NBA Teams – Page 893 – NBA Blog

Wizards keep struggling, fall to Sixers

Wizards keep struggling, fall to Sixers

Here’s the Washington Post reporting on the Wizards, who are dropping games left and right these days and are 33-26 for the season and losers of six games in a row:

No, the Washington Wizards had not reached their lowest possible point Wednesday, when they lost by 20 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the worst team in the Western Conference.

On Friday night, the Wizards sank even more with an 89-81 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a franchise constructed to lose to land the best draft pick possible.

The loss, the Wizards’ sixth straight, earned Washington its longest losing streak in more than two seasons and was a full face plant into misery, code red for a team that just a month ago harbored title aspirations.

The defeat came on the heels of a team dinner Thursday, when all 14 players dined together at a Brazilian steakhouse. It was captured in an Instagram post by Marcin Gortat with the caption “Team dinner….Staying together!”

A night later, they were dreadful in a loss to a team they dismantled by 35 points in their previous meeting. The loss was Wizards’ 11th in 13 games and 13th in 17.

Anthony Mason dead at 48

Anthony Mason dead at 48

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting that beloved former New York Knick Anthony Mason has passed away at the age of 48:

Anthony Mason, a bruising power forward who personified the gritty Knicks of the mid-’90s, died early Saturday morning. He was 48. Mason had suffered a massive heart attack earlier in the month.

Mason played 13 seasons in the NBA with six teams but is best remembered for his days with the Knicks. After playing abroad and in both the CBA and USBL, Mason had brief stints with the Nets and Denver before being signed by Pat Riley, who admired his rugged style and his playmaking ability. Along with Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley, he helped give the Knicks of the early ’90s one of the most physically imposing front lines in NBA history.

“He was as tough as they come,” Oakley told the News.

“First I want to think all those who offered prayers and well-wishes for my Father, our family really appreciates it,” Anthony Mason Jr. said in a statement.

QUOTES/STATEMENTS ON ANTHONY MASON’S DEATH

The Mason Family: “We would like to thank everyone for their heartfelt thoughts and strong prayers. Anthony felt each and every one. He fought like a warrior to the very end. Please keep your prayers and thoughts with us through this very hard time – it is a great loss for us. We ask for our privacy during this time.”

Phil Jackson: “As a competitor, there was none fiercer than Anthony Mason. Standing on the opposite end of the playing field, coaching in those great Chicago/New York battles, No. 14 in the Orange and Blue always stood out. On behalf of the entire Knickerbocker community, our condolences go out to Lahis family. Rest in peace, Mase.”

Steve Mills: “For five seasons, Anthony Mason proudly donned a Knicks uniform like no other of his era. His New York City roots, his passion for the City game, his desire to win and his tenacity for defense made him a fan-favorite across the five boroughs, and beyond for every Knickerbocker. All of us here at the New York Knicks will remember Mase and cherish his legacy.”

Isaiah Thomas playing well for Celtics

Isaiah Thomas playing well for Celtics

Here’s the Boston.com Blog reporting on the Celtics, who are having fun lately:

The Isaiah Thomas era continued its promising start on Friday night.

Boston’s new point guard scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half, enabling the Celtics to fight back from a 16-point second half deficit against the Charlotte Hornets, and pull away for a 106-98 win.

Avery Bradley added 19 points for the hosts, and Jonas Jerebko chipped in with 16 points off the bench for the Celtics, who have now won three straight games and seven of their last ten overall. Mo Williams had a game-high 31 points for the Hornets in the setback.

Pistons suffer frustrating loss to Knicks

Pistons suffer frustrating loss to Knicks

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the Detroit Pistons, who lost to a team that not a lot of people lose to these days:

This is the kind of performance a non-playoff team offers. And maybe that’s precisely what the Detroit Pistons are.

The Pistons became the first team since Carmelo Anthony called an end to his season to lose to the New York Knicks, 121-115 in double-overtime Friday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

For a team scraping to find its way into the postseason, it was a devastating loss to the worst team in the league, and no way to end a long stretch of home games.

The teams with the six worst records in the NBA now all have beaten the Pistons, who have lost to every team in the league except Houston, Miami and Sacramento.

New York (11-46) had lost eight in a row, and was not competitive in its previous six games since Anthony decided to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Andrea Bargnani scores 25, Knicks win 2OT game vs Pistons

Andrea Bargnani scores 25, Knicks win 2OT game vs Pistons

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on a wild and unexpected Knicks victory in Detroit:

In what turned out to be the Knicks’ craziest and perhaps unlikeliest game of the year, they pulled out a 121-115 victory over the previously rising Pistons in double overtime Friday night to maybe even stun themselves at the hushed Palace.

Andrea Bargnani started and netted a season-high 25 points with 12 rebounds, Lou Amundson contributed 17 and 14 and Langston Galloway drained a tying three with 6.3 remaining in regulation to force overtime. Shane Larkin then netted nine key points in the final 1:55 of the second extra session to lift the Knicks to their first win this season (1-16) without the injured Anthony (knee surgery) in the lineup.

Newly acquired Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who will be a restricted free agent in July, spoke highly of Derek Fisher earlier Friday and hugged his former teammate and mentor with Oklahoma City before the game. But Jackson played erratically and shot just 5-for-24 from the floor (16 points) after saying beforehand about free agency that he’s “not thinking about anything but playing basketball right now.”

Nets fall short vs Rockets

Nets fall short vs Rockets

Here’s the New York Post with an update on the Brooklyn Nets, whose despite tonight’s loss should be proud of the basketball they’ve played lately:

The Nets are only a few possessions away from being 4-0 since the All-Star break. But when you’re playing on the road in the Western Conference, it only takes a couple of possessions to separate wins and losses, and that’s why the Nets find themselves 2-2 since the break after falling 102-98 to the Rockets at Toyota Center on Friday night.

The combination of the Nets, Hornets and Pistons losing and the Celtics and Pacers winning means five teams — the Pacers, who are eighth, the Nets, Hornets and Celtics, who are tied for ninth, and the Pistons, who are 12th — are within a game of one another for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets (23-33) led for the vast majority of the game and had the ball with a 95-90 lead and just more than two minutes remaining.

Chandler Parsons still out Saturday vs Nets

Chandler Parsons still out Saturday vs Nets

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on a key Maverick:

Chandler Parsons will miss his fourth consecutive game Saturday when the Dallas Mavericks play Brooklyn, coach Rick Carlisle said Friday.

“Parsons is doing much better, but he’s not going to play (Saturday),” Carlisle said. “He’s out of the boot. He’s doing some shooting and light movement stuff, but he’s not ready yet.”

Parsons suffered a sprained left ankle on Feb. 20.

Nuggets struggling this season, even at home

Nuggets struggling this season, even at home

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on the Nuggets, who through Thursday’s games are 20-37 this season: 12-16 at home, 8-21 on the road:

Once one of the NBA’s most-feared home court advantages, the Nuggets have fallen back to earth at the Pepsi Center in the last two seasons. Since winning a franchise-record 38 home games in the 2012-13 season, the Nuggets haven’t won 38 home games in the last two seasons combined. They are 34-35 in that span, which includes this season’s 12-16 mark. The Nuggets went 22-19 at the Pepsi Center last season.

With 13 home games left, the Nuggets have to go 9-4 in order to avoid having their first losing home record since 2002-03. That team finished 13-28 at home.

Shaw talked about the Nuggets’ challenge to win home games — and fast.

“What starts to happen is guys start to look forward to playing on the road because the home crowd starts to get antsy, and things don’t go well then they start to get on us,” Shaw said.

Rondo says he will leave frustration in the past

Rondo says he will leave frustration in the past

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo, who has had a chip on his shoulder for a long time and isn’t going to change anytime soon. Though, that same chip has helped him succeed at the highest levels, including winning an NBA championship. The Mavs know this. Anyway, here’s the report.

Rajon Rondo said Friday he had some built-up frustrations with coach Rick Carlisle that led to their heated exchange on Tuesday and subsequent suspension of Rondo, and that conversations with many members of the organization since have helped put everybody on the same page.

In his first interview since the confrontation with Carlisle against Toronto, the Dallas Mavericks’ point guard measured his words carefully, but said he’s as gung-ho as ever about this team’s potential and plans to be a leader in the stretch run and playoffs.

“Definitely, he had some frustrations with me and vice-versa,” Rondo said. “So communication is definitely key in this situation. We’ve had a couple talks since then and we’re going to move forward.”

“The most important thing is communication with coach.”

Spoelstra happy to have Beasley back on Heat

Erik Spoelstra happy to have Beasley back on Heat

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Heat, who have once again added Michael Beasley to their roster:

In his first Miami Heat act, Michael Beasley was the consolation prize, as the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by behind Derrick Rose. In his second, he was a novelty, to see if he could fit alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, while also appreciating his bit-part place last season.

In his third act?

“We think,” coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday, “it’s the fit that we need right now. It really felt like a no-brainer.”

This time, there was an all-out embrace, as Beasley met with the full team for the first time since signing a 10-day contract Thursday.