NBA News Blog – Page 1334 – NBA Blog

After heart attack, Jim Petersen back behind microphone

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Timberwolves television broadcaster Jim Petersen returned to work Saturday night, three days after suffering a heart attack he said was nowhere near the “mild” one the team reported he had after Wednesday morning’s shootaround.

Petersen credits a telephone call to team physician Sheldon Burns with saving his life. Burns urged him to call paramedics immediately rather than wait for his wife to arrive home after he went from experiencing slight discomfort in his chest to a crushing pain in a matter of minutes.

Within 50 minutes after calling for help, Petersen rested in the hospital with a stent in his heart to open what he called a 100 percent blockage.

David Lee returns; Dorell Wright hits 9 three-pointers

Toronto Raptors Linas Kleiza goes to the basket against Golden State Warriors David Lee (L) during the second half of their NBA basketball game in Toronto, November 8, 2010. REUTERS/Mark Blinch (CANADA - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

David Lee wasn’t sure how his body would respond in his return from an eight-game layoff because of an infected elbow.

But it was pretty clear how his teammates were going to respond.

Even before Saturday’s game against Minnesota, the Warriors’ locker room had a different buzz than in the past two weeks. It showed on the court to the tune of a 104-94 victory over the Timberwolves at the Target Center.

“I’m no savior,” Lee said. “The biggest thing I’m trying to bring is a positive attitude. Everybody gets down from time to time. Our morale is a little down right now. We need a little pick-me-up. That’s what I’m trying to do.” …

Dorell Wright had a franchise-record nine three-pointers and a career-high 30 points, Ellis and Curry combined for 46 points on 16-for-30 shooting and 17 assists, and Biedrins had 12 rebounds in 24 minutes.

President Obama gets 12 stitches for lip injury while playing basketball

Tahman Bradley and Stephanie Smith of ABC News report:

President Obama needed 12 stitches on his upper lip after he was inadvertently hit this morning while playing basketball with friends and family at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.The president was playing defense when Rey Decerega, an opposing player, turned into him to take a shot and his elbow hit Obama in the mouth.

“I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport,” Decerega, who works for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, said in a written statement. “I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I’m sure he’ll be back out on the court again soon.” …

The injury occurred in the last of the five games Obama was playing with his friends, which included his nephew, Avery Robinson, personal aide Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

InsideHoops.com says: The picture above is old, but the video below is of Obama after the above incident.

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Bulls sign John Lucas III

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard John Lucas III. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Lucas III (5-11, 165) saw action in five preseason games with the Bulls and averaged 2.2 ppg and 0.8 apg in 6.4 mpg.

Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2005, Lucas spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets (2005-07) and appeared in 60 regular season contests. While with the Rockets he averaged 3.1 ppg, 0.8 apg and 0.7 rpg in 8.2 mpg, and shot .396 from the field, .250 from behind the arc and .789 from the line.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 14 players.

Nets assign Terrence Williams to D-League

The New Jersey Nets have assigned second year guard/forward Terrence Williams to their NBA Development League affiliate, The Springfield Armor, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“After discussing the situation with Avery over the last several days, I feel the best course of action for Terrence and the team at this time is for him to play in the D-League,” said King. “He is currently on the inactive list and this move will allow him to play until he is once again placed on the active list. There is no timetable on his return to the active list, and Terrence’s future status will be addressed at the appropriate time.”

Williams was selected 11th overall by New Jersey in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. The Louisville product has appeared in 86 career games for the Nets, averaging 8.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.9 apg. This season, Williams has played in eight contests, with averages of 6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.0 apg.

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Heat assign Dexter Pittman to D-League

The Miami Heat announced today that Dexter Pittman has been assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. The Skyforce are the Heat’s NBA D-League affiliate.

Pittman was originally drafted by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft and has yet to appear in a regular season game. He did appear in three games (all starts) for the Heat during summer league play and averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.67 blocks and 19.1 minutes.

Pittman will be available for the Skyforce’s home opener tomorrow night vs. the Dakota Wizards at 7PM.

Texas Legends (D-League) sign Joe Alexander

The Texas Legends today announced that they have claimed former University of West Virginia sharp-shooting forward Joe Alexander off of waivers.

