Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor not looking to sell team

timberwolves

Glen Taylor has pulled the Minnesota Timberwolves off the market.

Taylor said Friday that he has stopped looking for a buyer for the team and will instead offer to buy out any limited partners who are looking to sell. Taylor put the team on the market last summer in hopes of finding a person or a group that would be willing to buy a minority stake to start with and then take control a few seasons down the road.

But Taylor says he couldn’t find a buyer who would guarantee the team will remain in Minnesota, and also says he felt some seller’s remorse when negotiating with several interested parties.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Dwyane Wade expects to play Game 1 of the second round

dwyane wade

Dwyane Wade, who has been nursing a bruised knee, practiced Friday for the first time this week and plans to play in Game 1 of the Miami Heat’s next playoff series.

Wade said Friday that the Heat’s extended break has allowed him to focus exclusively on getting rest and treatment for his right knee, which has endured multiple bruises and has limited his play for nearly two months.

The Heat have not played since they completed a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs. Wade sat out of Game 4 after still feeling effects of soreness following the previous game.

Wade was also held out of two practices this week as the Heat await the winner of the Nets-Bulls series that will be decided by Game 7 on Saturday in Brooklyn.

— Reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN.com

NBA Draft prospect Alex Len has ankle surgery

Maryland sophomore and likely lottery pick Alex Len will be shelved for all pre-draft workouts due to surgery on his left ankle.

Sports International Group’s Michael Lelchitski said in a release Friday the 7-foot-1 Len had surgery to “stabilize” the partial stress fracture in his left ankle. Recovery time is projected to be 4-6 months.

That means Len would not only miss team workouts in late May and in early June before the draft on June 27 but also would not be available for testing at the NBA pre-draft combine in Chicago May 16-17.

Len, who averaged 11.9 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Terps and scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in an NIT quarterfinal win over Alabama and had 16 points and nine rebounds in an NIT semifinal loss to Iowa, won’t be able to work out for any teams.

— Reported by Andy Katz of ESPN.com

Luol Deng tweets about his health situation

Luol Deng

Deng sent a series of messages via Twitter on Friday afternoon, explaining and updating his health status:

“It really upsets me that everyone thinks I would miss a game (because) of the flu. I’ve played a lot of games with the flu in my career.

“On Wed I was taken to the ER and my symptoms indicated I may have meningitis. In order to play on Thurs I was required to undergo a spinal tap.

“As a result of the spinal tap I suffered the worst headache I’ve ever experienced and been the weakest I’ve ever felt.

“Yesterday I was unable to walk or even get out of bed. I made it to the UC and was sent home. This morning my symptoms worsened.

“Now I’m back in the ER where I may have to spend the night… I want my teammates and Bulls fans to know I would NEVER miss a game (because) of flu.

“If I’m medically cleared I will fly to NY to be with my team and try to win game 7.”

— Reported by Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Blog)

Andray Blatche comes through off bench for Nets

Andray Blatche comes through off bench for Nets

Andray Blatche nodded his head, then pumped his left fist as he strolled toward the locker room and heard applause from Nets management.

The eighth-year pro never experienced a moment like this, not after spending his first seven seasons with the lowly Wizards. He had been to the playoffs before but never factored in an outcome as much as he did Thursday night.

As raucous Bulls fans tried every method possible to distract him, Blatche calmly stepped to the free-throw line with 19.2 seconds left in regulation. A 68.5 percent free-throw shooter during the regular season, Blatche looked flawless as he made both shots.

“Those were the biggest free throws I’ve ever shot in my career,” Blatche said. “It was beyond loud. Even C.J. (Watson) said his ears started ringing.

“Those free throws meant a lot to us. I just focused and stuck to my routine. I didn’t let it bother me. I just shot the ball like I would any other time.”

