The AP reports: Gerald Wallace returned with a slight limp for the second half and finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds, willing the Bobcats to a much-needed 104-88 win over the short-handed Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night… Emeka Okafor added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, who pulled away in the fourth quarter and had much better injury luck than the NBA-worst Kings, who dropped to 0-28 against the Eastern Conference… Sacramento played without top scorer Kevin Martin (illness) and Andres Nocioni (quadriceps), then lost Rashad McCants (ankle) late in the fourth quarter after he scored 30 points.
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Wallace scores 25, Bobcats beat Raptors 112-86
The AP reports: Gerald Wallace scored 25 points and the Bobcats began an important week for their postseason aspirations by beating the Raptors 112-86 on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak. D.J. Augustin added 15 points for the Bobcats, who moved within one game of idle Milwaukee and Chicago in the crowded and jumbled race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference… Chris Bosh had 18 points and 14 rebounds against the Bobcats, but the Raptors trailed by 14 at halftime and 19 in the third quarter before the reserves took over… Andrea Bargnani, who scored 27 points for the Raptors on Sunday, was just 2-for-7 from the field in the first half and finished with 13 points.
Love scores 22, Timberwolves beat Bobcats 108-100
The AP reports: Rookie Kevin Love scored 22 points, Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes added 21 each and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Charlotte Bobcats 108-100 on Saturday night. Craig Smith had 15 points for the Timberwolves, who snapped a four-game skid against Charlotte and handed the Bobcats their third straight loss. Gerald Wallace had 26 points to lead Charlotte, Raja Bell scored 21 and D.J. Augustin finished with 18. The Bobcats, whose skid follows a team-record, six-game winning streak, entered the day one-half game behind Chicago and Milwaukee for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
Yao, Artest help Rockets beat Bobcats 91-86
The AP reports: Ron Artest made the go-ahead jumper and had the key defensive play Friday night as the Rockets were able to celebrate the 7-foot-6 Yao’s rare long-range shot in a wild 91-86 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats… Yao had 23 points, Luis Scola added 15 and Artest scored 10 for the Rockets, who appeared to have the game in hand when Yao drilled a straightaway 3-pointer — the second of his career—with 2:12 left to put Houston ahead 83-77… Gerald Wallace scored 17 points and Raja Bell added 16 for the cold-shooting Bobcats, who have lost two straight following their team-record, six-game winning streak.
Charlotte Bobcats sign Dontell Jefferson to 10-day contract
Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Dontell Jefferson to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Bobcats roster now stands at 15 players.
The 6-5 Jefferson has played in 32 games for the Utah Flash in the D-League this season, where he is averaging career highs of 18.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 36.7 minutes per game and is tied for ninth in the league in assists and tied for 14th in scoring. Jefferson was named D-League Co-Player of the Month in January after averaging 21.4 points and 6.2 assists in 11 games, including a career-high 38 points on Jan. 26 against Fort Wayne.
In three D-League seasons, Jefferson has career averages of 14.1 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 114 games with the Dakota Wizards and Utah Flash. He also spent part of the 2007-08 season with Barons/LMT Riga in Latvia were he averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 15 games with the Latvian League and 7.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in seven games in the Baltic League.
Chicago Bulls sign Linton Johnson to 10-day contract
The Chicago Bulls today signed forward Linton Johnson III to a 10-day contract. Johnson, a 6-8, 205-pound forward, will be in uniform tonight when the Bulls take on the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena at 6:00 p.m. (CT).
Johnson, a five-year pro, most recently played with the Charlotte Bobcats during the start of the 2008-09 campaign. He appeared in two games with the Bobcats before being waived on Nov. 19, 2008.
The Chicago native will re-join the Bulls for the second time in his career. During the 2003-04 season, he appeared in 41 games with Chicago and posted averages of 4.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 17.9 mpg. Johnson has also enjoyed stints with the San Antonio Spurs (member of the 2005 NBA Championship team), New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Bobcats. For his career, he has posted averages of 4.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 14.5 mpg. He owns career shooting averages of .417 from the field and .699 from the line.
