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Kenyon Martin skips practice to rest knee

The AP reports:

Kenyon Martin skips practice to rest knee

Forward Kenyon Martin missed the Denver Nuggets’ final practice before Friday night’s Game 3 of their first-round matchup with Utah, resting the balky left knee that caused him to miss 18 games late in the season.

Martin was held out of Thursday’s workout as a precaution. The team said his availability for Friday night’s game will be determined at game time.

”The knee feels good but we want to use him for the game,” acting head coach Adrian Dantley said Thursday. ”He’s not practicing today. He’s just resting the knee.”

Trail Blazers sign Marcus Camby to two-year extension

Trail Blazers sign Marcus Camby to two-year extension

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward/center Marcus Camby to a two-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

According to Jason Quick of The Oregonian, “Camby on Tuesday afternoon signed a two-year deal that will pay him $21 million guaranteed, with an additional $5 million in incentives.”

Camby posted averages of 7.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.13 steals, 2.04 blocked shots and 31.2 minutes in 23 games (all starts) with the Trail Blazers this season. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounds (11.8), fifth in blocked shots (1.97) and eighth in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.04) for 2009-10.

“Portland felt right to me since I got here and the support from the team, fans and organization has been incredible,” said Camby. “I’m looking forward to continuing my career as a Trail Blazer and think this team can do something special.”

The 6-11, 235-pound NBA veteran was acquired from the L.A. Clippers on Feb. 16 in exchange for Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and cash considerations.

“Marcus has been a great fit for us and is a big reason for our success,” said Pritchard. “He’s one of the league’s top defensive players, a consummate professional and we’re thrilled to see him in a Trail Blazers uniform for at least two more seasons.”

Camby, 36, has averaged 10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.58 blocked shots in 14 NBA seasons with Toronto, New York, Denver, L.A. Clippers and Portland.

Portland went 17-6 with Camby in the lineup to grab the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and finish with a 50-32 record.

Deron Williams Game 2 playoff win in Denver was historic

Deron Williams playoff game was historic

Deron Williams’ 33-point, 14-assist effort in the Jazz’s Game 2 win last night in Denver was historic.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the history of the NBA playoffs, only one other player had as many points and as many assists in leading his team to a road victory – and it has been 43 years since that one previous instance!  Back on March 21, 1967, Oscar Robertson had 33 points and 16 assists to lead his Cincinnati Royals to a 120-116 win over Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers in the opening game of an Eastern Division semifinals series.

It also marked only the third 30-point, 10-assist game in Jazz playoff history, and the first in a winning effort.

Game 2: Short-handed Jazz beat Nuggets

The AP reports:

Game 2: Short-handed Jazz beat Nuggets

With Utah running out of big bodies, Deron Williams carried an even bigger load.

Williams had 33 points and 14 assists while chalking up nearly 45 minutes to lead the Jazz to a 114-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series.

“He took over from the beginning of the game, which is huge for us,” said Carlos Boozer, who added 20 points and 15 rebounds as the injury-riddled Jazz tied the series before it shifts to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night…

Utah was playing without two of its most experienced playoff performers in forward Andrei Kirilenko (calf), who is out for this series, and center Mehmet Okur, who tore his left Achilles’ tendon in Game 1 and is done for the playoffs…

Kyryo Fesenko played admirably on Nene, and Carmelo Anthony was flustered despite scoring 32 points just 48 hours after his playoff-best 42-point performance in the opener.

Anthony made 14 of 15 free throws but was just 9 of 25 from the field and was whistled for four offensive fouls.

Containing Melo will be hard for Jazz

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports:

With Andrei Kirilenko and his strained calf out, the enormous challenge of containing the explosiveness of one of the NBA’s elite scorers will still mostly fall on the shoulders of 23-year-olds C.J. Miles and Wesley Matthews.

Containing Melo will be hard for Jazz

Carmelo Anthony, flashing his trademark wide smile, recently told ESPN what he’d do if he were in a situation similar to the young Jazz players’.

“If I had to guard me,” Melo said, “I would take the night off.”

Even though the confident-for-good-reason Anthony had a huge Game 1 at their expense, Miles and Matthews don’t plan on taking that easy way out.

“I got a rude awakening, a huge wake-up call in that regard, Carmelo, and just playing the Denver Nuggets on the road,” a more seasoned-feeling Matthews said.

“But I’m excited for (tonight). I’m more excited for (tonight) than I was Saturday.”

Game 1: Melo scores 42, Nuggets beat Jazz

The AP reports: It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like this. Anthony scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith’s fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. “We need that,” Anthony said after Smith scored 18 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter… Although Boozer (rib) returned to Utah’s lineup and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles’ tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he’ll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night… Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes—the most he’s played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl’s two-month absence to fight throat cancer.

CC Sabathia chimes in on LeBron staying or going

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

CC Sabathia chimes in on LeBron staying or going

CC Sabathia told WFAN there’s a likelier chance of his friend LeBron James leaving for New York if Cleveland wins the NBA title.

Asked about James’ thought process, Sabathia told hosts Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno, “I think it depends on what happens this year in the playoffs and how they play, to see how close they get and if they win, how that weighs in his decision.

“I know he wants to go where he can win. I know he likes the idea of New York.”

Sabathia added, “I think if he won (a title), it would be easier for him to leave.”

Nuggets sign Brian Butch, Coby Karl

The Denver Nuggets have signed C Brian Butch and G Coby Karl, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.  We assume these are nonguaranteed, short-term contracts but will update this tonight.

Butch, 6-11, 240, averaged 17.7 ppg and 11.9 rpg in 39 games for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League this season. The University of Wisconsin product also was named MVP of the 2010 NBDL All-Star game after scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Karl, 6-5, 215, averaged 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 26 games for the Idaho Stampede of the D-League. He joined the Stampede after being waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 6. Karl later signed a 10-day contract with Golden State and averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in four games for the Warriors. On Feb. 2, Karl had 12 points, seven assists and seven rebounds – all career-highs – against the Houston Rockets.

Karl, undrafted out of Boise State University, also played 17 games for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2007-08 season, and he was a member of the Nuggets’ 2009 summer-league team, averaging 15.0 points and 4.4 rebounds.

The Nuggets’ roster now stands at the league-maximum 15 players.

Butch and Karl represent the 37th and 38th call-ups to the NBA this season.

Veteran Chauncey Billups still rocking

Benjamin Hochman  of the Denver Post reports:

Veteran Chauncey Billups still rocking

The Nuggets’ point guard is in his 13th NBA season, and this may be his best. He’s averaging 19.7 points per game, his highest ever. He was named to the all-star team, just as he was in the previous four seasons. He is, Denver’s strength-and-conditioning coach said, in the best shape of his life.

Asked if Billups’ body is younger than his age, Steve Hess answered: Absolutely.

“If you look at age, I think it’s irrelevant — I don’t think it matches everyone. . . . Chauncey’s body is not his age,” Hess said. “He’s bought into a healthy lifestyle — staying hydrated, better eating, doesn’t go out (at night), does more stretching, gets massages, does more resistance training, taps into the whole thing. That enables you to get more out of your body.

“Is his age indicative of his body? Absolutely not, because he’s continually improving it.”