Nets do not hit three-pointers

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the 7-16 Brooklyn Nets, who are a solid 6-5 at home but just 1-11 on the road, and are bricking three-point shots all season so far:

Nets do not hit three-pointers

The Nets went into Sunday dead last in the NBA in 3-pointers (111), attempts (365) and shooting percentage (.304). To put that in sobering perspective, they had made 16 fewer 3s than Stephen Curry had made all by himself.

The Nets aren’t likely to all of a sudden turn into the Warriors, but they can’t expect Lopez and Thaddeus Young to never have off nights. They will need to find ways to generate perimeter offense, starting Monday against the Magic.

“We’re just trying to get ourselves open looks. The percentages go up when you get open looks, so move the ball, swing the ball around and if we don’t get open looks we drive,’’ Young said. “Guys are doing a very good job against us in terms of guarding the 3-point line. They’re running us off. When we catch the ball, we just have to be ready to shoot and make a play.’’

Basketball Hall of Fame set to reduce eligibility wait time

Here’s NBA.com reporting some Hall of Fame news, for those of you who maintain a scoreboard at home as to when your favorite players might be added to the Hall’s list of greats:

The Hall of Fame is making major changes to the election process, including reducing the wait for eligibility by one year in a move that could suddenly produce an unexpected mega-class of Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming in 2016, NBA.com has learned.

An official announcement is expected this week. But people with knowledge of the plans said the Hall has finalized the adjustment to shorten the wait time from five seasons in retirement to four before a player can be nominated, wanting to avoid what becomes a sixth year by the time voting is complete near the end of the NBA regular season. Under the new plan, voting and potential enshrinement would come after five calendar years, rather than five NBA seasons.

Tyler Johnson needs off-season surgery

The Miami Heat are 13-9 this season and getting 9.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game from backup guard Tyler Johnson. Here’s the Palm Beach Post blog reporting an injury update:

Tyler Johnson needs off-season surgery

The good news for Tyler Johnson in the short term is that he expects to be back any day from his shoulder issue. The downside, though, is that he eventually needs surgery to repair it.

Johnson has an impingement in his left shoulder (his shooting shoulder) and has missed the last two games. The Heat are uncertain whether they will have him tonight at Atlanta.

“It just got a little bit irritated, so we’re trying to calm it down,” he said Sunday. “I’ll be a game-time decision (Monday), but no later than Wednesday. I’ll for sure play on Wednesday (at Brooklyn).”

Warriors 24-game winning streak ends with loss to Bucks

The streak is over for the Golden State Warriors.

Their NBA-record start ended after 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95 on Saturday night.

Golden State fell to 24-1. Its 28-game winning streak, counting the final four games of last season, came to a halt. The NBA’s longest winning streak was 33 by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72 — and it was also snapped by Milwaukee.

Greg Monroe scored 28 points for the Bucks, who got the all-around effort needed to beat the defending NBA champions.

It also helped that the Warriors, perhaps fighting fatigue after needing two overtimes to win at Boston on Friday, were cold from 3-point range. They usually make 13 a night, but were just 6 of 26 from behind the arc playing on the final game of a seven-game road trip.

Stephen Curry had 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, including 2 of 8 from 3-point territory.

— Associated Press

Gregg Popovich not surprised that Kobe will retire after this season

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is always worth listening to — at least when he’s actually willing to talk and answer a question in straightforward fashion. Here’s the Los Angeles Times reporting Popovich’s views on Lakers great Kobe Bryant’s announcement that he will wrap up his career at season’s end:

Coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn’t surprised when Kobe Bryant announced this would be his final season, though Popovich added that the league will definitely be taking a hit.

“It will be a great personality gone,” Popovich said Friday before the Lakers played the Spurs. “He’s an iconic figure, and when those kind of guys stop playing, the league misses them. You miss them.”

Popovich said Bryant’s consistent intensity was a rarity.

“There aren’t too many people who understand how you bring it, night after night after night, for all those years at that level, and he’s one of the few guys who did that,” Popovich said.

Thunder assign Josh Huestis to D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Huestis has appeared in seven games (all starts) for the Blue this season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.57 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game.

He is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Blue hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors at the Cox Convention Center at 7 p.m.

Bradley Beal out at least two weeks with lower leg injury

Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula. He will miss the next two weeks and then be re-evaluated. The injury was initially diagnosed following an MRI yesterday and confirmed today after further testing.

Beal has appeared in 17 games for Washington this season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 36.5 minutes per game.

Mario Chalmers plays on road in Miami Sunday

The Memphis Grizzlies visit the Miami Heat Sunday (6 p.m. ET), and the matchup brings Grizzlies backup guard Mario Chalmers (averaging a career-high 11.1 ppg this season) back to Miami and the arena he used to call home. Expect love for Chalmers from fans. As for players? Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting:

Mario Chalmers plays on road in Miami Sunday

Chris Bosh plans to keep it simple.

“I’ll probably yell at him during the game for old-time’s sake,” he said.

Dwyane Wade also envisions a basic welcome.

“I’m taking him into the post,” he said. “He going to foul me.”

Both laughed, mostly because of the countless times that Mario Chalmers made them smile.

At a time when both teams are struggling to gain their footing, Sunday’s game between the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena will be about more than the moment.

It will be about the moments Chalmers helped create for the Heat, especially during that run to four consecutive NBA Finals and two NBA championships.

James Harden calls Kobe Bryant a legend

Saturday night in Houston the Rockets (just 11-12 this season) host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (an NBA second-worst 3-20). Unless something crazy happens, this will be Kobe Bryant’s final season in the league. Here’s the Houston Chronicle reporting:

james harden

“Obviously, we know the game is extra hyped because of Bean,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “We still have to go out and win the game and focus on what we have to do.

“He’s somebody I watched growing up since I was little. This is his 20th year. I’m just 26 years old. He’s been playing a long time. Obviously, you definitely want to win the game. That competitive nature, going against him, no matter how old he is, he still has the competitive nature. He still wants to go out there and compete at a high level. I’ll definitely take advantage of it and cherish it.

“He’s a legend, not just here but every arena you go to on the road, games are sold out, ticket prices are going up to see a legend in his last year.”