Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Mavs recall Nick Fazekas from D-League

The Dallas Mavericks recalled forward Nick Fazekas today from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League.

Fazekas (7-0, 235) was originally assigned to Tulsa on November 20.  He played in 28 games for the 66ers starting 24 times and averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 55.3% from the field in 30.6 minutes per game.  He was selected to represent the 66ers at the D-League All-Star Game in New Orleans on February 16.

Fazekas, the 34th pick out of Nevada, played in two games for Dallas this season and averaged 1.0 points in 2.5 minutes per game.

Chris Mihm out 6 weeks after foot surgery

Los Angeles Lakers center Chris Mihm underwent successful surgery today to remove a screw from his right heel, it was announced today.

The 30 minute procedure was performed by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum of the Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group.  Mihm’s recovery time is expected to be approximately six weeks.

In 19 games this season, including five starts, Mihm has averaged 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.3 minutes.  During the 2005-06 season, Mihm played in 59 games (56 starts), averaging a career-best 10.2 points on 50.1 percent shooting from the field, while averaging 6.3 rebounds and 1.24 blocks in a career-high 26.1 minutes.

Currently in his fourth season with the Lakers, Mihm has averaged 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.25 blocks in 153 games.

Rockets-Kings team connections

Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman stands as the winningest coach in Kings history, recording a 395-229 (.633) mark in eight seasons (1998-2006) as head coach of Sacramento.

Elston Turner also spent six seasons as an assistant coach on Adelman’s staff in Sacramento.

T.R. Dunn joined the Rockets coaching staff after three campaigns as an assistant coach for the Kings.

Rockets Assistant Coach R.J. Adelman served five years as a scout for Sacramento, including the final three seasons as assistant video coordinator.

Houston forward Chuck Hayes, who was born in San Leandro, California, attended Modesto Christian High School.

In his solo season with the Kings (2005-06), Rockets guard/forward Bonzi Wells averaged 13.6 points, 2.8 assists and a career-high 7.7 rebounds in 52 games (41 starts).

Maloof Companies previously owned the Rockets from 1979-82.

Kings President John Thomas is a former Senior Executive Vice President with the Rockets.

Sacramento forward Kenny Thomas was drafted by Houston in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft, playing the next three-and-a-half seasons with the Rockets.

Wolves lose close game to Nets

Despite an off shooting night, the Wolves hung around until the closing minutes last night in New Jersey, ultimate falling to the Nets 92-88 to split the season series. Minnesota connected on just 5-of-19 attempts (.263) in the opening quarter, but played strong defense to stay even with the Nets at 16-16 after one.

Minnesota took it’s first lead of the game (24-23) on an Antoine Walker jumper early in the second quarter, but the Nets pushed back in front and took a 38-35 lead into the intermission. After the lead changed hands six times early in the third quarter, the Wolves shooters again went cold, missing eight of their final 11 shots in the third as the Nets used a 13-5 run to close the quarter and take an 66-56 lead into the final frame.

The Wolves finally found their range in the fourth quarter, connecting on 52 percent (13-for-25) in the period, but they could only cut the lead to four.

Sebastian Telfair led the way for the Wolves, finishing with 24 points, seven assists and only one turnover. Al Jefferson added a double-double with with 18 points and 11 rebounds, but connected on just 5-of-18 shots.

The Nets were led by Vince Carter’s 17 points and 10 assists, while Richard Jefferson added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Jason Kidd just missed his 100th career triple-double, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Warriors team notes

A positive glance at the Golden State Warriors:

The Warriors are 31-20 thru 51 games, marking the first time they have been 11 games over .500 since the end of the 1993-94 campaign.

The Warriors are 16-5 in their last 21 games at ORACLE Arena – and play 6 of their next 7 games at home.

Golden State erased a 23-point deficit Monday night to defeat the Wizards 120-117, marking the 12th time this season that the Warriors have overcome a double-digit deficit en route to victory.

Golden State leads the NBA in scoring at 109.7 points per game and takes on the 2nd-highest scoring team (Phoenix, 109.6) on Wednesday night.

The Warriors are 31-14 (.689) in their last 45 games after starting the season 0-6.

Monta Ellis: Over the last four games is averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals, while shooting 70.9% (39-55 FG) from the field.

Monta Ellis: Netted 34 points in Warriors 105-102 victory Saturday over Sacramento, including 16 points in decisive 4th quarter.

Monta Ellis: Has scored 20-or-more points in seven of the last nine games.

