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Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley underwent another set of X-rays Saturday on his injured rib, coach Doc Rivers said.
Bradley was injured Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets and missed Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
A team spokesman later noted the X-rays came back negative. Rivers previously stressed that Bradley’s condition hasn’t worsened at all, but that the lack of improvement prompted another test.
— Reported by Greg Payne, special to ESPN Boston
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed center Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out for a minimum of two weeks due to injury.
Johnson was playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA D-League where he was averaging 10.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 25.6 minutes in 14 games. He is the 16th Call-Up from the NBA D-League to the NBA this season.
Johnson, 27, was a free agent invitee at the Wolves training camp this past fall. He appeared in three preseason games for Minnesota, and averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per game. Johnson was waived on Oct. 27, 2012.
The 6-11 center has played parts of two NBA seasons with Boston, Portland and New Orleans. He started the 2011-12 season with Portland, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 20 contests. Johnson finished the 2011-12 season in New Orleans where he averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in seven contests. In 41 career games, he holds averages of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds.
Johnson averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during the 2010-11 season for the Dakota Wizards and was named the 2011 NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year. Spent his collegiate years at Louisiana State University and went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft.
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward Mickael Gelabale to a 10-day contract.
Gelabale, 29, spent two seasons (2006-07, 2007-08) in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, and averaged 4.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.6 minutes per game in 109 contests. Gelabale was drafted in the second round (48th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft by Seattle.
Gelabale, 6-7, began this season playing in Croatia for Cedevita Zagreb in the EuroLeague and Adriatic League. In 10 EuroLeague games, Gelabale averaged 12.8 points on 60.5 percent shooting, including 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. Gelabale signed with Valencia BC in Spain in December and played in five games in the EuroCup and Spanish League, averaging 10.8 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor. Gelabale has also spent time playing professionally in France, Belgium and Russia.
Gelabale played for the French National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, averaging 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in six contests, all starts.
The Miami HEAT announced today that center Dexter Pittman has been re-assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. The Skyforce are the HEAT’s D-League affiliate.
Pittman was originally assigned to Sioux Falls earlier this season on December 26 appearing in 10 games (seven starts) and averaged 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.90 blocks, 1.20 steals and 25.1 minutes while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. He posted four double-doubles and was named to the 2013 NBA D-League Showcase Second Team before being recalled by the HEAT for their 99-90 win against the Los Angeles Lakers last night.
Pittman will rejoin the Skyforce and be available for tonight’s game against the Texas Legends.
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Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic will miss the next seven to 10 days because of badly bruised right quadriceps.
Pekovic was injured in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night after a collision with Blake Griffin. Pekovic did not practice on Friday and Timberwolves president David Kahn says he will miss at least a week.
— Reported by the Associated Press
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The Phoenix Suns and Alvin Gentry have mutually agreed to part ways after his five-plus seasons as head coach, the club announced today. An interim coach will be named in the next 24-48 hours.
“Alvin’s hard work, dedication and coaching ability over the last nine years have been an important part of the success of our organization,” said Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver. “These partings are never easy but are, unfortunately, part of the business of professional sports. I wish nothing but the best for Alvin and his family.”
Said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby: “All of us, including Alvin, realized that the pieces weren’t fitting. To be sure, integrating nine new players was a challenge. Alvin is a good coach and a good person. I wish him the best. As for us, we will remain focused on moving this team forward.”
Gentry originally joined the Suns organization as an assistant coach prior to the 2004-05 season, and was named Phoenix’s interim head coach in Feb. 2009 before officially becoming the 14th head coach in franchise history on May 9, 2009. In five-plus seasons leading the Suns, Gentry’s teams compiled a 158-144 (.523) record, earning one playoff appearance and a trip to the 2010 Western Conference Finals. The Suns currently own a 13-28 (.317) record at the midway point of the 2012-13 season.
“After nine years with the Suns, the organization and I came to a mutual agreement to go in different directions,” Gentry said. “I have the utmost respect for (Suns Managing Partner) Robert (Sarver) and what he’s done with the organization. It’s unfortunate that I was unable to accomplish what I set out to do here.”
