Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 71 – NBA Blog

Angel McCoughtry scores WNBA playoff record 42 points

The AP reports:

Angel McCoughtry scored a WNBA playoff record 42 points to win a high-scoring duel with Cappie Pondexter as the Liberty fell to the Atlanta Dream, 105-93, Tuesday night.

With the win, the Dream completed an unlikely march to the league finals.

Pondexter led the Liberty with 36 points, her postseason high, and nine assists.

The Dream, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, swept Washington in the first round before also winning two straight over the Liberty in the conference finals.

Hawks sign Etan thomas

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent center Etan Thomas, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

“We’re excited to add a player of Etan’s caliber to our roster,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He provides additional veteran leadership, physicality and toughness to our club, especially on the glass and the defensive side of the ball. We also add another versatile and multi-positional player to our frontcourt.”

Thomas, who finished last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, has spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Wizards. In eight seasons (seven in Washington), the 6-foot-10 Syracuse product has averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg (.514 FG%, .600 FT%) in 396 career regular season games, starting 74 contests.

In 23 games (one start) with the Thunder last season, Thomas put in 3.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg (.456 FG%, .591 FT%). He also saw action in two postseason contests with Oklahoma City, tallying 6.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg. He’s appeared in 17 career playoff games.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Thomas adds bench depth. And as a poetry buff, he can confuse opponents by using fancy phrases they’ve never heard before, throwing them off balance as their brains attempt to process the new information.

WASHINGTON - APRIL 23: Washington Wizards basketball player Etan Thomas arrives at the Gondobay Manga Foundation Inaugural Gala on April 23, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Full 2010 preseason schedule

The NBA today released its 2010 preseason schedule, which is highlighted by a comprehensive international slate of games that includes seven contests in China, Europe and Mexico. The preseason slate tips off on Oct. 3, when the New York Knicks visit Armani Jeans Milano – the former team of Knicks forward Danillo Gallinari and head coach Mike D’Antoni – in Milan, Italy, and the New Jersey Nets host Maccabi Haifa.

As is the case these days, the action starts overseas, with a few NBA squads heading to Europe.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about teams playing preseason ball overseas. Because generally it’s just a warmup. I think if NBA fans overseas are going to get a rare taste of live NBA action, it should be the best basketball possible, and we usually don’t see that before the regular season begins.

See the complete 2010-11 NBA preseason schedule.

Grizzlies sign Acie Law

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Acie Law, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Acie is a former lottery pick whose offensive skills, ability to drive the basketball, set up his teammates, work hard on the defensive end and excellent work ethic will all help to fortify our backcourt,” Wallace said.

Law, a three-year NBA veteran, was originally selected with the 11th pick overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-3, 202-pound guard has averaged 3.7 points, 1.6 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 12.1 minutes in 137 career games (eight starts) with the Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Bobcats and most recently with the Chicago Bulls.

The 25-year-old appeared in 26 total games (one start) last season, averaging 4.3 points and 1.0 assists for the Bobcats, Warriors and Bulls, where he recorded a career-high 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting with the Bulls at Dallas on March 17, 2010.

Law earned several accolades during his four-year career at Texas A&M, winning the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top guard as a senior in 2006-07. The Dallas, Tex. native was also a consensus All-American in 2006-07 and was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior and senior.

Memphis’ roster now stands at 14.

Assistant for Lorenzen Wright turns over audio tapes to police

The Philadelphia Daily News reports:

The personal assistant to slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright said she had audio recordings of Wright’s ex-wife threatening to harm him, according to a report.

Wendy Wilson told ABC24-WPTY that the Sherra Wright, who was divorced from Lorenzen in January, was recorded saying “things like if she caught him with anyone else, she’d have him ‘bleeped up’ or whatever.”

Wright had been missing since July 18 when he left his ex-wife’s house with an unidentified person around midnight. Family members filed a missing persons report on July 22.

Hawks re-sign Jason Collins

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed center Jason Collins, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, the financial terms were not disclosed.

“We’re excited to welcome Jason back to the team,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He’s a veteran presence in the locker room, and adds experienced depth to the frontcourt. Jason has worked hard in the offseason, and with his knowledge of the system we’re implementing, he’ll continue to be a valuable contributor to our club.”

