Kevin Garnett has right knee surgery

Kevin Garnett has right knee surgery

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Kevin Garnett underwent successful right knee arthroscopy and removal of posterior knee bone spurs today at the New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon and was assisted by Dr. Michael Belkin and Dr. John Richmond.

“After this successful surgery, Kevin can now begin to focus on rehabilitating his knee, returning to top physical shape and fully preparing for the 2009-10 season,” Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge remarked.

Garnett appeared in 57 games this season for the Celtics averaging 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.11 steals and 1.19 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game.  Garnett became the youngest player in NBA history to have played in 1,000 career games when he played against the Bulls on October 31, 2008 at the age of 32 years and 165 days.  Garnett was named to the 2009 NBA All-Defense First Team for the second consecutive season and his 10th consecutive season of being named to either the First or Second Team. The Farragut Academy product was named to his 12th All-Star game this past season and his 12 appearances are second-most among active players behind only Shaquille O’Neal.

“I expect Kevin to return to active duty in full force and be that consummate two-way professional that he has shown all of us throughout his fantastic NBA career,” Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers added.

Cavs must step up in Orlando tonight

After sweeping through the first two rounds of the Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in, if not a must-win situation, at least an almost-must-win scenario tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT). The Orlando Magic leads the series 2-1 as it continues its success over Cleveland. In NBA history, only eight teams have been able to wipe out 3-1 deficits to win best-of-seven series. It happened last in 2006 in the first round the Playoffs, as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers after dropping two of the first three games. It’s occurred twice in the conference finals: Washington (vs. San Antonio) in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals and Boston (vs. Philadelphia) in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals.

Versus the Cavaliers, Orlando has won 10 of the last 14 games played at home, and three of the last five at Cleveland. Orlando is 5-2 this postseason at Amway Arena and has an all-time postseason home record of 27-18 at home. The Magic finished 32-9 (.780) at home during the regular season, which was the most wins at home since going 37-4 in 1995-96.

After allowing only 78.1 points per game over the first two rounds, the Cavaliers are surrendering 101.0 points per game to Orlando. Five Magic players in this series are averaging double figures in scoring: Dwight Howard (21.3 ppg), Rashard Lewis (20.0 ppg), Hedo Turkoglu (16.3 ppg), Mickael Pietrus (13.0 ppg) and Rafer Alston (11.0 ppg).

In three games against Orlando this postseason, LeBron James is averaging 41.7 points on .531 shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.7 steals. In 11 playoff games this year, James is averaging 35.3 points on .531 shooting, 8.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.9 steals. James’ 28 career 30-point games is the most in the NBA since he made his playoff debut in 2006. He has seven career 40-point games in the postseason, including three this year, which is also the most in the league since 2006. James is the third player in NBA playoff history to compile at least 300 points, 80 rebounds and 60 assists in the first 10 games of a single postseason. It marks the second time in his career that he amassed these totals in a postseason.

Notable: There have been 19 games this postseason decided by three or fewer points, which ties the mark for most games decided by three points or less in an entire postseason (2006). For the first time in NBA history, the conference finals began with four games decided by three points or less. The 12 2009 first round games decided by three or fewer points tied the mark for most such games in the first round. There were 12 games decided by three or fewer points in the first round in 1984.

–NBA News

Suns, 76ers to play preseason game in Mexico

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that as part of the league’s ongoing commitment to growing the game in Mexico, preseason basketball will return to the country when the Phoenix Suns face the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 18 in Monterrey. This marks the NBA’s second visit to Monterrey and the 18th game in Mexico overall, the most NBA games held in any country outside the United States and Canada.

See more info on the NBA Mexico game.

Nuggets even Western finals against Lakers at 2-2

The AP reports: The Denver Nuggets are so much more than just Carmelo Anthony. A dominating effort on the boards and a great performance by the bench helped the Nuggets overcome a below-par effort from an ailing ‘Melo on Monday night, when they raced past the Los Angeles Lakers 120-101, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece… “Even before I twisted my ankle, with my stomach, I didn’t have my legs early in the game,” Carmelo Anthony said… Anthony finished with 15 hard-earned points on 3-of-16 shooting, but it hardly mattered because, unlike in Game 3 when his shot also wasn’t falling, his teammates came to the rescue. Six of them scored in double digits, led by Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith with 24 apiece… “They whooped us, period,” said Kobe Bryant, who scored 34 points… Martin had 13 points and 15 boards, Nene pitched in 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris “Birdman” Andersen added 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who outrebounded the Lakers 58-40.

