to the public. This is how it should be. However, when a player continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely.
DeMarcus Cousins has demanded to be traded. In the best interest of our team as we go forward, he has been directed by me, with the support of management, to stay home from the New Orleans game tonight.”
The Washington Wizards announced today that they have assigned center Hamady Ndiaye to the Iowa Energy, the team’s affiliate in the NBA Development League.
Ndiaye has not appeared in a game for the Wizards this season. He appeared in 16 games with the team in 2010-11 and spent 11 games with the Dakota Wizards (the team’s NBADL affiliate at the time), averaging 4.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 18.4 minutes per game. The 7-0 native of Senegal was originally selected by Minnesota with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before his rights were traded along with the rights to Trevor Booker in exchange for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica on Draft Night 2010. He was re-signed by the Wizards on Dec. 11, 2011.
The Kings, who began the season amid good vibes, an improved roster and reasonable expectations, are immersed in a massive funk. They didn’t need any champagne Saturday night to wake up this morning with a splitting headache. Barring an emotional turnaround before tonight’s 6 p.m. game against New Orleans, the Hornets will catch the Kings still hung over, still searching for answers and still openly questioning the club’s direction.
Respected veteran Chuck Hayes sat with his head in his hands, visibly disturbed by a lack of cohesiveness. DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, two critical elements of this ongoing rebuilding process, leaned back in their seats, quietly commiserating before sharing their thoughts.
“What offense?” Cousins replied when asked about the Kings’ most obvious weakness. “I really don’t want to say anything.”
He shrugged. He shook his head. He exhaled. He ducked under a towel. His body said plenty.
— By Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee
THE FOLLOWING IS FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Despite MSG Media’s attempts to engage Time Warner Cable in good faith negotiations for nearly two years, no agreement is expected to be reached for Time Warner Cable to continue to carry MSG Network and MSG Plus. Therefore, as of midnight tonight, MSG Network and MSG+ will be dropped from the Time Warner Cable channel lineup, and New York area sports fans will miss exclusive local live coverage of the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Sabres.
“We are disappointed that MSG and MSG Plus will be dropped from Time Warner Cable’s lineup,” said Michael Bair, president, MSG Media. “All we have asked is for Time Warner Cable to value our programming in the same way as other TV providers — nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, they rejected every offer we made to them for almost two years. In the end, they were simply not interested in conducting serious negotiations on behalf of their customers and instead spent their time grossly mischaracterizing our positions to the public. We certainly hope Time Warner Cable returns to the negotiating table and reconsiders our good faith proposals. Until that happens, we encourage Time Warner Cable subscribers to switch providers by calling 888-keepmsg (533-7674) or visiting keepmsg.com.”
“Given Time Warner Cable’s reportedly record-setting $5 billion investment in Los Angeles Lakers rights, we expected that they would be eager to continue to deliver top New York sports programming to their customers, who are unfortunately caught in the middle of this dispute,” added Bair. “And they’ve stated publicly that they’re committed to broadening their investment in local sports. Yet they’re about to drop some of New York’s most popular sports programming – what does that say to New York sports fans?”
There is significant enthusiasm around MSG’s teams and programming. Knicks ratings were up more than 100% last season and are already up this year, the Rangers are enjoying double-digit increases over the same period last season, the Sabres are the highest rated American team in the NHL, and there are passionate fan bases for the Islanders and Devils. MSG and MSG Plus telecast nearly 400 live NBA and NHL games a year, and nearly 700 live games a year, including games from the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls. MSG Networks also airs WFAN’s popular Boomer and Carton show, hundreds of college basketball and college football games from the nation’s best conferences, as well as award-winning original programming. MSG has won more New York Emmy Awards than any network or station in the area over the past four years, and with MSG Plus has collected 63 in total over that time frame.
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CSKA Moscow announced on Saturday that injured forward Andrei Kirilenko will rejoin the team on January 3 after missing six weeks with injury and deciding to activate his option to stay with the Russian champions through the rest of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague season. Kirilenko (30 years old, 2.06 meters) was the Euroleague’s top performer until he suffered a broken nose, concussion and shoulder injury halway through the regular season. Kirilenko, who had played three seasons for CSKA until age 20, returned to the club last summer. His contract with CSKA gave him the option to leave before the start of the Top 16. Kirilenko was named the bwin MVP for October and was bwin MVP of the week twice in the first five games while averaging 13.8 points, 9 rebounds, 3.4 assists. 2.2 steals and 3.2 blocks. He was leading the Euroleague in both rebounds and blocks when he suffered a freak fall in a Russian League game in November.
— Reported by Euroleague.net
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Danny Ainge said Mickael Pietrus should be ready for game action by the middle of January after July knee surgery.
“It feels great [to be in Boston],’’ Pietrus said. “Since I have been in the NBA, my goal has always been to win a championship, and I have a chance to win one so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got with my new teammates. So hopefully at the end of the year, we get what we want.’’
Pietrus injured his right knee in March while playing for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns were close to trading him to the Raptors earlier this month, but Toronto called off the deal when Pietrus’s knee did not test at full strength.
“The knee is getting better every day,’’ he said. “Getting treatment with the trainer. They don’t want to put me out there right away because they know that the team really needs me, and I really need them, too.’’
— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant might be playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, but at least his chronically bothersome right knee is in great shape.
“It’s as close to 100 percent as it’s going to get,” said Bryant before the Lakers hosted the New York Knicks on Thursday.
Bryant, usually loathsome to discuss his injuries and protective that his medical procedures are kept private, opened up about his health status when asked about New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez’s recent trip to Germany to be treated by the same physician that Bryant visited in the offseason.
“I gave him the phone number,” Bryant said, revealing he recommended Peter Wehling to treat the Yankee star’s knee and shoulder after experiencing success when his own right knee and left ankle were treated by Wehling. “I just told him it made a huge difference for me. I’m 95 percent better, if not to say 100.”
It was the fourth procedure that Bryant, 33, has undergone on the knee since 2003, but it was less invasive than other surgeries, as it centered around blood manipulation rather than removing any loose bodies or frayed ligaments.
While the 16-year veteran is reporting a clean bill of health when it comes to his knee, the wrist remains a work in progress.
— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles
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Andrew Bynum had 29 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 92-89 Saturday.
Bynum shot 13 for 18, helping the Lakers win their third straight following the team’s first 0-2 start since 2002-03.
The 7-foot center was suspended without pay for the first four games of the season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas’ J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the NBA lockout.
Bynum totaled 41 points and 23 rebounds in two preseason games against the Clippers.
— Reported by the Associated Press