The AP reports: Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and set a season-high with nine assists despite injuring his hand in the third quarter of the Denver Nuggets’ 135-115 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night… Kenyon Martin finished with 25 points, the fourth time this season he’s led the team in scoring. Danny Granger had 36 points, the most scored against the Nuggets this season. He’s now scored 30 or more points 10 times this season… Troy Murphy added 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Jarrett Jack contributed 17.
Category: NBA Teams
NBA teams blog
Redd, Villanueva lift Bucks over Raptors
The AP reports: Charlie Villanueva thought any win the Milwaukee Bucks could get without Andrew Bogut would be big. This one was Villanueva’s first. Michael Redd scored a season-high 35 points and Villanueva added 13 of his 25 in the fourth quarter Monday night, leading Milwaukee to its first victory without Bogut in 21 months, 107-97 over the Toronto Raptors… The Raptors, playing without center Jermaine O’Neal and guard Jose Calderon on this two-game road trip, turned to Chris Bosh, who had 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds to help Toronto hold the lead through most of three quarters. The Raptors shot 54 percent for the night… But neither he, nor Andrea Bargnani, who added 21 points as O’Neal’s replacement, could keep up with the Bucks down the stretch.
Carter has 29, Yi 22 to lead Nets over Kings 98-90
The AP reports: With leading scorer Devin Harris sidelined in the second half, the New Jersey Nets turned to Vince Carter and couple of other things that have not been as reliable—Yi Jianlian and defense. Carter scored 29 points, Yi added 22 points and a season-high 13 rebounds and the Nets limited Sacramento to 36 second-half points in handing the Kings their 11th straight road loss, 98-90 on Monday night… Getting 17 second-half points from Carter was no surprise. Getting 15 points and 10 rebounds from Yi was stunning… Kevin Martin, who scored 45 on Saturday night, had 36 points for the woeful Kings (8-27). The reserve scored 11 in the second half, when he was 3-of-12 from the field.
Balanced Spurs take control early, hold off Heat
The AP reports: Tim Duncan scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Spurs trailed for only one possession in a nip-and-tuck 91-84 win over the Heat on Monday night, San Antonio’s 14th victory in its last 17 games… George Hill scored 15 points on 4-for-4 shooting for the Spurs, who got 11 points from both Roger Mason and Matt Bonner and 10 from Manu Ginobili. Dwyane Wade had 24 points and 12 assists—his eighth double-double of the season—for the Heat, who also got 15 points from Shawn Marion. Michael Beasley had his first double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, which starts a seven-game, 13-day, 7,461-mile road trip in Denver on Wednesday night.
Heat will trade Livingston
UPDATE: They aren’t releasing him. They have traded him to the Grizzlies.
The NBA career of tall, lanky point guard Shaun Livingston began in 2004 with the Los Angeles Clippers. But despite showing flashes of potential over his three seasons in L.A., the 6’7″ 185-pound Illinois native appeared to be backup material rather than worthy of starting.
Still, his future was bright, especially considering he came straight to the league from high school. The kid was only born in 1985.
Then came his nasty injury. You saw it. Proably the worst thing to look at I’ve seen in the NBA.
Now in 2008-09 he’s been riding the bench with the Heat. Playing just four games, and just 10.3 minutes per outing, Livingston has scored 2.3 ppg, not done much else, and not looked too hot in practice.
And now, the Heat are ready to say goodbye. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ira Winderman) reports:
The Shaun Livingston comeback is over. At least for now. At least with the Miami Heat. Livingston was informed of his release after Monday night’s 91-84 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena, with the team expected to make a formal announcement later this morning… The contract Livingston signed with the Heat guaranteed only $370,000 for this season, a figure that keeps the team below the punitive dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on excessive payrolls.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.
Carmelo Anthony breaks hand
Postgame x-rays revealed that Nuggets F Carmelo Anthony suffered a probable nondisplaced 3rd metacarpal fracture on his right hand in the third quarter of tonight’s win over Indiana.
Anthony will see a hand specialist tomorrow and his status will be determined afterwards.
UPDATE: On Tuesday afternoon it was determined he’ll be out 3-4 weeks. More info here.
DJ White jaw surgery, out 12-16 weeks
Oklahoma City Thunder forward DJ White underwent successful surgery on his jaw, it was announced by the team.
Team physicians performed the second and final procedure on Sunday, January 4 at Integris Baptist Hospital. White underwent initial surgery on October 13 to remove a benign growth from his jaw.
Team officials expect White to miss the next 12-16 weeks following the surgery.
White, who was acquired by the Thunder as a part of a draft day trade, has yet to appear in a game this season.
Luke Walton out 2+ weeks
Lakers forward Luke Walton was examined today by Dr. Ken Jung, a foot specialist with the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group. Dr. Jung confirmed that Walton is suffering from sesamoiditis (right foot).
Walton will wear a protective boot on his foot for a week and will also begin non-weight bearing rehabilitation exercises in a pool starting today. He is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks.
Clippers waive Paul Davis and Fred Jones
The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Paul Davis and guard Fred Jones it was announced by General Manager and Head Coach Mike Dunleavy.
Drafted by the Clippers in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft (34th overall) out of Michigan State, Davis appeared in 80 games for the Clippers from 2006-2008, making two starts and averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in his career. This season, Davis played in 27 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game.
Jones appeared in five games with the Clippers this season after signing with Los Angeles as a free agent on Dec. 28. Jones averaged 6.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.6 minutes with the Clippers.
Nuggets trade Cheikh Samb to Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired center Cheikh Samb and cash considerations from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a future conditional second draft pick.
A 7-foot-1-inch center from Senegal, Samb has played in six games with the Nuggets this season, averaging 0.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists in 4.0 minutes. Samb came to Denver on Nov. 3 along with Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess in exchange for Allen Iverson. Samb was assigned to the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League on Dec. 10 and has averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 10 games with the 14ers.
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 51st overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, Samb, was traded to Detroit and started his career with the Pistons, appearing in four games and averaging 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game in 2007-08 while also playing in 19 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.
Samb, 24, also played professionally in Spain before coming to the NBA, appearing for WTC Cornella and Winterthur F.C. Barcelona.