NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog – Page 1433 – NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops

Andrew Bynum still expected to play for 76ers this season

When [Coach Doug] Collins mentions getting healthy, he is referring to center Andrew Bynum, who has been sidelined all season. Bynum is expected to make his debut with the team in the final 31 games, 19 of which will be played away from the Wells Fargo Center.

Bynum, recovering from bone bruises and what he calls weakened cartilage in both knees, has said he would play for the team after the all-star break. On Monday, when reporters were permitted to watch the Sixers practice, Bynum was on the floor participating in non-contact drills with his teammates.

Still, Collins spoke cautiously about Bynum’s return.

“He’s s still where he’s been, so there’s nothing that’s changed with that,” Collins said of Bynum, whom all-star Jrue Holiday described as looking like “a beast.”

“The question is just going to be at some point and time with him getting out there,” Collins said, “and right now he’s not done anything with contact.”

— Reported by John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Rasheed Wallace ready to return to practice for Knicks

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler return today from Houston, and Rasheed Wallace returns from oblivion.

The Knicks reconvene for the first time since the All-Star break, with their defensive power forward expected to participate in practice for the first time since suffering a stress reaction in his left foot in mid-December.

Wallace will not be ready to play tomorrow in Indiana, and how long he’s able to stay healthy is anyone’s guess. In the best-case scenario, he becomes the final piece to the Knicks’ championship push. If Wallace suffers a setback and breaks his foot, the Knicks could cut him and sign a free-agent forward, such as Kenyon Martin or Lou Amundson.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Deron Williams says he is limited by ankle injuries

Deron Williams admits his ankle injuries have hindered him and hurt him to the point he can’t even dunk. And after undergoing Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment and sitting out last week, the Nets’ star guard acknowledges he needs more time to fully recover — time he won’t take, insisting he’ll play tonight against the Bucks at Barclays Center.

“They said a week was sufficient, so I trust the doctors,” said Williams, who hasn’t played since Feb. 10 against the Spurs and had PRP injections the next day to reduce ankle joint lining inflammation. “I definitely need more rest than a week for it to get back to normal, but I don’t have time right now.

“Yeah, it’s definitely affected me a lot. I can’t jump. I haven’t dunked. I can’t dunk. Even if I tried off one leg, I can’t dunk. So it’s definitely affected me. You think about it, when I’m going into the lane and make a move, a hard jump-stop hurts. Any hard impact, or hard move, it hurts … It’s definitely been a concern, that’s a big reason I did the PRP.’’

— Reported by Brian Lewis of the New York Post

Celtics are signing Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract

An NBA source told the Globe that the Celtics have signed swingman Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract — and there’s a chance that Williams, who is heading here from China, could be in uniform when the Celtics face the Nuggets Tuesday.

Williams wasn’t with the team during its practice Monday. He is awaiting a clearance letter from the team he was playing for in China before he flies here, the source said.

Rivers said he wasn’t sure if Williams, who has played for three NBA teams, would be with the Celtics for their shootaround Tuesday morning. He did say that Williams worked out with the Celtics during the summer and that he “did a pretty good job.”

What impressed Rivers from that workout?

“He’s been in the league; that’s what impressed me,” said Rivers, who downplayed his comments on Williams because the signing isn’t official.

— Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Lakers owner Jerry Buss dies

Jerry Buss had been a chemist and a mathematician long before he bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. The self-made millionaire with a head for business and an impresario’s heart assailed the NBA with every skill he acquired along the way.

With his personal alchemy and charisma, he blended two generations of marquee basketball stars and big-name coaches into 10 championship teams. His financial wizardry allowed him to pay top dollar to get the best players and keep them together without a huge personal fortune.

Buss built a glittering life for himself and the Lakers, playing a huge role in the NBA’s move from a second-tier pro sport into can’t-miss Hollywood entertainment while polishing his oddly nicknamed franchise into a glamorous global brand.

