Bulls send several players to and from D-League

The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday that the team has recalled rookie forward Demetris Nichols from the Iowa Energy of the D-League. The Bulls also announced they have placed Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons on assignment with the Energy.

Nichols (6-8, 216) has appeared in four games with the Bulls since the team claimed him on waivers on Dec. 7, 2007. He has also spent time this season in New York and Cleveland, having appeared in three games with the Cavaliers before his stint with Chicago. In 14 games with the Energy this season, Nichols has posted averages of 19.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.14 spg and 1.00 bpg in 37.6 mpg.

Brown (6-4, 211) has appeared in four games since the Bulls acquired him via trade with Cleveland on Feb. 21, and holds averages of 6.0 ppg and 1.0 rpg in 12.3 mpg in 19 appearances this season with Cleveland and Chicago.

Simmons (6-9, 235), also acquired by the Bulls in the Feb. 21 trade, has seen action in four games in Chicago. On the season, he has played in 11 games and averaged 0.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg in 7.1 mpg.

Wizards-Clippers team connections

Gilbert Arenas was raised in Los Angeles and starred at Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys, CA.

Nick Young attended Cleveland HS in Reseda, CA, and played collegiately at USC.

DeShawn Stevenson (Washington Union HS, Fresno, CA) and Dominic McGuire (Lincoln HS, San Diego, CA) also played high school ball in California.

Clippers center/forward Aaron Williams was a member of the same New Jersey Nets Eastern Conference Champion squads for which Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan and Associate Head Coach Mike O’Koren served as assistants.

Williams appeared in 81 games for the Wizards during the 1999-00 NBA season…DeShawn Stevenson and Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley were teammates in Orlando for a short stint in 2004-05.

Clippers guard Brevin Knight appeared in 32 games for Washington during the 2003-04 season.

Raptors file claim against Spanish league over Garbajosa injury

Statement from Toronto Raptors regarding claim filed against the Spanish Basketball Federation for non-payment of insurance proceeds related to Jorge Garbajosa’s injury:

“The Toronto Raptors issued a Statement of Claim on Friday against the Spanish Basketball Federation regarding the non-payment of insurance proceeds related to Jorge Garbajosa’s injury. It is unfortunate that we’ve reached this point. The matter is now before the courts. Therefore we will respect the court process and not comment further while the matter is on-going.”

Bucks send David Noel packing

The Bucks have waived David Noel. All I really know about him is that he can jump high. Maybe that’s all the Bucks know, too.

More info: Currently in his second NBA season, Noel did not appear in a game for the Bucks this season. He missed 27 games with a right wrist injury and was inactive (36 games) or a coach’s decision (two games) for the other 38 contests for Milwaukee. As a rookie, Noel appeared in 68 games for the Bucks and averaged 2.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per contest.

Seattle Storm re-sign cutie Sue Bird

The InsideHoops.com basketball blog focuses almost entirely on the NBA, with some stuff on international, streetball and other men’s basketball, but when big WNBA news breaks I will occasionally mention it here.

Sue Bird is very cute, and a terrific pro basketball player, and her Seattle Storm WNBA team has re-signed her to a multi-year deal. This keeps her alongside Lauren Jackson. But the Storm are also loading up on other legends and have added Swin Cash and Sheryl Swoopes, two other stars that pretty much all basketball fans, whether they follow the NBA or not, know about.

In other words, watch Seattle Storm games this upcoming WNBA season.

More info on the re-signing of Sue Bird is here.

Bruce Bowen suspended for kicking Chris Paul

Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs has been suspended one game without pay for striking Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets with his leg, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred following a foul call on Paul with 5:15 remaining in the third period of the Spurs’ 100-75 loss to the Hornets on Wednesday, March 12 at New Orleans Arena.

Bowen will serve his suspension tonight when the Spurs visit the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Discuss this with other fans in this forum thread.

Baron Davis and Monta Ellis rocking

A positive-leaning glance at the Golden State Warriors lately:

Since starting the season 0-6, the Warriors have gone 40-17 (.702), which is the fourth-highest winning percentage in the NBA since that point (Boston .789, Detroit . 707, L.A. Lakers .707).

Golden State’s 40-23 mark through 63 games marks the team’s third-quickest trip to 40 wins since the team moved West in 1962.

Golden State currently leads the NBA in scoring at 110.9 points per game…The Warriors have scored 100-or-more points in 27 straight games, including 115-or-more in 14 of those contests and 120-or-more in six of those games.

The Warriors went 3-1 on their four-game road trip last week, improving their road record to 18-13 on the season – which marks the team’s most road wins since going 21-20 away from home in 1993-94.

Golden State has won seven of its last eight games and 20 of the last 27 overall.

BARON DAVIS:

*  Scored 30-or-more points in three of Golden State’s four road contests last week.
* Capped Warriors 117-106 victory Wednesday vs. Toronto by registering 10 points and six assists in the decisive fourth quarter.
* Overall against the Raptors, tallied 23 points and 15 assists, while committing just one turnover in 40 minutes.
* For the season, is averaging 22.0 points (11th in NBA), 8.0 assists (7th in NBA), 4.6 rebounds, 2.40 steals (2nd in NBA) and 39.3 minutes (6th in NBA), having started all 63 games.

MONTA ELLIS:

*  In his last 21 games, is averaging 24.8 points on 59.3% (201-339 FG) shooting, along with 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.45 steals in 41.1 minutes.
* Has shot over 50.0% in 18 of his last 21 games, having attempted at least 10 field goals in all 21 of those games.
* Additionally, has shot over 60.0% in nine of those 21 games and over 70.0% six times.
* Has scored 30-or-more points nine times this season, including two of the last four contests.

Suns assign Alando Tucker to D-League

The Phoenix Suns assigned swingman Alando Tucker to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.

The 6-6, 205-pound Tucker makes his third trip to the Suns’ D-League affiliate after being assigned first on Nov. 28 and then again on Jan. 10. In 11 total games with the Thunderbirds this season, Tucker has averaged 26.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 39.6 minutes. The Wisconsin product was selected by Phoenix with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

The three-time defending Pacific Division Champion Phoenix Suns (42-22) tonight host the Golden State Warriors (40-23) at 7:30 p.m. at US Airways Center in a battle for Western Conference playoff position. All the action can be seen on TNT and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.