Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Kevin Durant removed from Raptors vs. Nets game due to COVID-19 contact tracing concerns

It was an unusual situation in Brooklyn tonight, centered around Nets star forward Kevin Durant.

Via the Toronto Star:

Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant was going to play, then wasn’t allowed to play, then got clearance to play and finally had to stop playing in the third quarter of a truly odd Nets-Raptors game in Brooklyn.

The Durant saga underscores the oddities in a testing/contact tracing world the NBA is trying to navigate through this regular season.

It put a damper on, and added considerable confusion to, a delightful offensive display by both teams but highlights the inherent difficulty with pulling off games and seasons with daily testing, contact tracing and other aspects of dealing with a raging pandemic.

The game itself was delightful as Kyle Lowry simply willed the Raptors to a 123-117 win with typical fourth-quarter brilliance.

Lowry finished with a season-high 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Pascal Siakam added 33 points as the Raptors played one of their best games of the season.

And the New York Post:

Kevin Durant was a last-minute scratch from the Nets’ starting lineup Friday night, then was inserted into the game late and finally pulled for good, all due to COVID-19 contact tracing.

Durant will not travel with the team to Philadelphia on Saturday, according to ESPN.

The NBA said in a statement that Durant was pulled from the game “out of an abundance of caution” after someone he interacted with tested positive for coronavirus after their initial test was inconclusive. The league also said Durant tested negative three times in the past 24 hours.

The entire world is learning to navigate through the the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s certainly a learning process for any event-based organizations, especially sports leagues. The NBA certainly has to examine exactly what happened today, and what to take away from this going forward.

Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal struggle in Wizards loss to Heat

Friday in Miami, the Heat defended home court, beating the Wizards in convincing fashion, 122-95. The Wizards starting lineup, including their star-studdled backcourt brought little to the table. Via the Washington Post:

Beal’s rare off night made the loss feel even more miserable as the Wizards fell to 5-14 and bungled their shot at notching back-to-back wins for just the second time this season. The guard, who leads the league in scoring and had the most all-star fan votes of any Eastern Conference guard by a healthy margin when the league released its first voting totals Thursday, had his lowest scoring game since he had seven points on Dec. 23, 2018.

He matched that tally Friday, scoring seven points while missing 13 of his 14 shots from the floor, including missing six of seven from beyond the arc. His deep ball in the third quarter was his lone field goal and the game marked the first one this year he failed to score at least 25 points, ending his record-breaking streak.

Without Beal to prop up the team and with Russell Westbrook offering a mediocre 13 points in his stead, Washington had next to no chance at matching Heat center Bam Adebayo and his supporting cast. Kendrick Nunn had a game-high 25 points, but it was Adebayo’s 21-point performance — including an astounding 11-for-11 from the free throw line in the first quarter — that got the Heat up and running with a new rotation Coach Erik Spoelstra debuted Friday, in part to contend with Westbrook.

A bright spot for the Wizards was recent new addition Alex Lex. Coming off the bench, the center shot 7 of 12 to lead the team in scoring with 18 points and five blocks in 24 minutes.

Nikola Vucevic scores 43 points in Magic win over Bulls

Magic center Nikola Vucevic had himself a night. Via the Orlando Sentinel:

The Orlando Magic went to Nikola Vucevic early and the veteran center just kept delivering.

Vucevic scored a career-high with 43 points and hit two crucial free throws with 2.6 seconds to play as the Orlando Magic held off the Chicago Bulls for a 123-119 win Friday night at Amway Center.

Evan Fournier finished with 21 points while Cole Anthony had 17 points and James Ennis had 14 for Orlando (9-14). Anthony also recorded a career-high nine assists as the Magic snapped a four-game losing streak.

Vucevic is putting up big number this season. He’s averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game, averaging 11.2 rebounds, which is one more than usual for his career, and doing his part. But the Magic as a squad have been below average on both ends of the floor so far in 2021.

LeBron James criticizes 2021 NBA All-Star game plan

The NBA will probably be playing a 2021 NBA All-Star game. Lakers superstar LeBron James did not welcome the reported news. Via the LA Times:

On the same day teams learned of an expected agreement between the NBA and its players’ association to hold the 2021 NBA All-Star game in Atlanta on March 7, Lakers star LeBron James trashed the idea, calling it a “slap in the face.”

“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star game this year,” James said. “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star game.”

If selected, he said, he’d reluctantly participate.

Considering all the travel players do over the course of the season, it doesn’t seem like a lot to fly to Atlanta for one quick extra game. But in the case of the Lakers and Heat, the two teams that played in the 2020 Finals, the offseason was a very short one, so perhaps stars on those teams could use some extra days off more than most of the league’s squads.

I hope an All-Star game does get played. Because the games are fun. It’s as simple as that. But I will understand if players who participated in the 2020 Conference Finals or league Finals might want to duck out of the action.

Mavericks flex-assign Tyrell Terry to Memphis Hustle in G League

The Dallas Mavericks have flex-assigned rookie guard Tyrell Terry to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League.

Terry (6-2, 170) has appeared in 11 games for Dallas this season, totaling 11 points in 5.1 minutes per game.