Johnson, 28, was undrafted out of Tulane University.
Chicago’s roster now stands at 14.
Duncan, Spurs halt Charlotte’s 6-game win streak
The AP reports: The Charlotte Bobcats finally lost, but are still in the playoff hunt. The San Antonio Spurs won again and now await what might be a playoff preview. Tim Duncan had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Spurs halted Charlotte’s franchise-record winning streak at six with a 100-86 victory Tuesday night. Roger Mason and Tony Parker added 21 points apiece for the Spurs, who will take a three-game winning streak into Thursday’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers, a marquee meeting of the Western Conference’s top two teams… Raymond Felton had 15 points and Gerald Wallace 14 for Charlotte.
Bobcats assign Alexis Ajinca and Sean Singletary to D-League
The Charlotte Bobcats have assigned rookies Alexis Ajinca and Sean Singletary to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Ajinca and Singletary are expected to see their first action with the Skyforce on Friday, March 13, against the Reno Bighorns.
A 7-0 center from France, Ajinca has averaged 2.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.2 blocks in 5.9 minutes in 31 total games this season. Ajinca was selected by the Bobcats as the 20th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In the two years prior to joining the NBA, Ajinca played professional basketball in France.
In 2007-08, Ajinca averaged 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.8 minutes with Hyeres-Toulon in France. Ajinca averaged 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots as a member of the French national team that won the Bronze Medal at the 2007 Under-19 World Championship. In 2006, he averaged 6.9 points and 7.5 rebounds to help lead France to the Gold Medal in the Under-18 European Championship.
Singletary, a 6-0 guard from the University of Virginia, has played in 24 games for the Bobcats since being acquired along with Raja Bell and Boris Diaw in a trade with Phoenix in exchange for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley in December 2008. In 37 total games with the Bobcats and Suns, he is averaging 2.4 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.3 steals in 8.2 minutes.
Singletary was initially selected by Sacramento as the 42nd overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft before being traded to Houston and later to Phoenix. He played four seasons at the University of Virginia, averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 123 career games. A three-time All-ACC First Team selection, Singletary finished his career as the only player in ACC history with 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals.
Bobcats beat Hawks 98-91 for 5th straight win
The AP reports: The Charlotte Bobcats are playing their best basketball of their brief history. The Atlanta Hawks are floundering, bickering and perhaps on the verge of collapse. Two teams going in vastly different directions were on display Friday night, with the Bobcats getting 21 points from Gerald Wallace and using a near-perfect first quarter to build a big lead and beat the dysfunctional Hawks 98-91 for their franchise record-tying fifth straight victory… Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 11 rebounds, Raymond Felton had 17 points and 10 assists, and Boris Diaw had 13 points and 13 assists as the fifth-year Bobcats matched their longest win streak set late last season—when they were long out of the postseason picture… Al Horford scored 15 points for the Hawks, who fell behind 36-21 after the first quarter, and saw their lead over Miami for in the race for home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs sliced to a half-game.
Balanced Bobcats win 4th straight, 96-80 vs. Bulls
The AP reports: Raja Bell had trouble lifting his right arm, yet started. Gerald Wallace twice got hit near the rib he fractured earlier this season and stayed in the game. Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor played despite tender ankles. All four Bobcats reached double figures Tuesday night, and Charlotte proved too tough for the undermanned Chicago Bulls in a 96-80 victory they hope continues an improbable journey to the playoffs. Bell scored all 18 of his points in the first half before turning into a decoy when his injured biceps proved too painful to shoot, while Felton had 18 points and nine assists in Charlotte’s season-high fourth straight win… While the Bobcats played through the pain, the Bulls were without forwards Luol Deng (leg) and Tim Thomas (knee). Chicago fell behind early and never recovered. Tyrus Thomas had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the disjointed Bulls, who shot 39 percent and committed 18 turnovers.