NBA News Blog – Page 1281 – NBA Blog

Hornets sign Patrick Ewing Jr. to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed forward Patrick Ewing Jr. to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ewing Jr. has 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.

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.

The Hornets roster now stands at 15.

David West will have reconstructive surgery on torn ACL as soon as possible

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

West said Friday night he plans to have reconstructive surgery to repair the damage as soon as possible, although he’ll remain with the team through the end of this road trip that concludes Sunday night in Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I wasn’t expecting this, but things like this happen,” said West. “It’s part of the game. I just landed the wrong way. I don’t know. In all honesty, I knew something was wrong because of the amount of pain I was in. I didn’t know the severity, obviously, until this morning. I wasn’t expecting ‘ACL’, but I knew there’d be some sort of damage to the knee.

“It’s just a tough time. The last couple of steps to the season … it’s not the time … you just can’t plan on thing like this to happen.”

West said there has been limited swelling in the knee, which will lessen the waiting time necessary for doctors to perform the surgery.

He has not yet decided, he said, which orthopedist will do the procedure, either Hornets team physicians or someone such as noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Jared Sullinger claims he will return to OSU for sophomore season

Dana O’Neil of ESPN reports:

Here, then, Ohio State fans is your silver lining: Jared Sullinger says he is coming back.

Sitting in the Ohio State locker room following the top-seeded Buckeyes’ 62-60 loss to Kentucky, the freshman said he would not be entering his name for the NBA draft and would return for his sophomore season.

“I’m going to be an Ohio State Buckeye next year,” he said. “This isn’t why I came here, to come in here and see my seniors in here crying. I came here to win a national championship.”

Plenty of people make pledges in the rubble of an emotional loss only to change their mind later, when the sting and suddenness of the season fades and the promise of the NBA looms.

OJ Mayo happy with Grizzlies but would have been cool with trade to Bulls

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reports:

OJ Mayo would have been cool with a trade to Bulls

O.J. Mayo was the focus of so many trade rumors last month, he figured he would get a new address.

And one in Chicago would have been fine with him.

“It would have been cool,” Mayo said before his Grizzlies took on the Bulls at the United Center. “I stay here in the offseason and work out with Tim Grover. But I’m happy (with the Grizzlies).”

The Bulls and Grizzlies could not agree to terms before the Feb. 24 trade deadline so the Bulls kept their roster intact, and Mayo continued in his role with Memphis.

“Scoring off the bench,” he called it.The 6-foot-4 guard entered Friday’s game having drained four of his last five 3-pointers.

“A big-time scorer,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Rudy Gay has surgery on left shoulder

Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay underwent season-ending surgery today to repair a left shoulder subluxation, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla.

Gay, who originally suffered the injury on Feb. 15 vs. Philadelphia, will begin his post-operative rehabilitation and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2011-12 season.

Memphis has recorded a 9-6 record (.600) in Gay’s absence, with 10 of those games coming against current playoff teams.

The 6-8, 240-pound forward averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his fifth NBA season while posting career highs in assists (2.8), steals (1.69), blocks (1.07), field goal percentage (.471), three-point field goal percentage (.396), free throw percentage (.805) and minutes (39.9).

The 24-year-old holds career averages of 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .457 shooting in 36.0 minutes in 372 games, all with the Grizzlies.

David West has a torn ACL in left knee

An MRI revealed today that Hornets forward David West has a torn ACL in his left knee. He is out for the season and the timetable for his return will be announced at a later date.

The injury occured with 22.5 seconds left in the 4th quarter of last night’s OT win in Utah. He did not return to the game.

“Obviously we are very saddened by this news,” Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said. “David is the ultimate warrior and competitor, but an even better person and we know that he will bounce back in time.”

West has appeared in 70 games this season, averaging a team-high 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds.

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Nets G Sundiata Gaines suffers fractured hip

Nets point guard Sundiata Gaines has suffered a fractured right hip, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Gaines was injured in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game at Cleveland. Gaines will be on crutches for six to eight weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation.

The 24-year old from University of Georgia has appeared in 10 games with the Nets this season, averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 assists in 14.6 minutes.

Spurs sign Da’Sean Butler

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed forward Da’Sean Butler. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Butler, a 6-7, 230-pound forward out of the University of West Virginia, will be placed on the inactive list while continuing to rehab from a torn left ACL which he suffered in the 2010 Final Four against Duke on April 3.

Butler was originally selected by the Miami Heat with the 42nd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He signed with the Heat on August 30, but was later waived on October 25.

Butler played four seasons with the Mountaineers finishing his career with 107 career wins, the most in school history. As a senior he was named First Team All-Big East, averaging a team-high 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 38 games.

As a junior Butler was named Second Team All-Big East, averaging a team-best 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.29 steals in 35 games. During his sophomore season, Butler started all 37 games, averaging 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting a career-best .495 (186-376) from the field. Butler was selected to the Big East All-Rookie Team as a freshman, averaging 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.28 steals in 36 games.

For his career Butler started in 110 of 146 games for the Mountaineers, averaging 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.06 steals while shooting .448 (741-1,654) from the field, .353 (205-581) from three-point range and .732 (408-557) from the foul line. He scored 2,095 points during his career, ranking third in school history behind Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley. Butler also ranks among school leaders in career double-figure scoring games (1st, 108), field goals (3rd, 741), three-pointers (4th, 205), free throws (5th, 408), rebounds (11th, 800) and steals (12th, 154).

Butler will wear #1 for the Spurs.

Mavs reach 11th straight 50-win season

The AP reports:

Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Jason Terry added 18 points and the Mavericks rallied in the fourth quarter for a 104-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, giving Dallas 50 wins for the 11th straight season.

Shawn Marion added 17 points and Peja Stojakovic had 16 to help the Mavericks win for the third time in four games.

Anthony Randolph had a career-high 31 points with 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who’ve lost their last five games and are without injured All-Star forward Kevin Love.

English basketball funding cut before London 2012 Olympics

The AP reports:

Funding for basketball has been cut in England just after the British team was granted a spot in the London 2012 Olympics.

Sport England says the organization that runs the national youth teams and grass roots basketball in England will have to cope with $1.9 million less for the next two years.

The cut is due to the number of adults playing basketball at least once a week dropping by almost 20 percent in the last two years to 154,100.