The former Stanford standout was selected by Dallas with the 31st overall pick in this past year’s draft after earning Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors in 2019-20.

The 2020-21 NBA G League season will tip off on Wednesday, Feb. 10, and feature 18 teams competing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

The Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, opted not to travel to the NBA G League’s campus. NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate participating in Orlando have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer two-way players using the league’s flexible assignment and two-way rules.

Raptors sign general manager Bobby Webster to contract extension

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed general manager Bobby Webster to a multi-year contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Webster, 36, a native of Hawaii, was named Raptors general manager in June 2017. He was one of the main architects of the 2019 NBA Championship team and has been part of a leadership team whose rosters have earned six Atlantic Division titles.

“I think everyone knows what Bobby brings to our organization: intelligence, poise, and creativity,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “I’m very pleased that our team will continue to benefit from his many skills for seasons to come.”

“It’s great to be able to continue the work of building the next Raptor championship team – a goal which is part of our organizational DNA,” Webster said. “I’m grateful to Larry Tanenbaum, MLSE ownership and leadership, our great players and staff, and the people of Toronto for making this my home for the past years, and for the future.”

Webster has also held the title of assistant general manager and vice president, basketball management and strategy. He joined the Raptors after working for the NBA league office in New York the previous seven seasons.

Heat keep losing, fall to Wizards

The Heat aren’t off to a good start this season. Via the Miami Herald:

It has been less than four months since the Miami Heat was playing in the 2020 NBA Finals. Barely more than 100 days have passed since Jimmy Butler was going toe to toe with LeBron James — and often besting the superstar — with a championship on the line.

A new season is now more than a quarter of the way done and the Heat is a shell of the team that tore through the 2020 NBA Bubble in Lake Buenva Vista. Miami hit a new low point Wednesday with a 103-100 loss to the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena.

For the second straight game, the Heat (7-14) had control deep into the second half only to let it slip away. For the second game, Miami jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half and led for the vast majority of the second half, and still managed to lose at home to one of the worst teams in the NBA…

The Heat has now lost 10 of its last 13, including 2 of 3 since All-Star forward Jimmy Butler returned after missing nearly three weeks because of the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Now, to be fair of course, lots of key Heat players have missed plenty of games. The squad proved during their run to the Finals that they have great chemistry, but that’s not much help when guys are in and out of the lineup. But at some point, it would be nice to see the Heat looking like what is expected of them.

Tonight, Miami had Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup, with Goran Dragic, and Andre Iguodala each playing over 20 minutes off the bench. But still fell, 103-100.

In the win for the Wizards, Bradley Beal scored 32, but no other DC players scored above 13. But threes-pointers hit, and the Wizards claimed victory.

Nets are much-improved in TV ratings department

The Nets are rising in the TV ratings department. Via the New York Post:

James Harden hasn’t faced the Knicks in his new Brooklyn uniform but he’s already beating them.

Harden was obtained in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 13, hours before the Nets played the Knicks at the Garden.

The Nets, since Harden’s first game, are averaging 122,000 viewers per game to the Knicks’ 111,000 viewers, based on Nielsen ratings, according to sources.

This isn’t a surprise. The Knicks are playing respectable basketball this season but are in a rebuilding state. While the Nets have three of the NBA’s best and most popular players, are still working out team chemistry, especially on the defensive end, but are focused on competing for the 2021 NBA championship and should certainly make the playoffs.

Latest NBA player coronavirus test results bring good news

Of the 482 NBA players the league has tested for COVID-19 since January 27, 2021, zero new players have returned confirmed positive tests.

The league says that anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test, or has been identified as having been in close contact to an infected person, is isolated or quarantined until they are cleared under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.

Magic sign Frank Mason III, waive Jordan Bone

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Frank Mason III to a two-way contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

In addition, the Magic have waived guard Jordan Bone.

Mason (5’11”, 190, 4/3/94) appeared in nine games last season with Milwaukee, averaging 6.9 ppg., 3.2 apg. and 2.1 rpg. in 13.1 minpg. He also played and started in 23 games with Wisconsin of the NBA G League, averaging 26.4 ppg., 5.0 apg., 3.4 rpg. and 1.13 stlpg. in 31.5 minpg., while shooting .504 (212-421) from the field, .425 (77-181) from three-point range and .815 (75-92) from the free throw line. Mason was named the 2019-20 NBA G League MVP.

Originally selected in the second round (34th overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft by Sacramento, Mason has played in 99 career NBA regular season games (two starts) with Sacramento and Milwaukee, averaging 6.8 ppg., 2.6 apg. and 1.9 rpg. in 15.5 minpg.

Mason played in 145 career games (113 starts) during four seasons at the University of Kansas (2013-17), averaging 13.0 ppg., 4.0 apg., 3.4 rpg. and 1.14 stlpg. in 30.0 minpg., while shooting .420 (185-440) from three-point range. As a senior (2016-17), he played and started in 36 games, averaging 20.9 ppg., 5.2 apg., 4.2 rpg. and 1.31 stlpg. in 36.1 minpg. Mason was a consensus All-American in 2016-17 and the unanimous National Player of the Year, given the honor by 10 different entities, including the Wooden Award and Naismith Award.

Mason will wear #15 with the Orlando Magic.