NBA Teams – Page 731 – NBA Blog

Huge Jazz-Rockets game tonight

Through Tuesday’s games, the Rockets have the 8th seed in the Western conference, with the Jazz just half a game behind them for 9th. The two teams play against each other tonight in Houston. Huge matchup. Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune reporting:

Gordon Hayward began celebrating his 26th birthday on Wednesday in as much style as is possible for an NBA player about to play his biggest game of the regular season. There was a brief shootaround. He was serenaded by the Utah Jazz rookies. Assistant coach Steven Schwartz penned a hip-hop verse in his honor.

Besides that, there weren’t too many smiles and laughs coming from Hayward, the Jazz small forward. A win over the Houston Rockets is all he and anyone associated with the organization really wants.

This is the chance the Jazz have been waiting for. They are currently a half-game behind the Rockets with 12 to play. The tie-breaker for the season between the two teams is at stake, which means tonight essentially counts as two games in the standings. With four teams jostling for the Western Conference’s last three playoff spots, the enormity of tonight’s game at the Toyota Center can’t be understated.

Timberwolves sign Greg Smith for remainder of season

The Minnesota Timberwolves today signed forward/center Greg Smith for the rest of the season. Smith was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 2, then signed to a second 10-day contract on March 12.

Smith is used sparingly, and in 10.3 minutes per game is averaging 2.3 points, on 56.3% shooting, and 1.6 rebounds over nine games for the Wolves this season. He scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 18 minutes Mar. 4 at Milwaukee and tallied six points and four rebounds in the Wolves’ win over Mar. 5 vs. Brooklyn.

The 25-year-old Smith also appeared in 16 games with the Raptors 905 in the NBA D-League this season, averaging 12.4 points, on 51.0% shooting, and 8.3 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game.

Smith spent three seasons with the Houston Rockets (2011-14) before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2014-15. He holds NBA career averages of 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.5 minutes over 131 career games (12 starts).

No reason to think Phil Jackson will eventually coach the Knicks

If you were Phil Jackson, getting paid massive money by the New York Knicks to make a few decisions here and there but mostly just relax and enjoy life, would you mess that up and return to the coaching grind? Of course not. There is no reason to think that Jackson will be coaching the Knicks next season, or ever. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

If you’re still holding out a shred of hope Phil Jackson will run the Knicks bench at the Garden next season in light of recent rumors, stop.

Charley Rosen, Jackson’s confidant, met with the Zen Master before Sunday’s loss to Sacramento, and told The Post there is “zero percent” chance that proposed home-and-away scenario occurs next season.

“Phil said it’s absolutely not true — there’s no chance he’s going to coach,’’ Rosen told The Post. “It’s total fantasy — an old rumor.’’

What made the idea not so preposterous is Jackson, who will be 71 in September, wouldn’t have to put his body through the travel grind.

Jahlil Okafor undergoes knee surgery

Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Jahlil Okafor, the team’s best building block for the future, underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure today to fix a slight meniscus tear in his right knee. He won’t play again this season.

The team describes the procedure as minor.

Okafor will begin his rehabilitation program tomorrow under the guidance of Sixers Director Of Performance Research & Development Dr. David T. Martin.

The Sixers are a league-worst 9-62 this season. Okafor has been their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Chandler Parsons out with knee injury

Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons will not travel with the squad on their upcoming road trip due to a right knee injury. The team says that treatment options are currently being explored.

Between Wednesday, March 23 and Monday, March 28 the Mavericks play on the road against the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings and Nuggets.

Chandler (6-10, 230) has played in 61 games (51 starts) and averaged 13.7 points, while shooting .490 from the field and .414 from 3-point range in 29.5 minutes. He also has averaged 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Justise Winslow aiming for better 3-point shot

This can’t wait for the summer. Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow is adamantly working on his jumpshot with the hope of fine-tuning his form by the end of the season.

He’s had a tough rookie season shooting-wise after hitting 48.6 percent (including 41.8 percent on 3-pointers) in his one year at Duke. He is shooting 43 percent for the Heat, which isn’t terrible, but has made just 25.5 percent of his 3s.

“Whatever I need to change, I’m trying to do it right now,” Winslow said after staying late to take jumpers after practice today. “For me it’s just about trying to shoot every shot the same and shoot it with confidence.

— Palm Beach Post Blog

Pistons guard Jodie Meeks remains out

He was supposed to have returned by now.

Instead, guard Jodie Meeks remains sidelined and could stay that way as the Detroit Pistons bid for their first playoff berth since 2009.

Acknowledging but choosing not to elaborate, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said Monday he doesn’t expect Meeks back in game-ready shape before the end of the season.

“No, I don’t,” Van Gundy said. “Unfortunately.”

— Michigan Live

Grizzlies sign Jordan Farmar to 10-day contract

For the next 10 days, veteran guard Jordan Farmar is back in the NBA.

The badly-injured Memphis Grizzlies today announced that the team has signed Farmar (pronounciation: FAHR-mahr) to a 10-day contract.

The 6-2, 180-pound guard has played in 490 games (30 starts) across eight NBA seasons and averaged 7.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 19.4 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He holds career shooting percentages of 42.3 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three-point range and 73.4 percent from the free throw line.

Originally from Los Angeles, Farmar was selected by the Lakers in the first round (26th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft following a solid collegiate career at UCLA.

Farmar returned to Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv for the first part of the 2015-16 season after playing with the club during the 2011-12 season. He also has played overseas in Turkey for Anadolu Efes (2012-13) and Darussafaka Dogus (2014-15).

Kings co-owner lists house for $35 million

Like you, I don’t have $35 million sitting around. Well, some of it is sitting around. The rest is invested in bonds, cupcakes, basketball cards, etc. You know how it is. Anyway, here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Mark Mastrov, a Sacramento Kings co-owner and founder of 24-Hour Fitness, is selling his waterfront Lake Tahoe home for $35 million.

The 13,686-square-foot, secluded home has five beds, six baths and enough amenities to keep an owner fit. There are two gyms, a three-hole golf course with practice green and room to build a basketball court – whether you’re an NBA team owner or not. The house sits on 13.6 acres with a swimming pool and spa, boathouse, pier, sand beach, waterfalls, trout ponds, guest house and caretaker’s home.

Stephen Curry jokes about awful game vs Spurs

Stephen Curry jokes about awful game against Spurs

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry had his worst performance of the NBA regular season Saturday in San Antonio, but he didn’t let that dampen his spirits after the game.

Not long after the Warriors’ 87-79 loss to the Spurs, the reigning NBA MVP poked fun at himself on Twitter.

“I don’t know about y’all, but I thought I played my best game of the year,” Curry joked. “Live and Learn. On to the next!”

Curry struggled mightily against the Spurs’ league-best defense and shot just 4-from-18 from the field, including a career-worst 1-for-12 from 3-point range.

— CSN Bay Area