Collins appeared in 24 games last season for the Hawks, averaging 0.7 ppg and 0.6 rpg in 4.8 mpg (.348 FG%). The nine-year veteran has posted career averages of 4.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.0 apg in 22.7 mpg (.410 FG%, .647 FT%) in 596 games (429 starts) with New Jersey, Memphis, Minnesota and Atlanta.

He’s also appeared in 78 postseason contests in his career (3.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), including trips to the NBA Finals with the Nets in 2002 and 2003.

Grizzlies issue statement on the death of Lorenzen Wright

Memphis Grizzlies Majority Owner Michael Heisley issued the following statement today regarding the death of Memphis native and former Grizzlies player Lorenzen Wright.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright. We lost a member of the Grizzlies family. Lorenzen delighted fans on the court with his passion and off the court with his generosity in a Memphis community that watched him grow throughout his playing career at Booker T. Washington High School, the University of Memphis and the NBA.

“In his five seasons with the Grizzlies, Lorenzen played an integral role in guiding this franchise to three consecutive playoff appearances and was a member of the inaugural Memphis Grizzlies team in 2001.

“On behalf of the entire Memphis Grizzlies organization, we would like to express our sincerest condolences to Lorenzen’s family during this difficult time.”

Wright, a 13-year NBA veteran with the Grizzlies (2001-06), Los Angeles Clippers (1996-99), Atlanta Hawks (1999-2001, 2006-08), Sacramento Kings (2007-08) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-09), averaged 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 336 games with the Grizzlies. He ranks in the club’s all-time Top 10 in rebounds (2,386, 4th), blocks (250, 7th), games (7th), minutes (8,883, 8th) and points (3,148, 10th) and still holds the club’s all-time single-game record of 26 rebounds, set on November 4, 2001 vs. Dallas.

Lorenzen Wright found dead

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Law enforcement officials have found the body of missing Memphis basketball star Lorenzen Wright in a wooded area at Hacks Cross and Winchester in southeast Memphis.

A law enforcement source confirmed the body was that of Wright, who has been missing since July 19, though the Memphis Police Department won’t officially comment.

The body was found by someone who called police today.

InsideHoops.com note: This page will be updated later today.

Hawks sign Josh Powell

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward/center Josh Powell to a contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Powell, a 6-9, 240-pound forward/center, joins the Hawks after two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was a reserve player for the two-time World Champions. He tallied 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds during his Lakers career (10.4 minutes per game), and connected on .409 of his field goal attempts.

“I look forward to joining a franchise I’m very familiar with,” said Powell. “The Hawks have done some great things over the past few years, and I think it’s great to come back home and play here. They’ve enjoyed success in the East, and while they have room to improve and grow, the nucleus is here to make that next step.

“Obviously, I followed the Hawks quite a bit growing up, and the excitement during the Dominique (Wilkins) years was a great thing to watch. We have to continue to get better and hopefully I can bring a little bit of what I’ve learned from my days with Lakers to the team.”

A five-year professional, Powell was a local product at Riverdale (GA) High School who played collegiately at North Carolina State. Undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at NC State, he spent several seasons in Europe before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2005.

After one season with the Mavericks (2005-06), Powell split the next season between the Golden State Warriors (30 games) and Indiana Pacers (seven games) before landing with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2007-08. He brings 37 games of playoff experience to Atlanta, averaging 5.6 minutes per game.

Powell finished with averages of 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds over his two-year collegiate career at NC State, with a 12.4 scoring mark as a sophomore.

Thunder sign Royal Ivey

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed free agent guard Royal Ivey to a contract, Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

“We are pleased to welcome Royal to the Thunder organization,” Presti said. “His defensive mentality, competitiveness and well documented professionalism adds depth to our backcourt and strengthens the identity of our basketball team.”

Ivey, 28, has appeared in 378 NBA games over six seasons, averaging 3.6 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest with Atlanta, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Last season, the 6-4 guard, averaged 2.1 points and 5.6 minutes with the Bucks and 76ers.