NBA News Blog – Page 1452 – NBA Blog

Albuquerque Thunderbirds to move, become New Mexico Thunderbirds

The Thunderbirds today announced plans to relocate to the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, NM, following the conclusion of the 2009-10 NBA D-League regular season. In conjunction with the move to Rio Rancho, the team will also be rebranding itself as the New Mexico Thunderbirds.

The New Mexico Thunderbirds will begin play at the Global Spectrum managed facility in late 2010.

“We are so grateful to all of the loyal and passionate T-Birds fans for supporting the team over the past five years and helping us to deliver top notch NBA minor league professional basketball action to Albuquerque,” said team owner Jackie Bregman. “We hope all of our fans will continue to love and support the team as we move north into this beautiful arena. We are truly excited to be rebranding the team as the New Mexico Thunderbirds because we want to reach out to the entire statewide community.”

Santa Ana Star Center is a $47 million facility with 165,000 square feet of extended floor space. It will seat approximately 6,000 during Thunderbirds games. The venue has 1,400 parking spaces, 500 club seats and 26 private luxury suites and is designed to meet all ADA specifications to accommodate guests with disabilities.

“We are very excited that we were able to come to an agreement to make Santa Ana Star Center the new home of the New Mexico Thunderbirds,” said Global Spectrum’s Gunnar Fox, General Manager of the Santa Ana Star Center. “This allows us to offer our community an NBA caliber product combined with fun for the whole family.”

The team will play its final game at Tingley Coliseum on March 13 when the T-Birds host the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Report: Blazers to sign Travis Diener

On Monday, the Indiana Pacers waived guard Travis Diener, who has been unhealthy most of the season. He played just four games, registering statistics too small to be worth posting.

But despite his lack of productivity, according to a report from Yahoo, the Portland Trail Blazers will sign Diener when he clears waiver.

The 6-1, 175-pound Diener has an NBA career average of 4.9 points and 2.5 assists per game, playing for the Pacers and Orlando Magic.

Pacers waive Travis Diener

The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have waived guard Travis Diener.

The 6-1 Diener had played in just four games this season, largely due to an injury to the big toe on his left foot that required surgery. In his previous two seasons with the Pacers, Diener played in 121 games and averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 assists. He was signed as a free agent in 2007 after playing two years in Orlando.

“We want to thank Travis for his time with us,” said Pacers President of Basketball Larry Bird. “Unfortunately, he struggled with injuries while with us and that held him back. He’s a tough player who I’m sure will contribute somewhere in the NBA. We wish him the best.”

Andray Blatche scores 36 on Nets

The AP reports:

Andray Blatche is starting to give Washington Wizards’ fans something to be excited about in a season of turmoil highlighted by the gun-related suspension of Gilbert Arenas and a couple of high-profile trades.

The 23-year Blatche continued to thrive being the new leader of the Wizards, scoring a career-high 36 points and adding 15 rebounds in an 89-85 comeback victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night.

Newark native Randy Foye provided the winning margin with two jumpers in the final 44 seconds but Blatche, who has averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds over his last seven games, almost single-handedly carried Washington in this one.

Timberwolves suspend Al Jefferson after arrest

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Timberwolves basketball player Al Jefferson was arrested and booked into jail early this morning for allegedly driving drunk, according to jail records, and the Wolves immediately responded by suspending their leading scorer for two games.

Jefferson was arrested by the State Patrol at 1:08 a.m., a little more than three hours after the Wolves’ 110-91 loss to Portland at Target Center, and was brought to the Hennepin County Jail shorty after 2 a.m., according to the State Patrol and jail records. He was released at 3:19 a.m…

That’s a penalty that will cost Jefferson, the Wolves’ highest-paid player who earns $12 million in the second season of a five-year, $65 million contract, roughly $293,000 in lost wages.

Shaq to have right thumb surgery

Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal traveled to Maryland today with Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker from The Cleveland Clinic for additional evaluation of his right thumb sprain by Dr. Thomas Graham at the National Hand Center in Baltimore.

O’Neal is now scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the thumb Monday morning at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Graham, with Dr. Parker assisting.

His status will be updated following the surgery and a time table for his return to play will be established at that point. We’ll update you here on InsideHoops.com when more is known.

Grizzlies assign Lester Hudson to D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies assigned guard Lester Hudson to the Dakota Wizards, the team’s NBA Development League’s affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Hudson, who will make his third D-League appearance this season, has averaged 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds on 38.2 percent shooting in 7.4 minutes in eight appearances with Memphis after he was claimed off waivers on Jan. 8. The 6-3, 190-pound guard has posted 2.3 points and 0.8 rebounds on 38.5 percent shooting in 5.4 minutes in 24 total games this season with the Grizzlies and Boston Celtics, who originally selected him with the 58th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Hudson averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 39.7 percent shooting in 28.0 minutes in five games with the Maine Red Claws during his first two D-League stints (Dec. 15-20, Dec. 26-30). The 25-year-old scored a D-League career-high 25 points on Dec. 16 at Erie while also collecting seven rebounds and a D-League career-best six assists.

Cavaliers recall Danny Green from D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled guard/forward Danny Green from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Green was assigned to Erie on Feb. 24 and played in two games (one start) with the BayHawks, averaging 25.5 points on .415 shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 1.0 block in 35.5 minutes per game. In his most recent game with the BayHawks against the Dakota Wizards on Feb. 26, he scored a game-high 36 points on 13-28 shooting (.464), including making 6-12 (.500) from three-point range, and added team highs of nine rebounds and three steals in 44 minutes.

The BayHawks are the D-League affiliate of the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Kidd, Hawks coach have sideline run-in

ESPN reports:

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson drew an unusual technical foul with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks.

Down 97-95, Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd noticed Woodson standing on the court and drove into him, causing the contact and foul.

Woodson and Kidd argued after the play, and both had to be restrained from one another.

Dirk Nowitzki made the ensuing technical free throw, and the Mavericks went on to win in overtime, 111-103.

Carlos Arroyo arrested: traffic violation, resisting arrest

Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports:

Carlos Arroyo arrested for traffic violation and resisting arrest

Heat point guard Carlos Arroyo was arrested Friday in Coral Gables and is facing charges for a traffic violation and resisting arrest.

According to the arrest report, Arroyo was spotted at 8:41 a.m. driving slow enough along the 7100 block of Old Cutler Road to the point that he was said to be impeding traffic.

Arroyo apparently was on his way to the Heat’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. He did not attend the workout in advance of Saturday’s game against Milwaukee…

Arroyo, 30, eventually stopped but “attempted to resist” being handcuffed when he exited his car. He was also accused of being “confrontational and challenging” and “posing a threat to both himself and officers,” the report said.