NBA Teams – Page 895 – NBA Blog

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.

Kyrie Irving injury update: left shoulder strain

Kyrie Irving injury update: left shoulder strain

Kyrie Irving injury update: day-to-day with left shoulder strain

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving experienced a left shoulder injury during last night’s game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland vs. the Golden State Warriors. He did not travel with the team to Indianapolis and received additional examination, including an MRI, this morning at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, the results of which confirmed a left shoulder strain.

Irving is now listed as Out for the game against the Pacers tonight.

His status will be updated again prior to the Cavaliers game in Houston against the Rockets Sunday afternoon.

Mason Plumlee getting less playing time lately

Mason Plumlee getting less playing time lately

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the 23-32 Brooklyn Nets, who are mostly trading wins with losses lately and have won five of their last ten games:

When the Nets acquired Thaddeus Young last week, coach Lionel Hollins switched to a smaller, quicker lineup.

While that decision made sense on several levels, and seems as if it’s going to benefit most of his roster, Hollins basically decided Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee will not play together anymore. So the two big men are splitting the 48 available minutes at center while surrounded by perimeter threats.

So far, Plumlee has found himself on the short end of that equation. Such was the case in Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans, when he finished scoreless and with just three rebounds in 13:37, while Lopez finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 34:23.

Derrick Rose injury update: Out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Derrick Rose injury update: Out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

The Chicago Bulls announced today that guard Derrick Rose underwent a successful meniscectomy earlier this morning to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The procedure was performed by Bulls head team physician Dr. Brian Cole at Rush Surgicenter.

“This morning’s procedure went great,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “Derrick is expected to make a full recovery and he is anticipated to return to play in four to six weeks.”

Taking history into account, 4-6 weeks sounds pretty optimistic. We’ve been through this before, sadly, but logic suggests D-Rose and the Bulls should take it slow, and ease him back into the mix.