NBA News Blog – Page 1277 – NBA Blog

Hornets sign Patrick Ewing Jr for remainder of season

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward Patrick Ewing Jr. for the remainder of the 2010-11 season. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Georgetown product signed his first 10-day contract with the Hornets on March 26. He has appeared in three games with the Hornets.

Ewing Jr. played in 49 games this season with the Reno Bighorns and Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League, averaging 17.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He collected 22 double-doubles and was a NBA D-League All-Star.

Originally drafted 43rd overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2008 NBA Draft, the 6-8 235 lb. forward was then traded to the Houston Rockets and later the New York Knicks with whom he participated in the 2008 preseason. After being waived by the Knicks, Ewing Jr. was signed by the teams’ D-League affiliate Reno Bighorns, where he spent the 2008-09 campaign and averaged 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds in 30 games.

Ewing, the son of Hall of Fame center and current Orlando Magic Assistant Coach Patrick Ewing, played collegiately at Indiana University (‘03-‘04 and ‘04-‘05) before sitting out the ’05-’06 season while transferring to his father’s alma mater Georgetown University for his final two years of eligibility. In his senior season, Ewing Jr. was named the Big East Sixth Man of the Year with averages of 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

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Dwight Howard would love to host Saturday Night Live

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Dwight Howard wants to host Saturday Night Live

Dwight Howard would love to host an episode of “Saturday Night Live” one day.

But there have been plenty impediments.

Of course, the biggest hurdle is that SNL’s producers usually prefer to book Hollywood stars and famous musicians as hosts.

Another obstacle is that Howard’s playing schedule is too rigid and “SNL” needs its hosts in place for almost an entire week.

But a lockout would free up Howard’s schedule and make an “SNL” gig a remote possibility, an upgrade from no possibility at all.

Howard’s successful recent guest spots on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” may have enhanced his chances.

Sixers sign Antonio Daniels

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have signed guard Antonio Daniels of the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends. Daniels is the 21st Call-Up of the 2010-11 D-League season.

Daniels (6-4, 205), has played 12 NBA seasons for Vancouver, San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, Washington and New Orleans. His last NBA season was with the Hornets in 2008-09.

In 868 career games played with 220 starts, Daniels is averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game while shooting 44.4% from the floor, 31.2% from 3-point range and 79.3% from the line. He also owns a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.16.

Daniels has appeared in 80 career playoff games and won a championship with the Spurs in 1999.

In 38 games played with 37 starts in the D-League this season, the 36-year-old Daniels averaged 14.5 points, 8.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.45 steals in 38.3 minutes per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 42.5% from 3-point range and 86.8% from the line. He ranked second in the D-League in assists.

Daniels, who was originally the fourth overall pick by the Grizzlies in the 1997 NBA Draft, will wear No. 22 for the Sixers.

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Lou Williams out indefinitely with strained right hamstring

Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams underwent an MRI this afternoon which was read by Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health Services. The MRI revealed Williams has a strained right hamstring and he will be out for the foreseeable future.

His injury will be re-evaluated on a regular basis in order to monitor his progress and determine his return date.

The Sixers next on-court activity will be at PCOM on Monday, April 4 starting at 11:00 a.m., with media availability following.

J.J. Redick has no return date set for return from ab muscle strain

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via blog):

J.J. Redick said he expects to play for the Orlando Magic in the playoffs, but the injured guard still doesn’t know when he’ll return to the court from a strained muscle in his lower abdomen.

Redick has rejoined the team after spending several days rehabbing the muscle in Vancouver, B.C., performing strengthening exercises that he hopes will protect the area from future injuries and help get the injured muscle firing correctly.

“The muscle still has to heal and it hasn’t healed,” Redick said Sunday afternoon. “Until that happens, I’m putting that area in a compromising position.”

Shaq returns for Celtics, then quickly strains right calf

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports (via blog):

Just minutes after Shaquille O’Neal wowed the crowd with 6 points in his first game in two months, he was limping back to the locker room with 11:11 left in the second quarter of the Celtics’ game against the Detroit Pistons. The team said it is officially a strained right calf and he is uncertain to return.

Playing for the first time since Feb. 1, O’Neal was in for his second stint of the game when he suddenly began limping, heavily favoring the right leg.

Hot Nuggets deal Lakers a rare loss

The AP reports:

Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points, Kenyon Martin scored six of his 18 in the final 3:24, and the Denver Nuggets hung on for their sixth straight win, 95-90 over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers, who snapped a nine-game winning streak to fall 2 1/2 games behind San Antonio in the Western Conference. The NBA-leading Spurs beat Phoenix 114-97 earlier Sunday to end a six-game slide.

Los Angeles has six games left to try and overtake the Spurs and earn homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. The Lakers face the Spurs for the fourth and final time this season on April 12 in their next-to-last regular-season game…

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, and reserve Lamar Odom chipped in with 17 points and seven boards. Andrew Bynum had 16 rebounds and reserve forward Matt Barnes returned from a one-game suspension with five points in 18 minutes…

Nuggets sixth man J.R. Smith picked up three fouls in less than 5 minutes after reporting into the game. He played 16 minutes and finished with only four points.

InsideHoops.com editor says: The Nuggets are a more balanced team since the Melo trade. And they’re a good team to watch. I’m not sure how high their playoff potential is, but Denver is a team to watch next season.

Heat work Eddy Curry out

Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports:

Could Eddy Curry be joining the big three in Miami?

The former Knick, who came to epitomize the team’s failings under Isiah Thomas, worked out for the Miami Heat in recent days in a move that could foreshadow his signing with the team for the playoffs.

“Pat (Riley) worked him and about a half-dozen guys out as part of a big picture look,” a team spokesman said Saturday without elaborating. “Anything else is pure speculation.”

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, Riley put Curry through his paces in Chicago and scheduled the 7-footer to visit Miami early next week for another workout and a physical.

Spurs assign Danny Green to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have assigned Danny Green to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Green (#4, 6’6”, 210, 6/22/87) most recently signed with the Spurs on March 16, appearing in three games totaling 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. He originally signed with the Spurs on November 17, when he appeared in two games, totaling 6 points in 9 minutes, before being released on November 23. In between those two stints with the Spurs, Green saw action in 16 games with the Reno Bighorns, where he averaged 20.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.38 steals in 37.4 minutes per game. He shot .451 (114-253) from the field, .434 (36-83) from three-point territory and .795 (58-73) from the free throw line.

The Toros conclude the regular season tonight when they face the Texas Legends at 7:30 p.m. at the Cedar Park Center.

Sixers clinch playoff spot

Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

There was no euphoria among the 76ers.

There might have been a touch of relief, some happiness to finally have the logistics behind them. But the Sixers’ celebration felt subdued, modest, almost as if this – a playoff berth – was not the destination, but rather a necessary step along the path.

The margin of victory certainly dulled the jubilation.

The Sixers were assured of a playoff spot nearly an hour before the final buzzer sounded in Friday night’s 115-90 win over the New Jersey Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. Any excitement was stretched across two quarters instead of bottled into one explosive moment.

But mostly, this team seems primed for more.

In the moments after the game, Sixers coach Doug Collins mentioned possibly ending this regular season on a winning streak.

No champagne. No tears. No embracing.