Yardbarker: National Basketball Association

Tayshaun Prince out indefinitely

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:16:45 -0500

From the Free Press: The Pistons announced Saturday that Prince will be out indefinitely due to a small disk rupture in his lower back after an MRI exam confirmed the injury. The Pistons didn’t give a timetable, but said Prince is being treated for the injury and will be evaluated further. Such an injury typically heals through rest, [...]

Game 7 Preview: Timberwolves vs. Blazers

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:26:03 -0500

Game Time: 6:00 p.m. Pacific TV: Comcast The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a rough start to the season. They bring a 1-5 record into the Rose Garden tonight to face the Blazers. If this surprises you then you might also be shocked to learn that it's a little cold in Minnesota this time of year. And that hockey is popular there. And that if you want gravy with your meal you have your choice of white, off-white, beige, or cream...which ...

Clippers 113 - Memphis 110 - It Was a Struggle, but We'll Take It

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:23:39 -0500

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP Together again. Browse more photos » Final - 11.7.2009 1234Total Memphis Grizzlies 29 31 22 28 110 Los Angeles Clippers 23 32 27 31 113 Complete Coverage > After winning easily in Oakland last night, the Clippers had a flat start in their return home against the Grizzlies tonight. They fell behind 10-2, and see...

Match Up: Wizards vs. Suns

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:25:56 -0500

Washington 2-4 vs. Phoenix 5-111/8 7:00 Head-to-Head: Season Home Road Total2004-05 1-0 0-1 1-12005-06 0-1 1-0 1-1 2006-07 0-1 1-0 1-12007-08 0-1 0-1 0-22008-09 0-1 0-1 0-2 Last 5: 1-4 2-3 3-7 All-Time Home: 32-19All-Time Road: 20-34All-Time Total:55-53 The Story: 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Steve Nash is ninth on the all-time assists list, the recipient of back-...

Allen Iverson Leaves the Grizzlies

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:45:11 -0500

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni Six games into the adventure, and Allen Iverson has apparently had it with Memphis. The Answer has asked for a leave of absence from the Grizzlies. According to the local paper, Iverson left to deal with a personal matter. He reportedly left this afternoon. The Commercial Appeal has the scant details: The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, a...

This Week In San Antonio Spurs Basketball: Late Saturday Edition

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:36:29 -0500

Okay, so this one's late. We had a SEGABABA going into the weekend so this was moved to avoid distraction, and again to provide an avenue for us to drown our sorrows with each loss. Still, lots of good links and music, with a special contribution by our resident Fish Man, Hipuks, after the jump. Mood Music How about putting something that Tony Parker will be pleased about? Here's from a French music duo who call themselves Air. This is just all i...

Allen Iverson Leaves Grizzlies Leaving Many Questions, Few Answers

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:39:00 -0500

by Rob PetersonFiled under: Grizzlies, NBA RumorsWhen Allen Iverson signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, you just had a feeling it wouldn't end well.If most reports from Saturday night are true, you were right.On Saturday, the Memphis Grizzlies granted the one-time league MVP his leave from the team for personal reasons. Yahoo's Marc Spears and ESPN.com's Chad Ford have both reported that Iverson's leave is indefinite and no timetable has been set for h...

Grizzlies Grant Permission To Iverson To Take Leave From Team

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:45:56 -0500

The “Memphis Commercial Appeal” has reported that the Memphis Grizzlies have granted Allen Iverson permission to take a leave of absence from the team and head to his home in Atlanta in order to deal with what is being labeled as a “personal matter.” The exit from the team concludes a week filled with controversy for the player [...]

RUMOR: 76ers Contacted Warriors about Samuel Dalembert + Warriors trying to trade Stephen Jackson + Cavaliers still interested in Jackson

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:30:21 -0500

Kind of a stinky haircut don't you think? via www.depressedfan.com Jump for a tiny tidbit about the talks between the Sixers and Warriors about the man our friends over at Liberty Ballers call SAM BAM Dalembert. Marc Spears writes for Yahoo! Sports: One NBA general manager said the Philadelphia 76ers are still actively trying to move center Samuel Dalembert. A league source said the Sixers contacted the Warriors to see if they had any interest ...

Iverson granted leave from Grizzlies

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:15:55 -0500

Per ESPN… Allen Iverson was granted permission to leave the Memphis Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on Saturday. Iverson had a meeting with Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley Friday night after the team lost 114-98 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the newspaper reported. Iverson met with Heisley again Saturday morning and then [...]

Allen Iverson leaves Grizzlies for personal reasons

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:57:21 -0500

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: The Allen Iverson saga has taken another turn as the veteran guard asked for and was granted permission to leave the Grizzlies to deal with a personal matter, according to an NBA source. Iverson, 34, met with Griz owner Michael Heisley Friday night following the team’s 114-98 loss to [...]

