Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Updated Nuggets game schedule starts August 1st vs. the Heat

The National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association announced today that they have finalized a comprehensive plan for a July 30 restart to the 2019-20 season, which includes stringent health and safety protocols, a single-site campus at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and the goal of taking collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice.

The NBA also released its complete game schedule and national television schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV for the “seeding games,” which will be played July 30 – Aug. 14 to tip off the resumption of the 2019-20 season. The 22 teams participating in the season restart will play eight seeding games each at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Each team will be designated as the home team in four seeding games and the visiting team in four seeding games. The tip-off time for each team’s last seeding game, scheduled to be played on Aug. 13 or 14, will be determined at a later date in order to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience. As part of the restart, the NBA and its broadcast and technology partners are collaborating to enhance game telecasts and bring fans an immersive, interactive viewing experience.

The 88 seeding games, which were selected from the remaining 259 regular-season matchups, will count toward the final 2019-20 regular-season standings and regular-season statistics. In the first step of the selection process for the seeding games, the matchups were chosen chronologically, starting from March 11, except in these instances:

• A matchup featured a non-participating team

• A matchup resulted in either team in the matchup exceeding eight total games

• A matchup prevented any participating team from having eight feasible matchups

The second step in the selection process was matchup balancing. There were eight instances in which selecting matchups chronologically prevented a matchup that was scheduled to be played two more times in the remainder of the regular season from being included among the seeding games. In those cases, one instance of that matchup was added as a seeding game, and instances of repeat matchups as seeding games were removed where possible.

The seeding games will conclude on Aug. 14. If a play-in is required to determine the eighth playoff seed in either conference, it will take place on Aug. 15-16. The first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs will begin on Aug. 17.

Altitude Sports & Entertainment will televise all eight Nuggets seeding games in high-definition and will also broadcast all games on Altitude Radio 92.5 FM/950 AM, the Nuggets Radio Network. For comprehensive and behind the scenes coverage, tune in to Nuggets 360 on Altitude TV and follow along at nuggets.com and @nuggets on Twitter. No games will be exclusive to national broadcasts during the seeding play.

Thunder to resume play August 1st vs Jazz

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced the schedule for its eight seeding games to restart the 2019-20 season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida today.

The Thunder will open play on Saturday, Aug. 1 versus the Utah Jazz. The team will then face the Denver Nuggets on Aug. 3 before its contest versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 5. Oklahoma City will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Aug. 7 then complete a back-to-back on Aug. 9 and 10, facing the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns, respectively. Oklahoma City’s final two seeding games will be Aug. 12 versus the Miami Heat and Aug. 14 versus the LA Clippers.

All eight of the Thunder’s seeding games in Orlando will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Additionally, all games can be heard via the Thunder Radio Network, led by flagship station WWLS-The Sports Animal (98.1 FM) in Oklahoma City.

ESPN will televise two of Oklahoma City’s games (Aug. 1 vs. the Utah Jazz and Aug. 5 at the Los Angeles Lakers) while NBA TV will broadcast two of the team’s games (Aug. 3 vs. the Denver Nuggets and Aug. 7 at the Memphis Grizzlies).

Given the updated game schedule and format for the 2019-20 season, the Thunder has solidified a playoff berth for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons, joining the San Antonio Spurs as the only other team to accomplish the feat in this timeframe. This also marks the team’s 11th straight season with a record above .500, good for the longest active streak in the NBA.

Kings will restart the 2019-20 NBA season vs Spurs July 31

The Sacramento Kings will restart the 2019-20 NBA season in Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort as one of 22 returning teams to play eight “seeding games” as selected from its remaining regular-season schedule, beginning with a matchup against DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs on July 31 at 5pm PDT. The seeding games are part of the NBA competitive format plan, featuring the eight teams in each conference with the highest current winning percentages and the six teams that are currently within six games of the eighth seed in either conference.

