Basketball Blog

11 PM Typical Spurs close. Steady dose of Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan. Put the clamps down defensively. It’s not the way Mike D’Antoni would have drawn it up, but aesthetically pleasing to Spurs fans all the same.

Just like that fourth championship banner.

10:50 PM Not to make too much of Game 1 of 82, but the benefit of experience and poise is definitely rearing its head in this one. Having stated as much, Portland sure is fun to watch. I don’t see them being a Western Conference doormat this season. Then again, I could be jumping the gun.

10:40 PM Tony Parker with a clutch 20-footer in a one-possession game. Shot clock on his back and he drained it. Parker gets the next defensive rebound, pushes, and scores in transition. The score is 102-95, with 1:07 showing on the clock.

10:35 PM Kiddies are hanging tough. We are still teetering between 5 and 7 points, favoring the Spurs. Martell Webster showing off his shooting stroke. Pretty.

10:25 PM No secret about Portland being so darned athletic. They have lots of lively bodies to throw at an opponent. They’re long, can run, and finish well at the rim.

Still, dealing with Tim Duncan as the Spurs funnel their offense through him is tough to deal with. Portland is having a hard time getting stops as a result.

10:10 PM Brandon Roy’s line may not look pretty in the morning, but he is definitely impacting this game. The Blazers have closed the gap 81-77 as the third quarter comes to a close. Portland is up to 54% from the floor, thanks to some nifty setups from Roy. He has been much better this half setting the table for his teammates.

As soon as I brag on San Antonio’s offensive efficiency, they go cold (8 of 21 in the 3rd). Knowing the champs as we do, the upcoming 12 minutes will tell much of the story.

9:55 PM Obviously, the Spurs are known for their halfcourt defense, but they can really move the ball well offensively. It helps to have a low-post presence who can draw the double. In addition to that, they’re a pretty unselfish lot. Open shots everywhere.

9:30 PM We have a ten-point margin at the half. If Portland decides to stop lofting passes across the floor into the waiting arms of Manu, we just might have a close game down the stretch. He has been sensational to this point.

Nice job by Joel Przybilla off Nate McMillan’s bench. Priz with grit on the glass and drew an offensive foul. He has 8 points and 5 boards at the break.

9:10 PM You woud think the younger team would be racking up the fast break points. Not so fast. The Spurs have ten so far. Brent Barry the latest recipient of gimme points.

Tim Duncan, fresh off signing that fat 40-million dollar extension, is going to work now. The lead is up to 14 points.

9 PM The benches are doing battle with the bulk of the starters resting. That leaves Manu as the man among boys. Pretty behind-the-back drop to Elson for the lay-in.

This has been, for the most part, the Tony Parker show. The man has no fear. So unlike the French in that regard.

8:50 PM As one might expect, the buckets are getting harder to come by for the visitors while the Spurs are opening the game up a bit – thanks, in large part, to careless turnovers. You know when Matt Bonner is getting up and down for layups, someone is playing sloppy basketball.

Travis Outlaw has seven off the bench, helping Portland cut into the lead. End of the first. Spurs up three

8:20 PM About to tip off in San Antonio. Oh wow, another banner. And there’s David Stern, looking about as interested in being there as Lindsay Lohan is in staying at Wonderland. The Commissioner can’t get back to New York fast enough.

LaMarcus Aldridge flashing nice range as he splashes a baseline jumper. Portland comes back down and he knocks down another from up top. Six points already for the youngster.

The Boston Celtics announced today that the team has requested waivers on guards Dahntay Jones and Jackie Manuel. The training camp roster now stands at 14.

Jones, who signed as a free agent on September 26, 2007, appeared in six preseason games, averaging 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game.

Manuel was signed as a free agent on August 2, 2007. He appeared in five preseason games for the Celtics averaging 1.0 point in 4.6 minutes per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has released center John Edwards from its 2007 Training Camp roster. The team’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Edwards appeared in 25 games with Indiana during the 2004-05 season after going undrafted out of Kent State. He averaged 1.2 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 5.6 mpg with the Pacers. The following season he signed as a free agent with Atlanta and averaged 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 7.4 mpg in 40 contests, including four starts. In 65 career NBA games, Edwards has averaged 1.5 ppg, and 1.0 rpg to go along with 44.7% field goal shooting (42-94) in 6.7 mpg. Last season Edwards split his time with Tulsa and Albuquerque of the D-League. In 20 appearances, he averaged 9.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 0.5 bpg in 19.1 mpg.

The Timberwolves final preseason game is a 7 p.m. tip-off tomorrow against the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center. Leading up to Minnesota’s home opener on Nov. 2 (7 p.m. vs. Denver), the team’s “See What They Can Do” tour features 17 events in the 12 days preceding the opener. Weekend events include tomorrow’s preseason game, the Timberwolves invade the Mall of America on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and several Wolves will attend Sunday’s Vikings game.

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forwards Kimani Ffriend and Yaroslav Korolev and guard Guillermo Diaz. The Clippers roster now stands at 15 players.

Signed by the Clippers on Oct. 1, Ffriend appeared in one preseason game, scoring four points in 11 minutes. Diaz averaged 5.7 points and 1.7 assists in seven preseason contests, while Korolev appeared in six preseason games, averaging 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist.

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: The Detroit Pistons announced today that guard Rodney Stuckey underwent a successful surgical procedure performed by Dr. John Wagner to repair a left hand fracture. The procedure was performed at Oakland Regional Hospital.

The left hand has been placed in a splint and Stuckey is expected to miss approximately six weeks.

The 6-foot-5 guard appeared in eight preseason games (two starts), averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.25 steals in 25.8 minutes per game.

The Phoenix Suns today waived guard Richie Frahm, the team announced yesterday.

Frahm appeared in two preseason games with the Suns, averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 assists in 10.0 minutes.

The team’s roster now stands at 13.  An updated roster is attached.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced yesterday that the team has waived forward Mike Hall.

Hall appeared in six preseason games for Washington and averaged 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game.  Last season, Hall was signed to a pair of ten-day contracts by the Wizards before being signed for the remainder of the 2006-07 season on March 20, 2007.  He appeared in two NBA regular season games for Washington on April 3 and April 15, 2007.

The Wizards roster (attached) now stands at 13.

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have waived Lukasz Obrzut and Courtney Sims.

The Pacers roster now stands at 14.

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas announced today that guards Jared Jordan, Demetris Nichols and Walker Russell, Jr. have been waived.

Jordan 6-2, 190-pounds, averaged 4.5 minutes in six preseason games, Nichols, 6-8, 215-pounds, averaged 7.8 minutes in five preseason games and Russell, 6-0, 170-pounds, averaged 5.0 minutes in three preseason games.

The preseason roster now stands at 15.

InsideHoops.com NewsWire: Charlotte Bobcats forward Adam Morrison met with team physician Dr. Glenn Perry Monday night and the results indicated that he will need surgery to repair the damage to his left knee.

Morrison will now go through 3-4 weeks of rehabilitation, allowing the swelling and pain to decrease before surgery can be scheduled at Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital in Charlotte.

Morrison suffered a left knee sprain with 5:23 left in the third quarter of the Bobcats preseason contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Oct. 20. X-rays taken immediately following the game came back negative, but an MRI taken on Oct. 21 showed a partial to complete tear of the ACL.