Monta Ellis: Overall this season, is averaging 18.3 points on 52.5% (354-674 FG) from the field.

Stephen Jackson: Over the last seven games, is averaging 25.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while shooting 49.2% (58-118 FG) from the field, 47.2% (25-53 3FG) from long range and 88.9% (40-45 FT) from the line.

Stephen Jackson: Registered a season-high 41 points in 120-117 comeback victory over Washington on Monday, including 16 points in the 4th quarter and the team’s final 11 points overall (in last 2:03 of contest).

Stephen Jackson: Has scored 25-or-more points in five of the last seven games.

Stephen Jackson: For the season, is averaging 21.0 points and 4.2 assists (both of which are career bests) along with 4.5 rebounds.

Sonics recall Mickael Gelabale from D-League

The Seattle SuperSonics announced today that the team has recalled guard Mickael Gelabale from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League.

Originally assigned to Idaho on Jan. 28, Gelabale appeared in six games with the Stampede and averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 32.5 minutes per game.

Under the affiliation system with the D-League, NBA teams can assign up to two players who are rookies or in their second season to their D-League affiliate. Players can stay with the D-League team for as long as the team wishes, and be recalled back to the NBA at any time. A player can only be sent to the D-League a maximum of three times during the season.

The Stampede, the D-League affiliate for the Sonics and the Portland Trail Blazers, are coached by Bryan Gates, who worked as an assistant for the Sonics during summer league play in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City this past July.

Positive Pacers notes

Some positive notes on the Indiana Pacers:
Danny Granger enters this week’s games having made a career-high 51 straight free throws. The Pacers’ all-time record for consecutive free throws is 61 in a row by Reggie Miller during the 2004-05 season.

On his way to his seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds vs. Portland, Feb. 9, Jeff Foster tied his season-high with eight offensive boards, which was one more than the Blazers had as a team. Foster is 10th in the NBA with a total of 157 offensive rebounds this season. With those 14 boards, Foster became just the ninth player in Pacers’ history with 4,000 career rebounds.

Ranked among the league leaders in turnovers committed with an average of 16.0 per game, the Pacers have had a total of just 13 turnovers in their last two games. At New York, Feb. 6, the Pacers had a season-low six turnovers, including just one in the second half.

The leading scorer on the team with an average of 18.0 ppg, Danny Granger has averaged 21.4 ppg in his last 18 games. Having hit 95 3-pt field goals this season, Granger is on course to join Reggie Miller and Stephen Jackson as the only players in franchise history to make at least 100 from behind the arc in consecutive seasons. Granger led the Pacers with 110 3-pt field goals in 2006-07.

With more than 30 games left on the schedule, the Pacers’ total of 453 3-pt field goals this season is the fifth highest total in franchise history. At their current rate of 8.88 3-pt field goals per game, the Pacers will hit over 700 3-pt field goals for the first time in their history. The team record for a season is 583 3-pt field goals in 1999-2000.

Ranked among the league’s best shot-blockers off the bench with an average of 1.09 bpg, David Harrison is sixth in the league (among those with at least 30 appearances) with an average of 4.2 blocks per 48 minutes played.

In his last five games, Travis Diener has handed out 32 assists and committed just three turnovers for an assists-to-turnover ratio of 10.67:1. For the season, Diener has recorded 96 assists and just 30 turnovers for a ratio of 3.20:1.

Kareem Rush scored 10 points and hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Portland, Feb. 9, for the first double-double of his NBA career.

Latrell Sprewell losing home, yacht

Many of you reading the title above will assume this is just yet another joke about former NBA star Latrell Sprewell, who made many millions of dollars playing in the NBA yet insisted he needed money to feed his family. But he actually does have economic problems. The AP reports:

Former NBA star Latrell Sprewell’s home is up for foreclosure and his yacht sold at auction to help pay off the $1.3 million he owes on the boat, according to court filings. Sprewell, who once turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension from the Timberwolves, saying, “I’ve got my family to feed,” apparently has fallen on tough times.

RBS Citizens NA, or Citizens Bank, filed a foreclosure suit last week in Milwaukee County for the $405,000 home Sprewell bought in the Milwaukee suburb of River Hills in 1994. In court documents, the bank said Sprewell owed $295,138 in outstanding payments plus interest. Sprewell failed to make his monthly mortgage payments of $2,593 from September 2007 to January 2008, the documents said.

I can tell you that when InsideHoops.com buys mansions and yachts, we pay cash, in full, with no mortgage. That’s just how we roll, son.