NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog – Page 1926 – NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops

Dwight Howard scores 46 but Hawks beat Magic in Game 1, 103-93

The AP reports:

Joe Johnson scored 25 points, Jamal Crawford finished with 23 and Atlanta beat Orlando 103-93 in Game 1 of their playoff series on Saturday, overcoming a monster night by Dwight Howard.

Atlanta was eliminated by Orlando in last year’s playoffs in the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA history, but this one was much different. The Hawks led by as many as 18 points while running multiple bodies at Howard all night, and the rest of the Magic failed to step up…

Howard tied a career high with 46 points, to go along with 19 rebounds. Jameer Nelson had 27 points but no other Orlando player reached double figures.

The Hawks had five players with at least 13 points, earning their fourth straight victory against the Magic and erasing the sting of a six-game losing streak to close the regular season. Al Horford scored 16, Josh Smith had 15 points and eight rebounds and Kirk Hinrich added 13 points.

Bosh scores 25, Heat beat 76ers in Game 1, 97-89

The AP reports:

Chris Bosh had 25 points and 12 rebounds, LeBron James added 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Wade scored five of his 17 points in the final 1:34 as the Heat held off a huge Philadelphia comeback try and beat the 76ers 97-89 in the opener of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

“The only number that matters right now is 1-0,” Wade said. “That’s all it’s about.”

Game 2 is Monday night.

Thaddeus Young had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, while Jrue Holiday added 19 and Elton Brand finished with 17. It was the second time in 22 days that Philadelphia blew a big second-quarter lead in Miami: On March 25, the 76ers led by 16, and on Saturday, the margin was 14…

The 76ers scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter, closing to 88-87 — but never getting the lead back. Bosh made two free throws and Wade hit a tough bank shot to give Miami a five-point edge. And after Young scored Philadelphia’s final points with 1:24 left, Wade sealed it with a pair of foul shots 14 seconds later.

Rose scores 39, Bulls beat Pacers 104-99 in Game 1

The AP reports:

Derrick Rose scored 39 points and found Kyle Korver for a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, helping top-seeded Chicago stage a late rally to beat the Pacers 104-99 in their playoff opener on Saturday.

“We knew it was going to be a hard game,” Rose said. “From the beginning I guess we weren’t prepared for it. Next time I think we’ll be ready.” …

Rose again showed why he is an MVP favorite even though he was off target. He missed each of his nine 3-point attempts but made 19 of 21 at the foul line and finished with six rebounds and six assists.

Luol Deng added 18 points and Korver finished with 13, no shot bigger than that 3…

Granger led Indiana with 24 points, and Tyler Hansbrough shook off an elbow from Kurt Thomas to finish with 22. Darren Collison scored 17, but had just two in the second half, and the Pacers came up just short in their first playoff game in five years.

Cavaliers Semih Erden, Samardo Samuels and Ramon Sessions all have surgery

Cavaliers center Semih Erden, forward Samardo Samuels and guard Ramon Sessions each underwent successful surgery yesterday, the team announced from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Erden had surgery on his left shoulder at Cleveland Clinic’s Strongsville Family Health and Surgery Center. The surgery was performed by Dr. Mark Schickendantz.

Samuels underwent surgery to repair a right wrist injury at the Cleveland Clinic main campus, performed by Dr. Thomas Graham.

Sessions had surgery to repair a hernia at Hill Crest Hospital – Cleveland Clinic. The procedure was performed by Dr. William O’Brien.

Each player will now undergo a period of rest, treatment and rehabilitation and their statuses will be updated as appropriate.

DeShawn Sims named 2010-11 D-League Rookie of the Year

Maine Red Claws forward DeShawn Sims was selected by the NBA D-League’s 16 head coaches as the NBA Development League’s 2010-11 Rookie of the Year.

Joining Sims on the NBA D-League’s inaugural All-Rookie First Team are Tulsa 66ers guard Jerome Dyson, Springfield Armor guard Scottie Reynolds, Iowa Energy forward Marqus Blakely, who ended the season with the Houston Rockets, and Rio Grande Valley Vipers center Patrick Sullivan.

The All-Rookie Second Team features Tulsa guard Elijah Millsap, Maine guard Jamar Smith, Erie BayHawks forward Tasmin Mitchell, Rio Grande Valley forward Mouhammad Faye and Springfield center Chas McFarland. Both All-Rookie teams are also voted on by the NBA D-League’s head coaches.

“I am enormously proud of DeShawn Sims for being named Rookie of the Year, but not the least bit surprised,” said Maine Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings. “From the moment he stepped on the court for us, he has been a leader and brings an incredible determination and competitiveness to the floor every single night. The obstacles DeShawn has been forced to overcome in his life have been well-documented, and they are things that would cause a lesser man to choose another path. That determination earned him his way to the NBA D-League All-Star Game as a rookie, and it brought him the Rookie of the Year trophy. There is no question, in my mind, that his next step is the NBA.”

In 48 games (45 starts) for Maine, Sims averaged 20.3 points, which ranked fourth in the NBA D-League and first among rookies, to go along with 7.7 rebounds. Sims, a 6-8, 225-pound forward out of Michigan, shot 50.6 percent from the field this season, scored in double figures 41 times and recorded 13 double-doubles. Sims also participated in this year’s NBA D-League All-Star game in Los Angeles, scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds in 20 minutes for the victorious East All-Stars.

“DeShawn’s performance this season was certainly impressive, and not just for a first-year player,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. “I congratulate DeShawn, as well as the All-Rookie First and Second Team selections, on having such promising starts to their professional careers.”

