Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Jazz vs Cavs NBA virtual reality game broadcast

The Utah Jazz vs Cleveland Cavaliers home game on Tuesday, Jan. 10 will be broadcast live in virtual reality, as part of NBA Digital and NextVR’s season-long initiative to deliver weekly games in VR through NBA LEAGUE PASS.

This programming marks the first regular schedule of live games delivered in VR by a professional sports league.

The VR broadcasts are fully produced with dedicated announcers, multiple unmanned camera angles and optimized graphics. Game breaks are filled with in-venue entertainment, behind-the-scenes footage from the arena and VR-specific commentary.

“The Utah Jazz are excited to be featured in two virtual reality broadcasts by the NBA this season,” said Utah Jazz President Steve Starks. “We support the NBA’s drive forward in VR innovation and the capability of giving our global fan base courtside seats for Jazz games through technology.”

For local viewers, the VR broadcast of Utah-Cleveland game will be blacked out. More information on the NBA LEAGUE PASS VR Game of the Week is available at http://www.nba.com/vr.

The Utah Jazz game at Oklahoma City on Feb. 28 is also on the NBA VR broadcast schedule.

Sixers waive Hollis Thompson

The Philadelphia 76ers waived Hollis Thompson today.

Thompson appeared in 31 games this season and averaged six points, three rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes per game.

Thompson was originally signed by the Sixers on September 24, 2013 and appeared in 256 games (82 starts), posting averages of eight points, three rebounds and one assist on 42% shooting from the field in 24 minutes per game.

With the move, the Sixers roster currently stands at 14 players.

Hornets waive Aaron Harrison

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has waived guard Aaron Harrison.

Harrison (6-6, 212, Kentucky) was originally signed by the Hornets on July 14, 2015. The Kentucky product appeared in 26 games over two seasons with Charlotte, including two playoff outings in 2016.

Charlotte’s roster now stands at 14.

Pelicans sign Donatas Motiejunas

Pelicans sign Donatas Motiejunas

The New Orleans Pelicans signed free agent forward/center Donatas Motiejunas (pronounciation: doh-NAH-tahs moe-tee-YOU-nus) today.

Motiejunas, 7-0, 222, played for the Houston Rockets from 2012-16. In 214 career regular season games, the Lithuanian native holds averages of 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.0 minutes per game. He was set to return to the Rockets this season but the two sides were unable to work things out.

Motiejunas will wear number #12 for the Pelicans.

The team’s roster currently stands at 15 players.

Jimmy Butler scores 52 points against Hornets

Jimmy Butler scores 52 points against Hornets

The embodiment of the Eastern Conference was on full display at the United Center, as the Bulls and Charlotte Hornets are a little closer to finding out who they are but the difference between good and mediocre is slim.

So slim Dwyane Wade’s absence didn’t tilt the pendulum even more to the Hornets’ direction as they came in with confidence from a win last week, but the tables were turned in a big way.

An unexpected energy boost helped them early and their remaining star closed the night as Jimmy Butler pulled off yet another miracle at the United Center, scoring 27 of his season-high 52 points in the second half to help the Bulls to a 118-111 win over the Hornets Monday night.

Jumper after jumper, most in the face of defensive stopper Nic Batum, Butler did virtually everything in the fourth—and even reached the 50-point plateau for the second time in his career thanks to Hornets coach Steve Clifford picking up a technical late with Butler hitting the free throw.

— CSN Chicago

Quick Take: Butler shot 15-24 FG and 21-22 FT for 52 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one block and three steals. In general, though, the Bulls are struggling these days. They’re 17-18, but the biggest issue right now is point guard Rajon Rondo, who had been a starter but lately spends entire games sitting on the bench. He played 11 minutes Friday, zero minutes Saturday and zero minutes last night. What will happen with him is unclear.

Kevin Love had food poisoning

Kevin Love had food poisoning

The injury bug already reared its ugly head this season for the Cavaliers, taking down J.R. Smith’s thumb, Chris Andersen’s Achilles, and to a lesser extent, Kyrie Irving’s hamstring and Mike Dunleavy’s ankle in its path.

Following the Cavs’ 90-86 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue revealed his team is also dealing with the flu.

Kevin Love had it worst, as he exited the game with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return because of his illness that began as food poisoning, believed to be linked to sea bass he ate on the team’s flight back from Charlotte on Saturday, according to Lue.

“When I got the call from [Cavs head athletic trainer] Steve [Spiro], he said [Love] had lost 10 pounds and he was throwing up and whatever else I can’t say,” Lue said.

— ESPN.com

Quick Take: Love is having an excellent season. He’s averaging 21.8 ppg, 10.9 rpg and 1.7 apg. He’s taking a team-high 6.8 three point attempts per game, hitting 39.7% from outside the arc, and 44.8% FG. The Cavs are 26-7 this season, and for now their only series competition in the Eastern conference is the Toronto Raptors.

Cody Zeller placed in NBA concussion protocol

The Charlotte Hornets announced today that center Cody Zeller has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol. Zeller was hit with an elbow to the head late in the fourth quarter of Charlotte’s game against Cleveland on Dec. 31, 2016.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Zeller will begin the process to return once he is deemed symptom free. No timetable is set for his return and further updates will be provided when available.

The fourth-year Indiana product is averaging 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 59.5% field goal shooting in 26.1 minutes per game, marking career-highs in all categories. Zeller has played in 31 games for Charlotte this season (starting in 29 of those contests).

James Harden gets 53-point triple-double

James Harden gets 53-point triple-double

As often as James Harden had given the Rockets whatever they needed, part of the magic was knowing just what was required at any given time.

On Saturday against the Knicks, that was obvious.

They needed everything.

They needed more points than any Rockets player had ever scored in a triple-double, more points than he had ever scored in a game, and then they still needed more.

When he was through, Harden became the first player in NBA history with 50 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game, driving the Rockets to a 129-122 win at Toyota Center.

With that, the Rockets went 15-2 in December, matching their most wins ever in a month. They sent it out in style.

Harden had a career-high 53 points, and matched his career high with 17 assists. His 16 rebounds were one shy of matching the most in his career.

— Houston Chronicle

Hornets have not beaten the elite East teams

A line of demarcation has formed between the Charlotte Hornets and the top teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference – and it goes deeper than what is now a combined 0-6 record this season against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics.

“There’s a reason why they’re the three best teams,” said coach Steve Clifford after his team lost 121-115 to the defending champion Cavaliers on Saturday at Spectrum Center. “Every team has a talent level. For us to beat the top teams, we’re going to have to be at or near our best. For (Cleveland on Saturday), for instance, they were really good, but they really didn’t have to be.”

The loss to the Cavs dropped Hornets to 19-15, good enough to remain in first place in the Southeastern Division as they head to Chicago for a game Monday against the Bulls. Do the math: the Hornets are 19-9 against the rest of the league.

— Charlotte Observer