NBA News Blog – Page 563 – NBA Blog

Glenn Robinson III wins 2017 Slam Dunk contest

From the NBA down to the D-League, players with Indiana ties were flashing their skills all over New Orleans on Saturday during the NBA All-Star weekend.

But let’s start with the show-stealing Glenn Robinson III, the Gary native and Indiana Pacer who blew away his competition to win the 2017 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.

Robinson beat Derrick Jones Jr. of the Phoenix Suns in the final round. Robinson clinched the win with a perfect 50 on the final dunk of the night — going over three people for a reverse dunk and nearly touching his head on the rim in the process…

Robinson started with a dunk where he leaped over Indiana teammate Paul George, grabbing the ball from the All-Star before his slam that merited 44 points…

DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers and Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic were eliminated in the first round. Gordon finished second to Minnesota’s Zach LaVine in last year’s contest.

— Indianapolis Star

Kristaps Porzingis wins 2017 Skills Challenge

The Knicks are amid the throes of losing, but all Kristaps Porzingis did during All-Star Weekend was win.

After scoring 24 points in the World Team’s victory Friday in the Rising Stars Challenge, the 7-foot-3 Porzingis captured the Skills Challenge on Saturday, knocking off Gordon Hayward in the finals.

It marked the second straight year a big man has won the skills, after Karl-Anthony Towns captured the 2016 crown.

Sitting with a big gold trophy in the interview room and asked about tasting victory after a 23-34 start, Porzingis, the man nicknamed “The Unicorn” by Kevin Durant, beamed.

“It feels good to win no matter what,” Porzingis said. “Even yesterday it felt good to get a win.’’

— NY Post

Eric Gordon wins 2017 Three-point Contest

The 3-point shootingest team in NBA history has its first 3-point shooting champion.

Eric Gordon had to work overtime. He had to overcome the distraction of James Harden’s fishing lure shiny jacket. He even had to tune out the smattering of boos around Smoothie King Arena, where he played for five seasons before he escaped the “dysfunction” to join the Rockets.

Gordon, however, had spent the season coming off the bench and shooting 3s. With 3 ½ months of preparation, he had the best round of the competition and a triumphant extra round, taking the championship before he even reached his final rack…

Gordon defeated Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving in the overtime shootout, fittingly defeating a player that grabbed headlines with a flat Earth theory in a game of ‘around the world.’

— Houston Chronicle

Jimmer Fredette scores 73 points in China

Much like Stephon Marbury, Jimmer Fredette is finding success in China.

Fredette, the former Knick and Glenn Falls, N.Y., native, scored 73 points in a Chinese Basketball Association game Sunday. Fredette’s Shanghai Sharks lost in double overtime to the Guangsha Lions. He shot 25 of 49 from the field.

The offensive outburst is the fourth-highest point total in CBA history. Errick McCollum (82), Quincy Douby (75) and Bobby Brown (74) are the only players to score more than Fredette in a game.

— NY Daily News

Jamal Murray wins MVP of 2017 Rising Stars Challenge game

Denver Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray was named MVP of the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge after posting a game-high 36 points (9-14 3FG) and a game-high 11 assists in a 150-139 Team World victory.

Murray, 19, is the first Nugget to win MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge since teammate Kenneth Faried was named MVP in 2013. He is the third Nugget in team history to be named MVP of the game (Carmelo Anthony, 2005).

The Kitchener, Canada native connected on 9-of-14 (.642) threes in the game, the second most made three-pointers in the history of the Rising Stars Challenge (Daniel Gibson of the Cavaliers made a record 11 three-pointers for the Sophomore Team in 2008). Murray’s 11 assists were the most by any player in the Rising Stars Challenge since John Wall handed out 22 assists in 2011.

The University of Kentucky product has appeared in 56 games (three starts) for Denver this season, averaging 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per game. He has made the second-most threes of any rookie this season (72) and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November after averaging 10.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the month.

Murray’s teammate Nikola Jokić added a near triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Team World.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook barely speaking at NBA All-Star

Wondering how former Thunder teammates and current West All-Star teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are getting along at All-Star weekend? They’re barely interacting, according to reports. Here’s the Oklahoman:

While being ushered to the interview area at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were about to come face-to-face.

