NBA News Blog – Page 1448 – NBA Blog

Wizards sign Shaun Livingston to second 10-day contract

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Shaun Livingston to a second 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Livingston originally signed with Washington on February 26. In four games for the Wizards, Livingston has averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 assists in 9.3 minutes per game.

So far, there’s no firm reason to believe Livingston will ever make it back into the NBA permanently. It’s an uphill battle for him due to past injuries.

Grizzlies recall Hasheem Thabeet from D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies recalled center Hasheem Thabeet from the Dakota Wizards, the team’s NBA Development League’s affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

The second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet averaged a double-double with 13.8 points and 11.2 rebounds along with 3.17 blocks on 50.0 percent shooting in 31.3 minutes in six games (four starts) with Dakota after being assigned by the Grizzlies on Feb. 25.

The 7-3, 267-pound center, who led the Wizards to a 5-1 record, scored a D-League career-high 19 points on Feb. 28 at Fort Wayne and grabbed a personal-best 18 rebounds on March 5 at Tulsa.

The 23-year-old rookie is averaging 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.16 blocks (second among first-year players) in 50 games with the Grizzlies.

Jazz re-assign Kosta Koufos to D-League

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has re-assigned second-year center Kosta Koufos to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League (D-League). Koufos appeared in one game for the Flash during his first assignment this season, posting 16 points, seven rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block vs. the Maine Red Claws on January 25.

In 25 games for the Jazz this season, the 7-0, 265-pound Koufos has averages of 1.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.2 assists in 3.4 minutes. Koufos has been inactive 12 times this season and DNP-CD 22 times. He last appeared in a game on March 6 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, playing two scoreless minutes, and prior to that on February 27 against the Houston Rockets, totaling two points and a rebound in three minutes of action. The center has notched a season-high six points twice this season and also picked up a season-high eight rebounds vs. the Clippers on October 30.

Selected by the Jazz out of Ohio State in the first round (23rd overall selection) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Koufos also appeared in 10 games (all starts) while on assignment with the Flash in 2008-09, averaging 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.0 assists.

Young, Holiday shine for 76ers

The AP reports:

Even the return of All-Star Chris Bosh couldn’t help the Toronto Raptors.

Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 32 points, Jrue Holiday had 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Raptors 114-101 on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak.

“Today was just a great day,” Young said. “My teammates were looking for me and they put me in different positions.”

Bosh returned from a seven-game absence to finish with 12 points and 12 rebounds, but the Raptors still lost for the fifth time in six games…

The 76ers went 9 for 12 from 3-point range, including three by Young.

“Thad made his 3’s and I felt that jump-started us,” 76ers coach Eddie Jordan said.

Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News reports:

Young, whose inconsistency has caused him to be taken out of the starting lineup, was back among the first five yesterday because center Sam Dalembert was late for a morning meeting and did not start. Young responded, pouring in a career-high 32 points, missing just five of his 18 shots. He also grabbed five rebounds and came up with four steals.

Holiday, securely planted as the team’s starting point guard, had a solid all-around game with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Though still only 19, Holiday has grown into a player who is being counted on by teammates to be a stabilizing force in the final meaningless games.

Tracy McGrady worn out

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

The Knicks hit rock bottom against the Nets, and now Tracy McGrady has hit the wall.

After playing nine straight games over his first 14 days as a Knick, in his most extensive action of the season, McGrady might sit out Monday night’s game against the Hawks in the Garden because he’s battle weary.

Getting blown out at home by the Nets by 20 points will do that to you, but in McGrady’s case it’s more physical than mental.

“It’s finally caught up to me, all these games and minutes,” McGrady said after practice in Greenburgh Sunday. “My body is hurting. For a while it was going, but I’m really tired.”

Joel Przybilla re-injures himself, needs more surgery after slip in shower

Joel Przybilla re-injures himself after slip in shower

Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon in the next few days.

Przybilla re-ruptured his right patella tendon Saturday morning after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis.

He returned to Portland today to undergo an MRI, which revealed the rupture.

Przybilla originally ruptured the tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 24 and was in Milwaukee rehabilitating the injury.

No timetable is available for his return to the court.

Wizards sign Alonzo Gee to 10-day contract

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Alonzo Gee to a ten-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Gee, 6-6, 220-pounds, has appeared in 35 games, all starts, for the Toros this season, averaging 21.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 38.2 minutes. He scored in double figures in 34 games, including a career-high 34 points in a 127-94 victory over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Jan. 6 in Austin, and recorded four double-doubles.

A member of the San Antonio Spurs at the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Gee was selected sixth overall in the 2009 NBA D-League Draft by the Toros. Last month, Gee played in the 2010 NBA D-League All-Star game and participated in the 2010 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Competition in Dallas.

A four-year contributor at Alabama, Gee averaged 15.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists during his senior season for the Crimson Tide and earned All-SEC Second Team recognition that year.

Gee will be in uniform tonight in Boston (8:00 pm on CSN-HD, ESPN, 106.7 The Fan, and 1370 Sports Radio in Baltimore) and will wear uniform #24.

Heat suspend Rafer Alston

The Miami Heat announced tonight that Rafer Alston, while having made contact with the team via text message, has made himself otherwise unavailable to the team. As a result he has been suspended indefinitely.

It’s quite possible the Heat will part ways with Alston in the coming days.

Alston, who is in his 11th NBA season, was signed as a free agent by the Heat on January 7, 2010. He has appeared in 52 games this season (38 starts) with the Heat and New Jersey Nets and has averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.96 steals and 27.3 minutes. He started all 25 games in which he appeared for Miami this season and averaged 6.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 0.92 steals and 26.2 minutes.

The Heat played at home Saturday night, beating the Atlanta Hawks 100-94. Alston was not at the game.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Alston failed to report for practice Friday, which the team did not initially disclose, and then did not appear at Saturday’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

His abrupt departure from the team came a day after he was demoted from his starting role in Thursday’s overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Alston, who was signed Jan. 7 to add punch to a shaky rotation at point guard, was benched for the final three quarters of Tuesday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors and then replaced in the starting lineup Thursday by Carlos Arroyo, not seeing any action in that game.

Tony Parker out 6 weeks with broken right hand

Late in the first half of tonight’s San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies game, Spurs point guard Tony Parker suffered a fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand. No additional details are available at this time.

We’ll update this page later tonight as more info is known.

The Spurs are already considered a lower-tier playoff team, and not true championship contenders this season. Without Parker, hope for a title would definitely be lost.

MARCH 8 UPDATE:

Earlier today in San Antonio, Tony Parker was examined by Dr. David Green. The exam confirmed that Parker has an undisplaced, stable fracture of his right fourth metacarpal. Parker will be out for approximately six weeks (surgery will not be required).

Celtics sign Mike Finley

The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has signed free agent guard/forward Michael Finley to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Finley, a 6’7”, 225 lbs guard/forward, has posted career averages of 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists and was a member of the 2007 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. The former Wisconsin Badger is a two-time All-Star and has netted over 17,000 career points. A member of the 1996 All-Rookie First Team, Finley has appeared in 111 career playoff games gaining averages of 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and a three-point field goal percentage of 39.1 percent. In postseason play among all active NBA players, Finley ranks third in career three-point field goals made (197) and sixth in playoff free throw percentage (.865).