NBA News Blog – Page 1286 – NBA Blog

Trail Blazers sign Jarron Collins to second 10-day contract

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Jarron Collins to a second 10-day contract, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho.

Portland signed Collins to a 10-day contract on March 1. He has appeared in three games for the Trail Blazers, totaling six rebounds and one assists.

Collins, 32, holds career averages of 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 15.8 minutes in 540 games (216 starts) with Utah, Phoenix, L.A. Clippers and Portland.

A 10-year NBA veteran who played collegiately at Stanford, Collins (6-11, 249) also spent the 2009 preseason with the Trail Blazers, averaging 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 14.0 minutes in four games.

Atlanta club drops lawsuit against LeBron James over planned appearance

The AP reports:

An Atlanta nightclub has dismissed a lawsuit against Miami Heat star LeBron James.

The Opera nightclub had filed a complaint Monday in Fulton County Superior Court accusing James of canceling a March 17 appearance for which he was supposed to be paid $25,000. It also accused the owners of the rival Gold Room nightclub in Atlanta of instead arranging a visit there.

Carlos Boozer day-to-day with ankle sprain

The AP reports:

Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle and could be out for as much as a week.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Thursday that the power forward could be out “anywhere from a couple days to a week” after he was injured in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 101-84 win at Charlotte.

Boozer was going for a layup when he was knocked to the floor on a flagrant foul by Kwame Brown. His leg bent awkwardly, his ankle twisting, and he limped off the court.

X-rays and an MRI confirmed the extent of the injury.

“It was a hard foul, but that’s part of it,” Thibodeau said. “You just have to move on, get ready for the next game.”

Marco Belinelli fined for foul on Shawn Marion

Marco Belinelli of the New Orleans Hornets has been fined $10,000 for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Belinelli was initially called for a Flagrant Foul, Penalty One against Shawn Marion of the Dallas Mavericks. The league office has upgraded the call to a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two.

The incident occurred with 5:53 remaining in the third quarter of the Hornets 93-92 win over the Mavericks at New Orleans Arena on Wednesday, March 9.

Thunder assign Byron Mullens to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned center Byron Mullens to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

During his two previous assignments in Tulsa this season, Mullens appeared in six games (six starts) and averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 31.7 minutes.

Mullens will be in uniform tomorrow night when the 66ers take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the Tulsa Convention Center.

Hornets hire Ed Lang as CFO

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have hired Ed Lang as the Chief Financial Officer for the team. Lang comes to New Orleans following 13 years with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

Lang will oversee financial operations, human resources, information technology, facility operations, and administrative components for the Hornets, including serving as the primary contact for the NBA in related matters.

“We’re excited to have Ed join our family as he brings a wealth of business knowledge from both the sports and non-sports industries,” said Hornets President Hugh Weber. “He has an extensive background in finance and business functions, and we know he will be a tremendous asset to our team.”

Lang joined the Nashville Predators in 1997 as one of the team’s first employees, after having been instrumental in assisting former team owner Craig Leipold in securing the expansion franchise. He began as the organization’s Vice President/CFO and was named Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration/CFO in 2005. In 2007, he became President of Business Operations for the Predators taking on the responsibilities for the franchise’s business operations, which included ticket operations, sales, sponsorship sales, broadcasting, marketing, communications and development, administration and finances.

“This is a great opportunity to be a part of the Hornets family, and I am more than thrilled to now call New Orleans home,” said Lang. “This team has such a bright future ahead, and I’m excited to help lead the charge in our business operations side.”

Prior to joining the Predators, Lang worked for S.C. Johnson and Son in Racine, Wis. for 12 years. He served in a variety of business and financial capacities, including venture manager for the office of the chairman, financial support manager, North America professional markets; and financial project manager, corporate financial analysis.

A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Lang is a 1985 Indiana University graduate with a B.S. in finance and received his MBA from Marquette University in 1992. He and his wife, Rita, have two sons, Eddie and Andrew. Lang is an outdoor enthusiast and has competed in numerous triathlons, marathons and cycling events and also enjoys skiing and mountain climbing.

Michael Jordan thinks Derrick Rose deserves 2010-11 NBA MVP

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports:

Michael Jordan receives massive standing ovations whenever he returns to the United Center, as he will Saturday night for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Bulls’ first NBA championship in a ceremony with former broadcaster Jim Durham as host.

But there might be a few extra decibels involved given what His Airness said about Derrick Rose in a rare interview Wednesday night.

“MVP of the season,” the Bobcats owner said Wednesday night after the Bulls downed his team 101-84. “He deserves it. He’s playing that well, without a doubt.”

Then Jordan offered that sly smile.

“And if he doesn’t get it, now he will see how I felt a lot of those years,” the Bulls’ Hall of Famer said…

“I wish man,” Rose said. “It’s great that he said that. It’s an honor. I’m speechless. But I’m just trying to keep winning. The award will come if we keep winning. I’m just trying to play hard and aggressive and with an edge.”

Kevin Love passes Moses Malone with 52nd double-double in row

The AP reports:

Kevin Love passes Malone with 52nd double-double in row

The hardest part of what turned out to be a historic night for Kevin Love was deciding whether he was going to play at all.

With a bulky brace wrapped around his bruised and swollen left knee, the Minnesota Timberwolves star didn’t decide to give it a go until about 20 minutes before tipoff. Once he did, he made extending the longest double-double streak in 37 years look too easy.

Love recorded his 52nd double-double in a row to surpass Moses Malone for the longest such streak since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976 in the Timberwolves’ 101-75 over the free-falling Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

Love put up 16 points and 21 rebounds in just 27 minutes to help the Timberwolves win for just the 16th time this season. Love didn’t waste any time extending the streak, reaching double figures in points and rebounds with just under seven minutes to play in the first half.

Nets sign Sundiata Gaines to second 10-day contract

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

The 24-year old from the University of Georgia has appeared in three games for the Nets, averaging 5.7 points and 4.0 assists in 18.3 minutes. In 17 games with New Jersey, Toronto and Minnesota this season, he has averaged 4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest.

In 49 career NBA games, including 32 appearances with Utah in 2009-10, Gaines has averaged 3.7 points and 1.4 assists in 8.7 minutes while shooting .431 (66-153) from the field.

Rashad McCants rejoins Texas Legends of D-League

The Texas Legends announced today that guard Rashad McCants has reported back to the team and is expected to be active for tonight’s game, as the Legends host the Sioux Falls Skyforce at 7:00 PM at HP Court inside Dr Pepper Arena.

McCants, 26, was assigned to the Legends from the Dallas Mavericks training camp and played in three games with Texas, before exploring options overseas. He becomes one of four Legends players to have been drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

In his three games with the Legends earlier this season, McCants averaged 12.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists, including a season-high 20 points in his first game with the team against Austin.

Despite leaving the storied college program of the University of North Carolina after just three years, McCants ranks 14th all-time in scoring at the school and is tied for second with 221 career three-point field goals. He also helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2005 National Championship.

He was drafted in the first round (14th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. McCants played in parts of four seasons with the T-Wolves and later the Sacramento Kings. In 249 career NBA games, the guard has averaged 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Chris Roberts, a 22-year-old guard out of Bradley University, was also acquired via the available player pool. He played in one game at the start of the season with the Idaho Stampede, in which he scored four points and grabbed two rebounds. Roberts has appeared on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays five times, including his 75-foot buzzer beater to defeat Oakland in the 2009 Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament Quarterfinal. Roberts will also be active for tonight’s contest.