'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 26

[nasty daddy]

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sport ... s-surgery/

As was first reported in The Herald by Mark Murphy on Feb. 10, Tony Allen did indeed have ligament damage to his left thumb and would be out for an extended period of time.

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Tony Allen underwent successful surgery to repair ligaments in his left thumb at New England Baptist Hospital. Allen will miss the next eight weeks.

Allen, a 6’4” 213-lb guard, is currently in his fifth season with the Celtics and is averaging 7.8 points and 1.25 steals in 19.1 minutes per game. Allen has scored in double-figures 17 times this season in 42 contests and has led the Celtics in steals in 11 games. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy netted a season-high of 23 points against the Pistons on November 9.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.examiner.com/x-1130-Detroit- ... s-Examiner

The All-Mugshot Team
Previous With the All-Star Game just behind us, and only one Piston (Allen Iverson) named to the roster, it seemed apropos to take a look at another all-world squad. But a team filled with more than one Piston…

Ladies and Gentlemen, your incarcerated Pistons:

-The classic AI mugshot
-Surprisingly, Kwame Brown wasn't arrested for robbing NBA teams of millions of dollars.
-Derrick Coleman was always described as reckless and disorderly. He lived life like a Bad Boy, but had trouble resembling one on the court while in a Pistons uni.
-Sadly, Melo hasn't been a Piston yet. Damn you, Darko!
-Rodman: The King of mugshots. Need more proof?
-Webber had multiple run ins with the law throughout his career. No mugshot could be found, but this picture is probably more incriminating anyways.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/video/games/pistons/ ... index.html

Bucks vs. Pistons

Milwaukee heads into Detroit and bucks the slumping Pistons, 92-86.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/video/games/pistons/ ... index.html

Bucks vs. Pistons: 1st Half

Thanks to 19 first-half points from Richard Jefferson, the Bucks are up big on the Pistons.

[nasty daddy]

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_n ... vated.html

Also, Brown said he'd like to keep former D-Leaguer Cartier Martin for the rest of the season. Brown doesn't have the final say on that, but there's no doubt general manager Rod Higgins and managing partner Michael Jordan respect Brown's view of such things.

[nasty daddy]

http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/0 ... new-roles/

Rip Hamilton: Played in the last three All-Star Games.

Any instance where you perform an act 611 times is a big deal. 611 is a lot. So when Michael Curry asked Rip Hamilton, after 611 starts, to come off the bench for the betterment of his team, shock may not adequately describe Rip’s feelings. This season represents some sort of an opposite day feel for Hamilton: He isn’t winning, he isn’t starting, he isn’t the main offensive weapon, he’s isn’t an All-Star, and he’s (most likely) unhappy. Another trip to the East Finals, where the Pistons and Rip have made their home every May since the halcyon days of Zeljko Rebraca, appears highly unlikely.

Hamilton has said all the right things since his demotion. And his play as a reserve would have Ricky Pierce frothing at the mouth; his points are up (from 16.7 per as a starter to 19.9 as a reserve) and his shooting has increased dramatically. Overall, his numbers this year (made up of a mixture of starting and reserve appearances) are practically identical to his career numbers. Thing is, Detroit is no better off as a team since, which was, in a nut shell, the purpose behind the operation. “I am sacrificing to win games and I am fine with it,” Hamilton told reporters on day one of life as a reserve. So far, he appears to be a man of his word. If production is any indicator, then the role is ideally suited.

[nasty daddy]

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,7 ... .html?pg=2

With Mehmet Okur missing Tuesday's game with the flu and Boozer still out, the Jazz have now lost 145 man games due to injuries, illnesses and personal reasons this season. Last year, they only lost 45 man-games.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 09&week=16

1: Los Angeles Lakers
2: Boston Celtics
3: Cleveland Cavaliers
4: San Antonio Spurs
5: Orlando Magic
6: Denver Nuggets
7: Portland Trailblazers
8: Houston Rockets
9: Dallas Mavericks
10: Utah Jazz
20: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerrank ... 09&week=16

20 (16) Pistons 27-25 The Pistons knew all along that this season of transition after gambling on Iverson had the potential to be painful. But this rough? It would take a 23-6 finish for Detroit to win 50 games for the eighth consecutive season.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketbal ... 9408.story

The Suns' win came at the expense of a Clippers team without center Marcus Camby, out with an inner ear problem. The Clippers also played most of the game without leading scorer Zach Randolph, who was ejected in the first quarter after punching Phoenix reserve Louis Amundson.

Randolph knocked Amundson to the floor with his left elbow, then glared down at him. When Amundson stood to face him, Randolph threw a punch with his left hand and connected with a solid blow. He was immediately ejected, and is almost certain to be suspended.

"He hopped up and got in my face and almost kissed me in my mouth," Randolph said. "I just pushed him out of my face. If I would have hit him, he wouldn't have got up off the ground."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/200 ... 002/SPORTS

Magic guard Nelson hopes to return this season
Able to lift his right arm overhead and surprised by the progress that he’s made in the past two weeks, injured Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson is still holding out hope of playing again this season.

Nelson dislocated his shoulder and tore the labrum on Feb. 2 during a collision with Dallas center Erick Dampier. Nelson needs surgery and a four-to-six month rehabilitation period to repair the tear in the labrum. But one of the Magic’s toughest players is hoping that with continued rehabilitation on the shoulder that he can postpone surgery to the summer and return this season.

Magic general manager Otis Smith doubts whether Nelson can return this season because of the scope of the injury and the fact that it’s his shooting shoulder that is injured. Orlando power forward Tony Battie tried to return last season following surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, but Smith shelved him because he was concerned about Battie’s long-term health.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spur ... ankle.html

The ankle had been bothering Ginobili for a few days heading into the All-Star break. The silver lining for the Spurs is that this is not the ankle Ginobili had surgically repaired during the offseason.

