Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Russell Westbrook gets super quick triple-double

Russell Westbrook gets amazingly fast triple-double

Jim Tucker was popping champagne Saturday night, and not just because it was New Year’s Eve. The 1950s NBAer cult-famous for owning the title of “fastest man to record a triple-double in an NBA game” can rest easy after Oklahoma City’s 114-88 demolition of the L.A. Clippers.

Russell Westbrook forced him to wait nearly until 2017, though.

Westbrook finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in the win. And more impressively, the rebound he pulled down with under a minute to go in the second quarter gave him a triple-double for the game. He had played only 18 minutes, 42 seconds at that point, about a minute off Tucker’s record for the quickest triple-double ever.

“He really played an incredible floor game,” coach Billy Donovan said. “And I thought he did an incredible job, not even necessarily having to rely on his scoring, but he did a great job in terms of setting everybody else up.”

Tucker went for 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists on Feb. 20, 1955.

— Norman Transcript

Quick Take: Westbrook is having one of the best seasons in modern basketball history. He’s a basketball wrecking crew, and a must-watch player every night. And one of the top stories of the season.

Matthew Dellavedova out with hamstring injury

nba blog

Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova injured his right hamstring in the team’s victory over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday and will miss the next two games, coach Jason Kidd said after the team’s shootaround Friday at the Target Center.

Kidd said rookie Malcolm Brogdon will start Friday against the Timberwolves, marking his first NBA start after coming off the bench in the Bucks’ first 30 games.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Brogdon said of being in the starting lineup. “When someone goes down, the next man has to step up. Delly can’t be replaced (with) what he brings to the team, his unselfishness.

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Hawks giving away a 2 Chainz mixtape

The Atlanta Hawks and hip-hop artist 2 Chainz have announced plans to enhance the rapper’s December 30 appearance, revealing two new commemorative retail pieces and a 2 Chainz mixtape specially created for the night.

The first 5,000 guests to enter Philips Arena when the Hawks host the Detroit Pistons will receive a free copy of the exclusive music compilation.

“2 Chainz always makes a splash when he performs at our games, and this season he wants to provide Hawks fans an experience they won’t soon forget as we close 2016 with a bang,” said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. “The energy and atmosphere will make Philips Arena the only place to be in Atlanta on Friday night.”

To mark the occasion, Chainz and his “CEO Millionaires” clothing line collaborated with the Hawks to create a team-themed hooded sweatshirt, and also developed a t-shirt featuring mascot Harry the Hawk performing the popular “Hit Dem Folks” dance.

Prior to tipoff on Friday, Chainz will continue his month-long campaign to give back to the community when the final round of his fourth annual “T.R.U. 2 Hoops Holiday Basketball Classic” takes place on the Philips Arena floor. The tournament is a two-on-two competition for boys ages 10-13, with no participation fee for students in the Clayton County school system. Preliminary action took place at Chainz’s alma mater, North Clayton High School.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. contest against the Pistons.

NBA player notes, Dec. 29, 2016

isaiah thomas

Isaiah Thomas, Celtics: Thomas has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 16 games, the longest streak in the NBA this season. Thomas and Boston look for their seventh win in eight games when they visit Cleveland tonight at 8 p.m. on TNT.

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: Nowitzki enters tonight’s game against the Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT) with 853 regular-season wins, tied with Derek Fisher for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time list. Nowitzki leads all active players, followed by San Antonio’s Tony Parker (803).

DeMar DeRozan, Raptors: With 29 points against Golden State on Wednesday, DeRozan (10,290) passed Chris Bosh (10,275) to become Toronto’s all-time leading scorer.

Malcolm Brogdon, Bucks: In his last four games, the rookie guard has made 18-of-23 shots from the field (78.3 percent) and averaged 10.5 points and 5.8 assists in 27.0 minutes.

New Orleans Pelicans: Winners of three in a row and four of five, the Pelicans are 13-13 since an 0-8 start.

nicolas batum

Nicolas Batum, Hornets: He has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, averaging 21.8 points, 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds during this stretch. Charlotte has won four of five.

Alex Abrines, Thunder: The rookie guard from Spain has scored in double figures in three of his last four games, making 13-of-26 from three-point range (50.0 percent) in the four appearances.

