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The Golden State Warriors have dealt with a
rash of injuries lately and the most recent will force them to get by
without Jason Richardson for up to two months, starting with Tuesday's
road game against the New Orleans Hornets.
Richardson,
who missed eight games earlier in December with a bone bruise in his
surgically repaired left knee, broke his right hand in Saturday's
119-96 loss at Sacramento.
The injury
happened in the second quarter when Richardson was apparently kicked in
the hand by teammate Mickael Pietrus, who was trying to block a shot.
``Somebody
coming down on my hand, that's all I remember,'' Richardson said. ``It
could be a blessing in disguise, so we'll see.''
Richardson,
the team's leading scorer in 2005-06 with 23.2 points per game, was
struggling this season as he worked his knee into shape. Richardson
increased his scoring average in each of his previous five seasons, but
is averaging 12.7 points this season while shooting a career-low 37.4
percent from the field.
``We haven't
seen the real Jason Richardson anyway,'' Golden State coach Don Nelson
said. ``There was somebody disguised as him playing. Hopefully it's not
too much of a setback for him or us. His knee should be really healthy
(when he returns).''
Richardson's injury
is another blow to Golden State, which has been without second-leading
scorer Monta Ellis (17.1 ppg) for the last three games with a bruised
right shoulder.
The Warriors did get
forward Troy Murphy back Saturday after he missed 10 games with a sore
left foot. Murphy, who averages 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, had just
four points on 1-of-5 shooting in 20 minutes against Sacramento but
grabbed eight boards.
With Richardson out and Ellis' return uncertain, leading scorer Baron Davis may be asked to produce even more than usual.
``If
it ain't one thing, it's another,'' said Davis, averaging 21.0 this
season. ``J-Rich, Monta - that's a lot of points. I've just got to take
on as much as I possibly can.''
Davis,
who also missed four games in November due to a rib problem, was held
to eight points on 3-for-13 shooting on Saturday. Over the last six
games, Davis has averaged 9.0 points in the Warriors' two losses and
29.3 in their four wins.
He scored 36 points in Golden State's 121-116 victory over New Orleans on Nov. 9.
The
Hornets (12-18) know all about dealing with injuries. They continue to
play without starters Peja Stojakovic (back) and David West (right
elbow), and key reserve Bobby Jackson (cracked rib).
New
Orleans played its third game without leading scorer Chris Paul on
Saturday, losing 94-80 at Dallas. Paul, who is averaging 18.4 points
and 9.0 assists, is expected to be sidelined for a month with a
sprained right ankle.
``It's like climbing Mt. Everest without the rope,'' Hornets coach Byron Scott said. ``But that's how it is.''
Marc Jackson scored a season-high 22 points Saturday to lead the Hornets, who have lost eight of 10.
Swingman
Desmond Mason is averaging 12.6 points, but could be the most likely
candidate to take over the scoring load in Paul's absence. Mason has
scored above his average in each of his last four games while averaging
17.8 points.
Mason had a season-high 24
points on 10-for-11 shooting in the Hornets' 101-80 loss to Golden
State in the teams' last meeting on Dec. 9.
New
Orleans did win its only home game this season against Golden State,
97-93 on Nov. 7, but that was with Paul, Stojakovic, West and Jackson
all healthy.
[more]
Posted January 2, 2007 11:37:58 AM
George
Karl's Denver team is far from where the coach wants it, squeaking out
wins in spite of its struggles in crunch time. Carmelo Anthony had 33
points and nine rebounds, and the Nuggets held off the Golden State
Warriors 115-112 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
"We're
not executing with much composure down the stretch," Karl said. "We're
still winning games, and as I've told people, the improvements we need
to make can be made. Right now the team has to stay set on getting
better."
After Mickael Pietrus hit two free throws with 37
seconds left, Anthony was whistled for an offensive foul on the other
end, giving Golden State a chance to tie. Pietrus and Monta Ellis both
missed 3-point tries in the final 10 seconds.
"That was the shot we wanted," Pietrus said. "Sometimes you miss, sometimes you make. That's like life sometimes."
But
Andre Miller failed on two free throws with 1.9 seconds left and the
Warriors had one final chance - yet Mike Dunleavy missed a desperation
3 at the buzzer under pressure.
Anthony hit six of his first
seven shots, went 12-for-18 on the night and also added four assists
and three steals in his seventh 30-point performance in eight games,
helping the Nuggets sustain a late Golden State rally.
"We've
been in that situation in every game we've played so far in the fourth
quarter," Anthony said. "It came down to our defense. Everybody's got
to step up."
Jason Richardson had a steal and breakaway dunk with
6:50 to play for the Warriors that made it a two-point game and Troy
Murphy's 3-pointer tied it at 102 with 5:34 left. The Warriors got
several key rebounds late from Andris Biedrins, who had a career-high
seven blocks.
Marcus Camby had 14 points and 16 rebounds and
Miller added 17 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who showed few
signs of being fatigued from playing on back-to-back nights - aside
from committing 25 turnovers.
Richardson, who has struggled so
far coming off arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in August, pulled
out some of his impressive old moves and had to like the results: He
had a powerful one-handed slam in the second quarter and a pretty
reverse layup in the third on which he pump faked to drop his defender.
He finished with a season-high 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists
and four steals in a solid all-around effort.
"I just try to bring energy. We didn't have it tonight," Richardson said.