Pistons' Prince out indefinitely with disc rupture

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:06:15 -0500

The Pistons say forward Tayshaun Prince will be out of the lineup indefinitely due to a small rupture of a disc in his lower back. The team said Saturday that the injury was confirmed following an MRI exam and evaluation by team doctors this week. The Pistons say Prince will continue to receive treatment for the injury. Prince had been sidelined since earlier this month with a back injury. The 6-foot-9 Prince has appeared in three games this season averaging 12.3 points, 5 rebounds a...

Mavericks Vs Raptors: Game 6 Preview

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:00:27 -0500

Is this the game that the Mavs finally start to get their shooting stroke back? We can only hope. This may be the perfect game for us and them to truly see what kind of team it is going to be. Do not get me wrong by no means are the Raptors a good basketball team, but they are a team that the Mavs "should" put away and put away early. The Mavericks have several areas of concern and tonight is as good a night as any to begin to get those issues cleaned up. Point Guard...

Video evidence of a defensive lapse, starring Rajon Rondo

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:37:59 -0500

Here's the situation: 3rd quarter, Celtics down 3 and fighting like hell to get ahead of the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix has the ball out of bounds.

As the play starts, two players flare to either side of the court, clearing space underneath the hoop. Phoenix is trying to get a play to the basket... which you can tell as both of these players aren't making moves for the ball at all. They're getting out of the way. The video freezes as Steve Nash sets a pick on Kevin Garnett, who is guarding Amare Stoudemire.

The key to this play defensively is Rajon Rondo. As the pick is set, he's too far in the lane. There's no reason to be there. There's no one cutting in the lane for a pass... and if Nash gets a big lob pass at the top of the key to set the offense... so be it. On the first video freeze, Rondo should about a step to his left just to show Stoudemire that he doesn't have a clean path to the hoop. Rondo has both feet in the lane... when his right foot, at most, is all that should be in the painted area. Right now, Amare is turning the corner and seeing nothing but daylight instead of a white jersey in his way.

As the video progresses, you'll see that for some inexplicable reason, Rondo keeps on walking towards the top of the key. He's not playing any defense at all. He didn't do anything to help KG on the pick. He didn't show to slow do the guy coming off the screen. He certainly wasn't guarding Nash. I'm not sure what Rondo was doing. On the second freeze, you see Rondo and Garnett as the two players furthest away from the hoop.

So on a Suns out of bounds play under their own basket, you've got two Celtics completely out of the play: KG because of the screen... and Rondo because he was sleeping. If the ball didn't go to Stoudemire, it could have gone to Nash for a jumper.

I'll give honorable mention to Rasheed Wallace for sticking way too close to his man when, from that position, he could have stayed in the paint, still be 100% in the passing lane, and still have been in a position to bail out his boys by being in a better position to challenge the shot. But that's secondary.

The real culprit on this play was Rajon Rondo, who never played a split-second of defense on that play. It cost the Celtics 2 points in a tight game. It's a frustrating lapse that highlights what we've heard from C's management about him taking some plays off.

Preview: Kings at Jazz, Game 6

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:00:32 -0500

by Rich Pedroncelli - AP View full size photo » THE OPPONENT The Jazz come in at a deceiving 2-3. In the ledger, Utah is only one game better than Sacramento. But look at that impossible schedule for the Jazz: at Denver, Clippers, Rockets, at Dallas, Spurs. Maybe you'd dream of 3-2 or even 4-1 as a Jazz fan. But 2-3 ain't a sneeze. That schedule has two potentially great teams and three good teams. All of them shou...

Wizards lose badly to Pacers: Final wrap

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:58:51 -0500

by Darron Cummings - AP View full size photo » I'm choosing to forget about this game for the most part, only because writing about it will aggravate me so much. We all know why the game was a disaster and why there are so many causes for concern. Please continue to discuss them civilly as you all have. Instead, I'll try to provide a few reasons for optimism, or at the very least, a few reasons to stave off th...

I’m paying attention to the games!!!

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:51:15 -0500

Friday’s game against the Pistons was No. 6 of my 10 games out of action, so I’m so happy now that this thing is almost over now. I’m actually ready to get back on the road and get these next two games in, and then after the Cleveland game, then I’m just one game out.

Trust me, Nov. 16 against Charlotte is circled on my calendar. It’s obviously tough being out, but I am happy when the team wins. It was tougher on me in Detroit when we lost that game. That was one where I got down on myself a little bit, but the guys have been doing a good job for the most part.

Everybody keeps asking me about what I’m doing during games. Well, I know this might come as a surprise to some of you (kidding!!!) but I actually watch the games really closely.

During the game I get a few text messages from friends, but I don’t respond until after the game. When I’m sitting there, I pay attention to what’s going on in the game. I watch every little detail, watching the rotations and I’m watching Stan with the play calls. Even when I can’t hear him, I know what he’s mad about. I guess because I’m on this team I really know every little thing going on that other people wouldn’t know even though I’m not at the arena.

