Dwight Howard frustrated by foul night

Tuesday night in Detroit, the Pistons hosted the Orlando Magic and behind 20+ point games from three players managed to come away with a home victory. Magic star Dwight Howard played just under 17 minutes, yet fouled out with six fouls and finished with just 8 points, 5 rebounds, no assists (3 turnovers) and 3 blocks.

Today, on his own website (DwightHoward.com), Dwight wrote:

Yo, what up, world??? Not sure how many of you guys saw the game last night in Detroit, but let me tell you that was one to forget. We lost for the first time all season, the first time since the Finals, I guess. But it was how we lost that frustrated me the most.

I was on the floor for 16 minutes and fouled out!!! Let me say that again: 17 minutes and six fouls!!! How can that be, ya’ll? It was crazy. They called me for a charge on a flop, a push off when the defender was on me and two fouls on blocked shots.

Man, 16 minutes is a lifetime low for me I think. I haven’t played that little in a game since I was 10 years old in pee-wee ball. It was crazy from the start of the game all the way to when I fouled out with about 4 minutes to play.

What really bothers me is they are letting guys hammer me at one end of the floor, yet I’m being called for everything. All of those hits take a toll on my body after a while.

The Magic were 3-0 to start the season. The loss was their first in 2009-10. Wednesday night they head to Phoenix to battle the 4-0 Suns.

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy released from jail

The AP reports:

Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was a free man Wednesday after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal.

Pat Berdan, a consultant working with Donaghy, said he was released from Hernando County Jail in Florida, where he had been held since August after officials said he violated travel restrictions while living at a halfway house in the Tampa area.

A New York judge sentenced the ex-referee in July 2008 after Donaghy said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on games – including games he worked.

InsideHoops.com says: He’s a jerk.

Clippers add Spanish radio broadcasts

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that the team has entered into a broadcast agreement with KWKW AM 1330. KWKW will broadcast 31 home games and 17 road games in Spanish during the 2009-10 season beginning with the Clippers’ home game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, November 7th. Calling the games for KWKW will be Celso Gaspar.

KWKW is Los Angeles’ first Spanish Radio Station and has been under continuous ownership by the Kalmenson family controlled Lotus Communications since 1962. KWKW is the flagship station of the ESPN Deportes Radio Network.

Delonte West indicted on six weapons offenses

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was caught a while back more or less dressed up like Rambo. The latest developments on that situation are worse than expected.

Ruben Castaneda of the Washington Post reports:

Delonte West indicted on six weapons offenses

A Prince George’s County grand jury indicted Delonte West, a Washington area native who plays for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, on six weapons offenses Tuesday in a September incident in which he was arrested on the Capital Beltway with three loaded guns and an 8 1/2-inch bowie knife, authorities said.

In addition to the weapons offenses — each of which is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison — the grand jury also indicted West, 26, on one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving.

Prince George’s prosecutors routinely seek jail time for people convicted of weapons charges, even first-time offenders. State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said West’s case will be handled no differently than any other.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Prince George’s County (Md.) State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey announced today that West was indicted by a grand jury on a wide array of weapons counts, more expansive than the two-gun possession charges police applied when he was arrested following a traffic stop Sept. 17 outside of Washington, D.C.

West has been indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count of reckless driving and one count of negligent driving. If convicted, West could face up to three years for each of the six gun charges and a $2,500 fine per offense.

The AP reports:

West was indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving. The charges are all misdemeanors. Each of the weapons counts carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

West was initially charged with just two counts of carrying a handgun and with driving in excess of reasonable and prudent speed.

Well, this all sounds fantastic.

Have a reaction? Discuss your opinion on the InsideHoops Cleveland Cavaliers forum.

Derrick Byars signs in Germany

EurocupBasketball reports: Alba Berlin added depth to its roster by signing small forward Derrick Byars for the rest of the season. Byars (201, 25) returns to Europe after splitting the 2007-08 season between Bros Baskets Bamberg in Germany and Chorale Roanne in France. With Bamberg he averaged 6.3 points in four ULEB Cup games before transferring to Roanne, where he scored 7 in the team’s Euroleague finale and 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in the French League, helping the team reach the playoff final. Last season Byars played for Bakersfield in the NBDL, where he averaged 17.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 49 appearances and was named to the all-star team.