Sims, who also earned All-NBA Development League Third Team honors, joins Cleveland Cavaliers guard Alonzo Gee (Austin, 2009-10), Washington Wizards guard Othyus Jeffers (Iowa, 2008-09), Blake Ahearn (Dakota, 2007-08), Golden State Warriors forward Louis Amundson (Colorado, 2006-07), Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum (Roanoke 2005-06), James Thomas (Roanoke 2004-05), Desmond Penigar (Asheville, 2003-04), Devin Brown (Fayetteville, 2002-03) and Fred House (Charleston, 2001-02) as winners of the annual award.

2010-11 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
Guard          Jerome Dyson                Tulsa 66ers
Guard          Scottie Reynolds        Springfield Armor
Forward        DeShawn Sims                Maine Red Claws
Forward        Marqus Blakely*        Iowa Energy
Center         Patrick Sullivan    Rio Grande Valley Vipers

2010-11 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM
Guard          Elijah Millsap                Tulsa 66ers
Guard          Jamar Smith                Maine Red Claws
Forward        Tasmin Mitchell                Erie BayHawks
Forward        Mouhammad Faye        Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Center         Chas McFarland        Springfield Armor

* Currently with an NBA team.

Ties broken for NBA Draft 2011 order of selection

Three ties among teams that finished the 2010-11 NBA regular season with identical records were broken today through random drawings to help determine the order of selection for the 2011 NBA Draft, which will be held on Thursday, June 23 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The drawings were conducted earlier today in New York City at the Board of Governors meeting by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The results of the drawings:

– Sacramento (24-58) won a tiebreaker with New Jersey.
– New Orleans (46-36) won a tiebreaker with Memphis.
– Dallas (57-25) won a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers

Full details and complete selection order information is on our 2011 NBA Draft home page.

Tony Allen doing big things for Grizzlies

Scott Cacciola of the Wall Street Journal reports:

Entering Wednesday’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers, Allen was averaging 1.8 steals per game and 4.2 steals per 48 minutes—the most since 1995 among players who have averaged at least 1.5 steals per game.

Not long after he signed last summer, Allen had lunch in Memphis with Wallace and Tony Barone, Sr., the Grizzlies’ director of player personnel. Wallace said the meal turned into a “defensive seminar,” during which Allen broke down—in granular detail—how he guards certain players. “We were blown away,” Wallace said.

Allen takes his craft seriously, dissecting DVDs that the coaching staff distributes of upcoming opponents. He gets annoyed when teammates fail to do the same. “He should have taken that home with him,” he said recently, spotting one of the DVDs in a younger player’s locker. His pregame ritual includes taking his laptop into the training room and watching clips of whomever he will defend that night. “Teams run the same sets over and over,” he said, “and guys have tendencies.”

He knows, for example, when a player will try to hold his position in the post by using his left hand. (“I’ll take a swipe with my right,” he said.) He knows which players will pull up for jumpers when they go to their right and which will drive to the hoop when they go to their left. As an on-the-ball defender, Allen was limiting opponents to 34.2% shooting, according to Synergy Sports, a company that charts every NBA play.

Manu Ginobili has right elbow sprain, doubtful for start of playoffs

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili had an MRI earlier today in San Antonio. The MRI showed that he has a right elbow sprain.

The injury occurred in the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Suns game.

Ginobili has already begun his rehabilitation process and will be listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the Spurs-Grizzlies series, which is scheduled for noon on Sunday at the AT&T Center.

2011 NBA Playoffs first round schedule

The 2010-11 NBA regular season is in the books, with all 30 teams in action Wednesday night. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday.

The first round matchups in the East are: Bulls vs Pacers, Heat vs 76ers, Celtics vs Knicks, and Magic vs Hawks.

The West’s first round matchups are: Spurs vs Grizzlies, Lakers vs Hornets, Mavericks vs Blazers, and Thunder vs Nuggets.

The complete first round series-by-series NBA playoffs schedule is here.

Rockets sign forward Marqus Blakely

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Marqus Blakely to a multi-year contract.

Blakely (6-5, 225, Vermont) earns a Call-Up from the D-league’s Iowa Energy. This past season, Blakely averaged 15.0 points (.625, 287-459 FG), 6.3 rebounds, 1.47 steals and 1.2 assists in 49 games (19 starts) between the Bakersfield Jam and Iowa. He was traded by Bakersfield to Iowa for a 2011 first-round pick on Jan. 24, 2011, helping the Engery capture the D-League’s Eastern Conference title with a 37-13 (.740) regular season record. Blakely, along with teammate Curtis Stinson, were also named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played March 14-20.

As a collegian, Blakely finished his career at Vermont ranked fifth all-time in scoring (1,875), second in rebounding (1,044) and field goal percentage (.571), third in blocks (254) and field goals made (673), fourth in free throws made (525), and 10th in assists (304). He stands as a two-time America East Player of the Year winner and a three-time America East Defensive Player of the Year. Blakely also earned First-Team All-America East and America East All-Defensive First Team accolades three times during his career at Vermont. Winner of the 2010 State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship, Blakely averaged 17.3 points (.542 FG%), 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks in 35 games as a senior. He was named to the America East Conference All-Tournament Team and helped Vermont to school-record 25 wins in 2009-10. Blakely was actually the only player in NCAA men’s basketball to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during the 2009-10 campaign.

Blakely will wear jersey #15 with the Rockets.