NBA News Blog – Page 885 – NBA Blog

Nate Robinson, David Lee named NBA Players of Week

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson and Golden State Warriors forward David Lee today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Feb. 3.

Robinson led the Bulls to a 3-1 week, which included road wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 17.8 points, tied for second in the conference with 2.50 spg and placed third in the East with 6.8 apg. Robinson has scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games for the Central Division-leading Bulls, who stand third overall in the East at 29-18 (.617).

Lee averaged 18.0 points, 14.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists as he helped the Warriors to a 4-0 week. He posted a point-rebound double-double in each contest, improving his NBA-leading double-double total to 31 on the year. The Warriors’ 30-17 (.638) record is good for second in the Pacific Division and fifth in the conference. Lee becomes the first Warriors player to win two Player of the Week awards in the same season since Baron Davis in 2005.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez, Denver’s Danilo Gallinari, Houston’s Omer Asik, Miami’s LeBron James and New York’s Tyson Chandler.

Jamal Crawford suffers broken nose

Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford fractured his nose late in Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors but will play Sunday with a face mask against the Boston Celtics.

Crawford said he fractured his nose with 7:30 remaining in the fourth quarter after missing a free throw and bumping into Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Crawford didn’t know it was actually a fracture until Saturday, when he was forced to sit out of Clippers practice and get fitted for a mask.

“I’ve never worn a mask before,” Crawford said after warming up with the mask. “It felt pretty good. I actually shot better than I thought I would. I try to not think about it.”

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

Dwight Howard still out with sore shoulder

Dwight Howard will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at Detroit on Sunday because of his ailing shoulder.

Howard was scratched from Friday night’s game at Minnesota with a sore right shoulder and returned to Los Angeles to receive platelet-rich plasma treatments. It’s the same injury that kept him out of three games in January.

Howard was with the team Sunday but says he’s still sore, and he wants to make sure this isn’t a recurring problem for the rest of the season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Miami Heat re-assign Dexter Pittman to D-League yet again

The Miami Heat today re-assigned Dexter Pittman to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 124th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Pittman is one of the record 52 players to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Pittman (6-11, 285, Texas) returns to Sioux Falls having been assigned twice before this season, when he appeared in 12 games and averaged 13.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 25.8 minutes.

Originally selected by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Pittman has appeared in four games for Miami this season, averaging 1.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 minutes. In 41 career games for the Heat, Pittman has averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 7.9 minutes.

Pittman is expected to join the Skyforce today and be available on Wednesday, Feb. 6 when the team travels to face the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in Indiana at 7 p.m. ET.

Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffers concussion

Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was taken to Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital tonight after getting hit in the head during the team’s game against the Rockets.

Kidd-Gilchrist, who was alert and had movement in all extremities before leaving the Toyota Center, underwent precautionary X-rays and a CT scan, all of which were negative for head and neck injuries. He does have a concussion and will remain hospitalized overnight for observation.

The injury occurred at the 10:42 mark of the fourth quarter when Kidd-Gilchrist collided with teammate Jeffery Taylor.

Barclays Center celebrates its one-millionth guest

Good thing she wasn’t a season-ticket holder.

Allison Barlow scored big at the Brooklyn Nets game Friday when she became Barclays Center’s 1 millionth customer — earning her two free tickets for every event there for a year.

Jaws dropped, lights flashed and streamers exploded in the air as the modest mom passed through the turnstile for her second Nets game at the arena — leaving her husband and friends who accompanied her stunned.

“I didn’t even know what was happening,” said Barlow, 50. “It’s kind of like a dream.”

— Reported by Corinne Lestch of the New York Daily News

Paul Pierce wants Billy Hunter gone from NBA Players Union

Celtics forward Paul Pierce, the team’s union representative, called for the removal of NBPA executive director Billy Hunter after Hunter was placed on a leave of absence Friday by the union and president Derek Fisher…

An independent investigation into union practices discovered several misdoings but nothing illegal. Hunter was found to have hired his family members, invested union money into a fledgling bank that employed his son, agreed to a contract extension without the vote of the entire union membership and purchased gifts for executive committee members using union money…

“I think with the way things been going with the association, with all the accusations, I think it’s finally time for some change,” he told the Globe after the Celtics’ 97-84 win over the Orlando Magic. “A lot of the players been unhappy with what’s going on and so I think it’s time.”

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Blog)

Greg Oden meets with Boston Celtics

The Celtics are hoping to move up the list of teams that interests former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden after the two parties met Saturday afternoon in Boston.

Oden, a former prodigy who was supposed to change the Portland Trail Blazers franchise, has had microfracture surgeries on both knees and decided to take this season off to get those knees healthy as he attempts another return.

Oden has played a total of 82 games since entering the NBA in 2007 and has not been completely healthy since missing his entire rookie season with his first microfracture surgery. He last played on Dec. 5, 2009 with Portland, sustaining another serious knee injury that cost him two seasons.

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

NBA fines Mavs coach Rick Carlisle $25,000

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Carlisle made his comments post game following the Mavericks’ 100-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 31 at Oracle Arena.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “Carlisle sent texts to reporters today, letting them know that he is in complete agreement with the NBA’s decision to dock him a few thousand dollars. “I spoke to the NBA office today and agreed that I should be fined for my comments following the Golden State game,” Carlisle texted. “In this league we all have challenging jobs, and the job of the officials is one of the toughest. “Those postgame remarks about the officiating were not appropriate and I accept the fine.”

Delonte West leaves D-League team in limbo

West, the colorful journeyman guard who has been out of basketball since his detrimental conduct caused the Mavericks to release him just before the season opened, has left the D-League’s Texas Legends in limbo. The Legends claimed West on Jan. 25 after he put his name in the D-League player pool, but he has yet to report to Frisco.

A source said it’s up to West whether he will play for the Legends, who are still open to having him on the team and continue to list him on the roster on the team’s website. West has complicated the process by parting ways with agent Dan Fegan.

West, 29, a valuable role player during his lone campaign in Dallas last season, had hoped to earn another chance with the Mavs via his performance and behavior with their D-League affiliate. However, Mavs owner Mark Cuban publicly declared that wasn’t a possibility hours after the Legends acquired West’s rights.

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas