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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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Bryant scores 31, Lakers beat Grizzlies 99-89

The AP reports: The Lakers halted their mini-slump at two losses in a row with a front-running 99-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, allowing Los Angeles to avoid its first three-game skid of the season… Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom was only 1-of-8 from the floor and scored just two points for Los Angeles, but posted some other impressive numbers: 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks… Marc Gasol, four years younger than the 28-year-old Pau, outdid his brother, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Memphis.

Chris Mihm has right ankle surgery

Memphis Grizzlies center Chris Mihm underwent successful right ankle surgery, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. There is no timetable for his return.

Mihm, a 7-0, 265-pound center, was acquired on Feb. 18 by the Grizzlies along with cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a 2013 protected second round draft pick.  The former University of Texas standout did not make an appearance with the Grizzlies after the trade.

The seventh overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mihm averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes in 18 games with Los Angeles this season.  The eight-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.02 blocks in 20.1 minutes in 436 career games (236 starts) with the Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Eventually, Mihm and the very concept of surgery will unite, becoming one entity. In the future, “I had Mihm” and “I had surgery” will mean the same thing. Mihm will become a magical being whose very touch, in the form of a handshake, will result in the other person having instant surgery. And with that, I need to go for a walk.

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Knicks sign Cheikh Samb to 10-day contract

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that free agent center Cheikh Samb has been signed to a 10-day contract.

Samb, 7-1, 245-pounds was selected in the second round (51st overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, before being traded to the Detroit Pistons on draft night. A native of Senegal, Samb has career averages of 1.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 5.4 minutes in 20 career games over two seasons with Detroit, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers. On Nov. 3, he was traded from Detroit to Denver, and on Jan. 5 from Denver to the L.A. Clippers. In 16 games this season with the Nuggets and Clippers, Samb averaged 0.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.63 blocks over 4.7 minutes. He was waived by the Clippers on Feb. 16.

The Knicks roster now stands at 13 players.

InsideHoops.com editor says: He’s probably in for those 10 days and then out again.

Kobe scores 49 but Suns beat Lakers 118-111

The AP reports: Shaquille O’Neal scored 33 points and Phoenix overcame Bryant’s 49-point performance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 118-111 on Sunday. Matt Barnes added 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Suns, without Steve Nash for the third straight game because of a sprained right ankle, defeated the Lakers for the first time in four tries this season. Pau Gasol added 30 for Los Angeles, loser of two in a row for just the third time this season… Leandro Barbosa added 22 points and Grant Hill 17 for the Suns, who improved to 6-2 since Alvin Gentry replaced the fired Terry Porter and returned the team to Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced style. It was the Gentry-led Suns’ first win, though, over a team with a winning record.

Nuggets end skid against Lakers with 90-79 win

The AP reports: J.R. Smith scored 22 points and hounded Kobe Bryant all night and the Nuggets beat cold-shooting Los Angeles 90-79 to end to end a nine-game losing streak against the Lakers. The Nuggets got solid performances from reserves Smith and Chris Andersen, who tied a career high with seven blocks, pulled down 12 rebounds and chipped in 11 points, and their defense was, to a man, absolutely outstanding… Kobe Bryant scored 29 points but he needed 31 shots to do it, sinking 10 of them, and he was hounded by Smith in the fourth quarter when the Nuggets held the Lakers to 16 points and Bryant went 2-for-9… Lamar Odom was 5-for-17 and the bench was a combined 3-for-19.

Bryant’s Lakers beat Shaq’s Suns 132-106

The AP reports: Without Steve Nash, nobody got the ball inside to Shaquille O’Neal, and that made the Phoenix Suns a pushover. The Los Angeles Lakers scored 70 points in the first half and rolled past the Nash-less Suns 132-106 Thursday night for their sixth consecutive victory. Kobe Bryant had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, while O’Neal had 12 points while taking just seven shots, and grabbed seven rebounds for the Suns in the former teammates’ first meeting since sharing MVP honors at the All-Star game… Lamar Odom had a team-high 23 points and Pau Gasol added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who own the NBA’s best record at 48-10 and lead the Pacific Division by 15 games over the Suns… Leandro Barbosa scored 18 points and Alando Tucker added 16 starting in place of Nash. Jason Richardson added 13.

Vlade Divac new president of Serbia basketball Olympic committee

Fiba.com reports: Serbia basketball great Vlade Divac on Tuesday became the new president of the country’s Olympic Committee (OKS). Divac, who won numerous medals with the former Yugoslavia in international competition and also enjoyed a long career in the NBA, was confirmed as the new president at the General Assembly of OKS just minutes after his rival, former president Ivan Curkovic, decided to step out of the race. Curkovic explained that his sudden move was made “due to political pressure” that he was under, and “to secure legality of the election” since delegates previously had decided not to vote secretly for the president, which is a requirement under current OKS statutes if there is more than one candidate.

Bryant leads late surge as Lakers put away Thunder

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 36 points in a 3-minute span of the fourth quarter to stave off the Thunder’s comeback bid and lead the Lakers to a 107-93 victory on Tuesday night. He didn’t emerge from the Lakers’ training room until about 40 minutes after the game, but he was in a good mood when he did… Kevin Durant scored 32 to lead Oklahoma City in its sixth straight loss. It was his ninth time scoring at least 30 points in the last 10 games, and the 13th time in 17 games, during a surge that’s landed him right behind Bryant in fourth place in the NBA in scoring. Rookie Kyle Weaver followed his career-best 19-point outing by scoring 16, and Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points for the Thunder.