NBA News Blog – Page 660 – NBA Blog

Report: Austin Rivers has broken hand

The Clippers are 33-17 this season and have played very well despite star power forward Blake Griffin missing serious time due to injury. But they have reportedly suffered another injury, this time to their backcourt.

According to several ESPN reporters (Chris Broussard and Brian Windhorst), backup guard Austin Rivers has a broken hand and will miss 4-6 weeks of action.

Austin is the Clippers’ sixth leading scorer this season. Coming off the bench for 41 of the 46 games he’s played, Rivers is averaging 8.1 points in 21.6 minutes per outing.

FEB. 7 UPDATE FROM THE CLIPPERS: Austin Rivers suffers hand fracture

Jimmy Butler injury is a strained left knee

The Chicago Bulls are just 27-22 this season. A bright spot has been the great play of shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who in 37.9 minutes per game is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Here’s the latest from the team on his recent injury:

An MRI performed today on Butler’s left knee confirmed that he sustained a knee strain in the second quarter of last night’s game against the Denver Nuggets. The timeline for his return to play will be determined by further evaluation in Chicago and his response to treatment.

Rudy Gay day-to-day with ankle sprain

Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay suffered a left ankle sprain early in the first quarter of tonight’s game at Brooklyn. A subsequent X-ray taken following the contest were negative and he will be listed as day to day going forward.

The postponed Jazz-Wizards game has been rescheduled

The National Basketball Association announced today that the Jan. 23 game between the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards, which was postponed due to severe weather conditions in the Eastern United States, has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ET at Verizon Center.

Suns sign Orlando Johnson to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed guard Orlando Johnson to a 10-day contract. A two-year NBA veteran, Johnson was named a 2016 NBA D-League All-Star for his play with the Austin Spurs this season.

A 6-5, 220-pound guard, Johnson has previous NBA experience with Indiana in 2012-13, also playing with Indiana as well as Sacramento in 2013-14. Originally selected by the Kings with the 36th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, he has appeared in 96 total games averaging 3.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.5 minutes. The 26-year-old has four career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 15 points against Atlanta on March 25, 2013, while with the Pacers.

Johnson has averaged 15.2 points while shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 48.6 percent from beyond the arc and 80.6 percent from the free throw line in 28 games with Austin in 2015-16. For his efforts, which include 22 double-digit scoring games and a season-high 29 points at Los Angeles on Jan. 16, Johnson was named a 2016 NBA D-League All-Star on Jan. 29.

Johnson also played with Austin in 2014-15, averaging 17.4 points in 43 games; one of the team’s assistant coaches was current Suns Interim Head Coach Earl Watson.

A native of Monterey, Calif., Johnson played collegiately at UC Santa Barbara where he led the Gauchos to two NCAA tournament appearances.

Johnson will wear number 0. The Suns’ roster now stands at 15.

Jazz sign Erick Green to second 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Erick Green from the Reno Bighorns to a second 10-day contract. Green signed his first 10-day with the Jazz on Jan. 26 and has appeared in two games, averaging 2.0 points in 3.0 minutes.

Green (6-3, 178, Virginia Tech) appeared in 23 games (22 starts) for the Bighorns this season, averaging 26.7 points on 53.3 percent shooting, 4.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 39.0 minutes of action. He scored in double figures in 22 games, including 20-plus points on 19 occasions. He scored 30-or-more points in nine contests and a career-high 40 points in two games. Green was named the NBA D-League Player of the Month for January, and was also selected as an NBA D-League All-Star.

Manu Ginobili out at least one month after surgery

Manu Ginobili underwent surgery earlier today in San Antonio after suffering a testicular injury in last night’s Spurs-Pelicans game.

Ginobili, who is out indefinitely, will be sidelined for at least one month.

The Spurs are 41-8 this season, second only to the 45-4 Warriors. Ginobili is averaging just 10.0 points in 19.7 minutes per game and has come off the bench for all 43 of the games he’s played.

Suns hire Bob Hill as assistant coach

The Phoenix Suns have added experienced NBA head coach Bob Hill as an assistant coach, the team announced today.

“Coach Hill is a creative and innovative teacher of basketball,” said Suns Interim Head Coach Earl Watson. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program and will be very beneficial to everyone involved in our basketball family.”

Hill compiled a 310-293 (.514) record over parts of nine seasons as an NBA head coach, last leading Seattle in 2005-06 and 2006-07 where he coached Watson. In addition to Seattle, Hill served as head coach for New York (1986-87), Indiana (1990-93) and San Antonio (1994-96), guiding his teams to the playoffs on five occasions. Hill’s best season as a head coach came in 1994-95 when he led the Spurs to a 62-20 record and reached the Western Conference Finals.

Clippers sign Jeff Ayres to second 10-day contract

The L.A. Clippers announced today the team has signed forward Jeff Ayres to a second 10-day contract.

A five-year NBA veteran, Ayres, 28, has appeared in three games with the Clippers scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds.

In 223 career regular season games with Portland, Indiana, San Antonio and Los Angeles, he is averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.0 minutes. Ayres was a member of the 2014 NBA Champion Spurs and has played in 36 career Playoff games.

The Ontario, CA native most recently played for the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Developmental League, averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds in 23 games this season and was named a 2015 D-League All-Star.

A stand-out at Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, where he played with former Clippers guard Darren Collison, Ayres was originally drafted with the 31st pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings and traded to Portland on Draft Night.

The 6-foot-10 inch forward played four seasons at Arizona State (2005-2009) earning All-Pac 10 First Team honors in 2009 when he averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Erick Green named D-League Player of Month

Erick Green formerly of the Reno Bighorns and now with the Utah Jazz after signing a 10-day contract on Jan. 26, has been named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in January.

Green (6-4, 185, Virginia Tech) sparked Reno to a 9-3 month (7-2 in games that he played) averaging 27.6 points, 4.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He shot 55.0 percent from the field (83-for-151) and connected on 54.0 percent of his three-point attempts (34-of-63).

On Jan. 4, he tied a season-high with 40 points on 12-of-21 shooting (57.1 percent) and nailed four of his seven attempts from behind the arc to go with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals in a 126-122 win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. On Jan. 8, he connected on six-of-seven three-point attempts as part of a 37-point effort in a 115-114 loss to the Westchester Knicks at the NBA D-League Showcase.

Green was selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Jazz. With Reno he averaged 26.7 (third in the league) points on 53.3 percent shooting to go with 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

Other players receiving consideration for the monthly award were Austin’s Orlando Johnson, Bakersfield’s Xavier Munford, Delaware’s Jordan McRae (of the Phoenix Suns), Grand Rapids’ Devin Ebanks, Iowa’s Alex Stepheson, Idaho’s Phil Pressey, Los Angeles’ Vander Blue, Maine’s Terry Rozier (on assignment from the Boston Celtics), Raptors’ Ronald Roberts Jr., Rio Grande Valley’s Raphiael Putney, Sioux Falls’ Tre Kelley, Texas’ Brandon Ashley and Westchester’s Jimmer Fredette.