NBA News Blog – Page 900 – NBA Blog

Amare Stoudemire returns in Knicks loss to Blazers

In 16:41 of action, Stoudemire finished with six points on 3-of-8 shooting with only one rebound. He received a standing ovation when he checked into the game with 3:31 left in the first quarter.

“I almost shed a tear when I got out on the court,’’ Stoudemire said. “I’m glad to see the fans were patient with me.’’

In the second half, Stoudemire showed he can still run the pick-and- roll, but struggled most rotating on defense — coach Mike Woodson’s largest concern — despite two blocks. Stoudemire missed his first five shots and made his final three.

“My second half was better than my first half,” Stoudemire said, “and hopefully my second game will be better than my first game.”

With Stoudemire sealed to the bench, the Knicks — who were 21-9 without him — rallied from 11 points down in the final four minutes and cut the deficit to three points on two occasions in the last minute.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Grant Hill hopes to play in January

Grant Hill smiled as soon as he was asked if he has a target date to play in his first game of the regular season for the Clippers.

“Yeah,” Hill said, smiling. “In my mind.”

Hill has a bone bruise in his right knee that has kept him out since the exhibition season.

He said he has “ramped up” his workout activity.

So Hill was asked what date he has in mind to play.

“Sometime in January,” is all Hill would say.

“Hopefully soon I’ll get to start practicing a little bit,” he said. “They are stressing that a lot of it is how you respond. So a target date could be sooner, it could be later. You want to let your body dictate that.”

— Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Avery Bradley set to return for Celtics

Plus one, minus one.

During practice Tuesday, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said the team will be graced with the return of Avery Bradley, who hasn’t played in seven months and is coming off surgery on both his shoulders, for Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

But the Celtics may be without point guard Rajon Rondo, who has been dealing with a bruised hip that caused him to miss the Dec. 29 game against Golden State and hindered him in Sunday’s disappointing loss to Sacramento, when he had just two points.

“When you’re getting beat down the court by a big, it’s frustrating,” Rondo said. “I’m OK. I’ll be fine. It’s not like I need surgery or anything. It’s just a bruise.”

— Reported by Jason Mastrodonato, correspondent for the Boston Globe (Blog)

Derrick Rose will travel, but still not close to return for Bulls

Derrick Rose will travel on the Chicago Bulls’ two-game trip to Orlando and Miami, but coach Tom Thibodeau downplayed expectations of a more expedited return from knee surgery.

“You don’t want to rule out anything,” Thibodeau said. “But he has to go through regular practice for an extended amount of time before we even think about him playing.”

The general guess-timate on Rose has been a return after the All-Star break, sometime in late February or early March.

“Whether it’s after the All-Star break, two weeks after, it’s when he’s ready,” Thibodeau said. “We don’t want to put a date on it. When he makes it through practices for an extended amount of time and there’s not any soreness the next day, we’ll make a decision then. He’s got a long way to go.”

— Reported by KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Charlie Villanueva ejected for flagrant foul

Charlie Villanueva has been ejected from Detroit’s game against Sacramento for a flagrant foul in the second quarter.

Isaiah Thomas drove the lane and was knocked hard to the floor by Villanueva. Thomas then got up appeared to swing his right arm quickly at Villanueva.

Officials reviewed the play on video and ejected Villanueva.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Amare Stoudemire returns for Knicks

Amare Stoudemire is making his season debut and Carmelo Anthony is back in the starting lineup for the New York Knicks against Portland.

Stoudemire will come off the bench as he plays his way back into shape following left knee surgery Oct. 31. Both Stoudemire and coach Mike Woodson said the forward’s minutes would be limited in Tuesday night’s game.

”It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been so ready to play, I put in so much hard work this offseason and then to have to sit out for the first half of this season, but now to be back, I’m so ready to go,” Stoudemire said. ”I’m ready to provide whatever my team needs to improve, so that’s what I’m here for.”

Anthony missed two games with a hyperextended left knee, an injury that occurred in the Knicks’ loss to the Lakers on Christmas. The Knicks are still without point guard Raymond Felton because of a broken right pinky, and Rasheed Wallace remains out with a sore left foot.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Paul Harris named D-League Performer of Week

Paul Harris of the Iowa Energy was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Dec. 24 – 30.

A 6-4, 230-pound forward out of Syracuse, Harris led the Energy to a three-win week, averaging 26.7 points on 60.8 percent shooting from the floor to go with 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 40.0 minutes. He record 30-plus point outings on Dec. 25 against the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Tre Kelley, Bakersfield’s Damion James, Canton’s Samardo Samuels, on assignment from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Erie’s Demonte Harper, Fort Wayne’s Luke Harangody, Idaho’s Justin Holiday, Los Angeles’ Darius Johnson-Odom, on assignment from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, Maine’s DaJuan Summers, Rio Grande Valley’s Terrence Jones, Reno’s Darnell Jackson, Santa Cruz’s Jeremy Tyler, Sioux Falls’ Andrew Goudelock, Texas’ Sean Singletary and Tulsa’s Chris Quinn.

Tyreke Evans knee injury update

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will visit with Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles on Wednesday (1/2/13) morning to receive a second opinion on his sore left knee, according to Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Evans, who did not travel with the team on its current four-game road trip starting in Detroit on New Year’s Day, is averaging 15.1 ppg (.453 FG%, .300 3pt%, .792 FT%), 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.28 spg, and 30.9 mpg in 18 games this season.

Grizzlies recall guard Tony Wroten from D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies recalled guard Tony Wroten from the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Wroten (6-6, 208) averaged 14.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on .545 shooting in 29.5 minutes in two games (both starts) for Reno after being re-assigned to the Bighorns on Dec. 26. The 19-year-old has recorded 13.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists on .411 shooting in 24.5 minutes in eight games (two starts) over two assignments with Reno this season.

The Seattle native will join the Grizzlies for their road contest against the Indiana Pacers at 2 p.m. CT today at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Drafted by Memphis in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Washington, Wroten has totaled eight minutes in three appearances for the Grizzlies during his rookie season.

Monta Ellis, Greivis Vasquez named NBA Players of Week

Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis and New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Dec. 30.

Ellis led the Bucks to a 2-1 week, including wins over the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 26 and Miami Heat on Dec. 29, with averages of 21.3 points (tied for seventh in the Conference), 8.3 assists (fourth in the Conference) and 4.0 steals (first in the Conference). Ellis had a 30-point game against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 30 and tallied five-or-more steals against both the Nets and Heat.

Vasquez, who averaged a double-double with 21.0 points and a league leading 10.0 assists, led the Hornets to a 2-1 week which included wins over the Orlando Magic on Dec. 26 and the Charlotte Bobcats on Dec. 29. He also led the Western Conference in minutes per game, playing 41.7 per contest. In New Orleans’ lone loss, 104-97 to the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 28, Vasquez fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing the game with 20 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Al Horford and Jeff Teague, Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez, Denver’s Danilo Gallinari, Detroit’s Will Bynum, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul, Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge and San Antonio’s Tony Parker.