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Nets beat Bobcats for 5th win of season

Tuesday night in Charlotte, the New Jersey Nets stepped up on the league’s first night of games since the weekend’s NBA All-Star events and beat the Bobcats 103-94.

The Nets were led by Courtney Lee (7-of-11) with 21 points and five rebounds. Devin Harris (7-of-16) had 17 points, six rebounds and nine assists. And Brook Lopez (8-of-11) contributed 16 points and three blocks, though he grabbed just three boards.

New Jersey received solid big-man help off the bench, with Kris Humphries (6-of-11) adding 13 points and eight rebounds. Josh Boone made the most of his 16 minutes with seven points and eight rebounds.

For the Bobcats, who as a team shot just 42.0% from the field and 5-of-19 (26.3% from three-point range), 2010 All-Star Gerald Wallace (7-of-14) had 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Boris Diaw (6-of-18) scored 19 with 10 rebounds. Raymond Felton (7-of-9) scored 18. Stephen Jackson (just 7-of-20) had 15 with five assists.

Trying to make his way back from injury, Bobcats center Tyson Chandler came off the bench to contribute two points, five rebounds and two blocks (though also four turnovers) in 18 minutes.

George Karl to keep coaching while undergoing chemotherapy

David Aldridge of NBA.com reports:

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl is expected to miss several games during the rest of the regular season while he undergoes chemotherapy treatments to deal with a recurrence of cancer, the 58-year-old told NBA.com Tuesday afternoon.

Karl will not take a formal leave of absence during his treatments, which have already begun, but will obviously not be able to be on the bench all the time during the treatment schedule.

Karl is a prostate cancer survivor, having undergone successful surgery in 2005 after his initial diagnosis. But the cancer that has been discovered this time is not in the same area, according to sources. Karl knew the diagnosis last week, before coaching the Western Conference All-Star team in Dallas.

Karl is hoping to just miss nine games while he undergoes the chemotherapy treatments. He will coach the Nuggets for the next three weeks while the treatments continue, but will then take selected games off in March and April. The Nuggets return from the All-Star break on Thursday with a game at Cleveland, and play at Washington Friday before returning home for a Sunday afternoon game against Boston.

Marcus Camby warms up to becoming a Blazer

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo reports:

Marcus Camby warms up to becoming a Trail Blazer

Still stunned to be traded from the Los Angeles Clippers, Marcus Camby said he’s quickly warming to the thought of being in the playoff hunt with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Clippers traded Camby to the Blazers for forward Travis Outlaw, guard Steve Blake and cash in a deal that was completed Tuesday morning. Camby, however, learned of the potential trade – which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski – Monday evening while he was at a sponsors dinner with the Clippers at Ringside steakhouse in Portland.

Camby immediately left the restaurant after receiving the call from his agent, and those close to him said he was upset about the news, primarily because his family had settled comfortably in Los Angeles. Camby, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, had hoped to re-sign with the Clippers.

Clippers trade Marcus Camby to Trail Blazers for Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw

Clippers will trade Marcus Camby to Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired forward/center Marcus Camby from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard Steve Blake, forward Travis Outlaw and cash considerations, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

In a related roster move, the Clippers also waived combo guard Ricky Davis.

“We are very excited to bring an experienced big man of Marcus’ caliber to the team and we feel he’ll help us a great deal down the stretch run,” said Pritchard. “He’s a fierce competitor and has been one of the league’s best defensive players for quite some time.

“On behalf of the organization, I’d also like to express my deep gratitude to Steve and Travis for their years of contributions both on and off the court. They’ve both played large parts in the reshaping of this franchise, and we wish them the best of luck in their careers.”

Camby (6-11, 235) is averaging 7.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.94 blocked shots and 31.3 minutes in 51 games (all starts) for the Clippers this season. His rebound and blocked shot averages rank second and sixth in the NBA, respectively.

A 14-year NBA veteran, Camby, 35, holds career averages of 10.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.59 blocks with Toronto, New York, Denver and the L.A. Clippers. The 2006-07 NBA Defensive Player of the Year is one of only 11 players in NBA history to record at least 7,000 rebounds and 2,000 blocked shots.

Camby is a two-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team (2006-08) and was twice named to the league’s All-Defensive Second Team (2004-06).

Blake, 29, is in his seventh NBA season and is averaging 7.6 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 51 games in 2009-10. In his career, the former University of Maryland star has appeared in 470 NBA games, making 289 starts with career averages of 7.6 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds. Originally drafted in the second round (38th overall pick) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, Blake is a career 39 percent three-point shooter and has played for a total of five teams, spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets as well as the Wizards and Trailblazers.

Outlaw, 25, was drafted by Portland with the 23rd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and has been limited to 11 games this season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot on Nov. 18, 2009. Currently fourth on the Blazers in scoring in 2009-10 averaging 9.9 points per game, the six-foot-nine forward has appeared in 377 career NBA games, starting 26 with career averages of 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists.

Davis, 30, in his 12th NBA season is averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 36 games in 2009-10.