All Kings seeding games are listed below and will be broadcast on NBC Sports California (NBCSCA) and Sports 1140 KHTK. Fans can also watch the Kings take on 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on August 11 at 6pm PDT in a nationally televised game on TNT.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity in Orlando, and getting back to playing the game we love,” said Kings Head Coach Luke Walton. “We continue to work with the NBA to prioritize health and safety, while recognizing our responsibility to use our platform to bring attention and drive sustained action to issues of racial injustice.”

“We are thankful for the chance to restart the season while also remaining focused on using our platform to make a positive difference and drive meaningful change in our community,” said Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “We continue collaborating with the league as we all work to resume play in a safe and responsible manner.”

SACRAMENTO KINGS 2019-20 SEEDING GAMES SCHEDULE

(All Times Listed in PDT)

Game 1: Friday, July 31, 5 PM: Kings at San Antonio Spurs (NBCSCA, KHTK)

Game 2: Sunday, August 2, 3 PM: Kings at Orlando Magic (NBCSCA, NBATV, KHTK)

Game 3: Tuesday, August 4, 11:30 AM: Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks (NBCSCA, KHTK)

Game 4: Thursday, August 6, 10:30 AM: Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans (NBCSCA, NBATV, KHTK)

Game 5: Friday, August 7, 2 PM: Kings at Brooklyn Nets (NBCSCA, KHTK)

Game 6: Sunday, August 9, 5 PM: Kings vs. Houston Rockets (NBCSCA, KHTK)

Game 7: Tuesday, August 11, 6 PM: Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans (NBCSCA, TNT, KHTK)

Game 8: Thursday, August 13, Time TBD: Kings at Los Angeles Lakers (NBCSCA, KHTK)

Following the seeding games, the seven teams in each conference with the highest combined winning percentages across regular-season games and seeding games will be the first through seventh seeds for the NBA Playoffs for that conference. If the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage (regular-season games and seeding games) in a conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined winning percentage in the same conference, then the team with the eighth-best winning percentage would be the eighth playoff seed in that conference.

If the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage in a conference (Team 8) is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined winning percentage in the same conference (Team 9), then those two teams would compete in a play-in tournament to determine the eighth playoff seed in the conference. The play-in tournament will be double elimination for Team 8 and single elimination for Team 9.

The NBA’s standard playoff tiebreaker procedures will be used to break any ties on the basis of winning percentage. Once the 16-team playoff field is set, the NBA Playoffs will proceed in a traditional conference-based format with four rounds and best-of-seven series in each round. The 2020 NBA Finals will end no later than Oct. 13.

Wizards set to resume NBA play this summer in Orlando

The Washington Wizards announced their final eight games of the 2019-20 regular season today, set to be played in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Washington will begin its eight games on July 31, with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns at 4:00 p.m. The 2019-20 Wizards season is presented by Capital One.

“We are all looking forward to reuniting as a team and having the opportunity to represent our DC Family in Orlando as we resume the regular season,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “As exciting as it will be to see our players competing on the court again, we are equally eager to be able to use this platform to continue the amazing and inspiring work that our players and organization have done in addressing issues of social injustice and providing relief during the pandemic.”

The team will resume the season against the Suns, marking the second time the two teams will face each other after Washington won the initial meeting 140-132 on November 27 in Phoenix. Washington’s remaining schedule consists of five Eastern Conference opponents (Brooklyn, Indiana, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Boston) and two Western Conference teams (Oklahoma City and New Orleans). The Wizards have played at least one game against all their upcoming opponents this season other than the New Orleans Pelicans. The team will close out the regular season against the Boston Celtics on August 13.

The Wizards’ first seven games will be televised on NBCSW, with the broadcast information for their final game against Boston TBD. All games will be broadcast via radio on WFED 1500 AM.

Washington will continue with individual player workouts at the MedStar Wizards Performance Center through July 6. They will then depart for Orlando on July 7 and complete a mandatory quarantine period prior to beginning a three-week training camp before the resumption of games. Playoff play-in games are set to begin on August 16 (if necessary), with the first round of the playoffs beginning on either August 17 or August 18.

