Derrick Rose said he’d make the pass again. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose made the right basketball play. And fans keep asking: What in the world is Brian Scalabrine doing taking the go-ahead shot in the waning seconds? To review: The Chicago Bulls lost to the Indiana Pacers 95-90 on Wednesday, their first home loss this season. [...]

If the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers didn’t have a rivalry before Wednesday night, they certainly appear to have one now. After Clippers forward Blake Griffin fouled Lakers forward Pau Gasol with 1.1 seconds remaining in the Lakers’ 96-91 win, Clippers guard Chris Paul tried to grab the ball from Gasol’s hands as the [...]

Indiana Pacers guard George Hill and center Roy Hibbert will have to wait until the summer to get their next contracts and find out where they’ll be playing next season. The deadline for contract extensions passed Wednesday night with neither player agreeing to a new deal. They will be restricted free agents, meaning the Pacers can match [...]

The 9 p.m. Wednesday deadline for the Trail Blazers and Nicolas Batum to agree on a contract extension came and went without a deal, raising questions about the small forward’s future with the organization and rankling his agent. After weeks of negotiations that included talks throughout the day Wednesday, the Blazers and Batum’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, [...]

Andrew Bogut was healthy and Bucks coach Scott Skiles was talking earlier Wednesday about ways to increase the big man’s scoring production a few points a game. Then it happened, without warning late in the first quarter of the Bucks’ game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Bogut went up to try to block a shot [...]

Guard Eric Gordon has turned down a four-year extension offer from the New Orleans Hornets, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press late Wednesday night on condition of anonymity because negotiations had not been discussed publicly, didn’t disclose the financial terms of New Orleans’ offer. Gordon, who turned [...]

The Denver Nuggets have signed center Kosta Koufos to a multi-year contract extension, Nuggets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. According to the Denver Post, the deal is for three years and $9 million. Koufos, 7-0, 265, is averaging 3.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11 games (five starts) this season. In [...]

New Orleans guard Eric Gordon will miss at least another three weeks as he recovers from a bruised right knee. “Eric is going to probably be out for another three weeks,” New Orleans coach Monty Williams said Wednesday night before the Hornets faced the Thunder. “We will re-evaluate after that time. Doctors think he needs more [...]

The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Danilo Gallinari to a multi-year contract extension, Nuggets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. According to the Denver Post, the deal is for four years and $42 million. Gallinari, 6-10, 225, has appeared in 17 games this season (all starts) and is averaging career-highs in points [...]

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has signed forward Kevin Love to a four-year contract extension. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the deal is worth $62 million and gives Love the option to opt-out after the third season. “We are pleased to have signed Kevin to a contract extension,” said Timberwolves President [...]

Robin Lopez of the Phoenix Suns has been suspended one game without pay for improper conduct towards a game official, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations. The incident, in which Lopez made contact with an official, occurred with 8:14 remaining in the second quarter of the Suns’ 99-96 loss [...]

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned forward Derrick Caracter to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Caracter, who underwent surgery on December 14th to remove part of a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, originally sustained the injury two days prior during Lakers [...]

A diagnostic ultrasound test performed on Sacramento Kings guard Marcus Thronton today at the UC Davis Medical Center revealed a significant hematoma in his left thigh. He is expected to miss approximately one to two weeks of action. Thornton, the Kings’ leading scorer (16.4 ppg), has missed four games due to the injury.

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year option on guard/forward Gerald Henderson for the 2012-13 season. Henderson has started all 18 games this season and is currently averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.9 minutes. He has reached double-figure scoring in [...]

In an effort to help the players avoid mental fatigue during this 66-game sprint, the Sixers’ strength and conditioning coach Jesse Wright and trainer Kevin Johnson suggested to Collins the players do yoga on their rare practice days. The change in training has been a hit. “We have erred on the side of rest, just trying [...]

The Memphis Grizzlies exercised the third-year contract option on guard/forward Quincy Pondexter, guaranteeing his contract through the 2012-13 season, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced Tuesday. Pondexter (6-6, 225) has averaged 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds on .469 shooting in 14.9 minutes in 16 games this season after being acquired [...]

One point. That’s what Carmelo Anthony scored last night in a stunning — and perhaps telling — result. With Anthony muted, the Knicks bombed the Bobcats, 111-78, last night at Time Warner Cable Arena to break their six-game losing streak. Anthony’s one point was a career low, and it was the first time he failed to sink [...]

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng hopes he won’t need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Deng was injured on Saturday against Charlotte and expects to miss at least a few more NBA games after sitting out Monday’s win over the New Jersey Nets. He said the wrist was still sore, but the [...]

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love has agreed to a four-year, $62 million contract extension and is expected to sign the new deal Wednesday afternoon in Dallas, a person close to the situation told the Pioneer Press. Love, 23, and the Wolves are in Dallas to play the defending NBA champion Mavericks on Wednesday night. Love, who [...]

Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin was seen by Charlotte orthopedist Dr. Bob Anderson today and the diagnosis confirmed an inflammatory condition of the sesmoid bones that lie in the flexor tendons on his right big toe. Augustin re-aggravated the injury, which had bothered him previously, during to the first quarter of the Bobcats’ Jan. 22, matchup at [...]

Don’t call Kyrie Irving another LeBron James just because he’s also a Cleveland No. 1 pick. But if you want to call him another Chris Paul, that might be OK. In fact, James said he sees plenty of similarities between the Cavaliers rookie point guard and Paul, the Clippers star point. “He reminds me of CP early [...]

The Sacramento Kings have recalled rookie forward Tyler Honeycutt from the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today. On January 1, Honeycutt and center Hassan Whiteside were assigned to the Bighorns. Honeycutt averaged 5.9 points (.418 FG%, .375 3pt%, .438 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 12.7 minutes [...]

The most surprised person to see Steve Nash still playing is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Back in the summer of 2004 when the Mavs were deciding whether to let Nash – then a free agent – go, or resign him, Cuban relied on his medical staff to help him make up his mind. “I’ll say it [...]

The NBA-worst 2-15 Washington Wizards have reportedly fired head coach Flip Saunders, according to multiple news outlets. Saunders was in a very tough situation, though, and it’s unclear how the next coach will do much better. One of the biggest problems with the Wizards is communication with players. Saunders obviously did not succeed on that front, but [...]

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have picked up the option for the 2012-13 season for guards Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez. Henry (6-6, 220), is in his second NBA season after being selected 12th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kansas. He has not appeared [...]