NBA Teams – Page 1290 – NBA Blog

Bradley Beal returns, scores 24 in Wizards win over Raptors

Bradley Beal scored 24 points in his return to the lineup, leading the Washington Wizards to a 109-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.

Emeka Okafor had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and John Wall added 18 points and 10 assists for Washington. The Wizards, who came in having lost two in a row on the road, won their seventh straight at home and moved into a tie with Toronto for 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Raptors, losers of six of their last seven. Toronto leading scorer Rudy Gay scored 11 points – about seven below his average – while being limited to 26 minutes due to foul trouble.

Toronto, which has lost six of seven, cut a 20-point third-quarter deficit to six twice in the fourth quarter before Washington pulled away.

After missing five straight games, and 11 of 13, with a sprained left ankle, Beal shot 8 for 14 from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers – on nine attempts – in 30 minutes…

Gay was held to five points in the half and DeMar DeRozan to four, while Valanciunas scored 16 for Toronto.

— Reported by Harvey Valentine of the Associated Press

Kyrie Irving returns, but Cavs lose to Hornets

Kyrie Irving, the king of the fourth-quarter comeback, was back on Sunday. The fourth-quarter comeback was not.

Even with the All-Star point guard returning from his sprained left shoulder and playing for the first time in three weeks, the Cavaliers ran into their same old problem in the third quarter and lost to the Hornets at New Orleans Arena, 112-92.

Irving missed eight games with the injury suffered on March 10 in Toronto, and he led the Cavs with 31 points in 28:40 on Sunday. But he didn’t have enough help and the Cavs fell to 22-50 as their longest losing streak of the season reached eight games. Greivis Vasques had 25 points and Ryan Anderson added 23 for New Orleans, 26-48.

— Reported by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Irving was announced as a surprise return less than two hours prior to the game, but he couldn’t help a defense that was beaten badly in transition and around the perimeter. The Hornets made 12 of 21 3-pointers and scored 19 fast break points, a rarity against a Cavs team that typically gives up few points on the break.

— Reported by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal

Manu Ginobili out indefinitely with hamstring injury

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich puts Manu Ginobili’s timetable to return from a strained right hamstring at weeks rather than days, a significant setback to the team’s pre-playoff preparation.

“It’s a huge blow for us,” he said, “because he’s the guy that allows our second team to do what they’ve been doing all year long.

“It’s a huge loss for that group, and in game situations it’s a tough one because he’s one of two guys, he and Tony (Parker), are the creators who make things happen for everybody else on the court. It’s an unfortunate loss at this point of the season.”

Popovich said it is unknown if Ginobili’s injury will stretch into the postseason, which begins on April 20. Excluding Sunday’s home game against Miami, the Spurs have nine games remaining in the regular season, with the last coming on April 17 against Minnesota.

— Reported by Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News (Blog)

Playoffs within reach for Utah Jazz

It’s the thrill of the chase.

Needless to say, the Utah Jazz would rather it wasn’t this way. They’d much prefer to have already locked up a playoff berth and save their fans and management the hand-wringing that will inevitably accompany the remaining eight games of a bizarre, disjointed season.

But, still, in their second annual final-weeks push for the eighth spot, there is a sense of excitement around a team left for dead as recently as a week ago.

“I told the guys the other night man, if you like to compete,” coach Tyrone Corbin said, “you like to be in these kinds of fights. This is where you figure out where you are.”

Entering Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Jazz (38-36) are in eighth in the West, holders of a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers by virtue of a 2-1 win in the season series.

— Reported by Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune

Coach Rick Adelman closing in on 1,000 wins

Timberwolves assistant coach Terry Porter has known Rick Adelman as a father figure, mentor and close friend.

When Porter first met Adelman 28 years ago, he never imagined that he would be adding “coaching legend” to describe their relationship.

Now that Adelman is closing in on 1,000 wins as an NBA head coach, a milestone only seven other coaches in league history have reached, Porter know as as well as anyone that the description is appropriate and well-deserved.

“I’m sure this is something he will be very proud of,” Porter said. “He might not mention it, but when he looks back on things, how he got started and where he came from … to join such a quality group will be pretty special for him. When you look at the guys in that club, they’re all hall of famers.”

