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Houston Rockets guard Luther Head is expected to miss one week due to a sore right foot. Head also sat out Tuesday’s game with the L.A. Lakers (1/13/09).
For the season, Head only playing 14.6 minutes per game and averaging 4.8 points and 1.6 assists on 38.6% shooting.
The AP reports: NCAA president Myles Brand is being treated for pancreatic cancer, and he says the long-term prognosis is “not good.” Brand issued a statement on Saturday, the last day of the NCAA Convention. Brand was not able to attend the convention because of his condition.
USA Today reports: Brand, 66, who has led the Indianapolis-based governing body since January 2003, informed its top-level Executive Committee of the details of his illness on the final day of the associatioin’s annual convention outside Washington, D.C. He didn’t attend the four-day gathering.
The Denver Post (Benjamin Hochman) reports: The Cuban Missed Elbow Crisis has finally come to an end. The NBA decided to fine Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $25,000 for “improper interaction” with Nuggets players at halftime of Tuesday’s game at the Pepsi Center. Cuban walked onto the court and yelled at Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, who earlier threw an elbow that missed the face of Dallas forward Antoine Wright. Smith was not penalized for his actions.
The AP reports: Cuban was angered Tuesday in a 99-97 Denver victory over Dallas and stepped onto the court as the second quarter ended to complain about an elbow thrown by Smith that did not result in a foul, interaction that brought the fine. Cuban also had to be escorted off the court afte the game when he complained about a foul call that set up Chauncey Billups’ game-winning free throws in the final seconds.
Cavaliers guard Delonte West was injured in last night’s game in Chicago vs. the Bulls. He was re-evaluated at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health today by Dr. Peter Evans in Cleveland. X-rays and an MRI confirmed a non-displaced fracture of his right wrist. He is projected to be Out the next five to six weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate.
Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was re-evaluated yesterday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and today in Baltimore at The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center by Dr. Mark Myerson, and in consultation with Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker. Both evaluations showed that his left ankle was progressing as expected. He is cleared to progress in his rehabilitation work and return to court activity next week in continued preparation for a return to the active roster after that. His status will be updated as appropriate.
Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has acquired center DeSagana Diop from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for guard Matt Carroll and center Ryan Hollins.
“DeSagana is the type of player that has a natural athletic ability to block shots, rebound and defend,” Higgins said. “This is a nice complement to our roster and someone we feel will add size, depth and experience to our power positions.”
The 7-0 Diop has appeared in 468 career NBA games spread between Cleveland, New Jersey and Dallas. He has career averages of 2.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while shooting .430 from the field. In 34 games with the Mavericks this season he averaged 1.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes.
Originally drafted by the Cavaliers with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft, Diop had his best season as a professional during the 2005-06 season in Dallas, when he appeared in 81 games (45 starts) with averages of 2.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, while shooting a team-best .487 from the field and leading the Mavericks with 146 blocks. During that season he also ranked 14th in the NBA in blocks per game and set a career high with 16 rebounds and tied a career high with six blocks in 37 minutes of action versus Denver on Nov.15, 2005. Diop also appeared in 28 career postseason games in Dallas, with 22 of them coming during the Mavericks run to the 2006 NBA Finals before falling to eventual champion Miami in six games.
Carroll signed with the Bobcats as a free agent on Feb. 23, 2005 and has appeared in 289 games, averaging 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. His career three-point field goal percentage of .411 (302-735) coming into the 2008-09 season had him tied for 11th among the NBA’s all-time leaders and fifth among active players. In 34 games this season, he averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes.
Hollins is in his third NBA season and averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 18 games played for Charlotte this season. In 105 career games, Hollins has averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds for the Bobcats, who selected him with the 50th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
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The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed free-agent forward Austin Croshere to a 10-day contract.
The 6-10, 235-pound Croshere joins the Spurs after being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on 1/6. Now in his 12th NBA season, he has also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. Croshere was originally drafted 12th overall by Indiana in the 1997 NBA Draft.
This season Croshere appeared in 11 games with the Bucks and averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game. Over his career he has averaged 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 656 games. Croshere has also appeared in 68 playoff games where he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
The former Providence Friar enjoyed his finest NBA season in 1999-00, averaging career-highs of 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 81 regular-season games, while helping the Pacers win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. Croshere ranks among the Top-10 all-time in Pacers franchise history in games (540), 3-pointers made (376) and attempted (1,095). He is also one of just six players (Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Vern Fleming and Jeff Foster) to play for the team for at least nine seasons.
Croshere will wear uniform #22.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Brian Windhorst) reports: Delonte West, a major cog in the Cavs’ success over the last three months, suffered a nasty fall in the first quarter defending a Rose shot attempt. He suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right wrist on the rough landing in addition to opening a gash over his left eye that needed two stitches. He will have an MRI at the Cleveland Clinic this morning to determine the extent of the damage but is likely looking at being out at least 2-3 weeks. “I’ve been punched in the face many times before, I shook that off,” West said. “We’re on a roll here, we can’t have no pity party for me. I’m going to try not to feel sorry for myself, it hurts but I can still wear my pinky ring.”
The Oregonian (Jason Quick) reports (via blog): Any worries about how the Trail Blazers were going to survive without injured point guard Steve Blake were quickly put at ease Thursday by rookie Jerryd Bayless. With a performance that was part determined, part dazzling and part redemption, Bayless scored a career-high 23 points to help the Blazers grind out a 105-99 win over New Jersey at the IZOD Center. After spending the first half of the season bottled up with anxiety over not playing, frustration at not performing well in his limited chances, all the while unwavering in his confidence, the 20-year-old said Thursday’s explosion allowed him his first NBA chance to sit back and exhale… Bayless hit 6 of 9 shots, all his baskets coming off determined drives. His attacking style helped produced 11 free throw attempts, all of which were on target. He also added three assists, one turnover and three rebounds in a career-high 25 minutes.
The AP reports: The NBA said Thursday that Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith won’t be suspended for throwing an elbow that angered Dallas Mavericks coach Mark Cuban. The excitable owner might still face punishment for going onto the court to voice his displeasure with Smith. NBA spokesman Tim Frank told The Associated Press on Thursday that Smith has been cleared of any wrongdoing and “Cuban is still being reviewed.” Cuban took offense when Smith threw an elbow that barely missed Mavericks forward Antoine Wright late in the first half of Dallas’ game at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night.
The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Jermareo Davidson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today.
Davidson, who signed his first 10-day with the Warriors on January 5, has appeared in one game with Golden State, logging four minutes at Portland on January 10. Davidson began the season with the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, where he averaged 16.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in 15 games. At the time of his call-up, the 6’10’’ forward ranked first in the D-League in double-doubles (10) and third in rebounding (10.8).