Iverson out with sprained ankle
Associated Press
Wed, Jan 31, 2007
DENVER -- Nuggets guard Allen Iverson will miss Wednesday`s game against the Trail Blazers in Portland after spraining his right ankle.
Iverson was hurt in the Nuggets` 105-101 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night in Denver.
The Nuggets said Iverson did not travel with the team Tuesday. Iverson is averaging 27.1 points and 7.7 assists a game since joining the Nuggets.
Denver coach George Karl said Iverson didn`t get on the court at all Tuesday at the morning shoot around before the team departed for Portland.
Asked who`s going to start in his place, Karl just smiled.
``We`re going to sign (assistant coach) Doug Moe,`` Karl said. ``We`re going to activate him, sign him to a 10-day contract.``
Although Iverson`s absence was a blow, Karl was more concerned Tuesday over his team`s recent play on defense. The team is giving up 103.9 points a game, which is 27th in the league. Denver gave up 105 points to the Bobcats, which is 10 more than their season average.
``Losing is a good teacher,`` Karl said. ``We spent some time watching film. We had a spicy defensive practice. We didn`t do much offense at all.``
Karl doesn`t understand why the Nuggets can`t play better defense. It`s a source of frustration.
``You`ve got to be alert and active,`` Karl said. ``The scouting reports and concepts - we`ll figure out how to give you help. If you`re not going to be alert and active, and you`re going to be slow and lazy, we`re in trouble. It`s tough coaching slow and lazy. Alert and active is good.``
Wizards` Jamison sprains knee
Associated Press
Wed, Jan 31, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison sprained his left knee in the first quarter of Tuesday night`s game against the Detroit Pistons.
Jamison was hurt when he banged knees with teammate DeShawn Stevenson under the basket at the end of a Wizards fast break. Jamison did not return to the game.
Coach Eddie Jordan said Jamison will not travel to Toronto for Wednesday`s game against the Raptors.
``We`re going to get an MRI on Thursday and then we`ll take it from there,`` Jordan said.
Jamison hyperextended the same knee in the first quarter against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 20. Jamison returned to that game, but the knee has been sore in recent days. He was given two days off from practice last week and responded with his two best games of the season: 35 points against Detroit last week and 34 points against Boston on Sunday.
Jamison, averaging 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds, had surgery on his right knee two years ago.
Hornets` Paul hopes to return Wednesday
Associated Press
Tue, Jan 30, 2007
BETHANY, Okla. -- New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul returned to practice for the first time in a month Tuesday to test his sprained right ankle.
Paul, the NBA`s rookie of the year last season, has been sidelined since severely spraining the ankle when he came down on the foot of Seattle`s Johan Petro in a game on Dec. 26.
``I think it`s one of those things that I`m still just going to have to get comfortable with. This right here helped out a lot,`` Paul said Tuesday. ``With an injury like this - this being my first time - you always second-guess it.``
New Orleans has gone 8-9 (12-5 ATS) without its leading scorer, but has won three straight to start its current five-game homestand. The Hornets host Philadelphia on Wednesday and Minnesota on Friday.
``I would love to play tomorrow, but Coach (Byron Scott) said to come to shootaround in the morning and I`ll see how it feels, and then we`ll talk from there,`` Paul said. ``If I don`t play tomorrow, hopefully I`ll definitely be able to play by Friday.``
Vols` Lofton doubtful against Bulldogs
The Tennessee Volunteers will not have their leading scorer back for Wednesday’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Junior guard Chris Lofton tried practicing on Monday but coach Bruce Pearl says Lofton`s sprained right ankle is still not healed yet.
“We put him through some paces, and he did fine,” Pearl told the Nashville Tennessean Monday after practice. “But I just don`t think he`s ready. He`s got a pretty good bruise on the bone from where he turned his ankle. Right now, that`s what we`re dealing with. He`s doing everything he can to get back out there, but he`s just not ready.”
Lofton, who also leads the SEC in scoring, sprained his right ankle in a game Jan. 20 and has not played in Tennessee’s last two games.
Oden`s status in question for Purdue game
Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden’s status for tonight’s game in Purdue is unknown following the death of one of his best friends this past weekend.
The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Oden learned of the death of school friend Travis Smith following Saturday’s win over Michigan State. The 7-foot first-year phenom left for Terre Haute, Indiana on Sunday to be with Smith’s family and returned to campus yesterday.
Buckeyes coach Thad Matta told reporters during his radio call-in show that he expects Oden to be ready to play on Wednesday but is not rushing his star recruit back to the court.
