The AP reports: Dwyane Wade scored 35 points and tied his career high with 16 assists, Michael Beasley and Daequan Cook both had career highs on the way to a combined 55 points off Miami’s bench. The Heat spoiled Shaquille O’Neal’s first trip back to South Florida since last year’s trade with a 135-129 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night… Beasley scored 28 points—the most by a Heat player besides Wade this season—and nine rebounds. Cook added 27 points and Miami led for all but a portion of the opening minutes on the way to the second-highest point total in franchise history… O’Neal finished with 22 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:08 left. Steve Nash led Phoenix with 29 points and 10 assists, and Jason Richardson added 22 points for the Suns.
Cavaliers clinch playoff spot, beat Bucks 91-73
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 23 points, Delonte West had 13 with a career-high eight steals and the Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a spot in the NBA playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 91-73 on Wednesday night in a potential first-round series preview… Mo Williams scored 15 against his former team and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 14 for Cleveland, which lowered its magic for winning the Central Division to six. Richard Jefferson scored 29 for the Bucks, currently clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee was held to a season-low 73 points and 37 percent shooting by the Cavs, who are holding opponents to 88 points on their home floor.
Best Shawn Kemp dunks
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was a dunk machine on the Seattle Sonics.
Playing power forward, Kemp threw down nasty dunks on anyone who came even remotely close to him.
Nicknamed “Reign Man,” (not “Rain Man”), Kemp in his prime years (around 1992-2000) was good for around 18 or 19 points and 10 or 11 rebounds per game. And at least one highlight dunk each night.
Here is a video of the best Shawn Kemp dunks of all time:
Miss South Carolina 2007 answers interview question about America
In the Miss Teen USA 2007 competition, Miss South Carolina answered a question asking why she thinks many Americans are unable to actually locate the United States on a map. Miss South Carolina’s answer to the question is one of television’s most brilliant minutes ever.
Listen and learn as Miss South Carolina gives what may be the worst answer in the history of civilization.
Miami Heat sign Luther Head
The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Luther Head. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are pleased to announce that we have signed Luther Head,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “Luther will bring us a prototype combo guard that can both handle the ball and shoot with tremendous proficiency. This is a positive step for the Miami Heat.”
Head, a 6’3”, 185-pound guard, has appeared in 22 games (four starts) this season for the Houston Rockets and averaged 4.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes of action while shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. In his four starts this season, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.25 steals and 25.8 minutes.
Playing in his fourth NBA season, the former first round draft pick (24th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft has appeared in 255 career games (58 starts) and averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.80 steals in 24.4 minutes while shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and 76.6 percent from the line. He finished his Houston career among the best Rockets shooters in franchise history as he placed fourth in career three-point field goal percentage and eight in all-time three-point field goals made (383).
Head will wear number 13.
The Heat roster now currently stands at 15.
Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
Spurs release Pops Mensah-Bonsu
The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have released forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu from his 10-day contract.
Mensah-Bonsu appeared in 3 games for the Spurs where he averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes. He also spent time with the Austin Toros, the Spurs affiliate in the NBA Development League. In eight games with the Toros, Mensah-Bonsu averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.50 blocks in 39.8 minutes.
The Spurs roster stands at 14.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion here.
Allen Iverson out two more weeks with sore back
The Detroit Pistons announced today that guard Allen Iverson will miss the next two weeks due to a sore back at the request of doctors at Georgetown University. Iverson’s condition was evaluated at Georgetown today and it was recommended that he suspend basketball related activities for two weeks. He will not travel with the team to prevent stress on his back and will be re-evaluated again by the doctors at Georgetown following the conclusion of the two-week period.
The doctors at Georgetown University have been in contact with the Pistons’ medical staff and Iverson will begin treatment for his sore back upon his return to Detroit on Thursday.
Read NBA fan reaction to this news and post your own comments in this forum topic.
Suns sign Stromile Swift
The Phoenix Suns today signed free-agent forward Stromile Swift for the remainder of the season, the club announced. Swift became available after being waived on March 1 by the New Jersey Nets and as a result is eligible for postseason play.
“We are very pleased to be able to add a player of Stromile’s caliber at this late date,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “We believe that his athleticism, length and experience will be valuable to us as we head down the stretch run.”
The 6-10, 225-pound Swift was originally the second overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies and has spent his nine-year career split between Vancouver/Memphis, Houston and New Jersey. Swift owns career averages of 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes in 534 games.
The Louisiana State product is an athletic and versatile forward who enjoyed his best professional campaigns in his first stint with the Grizzlies (2000-05), including four-straight seasons of at least 9.4 points and 45 percent shooting from the field beginning with his sophomore season in 2001-02.
Swift, 29, has made two career playoff trips, both with Memphis (2004, 2005), including the Grizzlies’ 2005 first-round series against the Suns, in which he averaged a career playoff-high 9.3 points in 16.0 minutes in three appearances.
A 2001 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk competitor as a rookie, Swift averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 10.7 minutes in six games with the Nets this season.
Swift will be in uniform tonight when the Suns return to action against the Miami Heat at 5:30 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena. The game can be seen locally on MY45 and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.
Bryant scores 31, Lakers beat Grizzlies 99-89
The AP reports: The Lakers halted their mini-slump at two losses in a row with a front-running 99-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, allowing Los Angeles to avoid its first three-game skid of the season… Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom was only 1-of-8 from the floor and scored just two points for Los Angeles, but posted some other impressive numbers: 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks… Marc Gasol, four years younger than the 28-year-old Pau, outdid his brother, scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for Memphis.
Jack, Murphy lead Pacers past Kings 117-109
The AP reports: The Indiana Pacers picked up a rare road victory and gained ground on the Milwaukee Bucks in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Jarrett Jack scored 26 points and Troy Murphy had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Pacers to a 117-109 victory Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings… Marquis Daniels scored 18 points and T.J. Ford had 11 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who meet Portland on Wednesday and finish the three-game road trip Saturday against the Clippers. Kevin Martin scored 21 points for the Kings, who have dropped two straight and five of six. Rashad McCants scored 20 points and Spencer Hawes tied his career-high with 19 points. Jason Thompson scored 13 points and Bobby Jackson had 12.