Balanced Magic get 51 free throw attempts, beat Cavaliers 99-89

The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 24 points—14 on free throws—and Rafer Alston added 18 as the Orlando Magic, sick of seeing replays of LeBron James’ dramatic buzzer-beater to win Game 2, downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-89 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the series. A physical game from start to finish, there were 86 free throws attempted, 58 personal fouls called, two technicals, and a flagrant. The officials spent half the night stepping between players on both sides as tempers flared inside an overheated Amway Arena. In the first half, Mo Williams had his left eye split open by Orlando’s Anthony Johnson, who nailed Cleveland’s point guard with an elbow… James scored 41 on just 11-of-28 shooting and missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. And once again, Cleveland’s superstar didn’t get enough help from his teammates. Williams, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot a combined 13-of-37.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Cavs were quiet in the first quarter, but the Magic went cold in the second, leading to a 41-41 halftime score. The Magic then outscored the Cavs by six in the third quarter and by five in the fourth.

The Cavs shot just 37.2% from the field and only hit 5-of-26 (19.2%) three-pointers.

Orlando lived on the free throw line, getting 51 attempts, hitting 39. Dwight Howard hit 14-of-19 free throws, Hedo Turkoglu 12-of-12. The Cavs went 26-of-35. LeBron James alone had 24 free throw attempts (hitting 18), while the rest of Cleveland went to the line 11 times.

The Magic had balance: Dwight Howard had 24 points and 9 rebounds, Rafer Alston had 18 points and 3 steals, Mickael Pietrus (4-of-9) came off the bench for 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, Rashard Lewis (5-of-8) had 15 points (but little else), and Hedo Turkoglu shot a miserable 1-of-11 but his 11-of-12 free throw shooting resulted in 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

For the Cavs: LeBron James (11-of-28, just 1-of-8 threes) had 41 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals, Mo Williams (just 5-of-16) had 15 points, 7 rebounds but more turnovers than assists, and Delonte West (5-of-11) had 12 points and more turnovers than assists. Other than Zydrunas Ilgauskas contributing a mere 9 points and 9 rebounds, barely anyone else on Cleveland did much of anything.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Nick Calathes signs in Greece

Nick Calathes has signed to play pro basketball in Greece, rather than try his luck in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Orlando Sentinel (Chris Harry) reports: Call it a “Meet and Greek” session. Former University of Florida star Nick Calathes was scheduled to leave today for Greece and hopes to be on hand to watch his future Panathinaikos teammates celebrate a national championship as well as be introduced to what figures to be an adoring new fanbase. Calathes, 20, last week officially ended his career with the Gators by signing a three-year contract — worth about $1.1 million annually, including a home, car and tax credits — to play for the reigning Euroleague champions from Athens.

Bryant scores 41, Lakers beat Nuggets 103-97

The AP reports: Trevor Ariza’s(notes) clutch steals are punching a dagger in Denver’s season just as much as Kobe Bryant’s(notes) big baskets. For the second time in three games, Ariza stole an inbounds pass in the final minute to help Los Angeles beat the Nuggets, this time 103-97 at the Pepsi Center for a 2-1 lead that restored the Lakers’ home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals. Ariza, whose steal of Anthony Carter’s(notes) lazy lob sealed the Lakers’ win in the series opener, sliced in front of Carmelo Anthony(notes) to swipe Kenyon Martin’s(notes) inbounds pass with the Lakers clinging to a two-point lead with 36 seconds left… “Trevor, he’s very crafty, he’s long, he’s fast, he’s quick and he’s a ball hog,” said Bryant, who scored 41 points… Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points but just three after halftime, and Denver lost at home for the first time since March 9.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Lakers shot 45.8%, the Nuggets 39.3%. Both teams struggled from three-point range, with the Lakers hitting 6-of-19, the Nuggets just 5-of-27. And the Lakers had 45 free throw attempts but only hit 31 of them, while the Nuggets connected on 26-of-51.

For the Lakers, Bryant (12-of-24, 15-of-17 free throws) had 41 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Pau Gasol (7-of-12) had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza (5-of-8, 3-of-5 three-pointers) had 16 points. Derek Fisher had 3 steals.

For the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony (just 4-of-13, but 12-of-14 free throws) had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, but more turnovers than assists. Chauncey Billups (just 5-of-15) had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Chris Andersen (6-of-9) was great off the bench with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Nene had 13 points. J.R. Smith (just 4-of-15) had 10 points and 6 assists. Dahntay Jones scored 10.

