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The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has assigned forward/center Cristiano Felicio to the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the Flexible Assignment Rule.
In three games with Canton this season, Felício has posted 15.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 24.7 mpg.
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The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker:
Booker has been diagnosed with a concussion by the Jazz medical staff after being hit in the face at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter during tonight’s game vs. Sacramento.
Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Booker will now begin the NBA-mandated protocol for return-to-participation following a diagnosed concussion and his status moving forward is day-to-day.
Thursday in London, the Toronto Raptors beat the Orlando Magic 106-103 in overtime. In the win, Kyle Lowry scored 24 (on just 5-20 shooting), and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Cory Joseph was great off the bench, shooting 9-of-11 for 19 points. In the loss, Victor Oladipo scored 27, and Evan Fournier had 21. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting:
A visit to the O2 just wouldn’t be right without overtime.
For the second time in three games here, the Raps found themselves providing a deserving English fan base a little more than they were actually entitled.
The last time it took triple overtime and it resulted in a loss to the then New Jersey Nets.
But this is a different Raptors team, a “relevant” team as Masai Ujiri likes to call them, and they proved their GM right with a professional overtime period that included timely shooting, some patient offence and some determined defence to pull out a 106-103 win over the Magic on Thursday.
The Magic had a match for the Kyle Lowry/DeMar DeRozan backcourt but they didn’t have the bench support or the defence the Raptors brought with them across the Atlantic.
And by the slimmest of margins, the Raptors will head back across that ocean with a well-deserved win.
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Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery this morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. The surgery was performed by Nets’ Medical Director, Dr. Riley J. Williams and Dr. David Altchek.
A full recovery is expected, and it’s anticipated that he will be ready to participate in full basketball activities for the 2016-17 season.
Jack, who sustained the injury during the second half of the Nets’ game at Boston on Saturday, January 2, played and started in 32 games for Brooklyn this season, and posted averages of 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 7.4 assists per game.
Raphiael Putney of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Jan. 4 through Sunday, Jan. 10. The honor is the first of Putney’s career.
Putney (6-10, 255, Massachusetts) led Rio Grande Valley to a 2-1 week averaging 28.3 points (third in the league) on 47 percent shooting (29-of-62) to go with a league-leading 15.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks (third).
For the season, Putney is averaging 20.3 points (tied for ninth in the league), 10.0 rebounds (fifth), 3.1 blocks (second) and 1.8 assists.
Other top performers considered include Bakersfield’s Xavier Munford, Delaware’s Sean Kilpatrick and Jordan McRae, Erie’s Keith Appling, Idaho’s Bryce Dejean-Jones, Iowa’s Alex Stepheson, Maine’s Terry Rozier (on assignment from the Boston Celtics), Oklahoma City’s Marquis Teague, Sioux Falls’ Josh Richardson (on assignment from the Miami Heat and Texas’ Brandon Ashley.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired the Portland Trail Blazers’ protected 2020 second round pick from the Orlando Magic in exchange for guard Joe Harris, the Sacramento Kings’ 2017 protected second round pick, owned by the Cavaliers, and cash, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today.
This season, Harris appeared in five games for the Cavs and 10 games for the Canton Charge.
He was originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round (33rd overall pick) of the 2014 NBA Draft.
Today, Harris underwent successful surgery in Indianapolis on his right foot for excision of 5th metatarsal apophysis.
The Cavs roster now stands at 14.
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The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.
Kilpatrick, 6-4, 210, has appeared in 22 games (21 starts) for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League this season, averaging 27.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.14 steals in 38.5 minutes per game. He is the seventh D-League-to-NBA “Call-Up” of the season to date.
The New York product played four years at the University of Cincinnati where he was named AP All-American First Team and All-AAC First Team as a senior. He went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft.
The Nuggets roster now stands at 15 players.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward Quincy Pondexter will undergo left knee surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
“After undergoing further evaluation from our medical staff, additional specialists, and consulting with Quincy and his representatives, we have collectively concluded that it is best for the long-term interest of Quincy to have an additional surgical procedure to correct the cartilage injury in his left knee,” said Pelicans Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “This decision was determined due to a lack of progression in the recovery process.”
Pondexter, who previously had a left knee surgical procedure on May 6, 2015, has appeared in 279 career games (47 starts) and holds career averages of 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18.1 minutes per game over five NBA seasons with New Orleans and Memphis.
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A highly disappointing season has prompted a major shakeup in Brooklyn, New York.
The Brooklyn Nets today reassigned General Manager Billy King within the organization and have parted ways with Head Coach Lionel Hollins.
For the remainder of this season, Assistant Coach Tony Brown will serve as interim head coach. The GM position will remain open until a replacement is named.
“After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it’s time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team,” said Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov. “By making this decision now, it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching. We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future. Following the consolidation of team ownership last month, I can assure you that I’m more determined and committed than ever to build a winner.”
“I want to thank Billy for his hard work in the development of the Nets. At every step of the way, he has been aggressive in his quest to build a winning team and has been a key factor toward the Nets making the playoffs for each of the last three seasons. Beyond this, he has been a tremendous friend, wonderful colleague, and loyal partner and we wish him success in the future. I also want to thank Lionel for his efforts and dedication on behalf of the Nets franchise. To our fans, I thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support and please know that brighter days are ahead. I’m excited to begin the process of choosing the best GM and head coach available.”
King was named as the Nets’ GM on July 14, 2010, and was in his sixth season in that role. During his one and a half seasons as Nets coach, Hollins had a regular season record of 48-71 and guided the team to the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season.
The Nets (10-27) have the third worst record in the NBA this season, ahead of the Lakers (8-30) and Sixers (4-35).
According to MassLive, “The Celtics own Brooklyn’s unprotected first-round picks this summer and in 2018, plus the right to swap first-round choices in 2017. That major debt and a current lack of talent make the Nets, possibly, one of the league’s most hopeless teams. They will have cap space this summer, but, with the salary cap booming, so will most of the league. Their roster isn’t just bereft of quality, but also trade chips.”
The Chicago Bulls (22-13) are getting 22.0 ppg from Jimmy Butler, 16.7 ppg from Pau Gasol, 14.6 ppg from Derrick Rose, and 10.6 ppg from Nikola Mirotic. Center Joakim Noah, in 22.3 minutes per game this season, is scoring just 4.5 ppg but also contributing an impressive 8.8 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.1 bpg. Here’s a health update from the Chicago Sun-Times:
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Sunday’s scheduled Bulls practice just took on a bit more meaning.
According to Fred Hoiberg, if Joakim Noah and his injured left shoulder can make it through an entire practice without a setback – including taking physical contact – the big man will likely be back in the rotation on Monday when Washington comes to town.
“He’s doing some activity [back in Chicago],’’ Hoiberg said of Noah on Saturday. “We’ll get him to do some live stuff [Sunday], and then hopefully he’ll get through a full practice. That’s the biggest thing right now is just getting through a live practice, which we have not done yet.’’