Yi Jianlian has right knee sprain

Yi Jianlian has right knee sprain

An MRI performed today on New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian confirmed a Grade 1 sprain of the medial collateral ligament of the right knee.  Yi will begin rehabilitation immediately.  There is no timetable for his return.

Both the Nets and Yi are off to slow starts in the 2009-10 NBA season. The team has no wins and four losses. Yi is shooting just 40.6% from the field and averaging 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Ryan Anderson a great Magic fit

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Ryan Anderson a great Magic fit

After watching this Ryan Anderson kid through his first three starts as a stand-in, you have to ask (if only in jest):

So how are the Orlando Magic going to find Rashard Lewis playing time when he comes back?

Even Anderson laughed at the question.

Anderson, 21, has been doing more than just keeping Lewis’ power-forward spot warm, but he realizes his days as a starter are numbered. He’ll be heading to the bench when Lewis returns from a league-mandated suspension in seven more games.

Anderson has been very Lewis-like in playing the role, averaging 17.3 points per game, second only to Dwight Howard’s 21.7 ppg. He, too, is 6 feet 10, and can shoot 3-pointers, nailing 11-of-20 for 55 percent.

And he’ll be looking to provide offense again if shooting guard Vince Carter (sprained left ankle) and small forward Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) are unavailable tonight against the Detroit Pistons.

Lewis will obviously start when he comes back. But it’s still a great “problem” that Anderson has fit in so well it’ll be difficult for coach Stan Van Gundy to move him back to the bench.

No Rudy Gay extension

Yahoo reports – Negotiations between the Memphis Grizzlies and Rudy Gay ended on Monday without a contract extension, and the forward will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. League sources said Gay wanted a $12 million annual deal – either over three or five years – because because that’s what Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger received last season. But Memphis never raised its offer beyond approximately $10 million a year.

Celtics sign Rajon Rondo to contract extension

The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has signed point guard Rajon Rondo to a multi-year contract extension.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Several media outlets had reported the deal to be five years and at least fifty five million.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to extend Rajon’s contract,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge.  “We believe that he is one of the elite point guards in the NBA and has a tremendous future ahead of him.”

Rondo, a 6’1” guard, is currently leading the NBA in total assists (47) and is second in assists per game (11.8) through four games this season. The former Kentucky Wildcat is also leading the NBA in total steals (10).  Last season, Rondo became the second Celtic to post three triple-doubles in a postseason joining Larry Bird when he posted three during the 1985-86 postseason.   During the 2009 postseason, Rondo just missed averaging a triple-double when he finished with an average of 16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 41.2 minutes per game.

“I would like to thank the Celtics ownership, Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, my teammates and the Celtics organization for all of their support over the years,” said Rondo.  “I would also like to thank my family, friends and fans.  I’m ready to do everything I can to bring banner 18 to Boston.”

During his second season as a professional Rondo helped the Celtics win their 17th NBA Championship with averages of 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.73 steals per game.  Rondo became just the third starting point guard in the past 30 years to have won an NBA championship at the age of 22 or under joining Tony Parker and Magic Johnson.

Timberwolves exercise Corey Brewer, Kevin Love options; decline Oleksiy Pecherov option

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has exercised the fourth-year option on guard/forward Corey Brewer and the third-year option on forward Kevin Love. The Wolves declined to extend forward Oleksiy Pecherov for next season.

“We are happy to extend Kevin and Corey for next season,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “All of us have been impressed with the determination displayed by both players this summer to make themselves better players through conditioning, hard work and skill development. I believe both have the drive and desire to be special players in this league.

“As for Oleksiy [Pecherov], I spoke to him this morning that he should not interpret this decision as if Coach Rambis and I believe he has no future with our organization. Far from it. Because of our cap flexibility next season, we could re-sign Oleksiy next summer if it is in our mutual interests. He is a young player with potential, who is just seeing significant playing time for the first time in his career.”

Brewer, a third-year forward from Florida, appeared in just 15 games for the Wolves last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 29, 2008 vs. Denver. After averaging 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a rookie, Brewer increased his scoring to 6.2 points per game last season and is averaging 12.3 points per game thus far in 2009-10.

Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, appeared in 81 games for the Wolves as a rookie, averaging 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. His 29 double-doubles on the season were the most in the NBA among rookies and the most ever by a rookie in Wolves franchise history. Love averaged 12.5 points and a league-leading 11.5 rebounds per game in his four preseason appearances before breaking a bone in his left hand on Oct. 16 at Chicago.