NBA Teams – Page 1356 – NBA Blog

Clippers cruise to 90-77 win over Timberwolves

Jamal Crawford scored 22 points, Blake Griffin added 20 and the Los Angeles Clippers hardly broke a sweat in cruising to a 90-77 victory over the free-falling Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Lamar Odom grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out six assists, and the Clippers outscored Minnesota’s bench 45-23 to overcome Chris Paul’s third straight missed game because of a knee injury.

Luke Ridnour scored 21 points and Ricky Rubio had four points and six assists in his first start of the season for the Timberwolves, who lost leading scorer and rebounder Nikola Pekovic to a bruised right quadriceps in the third quarter.

The Timberwolves shot just 35.7 percent and missed 15 of their 19 3-pointers in losing their fifth straight game.

Even without their MVP candidate out there to steer the ship over the last few games, the Clippers have been humming right along. Backup Eric Bledsoe clearly has been watching how Paul goes about his business because the third-year Kentucky point guard has played with a maturity and explosiveness that has allowed the Clippers to not miss a beat…

Pekovic was injured while getting tangled with Griffin under the basket in the third quarter and Alexey Shved rolled his left ankle midway through the final period, the latest in an incredible pile of injuries for the Wolves this season.

— Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Knicks beat Pistons in London game

Back in London and back on the basketball court, Carmelo Anthony went right back to his winning ways.

The Knicks star was the main attraction at the O2 Arena on Thursday, five months after he helped the United States win the Olympic gold medal at the same venue.

This time, he led the New York Knicks over the Detroit Pistons, 102-87 in the third regular-season NBA game played in the British capital.

”It felt good out there,” said Anthony, who scored 18 points in the first half as the Knicks (25-13) jumped out to a big early lead. ”I definitely had some flashbacks out there. Running out there on the court, just being in the O2 Arena.” …

Amare Stoudemire added 17 points for the Knicks and J.R. Smith scored 16. Will Bynum led the Pistons with 22 points.

The Pistons were the home team at the O2 Arena, but the crowd certainly favored the Knicks and Anthony…

The crowd at the O2 cheered loudly at times, but there were stretches of silence during some portions of the game. There was even a quiet moment before the game started, though it appeared to be an accident…

Knicks fan and movie director Spike Lee made the trip to London to see his team and sat courtside as usual, wearing a blue suit with an orange tie.

— Reported by Chris Lehourites of the Associated Press

David Stern has no problem with teams miking players

NBA Commissioner David Stern has no problem with teams aiming microphones at their own players during games. If anything, he wants more mikes on the court.

Talking ahead of the New York Knicks’ game in London against Detroit on Thursday, Stern shrugged off a report that MSG chairman James Dolan used listening devices at Madison Square Garden to record everything said to and by Carmelo Anthony.

With the league and media already recording most things that are said during games, Stern said that adding more microphones can only be a good thing.

”Anything that is said on the court is really subject to being picked up,” Stern said. ”For my money, I’d like to see the audio track of our games be a little bit more robust, anyway. … If anything, there are going to be more mikes around the game rather than fewer.”

The Newark Star-Ledger reported Monday that Dolan had two MSG Network audio technicians record Anthony’s interactions following his suspension after exchanging words with Boston forward Kevin Garnett. Stern pointed out that the Knicks have not confirmed the report, but that no league rules were broken in any case.

— Reported by Mattias Karen of the Associated Press

76ers sign guard Shelvin Mack to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have signed guard Shelvin Mack to a 10-day contract. He is the 15th Call-Up of the 2012-13 NBA Development League season. Mack will wear #14.

Mack (6-3, 215) was originally the 34th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by Washington. He spent all of last season with the Wizards being waived prior to the start of the 2012-13 season. Mack re-signed with Washington on Christmas Day and appeared in seven games before being waived on January 7.

In 71 career games with two starts, Mack has averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game while shooting 40.0% from the floor, 29.1% from 3-point range and 70.5% from the line. For his career, he has a 2.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.

In 14 games for the Maine Red Claws of the D-League this season, Mack averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.43 steals while shooting 46.2% from the floor, 41.8% from 3-point range and 89.6% from the line. He ranks third in the D-League in scoring and first in assists.

Additionally, the 10-day contract guard Maalik Wayns signed on January 8 has expired. He appeared in 21 games for the Sixers, averaging 2.7 points and 1.0 assists in 7.9 minutes per game.

