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Mavs coach Rick Carlisle sounds off

Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting on Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, who was pretty annoyed tonight:

Coach Rick Carlisle hasn’t been able to figure out a solution to the Dallas Mavericks’ maddening inconsistency, so he resorted to making a rather drastic threat.

Carlisle vowed to get rid of players if the Mavs continue to have frequent lapses of energy and effort.

Carlisle first made the comments in the Dallas locker room after the team’s 103-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, a game that was only close because the Mavs’ reserves made a late run. Carlisle repeated the threat for public consumption during his postgame news conference after calling Dallas’ performance in the first half “embarrassing.”

“Look, if it’s going to be like that, these guys aren’t going to be Mavericks very long,” Carlisle said after his team fell to fifth place in the Western Conference with a 15-13 record. “I can promise you that.”

Mikhail Prokhorov now owns 100 percent of Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center

Per the following press release, Mikhail Prokhorov’s company now owns 100 percent of the Brooklyn Nets team and the Barclays Center arena. According to CNBC, the deal values the team at $875 million and the arena at $825 million.

Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holding USA, Inc. today has signed an agreement with Nets Sports and Entertainment, LLC, an entity controlled by Forest City Enterprises, to consolidate a 100 percent equity interest in Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. The transaction was approved unanimously by the NBA’s Board of Governors earlier this month.

In 2010, Onexim acquired 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena. Since the arena opened in 2012, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment has managed the team and the arena and will continue to do so under the new structure.

Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of Onexim, said, “Today’s deal brings the ownership structure of the Brooklyn Nets and their state-of-the-art home in line with NBA guidelines and comes at an opportune time for all involved. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Forest City and Bruce Ratner and worked together to open one of the most successful arenas in the country and to bring professional sports back to Brooklyn. We will continue to support arena management to provide a high level of service to our fans and the best sports and entertainment experience in the world. We also remain fully committed to community programs that were created as part of the arena. We believe a successful arena must be a destination, but also be part of the communities that surround it and more broadly the collection of neighborhoods that represent Brooklyn.”

Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City’s New York subsidiary, Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), added, “The development of Barclays Center enabled the return of major league professional sports and world-class entertainment to Brooklyn, and in just over three years of operation, it has become one of the top-grossing arenas in the country. As an anchor for the continued development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, Barclays Center stands as an iconic landmark for the borough.”

“It’s a seamless transition due to the incredible partnership between Onexim and Forest City over the years,” said Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Exciting times are ahead for our fans, partners, and employees as we continue to improve and grow all of our businesses.”

The parties expect to complete the transaction either late this year or early in 2016.

Report: Jarell Eddie to Wizards

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting that the Wizards are about to make a minor roster move:

In urgent need of perimeter players, the Washington Wizards will sign forward Jarell Eddie out of the NBA D-League to a nonguaranteed contract and waive center Ryan Hollins on Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

A sharpshooter, the 6-foot-7 Eddie went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2014, when he played on the Wizards’ summer league team in Las Vegas. He then played the Austin Spurs last season, averaging 12.9 points and converting 45.2 percent of his threes in 44 games. He also won the league’s three-point contest at all-star weekend.

Goran Dragic tech and ejection rescinded

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Heat point guard Goran Dragic, who is averaging a modest 11.3 points and 5.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per game this season:

The NBA confirmed Tuesday to the Sun Sentinel that the second of the two technical fouls called on Miami Heat Goran Dragic during Sunday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers has been rescinded.

Because of that decision, the league also confirmed that Dragic’s first career NBA ejection also has been rescinded, with that ejection the result of being called for two technical fouls in the same game.

Dragic was called for the first of his two Sunday technical fouls with 4:48 to play in the third quarter of the 116-109 victory over the Trail Blazers. He acknowledged that he used harsh language while disputing the officiating during that sequence. He then was called for his second technical foul with 1:37 to play in that quarter, which he contended was for asking referee James Williams, “What?”

Bucks coach Jason Kidd out after hip surgery

Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd underwent a successful right hip arthroplasty today. The procedure was performed by Dr. Edwin Su and Dr. Riley J. Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Kidd is expected to make a full recovery and will resume his coaching duties when physically able, though there is currently no timetable for his return to the bench. Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty will assume the head coaching duties in Kidd’s absence.

Elliot Williams is D-League Performer of Week

Santa Cruz Warriors guard Elliot Williams was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 20. This is the first Performer of Week honor for Williams who was named Player of the Month for November.

Williams (6-5, 183, Memphis) led Santa Cruz to a 2-1 week, averaging 30.7 points on 83.0 percent shooting from the floor (44-for-53) to go with 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists. On Dec. 18, Williams recorded a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 99-93 victory over the Bakersfield Jam. On the following night he recorded a season-high 40 points on 16-for-24 shooting in a 117-107 loss to the Idaho Stampede.

