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After playing just 35 games last season, Clippers forward Blake Griffin is hurt again.
Griffin will undergo a routine arthroscopic procedure on Tuesday, December 20 to remove loose bodies from his right knee.
Griffin is expected to miss approximately three-to-six weeks and will continue to undergo treatment and evaluation by the Clippers medical staff.
The five-time NBA All-Star has appeared in 26 games and is averaging 21.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season
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Raptors scoring guard DeMar DeRozan and Rockets do-everything guard James Harden were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week today, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Dec. 18.
DeRozan led Toronto to a 3-1 week, averaging a league-high 31.5 points on 60.5 percent shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This marks the second time this season he has scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games. DeRozan also shot over 50.0 percent from the field in all four games. On Dec. 16, he tallied 34 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 125-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. On Dec. 18, he finished with 31 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 109-79 victory over the Orlando Magic.
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Harden led Houston to a 4-0 week behind averages of 27.0 points (third in the West), a league-best 12.8 assists, 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals. He recorded back-to-back triple-doubles in victories over the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, giving him six for the season and 15 for his career. Harden surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon for most triple-doubles in Rockets franchise history. He tallied at least 20 points and 10 assists in three of four games, giving him 18 such games this season, tops in the league.
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week include Golden State’s Kevin Durant, the LA Clippers’ Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Washington’s Bradley Beal and John Wall.
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Clippers forward Blake Griffin is expected to undergo a minor knee surgery that will sideline him through the remainder of the month.
News of the surgery, which could allow for a January return, was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
Griffin played in the Clippers’ 117-110 loss to Washington on Sunday, scoring 26 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists.
Quick Take: The Clippers have proven in the past that they can continue to play well while Blake Griffin is out. Still, it’s unfortunate that they need to go through this again. Hope Griffin recovers soon.
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Russell Westbrook could have taken a 3-pointer, but he stutter-stopped and drove left. The slight hesitation and a screen from Steven Adams was enough to provide a mismatch Westbrook identified immediately.
When he picked up his dribble, the 7-foot Adams was on the weak side towering over Westbrook’s initial defender, 6-5 P.J. Tucker. Westbrook saw it and lofted a perfectly-weighted pass over Tucker to Adams for an easy layup.
It was one of a gamut of brilliant passes from Westbrook, as the assists reached double digits before the points or rebounds in his league-leading 13th triple-double.
In the Thunder’s 114-101 win, Westbrook finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 22 assists.
Quick Take: Victor Oladipo was out, so Westbrook had to do even more than usual. His production is incredible. Westbrook is doing things few players in the modern era of pro basketball are capable of doing.
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Hassan Whiteside added clarification to comments he recently made about Clippers center DeAndre Jordan.
The Miami Heat shot-blocking center took time pregame to clarify that he never meant any disrespect when he said a day earlier of Jordan, “He catches lobs. I shoot jumpers, catch lobs and block shots. I do a lot. He just catches lobs.”
Whiteside stressed Friday his point was that with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick alongside, Jordan had more leeway to focus on his All-NBA-level shot-blocking and rebounding.
“Definitely misconstrued,” Whiteside said in front of his locker. “First, I would never diss another big fella. I’m all for the big guys in the game. I was just saying on the offensive end, our roles are different. Obviously, he’s a top-three rebounder and one of the best defensive players in the game. I didn’t think I had to explain that, but I see I do. Quote me on that.”
Quick Take: Whether all in fun or actually serious, a little trash-talking never hurt anybody. It’s part of the game. Especially if there’s some truth to it. Anyway, this whole thing is no big deal. And it’s fun.
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Back on the court for just his second game of the season, Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel expressed frustration over his limited playing time in Friday night’s 100-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Noel, who made his season debut Sunday after recovering from offseason knee surgery only to sprain his left ankle and miss Wednesday’s game, had two points in eight minutes against the Lakers. Afterward, he aired his frustration.
“I think I’m too good to be playing eight minutes,” said Noel, the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft. “That’s crazy. Need to figure this s— out.”
— ESPN.com
Quick Take: Nerlens just got back on the court. The first step is for him to stay healthy, fit into the rotation, and earn additional playing time.
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Cavaliers center Chris Andersen suffered a non-contact right knee injury today during practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. After undergoing evaluation at the facility, an MRI administered at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by team physician Dr. Richard Parker confirmed that Andersen suffered an ACL tear that will require season ending surgery. Andersen’s status and recovery time will be updated following his surgery.
Andersen, who signed as a free agent this summer, appeared in 12 games this season with averages of 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds.
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Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace today announced the team has waived guard Toney Douglas.
Douglas (6-2, 195) came off the bench in seven games for the Grizzlies and averaged 5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 17.8 minutes after he was signed on Dec. 5 pursuant to the NBA’s hardship rule.
Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round (29th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft following his senior season at Florida State University, the 30-year-old Jonesboro, Ga. native has appeared in 376 regular season games (65 starts) and averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 19.2 minutes during his eight-year NBA career with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
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The Philadelphia 76ers announced that guard Jerryd Bayless underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, which will be immobilized for the next 12 weeks.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
“While it’s unfortunate Jerryd will miss the remainder of the season, we feel confident that today’s procedure will resolve his wrist injury and related discomfort,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. “Jerryd is to be credited with his committed and professional approach in making every effort to avoid this outcome.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Bayless signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Sixers in July. So he’s part of their future plans.”
On October 21, the Sixers medical staff identified the source of the left wrist soreness to be a ligament injury and at that time both he and the team elected to pursue non-surgical treatment options to address the injury.
During his second game of the season vs. Memphis on November 23 – in which he had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes – multiple falls to the floor resulted in significant impact to the wrist. Bayless and the team then consulted with multiple wrist and hand specialists, who concluded that surgery was needed.
Bayless was signed by the Sixers on July 13, 2016 and appeared in three games this season, posting averages of 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes per game.
Whenever Luke Walton turned on a nationally televised NBA game, the Lakers coach did not just tune in to watch a star player or scout an opponent. Walton also wanted to see sideline reporter Craig Sager.
“Part of the fun and entertainment of what we do is seeing Craig in his crazy suits. He was phenomenal at his job,” Walton said. “He brought something every night he was on TV.”
So it was no surprise when the Lakers and the NBA community were in mourning Thursday over the passing of Sager, 65, who had spent the past two years fighting cancer. All NBA teams will observe a moment of silence in Sager’s memory, including when the Lakers (10-18) play the Philadelphia 76ers (6-19) on Friday at Wells Fargo Center.
“I can’t imagine how hard that has got to be, to put on that face and come and do the job that you love knowing that you’re not at your best,” Walton said. “You’re still out there fighting that fight and not letting it beat you. He’s not just staying home all day. He’s out there still living his life as long as he can. It’s incredible. He’s a strong, strong man.”