NBA Teams – Page 917 – NBA Blog

Sixers sign Larry Drew II to 10-day contract

Sixers sign Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed guard Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract. Drew is the 17th D-League-to-NBA “Call-Up” of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

In 21 starts for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League this season, Drew is averaging a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. At the time of his call-up, Drew ranked second in the D-League in assists. He set a D-League single game record with 23 assists vs. Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 25, which helped earn him NBA Development League Performer of the Week honors for games played from Dec. 22 through Dec. 28. Drew also spent last season with the Skyforce.

Drew finished his collegiate career at UCLA in 2012-13 after playing his first three seasons at North Carolina. He set the Bruins single-season assist record as a senior and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Drew’s father, Larry Drew, Sr., is an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Larry Sanders suspended at least 10 games for violating NBA Anti-Drug Program

The NBA announced today that Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders has been suspended without pay for a minimum of ten games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. Sanders’ suspension will begin on Monday, Jan. 19, when the Bucks host the Toronto Raptors, and will continue until he is in full compliance with his treatment program.

According to ESPN News Services, “it is his second suspension for violating the anti-drug program in less than a year. Sanders missed the final five games of the 2013-14 season; the center said he was penalized for using marijuana.”

Jazz sign Elijah Millsap to second 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed guard/forward Elijah Millsap to a second 10-day contract.

Millsap signed his first 10-day with Utah on January 5. He has appeared in five Jazz games since, averaging 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 24.0 minutes. Which is more playing time than most players who sign a 10-day deal tend to receive.

When the Jazz signed him from the NBA Development League’s Bakersfield Jam, Millsap (6-6, 215, Alabama-Birmingham) became the 12th overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2014-15 season. At the time of his call-up, Millsap was averaging 20.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals in 36.6 minutes per contest in 19 games (16 starts) for the Jam.

P.J. Hairston fined for flopping

Charlotte Hornets guard-forward P.J. Hairston has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s anti-flopping rules for the second time this season.

The flop was epic, and is being celebrated by anti-flop crusaders on the Internet as the flop of the 2014-15 season so far.

The incident occurred with 11:04 remaining in the fourth quarter of Charlotte’s 98-93 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Time Warner Cable Arena.

You can view the video here.

Clippers sign Dahntay Jones to 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed free agent guard Dahntay Jones to a 10-day contract.

Jones, 34, is a 10-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 589 career games (157 starts) averaging 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 16.3 minutes with Memphis, Sacramento, Denver, Indiana, Dallas and Atlanta.

Jones has appeared in 19 games this season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League and is the 16th call-up of the 2014-15 season.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, Jones was traded to Memphis on Draft Day and spent four seasons with the Grizzlies.

This season, Jones has played in 19 games (15 starts) for Fort Wayne averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 29.2 minutes.

A New Jersey native, the 6-foot-6 inch guard/forward played two seasons at Rutgers before transferring to Duke for his junior and senior season, where he and Clippers guard J.J. Redick were teammates during the 2002-03 season.

Jones averaged 13.3 points in 63 games for Rutgers and 14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 68 games for Duke. As a senior at Duke, he averaged 17.7 points and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by The Associated Press and to the All-ACC First Team.

Pelicans sign Nate Wolters to 10-day contract

Pelicans sign Nate Wolters to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans today added some depth in their backcourt, signing unrestricted free agent guard Nate Wolters to a 10-day contract.

The 6-4, 190-pound Wolters, of South Dakota State, was the 38th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards before his rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and then the Milwaukee Bucks. Appearing in 69 games with Milwaukee, Wolters averaged of 6.4 points, 2.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds.

Wolters will be available for tonight’s Pelicans game in Detroit. He will wear jersey #4.

New Orleans roster now stands at 14.

Mo Williams scores 52 points

Mo Williams scores 52 points in game vs Pacers

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mo Williams scored 52 points in a 110-101 win over the Indiana Pacers Tuesday.

In his 52-point game, Williams shot 19-of-33 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, hitting 8-of-9 free throws. He added four rebounds and seven assists.

Teammate Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, though on 16 shots.

Guard C.J. Miles scored 22 points for Indiana in the loss.

Byron Scott thinks Kobe Bryant played too many early-season minutes

Los Angeles Lakers (12-26) legend Kobe Bryant is averaging 23.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 34.8 minutes per game this season, on just 37.5% shooting. And just 29.3% from three-point range. Lately, he’s needed a rest. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

Kobe Bryant has sat out three of the Los Angeles Lakers’ past four games and six of their past 11 — all in the name of rest after playing far too many minutes earlier this season.

Lakers coach Byron Scott admits Bryant’s heavy work load was his fault, but he’s trying not to dwell on the mistake.

“You try to move away from it and forget about it,” Scott said Monday. “But it’s hard to do when you have a guy you care about so much and you think you kind of messed up. I think I played him too much early.

“If I would’ve stuck to the 32 minutes or 33 at the most, he might have been able to play a little bit more of these games that he’s missed. But you know what, I realize it. You have to move on from it, learn from your mistakes and go forward.”

Kevin Garnett suspended for headbutting Dwight Howard

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended one game without pay for initiating an altercation with Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard and headbutting him. Howard was fined $15,000 for pushing Garnett in the neck area. The penalties were announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter of the Rockets’ 113-99 win over the Nets on Monday, Jan. 12, at Barclays Center.

Garnett will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when the Nets host the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center.

To view the play, click on this link.

Donatas Motiejunas playing well for Houston

Donatas Motiejunas playing well for Houston

Houstono Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas has been playing the best basketball of his career this season. He has recorded three of his four career 20-point performances this season, including a new career-high 25 points vs. DEN on 12/13. He has particularly thrived as his role has increased. D-mo has averaged 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in his career, but is averaging a career best 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season in a career-high 27.5 minutes per game. Motiejunas has recorded 21 games with 10+ points this season, which already surpasses his total of 13 from the 2013-14 season. Currently, after recordeing 14 points and 10 rebounds (his 3rd double-double of the season), Motiejunas is riding a seven game stretch of scoring in double-figures, just one games shy of his career-long streak set earlier this year.