Archive for January, 2008

Magic Needed Big Fourth Quarter to Finish Off Heat

Hedo Turkoglu had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 19 points and the Orlando Magic needed 12 consecutive points in the final quarter before pulling away and beating the undermanned Miami Heat 107-91 Wednesday night.

Clippers Rally Past Woeful Wolves, Snapping Six-Game Skid

Chris Kaman had 16 points and 16 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Clippers rally to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 91-82 on Monday night.

Around the Association presented by T-Mobile: Dec. 31

Lakers’ Lamar Odom Suspended

Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom has been suspended one game without pay and assessed a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two for flagrantly fouling Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics by throwing himself into Allen and knocking him to the floor, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Around the Association: A Look Back at December

In case you missed anything from the month of December, go back and revisit the month that was in the NBA.

D-League: Who’s Got Next at the D-League Showcase

In SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Ian Thomsen writes "welcome to the D-League Showcase, a four-day event held last week at Qwest Arena in downtown Boise, Idaho, that gave 141 minor leaguers a chance to make their cases for promotion. Each of the 14 NBA Development League's teams played two regular-season games -- with matchups staged one after another, starting as early as 11 a.m. and concluding after nine each night -- in one location, as more than 60 NBA executives and scouts sought a fill-in in case of an injury or trade."

D-League: Coach Joe Wolf on NBA’s Radar

In SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Ian Thomsen writes "the deep fryer hung 6 feet, 6 inches above the floor. Joe Wolf was 6-11. The fryer had him by five painful inches. Now he is coaching the Colorado 14ers of the NBADL, the minor league whose mission is to replenish the NBA with talent. It's much easier to pick out the future players in the D-League than it is to determine the future NBA coaches. Which coaches will be able to command respect while encouraging millionaires with guaranteed contracts to play for one another? You never really know until he's in the job, and even then, as Scott Skiles can tell you, the dynamic of success remains fragile and unpredictable on a daily basis.”

A Closer Look at NBA Pioneer Earl Lloyd

In the CLEVELAN PLAIN DEALER, Mary Schmitt Boyler writes "Earl Lloyd is extremely proud of the fact that he was the first African-American to play in the NBA. But please don't call him the Jackie Robinson of basketball.' I take polite umbrage,' Lloyd said of the comparison. ‘What I had to go through pales to what he had to go through. Here's a guy, his own teammates didn't want to play with him. The competition? They tried to maim him. The fans vilified him. For a guy to go through all that and perform in that hostile arena . . . then when it's time for him to go into the Hall of Fame, he made it on the first ballot. Being black had nothing to do with it'. Robinson's achievements have been well-chronicled. Lloyd's are not quite as familiar.”

West Reserves: Who Should Be Going to New Orleans

John Schuhmann picks the seven players who he thinks should be names as Western Conference reserves on Jan. 31.

East Reserves: Who Should Be Going to New Orleans

Dave McMenamin picks the seven players who he thinks should be names as Eastern Conference reserves on Jan. 31.