Stephen Curry hurts right ankle in practice

Stephen Curry has injured his right ankle again.

The Golden State Warriors point guard sat out Wednesday night against the Miami Heat after spraining his twice surgically repaired ankle during the team’s morning practice. Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Curry, who already had been nursing a sprained right knee, injured his ankle going for a loose ball.

The team said X-rays on Curry’s ankle were negative. Jackson said the injury doesn’t appear serious and he doesn’t expect Curry to be sidelined long. Jarrett Jack started in Curry’s place.

“It was really a freak injury,” Jackson said. “I’m not a doctor, but I can’t imagine it turning into something more. I won’t get into timetables and all of that, but we’re not concerned.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Red-hot Hornets beat Celtics 90-78

New Orleans Hornets rookie Austin Rivers sank a layup and ran past the Boston Celtics’ bench on his way back down the floor.

Doc Rivers had to fight his fatherly instinct and ignore him.

”I was about to say something and I didn’t; I caught myself. I forgot he was on the other team,” the Celtics coach said after facing his son for the first time. ”It’s just a strange dynamic. I didn’t enjoy it, honestly. I know it’s neat for everyone else, but as a father, I don’t know if I enjoyed that.”

Greivis Vasquez had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Rivers won his first NBA game against his father on Wednesday night as the Hornets beat Boston 90-78. New Orleans has won six of its last seven games to escape the Western Conference cellar.

”I knew it was a different game and I didn’t try to pretend like it wasn’t, and I think that helped me,” the younger Rivers said. ”Now that this is out of the way, it will be a lot easier. I can just go out there and not worry about, ‘Oh man, this is weird.”’

Paul Pierce scored 12 points with 10 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes as the Celtics’ six-game winning streak came to an end. Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 11 assists.

Pierce shot 5 for 16 from the floor and made one of seven 3-point attempts as Boston went 4 for 18 from beyond the arc.

The Hornets were worse, going 2 of 17 from 3-point range. But they have won eight of 12 since an 11-game losing streak that stretched through much of December…

Al-Farouq Aminu had 18 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Davis had 10 of each for New Orleans. Rivers scored eight points, going 3 for 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line while adding two fouls and an assist in 23 minutes.

— Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press

Ricky Rubio hopes for more playing time

Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio plans to meet with the team’s medical staff Thursday, Jan. 17, to determine if his playing time will be increased.

Rubio, who has been limited to 18 to 22 minutes off the bench in his comeback from a major knee injury, played a season-high 26 minutes in the Wolves’ 113-98 loss at Dallas on Monday night.

“I’m ready to play more minutes,” Rubio said after practice Wednesday. “I will talk to them. It’s my feelings against theirs. I hope to know tomorrow.”

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

Will Atlanta Hawks trade Josh Smith?

The Hawks, losers of six of their last seven before Wednesday – including an embarrassing 39-point loss to the Bulls on Monday – now find themselves in a combustible situation with a lame-duck coach and an unhappy star on an expiring contract. Among their options: trade Smith before the February deadline, or attempt to re-sign him while chasing pending free agent Dwight Howard.

Drew said he can’t speak on plans regarding Smith, deflecting such questions to GM Danny Ferry.

“We look at Josh as we do any player is in a situation of having a year left on his contract,” Drew said. “Josh is a talented player. He’s a big part of what we do. He’s a guy that we count on, rely on in what we do. Hopefully he’ll be a Hawk for a long time. He’s a phenomenal talent.”

— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Blog)

Dan Gilbert buying hotel-casino in Detroit

Rock Gaming Chairman Dan Gilbert announced Wednesday that he has acquired a majority interest of the Greektown Casino-Hotel in downtown Detroit.

Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and the Cleveland Cavaliers owner who triggered the building of the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland, moved his Quicken Loans headquarters to downtown Detroit. His family of companies are expected to help lead a revitalization of the city’s urban core.

— Reported by Pat Galbincea of the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Unclear when Rasheed Wallace will return for Knicks

As the uncertainty surrounding Rasheed Wallace’s left foot injury lingers, members of the New York Knicks organization fear Wallace will be out for an extended period of time, possibly for the entire season, two league sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

Wallace has been out since Dec. 15 with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said last week that he hoped Wallace would begin running this week, but he told reporters in London on Wednesday that Wallace, 38, has yet to do so.

“He’ll be back — but when, I don’t know. We’re gradually trying to get him back where he can run again so he can get back in a uniform. But when, we don’t know when yet,” Woodson said.

— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York