Bobcats sign Cartier Martin to 10-day contract

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed forward Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.  The Bobcats roster now stands at 15 players.

The 6-7 Martin has played in 21 games for the Iowa Energy in the D-League this season, where he is averaging 20.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 37.6 minutes per game.  Martin is shooting .477 from the field, .390 from beyond the three-point line, and .813 from the free-throw line.  He has scored in double figures 17 times, with nine games of 20 points or more and five games of at least 30 points.  Martin scored a season-high 37 points on January 3 at Fort Wayne and recorded his lone double-double of the season with 31 points and a season-high 11 rebounds on January 27 against
Tulsa.

Martin spent the 2007-08 season playing for Antalya BSB in Turkey.  In 25 games, he averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Martin scored in double figures on nine occasions, including a season-high 20 points against Turk Telekom on November 10, 2007.

Martin played four seasons at Kansas State University, where he became the third player in school history to top 1,500 points and 500 rebounds in a career.  He was named Second Team All-Big 12 after his junior and senior seasons and received the inaugural Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Award as a senior in 2006-07.

Luke Ridnour suffers concussion

The Bucks are in Toronto today preparing for tomorrow night’s 6:00 p.m. (CT) tilt with the Raptors.  The game can be seen on FS Wisconsin and heard on AM 620 WTMJ and the Bucks statewide radio network.

In last night’s loss to Indiana, Luke Ridnour received a blow to the face in the fourth period that resulted in a bloody nose.  Ridnour left the game and was examined by Indiana doctors.  The exam revealed a mild concussion and Ridnour did not return to the game.  Ridnour was evaluated this morning and has been cleared to play tomorrow night.

Ridnour will be listed as probable and joins Andrew Bogut (day-to-day; lower back spasms) and Michael Redd (out; left knee injury) on the Bucks injury report.

Andrei Kirilenko to have ankle surgery

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko will undergo surgery Friday to remove a bone fragment from his right ankle, Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today.

The surgery will be performed by Dr. John Edwards at 7 a.m. Friday morning.

A report on the surgery and an estimated timeline for Kirilenko’s recovery will be provided following the procedure.

Devin Brown steps up

NBA.com reports: Tyson Chandler was sidelined. Ditto for David West. If being without two starters wasn’t enough for the Hornets, James Posey had a poor shooting night. What was New Orleans to do against a formidable opponent like the Nuggets? Enter Devin Brown. Moved up in the rotation after a first-half injury, Brown answered the call with a season-high 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting. “It’s funny. I’ve been getting some extra shots up before practice and staying late, just working on different things and it showed up tonight,” Brown said, a satisfied smile on his face. “That just goes to show that extra work helps out.” Brown led a needed effort by the Hornets’ reserves, who combined to outscored Denver’s reserves 42-13. Brown’s effort, along with Peja Stojakovic’s 26 points, was needed considering Mr. Do Everything, Chris Paul, had a relatively quiet night with 12 points (3-for-12 shooting) and 10 assists. “That’s one thing about this team, the opportunity right now for guys to come in and contribute,” Posey said.

Clippers sign Fred Jones for remainder of season

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed guard Fred Jones for the remainder of the season.

A six-year NBA veteran, Jones has averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 25.6 minutes in 16 games with the Clippers this season, making four starts after originally being signed as a free agent on December 28th.  Jones was waived by Los Angeles on January 5th, and then signed to a 10-day contract on January 8th and signed to a second 10-day contract on January 19th.

Jones played 70 games with the Knicks last season, averaging 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 25.1 minutes. The Clippers are the fifth NBA team for Jones, who has appeared in 378 total games and is averaging 7.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his NBA career.

A star at the University of Oregon, Jones helped lead the Ducks to the Elite Eight of the 2002 NCAA Tournament and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 14th selection of the 2002 NBA Draft. Jones played four seasons with Indiana, winning the 2004 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a Pacer before signing with the Raptors prior to the 2006-07 season.

