Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Melo, 3 others ejected as Bulls beat Knicks

Melo, 3 others ejected as Bulls beat Knicks

Bottled up by the Bulls and baffled by the officials, Carmelo Anthony expected to spend the final minutes of the Knicks’ loss alone in the locker room.

Turns out the early exodus of Knicks was just beginning.

Coach Mike Woodson and center Tyson Chandler were also ejected from the foul-filled game, and Chicago beat New York for the second time this season, 110-106 on Friday night.

Chandler and Bulls counterpart Joakim Noah were tossed after a fourth-quarter altercation, shortly after Woodson had been ejected following his second technical. He drew a loud ovation during his walk to the back from Knicks fans who angrily booed the officiating for much of the second half…

Luol Deng had season highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls despite briefly leaving the game with an injured left shoulder. Marco Belinelli added 22 points as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games.

Anthony finished with 29 points on 10-of-25 shooting, ending his streak of four straight 30-point games. The Knicks lost for the second time in three home games after winning their first 10.

Noah finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in completely outplaying Chandler, who took only one shot and was limited to five points and eight boards…

Kirk Hinrich had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Bulls, who were totally shutting the Knicks down until allowing 45 mostly meaningless points in the fourth quarter after Chicago had led by 25 in the third…

[J.R.] Smith had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who fell to 19-7. Their 19 wins through 25 games was bettered only twice in franchise history, when they were 23-2 in 1969-70 and 20-5 in 1972-73. They won the NBA title both times.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Clippers win 12th straight game to set franchise record

Clippers win 12th straight to set franchise record

After the Los Angeles Clippers set a record for the longest winning streak in franchise history, Chris Paul was thinking about Ron Harper, Corey Maggette and other former players who endured all that losing.

Paul had 24 points and 13 assists to help the Clippers, for decades synonymous with long losing streaks, break a 38-year-old club mark with their 12th consecutive victory Friday night, 97-85 over the Sacramento Kings.

”Most of those guys have been here through tougher times,” Paul said. ”I know Ron Harper really well. He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s excited for us. We just played against Corey Maggette, and he was excited to see how it is now. So it’s been exciting for me in the short amount of time I’ve been here, especially knowing some of the people who have been with the team for 25 or 30 years and the season-ticket holders. But we can’t be satisfied. We’ve got to keep it going.”

The previous record was set by the Buffalo Braves during the 1974-75 season, when current Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro was 8 years old. The head coach back then was Jack Ramsay, whose formidable roster included Bob McAdoo, Garfield Heard, Randy Smith, Jim McMillian, Jack Marin and Bob Weiss.

That team won 49 games – still a record for a beleaguered organization that has called three different cities home, wasted first-round draft picks on Benoit Benjamin, Terry Dehere, Michael Olowokandi and Darius Miles, and was labeled ”the worst franchise in sports history” by Sports Illustrated in an April 17, 2000, cover story.

— Reported by Joe Resnick of the Associated Press

Ex-Sixer Lou Williams anxious to face former team

Ex-Sixer Lou Williams anxious to face former team

Lou Williams at first tried to downplay his first return tonight to play the 76ers, but the Atlanta Hawks guard then quickly changed gears and admitted that this is not a typical NBA game.

Williams played his first seven years with the Sixers and is in his first season with the Hawks. He is enjoying the same success in the super-sub role.

Last season Williams led the Sixers in scoring, averaging 14.9 points. This season he is averaging 14.3 points for the surprising 15-8 Hawks, who trail first place Miami by two games in the Southeast Division.

“It’s one of those games that will be emotional,” Williams said following this morning’s shootaround at the Wells Fargo Center.

— Reported by Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Blog)

Eric Gordon injury update: Not ready to return for Hornets just yet

Eric Gordon not ready to return for Hornets just yet

The New Orleans Hornets will get injured shooting guard Eric Gordon back on the bench for moral support Saturday night when the team plays the Indiana Pacers in New Orleans Arena.

