NBA News Blog – Page 1594 – NBA Blog

Zydrunas Ilgauskas out 2+ weeks

Cavaliers Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas underwent a follow-up examination of his left ankle at The Cleveland Clinic today.

He originally injured his left ankle during the December 10th game at Philadelphia. Since recovery from the injury had plateaued, another MRI and X-rays were performed. The original MRI taken immediately following the injury was consistent with a lateral ankle sprain.

The results of today’s MRI revealed a small chip fracture in the posteromedial talus of his left ankle, as well as the recovering sprain.

Ilgauskas will now undergo continued treatment including a period of left ankle immobilization to enhance healing over the next two weeks and his status will be updated after that as appropriate.

Pistons assigning two to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they will assign guard Alex Acker and rookie forward Walter Sharpe to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, on Friday, January 2.

Acker has appeared in five games this season averaging 1.4 points and 0.4 rebounds in 3.0 minutes per game. He was originally drafted by the Pistons with the 60th overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Sharpe was drafted by Seattle with the 32nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Pistons on draft night in exchange for draft rights to D.J. White, the 29th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He has appeared in three games this season, averaging 0.7 points in 2.3 minutes per game.

No timetable has been set for their return.

Dwyane Wade has migraine headaches

The Miami Herald (Michael Wallace) reports: Another bout with migraine headaches forced Dwyane Wade to wear tinted goggles during Friday’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. Wade, who missed two practices last month because of migraines, said he wore them to help him deal with sensitivity to lights. He said he did not expect to wear the goggles Saturday. ”I’m just protecting my eyes [after] minor headaches,” Wade said. “They [teammates] said I look like a fool. But that’s all right.”

PJ Brown is retired

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (Jimmy Smith) reports: For all those NBA teams — the Hornets included — who were hoping for yet another comeback by veteran forward P.J. Brown, there’s no good news in the new year. Brown said Wednesday he is officially retired. “My career ended June 17,” Brown said of the day he became a world champion when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2008 NBA title. Brown had left a voice message to The Times-Picayune to that effect nearly five months ago, on Aug. 7, but would never use the “R” word.

Rockets re-sign Dikembe Mutombo

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the Rockets have re-signed unrestricted free agent center Dikembe Mutombo. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.

Mutombo (7-2, 260, Georgetown) has averaged 9.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.76 blocked shots in 1,187 career games (995 starts) with Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston. The NBA’s first four-time recipient of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), Mutombo has averaged 3.3 points, 5.5 boards and 1.09 blocks in 258 games (83 starts) over four seasons with the Rockets. The second all-time leading shot blocker in NBA history (3,278) also stands 10th in blocked shots in Rockets annals (282). In NBA history, Mutombo ranks 17th in total rebounds (12,326), 10th in offensive boards (3,796) and eighth in defensive rebounds (8,530).

Last season with Houston, Mutombo averaged 3.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.23 blocks in 39 games (25 starts). He was also honored by Owner Leslie Alexander and the Rockets with “Dikembe Mutombo Tribute Night” on Mar. 26, 2008. Overall, Mutombo totaled 44 blocked shots (1.76 bpg) over his 25 starts. In 2006-07, Mutombo became the oldest player in NBA history to post 20 or more rebounds in a game with 22 boards at Denver (3/2/07). Mutombo also posted double-digit rebounding totals in 11 consecutive games (12/27/06-1/16/07), which was the fourth longest such streak of his career (16 games: 3/22/93-4/21/93; 15 games: 3/24/99-4/16/99; 14 games: 12/9/92-1/8/93).

Thunder hire Ron Adams as assistant coach

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has hired Ron Adams as an assistant coach.

Adams brings 17 years of NBA coaching and player personnel experience to the Thunder. Most recently, Adams spent six seasons with the Chicago Bulls serving as an assistant coach, under three different head coaches, in his first five years. Most recently he held a personnel position as a Special Assignments Scout for the Bulls.

Prior to joining the Bulls, Adams worked as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Philadelphia 76ers (1994-96) and San Antonio Spurs (1992-1994). He also spent two seasons as a player personnel scout for the Portland Trail Blazers (1996-98).

Adams spent many years at the collegiate level, including being named head coach at Fresno State in 1972. The Fresno Pacific graduate started his coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1972 and held similar positions at U.S. International, UC-Santa Barbara, Fresno State and UNLV.