According to the Associated Press, “Gentry had coached the Suns since replacing the fired Terry Porter at the All-Star break of the 2008-09 season, compiling a 158-144 record. His 2010 squad, led by Steve Nash, went 54-28 and advanced to the Western Conference finals. But Nash left and the team underwent what has been a disastrous rebuilding effort. The Suns have lost 13 of 15 and four straight at home. Their 98-94 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday night snapped the Bucks’ 24-game losing streak in Phoenix. The Suns’ 13-28 record is the worst in the Western Conference and fourth-worst in the NBA. Only Cleveland, Charlotte and Washington are worse.”
More from the AP: “The rebuilt team lacked a go-to scorer and struggled with depth as Gentry continuously tried new lineups. He had said recently that the team, with the season obviously headed south, might simply turn to its younger players and look to the future.”
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The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed guard Mike James to a second 10-day contract.
James (6-2, 188) signed his first 10-day contract with the Mavericks on Jan. 8 and played in all five games during the length of that contract. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.0 assists and 8.2 minutes in five games off the bench.
The Copiague, N.Y., native is a 10-year veteran and has played in 544 games (263 starts) with Miami, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Houston, Toronto, Minnesota, New Orleans, Washington, Chicago and Dallas. He holds career averages of 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 24.8 minutes per game.
NBA Commissioner David Stern has no problem with teams aiming microphones at their own players during games. If anything, he wants more mikes on the court.
Talking ahead of the New York Knicks’ game in London against Detroit on Thursday, Stern shrugged off a report that MSG chairman James Dolan used listening devices at Madison Square Garden to record everything said to and by Carmelo Anthony.
With the league and media already recording most things that are said during games, Stern said that adding more microphones can only be a good thing.
”Anything that is said on the court is really subject to being picked up,” Stern said. ”For my money, I’d like to see the audio track of our games be a little bit more robust, anyway. … If anything, there are going to be more mikes around the game rather than fewer.”
The Newark Star-Ledger reported Monday that Dolan had two MSG Network audio technicians record Anthony’s interactions following his suspension after exchanging words with Boston forward Kevin Garnett. Stern pointed out that the Knicks have not confirmed the report, but that no league rules were broken in any case.
— Reported by Mattias Karen of the Associated Press
The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have signed guard Shelvin Mack to a 10-day contract. He is the 15th Call-Up of the 2012-13 NBA Development League season. Mack will wear #14.
Mack (6-3, 215) was originally the 34th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by Washington. He spent all of last season with the Wizards being waived prior to the start of the 2012-13 season. Mack re-signed with Washington on Christmas Day and appeared in seven games before being waived on January 7.
In 71 career games with two starts, Mack has averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game while shooting 40.0% from the floor, 29.1% from 3-point range and 70.5% from the line. For his career, he has a 2.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.
In 14 games for the Maine Red Claws of the D-League this season, Mack averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.43 steals while shooting 46.2% from the floor, 41.8% from 3-point range and 89.6% from the line. He ranks third in the D-League in scoring and first in assists.
Additionally, the 10-day contract guard Maalik Wayns signed on January 8 has expired. He appeared in 21 games for the Sixers, averaging 2.7 points and 1.0 assists in 7.9 minutes per game.
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Stephen Curry has injured his right ankle again.
The Golden State Warriors point guard sat out Wednesday night against the Miami Heat after spraining his twice surgically repaired ankle during the team’s morning practice. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Curry, who already had been nursing a sprained right knee, injured his ankle going for a loose ball.
The team said X-rays on Curry’s ankle were negative. Jackson said the injury doesn’t appear serious and he doesn’t expect Curry to be sidelined long. Jarrett Jack started in Curry’s place.
“It was really a freak injury,” Jackson said. “I’m not a doctor, but I can’t imagine it turning into something more. I won’t get into timetables and all of that, but we’re not concerned.”
— Reported by the Associated Press