Alexander, 23, joins Antonio Daniels, Reece Gaines, Rashad McCants and Sean Williams as the fifth Texas Legend who was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

The Milwaukee Bucks took Alexander eighth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft and that season he became the first ever Taiwanese-born NBA player.

Alexander also lived in China for six years where he became conversant in Mandarin, which is an interesting connection to part owner of the Legends, Sonny Xiao, who recently became the first Chinese-born owner of an NBA or NBA D-League team.

During his junior year at West Virginia, the 6’8”, 230 pound Alexander was named to the All-Big East First-Team as well as an All-American Honorable Mention in leading the Mountaineers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

In his rookie season with the Bucks, Alexander appeared in 59 games, averaging 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 12.1 minutes per game, while shooting 34.8% from beyond the arc.

Alexander is no stranger to the D-League. After missing the first 41 games of the 2009-10 season with a hamstring injury, he was assigned to the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants in January. In six games (three starts) with the Mad Ants, Alexander averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.

In February, shortly after his stint in Fort Wayne, Alexander was traded to the Chicago Bulls along with Hakim Warrick in exchange for John Salmons. Alexander played in eight games for the Bulls, averaging 0.5 points and 0.6 rebounds per game in 3.6 minutes of play.

On September 20, Alexander was signed by the New Orleans Hornets, but was released on November 13 after spending the first few weeks of the NBA season on the Hornets inactive list.

Hamed Haddadi charged with assault

The AP reports:

Police say Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies and his girlfriend have been charged with assault following an altercation between the two.

Memphis police were called Thursday morning to a downtown apartment building and found Haddadi, a backup center from Iran, and his girlfriend with bruises and scratches.

The arrest report says a verbal disagreement turned physical, and both Haddadi and Goolnaz “Asal” Karbalaeinematmoeeney were taken to the Regional Medical Center for treatment.

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Knicks win fifth in row to reach .500

New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire (R) drives into the key past Toronto Raptors' Andrea Bargnani in second quarter action of the Raptors' home opener at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada on October 27, 2010. The Raptors defeated the Knicks 108-103. UPI /Christine Chew Photo via Newscom

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks were 3-13 after 16 games last season on the way to their ninth straight losing season. They hadn’t won four straight road games since 2001. And at 8-8, they are half-game behind the Miami’s Dream Team (8-7). Crazy.

“The difference [from last season] is everybody cares,” said Wilson Chandler, who had a wonderful 21-point night in which he bagged 4 of 5 3-pointers. “Losing for so long, it was like the norm. This year everybody wants to win.”

This year they have Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, playing like studs now.

“I’m not going to sit here and single me and Amar’e out as the reason we’re winning,” Felton said. “Gallo’s been great, Will’s been great, Landry (Fields) and Ronny’s been great. Me and Amar’e have been playing great but so many other guys are contributing. You can’t win with just two guys.”

Share your opinion on the New York Knicks forum.

Delonte West breaks right wrist

The AP reports:

Boston guard Delonte West left the Celtics’ game against the New Jersey Nets after breaking his right wrist.

West crashed to the ground after a layup with 2:48 left in the second quarter. He stayed there, grimacing in pain, until the medical staff came to help him. A few minutes later, he walked off, holding his right arm in his left, still in obvious pain.

Ian Thompson of SI.com reports:

It’s a big loss for the defending Eastern Conference champs, who were counting on West to help lead a second unit to relieve the burden on the starting five. Though West shoots left-handed and could eventually play with a cast, the injury left coach Doc Rivers to express hope that West could return in time for the playoffs. “It’s a compound fracture, most likely,” said Rivers. “It’s going to be a long time, let’s put it that way.”

West, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, was expected to provide backup minutes to starting point guard Rajon Rondo. Boston will hope to replace his defense and three-point shooting with 6-2 rookie Avery Bradley, the Celtics’ first-round pick who made his debut Monday in Atlanta after undergoing ankle surgery last summer.

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March 06, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center..Cleveland Cavaliers Delonte West had 27 points and 7 assists coming off the Cavaliers bench tonight..Milwaukee Buck won over the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85. Mike McGinnis/CSM.