LeBron buzzer-beater lifts Cavaliers over Magic

The AP reports: LeBron James dropped a 3-pointer from the top of the key over Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu as the final horn sounded Friday night to give the Cavaliers, their season a heartbeat from major trouble, a 96-95 victory over the Magic that evened the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece… Taking the inbounds pass from Mo Williams, James only had time to turn his shoulders toward the rim and fire. As the high-arcing shot dropped through, James sprinted into the arms of his delirious teammates as 20,562 stunned fans hugged in disbelief… One second before James’ shot, Turkoglu hit a 12-footer in the lane to give the Magic, who overcame a 23-point deficit in the first half, a 95-93 lead. Cleveland called a timeout and set up a play for James, the league’s MVP who finished with 35 points… Rashard Lewis scored 23 points and Turkoglu had 21 for the Magic, who have now lost four games at the buzzer in these playoffs. Dwight Howard scored 10— 20 below his Game 1 performance—and added 18 rebounds. Williams had 19 points—on 7-of-21 shooting—and Zydrunas Ilguaskas had 12 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.

Read LeBron James post-game quotes, discussing his awesome shot and more.

Minnesota Timberwolves name David Kahn president of basketball operations

The Minnesota Timberwolves today named David Kahn as the franchise’s President of Basketball Operations. With nearly 15 years of front office experience in both the NBA and the NBA Development League, and 24 years of experience in positions directly related to professional basketball, Kahn will assume responsibility for all decisions made within the Timberwolves basketball operations department.

“This is a milestone decision for our franchise and I couldn’t be more excited by our choice,” Taylor said. “David has studied under one of the most storied basketball minds in the league in Donnie Walsh and has clearly demonstrated that he has the intelligence, creativity, leadership and passion to take our team to the next level.”

“This was a process that we were determined to perform with the utmost diligence and care. By speaking with legendary individuals like Jerry West and Pat Riley, we developed a short list of candidates whom eventually led us to the conclusion that it was time to inject a fresh voice into our basketball operations. We’ve worked hard over the last few seasons to put our team in a position to succeed, and I’m confident that with David’s vision we’ll continue that progress.”

Kahn brings a wealth of diverse skills and experience to the Wolves stemming from previous positions in both the on-court and business sides of professional basketball. In addition to working as a journalist covering the league with both the Portland Oregonian and NBC Sports, and as a lawyer providing counsel to the NBA with Proskauer Rose LLP, Kahn worked in the front office of the Indiana Pacers for nine years, including four seasons as General Manager where we worked with and learned from Walsh. Most recently, Kahn has been involved in the acquisition and ownership of several NBA Development League franchises, where he has overseen the development of numerous players now in the NBA and presided over nine coaching hires.

“Minnesota is a team on the rise and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to join the Timberwolves organization,” Kahn said. “The team already has some significant pieces.  I know Mr. Taylor is committed to building a playoff team and I look forward to working with him to put a plan in place that will allow the Timberwolves to achieve sustained success. I promise that nobody will outwork or outthink us as we build one of the best front offices in the league and a team that begins a climb to the top.”

From the time Kahn joined the Pacers in 1995 through his departure in 2004, the team compiled a 430-276 (.609) record, made eight playoff appearances and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals four times, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2000.  Kahn also served as the point person for the design, development and marketing of Conseco Fieldhouse, widely considered one of the finest arenas in the NBA. He also served three years as Indiana’s representative on the NBA’s Competition Committee, and assisted Walsh with all facets of the Pacers’ basketball operations, including signing players, hiring coaches, making trades and managing the salary cap.

Kahn comes highly recommended by a number of his former colleagues:

“David helped me as much as anyone that I worked with during my time in Indiana, and his work with Conseco Fieldhouse made it the best building in the league,” Walsh said. “David has a wealth of experience and will do a great job in Minnesota. He’s very capable of capitalizing on the position the Timberwolves franchise is in and taking that team to the next level.”

“David is a remarkably gifted individual, with a combination of high intelligence, a major-league work ethic, and a great understanding of what makes teams successful,” San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said. “His ability to understand the dynamics of an NBA franchise is a real strength and he’ll be someone the Timberwolves can look to for leadership and sound decision-making.”

“I think the world of David. I’ve known him since we first crossed paths back at UCLA and I have nothing but admiration and respect for all that he’s accomplished throughout his career,” said Charlotte Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown, who worked with Kahn for two seasons in Indiana. “David will bring a tremendous background to the job, particularly from his time with Donnie at the Pacers. I’ve always had a fondness for the Timberwolves, and with the group of exciting young players they’ve assembled, I think they have a great opportunity in front of them. I’m thrilled that David is getting this chance and I think he’ll do a phenomenal job.”

“I’m very happy for David. He’s a very intelligent guy and knows the ins and outs of this league as well as anyone,” said Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird, who coached the Pacers while Kahn was the team’s GM. “He has all the tools to get the job done in Minnesota.”

“An excellent hire. David has great knowledge of both the basketball and business sides of an NBA franchise,” said Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle, who was Bird’s assistant at Indiana. “David is a highly-motivated person that will bring out the best in the people who work with him.”