Euroleague.net reports: In a week full of great individual performances, one of the Euroleague’s fastest-rising stars sparked his team to an important victory to become MVP of Top 16 Week 3. Barcelona power forward Ersan Ilyasova put on a career-best show for the home fans while leading his team back from a halftime deficit to defeat Alba Berlin 85-69 on Thursday and take exclusive hold on second place in Group F… Another power forward, Mirsad Turkcan of Fenerbahce Ulker, had the week’s second-best individual effort with an index rating of 37. Turkcan hit 8 of his 13 field-goal attempts and recorded a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds to go with 2 blocks, leading Fenerbahce to an impressive 55-65 road victory over Cibona in Zagreb. Tau Ceramica captain Sergi Vidal came off the bench to record the third best performance of the week with an index rating of 33.
Category: NBA News Blog
NBA news blog
Tony Allen out 8 weeks
The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Tony Allen underwent successful surgery to repair ligaments in his left thumb at New England Baptist Hospital. Allen will miss the next eight weeks.
Allen, a 6’4” 213lb guard, is currently in his fifth season with the Celtics and is averaging 7.8 points and 1.25 steals in 19.1 minutes per game. Allen has scored in double-figures 17 times this season in 42 contests and has led the Celtics in steals in 11 games. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy netted a season-high of 23 points against the Pistons on November 9.
Season over for Tracy McGrady
ESPN.com reports: The season has been a major disappointment for Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets. It might have just gotten worse. The forward told ESPN.com’s Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday that his troublesome left knee will end his season and that he will undergo microfracture surgery. McGrady’s name had come up earlier Tuesday in reported trade discussions between the Rockets and New Jersey Nets. The Nets were leery of McGrady’s contract and health in discussions involving Nets forward Vince Carter.
Rockets keeping McGrady and Yao
The AP reports: Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said Tuesday that oft-injured star Tracy McGrady won’t be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline.
McGrady sat out Tuesday’s game against New Jersey as he seeks input from doctors on the best course of treatment for his troublesome left knee. He’s missed 18 games this season with the injury, the aftermath of offseason surgery. He sat out another game with a sprained ankle… Alexander also said he wants to keep All-Star center Yao Ming for his entire career. Yao’s contract is due to expire after the 2010-11 season.
Tony Allen needs thumb surgery
The bench of the Boston Celtics relies on a select few guys, and one of them is going to be unavailable for a while. The Boston Globe (Marc J. Spears) reports (via blog):
Celtics president Danny Ainge said that guard Tony Allen is slated to have left thumb surgery tomorrow and he is hopeful he will return to action by the playoffs. The injury-plagued Allen suffered the injury on Feb. 8 versus San Antonio and has already missed 15 games this season to ankle and thumb injuries.
Allen this season is 7th on the team in scoring and in 19.1 minutes per game averages 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting well from two-point range but his three-point shot has been virtually nonexistent.
Miami Bucks fan blogger contest
The Milwaukee Bucks are looking for passionate and creative Bucks bloggers to enter the first-ever Bucks.com 6th Fan Blogger contest. Finalists will receive the chance to blog during an upcoming Bucks game and the overall winner will be given the opportunity to blog at additional Bucks games the balance of the season.
“Every season we see more and more of our fans sharing their opinions and observations of our team on various sites online,” said Vice President of Business Operations John Steinmiller. “This competition gives those passionate writers a chance to win a unique Bucks experience and the means to write about that experience on our team web site.
“Bucks.com consistently ranks in the top ten among NBA web sites when it comes to original content. This is another avenue of providing visitors to our site with fresh material and independent opinions.”
The contest is free and easy to enter. Fans simply need to visit Bucks.com and explain why they have what it takes to be the Bucks.com 6th Fan Blogger. The catch? They have to do it in exactly 24 words – no more and no less.
Six finalists will be chosen based on the creativity of their 24-word entries. The group will receive credentials to Milwaukee’s matinee matchup against the NBA World Champion Boston Celtics on Sunday, March 15 where they will blog about their game experience – commenting on both the action on and off the court.
The six writers will have their articles posted on Bucks.com that evening and fans will be able to decide which blog is the best via an online vote that will run through March 20. The person with the winning entry will be extended an opportunity to blog at future Bucks games. That winner will be announced at Milwaukee’s home game against Portland on March 21.
Ben Wallace gets 14 stitches in right arm
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Brian Windhorst) reports: Cavaliers forward Ben Wallace is being listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game in Toronto after suffering lacerations to his right forearm that required 14 stitches. Wallace was injured while playing catch with a football in Richmond, Va. and received stitches there. He returned to Cleveland on Monday and was treated this morning at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health for removal of additional glass pieces from his arm.
NBA to borrow $175 million
The Sports Business Journal (Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo) reports: The NBA is set to borrow $175 million Feb. 26, marking one of the first league financings since the implosion of the credit markets last fall. The money, which will be available to 15 teams, supplements an existing $1.7 billion leaguewide credit facility that uses the NBA’s media contracts as collateral to secure loans for the clubs. The NBA surveyed its teams, and 15 responded they would like to tap into the new borrowing. While the league said it is pleased to borrow in an extremely illiquid credit market, the deal came at a cost, with interest rates up to 8.27 percent, hammering home the notion that the era of cheap money in sports is over. The 15 teams can use the money for any purpose, but covering operating losses may be high on the list.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Loan me three fiddy. I want some ribs.
Hawks assign Othello Hunter to D-League
The Atlanta Hawks today assigned forward Othello Hunter to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League, according to Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.
A rookie from Ohio State, Hunter has averaged 0.6 ppg and 0.7 rpg (.429 FG%) in 10 games with the Hawks.
The Arsenal is the D-League affiliate of the Hawks, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers.
Thunder get Tyson Chandler from Hornets
The Oklahoman (Darnell Mayberry) reports (via blog): The Thunder has acquired center Tyson Chandler from New Orleans in exchange for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith, according to a league source with knowledge of the negotiations. The Thunder will also include the draft rights to Devon Hardin, the 50th overall pick in the 2008 draft.
UPDATE: The trade has officially happened. More info here.