It does make it tough sometimes to watch the game because my little girl, Gianna, usually wants to play then. She’s just 2 so she doesn’t understand that daddy needs to watch the game. She’s jumping on top of me, wanting candy and telling me to play with her, but I tell her that I have to watch the game. I’m watching her, but I’m paying attention to the game at the same time.

When I’m there she wants me to hold her and when I go out of the room she’s right behind me. When I go into my movie room – that’s where I watch the games -- she’s right there with me. With little kids you have to watch every little movement because you don’t want her to put anything in her mouth or jump down off the couch and hurt herself. I’m watching her and watching the game too.

It has been kind of hard on me mentally lately because I’m working out really hard, but I’m not getting to play in the game. But I’ve made it that far and I can get through the rest of this.

I need ya’ll’s support when I get back. My timing might be a little rusty, but I think my shot is going to be tight and my legs will be fresh. I’m out now and I’ll holler at you guys again real soon.

SWEET LEW

RECAP: LA Clippers 118, Golden State Warriors 90- It's a Great Time Out for Clipper Raj!

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:17:08 -0500

Seriously, what is going on here? Preview/ Game Thread (+1015 comments) Final Box Score Blog Buddy: Clips Nation : Now THAT's Really More Like It Warriors Nation and Clippers Nation. Clippers North and Warriors South. We're like peanut butter and jelly, Redman and Method Man, milk and cookies, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Donald Sterling and housing discrimination, Chris Cohan and tax evasion, Windows Vista and Cntrl + Alt +...

Boston, MA: Where the Suns Bench Happened (to kick the C's in the teeth)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:01:05 -0500

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP Phoenix Suns forward Louis Amundson laughs as Eddie House tries to score from his ass. Boston, Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) Browse more photos » The play of the Suns bench in this win can not be overstated. While Rasheed Wallace and his Vitiligo spot was going 0'fer six behind the arc and Goran Dragic was running Eddie House of the line and forc...

Celtics Look to Keep Winless Nets Winless

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0500

Boston Celtics (6-1) at New Jersey Nets (0-6) Saturday, November 7 7:30 PM ET Game #8 Away Game #4 TV: CSN HD, YES HD, LP 751, 752 Izod Center Referees: Mark Wunderlich, Joe Forte, Eli Roe The Nets are traditional rivals of the Celtics as we think back to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals where the Nets defeated the Celtics in a hotly contested 6 game series. The Nets have fallen on hard times and this season are just marking time until th...

Clippers vs. Grizzlies - Game Preview

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:31 -0500

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP Browse more photos » 2009/2010 NBA Regular Season vs. 2-41-5 Staples Center November 7th, 2009, 7:30 PM FSN Prime Ticket, 980 AM Probable starters: Baron Davis PG Mike Conley Eric Gordon SG O.J. Mayo Rasual Butler SF Rudy Gay Marcus Camby PF Zach Randolph Chris Kaman C Marc Gasol &nbs...

This Year's 1st Quarter is Last Year's 3rd Quarter: Blazers-Spurs Recap

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:20 -0500

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP about 5 hours ago: Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy, right, drives past San Antonio Spurs guard Keith Bogans during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Ryan) Browse more photos » Another night, another loss. The man on the left killed us. As did the oldest man in the NBA, who ironically i...

Richardson, Stoudemire Lead Suns to Big Win Versus Unbeaten Celtics

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:53:26 -0500

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP J-Rich was feeling it friday night against the Celtics. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) Browse more photos » "Compete on the Boards" was written on the chalk board in the Suns locker room before the game. Not only did the Suns compete on the boards, they actually won against the undefeated Boston Celtics in Boston Friday night, 110-103. Jason Richardson played a monster game, leading the way in scoring for the Suns with 34. Richards...

Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers: Regular-season game six open thread

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:42:47 -0500

The Essentials: Wizards (2-3) vs. Pacers (1-3)7:00 p.m.Conseco FieldhouseTV: CSNRadio: 106.7 The Fan Notable very early Pacers numbers this season 26th in expected winning percentage (.250)3rd in pace (100.8 possessions per game)26th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (96.5)18th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (105.1) Notable Pacers numbers last season 18th in expected winning percentage (.463)3rd in pace (96.5 possessions per game)18th in offensive efficiency/offen...

Video: God bless Charles Barkley

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:50:04 -0500

Two words: Watch Chuck get confused while taping a promo for "NBA on TNT." Two more words: "I'm on a diet, no more bull *****."

Michael Jordan Was Once a Goofy College Kid

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:47:38 -0500

I know it seems crazy to imagine, but once upon a time, Jordan was not the polished superstar billionaire we see today. This picture is apparently a photo of a very young MJ dancing around with an umbrella in what loooks to be a dorm room (maybe his?). Enjoy! h/t: BDL