Jones joined Portland midway through the 2006-07 season in a trade, teaming up with current Clipper Zach Randolph and then going to New York along with Randolph in a five-player deal on June 28, 2007.

Deng, Rose lead Bulls past Clippers 95-75

The AP reports: Luol Deng had 23 points and nine rebounds, rookie Derrick Rose added 21 points and six assists, and the Bulls blew open a close game in the third quarter to beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 95-75 Wednesday night. Tyrus Thomas had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Ben Gordon had 11 points and a season-high eight assists, and Joakim Noah added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls (19-27), who outscored the Clippers 26-9 in the third period to take a 20-point lead. Los Angeles wasn’t closer than 15 points after that… Rookie Eric Gordon had 19 points and seven assists to match a career high, Fred Jones added 11 points and Al Thornton had 10 points and six rebounds for the Clippers (10-35), who shot under 40 percent for the 13th time this season while losing for the 17th time in 19 games.

Aldridge leads Blazers past Bobcats

The AP reports: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points, and the Blazers used a big first quarter to beat the Bobcats 88-74 on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-11 Aldridge was 6-for-7 in the first quarter as Portland rolled to a 32-18 lead… Like Aldridge, Portland’s Brandon Roy also started fast, scoring 13 of his 17 points during the first half. Blazers center Greg Oden had 14 points and 14 rebounds. It was Oden’s fourth double-double in six games, and 14th of the season. Charlotte (19-27) was without Wallace, who suffered a partially collapsed left lung and fractured rib in the victory over the Lakers… Emeka Okafor led the Bobcats with 18 points, and Bell had 16.

Mavericks turn away Warriors 117-93

The AP reports: After a couple of awful defensive performances last week, the Dallas Mavericks slowed down one of the highest-scoring teams in the league. Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard keyed a game-changing run during the second quarter, and Jason Terry scored 22 points to lead the Mavericks past the Golden State Warriors 117-93 Wednesday night… Nowitzki scored 20 points, Howard added 19, Brandon Bass had 16 and James Singleton chipped in with a season-high 14 for Dallas, which rebounded after losing by 24 to the Celtics. Golden State’s Stephen Jackson had 25 points and Corey Maggette came off the bench to score 21. The Warriors, the NBA’s worst defensive team yielding nearly 112 points per game, have lost their last three games at Dallas by a combined 71 points.

Iguodala helps 76ers beat Rockets

The AP reports: As poorly as they were playing, the Philadelphia 76ers knew they still had time to catch the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Thanks mostly to Andre Iguodala, they did. Iguodala hit a baseline jumper with 36 seconds left and finished with 20 points to help the Sixers overcome a late 14-point deficit in a 95-93 victory over the Rockets… Andre Miller added 16 points and seven assists, and Louis Williams had 17 points for the 76ers, 9-2 in their last 11. Elton Brand had 14 points, seven rebounds and a season-high six blocks in his third game back from a dislocated shoulder… Tracy McGrady scored 24 points, and Luis Scola had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Houston. The Rockets have lost three of their last four, even as McGrady, Ron Artest and Yao Ming have finally gotten healthy.

Hornets beat Nuggets 94-81

The AP reports: Devin Brown hadn’t played much lately. He had been taking extra shots after practice, trying to be ready to come through when called upon. Moving up in the rotation after a first-half injury to Morris Peterson, Brown hit 6-of-7 shots, including all three 3 pointers he attempted, and finished with a season high 18 points to help the New Orleans Hornets defeat the Denver Nuggets 94-81 on Wednesday night… Peja Stojakovic matched a season high with 26 points, but beyond that, New Orleans didn’t get a lot of scoring from a starting unit missing center Tyson Chandler and David West for a fifth straight game. Chris Paul had 12 points and 10 assists, but had an off night shooting for him, going 3-of-12. James Posey, normally the Hornets most productive reserve, was 1-of-13 for six points… Kenyon Martin scored 22 points, and J.R. Smith had 20 for Denver, which was 7-of-20 from the field in the final quarter as a slim lead turned into a double-digit deficit.