Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Kobe Bryant 61 points

Kobe Bryant scored 61 points in Madison Square Garden Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 126-117.

I was there to witness what was the most fun performance I ever remember seeing in person at an NBA game.

It was magical. And what made it even more awesome was the amount of Laker fans in NY for the game. Chants of MVP erupted repeatedly all throughout the game. And Kobe’s 61 points were created in ways every young basketball player dreams of. He unleashed crazy, absurd  moves, and was tossing jumpers in the faces of any Knicks defender who came near him.

Kobe Bryant’s 61 points in MSG is an instant hoops classic.

Below is a video of every shot Kobe made to score his 61 points. Watch and enjoy:

Read fan reaction to Kobe Bryant’s 61-point game in MSG and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Chris Paul is day-to-day

Chris Paul underwent an MRI this morning, which revealed a mild groin strain. Paul suffered the injury during the late-third quarter of last night’s loss to Portland. He is listed as day-to-day.

This is good news, as yesterday it was feared he might have a more serious injury. There was some speculation he might even miss the All-Star game, though that appears to not be the case.

Jameer Nelson health update

Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning, which revealed a torn right labrum.

Nelson dislocated his right shoulder with 9:11 remaining during the third quarter of the Magic’s loss vs. Dallas on February 2.  The course of treatment for the injury will be determined during the next week.  At that point, his playing status will be evaluated.

The information above is from 12:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 3.

Al Horford returns to practice

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports: Good luck trying to figure out who was happier to see Al Horford back on the practice floor. The Hawks’ starting center was ecstatic Monday to be at work full time after missing the last 12 games with a bone bruise in his right knee. His teammates were just as happy considering their recent struggles. The Hawks were 5-7 record without their leading rebounder and best post defender. Horford should play Wednesday at Minnesota, but that is contingent on how his knee responds.

Jameer Nelson dislocates right shoulder

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Magic all-star point guard Jameer Nelson dislocated his right shoulder playing against the Dallas Mavs on Monday night. Nelson left the game with nine minutes, 11 seconds left in the third period, either fell or ran into Mavs center Erick Dampier. He ran off the floor in a bent-over fashion after appearing to injure his right shoulder.

Joe Crawford is D-League player of week

Joe Crawford of the Los Angeles D-Fenders has been named NBA D-League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 27, 2009.  Crawford is the first Los Angeles player to earn the honor this season.    

Crawford averaged 26.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in three games for the D-Fenders. He led Los Angeles to a 2-1 record, including two wins over the first-place Idaho Stampede.

A 6-5 rookie guard from Kentucky, Crawford was the 58th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Draft. He ranks fourth in the NBA D-League with 21.3 points per game.

Other top performers last week included Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who averaged 24.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in his first two games for Austin; Josh Davis, who averaged 27.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games for the 14ers; Erik Daniels, who averaged 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in four games for the BayHawks; Othyus Jeffers, who led Iowa to a 2-1 record, averaging 24.0 points and 9.3 rebounds; Dontell Jefferson, who averaged 25.3 points and 6.6 assists in three games for Utah.

Andrew Bynum out 8-12 weeks

Results of an MRI on Andrew Bynum’s right knee showed a tear of the medial collateral ligament, it was announced today.

Bynum, who suffered the injury early in the first quarter of Saturday’s victory over Memphis after having scored seven of the Lakers’ first 13 points, will be out approximately 8-12 weeks.

The MRI was performed Sunday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Bynum was examined this afternoon by Dr. David Altchek.

Bynum, who prior to the game against Memphis had averaged 26.2 points on 65.3 percent shooting, 13.8 rebounds and 3.20 blocked shots over his previous five games, ranks among league leaders in rebounds (19th/8.2), field goal percentage (8th/.558), blocked shots (6th /1.87) and double-doubles (17th/16).

Named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, January 19 through Sunday, January 25, Bynum is averaging 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.87 blocked shots in 46 games this season.

Euroleague MVP for January is Igor Rakocevic

Euroleague.net reports: In an era when teams rely less and less on scoring stars, it might seem more than enough to state that Euroleague Basketball’s choice as January MVP, Igor Rakocevic of Tau Ceramica, is collecting points more efficiently than any player this decade. With the amazing month that Rakocevic just had, however, that would be saying too little. In addition to posting .75 points per minute so far this season – more than any Euroleague player’s full-season scoring rate since at least 2000 – Rakocevic spent January harvesting milestones and records at every turn. He started the month by setting a new Euroleague mark for consecutive free throws made while posting his career-high scoring total, 31 points, in a crucial victory that won Tau first place in its regular season group.

Nets Brooklyn arena costs keep increasing

The New York Daily News (Jotham Sederstorm) reports: The stratospheric cost of protecting the Atlantic Yards from terrorist attacks could be the death knell for architect Frank Gehry’s flashy NBA basketball arena, the Daily News has learned. The bulletproof glass facade proposed for the glitzy arena will cost a mind-blowing $625 per square foot, a source familiar with the designs told The News. “I think the owners clearly didn’t have their financing tied down for this project, and that’s going to be the biggest hurdle,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the sky-high prices associated with securing the 850,000-square-foot arena against terrorism. “With the security concerns at the arena, there’s not much you can do to make it that much cheaper,” added the source.