Little expected from Luke Walton this season

With 2009-10 averages of 2.4 points on 38.5% shooting in 8.3 minutes per game, Los Angeles Lakers small forward Luke Walton isn’t doing much this season. And now it appears he’ll be doing even less.

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports (via blog):

The Lakers knew when they rested Luke Walton earlier this season that his back problems were complex enough that they might return — and they have, to the point that Walton realistically is not going to give the Lakers much contribution the rest of this season.

Phil Jackson suggested it remains possible that Walton’s pinched nerve could improve to the point that he could “help us in the playoffs,” but the Lakers don’t have much reason to believe improvement is coming.

This makes Adam Morrison a bit more important to the Lakers.

Bulls sign Chris Richard to second 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today they have re-signed forward Chris Richard to a second 10-day contract. Richard, a 6-9, 256-pound forward, originally signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on February 5, 2010.

In three appearances with Chicago, Richard has averaged 2.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg in 17.3 mpg.

The 25-26 Bulls are currently the no.8 seed in the Eastern conference, with the same record as the Miami Heat and just ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Rod Thorn meeting with future Nets owner

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Rod Thorn’s demise has been greatly exaggerated — if not invented entirely, by some NBA executives with vivid imaginations and agendas that remain hard to discern.

That much was made clear by the Nets president’s meeting in Dallas on Sunday with two Onexim executives, who represented the only obstacle between Thorn heading north to Vancouver to meet with Mikhail Prokhorov for a series of appointments Monday and Tuesday.

And the Russian businessman, whose purchase of the Nets is pending league approval, “is not bringing the guy all the way to British Columbia just to fire him,” according to one person familiar with content and tone of the meeting, who required anonymity to speak candidly. “They love Rod.”

The meeting was held by Onexim CEO Dmitry Razumov and deputy CEO Christophe Charlier, who spoke enthusiastically with Thorn and Nets CEO Brett Yormark at length about the team’s future.

Wizards, Mavericks trade Josh Howard, Caron Butler

Wizards, Mavericks to trade Caron Butler, Josh Howard in 7-player deal

Forward Caron Butler is having a rough year on the struggling Washington Wizards. And forward Josh Howard is having an even rougher year on the very solid Dallas Mavericks. Both players could use a change of scenery, and that’s reportedly going to happen tonight.

UPDATE: The trade is official. Click here.

According to at least four media outlets, including the Washington Post (Michael Lee), the Mavericks will trade Howard, forward/center Drew Gooden, guard Quinton Ross and forward James Singleton to the Wizards for Butler, center Brendan Haywood and guard DeShawn Stevenson.

Howard this season is averaging just 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 40.1% shooting in 26.7 minutes per game. His role on the Mavs has been in decline.

Butler averages 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.45 steals on 42.2% shooting in 39.4 minutes per game.

In the view of InsideHoops.com, this seems like a good deal for both teams. Butler gets to join a winning team he can contribute to, though he’ll be asked to be more of a role player than he may be used to. And Howard gains more responsibility, something that may do him good.

The most important player in this trade other than those two guys is Haywood, a solid center having a good season. He should definitely help Dallas.

More coming tonight when the deal actually becomes official.

Brother of Omri Casspi having fun at All-Star

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Eitan Casspi had the right idea.

No media obligations, no autographs to sign and no high-profile games to play – unless table tennis inside the Nike suite qualifies.

The brother of Kings small forward Omri Casspi had his slice of All-Star Weekend paradise Friday afternoon, when he alternated between the pingpong table and the massage station inside the swank setup at the Hyatt Regency. As for his brother and fellow fan and media favorite Tyreke Evans? It was quite a different experience.

They were Kings of the room in the morning, when reporters still surrounded them long after every other Rookie team member was done with those duties. They were embraced by children while visiting area schools in the early afternoon. They commanded the most attention in the hotel lobby, where fans of all sizes came in from the snow to have them sign pictures, balls and even T-shirt sleeves. Both players graciously obliged.

And when they made their way to Nike’s four-star hideaway that was fitted with snacks and drinks, music and dartboards, a paid barber on site, video games and even a scenic view of Texas’ winter wonderland, even that setting wasn’t relaxing enough. By the time the late afternoon arrived, Evans and Casspi poked their heads in and proceeded to head the other way. It was nap time.

Russell Westbrook replaces Derrick Rose in 2010 Skills Challenge

Russell Westbrook to replace Derrick Rose in 2010 Skills Challenge

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will not defend his Skills Challenge title Saturday night at 2010 NBA All-Star weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Rose has a bruised hip and has been considered “probable” for the weekend’s events. But Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named as a replacement for the tonight’s competition.

Rose still hopes to participate in Sunday’s NBA All-Star game.

According to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Breaking Sports News, “Bulls physician Brian Cole re-examined Rose’s bruised right hip and back following Saturday morning’s Eastern Conference All-Star practice, and Rose dropped out of the competition Saturday afternoon. The NBA announced that Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook would replace his close friend and summer workout partner in the competition. Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Suns guard Steve Nash and Jazz guard Deron Williams also will compete.”