That was, until Westbrook and Philadelphia’s Nik Staukas converged to shake hands. Wearing a long-sleeved hoodie under his practice jersey, Durant walked around the pair as a Thunder staffer tapped Durant on the arm…

Day 2 of Westbrook-Durant at All-Star Weekend? Avoidance on and off the court.

Hawks sign radio broadcaster Steve Holman to contract extension

The Atlanta Hawks have signed radio play-by-play broadcaster Steve Holman to a multiyear contract extension.

“Steve is more than a broadcaster; he’s such an important part of our organization and the Atlanta community,” said Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Saltzman. “His accomplishments and accolades speak for themselves and we’re thrilled fans will continue to be able to hear his one-of-a-kind broadcasting style for years to come.”

Holman, who will be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame this evening and into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on Feb. 24, is in his 32nd year as the “Voice of the Hawks,” having called more 2,500 games. His play-by-play streak, which began in March of 1989, is currently at 2,385 consecutive games including regular season and playoffs.

“The Hawks and the city of Atlanta mean so much to me, and I couldn’t be happier to be able to remain with the organization and community that have supported me throughout my career,” Holman said. “I’m very proud to be a part of such a great organization and excited about the future here. I look forward to calling Hawks games for many years to come.”

A fixture on Atlanta radio since 1980, Holman is also in the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and has won a number of awards for sports reporting as well as the Georgia Associated Press Award, the 2014 Georgia Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, and was the 2015 and 2016 Gabby Award winner.

Kings rookie Malachi Richardson injured

An MRI performed today on Kings guard Malachi Richardson revealed a partial thickness tear of the right hamstring.

He will miss approximately four to six weeks of action.

The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter of last night’s game at Golden State.

The rookie guard is averaging 3.6 points and 1.0 rebounds on 10.6 minutes in 22 games for the Kings this season.

Miami Heat hire Shane Battier as Director of Basketball Development & Analytics

The Miami Heat announced today that they have hired former HEAT player and two-time NBA champion Shane Battier as the Director of Basketball Development & Analytics. His duties will include the development of analytics in evaluating all talent, including college, free agents and current Miami players.

“We believe Shane is an incredible example of our HEAT program, not only for the present, but also for the future,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He embodies everything that we are looking for in our players and staff. We feel he will help us tremendously with his experience and knowledge of the game. Shane is an out-of-the-box thinker and will bring a fresh expertise that can help us evolve as a franchise.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the front office of the Miami HEAT,” said Shane Battier. “I look forward to working with the Arison family, learning from a Hall of Fame executive in Pat Riley, General Manager Andy Elisburg and of course my old coach, Erik Spoelstra. My goal, as is the entire organizations, is to bring another championship back to Miami.”

Battier, a role player who played three seasons with the HEAT, helped bring back-to-back NBA championships, three Eastern Conference Championships and three division titles to Miami over that span. He appeared in 210 games (86 starts) with the HEAT and averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 22.6 minutes while shooting 39.8 percent from the field. He won the Twyman-Stokes NBA Teammate of the Year award in 2014 and the Magic Johnson Award for excellence on the court with cooperation with media and fans in 2013, both as a member of the HEAT. The 13-year NBA veteran appeared in 977 career NBA games (705 starts) and averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.01 steals and 30.7 minutes while shooting 43.7 percent from the field.

Jahlil Okafor trade rumors persist

With the emergence of Sixers center Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor has wound up on the trading block. No guarantee he gets moved, but Okafor has been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the season. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer with the latest:

76ers center Jahlil Okafor had the same feeling most people had.

The thought was that Okafor was about to be traded once he didn’t play the past two games due on-going trade talks.

“I thought it would be a good chance,” said Okafor, responding to being asked if he thought he was gone. “When I’m not traveling with the team I was expecting something to happen.”

Instead, the second-year center is slated to come off the bench for the Sixers Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics at T.D. Garden. While trade talks continue, the team is not as close to trading the second-year center as it seemed to be in recent days.