— Reported by Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune

Warriors guard Jarrett Jack wants to test free agency

Jarrett Jack

According to multiple team sources, the Warriors initiated extension talks with guard Jarrett Jack back in January. But Jack shut down such talks before they got rolling, looking to focus on the season and wanting to experience free agency.

Jack, who drew interest from multiple teams during the trade deadline, is in the last year of his contract paying him $5 million this season. He is expected to be a fairly well sought after this offseason, especially with the postseason he’s having, as multiple teams are looking for a point guard. Multiple teams are looking for point guards — including Utah, Charlotte, Toronto and possibly Milwaukee (since Brandon Jennings is a restricted free agent). Plus, Jack has proven to be a difference-maker off the bench, which has intrigued multiple teams that already have a point guard, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

— Reported by Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times (Blog)

Kobe Bryant and his mom feud over auction

A South Jersey sports-collectibles firm is at the center of a family fight between basketball star Kobe Bryant and his mother.

Goldin Auctions of West Berlin wants to sell more than 100 items from the Los Angeles Lakers’ pro career and his days as a high school player in suburban Philadelphia. The keepsakes – including uniforms, rings and trophies – would be offered on consignment for Pamela Bryant, the athlete’s mother.

But Kobe Bryant is trying to block the planned June auction, insisting he owns the memorabilia. The dispute moved to a federal court in Camden Thursday, when an attorney for the auction house requested a court order to allow the sale.

The filing noted Goldin Auctions already has paid a $450,000 advance to Pamela Bryant, who wanted to buy a new home in Nevada.

If a judge approves the sale, bidders could compete for shorts, jerseys, jackets and varsity letters that Bryant wore at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa. They could vie for NBA All-Star and Championship rings, a 1996 Gatorade National Player award and a 1992 Sonny Hill League Future Stars Champion Trophy.

— Reported by the Courier-Post

Minnesota Timberwolves decline team option on David Kahn

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has declined to exercise the one-year option in David Kahn’s contract for the 2013-14 NBA season, and as a result, he will not return as President of Basketball Operations. Kahn was originally hired by the Timberwolves on May 22, 2009.

“We want to thank David for all of his efforts the past four years with our basketball team,” said Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. “These are always difficult decisions, but at this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our organization to make a change. We wish David all the best in the future.”

Burglars break into home of Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem’s home in South Florida has been burglarized, although authorities say it’s not clear if anything was taken.

According to a Broward Sheriff’s Office report released Thursday, someone broke into the house April 13 by prying open a side garage door. Deputies responded after a home alarm activated, but no one was inside when they arrived.

Closets in the house had been ransacked and alarm boxes had been ripped off the walls. Deputies say some belongings were found in trash bags and other valuable items were left untouched. Authorities surmised that the thieves left hurriedly when deputies arrived.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Pacers rebound with 106-83 rout of Hawks in Game 5

David West

Frank Vogel made a few simple lineup adjustments and a strong pregame pitch. It was just what the Pacers needed Wednesday night.

Indiana played more physical and more focused basketball than Atlanta, and for the first time in this best-of-seven series played defense the way Vogel has been coaching it all season. Against all that, Atlanta never had a chance.

Veteran David West broke out of a series-long funk to score 24 points, Paul George finished with another double-double and Indiana pulled away for a 106-83 victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Hawks.

”We needed to re-establish our confidence,” said Vogel, the Pacers coach. ”We’re still a young team. We needed to re-establish our ability to slow them down.”

Indiana did that and a whole lot more on a night in which it was virtually flawless.

West looked like his old self backing down defenders, then spinning away to hit his trademark step-back shots. George went making 7 of 8 shots from the field, finishing with 10 rebounds and five assists – another strong showing in a series he’s dominated in Indiana’s three wins.

Vogel changed the rotations, keeping some starters with the second unit to add scoring punch. And after posting the best defensive field goal percentage in the NBA this season, the Pacers finally managed to hold Atlanta under 50 percent shooting.

— Reported by Michael Marot of the Associated Press