The Boston Globe (Marc. J. Spears) reports: It started as a gentlemen’s bet before the season between two ultracompetitive Celtics, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The issue was free throws. As long as Pierce can stay within 6 percentage points of Allen’s free throw accuracy, he wins. No money was involved. Just pride. At .838, Pierce is just .06 shy of surpassing his career-best mark. But even with that average, he is getting trounced by Allen, who is not only doing the best free throw shooting of his career but seems poised to surpass a longstanding Celtics record and challenge the NBA standard, too. “That dude’s having a super career year, Ray Allen,” Pierce said. “He’s never shot over 92 percent. I thought I’d get within like 6 or 8 percent of him, but he is just running away with it. That’s little stuff we do to push each other. Dang, he’s got his career year. I didn’t know he was shooting 95. He’s killing me.”
Andrei Kirilenko has faded
The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports: When the season started, the plan was to bring versatile Andrei Kirilenko off the bench but perhaps play him what amounts to starter minutes. But it hasn’t exactly gone that way in the 12 games Kirilenko has played since returning from January ankle surgery. Before surgery, partly because various teammates were injured, Kirilenko played 30 minutes or more in 22 of 38 games — including one regulation-length game with 42, and 50 in a double-overtime loss at Houston. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 26 minutes. He’s often used almost exclusively now in the second and fourth quarters, and isn’t subbing in for center Mehmet Okur like at times previously. Sloan said the forward from Russia no longer is on restricted minutes, and the coach believes he’s fully healthy.
Larry Hughes was bummed out on Cavs
The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports: A Cavaliers source admitted Larry Hughes played in a depression-like state his last 2 ½ seasons in Cleveland. His stay was a disappointment, considering the Cavs signed him to a five-year, $70 million deal to be James’ running mate. “Just watching him play in Chicago early this season, you could see the difference, he looked like he was having fun,” the Cavs’ source said. But it didn’t work in Chicago either, as Hughes fell out of favor with new coach Vinny Del Negro and didn’t play the last five weeks before the Feb. 19 trade to the Knicks.
College: Syracuse beats UConn in six overtimes
This is primarily an NBA blog, but when something happens in basketball that everyone should know about, we usually mention it. And that’s the case here:
The AP reports: Syracuse and Connecticut played a game for the ages Thursday night and into early Friday. When it was over, everybody in Madison Square Garden was exhausted and, except for the losing team, exhilarated. Telling someone that No. 18 Syracuse beat No. 3 Connecticut 127-117 in six overtimes in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament is equivalent to saying there’s a star in the sky… The game finished one overtime short of the record set in Cincinnati’s 75-73 victory over Bradley on Dec. 21, 1981. Paul Harris had 29 points and 22 rebounds, while Eric Devendorf had 22 points and Rautins had 20, all but two on 3-pointers. The Orange made 40 of 51 free throws, but Connecticut made just 24 of 42… A.J. Price had 33 points and 10 assists for the Huskies (27-4), while Stanley Robinson had 28 points and was one of three Connecticut players with 14 rebounds. Hasheem Thabeet had 19 points, 14 rebounds and six of the Huskies’ 16 blocked shots.
LeBron triple-double, Cavs beat Suns 119-111
The AP reports: LeBron James had his third straight triple-double—34 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds—and the Cavaliers pulled away over the final seven minutes to beat the sinking Suns 119-111 on Thursday night… Mo Williams, who scored a career-high 44 the first time the teams met this season, added 30 for Cleveland, including 6-of-10 3s. Matt Barnes scored 21 and Steve Nash 20 as the Suns extended their losing streak to six games, their longest in six seasons… The Cavs’ Delonte West left with a sore lower back halfway through the third quarter after crashing in to Nash for an offensive foul. X-rays were negative.
Lakers clinch playoff spot, beat Spurs 102-95
The AP reports: Scoring the last of his 23 points on a 3-pointer with 1:46 left, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers became the first team in the West to secure a playoff spot with a 102-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night… Tony Parker and Michael Finley had 25 points apiece for the Spurs, who trailed by as much as 18 points before mounting a furious fourth-quarter comeback… Pau Gasol had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers. Lamar Odom had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a one-game suspension for leaving the bench during an altercation in Monday’s loss to Portland. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, whose lead over the Rockets in the Southwest Division was cut to two games. San Antonio plays at Houston on Saturday, when the Rockets will becoming off a Friday night game at Charlotte.
No surgery for Marvin Williams
The Atlanta Journal Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports: Hawks forward Marvin Williams will not undergo surgery on his injured lower back and could play again this season. Williams said he will undergo weeks of intensive rehabilitation after being examined by specialists at Duke University Wednesday. He wants to return before the Hawks wrap up the regular season April 15.
Renaldo Balkman helps the Nuggets
The Denver Post (Chris Dempsey) reports (via blog): The tattooed words on Renaldo Balkman’s calves say everything the man is about, and, incidentally pretty much do all of the talking for the Nuggets soft-spoken forward. “Hustle,” on his left calf. “Harder,” on his right. No one on the team hustles quite like Balkman. It is equal parts inspiring and breathtaking, and it is necessary for a team that many times lacks the all-out effort needed to carry it through tough games. Yet, Balkman is a spot player. Yes, he’s received more time lately – a 24.7 average in the Nuggets’ last three games. But consider the circumstances. He remains mainly an injury-replacement player, so this latest stretch of more court time can’t be construed as anything other than that. He’s played, and started some, when Kenyon Martin has been out. Evidence that the Nuggets are actually fitting him into the lineup will come when the team is completely healthy and intact and he’s still playing.
Knicks sign Cheikh Samb to second 10-day contract
The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that center Cheikh Samb has been signed to a second consecutive 10-day contract.
Signed to his first 10-day contract on Mar. 2, Samb, 7-1, 245-pounds, has yet to appear in a game for New York.
The Knicks roster is currently at 14 players.
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Jackson leads Warriors to 116-112 win over Nets
The AP reports: Monta Ellis returned to the lineup after missing seven games to attend to a family emergency. It was though he never left. “Monta is a great player and I am not surprised at anything,” Warriors forward Stephen Jackson said after scoring 29 points in Golden State’s 116-112 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday… Ellis and center Andris Biedrins bolstered the Warriors with their return to the lineup, and Jamal Crawford scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors, who ended a three-game slide, delivered a blow to the Nets’ playoff chances. Biedrins, who missed the past five games, contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds. Corey Maggette added 18 points. Devin Harris had 31 points and 12 assists for the Nets, who have lost five of six on the road and missed a chance to move into eighth place in the Eastern Conference.