Popovich admitted it was disconcerting that Ginobili's ankle was still tender after five days of rest.

If it responds to treatment, there is a chance Ginobili could re-join the team on the rest of the rodeo trip, which moves to Detroit on Thursday and concludes at Washington on Saturday. That, however, sounded unlikely Tuesday night.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_d ... nba,142188

Milwaukee 92, Detroit 86: I don't know what Detroit's excuse is for letting a wafer-thin Bucks team beat them at home, but, whatever. This team is so lackadaisical sometimes that they inspire me to write out pitiful phrases like "but, whatever." We can't have that. The Pistons couldn't be bothered to guard Malik Allen at the only spot on the floor (the elbow) where he can get a shot off, they didn't guard the perimeter, and they just threw up bum shots all night.

I know the game is likely decided with about 18 seconds left, Pistons ball, and the Bucks up five, but then why does Rip Hamilton take a turnaround 20-foot jumper off an inbound pass? Does Michael Curry draw it up that way? Does Hamilton, who broke play after play in Flip Saunders' offense (especially in the playoffs) make that decision by himself? Was anyone thinking here?

Credit the Bucks. This team just tends to work harder than its opponent, night in, and night out. And, while 2011-12 will (not "might") be pretty frustrating for Bucks fans, they need to count their blessings and recognize that job Scott Skiles has done. He'll flame out after a while, but he has this team playing its ass off. Too bad Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut aren't healthy enough to be a part of it. They've deserved a coach like this for too long. Five turnovers for Milwaukee tonight. Five! Makes sense.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerranking

1: Boston Celtics
2: Los Angeles Lakers
3: Cleveland Cavaliers
4: Orlando Magic
5: San Antonio Spurs
6: Denver Nuggets
7: Portland Trailblazers
8: Houston Rockets
9: Utah Jazz
10: Phoenix Suns
21: Detroit Pistons

[nasty daddy]

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... _stat.html

You won't see Ben Wallace making any commercials about playing for the Browns any time soon. The Cavaliers said the veteran forward suffered multiple lacerations on his right forearm from broken glass while playing catch with a football over All-Star Weekend in Richmond, Va. The team said Wallace needed 14 stitches in Richmond and then got another procedure to remove additional glass pieces Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic.

Wallace did not practice with the team Tuesday as they re-assembled after the All-Star break. He did go on the trip with the team for Wednesday's game in Toronto and he's being listed as questionable. Despite the nature of the injury, he is not expected to miss much time.

Coach Mike Brown did not provide any details on how the injury occurred.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... _stat.html

West a maybe: Delonte West practiced Tuesday, his first full-speed workout since he fractured his right wrist Jan. 15 in Chicago. Brown said he'd be re-evaluated Wednesday morning and did not rule him out playing on the road trip to Toronto and Milwaukee. Several players, including LeBron James, said they expected him to be in uniform for the game and were looking forward to getting him back on the court.

All that, though, may be premature. The team did upgrade West from out to doubtful and because of the injury situation with the rest of the club, there's a good chance West will be put on the active roster. However, West does not have full movement in the wrist and is still wearing a brace.

He's been out a month and the team doctors' timeline had him missing at least five weeks. There is pressure to get him back out on the floor, but it seems likely the team will try to be cautious and keep him out a little longer. They hoped to let him recover for another week but West wants to play, and so do his teammates. "I think he'll be ready [Wednesday]," James said. "He's not 100 percent, his wrist is still a little stiff and he's afraid to bend it back but he'll be in uniform."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.columbian.com/article/200902 ... 1/SPORTS01

The Blazers announced that rookie center Greg Oden will sit out tonight’s game against Memphis with a chip fracture in his left knee suffered during last week’s loss to Golden State. He is being listed as day-to-day with no general time frame set for his return.

The news came on the same day that Steve Blake pronounced himself ready to return to the Blazers’ lineup after missing 13 of the last 14 games with a separated right shoulder.

Blake had not played since a Jan. 26 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, which he left early after running into a screen set by Clippers forward Brian Skinner. Blake said at the time that the shoulder was not ready to withstand that type of physical contact and wound up sitting out three more weeks.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.dailynews.com/lakers/ci_11727546

Andrew Bynum returned to the practice court Tuesday morning.

Bynum shot baskets during the Lakers' shootaround. That was it. Nothing more strenuous than hoisting a few flat-footed shots. "He was on the floor shooting toe-up shots," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center. "He was relatively active for his condition. He's doing pretty well."

However, it probably will be quite some time before Bynum is sound enough to resume practicing with his teammates. The Lakers expect their 7-foot center to be sidelined perhaps until April because of a torn right knee ligament.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.dailynews.com/lakers/ci_11727546

Vujucic update: Sasha Vujacic's sprained left ankle is no longer sprained. He credited a mini-vacation to Mexico during the All-Star break for helping his ankle to heal. It's no longer sore or swollen and he said he's "very, very happy, very, very, very happy."

"I did some exercises and it kind of improved it and made it stronger," Vujacic said. "It all went away. It was all about resting. I rested for two or three days and it was like it was two or three months (had gone by)."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolve ... page=2&c=y

Veteran guard Kevin Ollie participated in Tuesday morning's shootaround, his first time back with the team since he fractured his elbow at Chicago on Jan. 3. He will be examined when the Wolves return home Thursday and hopes he'll be cleared to practice.

He said his elbow feels "50 times" better than it did two weeks ago. McHale said he doesn't expect Ollie to play in a game for at least 10 more days, but Ollie said "I sure hope" it's sooner. "He says he feels really good, but everybody says that," McHale said.