Boston Celtics Blog – Page 127 – NBA Blog

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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Celtics beat Pacers 104-99 in Marbury debut

The AP reports: Ray Allen added 30 points and Rajon Rondo matched his career high with 17 assists for Boston. Glen “Big Baby” Davis, starting in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scored 18, and Kendrick Perkins had 11 rebounds. Marbury finished with eight points and two assists in under 13 minutes— just hours after clearing waivers and signing with the Celtics for their push toward the playoffs and a try at back-to-back NBA titles… T.J. Ford scored 23 and Troy Murphy had 20 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who had won three out of four.

Celtics suspend Gabe Pruitt for two games

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have suspended guard Gabe Pruitt for two games for conduct detrimental to the team.

“I recognize that my behavior was inappropriate and accept the consequences of my action as determined by the Celtics,” said Pruitt.

Pruitt, a 6’4”, 170lb guard, is in his second year with the Celtics and is averaging 2.3 points in 8.8 minutes per game this season. The former USC Trojan has appeared in 36 games for the Celtics this season.

Analysis: Marbury can help Celtics

Former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury has signed with the Boston Celtics.

Although Marbury was a starter pretty much his entire career and is capable of putting up 20 points and tossing around eight assists over the course of a full game, the Celtics already have championship-level chemistry, and having Rajon Rondo run things is working out just fine. So they’re not changing that.

It’s expected that Marbury will be used as a prime scoring option off the bench, alongside Eddie House.

But the Celtics win with defense and teamwork, so they’re not looking to have Marbury merely put the ball in the hoop a few times. He’ll be expected to defend as hard as he’s ever done in his life. And move the ball properly.

If he dominates the rock more than the team wants him to, or lets his man go by him too consistently, or doesn’t grasp their team defense schemes, coach Doc Rivers won’t hesitate to sit Marbury down.

If a problem develops, they’ll get rid of him immediately.

It’ll be interesting to watch, but I think in limited minute and a clear backup role and his head on straight, Marbury makes the Celtics better.

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Gabe Pruitt arrested for DUI

The Boston Globe (Frank Dell’Apa) reports: Reserve guard Gabe Pruitt was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and spent about five hours under arrest at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood station early yesterday morning. Pruitt was charged with a misdemeanor and released on $5,000 bail. Pruitt failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue, about a block from the police station, at 3:07 a.m. A police spokesman said Pruitt was stopped at a green light and his automobile, a Mercedes S550, had dark, tinted windows, illegal in California. Pruitt was released at 8:31 a.m. yesterday.

Randolph leads Clippers upset of Celtics

The AP reports: Zach Randolph scored 30 points, including the final three of the game, to lead the Clippers past the defending NBA champions—who have run into injury problems of their own. Already missing Kevin Garnett and Brian Scalabrine, the Celtics lost a bit more of their edge when Paul Pierce dislocated his right thumb in the third quarter, and again in the fourth. He finished with 20 points, but went 7-of-19 from the floor and missed a 13-footer that would have given Boston the lead with 20 seconds remaining… Randolph also had 12 rebounds. Davis had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles. Rondo and Ray Allen each scored 17 in the loss.