For the season, Williams is averaging a league-leading 29.6 points on 51.8 percent shooting to go along with 7.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 steals.

Williams earned two GATORADE call-ups last season with the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans before returning to the Warriors, where he was named Finals MVP and helped Santa Cruz to their first NBA D-League Championship.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Orlando Johnson, Bakersfield’s Xavier Munford, Idaho’s Tyus Jones, Iowa’s Andrew Harrison, Raptors’ Ronald Roberts Jr., Rio Grande Valley’s Jaron Johnson and Westchester’s Jordan Bachynski.

NBA news and notes: Dec. 21, 2015

The Trail Blazers announced that Damian Lillard (foot) will not play tonight against the Hawks, snapping his string of 275 consecutive games. Since Portland joined the NBA in 1970-71, Lillard is the only NBA player to begin his career starting his team’s first 275 games, according to Elias.

Kings coach George Karl (1,153 wins) needs three victories to pass Phil Jackson for fifth place on the NBA’s career list.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry has made a three-pointer in 100 consecutive regular-season games, the second-longest streak in NBA history. The record is 127 games by Hawks swingman Kyle Korver, whose streak lasted from November 2012 to March 2014.

Rookies Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota, Jahlil Okafor of Philadelphia and Kristaps Porzingis of New York all averaged at least 13 points and eight rebounds in their first 25 games. According to Elias, the last time three rookies averaged those totals in their first 25 games was during the 1992-93 season, when five players accomplished the feat: LaPhonso Ellis, Tom Gugliotta, Christian Laettner, Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal.

Bulls center Joakim Noah has passed Horace Grant to become the franchise leader in offensive rebounds (1,893). Noah is 491 total rebounds behind Michael Jordan (5,836) for the most in team history.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has scored 20 or more points in 926 regular-season games, tied with Michael Jordan for third most in NBA history, according to Elias. Karl Malone leads with 1,134 20-point games, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 1,122.

Clippers guard Chris Paul (7,156 assists) is five assists from supplanting Terry Porter for 13th place on the NBA’s all-time list. Paul is second among active players behind Timberwolves guard Andre Miller (8,477).

Guard Arron Afflalo is averaging 21.0 points on 59.6 percent shooting during the Knicks’ four-game winning streak.

Nuggets guard Will Barton had 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists off the bench in Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans, the first 30/10/5 game for a reserve since the Pacers’ Detlef Schrempf in 1993, per Elias.

NBA TV will televise a record 12 live games from the NBA Development League Showcase 2016 presented by Samsung at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, Calif. Each of the league’s 19 teams will play two regular-season games apiece during the Jan. 6-10 event.

— NBA News

2015 NBA Christmas Day game info

The NBA will play five games on Christmas Day, all nationally televised, for the eighth consecutive year.

Friday’s schedule features Cavaliers-Warriors (5 p.m. ET, ABC) — the seventh time that the teams from the previous season’s Finals are meeting on Christmas Day the following season — as well as Pelicans-Heat (12 p.m., ESPN), Bulls-Thunder (2:30 p.m., ABC), Spurs-Rockets (8 p.m., ESPN) and Clippers-Lakers (10:30 p.m., ESPN).

Six NBA MVP winners are set to suit up on Christmas Day, including the holiday’s all-time scoring leader, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, who is scheduled to make his record 16th and final appearance on Christmas.

Thirteen of the 15 players selected to the 2014-15 All-NBA Teams are also poised to compete.

John Wall playing great basketball in December

As the Wizards deal with injuries to several players, guard John Wall has helped soften the blow by playing some of the best basketball of his six-year career. Wall is averaging 24.6 points (on 50.0 percent shooting), 10.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 11 games this month. That stretch has featured seven games with at least 26 points and 10 assists, the most such games in franchise history by any player in any month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Wall has raised his overall scoring average to a career-high 19.9 points, and his shooting percentage of 44.5 percent equals a career high.

— NBA News

Reggie Jackson, Kawhi Leonard named NBA Players of Week through Dec. 20

Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard were today named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 20.

Jackson led the Pistons to a 2-1 week, averaging 29.3 points (first in the conference), 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists (second in the conference). He scored 30 or more points in two of the three games and had 23 points in the third. On Dec. 18, Jackson scored 13 of Detroit’s 20 points in the fourth and final overtime period to lead the Pistons to a 147-144 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Leonard led San Antonio to a 3-0 record behind averages of 22.7 points (eighth in the conference), 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals. He shot 56.4 percent from the field and scored 22 or more points in two games. On Dec. 16, Leonard made four three-pointers on his way to 27 points and added four assists, four steals and three rebounds in a 114-95 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Paul Millsap, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan.