'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 58

[nasty daddy]

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/2983

Hinrich questionable for Utah game
The Bulls released an injury update on Thursday afternoon listing Kirk Hinrich as questionable with a left thumb sprain for the game in Utah. It's not clear when Hinrich suffered the injury. He missed two months of last season with torn ligament in his right thumb.

Also, center Aaron Gray has been cleared to play and could see his first game action this season against the Jazz. Gray has been out with a stress fracture in his left fibula since the first week of training camp.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.newsok.com/thunder-notebook/ ... z0XyOVv9QK

Thunder notebook: Kyle Weaver sidelined with shoulder injury
Add Kyle Weaver to the Thunder’s list of bruised and battered players.

The second-year shooting guard left Wednesday’s practice after suffering a shoulder injury. He was taken to see a team doctor, but the results of tests were unknown Wednesday.

Weaver’s status is expected to become clear today, but he doesn’t figure to play in Friday’s game against Milwaukee. Thunder coach Scott Brooks, however, said Kevin Durant, James Harden and Thabo Sefolosha are capable of filling in behind Westbrook in limited minutes.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.newsok.com/thunder-notebook/ ... z0XyOVv9QK

Forward Ryan Bowen became a casualty of the injury bug that has hit the Thunder, and the veteran forward was waived Wednesday. The move frees up the 15th and final roster spot in the event the Thunder seeks to acquire a player who can provide relief at point guard.

Bowen, who beat out Mike Harris, Michael Ruffin and Tre Kelley for the team’s final spot in training camp, played in just one game and scored four points with two rebounds. A replacement for Bowen could be added as early as today.

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http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_ ... source=rss

Warriors update: Watson puts swine flu bug behind him
Warriors guard C.J. Watson has a new haircut, a Mohawk, to match what he sees as his new lease on life. After 10 days in seclusion while recovering from swine flu, who could blame him? "In Milwaukee, I thought I was going to die," Watson said before Wednesday's 118-104 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. "I've been sick before. Never like that. I'm not going to lie. I was scared."

Watson first learned he may have the H1N1 virus after the game at Milwaukee on Nov. 14. He said he felt terrible and was throwing up at halftime. After learning he had swine flu, Watson was sequestered from the team.

Watson had to wear a mask whenever he came in contact with people, so he decided not to come in contact with people, banishing himself to his Las Vegas home. Only his parents visited him, he said.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5075

Lou Williams out 8 weeks
Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams was examined this morning by team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health and oral surgeon Alfred Wolanin. Williams underwent surgery this morning, during which time he had his upper and lower jaws wired together. Williams will meet with a nutritionist in the coming days to review a liquid diet designed to assist him in maintaining his weight.

Williams will be out for eight weeks.

Further updates on Williams’ status will be provided as they become available.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5074

Thunder to sign Mike Wilks
The Oklahoma City Thunder will sign free agent guard Mike Wilks, InsideHoops.com has learned.

Wilks’ agent Bill Neff confirmed to InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner that the team will soon add the 30-year-old veteran, who has career averages of 2.5 points and 1.2 assists per game. A 5-10, 180-pound point guard, Wilks played for three different teams in the 2007-08 season and was not in the NBA in 2008-09.

A 5-10, 180-pound point guard, Wilks played for three different teams in the 2007-08 season and was not in the NBA in 2008-09.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5070

Thunder waive Ryan Bowen
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has waived forward Ryan Bowen.

Bowen appeared in one game for the Thunder scoring four points to go along with two rebounds and one steal in eight minutes of action against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 22nd.

The Thunder roster now stands at 14.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... 11197.html

Knee knocks Eddy out again
Eddy Curry's celebrated comeback lasted four games.

Curry sat out last night's game against the Kings after reinjuring his left knee in the first half of the Knicks' loss to the Lakers Tuesday night. An MRI showed no structural damage, but neither Curry nor the Knicks sounded optimistic that the veteran center would be available for tomorrow's game in Denver.

"I've still got a little pain. I'm going to give it tonight and tomorrow to calm down and we'll reevaluate it on Friday," Curry said Wednesday. "I want to (play); I definitely want to get out there. But we've got to see. We've got to be smart about it. The MRI was good. Now it's just about controlling the swelling and the pain and getting back out there."

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http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/1043 ... on-want-it

Answer me this: How bad does Iverson want it?
Most of all, Iverson is walking away, hoping some NBA team will say, "Please, come back!"

Immediately after word came out that Iverson had announced he was retiring, sources close to him said he was having a change of heart. They said the uproar over his pending departure reminded him of the love that still exists for the former Sixer, Nugget, Piston and Grizzlie, instead of questions about an imminent departure.

"I think he just wants to feel wanted again," one of Iverson's confidants told me Wednesday night.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14473

Time to be Concerned?
Detroit Pistons – How far the mighty have fallen? After making a remarkable six consecutive trips to at the least the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons shipped out 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets last November in exchange for the soon-to-be retired Allen Iverson and have been a fringe playoff team at best ever since. With the cap space from A.I.'s expiring deal, the Pistons were big spenders in free agency this summer, signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to deals worth a combined $90M. Turns out that just because you have money, doesn't mean you have to spend it. The Pistons are the losers of six consecutive games (I know, they have been without Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton) and sit alone at the bottom of the Central Division standings. Without a low post scoring presence, the Pistons have become little more than a jump-shooting team and are in the bottom five of the league in scoring at 92.5 points per game. It has long been rumored that, with the addition of Gordon and the team looking to get younger, Hamilton could be on his way out of the Motor City. With Detroit struggling to find an identity and wins, it is time (when Hamilton returns from an ankle injury) for the Pistons to shop the three-time NBA All-Star.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_22783

Kidd 2nd Place All-Time In Assists
Jason Kidd moved into second place on the NBA's career assists list, Jason Terry scored 27 points and the Dallas Mavericks shot 65.5 percent in a 130-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Kidd delivered seven assists to reach 10,337 in his career. He came in needing five to pass Mark Jackson's career total (10,334), and now trails only John Stockton (15,806).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_22783

Iverson Issues Release To Fans
"I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case. I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.

Stepping away from the game will allow me to spend quality time with my wife and kids. This is a reward that far exceeds anything that I’ve ever achieved on the basketball court. I have prayed for this day and I see it as my greatest gift. I want to thank the people of Reebok International Ltd., for always allowing me to be me and for supporting me my whole career through all the ups and downs. I have enjoyed 13 wonderful seasons in the NBA, and I am grateful.

I want to first acknowledge my fans everywhere, who have been with me throughout my entire career. Without you, there would be no me. You should all know that I appreciate your support from the bottom of my heart. Thank you! To Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley and Larry Bird, you guys gave me the vision to play the game that will be forever in my heart."

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

FullCourtPress: Thanksgiving Day Pistons Links: Allen Iverson retires and the Stuckey v. Bynum debates continue: A ... http://bit.ly/8DfbU3

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: King James crowns Pistons: It was James, to no one's surprise, who ignited Cleveland in its 98-88 victor... http://twurl.nl/pvr8la

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291126001

Dwight Howard had 22 points and 17 rebounds, Vince Carter added 21 points and the Orlando Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 93-76 on Thursday night.

Reserve guard Anthony Johnson, who averaged 1.6 points over his first 20 games this season, scored 17 points in 21 minutes. His 3-pointer with 6:58 remaining gave the Magic their first double-digit lead of the game at 79-69.

Josh Smith was the Hawks' second-leading scorer with 13 points.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291126026

Carlos Boozer scored 28 points on 12-for-14 shooting and the Utah Jazz beat the slumping Chicago Bulls 105-86 on Thursday night.

Deron Williams had 21 points and six assists for the Jazz, who blew open the game by making 10 of their first 11 shots in the fourth quarter.

Luol Deng had 26 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, and Derrick Rose had 19 points. The Bulls have lost four straight.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... l_for.html

Pistons none too thankful for injuries to Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and now Ben Gordon
Pistons none too thankful for injuries to Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and now Ben Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester does not dwell on the negative. Anytime he is asked a question about an injury, a hurdle or a struggle his team has to overcome, his response is the same. “That’s part of the NBA,” he says. But watching leading scorer Ben Gordon go down with an ankle injury Wednesday night -- the third injury to a key player this season -- well, that was enough to shake up the eternally optimistic coach.After the game, a reporter asked: “When he went down, were you kind of thinking, ‘What’s next?’ ”Kuester paused. “Yeah,” he said. “I was. I just went, ‘Goodness, gracious.’ ” Kuester paused again. “But that’s part of the NBA.” Injuries are a part of the NBA, but they affect some teams more than others. It would be difficult to argue that any team has been affected more this season than the Pistons. Richard Hamilton injured an ankle in the season opener and has not been heard from since. A back injury forced Tayshaun Prince out of the lineup after three games. And even though the team officially listed Gordon as day-to-day, it seems unlikely he will play tonight when the Pistons host the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Pistons took Thursday off. You can bet they did not spend the day being thankful for good health. “It is what it is, you know?” Kuester said before the game Wednesday while discussing his short-handed team. “There’s an old saying, ‘You’ve got to love the one you’re with,’ and you’ve got to love the guys that you know are going to play, and that’s what we have right now. “I’ve been very proud of the group that we have. They’ve competed. They’ve worked hard.” Instead of bemoaning each injury, Kuester points out that every player lost simply opens up an opportunity for someone else. When Hamilton went down, Gordon took over his starting spot. Rookie Jonas Jerebko moved into the starting lineup when Prince went down, which in turn led to increased minutes for fellow rookies Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers. If Gordon is out, Daye likely will see his minutes increase greatly.Hamilton, Prince and Gordon averaged a combined 53.2 points per game last season, so Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum will be expected to carry more of the scoring load.

Those three are the only healthy Pistons players who average more than 5.0 points per game.“It creates an opportunity for somebody else now,” Villanueva said. “Each individual has to do more. We’ve got to take the challenge, and everyone has to step up and do more.” Kuester agreed but said his players need to find the proper balance when it comes to increased expectations.“One of the things that can’t happen is players feel pressure that they have to do more than they are capable of doing,” he said. “Just continue to play and continue to defend. “If anything, I want them to feel a sense of urgency not so much offensively as I do defensively. We’ve got to have more stops.”The Pistons have represented themselves well. They got off to a 5-4 start despite injuries to Hamilton and Prince. They play hard for Kuester and fight to the end of every game. Rookies they hoped to play sparingly have been thrust into key roles and have performed well considering the circumstances.But the losses and injuries are piling up. The Pistons need some good news -- a win or the return of Hamilton, Prince or Gordon -- and they need it soon.

[nasty daddy]

http://stats.mlive.com/nba/preview.asp? ... e=8&vis=12

Clippers-Pistons Preview
The Detroit Pistons haven't had much luck keeping their best players healthy and their schedule over the past two weeks didn't do them any favors either. As they try to snap their six-game slide, the Pistons hope to change their fortunes by earning their 14th straight win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. During its losing streak, Detroit has faced five teams that have won at least 11 games. The one that didn't, Utah, needed overtime to beat the Pistons (5-10) on Saturday night. They have also faced four division-leading clubs, including two in the past two games. Detroit shot 39.2 percent in its 98-88 defeat Wednesday night in Cleveland, but suffered a bigger loss in the first half when leading scorer Ben Gordon exited with a sprained left ankle. The severity of the injury is unknown for Gordon, who has scored 19.8 points per game after signing a five-year deal worth $55 million in July. Detroit is already missing its two leading scorers from last season, Richard Hamilton (right ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (back), who have played a combined four games this season. "It's tough. Man, it seems like injuries have been a factor all season," forward Charlie Villanueva said. "We can't get a break. Hopefully, it's not that bad of a sprain. Hopefully, he can recover quick, but I don't know how serious the injury is."

Gordon had averaged 19.3 points in his last three meetings with the Clippers, but was held to 11 on 4 of 12 shooting in a Jan. 28 win for Chicago at Staples Center. If Gordon is out, the Pistons could move Will Bynum into the starting lineup. Rookies Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and DaJuan Summers could also see more playing time. "This is when Jonas, DaJuan and Austin find out this isn't the summer league," coach John Kuester said. Bynum has averaged 13.5 points but scored four during a 1-for-13 performance against the Cavaliers. Rodney Stuckey broke his shooting slump to score a team-best 25 points Friday. He connected on 30.3 percent of his shots during a four-game Western road trip but was 8 of 16 against Cleveland. The Pistons have had plenty of strong performances during their winning streak against the Clippers, which dates back to Feb. 5, 2003. The 13-game run is tied for the NBA's longest active win streak by one team over another. Dallas has also won 13 in a row over Minnesota and San Antonio has beaten New Jersey 13 straight times.

Los Angeles (6-10) enters Friday's game trying to avoid a fourth straight road loss and comes off its worst offensive performance of the season. After back-to-back victories, the Clippers shot 32.2 percent in Wednesday night's 86-73 loss in Indiana. Leading scorer Chris Kaman (19.8 ppg) scored 10 on 3 of 19 shooting, and forward Al Thornton was 2 of 15 during a five-point night. Baron Davis, however, matched a season high with 25 points. "It was an awful loss," coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We can't get this one back, so we have to move on." The Clippers, 2-5 on the road this season, have also dropped eight straight in Detroit and earned their previous victory there in overtime on Feb. 19, 2001, their only win in 16 visits since 1992-93.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... ound-Hawks

Howard had 22 points and 17 rebounds, Vince Carter added 21 points and the Magic beat Atlanta 93-76 on Thursday night.

The Hawks dropped to 11-4 in a failed bid to tie Phoenix for the NBA's best record. They also missed a chance to improve to 8-0 at home for the first time since 1993-94.

Johnson finished with 22 points for the Hawks, a half-game behind Orlando for the Eastern Conference and Southeast Division lead.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... r-battered

Pistons' output further battered
For the past few seasons, the Pistons have been as sturdy and healthy a team as there is in the NBA.But things have a way of evening out in professional sports. The Pistons are getting their due these days, probably more than their share. Add Ben Gordon to the list of limping Pistons. Gordon went down hard during on his left ankle and sprained it during Wednesday night's game. He's listed as day-to-day, but it's unlikely Gordon will play tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers. If that's the case, he will join Richard Hamilton (severely sprained right ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (small ruptured disc) on the sidelines. "We're dropping like flies," Rodney Stuckey said. "We just have to fight through it. That's pretty much it."

The question is how? Where will the scoring come from? With Gordon, Hamilton and Prince, that's 58 points per game out of the lineup. Coach John Kuester wouldn't speculate as to who would replace Gordon after Wednesday's game -- the Pistons didn't practice on Thanksgiving -- but Austin Daye started the second half in place of Gordon against the Cavaliers. Interestingly, Kuester wants to stress defense right now with so much offense missing. "One of the things that can't happen is that players feel pressure to do more than they're capable of doing," Kuester said. "We just need to continue to play, continue to defend, and if anything, I want them to feel a sense of urgency not so much offensively as defensively."

Players such as Stuckey and Will Bynum (who likely will keep coming off the bench) will have to walk a fine line, providing offense but making sure others also are involved. "We just have to create," Bynum said. "Make opportunities for other people and buckle down and defend. We have to get stops, try to get easy baskets, and get out and run." Said Stuckey: "I've just got to go out there and still try to create for my teammates. They've got to be ready to shoot the ball. I tell that to Jonas (Jerebko). When he's in the corner and we pass it to him, be ready to shoot it."