The AP reports: It’s that time of year, where little aches and pains are starting to add up for Dwyane Wade. Sore knee, stiff ankle, that sort of thing. He tried to say it was a problem Wednesday. “I was only able to get 32,” Wade said, unable to hold in a laugh— knowing those 32 points were good enough for the Miami Heat. Wade continued his post-All-Star offensive tear, hitting the game-sealing 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, and the Heat held on to beat the injury-depleted Boston Celtics 107-99… Ray Allen hit his first six shots and finished with 27 for Boston, but only three of those came after halftime—as he missed six of his final seven shots. Leon Powe had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who got 16 points from Paul Pierce.
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Kevin Garnett out another week
The AP reports: Boston Celtics All-Star Kevin Garnett will miss at least two more games with a right knee sprain. Coach Doc Rivers said Sunday that Garnett won’t be back “earlier than next Sunday.”
InsideHoops.com note: Without KG and Rajon Rondo (minor ankle sprain), the Celtics today lost to the Orlando Magic, who are without starting point guard Jameer Nelson for the rest of the season.
No Rondo, Magic beat Celtics 86-79
The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 18 with 15 rebounds, making a pair of free throws with 13.9 seconds left to ice it after Boston cut a 22-point deficit to three, and the Magic held on to beat the Celtics 86-79 on Sunday… “It was big for (us) to see where we are for the playoffs,” said Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, who scored 16… Rashard Lewis scored 15 and Rafer Alston had 10 points and eight assists for Orlando, which won its fourth straight… Ray Allen had 17 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, scoring nine straight to make it 82-79 with 1:22 to play… Stephon Marbury, who made his first start since joining the Celtics on Feb. 27, started and scored four points in 20:30.
InsideHoops.com note: Rajon Rondo didn’t play. He’s out with a minor right ankle sprain.
Celtics beat Cavs at home to tighten East race
The AP reports: Paul Pierce scored 29 points, reserve Leon Powe had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Celtics beat Cleveland 105-94 to move within percentage points of the East-leading Cavaliers in the race for home-court advantage through the conference finals… Mo Williams scored 26 for Cleveland and LeBron James had 21, shooting just 5-of-15 from the field to go with 9-for-12 from the line. He spent the last 87 seconds of the game on the bench after the Cavaliers fell behind by 15 and couldn’t make a run.
Glen Davis ejected after hard foul on Anderson Varejao
A flagrant-2 foul was called on Celtics power forward Glen Davis Friday night in Boston in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Early in the third quarter, Cavs forward/center Anderson Varejao had the ball and drove at the rim, coming alongside the left baseline.
As Varejao went up for his shot, Davis jumped with both his arms up, but brought both arms down, making contact with Varjao’s neck and shoulder area. There was enough of a follow-through motion for the refs to call it a flagrant-2.
I think the refs made the right call.
A few players from both teams rushed over to make sure no one started to fight, but nothing happened.
A flagrant-2 foul results in an ejection. So, Davis is gone from the game.
Doc Rivers became furious as the refs told him what was up. He must have not seen the replay.
And then pointless, silly technical fouls were called on LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ray Allen for rushing over and sort of holding on to each other for a few seconds.
–Jeff
Spurs sign Drew Gooden
The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed forward/center Drew Gooden for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Gooden, 6-10, 250 pounds, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on March 1 after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade on Feb. 18. This season he has appeared in 32 games, averaging 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes while shooting .460 (166-361) from the field and .869 (86-99) from the foul line. Gooden has posted 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 22 games, including seven contests with 20 or more. In 31 games with Bulls, he averaged 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes, and in his only game with the Kings he posted 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Originally selected out of the University of Kansas with the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Gooden has played for five NBA teams (Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago and Sacramento). For his career he has appeared in 491 games, averaging 12.1 points (.470 FG%, .730 FT%), 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.5 minutes. Gooden enjoyed his best season in 2004-05 with the Cavaliers when he averaged a career-high 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.8 minutes while appearing in all 82 games.
Gooden, 27, has made three trips to NBA playoffs, including the 2007 NBA Finals where the Spurs defeated the Cavaliers. In 40 career playoff games, he has averaged 10.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.
Gooden enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Kansas. In three seasons with the Jayhawks he averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.10 blocks and 1.10 steals in 98 games becoming just the second player in school history (Danny Manning) to record at least 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals. As a junior, Gooden helped lead Jayhawks to the 2002 NCAA Final Four. Along the way he was named First Team All-America in 2002 by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Basketball News. He also was named the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year and a 2002 Wooden Award First-Team All-American.
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Pierce shines, Celtics beat Nets 115-111
The AP reports: Paul Pierce scored 31 points and hit a game-winning 17-footer with 20.9 seconds to play—the last of three perfect plays down the stretch—to lead the Celtics to a 115-111 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night… Devin Harris, who had 25 points and 11 assists for New Jersey, missed a floater with 45.6 seconds to go and that set the stage for Pierce’s game winner… Rajon Rondo added 20 points as the Celtics shot 61.2 percent from the field in beating the Nets for the third time this season. Perkins had 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Brian Scalabrine suffers third concussion in month
The Boston Globe (Frank Dell’Apa) reports: Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a third concussion in less than a month. Scalabrine sustained concussions while defending against Dallas’s Dirk Nowitzki Jan. 25 and during a practice session two days later, remaining out until a Feb. 19 visit to Utah. Scalabrine received a blow to the neck during a win over the Nuggets last week and was held out of action, the injury later determined to be a concussion. Scalabrine said he also had concussions while performing for Highline Community College in Washington and against Atlanta last year.
Pistons beat Celtics 105-95 in East final rematch
The AP reports: The Detroit Pistons are back to their old mainstays and back to their old, winning ways. Richard Hamilton had 25 points, Tayshaun Prince scored 15 and each hit a 3-pointer in the final 80 seconds to help the Pistons beat the Celtics 105-95 on Sunday. Hamilton also had nine assists in his second straight start since Allen Iverson returned to Detroit because of a stiff back. “You can tell they’re playing the system they played before Iverson got there,” said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who scored 26… Glen “Big Baby” Davis, starting in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scored 18 and Pierce played all but 18 seconds as Boston lost to an Eastern Conference opponent at home for the first time this season.
Thunder waive Joe Smith
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has waived forward Joe Smith.
Smith was acquired by the Thunder on August 13, 2008 along with guard Desmond Mason in a three-team trade that sent guards Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Smith appeared in 36 games for the Thunder this season averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per contest.
The Thunder roster now stands at 14 players.
Smith may now choose to sign with a playoff contender in need of help at the power forward and center spots. The Cavaliers have been reported by multiple media outlets as a possibility, especially with Ben Wallace out for an extended period with a major injury.
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