NBA Teams – Page 539 – NBA Blog

Kevin Love deserves major credit for Cavs success

The Cavs started slowly this season, figured out how to play together despite a bunch of injuries, and now look about as good as could be expected considering they are still without new point guard Isaiah Thomas. Everyone knows LeBron James is still himself, and therefore awesome, but Kevin Love is the very next name that needs to be mentioned. Here’s the News Herald reporting:

Kevin Love should feel like the guy who is often nominated for Best Supporting Actor but never wins the Oscar.

Love has played almost as big a part in the Cavaliers’ 10-game winning streak as LeBron James, but outside the Cavs’ organization, he rarely gets the credit he deserves for the contributions he makes. That goes back to 2016 when the Cavs won their only NBA championship.

When the Cavaliers lost to Golden State in the 2017 Finals, the rumor mill quickly started churning out the notion of trading Love to the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. He was also linked to a trade to the Indiana Pacers for Paul George.

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Austin Rivers fined by NBA

Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers has been fined $25,000 for directing inappropriate comments toward a fan, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 3:14 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 126-107 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday, Nov. 30 at Staples Center.

Iman Shumpert undergoes knee surgery

Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this morning at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. The surgery was performed by team physicians Dr. Richard Parker and Dr. James Rosneck. Shumpert will now undergo a period of recovery and rehabilitation and his return to play timeline is currently projected at 6-8 weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate.

Notes on Detroit Pistons success this season

Detroit (14-6) is off to its best 20-game start since the 2007-08 season. Here are some notes about the current No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference entering Friday’s game against Washington:

The Pistons rank seventh in the NBA in offensive rating after finishing 25th last season.

Leading scorer Tobias Harris (19.1 ppg) is averaging 2.9 three-pointers per game – more than double his career high – and shooting 46.7 percent from beyond the arc, also well above his career high. He was a career 33.2 percent three-point shooter when the season began.

Behind Harris and guards Avery Bradley, Langston Galloway and Reggie Jackson, the Pistons are third in the NBA in three-point field goal accuracy at 39.1 percent. Last season, they ranked 28th at 33.0 percent.

Detroit is also making nearly four more three-pointers per game than last season, improving to ninth (11.4) from 27th (7.7) in that category.

NBA rebounding leader Andre Drummond (14.3 ppg, 15.2 rpg) is shooting 63.0 percent from the free throw line. He entered the season with a career mark of 38.1 percent.

Stan Van Gundy needs two wins to become the sixth active head coach with 500 career victories.

— NBA Newsletter

Hassan Whiteside out with knee injury

The Miami HEAT announced today that center Hassan Whiteside will begin rehab immediately due to a left knee bone bruise. The rehab process will include a strength and conditioning program over the next one-to-two weeks.

Whiteside has appeared in 15 games this season averaging 14.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.60 blocks, 1.07 steals and 26.8 minutes while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Among league leaders, he ranks third in rebounding average and tied for ninth in blocks per game.

Terrence Ross out with multiple injuries

After further evaluation, including an MRI, Orlando Magic guard/forward Terrence Ross has been diagnosed with a sprained right medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a non-displaced fracture of his right tibial plateau, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced. Ross suffered the injury at the 4:38 mark of the second quarter during last night’s victory over Oklahoma City.

He will be out indefinitely and miss a significant amount of time. His return to play will depend on how the injury heals and how he responds to treatment.

Ross (6’7”, 206, 2/5/91) has played in all 22 games this season for Orlando (20 starts), averaging 9.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 1.6 apg. and 1.23 stlpg. in 26.2 minpg. He has scored in double figures nine times and had 20+ points once, including a season-high 22 points on Nov. 22 @ Minnesota.

Joe Johnson injury update

The following is a team medical update on Jazz forward Joe Johnson:

Johnson re-consulted with a hand specialist on Tuesday and is showing progress to make a return. He will be reevaluated in two weeks. Further updates will be provided when appropriate.

Now in his 17th season, Johnson (6-7, 240, Arkansas) has appeared in seven games averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.2 minutes per contest.

Nikola Mirotic accepts apology from Bobby Portis

Teammates often get into it with each other during practices, but rarely are serious punches thrown, and even rarer do those punches actually land. But that’s what went down in Bulls practice earlier this season. Here’s ESPN Chicago with an update:

Nikola Mirotic says he has accepted Bobby Portis’ apology and is hoping both he and the Bulls can move forward after a practice altercation between the pair last month. Speaking for the first time since an Oct. 17 fight with Portis that left Mirotic with multiple facial fractures and a concussion, the veteran forward made it clear that he feels he can coexist with Portis again in the future.

“We are teammates,” Mirotic said after Wednesday’s practice. “We are on the same team. Obviously we are fighting for this team. We both are going to do what we need to do to make it work. Yeah, I did accept his apology.”

Mirotic said he did not want to address events in the past and did not directly answer a question regarding whether the pair has actually sat down and spoken. When asked if Portis knew that he had accepted his apology, Mirotic responded that he would eventually.

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No Hassan Whiteside tonight vs Knicks

The Heat visit the Knicks in New York tonight, and they’ll be without one of their best players. Here’s the Palm Beach Post with the latest:

Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who missed practice Saturday because of soreness and swelling to his left knee, will sit out tonight’s game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden because of the same lingering injury.

Whiteside, who missed five games earlier this season after banging knees with Magic center Nikola Vucevic in the season opener, has played just 40 minutes the last two games, none in the fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra has said the reduced playing time was not because of the knee but it was clear that Whiteside at times appeared affected by the injury.

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Pontiac Silverdome is being demolished

Any NBA or Detroit Pistons fans who have been around for a while know the Pontiac Silverdome. The Pistons called the Silverdome home from the late 1970’s through the late 1980’s. Well, that venue will soon be just a memory. Here’s the Detroit News reporting:

Plans are set for the public viewing and farewell for the demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The implosion at 8:30 a.m. will be the first phase in a yearlong demolition of the 400,000-square-foot former home of the Detroit Lions.

There will be a public parking and viewing area for the demolition at the Oakland County Water Resource Commission site at 155 N. Opdyke. Vehicles must be parked by 8:15 a.m.

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