Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

76ers sign Casper Ware to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that they have signed guard Casper Ware to a 10-day contract.

Since graduating from Long Beach State in 2012, Ware has played in Italy. He spent the 2012-13 season with A.S. Junior Casale and was named MVP of Legadue Basket. This season, Ware played for Virtus Bologna of Lega Basket Serie A.

As a senior for the 49ers, Ware was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press. He finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in assists.

In addition, Darius Johnson-Odom’s 10-day contract with the Sixers has expired.

Man named Quinton Ross (NOT the former NBA player) found dead

Here is the New York Post reporting on a man found dead whose name is the same name as a former Nets/NBA player. But, it’s not that player. It’s another guy.

Cops are investigating the suspicious death of a man whose body was found buried in a shallow grave on the Far Rockaway beach Monday morning.

Initial reports that the victim is former Nets basketball player Quinton Ross are incorrect, police said.

The victim, also named Quinton Ross was stuffed into a trash bag that was hidden in a patch of weeds midway between the water and the boardwalk at Beach 40th Street, cops said.

A law-enforcement source said he had been reported missing to the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens, on Thursday.

After latest loss to Suns, playoff hopes fading for Timberwolves

Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press reporting on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have to suddenly play amazing basketball and get lucky on top of that if they still hope to somehow qualify for the playoffs:

The Timberwolves’ playoff hopes already were on life support even before they tipped off Sunday against the Phoenix Suns in their only home matinee game of the season.

With the end of the season drawing near, the Wolves were in 10th position in the Western Conference playoff chase five games behind Phoenix, which sat just a game behind Memphis for the eighth and final berth.

A Wolves victory would have sent pulses skipping a bit and renewed enthusiasm for the final weeks.

But only Phoenix moved in a positive direction.

The Suns essentially pulled the plug on the Wolves’ faint playoff hopes with a 127-120 victory in front of 17,866 at Target Center. Markieff Morris scored 25 points and Eric Bledsoe had 21 and P.J.

DeMarcus Cousins apologizes to Sean Elliot for old incident

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on Kings center DeMarcus Cousins:

In terms of maturity, Nov. 9, 2012 was one of the low points during DeMarcus Cousins’ NBA career.

Following a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Cousins left the Kings locker room to confront former Spur and current television analyst Sean Elliott over comments he deemed as critical.

The NBA deemed that confrontation threatening and hostile and suspended Cousins for two games.

When the Spurs were in Sacramento this past Friday, Cousins approached Elliott before the game and apologized.

“What happened between me and Sean the other day was just me being man enough to admit that I was wrong,” Cousins said. “I wasn’t expecting it to get out. I was hoping it was going to be something between me and him.”

Nets beat Mavs on Jason Kidd`s 41st birthday

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the latest Nets victory:

Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson made sure Jason Kidd’s 41st birthday was a happy one.

Johnson, who has been automatic in late and close situations since joining the Nets two summers ago, hit the game-tying layup with 9.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and then led the Nets with six points in overtime on the way to an improbable 107-104 victory over the Mavericks in front of a sellout crowd of 19,603 at American Airlines Center Sunday night.

“Down the stretch, man,” Johnson said, “those moments are ones I really cherish and love.”

They have become moments the Nets (37-31) love to have Johnson for, as he is 7-for-7 in his one-plus seasons as a Net when they are within three points in the final 10 seconds of the game, and 3-for-3 this season.

“He’s clutch, man,” said Deron Williams, who finished with 15 points in his return to his hometown. “That’s why the ball is in his hands.”

Lakers beat Magic, who have now lost 9 straight games

Here’s the Los Angeles Times Blog reporting on the Lakers, who helped the Orlando Magic maintain their losing ways:

Jordan Hill had a career-high 28 points to help the Lakers end their four-game losing streak with a 103-94 victory over the Orlando Magic.

In an outcome that likely ended any hope the Lakers had for the third lottery position of the 2014 NBA draft, the Lakers gave Orlando their ninth straight loss.

Playing on the second night of back-to-back games, the Magic got a double-double from rookie Victor Oladipo (21 points, 10 assists). Orlando owned a 46-34 rebounding advantage but couldn’t overcome 20 turnovers.

Pau Gasol sat out the second half because of dizziness and nausea after scoring six points and getting two rebounds in 18 minutes in the first half.

Nick Young helped carry the offensive load for the Lakers. He finished with 26 points off the bench. Hill had 13 rebounds. Jodie Meeks also scored in double figures with 13 points and he had six steals.

Jazz will participate in Las Vegas summer league instead of Orlando

Here’s the Deseret News reporting that the Utah Jazz will make a change this offseason:

So long, Florida humidity. Hello, Nevada heat. Breaking tradition, the Utah Jazz will participate in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League this July.

The Jazz had been going to the Orlando Pro Summer League since the Rocky Mountain Revue stopped functioning in 2008, in large part because of how the Vegas event led to the demise of Utah’s annual hoops showcase.

“Having our training camp in Orlando was difficult for us and we felt it was time to move forward,” Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which first reported the switch. “We feel there’s a natural tie-in with Las Vegas and it’ll be great for our fans to follow us (and) be able to see our young players. We’re very excited about the move.”

Pacers beat Bulls in another testy battle

Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on the Bulls:

Pick an excuse: lack of depth, bad calls, missed shots, poor rebounding, flopping. The list went on and on for the Bulls on Friday night.

The Bulls are still a feel-good story, but not every story has a happy ending. Certainly not in Indiana.

Thanks to a 19-0 run in the third quarter, the Pacers pulled away from the Bulls in a 91-79 laugher.

And, as coach Tom Thibodeau pointed out, losing the rebounding battle 51-36 is never a good thing. And reserve big man Taj Gibson fouling out because the Pacers have “floppers’’ doesn’t help. But depth seemed to be the difference. It was a big reason why Indiana (51-18) outscored the Bulls 31-19 in the third quarter to put the game on ice.

“You can use that as an excuse if you want,’’ Thibodeau said when asked about the Bulls’ lack of depth being exposed. “I choose not to.”

Philadelphia 76ers losing streak now at 23 straight games

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing the 76ers, who have mastered the art of losing basketball games:

The ball bounced awry and tapped the white end line. James Anderson short-armed the pass and Thaddeus Young tried to reach it, but he never had a chance.

There were 8.6 seconds left on Friday night in the Sixers’ 93-92 loss to the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center. And for a moment it appeared that the Sixers’ 22-game losing streak was no longer safe.

But the referee blew his whistle, Anderson’s pass went out of bounds, and the Sixers’ hopes were dashed.

It was their 23d straight loss. They continue to creep closer to the NBA record of 26 straight set in 2011 by Cleveland.

Before the turnover, head coach Brett Brown huddled his team and called for them to work the play around Anderson. It was Anderson’s first game back after missing two with a thigh injury. He finished with eight points and six rebounds.