Adelman, 66, is three wins shy of reaching elite status heading into the Wolves’ game Monday night, April 1, against Boston at Target Center.

— Reported by Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Knicks center Tyson Chandler remains out

Center Tyson Chandler has missed the past nine games with a pinched nerve in his neck, but the New York Knicks remain optimistic that he will return for the playoffs if not before.

Chandler was expected back about a week ago after an MRI revealed a bulging disk in his neck, but the Knicks have no timetable for his return. He suffered the injury on March 13.

“There’s always a concern, but he’ll be fine,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said, according to the New York Post. “We’re just being cautious. Eventually, he’ll be back. I like to think he’s getting better. He’ll let us know when it’s time for him to step back on the floor.”

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Mavericks recall Jared Cunningham from D-League again

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have recalled Jared Cunningham from the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

Cunningham (6-4, 194) served two stints with the Legends, averaging 15.3 points, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.5 minutes in 15 games (13 starts). He was originally assigned to the D-League on Dec. 11, then re-assigned on Jan. 28.

Cunningham has seen action in eight games for the Mavericks this season and is averaging 2.0 points and 3.3 minutes per game.

Hawks center Zaza Pachulia injured, out around six months

Atlanta Hawks forward/center Zaza Pachulia has elected to have surgery to repair his sore right Achilles. Pachulia will have surgery Wednesday, April 3rd, in Charlotte at Mercy Hospital. Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina will perform the surgery and Hawks Team Physician Dr. Michael Bernot of Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic will accompany Zaza.

“After thoroughly reviewing the possible options with Zaza, we all felt this was the best decision to insure Zaza’s complete recovery so that he can be at 100 percent going forward. Zaza is a professional with a strong work ethic. The Hawks will continue to be completely supportive as he tackles the return to play process,” said President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ferry.

The expected recovery time following surgery is approximately six months.

Tyson Chandler sits again with neck issue

Center Tyson Chandler missed his ninth straight game Friday night amid growing concern he has a pinched nerve in his neck.

There is no longer a timetable for his return. Twelve days ago, after an MRI exam uncovered a bulging disk in his cervical spine, the Knicks announced he would be back in one week.

“There’s always a concern but he’ll be fine,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “We’re just being cautious. Eventually, he’ll be back. I like to think he’s getting better. He’ll let us know when it’s time for him to step back on the floor.’’

Dr. Wellington Hsu, a spine specialist at Northwestern University, told The Post the symptoms appear to be related to a pinched nerve that isn’t easy to get rid of.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Pat Riley says Danny Ainge should shut up about LeBron

Miami Heat President Pat Riley has added another chapter to his rivalry with the Boston Celtics.

After LeBron James complained about calls and Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge chided him for it, Riley lashed back Friday night.

Riley’s response: “Danny Ainge needs to shut the (expletive) up and manage his own team.”

This saga started Wednesday after Miami’s 27-game winning streak ended in Chicago. James told reporters that night that he does not believe some of the hard fouls he takes are “basketball plays.” A day later, Ainge told Boston radio station WEEI that “it’s almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating.”

Riley was clearly irked, calling Ainge “the biggest whiner going when he was a player.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

According to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post, “After Donovan relayed Riley’s quotes to the media Friday evening, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked to speak on them. “I love direct GM-to-GM communication,” he said, smiling. “It’s awesome.” Ray Allen, who played for the Celtics the past five seasons, also smiled when the quotes were read to him. “That’s between Danny and Pat,” Allen said. “They obviously have a lot of history.” James does not hold a structured press availability prior to games, but when Riley’s just-released statement was mentioned to him — as he got stretched on the floor and scrolled through Twitter — he referred to it as “awesome.” When told of the statement, a couple of his teammates also heartily approved. Heat players have frequently expressed amusement that representatives of other teams — whether players, coaches or executives — tend to talk so much about them. They are especially amused by the Celtics’ chatter about them, whether it’s coming from Jason Terry or Paul Pierce or whomever; one Heat player referred to it as an “obsession.”