Oden will return to Indiana for the funeral on Wednesday afternoon then hopefully make his way to the Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana for the 7 p.m. ET scheduled tipoff.
"This is going to be a long, hard week for him," Matta told WBNSAM, "and I told him if he doesn’t want to play, we’re fine with that. But I think he’s going to try to (play)."
Oden is averaging 15.6 points and almost 10 rebounds per game since making is belated debut in early December. He is still recovering from off-season wrist surgery which has forced Oden to wear a brace on his right wrist.
Oden’s backup, 6-foot-9 forward Othello Hunter, is also dealing with tragedy following the death of his grandparents this past week. According to Matta, they passed away in their native Africa and he does not expect Hunter to leave the team during this time.
South Carolina center leaves team
Associated Press
Tue, Jan 30, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina`s Ousmane Konate has left the basketball team for the second time this month and coach Dave Odom says it`s unlikely the reserve center will play again.
Odom said the 6-foot-10 junior from Senegal had personal issues he needed to handle.
Konate also took a leave of absence from the team before the Gamecocks` 84-50 loss to Florida on Jan. 13. At the time, Odom said he needed to figure out where basketball fit into his life.
Konate suited up again for South Carolina`s 66-60 win against Arkansas. He played 3 minutes.
Konate has played in 11 games this season, averaging just under 8 minutes an appearance with 1.6 points and two rebounds a game.
His departure leaves the Gamecocks with only one regular, 6-9 Brandon Wallace, taller than 6-7.
Mitchell Carter, a 6-11 freshman, has played in 26 minutes in seven games - and none since an 87-49 loss to Kentucky on Jan. 16.
NBA Today - January 31
Associated Press
Wednesday, Jan. 31
San Antonio at Utah (9 p.m. EST). The Northwest Division-leading Jazz are 1-1 against the Spurs this season.
STARS
Tuesday
- Gilbert Arenas, Wizards, had 36 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to lead Washington to its seventh win in eight games, 104-99 over Detroit.
- Austin Croshere, Mavericks, scored a career-high 34 points in under 24 minutes as Dallas stretched its home winning streak to 14 games with a 122-102 victory over Seattle.
- Eddy Curry, Knicks, had 27 points and nine rebounds as New York defeated the Lakers 99-94.
SUSPENDED
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was suspended one game without pay Tuesday by the NBA for striking San Antonio`s Manu Ginobili in the face in the fourth quarter Sunday. Los Angeles, which started an eight-game road trip without their leading scorer, fell to the Knicks 99-94 for their season-high third straight loss.
SURGING
Jamaal Tinsley scored a season-high 28 points and Jermaine O`Neal added 25 points and eight rebounds as Indiana, the worst shooting team in the league, shot a season-high 53.6 percent from the field in a 103-96 victory over Boston on Tuesday night. The Pacers have won four of five, integrating those from the eight-player trade from Golden State last week.
SNAPPED
Dwyane Wade scored 28 points as Miami beat Milwaukee 110-80 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Wade tied Alonzo Mourning`s franchise best with 20 or more points in 12 consecutive games.
SLUMPS
Seattle tied a single-season club record with its 13th consecutive road defeat Tuesday night, 122-102 at Dallas, the SuperSonics` ninth straight loss to the Mavericks.
INCONSISTENT
Boston scored 70 points total in the first and fourth quarters, but just 13 in each of the second and third periods of its 103-96 loss to Indiana on Tuesday night, the Celtics` 12th straight. Boston committed 40 personal fouls, but the Pacers went just 29-for-46 from the line.
SIDELINED
Cleveland`s LeBron James was advised by the club`s medical staff to rest his sprained right big toe and was inactive for Tuesday`s 124-97 victory over Golden State. Sasha Pavlovic filled in with a career-high 24 points as eight Cavs hit double figures. ... Denver guard Allen Iverson will miss Wednesday`s game against the Trail Blazers in Portland after spraining his right ankle Monday against Charlotte.
STATUS
Shaquille O`Neal was inactive for Miami`s 110-80 win against Milwaukee on Tuesday night. O`Neal, who has played only six games this season because of a knee injury, hurt his calf in practice Monday and is day-to-day. Also, point guard Jason Williams was inactive because of a foot injury. ... Washington forward Antawn Jamison sprained his left knee in the first quarter of Tuesday night`s 104-99 victory over Detroit. Coach Eddie Jordan said Jamison will not travel to Toronto for Wednesday`s game.
MOVING ON
Memphis waived guard Eddie Jones on Tuesday after agreeing to a contract buyout. Jones, who averaged 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 29 games this season, can sign with a new team Thursday. The Grizzlies replaced him by signing guard Will Conroy to a 10-day contract.
