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Daniel Gibson sticks up for Matt Barnes

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the Matt Barnes vs. Derek Fisher drama:

NBA bad boy Matt Barnes is getting support off the court after beating up Knicks coach Derek Fisher for dating his ex.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel “Boobie” Gibson said Friday that he has no problem with what Barnes did because he would have done the same thing.

“You don’t want nobody that’s been around you’’ dating your former girlfriend or wife, Gibson told Power 105.1 radio. “You crossing the line’’ by dating them.

Cavs sign Dionte Christmas

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Dionte Christmas to a contract, General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Christmas (6-5, 205) last played for the French professional basketball club, Paris-Levallois of LNB Pro A. He appeared in 42 games (two starts) with the team, averaging 8.9 points on .451 shooting from the field, including a .380 mark from the three-point line, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.

Since going undrafted out of Temple in 2009, Christmas has played professionally in Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Italy and France. He has also appeared in 31 NBA games, all with the Phoenix Suns in 2013-14, when he averaged 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game.

Kevin Durant looks healthy in preseason

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on Thunder star forward Kevin Durant, who is coming off major injury and fortunately looks like himself again so far:

The first dunk was uncontested, the kind he’s done in practice gyms for weeks. During the third quarter of his first game inside an OKC arena in more than seven months, Kevin Durant jumped a passing lane, sped by a retreating defender and dropped in a dunk with the type of ease that comes when you’re 6-foot-11 with an even longer wingspan.

But the second jam was much more powerful and encouraging.

Two possessions later, Durant shook a defender with a lefty in and out dribble, darted into the paint and, after spotting the rotating big, gathered with both feet, rose and hammered one through, landing, posing and pausing to enjoy the crowd’s roar.

It served as the final two of his 13 points during the Thunder’s 111-81 rout of Fenerbahce Ulker on Friday night and the greatest sign that the star forward is rounding into athletic form this preseason.

Utah Jazz holding open practice October 16

The Utah Jazz will hold a free open practice on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and no ticket is needed for admission.

The event will give Jazz fans an inside look at a Jazz practice and will feature returnees Trevor Booker, Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles, 2015 first round draft pick Trey Lyles, as well as rookies Raul Neto and Tibor Pleiss.

Head Coach Quin Snyder will lead the practice and wear a microphone to describe the drills and real-game scenarios that they will showcase. Jazz radio broadcaster David Locke will also be on hand to interview players throughout the evening.

Select concession stands will be open during the event, including new food options, such as Chick-fil-A and CupBop Korean BBQ. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be discounted 10 percent.

Melo looking good in preseason

Health is the most important thing for all of us. You. Me. And professional basketball players, too. Here’s ESPN New York reporting on the Knicks and star forward Carmelo Anthony:

After undergoing knee surgery in late February, Carmelo Anthony didn’t shoot a basketball for nearly five months.

He seems to be making up for lost time over the past few days.

Anthony has made 18 of his first 25 shots of the preseason, including 10 of 15 on Friday night against the Washington Wizards.

What’s behind the hot start?

“The most important thing is being healthy,” Anthony said late Friday night. “When you’re healthy, everything kind of falls into place mentally. There’s a lot of clarity for me at this moment where I can just play ball and not worry about [a] tick-tack injury or having surgery or things like that — and I can just help my team.”

Rebounding is a concern for Pistons

Here’s the Detroit Free Press reporting on the Pistons, who may need some help grabbing the basketball after it flies off the rim:

Rebounding is a major concern with the Detroit Pistons.

Namely, who is going to help Andre Drummond corral missed shots?

Ersan Ilyasova showed Thursday night he might answer the call.

He was one of the few Pistons to play well in a 93-83 exhibition loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

He scored 15 points and did his part on the glass with seven rebounds — four on offense.

Rudy Gay off to hot preseason start

When a player is on fire like Rudy Gay is lately, there’s reason for optimism, even if it is just the warm-up period that is NBA preseason. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Rudy Gay looks comfortable in George Karl’s system.

For the second consecutive preseason game, Gay shot 10 of 13, this time tallying 26 points as the Kings defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-92 Thursday night at Sleep Train Arena.

Gay has hit 8 of 10 three-point attempts in the past two games. He made 2 of 3 beyond the arc on Thursday.

“He wasn’t shooting the ball very well for most of training camp,” said Karl, the Kings’ coach. “He didn’t play very well in Portland (on Monday). I think it was just pride that he said he wanted to come out and start playing better.”

Minor injury scare for Damian Lillard

Here’s the Oregonian reporting on Damian Lillard, the heart and sole of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard has managed to play all 82 games in each of his three regular seasons, and to keep things that way may want to cut down on his preseason minutes:

It was the one sight no Trail Blazers fan wanted to see Thursday: Damian Lillard limping off the court.

But there was the Blazers’ star at the end of the third quarter, hobbling off the court with a wince because of a re-aggravated left ankle sprain.

Although Lillard called the injury “minor” it was enough of a scare to cause him to reverse his thinking about his play moving forward this preseason.

“I need to stay off the floor,” Lillard conceded after Thursday’s 118-101 exhibition victory over Golden State.

Allen Crabbe steps up in Blazers preseason win

The Trail Blazers beat the Warriors 118-101 yesterday. It’s just preseason, but for a rebuilding squad like Portland any sign of positivity is welcome. Here’s the Oregonian reporting:

Allen Crabbe played his best game with the Blazers, Damian Lillard powered through a tough shooting night and the Blazers saw a wide range of contributions from virtually everyone who played. Eleven players scored and nine recorded an assist as the Blazers leaned on their entire roster.

But none was better than Crabbe, who finished with 25 points and four assists on 9-for-12 shooting, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. He swished threes, buried pull-up jumpers in transition and nailed midrange shots from all over the court. Crabbe was such a factor, he recorded a ridiculous plus-minus of plus-42. It was the first time he’s scored 20 or more points in any pre-or-regular season game with the Blazers.

As he scored from everywhere, his teammates followed suit. Lillard recorded 22 points, six rebounds and three assists, shaking off a 3-for-18 shooting night by making 15 free throws. CJ McCollum had 19 points and five assists, Al-Farouq Aminu had 11 points and eight rebounds and Pat Connaughton added 10 points. Every Blazer played less than 29 minutes as Stotts opted to limited minutes.

Jerian Grant makes preseason debut for Knicks

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on a key young Knick who will hopefully emerge as a serious building block for the future:

The Knicks other rookie acquitted himself well in his first preseason action Wednesday, but a much bigger test awaits Jerian Grant Friday night in Washington.

Grant, the 19th overall pick out of Notre Dame, was a composed floor general during his 28 minutes in Wednesday’s victory over the Brazilian team Bauru at the Garden, collecting four assists and eight points while facilitating the game-breaking runs next to Langston Galloway. (There was a very impressive behind-the-back-dribble-to-an-assist play from Grant late in the first quarter).

Coach Derek Fisher was certainly pleased.

“Jerian has a good feel for the game,” the coach said.