At the suspension of the NBA season on March 12, the Wizards had amassed a record of 24-40, which left them as the ninth-seed in the Eastern Conference and 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the final playoff spot. Under the format for the resumption of play, the ninth seed in the conference can force a potential two-game playoff with the eighth seed (the ninth seed must defeat the eighth seed twice, while the eighth must only win once) if the ninth seed finishes within four games of the eighth seed in the final standings.

Knicks add Theo Pinson off waivers, and waive Allonzo Trier

The New York Knicks have claimed guard/forward Theo Pinson off waivers from the Brooklyn Nets.

The team has also waived guard Allonzo Trier.

Pinson, 6-5, 212-pounds, appeared in 51 games over two seasons with Brooklyn (2018-20), averaging 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 11.3 minutes. He also played in nine games (all starts) for the Long Island Nets (NBA G League), averaging 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists over 31.8 minutes. He holds career averages with Long Island of 19.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists over 34.8 minutes in 43 games (43 starts).

The Greensboro, NC-native was originally signed to a two-way contract by Brooklyn on Sep. 19, 2018 after going undrafted out of the University of North Carolina in the 2018 NBA Draft. He went to back-to-back NCAA Championship games with the Tarheels (2016, 2017), securing a National Championship in 2017.

Trier, 6-4, 200-pounds, averaged 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 19.9 minutes in 88 games (four starts) over two seasons with New York. He was originally signed by the Knicks to a two-way contract on July 3, 2018.

Pistons sign center Justin Patton

The Detroit Pistons have signed center Justin Patton to a contract.

Patton, 6-11, 241 was drafted 16th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and was part of a draft-night trade which sent him and Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In nine career NBA games, Patton has averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds with Minnesota, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City.

A native of Riverside, GA, Patton, 23, played one season at Creighton University where he averaged 12.9 points (68% FG), 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 35 games. He was named Big East Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman team. Patton also earned All-Big East Second Team honors.

Knicks add Jared Harper off waivers, and waive Kadeem Allen

The New York Knicks today claimed guard Jared Harper and his two-way contract off waivers from Phoenix.

The Knicks also waived guard Kadeem Allen.

Harper, 5-11, 175-pounds, appeared in three games for Phoenix and 33 games (33 starts) for Northern Arizona as a two-way player for the Suns this season. He averaged 20.8 points (seventh in G League), 5.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds over 29.8 minutes for Northern Arizona, ranking second in the league in usage percentage (30%) and third in free throws made (111).

The Mableton, GA-native was originally signed to a two-way contract by Phoenix on Jul. 18, 2019 after going undrafted out of Auburn University in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Allen, 6-1, 200-pounds, averaged 5.0 points and 2.1 assists over 11.7 minutes in 10 games this season for New York. He was originally signed by the Knicks on Jul. 25, 2018 and then again to a two-way contract on Jan. 14, 2019.

Kings hire Gary Gerould as interim TV play-by-play announcer

The Sacramento Kings announced today that broadcasting icon Gary Gerould has been named the team’s interim TV play-by-play announcer for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. Affectionately known among Kings players, personnel, fans and throughout the NBA as “The G-Man,” Gerould will call the historic game action in Orlando with Kings TV color analyst and Kings Legend Doug Christie virtually from Golden 1 Center when the season resumes on NBC Sports California, the exclusive home of Kings basketball.

Jason Ross, currently the pregame, halftime and postgame host on Kings Radio, will take over the team’s play-by-play duties on the team’s partner station Sports 1140 KHTK in the interim. Ross has been a member of the Kings radio broadcast team for 25 years, participating in over 2,000 Kings radio broadcasts, and is also the sports director for KHTK where he has served in a variety of capacities at the station since 1994.

Over the coming months, the organization will conduct a formal search for the team’s new, permanent TV play-by-play announcer to begin in the 2020-21 season.

“G-Man is a true legend and has been the ‘Voice of the Kings’ on both radio and TV from the day the team arrived in Sacramento in 1985, so it is natural for him to assume this role through the rest of the season,” said Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “I stand with Kings fans around the world, players past and present and all associated with this franchise, in saying we have had the distinct honor of enjoying Gary’s trademark style and signature calls since this team began calling the Capital City home. We are also excited to have Jason fill in for G-Man on radio, and look forward to his energy, excitement and deep knowledge of the team as we take the court in Orlando.”

“Gary Gerould is one of the most accomplished and respected play-by-play announcers in the NBA, and his decades-long association with the Sacramento Kings has given him an unsurpassed connection with the team and the community,” said Matt Murphy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California. “We are thrilled to welcome G-Man to NBC Sports California and look forward to him sharing his passion for the game with our viewers.”

“I’m so pleased to have this opportunity and excited to be alongside Doug to call the team’s return to the court in Orlando,” said Gary Gerould. “It is an absolute joy to return to the game I love and welcome the challenge of once again calling Kings game action on TV. I am grateful to the organization for entrusting me to resume the season and deeply appreciative to all the Kings fans for their tremendous support over the years.”

“I am so excited about this opportunity provided by the Sacramento Kings and really look forward to calling the restart of this unprecedented season,” said Jason Ross. “I am also thrilled to see the pairing of the G-Man with Doug Christie on TV. Having worked with Gary for 25 seasons, who has been a mentor and a role model, I accept the challenge of filling his big shoes.”

Frank Mason III wins 2019-20 G League MVP award

Wisconsin Herd guard Frank Mason III has been named the 2019-20 NBA G League Most Valuable Player, the NBA G League announced today. He earned the honor in a vote by the league’s 28 head coaches and general managers.

Mason (5-11, 190, Kansas), who signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks last July, averaged an NBA G League-high 26.4 points, 5.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 23 games with the Herd. Wisconsin went 18-5 with Mason in the lineup and finished with the league’s best record (33-10).

Mason shot 50.4 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from three-point range and 81.5 percent from the free throw line, joining the Fort Wayne Mad Ants’ Stephan Hicks as the only players in the NBA G League to record a 50/40/80 shooting season in 2019-20.

A 2019-20 Midseason All-NBA G League Team selection, Mason registered seven games with at least 30 points. He scored a season-high 44 points against the Grand Rapids Drive on Feb. 19 and followed that performance by finishing with 36 points (on 14-of-17 shooting from the field) against the Drive on Feb. 23. In his second-to-last NBA G League game of the season, he made 16-of-18 shots from the field and had 35 points against the Delaware Blue Coats on Feb. 27.

This season marked Mason’s first action in the NBA G League after spending two seasons with the Sacramento Kings, who selected him with the 34th pick in NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm. He was the 2016-17 consensus National Player of the Year as a senior at Kansas.

In his NBA career, Mason has averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 assists in 96 games with the Kings and Bucks. He has appeared in six games for Milwaukee this season.

Herd guard Jaylen Adams and Maine Red Claws guard Tremont Waters finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2019-20 NBA G League Most Valuable Player Award.

The NBA G League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on June 4. The regular season was suspended on March 12 and had been scheduled to conclude on March 28.

Nets forward Nicolas Claxton undergoes shoulder surgery, will not rejoin team this season

Brooklyn Nets forward Nicolas Claxton underwent arthroscopic labrum repair surgery yesterday on his left shoulder.

He therefore will not join the team for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season in Orlando. The Nets will already be without point guard Kyrie Irving as well as forward Kevin Durant if league play does restart in late July as planned.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Riley Williams III at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The Nets expect Claxton to make a full recovery in time for training camp next season.

In 15 games played for the Nets this season, Claxton recorded averages of 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.5 minutes per game while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. The rookie also appeared in nine games for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, averaging 16.7 points on 65.9 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in 21.3 minutes per contest.

In other recent Nets news that has already been reported, the team waived swingman Theo Pinson and signed guard Tyler Johnson.