Brook Lopez, Nets: The 7-foot center and nine-year veteran ranks 37th in the NBA in three-pointers made with 56. He entered the season with three triples made for his career – a total he exceeded against Chicago on Wednesday when he hit five in a 33-point night.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs: Aldridge has totaled 60 points and converted 25-of-32 from the field (78.1 percent) in his last two games, both wins for San Antonio (26-6), which has matched its 32-game record from last season.

Tobias Harris, Pistons: After starting his first 31 games, Harris has come off the bench in Detroit’s last three games, averaging 23.3 points on 55.8 shooting.

— Via NBA News

Mavericks waive Jonathan Gibson, sign Pierre Jackson

Mavericks waive Jonathan Gibson, sign Pierre Jackson

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday (Tuesday) that they have signed free agent guard Pierre Jackson.

In a related move, the Mavericks also requested waivers on guard Jonathan Gibson.

Jackson (5-11, 176) has appeared in 10 games (all starts) for the Mavericks’ D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, this season. He averaged 29.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 35.7 minutes per game in those 10 contests.

A native of Las Vegas, Jackson is no stranger to Texas after transferring from College of Southern Idaho to play the final two years of his collegiate career at Baylor University in Waco. While at Baylor, Jackson averaged 16.7 points, 6.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 74 games while earning Second Team All-Big 12 twice and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America in 2012.

Jackson was drafted in the second round (No. 42 overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2013 NBA Draft and had his draft rights, along with Jrue Holiday, traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Nerlens Noel. Jackson spent the 2013-14 campaign with ASVEL Basket in France. He returned from overseas to compete with the Pelicans Summer League squad in the summer of 2014, but suffered a ruptured right Achilles that cost him the season. Jackson played with the 76ers Summer League team in 2015, but was later waived after appearing in three preseason games for Philadelphia.

Jackson holds career D-League averages of 25.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 36.9 minutes in 49 games (37 starts) with the Idaho Stampede and Texas Legends. On Feb. 4, 2014, he set the D-League single-game scoring record with 58 points against the Legends (Jordan McRae later broke it with a 61-point game in January 2016 and Russ Smith topped that with 65-point night in March 2016). Jackson was named to the Futures All-Star roster for the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

Jackson will wear No. 55 for the Mavericks.

Gerald Henderson struggling with hip pain

Gerald Henderson struggling with hip pain

Gerald Henderson’s left-hip pain was too intolerable for him remain on the court.

The Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard was laboring on the Golden 1 Center with 8 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in Monday night’s 102-100 setback to the Sacramento Kings. Henderson spoke with Sixers coach Brett Brown, who basically came on the court to call a timeout as a way to get his veteran leader out of the game.

— Philadelphia Inquirer

Lakers beat injured Clippers on Xmas Day

Lakers beat injured Clippers on Xmas Day

A win offers breathing room for the Los Angeles Lakers, and on Christmas Day, they got some.

Fittingly, Laker Nick Young hit the game’s last field goal. He is the only Laker who was also on the team in 2013, the last time the Lakers beat the Clippers before an 11-game losing streak — the longest such streak they’ve had to any team since the franchise moved to Los Angeles.

Below are five takeaways from last night’s 111-102 victory.

1. The L.A. Clippers were shorthanded, missing starters Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Raymond Felton, the point guard who started, was battling a fever, and J.J. Redick left the game in the second half with an injury. But the Lakers have also been hurting for most of December. That led Young to offer this: “ A win is a win. Nobody cared when we were hurt and injured. Why should we?”

2. In the second quarter, Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram picked up a technical foul. That call seemed to energize him, and he was suddenly more aggressive and assertive offensively.

— LA Times

Larry Nance Jr out four weeks with knee injury

Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr., who suffered an injury to his left knee December 20 at Charlotte, was examined prior to Sunday’s game by team physician Dr. David McAllister of UCLA Health. The diagnosis is a bone bruise.

Nance Jr. is expected to be out approximately four weeks.

The Lakers are 12-22 this season, which is the 11th best record in the Western conference.

The team’s leading scorer this season has been guard Louis Williams, averaging 18.7 ppg. Williams has come off the bench for all 34 of his games this year.