But Coach Monty Williams said here Friday that Gordon’s first game action isn’t imminent. “He’s been doing so much rehab now I think it’s a matter of him getting his game condition back,” Williams said after the team’s morning shoot-around in preparation for Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. “The only way to do that is to play. But there’s some things he can do to build a base before he steps on the floor so that’s what (the Hornets training and strength and conditioning staff) will be doing over the next few days.”

Gordon has rehabilitated and strengthened his ailing right knee in Los Angeles since Nov. 7 and said Wednesday night he’d be playing by the end of the month.

Williams said Friday Gordon had not yet been cleared for contact work.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Celtics recall Kris Joseph from D-League

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have recalled forward Kris Joseph from their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.

Joseph, a 6’7 forward, has appeared in seven games for the Red Claws this season and has posted averages of 20.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 38.1 minutes per game. At the time of his recall he was ranked fifth in the NBA Development League in points per game.

Kidd discusses D-Will`s shooting struggles

deron williams

Jason Kidd and Deron Williams have a lot in common, starting with a friendship, an agent, a basketball position and summer homes in the Hamptons.

They’ve also both played under Avery Johnson, and it seems they’ve shared a discomfort with the coach’s system.

But Kidd, who clashed with Johnson during their short tenure together in Dallas, said Williams’ struggles this season aren’t about play-calling.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with the coach,” Kidd said Thursday. “I think it’s just a matter of getting comfortable making shots. Also, he has new teammates. He’s got to get used to a new crew. It’s always a growing period.

“He’s a grownup. He’ll figure it out. All things don’t go well right away sometimes. He’s just going through a struggle shooting the ball, but he’s one of the best at what he does, so he’ll work through it.”

— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Amar`e Stoudemire not 100 percent healthy yet

amare stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire talked big and bold about returning to his “dominant self’’ this season.

“Without a doubt. I’m on pace to return back to dominance,’’ Stoudemire said. “It’s a matter of becoming 100 percent. When I’m healthy, I feel I’ll be back to my dominant self.’’

After participating in his second practice with their D-League squad from Erie Thursday, Stoudemire still couldn’t put a finger on when he will strap on his goggles for real.

Stoudemire said he’s still not “100 percent’’ and not ready to return on the Knicks homestand ending Sunday against the Timberwolves.

Stoudemire said he still has “a little bit of soreness’’ in his left knee but felt smoother yesterday than Tuesday’s practice debut.

“I’m not quite ready yet,’’ Stoudemire said. “I’m taking a little more time to get 100 percent. Hopefully I’ll be back soon enough. I just know I need a little more time. I’m not totally there yet.”

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Brooklyn Nets assign Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor to D-League

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.

Shengelia, acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted 54th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, has appeared in five games this season, scoring 10 points with two rebounds.

Taylor, a rookie out of Kansas, has made 10 appearances on the year, scoring 13 points with three steals and two assists.

Both players will be in uniform when the Armor take on the Erie BayHawks tonight at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

Nuggets hit 0-of-22 three-pointers in loss to Trail Blazers

JJ Hickson

J.J. Hickson had 18 points and 18 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 101-93 on Thursday night.

Nicolas Batum had 22 points to give the Blazers their first four-game winning streak of the season despite missing forward LaMarcus Aldridge because of a sprained left ankle.

The Nuggets were 0 for 22 from 3-point range, breaking the NBA record of 20 misses set by the Trail Blazers in a game against Toronto last week. Seventy-four of Denver’s point came in the paint.

The Blazers led by as many as 18 in the first half and while the Nuggets were able to close the gap, they were never able to pull even…

Portland saw the return of Matthews, who missed two games with a sore hip, then tried to return against the Hornets but played only about four minutes. The injury had put Matthews on the bench in street clothes for the first time in his four-year NBA career. He had played in 250 straight games, second-most among active players behind Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook…

Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer had 13 points each for the Nuggets.

— Reported by Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press