NBA News Blog – Page 1278 – NBA Blog

Jimmer Fredette named AP Player of Year

Tim Gardner of USA Today reports:

Brigham Young guard Jimmer Fredette, who led the Cougars to the Sweet 16 this season, was named the Associated Press’ player of the year Friday in Houston.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey was also honored as the AP’s coach of the year.

Fredette, who led the Division I by averaging 28.5 points per game, helped BYU win the Mountain West’s regular-season title. He earned 48 first-place votes from the 65-member panel.

Connecticut’s Kemba Walker finished second with 11 votes, followed by Duke Nolan Smith (5) and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger (1).

Lakers eliminate Jazz from playoff race

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points, Lamar Odom added 16 and the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 17-point first-half deficit Friday night to beat Utah 96-85 and eliminate the Jazz from the playoff race.

Utah (36-40) becomes the first team in NBA history to start 15-5 and 27-13 and not make the playoffs.

The Lakers outscored the Jazz 52-35 in the second half to win their ninth straight game, and pull within 1 1/2 games of first-place San Antonio in the Western Conference.

C.J. Miles scored 24 points for Utah, which started its 17th different lineup and had only nine healthy players, including one who just joined the team two days earlier and was playing out of position.

The game in all likelihood was the last in Salt Lake City for Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has said this will be his final season.

Matt Barnes suspended one game for actions during Lakers-Mavericks altercation

Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended one game without pay for escalating an on-court altercation and actions following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 9:23 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 110-82 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on March 31. Barnes will serve his suspension tonight when the Lakers visit the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena.

Have a reaction? Fans are discussing it in this forum topic.

Knicks had interest in a Jerome Jordan return

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

If the Knicks felt a certain player named Jordan could help them in the playoffs, he would have been at practice Friday.

But Jordan, whose full name is Jerome Jordan (the center from Tulsa who the Knicks acquired last June after he was drafted at No. 44 in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks), is going to spend the rest of the season in Serbia.

“He’s under contract over there, and there was some idea that maybe they weren’t doing the right things with him, and maybe we could get him. But I think now they’re straightened out, and so he’s playing over there,” team president Donnie Walsh said.

Jordan is shooting 73 percent while averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15 minutes per game for KK Hemofarm of the Adriatic League.

Bryant scores 28 to lead Lakers over Mavs

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 110-82 in a testy affair in which four players were ejected Thursday night.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers’ Matt Barnes and the Mavericks’ Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood were thrown out following an altercation under the basket. Los Angeles’ Shannon Brown was later ejected in a separate incident.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Lakers shot 44.7 percent from the field; the Mavs only hit 36.1 percent. The Lakers hit 28-of-39 free throws; the Mavs 16-of-23. For Dallas in the loss, Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 13 rebounds, but no other starter scored more than nine points. Off the Dallas bench, Peja Stojakovic scored 13 while Jose Barea had 10.

John Wall suspended, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fined

John Wall of the Washington Wizards has been suspended one game without pay, and Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat has been fined $35,000 for their roles in an incident during a game on Wednesday, March 30. Additionally, Miami’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been fined $25,000. The penalties were announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Wall has been suspended for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, which included throwing a closed-fist and forearm into the midsection of Ilgauskas, and Howard has been fined for escalating the altercation. The incident occurred with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter of the Heat’s 123-107 victory at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Ilgauskas, who received a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, for an elbow to the face of Wall, has been fined for making an obscene gesture following his ejection.

Wall will serve his suspension on Friday, April 1 when the Wizards host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Washington junior guard Isaiah Thomas will enter 2011 NBA Draft

Washington junior guard Isaiah Thomas has decided to enter his name into the upcoming NBA Draft. The two-time first team All-Pac-10 member issued the following statement:

“Although it was a tough decision, I have decided to forego my senior season and enter my name into this year’s NBA draft. At this time I will not hire an agent. Over the past 3 years I’ve enjoyed every single minute of my Washington Husky career. I am very thankful to have played for a great coach like Coach Romar and our entire coaching staff. I have just over two quarter left to earn my degree, and I fully plan on finishing school. Also, I would like to take the time to thank all of my teammates and Husky fans for their support and the unforgettable memories. Go Dawgs!”

Coach Lorenzo Romar, who is in Houston for the NCAA Final Four, issued the following statement:

“Isaiah Thomas has had an unbelievable impact on our program during his time with us. We will definitely miss him, but we are behind him in his quest to fulfill a lifelong dream to play in the NBA.”

Thomas (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS/South Kent Prep [Conn.]), an honorable mention Associated Press All-American after averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 assists per game for the Huskies during their 2010-11 campaign, led the Pac-10 in assists, ranked fourth in scoring, 8th in steals (1.3 spg) and 8th in three-point makes per game (1.7). His 213 assists are the second most in UW single-season history.

Thomas helped the Huskies to their second-consecutive Pac-10 tournament championship and a 24-11 overall record. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament for a second time, joining Arizona’s Sean Elliott as the only two-time winner.

Thomas also led Washington with 15.5 points and 7.5 assists in the Huskies two NCAA tournament games.

Thomas ended his junior season ranked among the Huskies all-time leader in points (1,721/6th), assists (415/3rd), 3-point makes (164/3rd) and steals (122/8th).

Bobcats center Joel Przybilla will not play again this season

Bobcats center Joel Przybilla out for rest of season

Charlotte Bobcats center Joel Przybilla will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2010-11 season after continued pain and immobility in his right knee. Last season, Przybilla had season ending surgery to repair a ruptured patella tendon. He will undergo an additional procedure to remove surgical hardware (wires) that were inserted to help attach and repair the tendon.

A 7-1 center, Przybilla was selected by Houston with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft before having his rights traded to Milwaukee. In 553 NBA games with Milwaukee, Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte, he holds career averages of 4.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while connecting on .568 from the field. Przybilla has also appeared in 10 career postseason games with the Bucks and Trail Blazers. This season, he has appeared 36 games total, including five with the Bobcats, with averages of 1.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes.

The Bobcats acquired Przybilla along with forwards Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks, two first-round draft picks and cash considerations from Portland on Feb. 24 in exchange for Gerald Wallace.

Nets sign Mario West to 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Mario West to a 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

West, 6’5”/ 210, is a fourth-year NBA veteran with career averages of 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 156 games with Atlanta. The Georgia Tech product went undrafted in 2007 and signed with Atlanta as a free agent on October 1, 2007.

West has appeared in 42 games, all starts, with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League this season. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting .526 from the field and .365 from 3-point range. Last season with the Hawks, West appeared in 39 games, including one start, while averaging 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per contest.

West will wear No. 6 with the Nets.

Read fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Nets waive Quinton Ross

Quinton Ross

On NBA bubble

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard/forward Quinton Ross, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Ross played in 36 games for the Nets this season, making four starts, and averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Ross missed a total of 24 games due to injury throughout the season, including 15 of the last 16 games with a lower back injury.

In seven NBA seasons, Ross holds career averages of 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.