Adams brings a wealth of international coaching experience having served as a coach and consultant to the Canadian national basketball program, two Japanese basketball teams and the Belgian national basketball program.

Adams will be on the bench tonight as the Thunder host the Golden State Warriors.

Charles Barkley arrested: DUI suspicion

The AP reports: Former NBA star Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving early Wednesday morning. An officer with a law enforcement task force that targets drunken driving saw Barkley run a stop sign around 1:30 a.m., said Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler. Barkley declined to submit to a breath test but was given a blood test. The results weren’t immediately available.

Blazers score with six players on court

Tuesday night in Portland the Trail Blazers are hosting the Boston Celtics and late in the second quarter were losing to the visitors 44-38. But they got a late first half basket using six players on the court.

A video clip of this has been added below (scroll down).

With 10 seconds left in the half, Portland took a 20-second timeout. A Blazers substitution brought Jerryd Bayless into the game. Greg Oden was supposed to leave the game, but he didn’t.

So, after the timeout, Bayless inbounded the basketball to Steve Blake. With time ticking down, Blake lobbed it down to Oden outside the left paint near the rim, who quickly flipped it to Travis Outlaw on the right side of the paint, who threw down an open dunk.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Fernandez were also on the court for the Blazers, giving them six players versus Boston’s five.

At this point I’m leering at the 200-inch 1080P 120mhz InsideHoops.com home office HD LCD television (valued at $75,000) and laughing.

On the court for the Celtics was their starting lineup: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins

Before Blake threw the pass, Kevin Garnett was guarding Aldridge at the left free throw corner. Oden was unguarded behind KG near the basket just outside the left paint. When Garnett spotted Oden he yelled/motioned for help (or was yelling that there are six Blazers men on the floor). Perkins, who was around the right side of the paint, responded.

Perkins switched over to guard Oden as Blake lobbed it inside, so Oden quickly flipped it to the now wide-open Outlaw, who crammed home the easy dunk with 3 seconds left, making it 44-40.

InsideHoops.com is 95 percent certain it was Oden who should have come out.

The Celtics went wild protesting. But the amazing result was that the referees, who did not notice the problem until after the dunk, actually counted the basket for the Blazers but issued a technical foul on them, putting Ray Allen on the line for a free throw, which he hit, putting Boston up 45-40, the score going into halftime.

Is this the rule? Did the referees handle this correctly? If so, the Blazers actually benefitted from this!

What if a team intentionally put six men on the floor, almost always scored as a result, and only gives up a single technical foul free throw each time. Right? Of course, that would only work if they managed to score before the refs noticed there were too many players on the court, so they’d have to get it done very quickly before the tech gets called. It could work, for a few plays every now and then!

This was wild.

–InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.

Carlos Boozer needs knee surgery

Utah Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer is a key part of the team, but like so many other players on the squad this season, injury has been his worst opponent. So far in 2008-08 Boozer has played just 12 games, and he hasn’t played since November 19.

It appears he’ll be out longer, probably for another month, possibly longer. The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports:

Jazz All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer will undergo arthroscopic surgery sometime next month on his injured left knee. No specific date for the operation is set, but the team is targeting Jan. 9… A timetable for Boozer’s continued absence will not be released until sometime after the surgery, though O’Connor said he expects Boozer to be out at least another month.

With 19 wins and 14 losses, the Jazz have actually done fairly well considering the amount of injuries they’ve suffered. If the season ended today they’d just only miss the 8th spot of the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker that they’d lose to the Phoenix Suns.

Rockets re-sign Dikembe Mutombo

Aside from center Yao Ming and power forward Luis Scola, the Houston Rockets are pretty short up front. Carl Landry is strong but a modest 6’9″, and Chuck Hayes is listed at just 6’6″. But now Houston has brought back the Cookie Monster. The Houston Chronicle (Jonathan Feigen) reports:

The Rockets reached an agreement with veteran center Dikembe Mutombo on Tuesday, Rockets GM Daryl Morey said. Mutombo was signed for the remainder of the season at a pro-rated veteran’s minimum contract… “I almost haven’t touched a ball in six months. I shoot the ball in the park with my kid. I am not a shooter anyway,” said Mutombo, a career 52 percent shooter. “As long as I can rebound and block shots, that’s what’s important.”

Mutombo played 39 games for Houston last season, averaging 3.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on good shooting in 16 minutes per game.

It’s a good move for the Rockets. Mutombo can come in, take up space, rebound, wave his arms around, defend, and talk funny.