SPEAKING
``We`ve got to get serious about winning, that`s all it is. We`ve got some guys that don`t know how to prepare for the games and it shows in their play. It`s shocking that we get beat like that and LeBron is out. We talked about it this morning, that they were going to come out with a lot of hustle and passion. It`s like it`s falling on deaf ears.`` - Golden State guard Baron Davis after Tuesday night`s 124-97 loss to Cleveland.
Some info from DonBest
UTAH - F Carlos Boozer (knee) is expected to miss.
Boozer will be wearing street clothes again tonight. The next time he wears a
uniform may be determined a few hours earlier. Boozer, his personal physician,
and the Jazz's medical staff will have a meeting Wednesday to discuss the results
of a variety of tests on Boozer's left knee. The Jazz would not comment on
Boozer's prognosis or any timeline for his return on Tuesday.
DENVER F Carmelo Anthony (wrist) injured last game, expected to play.
Anthony sprained his left wrist Monday. Anthony said he's sore, but fine and
will play Wednesday night at Portland.
GOLDEN ST - G Monta Ellis (ankle) left last game, "?" Wednesday vs Atlanta.
The Warriors might be without guard Monta Ellis for at least one game.
Ellis sprained his right ankle Tuesday during a 124-97 loss to the
Cleveland Cavaliers. He limped off the court with 5:38 left in the fourth
quarter. After the game, he was on crutches, his right foot in a boot.
X-rays were negative. Ellis said his status for tonight's game depends on
how he feels this morning. He is officially listed as day to day.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
EASTERN MICHIGAN - G Carlos Medlock (foot) left last game, expected to miss the rest of
the season.
Medlock will miss the rest of the season with a broken foot. He will
undergo surgery Monday to insert a pin in the foot he injured Sunday
against Buffalo. Medlock had scored a career-high 26 points before
coming out of the game late in the second half after landing on
another player's foot. Medlock was leading the Eagles in scoring
(13.2) and assists (3.3) per game.
NORTH CAROLINA - F Brandan Wright (illness) is expected to play.
Wright and sophomore guard Marcus Ginyard, who missed the Arizona game
because of illness, have returned to practice and plan to play tonight.
Wright estimated before Tuesday's practice that he's near full
strength, "probably about 85 or 90 percent."
OHIO STATE - C Greg Oden (personal) is expected to play.
Four days after the deaths of a best friend and a beloved grandfather, Oden
and Othello Hunter are expected to be in the lineup when Ohio State plays
at Purdue. "I'm interested to see how they come out and play," HC Matta
said yesterday. Oden practiced yesterday before returning to Terre Haute,
Indiana, where the funeral for childhood friend Travis Smith is this
morning. Oden will rejoin the team in West Lafayette, Indiana, after the
funeral, Matta said. Oden was unavailable for comment yesterday.
TEMPLE - G Dionte Christmas (hand) is "?".
Christmas, whose 21.4 points a game leads the Atlantic 10 and is ranked 12th
nationally, flew with Temple yesterday to Richmond, where the Owls will play
the Spiders tonight. Christmas needed 17 stitches to close a wound between
the third and fourth fingers of his left (non-shooting) hand that he suffered
in the closing moments of Saturday's loss at Duquesne. His playing status will
be a game-time decision, according to a Temple official. He has scored at
least 30 points in each of the last three games.
LASALLE - G Darnell Harris (ankle) is "?".
Harris, who sprained his ankle in Saturday's loss to Fordham in the second
half, but returned before the game was over, will be a game-time decision
when the Explorers visit Charlotte tonight. Harris, La Salle's leading scorer
at 15.1 per game, needs one point to reach 1,000 for his career.
ARKANSAS STATE - G Adrian Banks (ankle) is "?".
Banks had already been held out of the team work of the 1-hour practice
and hasn't worked out all week after spraining his ankle last Saturday
at Florida International.
Boozer likely out for several weeks with fracture
Associated Press
Wed, Jan 31, 2007
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer has a hairline fracture in his left leg, and is expected to be sidelined a few weeks.
The injury was initially suspected to be a bruised knee, but an MRI and X-rays confirmed the fracture in the top of the fibula. It typically takes four to five weeks to fully heal, the team said Wednesday.
Boozer was injured in a collision Saturday with New Orleans` Tyson Chandler. He missed a game Monday against the New Jersey Nets.
Boozer, averaging 22.1 points and 11.8 rebounds before the injury, missed long stretches of two previous seasons because of injuries.