China investor finalizes deal to buy part of Cleveland Cavaliers

Reuters reports:

A Michigan investment firm has finalized a deal to sell its 15 percent stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers to a group led by Kenny Huang, bringing LeBron James’ team a step closer to adding the National Basketball Association’s first big Chinese investor.

A Cavaliers spokesman declined to comment, but Cavaliers Vice Chairman David Katzman, whose Camelot Venture Group owns the stake being sold, said an all-cash deal was reached and should be approved by year’s end. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Kings lure fans with beer

Cynthia Hubert of the Sacramento Bee reports:

The Sacramento Kings have given away food, offered discount ticket packages and touted their prized rookies.

But they have yet to find the formula for bringing raucous sellout crowds back to Arco Arena.

Could the answer be cheap beer?

Quite possibly. Wednesday night, with a national television audience watching, the Kings could be playing before a sellout crowd at Arco for only the second time this season. The draw? Dollar Beer Night.

“Sacramento and its fans have such a good reputation nationally,” said Kings spokesman Mitch Germann. “We want to showcase that on national TV.”

Their efforts seem to be paying off. As of Monday afternoon, only “a limited number of tickets” were available for the Wednesday game, Germann said.

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Celtics love the pick-and-roll

Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe reports:

The pick-and-roll is among the most basic of basketball maneuvers. But it is also difficult to defend, especially when Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are executing the play.

“It’s a tough pick-and-roll,’’ Pierce said, “because you’ve got a big guy [who’s] able to knock down shots. I’m able to knock down shots or drive off the pick and they got to make a decision whether to trap or switch. Then, if you trap you’ve got to rotate to Kevin, so it puts teams in a predicament down the stretch. It’s been a bread and butter play for us.’’

The play – also known as a pick-and-pop, Garnett becoming a perimeter threat – led to the Celtics’ final 7 points in a 110-105 win over the Grizzlies last night.

Trevor Ariza suspended

Trevor Ariza of the Houston Rockets has been suspended without pay for one game for swinging his elbow at the head of  the Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 3:47 remaining in the third period of the Raptors’ 101-88 victory over the Rockets at Air Canada Centre on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Ariza will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Rockets host the Detroit Pistons at the Toyota Center in Houston.

For more info on what actually happened, see here.

Heat waive Shavlik Randolph

michael redd

The Miami Heat announced today that they have requested waivers on forward Shavlik Randolph.

“Shavlik was the ultimate professional,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “He always brought an absolute effort, dedication and discipline to the court each and every day. We wish him nothing but the best.”

Randolph, a 6’10”, 236-pound forward, appeared in two games with the Heat this season totaling two points, seven rebounds and one block in 23 minutes of action.  Over the course of his five-year NBA career, he has appeared in 91 games (seven starts) averaging 2.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 8.3 minutes while shooting 44.7 percent from the field.

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Suns recall Taylor Griffin from D-League

The Phoenix Suns have recalled rookie forward Taylor Griffin from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.

Originally assigned to Iowa on Dec. 7, the 6-7, 238-pound Griffin started both games he appeared in, averaging 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals in 37.0 minutes.  Griffin shot 68.8 percent from the field in those contests, both Energy wins.

Griffin was selected by the Suns with the 48th overall pick (second round) of the 2009 NBA Draft and has appeared in two games this season for Phoenix.

Owners of a 17-game home win streak dating back to last season, the Suns (16-8) return to action Tuesday night, taking on the San Antonio Spurs (12-9) at US Airways Center at 7 p.m.  The game can be seen locally on FOX Sports Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Rodney Stuckey playing great

Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News reports:

Rodney Stuckey on fire

The story after Saturday’s victory over Golden State was the return of Richard Hamilton.

But it’s one of the mainstays this season, Rodney Stuckey, who’s been a headliner lately.

While winning their last five games, the Pistons are seeing Stuckey at his best — he’s averaging 25 points in the winning streak and dominating at both ends of the court.

“Looking at our team I’m not sure if there were many players that had a better week than (Rodney) Stuckey did,” said coach John Kuester, who has been trumpeting Stuckey’s talent and potential from the start of training camp.

Said veteran point guard Chucky Atkins: “Rodney Stuckey is a guy who’s hard to stop, the way he’s attacking the basket and continuing to put pressure on the defense. We need that. He’s a guy that defenses are going to have to deal with from now on, throughout the rest of the season.”

Bucks must improve shooting

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

The Bucks’ season field goal percentage number is 44%, which ranks 26th among the 30 National Basketball Association teams. Milwaukee is shooting better than just four teams – Charlotte, Indiana, Chicago and New Jersey.

It’s a major source of concern for coach Scott Skiles, who believes the Bucks will improve their marksmanship.

“That’s the difference between good college shooters and pro shooters,” Skiles said. “When you’re open in your range and your feet are set, that thing has to go in at a high percentage. I would tell you that most of the really good pro shooters, when their feet are set and I’m talking about (being) wide open, 75% of the time that thing should be right in the bottom of the goal.

“At other times, you’ve got to take off-balance shots and you’re driving, you don’t get fouled. So we need all our guys.”

Trevor Ariza ejected after swinging at DeMar DeRozan

Trevor Ariza ejected after swinging at DeMar DeRozan

Early Sunday afternoon in Toronto as the Raptors were winning big over the Houston Rockets, a frustrated visiting player lost his cool.

Late in the third quarter on the left side of the court, Rockets small forward Trevor Ariza had the ball but was stripped of it by DeMar DeRozan.

As DeRozan start dribbling up the floor, a frustrated Ariza took what appeared to be a full swing at him. The swipe missed but was spotted by referees, and play was stopped.

Raptors guard Jarrett Jack rushed over to confront Ariza, but the situation did not escalate.

At the time of the incident the Raptors were leading 68-49 with 3:47 left in the third quarter. Ariza, who is generally having a terrific season, was having a nightmare of a game with one point (0-of-9 shooting), two rebounds, one assist and four turnovers.

InsideHoops.com predicts Ariza may be suspended by the NBA, perhaps for one game.

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Knicks sign Jon Bender

Knicks sign Jon Bender

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that free agent forward Jonathan Bender has been signed to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

InsideHoops.com assumes that the deal is a nonguaranteed contract for one season.

“Jonathan has worked extremely hard in preparing himself for a return to the NBA,” said Walsh. “I know him to be a young man of the highest character from my relationship with him that dates back 10 years to his rookie year and I think he will be a fine addition to our team both on and off the court.”

Bender, 7-0, 230-pounds, has career averages of 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 15.0 minutes in 237 games (27 starts) over seven NBA seasons, all with Indiana. The Picayune, MS-native was selected out of high school by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Pacers on Aug. 1, 1999 in exchange for Antonio Davis.

Bender enjoyed his most productive NBA season in 2001-02 when he averaged career-highs of 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 21.1 minutes in a career-high 78 games. Injuries forced Bender to miss 172 games over the next three seasons before he was forced to stop playing due to chronic knee pain on Feb. 4, 2006, after playing in just two games in 2005-06.

Bender founded The Jonathan Bender Foundation in New Orleans that has adopted elementary schools, taken on real estate ventures, offered free finance classes for some of New Orleans’ poorest residents and run free basketball clinics for teens in the New Orleans region. He also founded a construction company called Kingdom Homes that buys and restores flood-damaged properties in New Orleans’ most disadvantaged neighborhoods.

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