NBA News Blog – Page 903 – NBA Blog

Heat assign center Dexter Pittman to D-League

The Miami Heat today assigned third-year center Dexter Pittman to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 72nd of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the first for Pittman this year. He becomes the 43rd NBA player to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Pittman (6-11, 285, Texas) has appeared in four games for Miami this season, averaging 1.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 minutes. He returns to the Skyforce having played in 22 games on assignment as a rookie in 2010-11, when he averaged 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 27.8 minutes. In 41 career games for the Heat, Pittman has averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 7.9 minutes.

Originally selected by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Pittman averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 134 career NCAA games.

Pittman is expected to join the Skyforce today and be available on Friday, Dec. 28, when the team hosts the Maine Red Claws in Sioux Falls at 8 p.m. ET.

December 26 Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers game is postponed

The Chicago Bulls game against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night (December 26) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana has been postponed due to weather conditions.

The game will be rescheduled and announced at a later date.

Tickets for Wednesday night’s game will be honored for that game.

Knicks guard Raymond Felton sprains finger

Because of his toughness, guard Raymond Felton can’t be counted out for Wednesday night’s game against the Suns in Phoenix. But even he admitted after spraining his right pinkie on his shooting hand that if he plays he is likely to be limited by the injury.

“I ain’t the same with it,” he said of the injury. “We’ll see what happens.”

With a little less than nine minutes to go in the third quarter of Tuesday’s 100-94 loss to the Lakers, Felton and L.A.’s Steve Nash both dove for a loose ball. Felton said Nash tried to tap it away while he tried to corral it and the ball bent the finger outward.

He came out of the game and returned with it bandaged. He finished with 10 points on 5-for-19 shooting and six assists. He was 1-for-10 shooting after the injury. He left with a splint on the finger.

— Reported by Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News

Stoudemire calls January 1 return a possibility

Injured forward Amar’e Stoudemire could be back on the court for the New York Knicks on New Year’s Day.

There are indications from Stoudemire that he could see his first action on Jan. 1 against Portland in Madison Square Garden. He called that date “a possibility” when asked when he would make his season debut, according to Newsday.

The veteran forward is working his way back from a knee injury.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Cavaliers waive Donald Sloan, claim Shaun Livingston off waivers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have claimed guard Shaun Livingston off waivers from the Washington Wizards and waived guard Donald Sloan, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The Wizards waived Livingston Sunday night, December 23rd, giving the Cavaliers until today at 5 p.m. to claim Livingston and create the roster space for him.

The Cavaliers rosters now stands at 15.

Livingston, 27, has appeared in 17 games (four starts) for the Wizards, averaging 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. The 6-foot-7, 175-pound guard out of Peoria Central (IL) High School is in his eighth NBA season and has career averages of 6.6 points on .457 shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 22.4 minutes over 341 games (110 starts).

Donald Sloan has played in 20 games this season for the Cavs, averaging 4.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 12.9 minutes per game. Sloan was signed by the Cavs from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League on March 16, 2012 and has appeared in 53 games (11 starts) during his two-year NBA career, averaging 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.

Wizards sign Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple

The Washington Wizards are desperate for whatever help they can get.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guards Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple.

Mack (6-3, 207) was originally selected by Washington with the 34th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. In 11 games this season with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League, he has averaged 19.7 points (ranked sixth) and a D-League best 7.5 assists in 40.7 minutes per contest. He was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week on December 10. In 64 games during his rookie campaign with the Wizards, Mack averaged 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. The former Butler Bulldog averaged 4.1 points in eight games during the 2012 preseason with Washington before being waived on October 28, 2012.

Temple (6-6, 195) was undrafted out of LSU in 2009. In nine games this season with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League, he has averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 36 minutes per contest. Temple has appeared in 51 career NBA games with the Rockets, Kings, Spurs, Bucks and Bobcats while averaging 3.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. In 63 career D-League games, he holds averages of 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists with Rio Grande, Erie and Reno. The former Tiger spent the 2012-13 preseason with Miami, appearing in six games and tallying 4.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Kris Humphries out for two games

Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries will miss the next two games with a mild abdominal strain, coach Avery Johnson said Tuesday.

Humphries will not play against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday afternoon and will not make the trip to Milwaukee for Wednesday night’s game against the Bucks. He will be re-evaluated when the Nets return from Milwaukee, Johnson said.

Humphries visited with doctors Monday after experiencing issues with his abdominal muscles.

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Nets may give Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche more time together

The changes that began with benching Kris Humphries and inserting Keith Bogans into the lineup for Sunday’s win over the 76ers won’t end there.

Nets coach Avery Johnson hinted at a more new looks for his team following yesterday’s light practice at the team’s facility ahead of today’s noon matinee against the Celtics at Barclays Center, with the most notable change being the potential for Brook Lopez and Andray Blatche to see the floor at the same time.

The two have barely been on the floor together at all this season, as Johnson has almost exclusively played with one of them manning the center spot at all times, and switching in and out for one another, when both have been healthy. But Johnson made it sound like that will change, possibly as soon as today.

“That’s something you’re going to see,” Johnson said.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Wilson Chandler expected to start practicing in January

Think back. When the Carmelo Anthony trade happened 22 months ago, one could have argued that the two best gets were Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. Sure enough, Gallo is now the Nuggets’ leading scorer, while Chandler, um, is he still even with the Nuggets?

Chandler’s peculiar journey, which has taken him to China and under the knife, will finally take him back to the practice court. Denver expects forward Chandler, as well as backup point guard Julyan Stone, to return to practice in the first week of 2013.

Both players underwent similar hip surgeries during the summer. Chandler, whose surgery happened first, returned to the Nuggets earlier this season but played just four games, averaging 6.5 points. The 6-foot-8 forward, now 25, then sat out every game since Nov. 12 to rest and rehabilitate his hip and groin.

Asked recently about Chandler, coach George Karl said: “I don’t think he’s playing in the near future. He might be playing in practice (come Jan. 1).”

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Warriors recall Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler from D-League

The Golden State Warriors have recalled guard/forward Kent Bazemore and forward/center Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today. Both players were assigned to Golden State’s D-League affiliate yesterday (December 23) and participated in the team’s 93-88 victory over the Bakersfield Jam last night.