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Jason Richardson suffers sprained ankle

Doug Collins often has bemoaned the presence of photographers along the baseline, and on Sunday, when he lost shooting guard Jason Richardson to a sprained left ankle in the first quarter against the New York Knicks, the 76ers coach had yet another reason to complain.

However, it was Richardson, not Collins, who did the talking.

“They really don’t belong down there – you see what happens,” said Richardson, who suffered the sprain when he stepped on a cameraman’s foot at Madison Square Garden. “It creates all kinds of problems for players. There’s got to be a better way.”

Richardson was hurt less than two minutes into the game with the Sixers trailing, 5-2. X-rays of his ankle found no broken bones, but he left the arena with his foot in a walking boot.

— Reported by John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Guard Jonny Flynn signs in Australia

The Melbourne Tigers NBL club signed former NBA former top-10 draft pick Jonny Flynn on Monday to replace sacked import Kevin Braswell.

23-year-old Flynn was the sixth pick of the 2009 NBA draft and spent time with Minnesota, Houston, Portland and most recently Detroit.

He was waived by the Pistons last month, paving the way for the point guard to join the NBL.

The signing of Flynn, who made the 2010 NBA All-Rookie second team, is a massive coup for the Tigers, who are 1-4 in their first season under new coach, former Boomer Chris Anstey.

— Reported by AAP via the New Zealand Herald

Melo leads Knicks past Sixers

Unlike the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks didn’t tip off the season on time last week. But it was the Knicks, and not the 76ers, who looked to be in midseason form Sunday afternoon.

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points to lead four New York Knicks in double figures as New York routed Philadelphia 100-84 at Madison Square Garden.

J.R. Smith scored 20 points and hit four of the Knicks’ 11 3-pointers, Jason Kidd scored 12 points and Raymond Felton added 11 points for the Knicks…

Jrue Holiday had 27 points and Thaddeus Young scored 16 points for the 76ers, who fell to 1-1 in playing their first game in four days. Evan Turner had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the visitors.

“I thought they were much more aggressive than us,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said. “I think the layoff hurt us a little bit. We didn’t adjust to the speed of the game, the physicality of the game early. I’m hoping as we start playing more games we’ll be better.”

— Reported by Jerry Beach of the Sports Xchange

Magic step up and wreck Suns

J.J. Redick scored 24 points, Arron Afflalo and Glen Davis each had 22 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 115-94 Sunday night.

The Magic trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second half, but used a 40-point third quarter to build as much as a 21-point cushion in the fourth.

Luis Scola led the Suns with 24 points and Michael Beasley added 22. But Phoenix’s shooting eroded overall in the second half.

With the victory the Magic opened a season 2-0 for the first time since 2009-10. The Suns lost their fifth straight game in Orlando.

— Reported by Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies name Jason Levien CEO

Memphis Grizzlies Chairman Robert Pera announced today that he has named seasoned sports executive Jason Levien as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Memphis Basketball, LLC, which operates the Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum. In this role, Levien will have leadership responsibility for the entire organization; serve as the ownership group’s Managing Partner and as an Alternate NBA Governor.

“Jason and I share a vision for building a world-class team on and off-the-court,” Grizzlies Chairman Robert Pera said. “He has my complete trust, confidence and support in how best to lead our organization’s efforts.”

“I’m honored to be part of such a dynamic and potential-filled opportunity here in Memphis,” Memphis Grizzlies & FedExForum CEO Jason Levien said. “I appreciate what a special role the Grizzlies and FedExForum play in the Memphis community and I know that we will build successfully on the foundation already in place.”

Levien was, until recently, a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and prior to that he served as an NBA team executive with the Sacramento Kings. Levien spent a decade representing professional athletes, including advising multiple NBA first-round draft picks and high-profile free agents. He serves as a general partner for Major League Soccer’s DC United. He graduated from Pomona College, where he was a member of the basketball team, and earned a law degree and masters in public policy from the University of Michigan.

Multitude of whistles put Dwight Howard in a foul mood

There’s something irking Dwight Howard, and it goes beyond the Lakers’ 0-3 record or his surgically repaired back.

It involves avoiding the referees’ whistle.

“The only thing I can do is stay positive and not let it affect the way I play,” said Howard, who’s averaged 5.3 fouls per game. “Sometimes it has an effect because I want to do so good and help our team win. It’s tough.”

In the Lakers’ season-opening loss to Dallas, Howard collected six fouls and earned a flagrant foul one on Mavericks forward Elton Brand.

“I felt like I got fouled on the other end,” Howard said. “I kind of complained for a second so I was just getting back on defense. … I have to get back. I can’t look at the refs and complain.”

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News

Nets beat Raptors in Brooklyn debut

Nets win their first-ever regular season game in Brooklyn

Brooklyn made a winning return to major pro sports on Saturday night, as the Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 107-100 in the first game at Barclays Center.

After a 55-year wait that was extended a couple of extra days by Superstorm Sandy, the borough finally has a team of its own again, and the Nets think it’s going to be a good one.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Deron Williams added 19 points and nine assists for the Nets. C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Joe Johnson had 14.

A sold-out crowd of 17,732 that included entertainers Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife Beyonce chanted ”Brooklyn! Brooklyn!” a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn’t had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957.

Kyle Lowry had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Hornets coach Monty Williams not a fan of NBA concussion policy

Monty Williams thinks protecting players from concussions is stupid

New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams blasted the NBA’s protocols for determining when a player can return from a concussion, a day after No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis suffered a mild one.

Williams unloaded before Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, saying, “Now, they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers and it’s getting old. It’s just the way the league is now.”

His comments came on the heels of Davis leaving Friday’s win over Utah after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from teammate Austin Rivers in the first half. A Chicago product, Davis stayed back in New Orleans to be examined and did not accompany the team on the trip.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Brandon Rush out for season with torn ACL

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Brandon Rush will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2012-13 season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the first quarter of last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team announced today.

A surgery date has yet to be determined. It is anticipated that Rush will make a full recovery.

According to the Associated Press, “Rush leaped in the air for a dunk when Zach Randolph fouled him from behind in the first quarter of Golden State’s 104-94 loss to Memphis on Friday night. Rush landed awkwardly, and his knee bent badly as he tumbled to the court. He held back tears and had to be helped to the locker room.”

The Grizzlies frontcourt loves the Grizzlies frontcourt

Zach Randolph stood on one side of the locker room while Rudy Gay sat about 18 feet away and out of earshot.

When asked separately about how the Grizzlies’ front line, including center Marc Gasol, is playing so far this season, the starting forwards delivered nearly identical answers.

“We’ve got one of the best frontcourts in the league,” Randolph proclaimed.

“If not the best, we have one of the best front lines in the league,” Gay added. “And we’re definitely going to prove that this year.”

And to think that there are cynics who believe Gay and Randolph don’t mix.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal