News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 23, 2012.

1 Comment

NEWS

The 1977-78 NBA scoring race was so close — San Antonio’s George Gervin (27.21 ppg) edged Denver’s David Thompson (27.15 ppg) — that if you turn to the Official NBA Guide for the points leaders for that season, you’ll discover Gervin’s and Thompson’s averages extend two decimal points rather the traditional one, necessitated by the fact that the league’s closest scoring race ever was determined by a miniscule .06 ppg. That contest has entered the realm of the legendary based on the final day of the regular season. Thompson began the Nuggets’ game against Detroit trailing Gervin by .02 ppg — 26.8-26.6 — and proceeded to explode for 73 points, at that time, second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, finishing the season at 27.15 ppg. Gervin’s Spurs played their final game against Utah later that day. Needing at least 58 points to win the title, Gervin netted 63, winning the scoring title by 0.06 of a point. For 33 years, that mark has stood. (The second closest scoring race in league annals occurred in 1985-86 when Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins (30.33 ppg) edged Denver’s Adrian Dantley (29.83 ppg) by 0.5 ppg.)

It is in doubt, however, whether it will hold for a 34th season. That’s because Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (27.90 ppg) and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (27.86 ppg) enter the final week of the regular season separated by a microscopic .04 ppg. According to NBA.com/Stats, the two entered the All-Star break separated by one-half point per game, with Bryant pacing the league at 28.4 ppg followed by Durant at 27.9 ppg. Since then, however, Durant has been amazingly consistent, maintaining his 27.9 ppg pace in 30 second-half games, while Bryant has averaged 27.1 points in 24 contests, missing seven games with a left shin injury. When Bryant suffered his injury, he was ahead of Durant, 28.07 ppg-27.87 ppg (through games played April 6). In nine games since, however, Durant has averaged 28.1 points; he’s averaging 32.0 points over his last five. Bryant, meanwhile, has played in the Lakers’ last two games, averaging 22 points.

The Lakers’ remaining game is Thursday at Sacramento. Bryant has averaged 33.5 points this season in two games against the Kings. The Thunder has two games left, tomorrow against Sacramento and Wednesday against Denver. Durant’s combined average in five games against the Kings and Denver this season is 32.0 points.

NOTES

James, Jefferson Earn Weekly Honors
The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Utah Jazz’s Al Jefferson today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played April 16-22. James helped Miami to a 4-1 week, averaging 31.0 points on 58 percent shooting, while grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 5.5 assists per game. Jefferson registered three double-doubles to help Utah to a 3-0 week, as the Jazz competes for a playoff spot.

Stats & Stuff:

  • This season, Indiana has held an opponent to less than 30 points in the paint 10 times, including three of the last nine games. On the offensive end, the Pacers have scored at least 40 points in the paint 36 times, including five of the last seven games; and have posted a record of 24-12 in such games.
  • Should Memphis close out the 2011-12 regular season with two more victories at FedExForum, the Grizzlies would tie the franchise-record 11-game home winning streak that was set from Dec. 18, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010. Memphis’ current nine-game home winning streak is the second-longest in team history … Mike Conley needs three steals in the final two games to pass Shane Battier for second on the Grizzlies’ all-time steals list. Battier recorded 523 steals in 419 games, while Conley enters tonight with 521 thefts in 356 games with Memphis. Rudy Gay passed Battier for the top spot on the chart on Feb. 2 at Atlanta.
  • Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala has made three three-pointers in each of the past four games after not doing so in more than two consecutive games prior in his career. Iguodala is shooting a career-high .394 from beyond the arc this season


Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 22, 2012.

Leave a comment

NEWS

  • Dwyane Wade is not playing when Miami hosts Houston on Sunday, one day after the All-Star dislocated his left index finger.
  • Knicks center Tyson Chandler will sit out New York’s game against the Hawks to rest up for the playoffs.
  • The Minnesota Timberwolves are shutting Kevin Love down for the final two games of the regular season to play it safe while he recovers from a concussion.
  • Australian center Andrew Bogut will have arthroscopic ankle surgery next week and miss the London Olympics.

NOTES

RUMORS

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 21, 2012.

1 Comment

NEWS

  • Kevin Love says he’s feeling better after his concussion but is still unsure about playing in Minnesota’s next game.
  • The Orlando Sentinel is reporting Magic center Dwight Howard underwent successful arthroscopic surgery Friday on a herniated disk in his lower back.
  • The NBA union’s executive committee has requested the resignation of President Derek Fisher.

NOTES

RUMORS

  • “We believe that Chris Paul will be the next president,” Evans said. “He played an intricate role during the lockout and throughout the negotiations. He has the confidence of a lot of guys on the board and around the NBA. Going forward, we believe that he would do a great job. That has yet to be determined or voted on and we’ll address those matters down the road. For now, we’ll continue to support every member of the executive committee and value every member’s opinions.” HoopsWorld
Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 19, 2012.

1 Comment

NEWS

If any doubt remained, the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash established his bona fides as one of the organization’s all-time greats on Feb. 1, when he blew past Kevin Johnson as the franchise’s all-time leader in career assists. (Nash also holds team records for three-pointers made and attempted, as well as three-point and free throw shooting percentages.) Now, he’s on the cusp of passing an NBA icon.

With Phoenix set to host the Los Angeles Clippers tonight on TNT (10:30 p.m. ET) and the Suns only one-half game behind the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the two-time MVP needs 10 assists to pass Oscar Robertson (9,887) for fifth place on the all-time assist list; assuming it’s accomplished, it will leave Nash behind only all-time leader John Stockton (15,806), active leader Jason Kidd (11,838), Mark Jackson (10,323), and Magic Johnson (10,141).

In his 16th season, the 38-year-old Nash shows no signs of slowing down. Nash is averaging 10.8 assists, trailing only Boston’s Rajon Rondo (11.6 apg), who turned 26 this season. One of the league’s top marksmen, Nash ranks tied for eighth in the NBA in field goal percentage (.534); those ahead of him are all frontcourt players. He also is shooting .402 from three-point range. Hall of Famers Chris Mullin (1996-97) and Stockton (1994-95) are the only players in NBA history to shoot at least 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from three in the same season. One of the all-time great free throw shooters, Nash this season is shooting .894 from the charity stripe. Nash has shot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line in a season four times. Amazingly, it’s been accomplished only a total of nine times in league annals: Larry Bird did it twice, while Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki, and Mark Price each did it once.

Advanced metrics back up the more traditional stats in confirming Nash’s dominance. According to NBA.com/Stats, Nash’s True Shooting Percentage, which calculates shooting percentage adjusting for the value of free throws and three-point field goals, is .624. That ranks seventh among players who have appeared in at least 50 games. His Player Impact Estimate (PIE), which measures a player’s overall statistical contribution against the total statistics in games he’s played in, is 15.0 percent, which ranks 15th overall. Perhaps most indicative, Nash ranks second to Rondo in AST%, the percentage of field goals a player assisted when he was on the floor. Rondo, 12 years Nash’s junior, is at 49.3 while Nash is at 49.2.

Stats & Stuff:

 

  • Dallas’ Vince Carter needs two three-pointers made to become the 18th player in NBA history with at least 1,500 treys. Carter’s teammates, Jason Kidd (1,870) and Jason Terry (1,783), are among the 17 others who have reached the milestone.
  • Since a four-game stretch in mid-March in which they had no more than four thefts, the Indiana Pacers have had at least eight steals in nine of their last 18 games.
  • Memphis’ Mike Conley is on pace to set a franchise record for steals per game (career-high 2.25). That mark ranks second in the NBA this season (L.A. Clippers’ Chris Paul, 2.47 spy).
  • Utah has played six overtime games this season. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Utah is the third team to complete the “OT cycle” in a season: playing at least one one-, two-, three-, and four- overtime game. The other teams to do this were the 1952-1953 Indianapolis Olympians in their final season (eight total, including five single-OT games), and the 1997-1998 Phoenix Suns (five total including two single-OT games).

Today’s Quote
ERIK SPOELSTRA, on LeBron James’ physical fitness:
“He keeps himself in superior condition and always is spending extra time in the building doing something … Everything to try and maintain his body. It’s a year-round job for him. All the work he does before the season prepares him for a long grind. You also have to be lucky, quite frankly.”
Sun Sentinel April 19, 2012

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 18, 2012.

2 Comments

NEWS

  • The Celtics are playing without Rajon Rondo after he hurt his back in Boston’s game against New York the previous night
  • Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season.
  • Baron Davis missed the Knicks’ game at New Jersey on Wednesday night because of a stomach virus and was replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Bibby.
  • Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says the team’s leading scorers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng will not play Wednesday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

NOTES

RUMORS

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,