Magic, Kareem and Big Game James. Kobe, Shaq and Pau.

They were the stars, but Buss created Showtime.

The applause still hasn’t died down.

Buss, who shepherded the Lakers from their 1980s dynasty through the current Kobe Bryant era while becoming one of the most important and successful owners in pro sports, died Monday. He was 80.

”Jerry Buss was more than just an owner. He was one of the great innovators that any sport has ever encountered,” said Pat Riley, who coached four of Buss’ 10 title teams. ”He was a true visionary, and it was obvious with the Lakers in the ’80s that ‘Showtime’ was more than just Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was really the vision of a man who saw something that connected with a community.”

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Chris Paul becomes first Clippers player to win NBA All-Star Game MVP

Chris Paul became the first Clippers player to be NBA All-Star Game MVP, scoring 20 points and handing out 15 assists in the West’s 143-138 win over the East.

Paul is the third player to have at least 20 points and 15 assists in the league’s annual showcase, joining a couple Hall of Fame point guards, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas.

Paul made 7-of-10 shots and went 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He sank two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the West build a double-digit lead.

“Pretty special,” Paul said. “It’s something I’ve never done and it’s something that I definitely, coming into the game, I wasn’t trying to achieve or thinking that it might be possible.”

Paul already had the best per-game assists average in All-Star history (12.4). He had nine assists and plenty of fancy dribbling the first half and his niftiest moves came right before one of his only mistakes.

— Reported by Chris Duncan of the Associated Press

Spoelstra says decision to start Bosh in All-Star game was easy call

Some fans questioned the decision to start Bosh, but his coach made no apologies.

“That’s an easy decision,” Spoelstra said. “My loyalties are with the Heat.”

Spoelstra’s players are ready to repay his loyalty once the scores really matter and the chase for another title picks up.

“We’re the best team in the league,” Bosh said. “We have to make our run to start our title (defense). We have everybody intact. Everybody’s comfortable. We just have to continue to work on our chemistry.”

James agrees. “We want to continue to play our game,” James said. “We want to continue to get better each and every game and not waste an opportunity when we get on the floor and play as a team. If we do that, we’ll be OK.”

— Reported by Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle (Blog)

Andre Drummond has eyes on slam dunk title

Raptors rookie swingman Terrence Ross already has a challenger for his slam-dunk crown.

Pistons rookie Andre Drummond tossed his hat into the ring Friday morning, saying he was hoping to compete in the dunk contest this season before a stress fracture in his lower back ended that dream.

“That was my goal to be in the dunk contest,” Drummond said. “I can’t really do that now, so hopefully next year.”

Ross won the slam-dunk title Saturday night as part of the NBA’s All-Star weekend. Drummond watched from courtside.

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Jeff Van Gundy thinks Dwight Howard had it good in Orlando

If Dwight Howard knew then what he knows now, he would probably still be with the Orlando Magic.

Or so says ESPN and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy, who says Howard’s struggles with the dysfunctional Los Angles Lakers probably makes him pine for his glory days in Orlando.

“I think he thought he wanted a big market, but I think what he’s realizing is that he needs a smaller environment where the fans and media overlook whatever weaknesses he has,” Jeff said on our Open Mike radio show. “He had it great in Orlando, and I think only after you leave do you realize just how good you had it. Unfortunately, you can’t go back home again.

“Those years in Orlando, you could have made the case that no one was more valuable to a team than Dwight Howard was to the Magic. That guy could have been the MVP a couple of times and should have gotten stronger consideration for what he accomplished. For whatever reason, I think he’s lost his way.”

— By Mike Bianchi, columnist for the Orlando Sentinel

2013 NBA All-Star Game Recap: West beats East 143-138

LeBron James had the ball in his hands and a comeback on his mind.

Kobe Bryant blocked those plans – twice.

