Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Dallas Mavericks unveil Dirk Nowitzki statue outside arena

Via the Forth Worth Star-Telegram:

The Dallas Mavericks unveiled a statue to honor Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki prior to their game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nowitzki statue depicts his famous one-legged jumper, a shot that changed the game. He was a unicorn when he got to the U.S.; a 7-footer who could shoot, pass and dribble and wasn’t just a back-to-the-basket guy. Now, those skills aren’t rare to see in big men. They’re basically required.

The The tributes for Notwitzki officially started in 2019 with Dirk Nowitzki Way, a street that was renamed in Dallas to honor the greatest Mavericks player of all time. Then in January, the Mavs retired his No. 41 jersey. Then in September, Germany retired the No. 14 jersey he wore for his country.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry injury update: out two more weeks

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder on December 14 at Indiana and has missed the team’s last four (4) games, was recently re-evaluated. The re-evaluation, according to the team, indicated that Curry is making good progress.

He will be re-evaluated again in two (2) weeks.

Nuggets forward Jeff Green sustains finger and hand injuries

Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green sustained a left finger sprain and hand fracture in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

He will be re-evaluated in four weeks and updates will be provided as necessary.

The Nuggets are 20-11 this season, which ties them with the Memphis Grizzlies for the best record in the Western conference.

Coming off the bench for most of the season, Green is averaging 7.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game.

Kings center Domantas Sabonis reportedly sustains hand injury

Via the Sacramento Bee:

Kings center Domantas Sabonis faces an uncertain prognosis after sustaining a hand injury in Friday’s loss to the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center.

X-rays confirmed Sabonis suffered an injury to his right hand in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 125-111 loss to the Wizards, sources told The Sacramento Bee on Saturday, confirming a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

No status change expected just yet for Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla

Via the Boston Herald:

[Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad] Stevens said the Celtics have not had recent conversations about Joe Mazzulla’s title. Mazzulla remains the Celtics’ interim head coach, and that status is likely to stay at least for the foreseeable future.

“We haven’t really even like talked about it recently,” Stevens said. “Our focus has been on how to make this team and staff and give everything we need to make sure we’re as good as we can be. He’s running the show. The title is the title and we’ll have updates at a later date on all that other stuff. But he’s doing a good job and he’s running it like the head coach runs it.”

Stevens expressed great confidence when he named Mazzulla the interim head coach on the eve of training camp after the Celtics issued a season-long suspension to Ime Udoka.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane close to return

Via the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

The Memphis Grizzlies could get an early Christmas present as Desmond Bane was upgraded to questionable on Thursday ahead of the team’s matchup at the Phoenix Suns Friday (9 p.m., Bally Sports Southeast/ESPN).

Bane has missed 17 games since being out with a sprained right toe suffered on Nov. 11. On Dec. 7, the Grizzlies said he’d miss at least three-to-four additional weeks as he began a gradual re-loading protocol.

The Grizzlies are 19-11 this season, which ties them with the Denver Nuggets for the best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Ja Morant at 27.0 PPG, Bane at 24.7 PPG, Dillon Brooks at 18.0 PPG, and Jaren Jackson Jr. at 16.4 PPG.

Suns guard Devin Booker remains out

Via the Arizona Republic:

Devin Booker will miss his third straight game with groin soreness Friday against the West-leading Grizzlies (19-11) at Footprint Center to end a four-game homestand.

The Suns All-Star guard hasn’t played since scoring a season-high 58 points in Saturday’s comeback win over the Pelicans. Phoenix (19-13) is coming off a 113-110 loss to Washington, which had lost 10 in a row.

The Suns are currently 4th in the Western conference.

Thunder forward Jaylin Williams out with concussion

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams sustained a concussion during last night’s Oklahoma City Blue game and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Williams will now begin the NBA-mandated Return-to-Participation Protocol. This process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities. There is no predetermined timetable to complete the protocol, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

NBA penalizes Knicks for early free agency discussions on Jalen Brunson

The NBA announced today the New York Knicks violated league rules governing the timing of this season’s free agency discussions and that the league has rescinded New York’s own second-round pick in the 2025 Draft.

From the league: “This outcome reflected a finding, following an investigation, that the Knicks engaged in free agency discussions involving Jalen Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted. The team fully cooperated with the investigation.”

Per the New York Post, “the Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 contract, and he has been worth every penny so far, leading the Knicks to an 18-13 record and their current eight-game winning streak.”