He may not leap like Blake Griffin, but Bryant can still get up when he needs to, especially when the defenseless part of the All-Star game is over and it’s time to stop somebody – even the league’s best player.

Bryant blocked James’ jumper, turning it into a dunk by Kevin Durant that helped the Western Conference put away the East 143-138 on Sunday.

On Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday, the players most often compared to him turned the final minutes into a 1-on-1 duel, and it went to Bryant – the guy Jordan said he’d pick between the two.

”It was a great block,” Durant said. ”I haven’t really seen any MVP get a jumper blocked like that. It was a really great play.”

Chris Paul had 20 points, 15 assists and won MVP honors, and Durant scored 30 points. Griffin finished with 19, joining his Clippers teammate, Paul, in creating Lob City deep in the heart of Texas…

Bryant added a second late block of James, the MVP of the 2006 game here after leading a big East comeback. This time, he scored 19 points but shot only 7 of 18 after making 60 percent of his shots in six straight games before the break…

Carmelo Anthony led the East with 26 points and 12 rebounds…

[James] Harden had 15 points in his home arena, where the sights of the game were on the floor and the sounds were at the rim – which shook repeatedly after thunderous dunks for most of the game before, as usual, players tried to make some stops down the stretch…

Bryant finished with only nine points but had eight assists. Griffin shot 9 of 11 from the field and didn’t miss until trying to violently throw one down from a few feet away from the basket.

Indiana’s Paul George scored 17 and Kyrie Irving had 15 for the East.

[Chris] Bosh finished 3 of 9. Wade had 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting, the best performance of the three Heat players in the starting lineup.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

“You just want to play fast,” Paul said after carving up the East with 20 points and 15 assists to win the Most Valuable Player Award in the annual All-Star game on Sunday.

“I like to throw the lob. I like to see guys hit threes. When we’re out on the court with all that fire power, why wouldn’t you want to make passes?

“You’ve got KD (Durant) filling one of the lanes, you’ve got Blake, Kobe on the wing. There’s nothing like it.”

Paul led the Western Conference to a 143-138 victory, hitting seven-of-10 shots from the floor to complement his pass-first game that had the East playing catch-up all night.

LeBron James, the high-scoring Miami forward who bagged 19 points in a losing effort, called Paul’s performance “unbelievable”.

“He’s one of the best players we have in this league,” offered James. “The number one point guard. It doesn’t surprise me what he did.”

— Reported by Steve Ginsburg of Reuters

Paul told Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer and last year’s All-Star game MVP, to expect to see the ball in his hands.

“I told KD early in the first quarter, ‘Man, if they score anything, you run. I’ll get you the ball, you score. I want to be the one to give it to you,'” recalled the Los Angeles Clippers guard.

“In games like this it’s so up‑tempo and fast paced, a guy like me that’s a facilitator, I enjoy it.”

Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks paced the East with 26 points, followed by Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who had 21, and LeBron James, who added 19.

Durant hit 13-of-24 shots to lead the West to a third straight victory in the annual showcase that features little defense, a lot of dunks, and plenty of assists for anyone who decides to pass.

— Reported by Steve Ginsburg of Reuters

Following three quarters of recreational defensive intensity, the closing stretch of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game mimicked many of the fourth quarters of All-Star games past: The players got serious about winning.

And as is usually the case, that effort was most evident on defense. While Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant pushed the Western Conference’s lead to 136-126 with his late breakaway dunk, it was Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant who ignited the fast break with his block of Heat forward LeBron James.

“I’m known for my defense,” said Bryant, who recorded two blocked shots and two steals in the Western Conference’s 143-138 win over the Eastern Conference. “I can defend. I’m pretty smart with my defense.”

All-Star Game rookies were served noticed of the shift in seriousness once the starters began trickling back into the game midway through the fourth quarter. Following a first half punctuated by alley-oop dunks, the fourth quarter served as a stark contrast, particularly on defense.

— Reported by MK Bower of the Sports Xchange