Golden
State leading scorer Baron Davis returned to the lineup after not
dressing in a 113-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. He was
banged in the ribs during last Saturday's game against Seattle.
Ellis, a 21-year-old second-year guard, had 11 points and a career-high nine assists after back-to-back 31-point performances.
Pietrus
scored six straight points with three-point plays on consecutive
possessions, pulling the Warriors within 93-89 with 10:33 remaining.
The first sequence featured Pietrus hitting three free throws.
The
Warriors concluded their season-high, seven-game homestand with a
second straight defeat. Golden State had its six-game home winning
streak snapped against the Suns.
"It was probably one of our best
defensive games if you take away our turnovers," Karl said. "I don't
think they played very efficiently against our defense."
Karl
wanted to get some more minutes for Yakhouba Diawara after Miller
played 41 minutes Tuesday night. Miller still logged 39 minutes, 56
seconds.
Murphy also returned to the starting lineup for the
first time since Nov. 11 after playing 11 minutes Monday following
three games on the sidelines with a sore left Achilles' tendon. He had
17 points and seven boards but the Warriors were outrebounded 54-34.
Warriors
center Adonal Foyle received loud cheers when he checked in for the
first time with 8:57 remaining in the third quarter. He scored moments
later and the crowd went wild, then grabbed a rebound on the other end
to more applause. Foyle had played only five minutes - in one game - in
Golden State's previous five contests.
The Nuggets hit 15 of
their 25 (60 percent) first-quarter shots to build a 34-26 lead and led
by as many as 10 before the Warriors worked their way back into it and
pulled within 61-58 at the break.
Notes:@ Joe Smith had a great
block of Pietrus late in the second quarter. ... Denver G Earl Boykins,
nursing the flu, didn't travel with the team as he recovers. "Very
early we knew he wasn't coming," Karl said. ... The Nuggets' Nene, who
missed his sixth straight game, had an MRI in recent days on his
bruised right knee. "It was good. It was positive," Karl said. ...
Denver F Eduardo Najera was whistled for a technical for arguing late
in the second. ... Ellis is the Warriors' lone player to score in
double figures in all 12 games.
[more]
Posted November 23, 2006 10:49:31 AM
That's the ticket!
Here are two words rarely associated with the NBA finals: free tickets!
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (above) is cooking up a scheme to give away about 1,400 tickets for game seven, should the championship series against the Miami Heat last that long.
The freebies would come from the allotment of single-game tickets that normally are sold to the public. Sponsors would be involved, likely to help with distribution. The working plan is something along the lines of a lottery; to prevent them from being resold, identification would be required at pickup and upon entry to the arena.
"We're trying to get it so that it's an open opportunity for everybody," Cuban said. "It's not about who can afford, it's who gets lucky."
Doubling up
The Heat is chasing a rare double for the Sunshine State.
There have only been three instances of the NCAA men's basketball champion and the NBA champion hailing from the same state in the same year. UCLA and the Los Angeles Lakers did it in 1972, the Bruins and Golden State Warriors pulled it off in 1975 and the Michigan Wolverines and Detroit Pistons each won championships in 1989.
It hasn't happened since " but could this year, since the Florida Gators won the NCAA title.
Union against testing
The executive director of the union that represents NBA players said he won't agree to blood tests that would show the use of human growth hormone.
"My guys are tested enough," Billy Hunter told Bloomberg News in a telephone interview. "All these problems seem to be initiated from what's happening in baseball."
Former Royals pitcher Jason Grimsley admitted to using HGH, among other substances, according to court documents released Tuesday.
[more]
Posted June 12, 2006 3:49:00 PM
Eric Musselman is the new man that will roam the sidelines for the Sacramento Kings next year.
Musselman has been an assistant with the
Memphis Grizzlies the last two seasons.
He spent 2002-04 as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, and he led them to 37- and 38-win seasons, but keep in mind that the Warriors had failed to win more than 21 games in the prior four campaigns.
The 41-year-old Musselman takes an extensive resume to Sacramento that goes back to when he was a kid tagging with his father, Bill. Eric was a head coach in the CBA at the age of 23 and during the last 18 years, he has also played the role of a talent evaluator. His knowledge of the game is second-to-none for his age, and he also has the knack to find gems in the talent pool. In Golden State, he made millions for Earl Boykins and Brian Cardinal after picking them up off the scrap heap.
Quite simply, the Maloofs were overwhelmed with both of his interviews. Musselman's preparation is legendary in NBA circles, while he brings tremendous energy to the franchise with enthusiasm and attention to detail. The tireless worker is also known to be a strong motivator. Interesting, as the one key flaw noted in his days with the Warriors was that he was too intense. For most franchises, you'd think that's not a flaw.
But this will be a major concern in Sacramento: Can the likes of Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas and possibly Bonzi Wells 'buy' into the program for an extended period? In two short years, Mussleman lost the locker room with Golden State that quickly cost him his job, but of course, that's the status quo in the NBA.
I think he'll be a sweet fit for the Kings. They obviously needed a fresh approach after the long tenure of Rick Adelman. Offense won't be a problem as Musselman's extremely sharp on that end, and he has now studied under some intense defensive minds, including Mike Fratello and Chuck Daly. When asked what he learned in his two seasons at Golden State, Mussleman was quoted as saying, "I've got a whole book if you ever want to come by my place and I'll let you sit down and read everything that I've learned."
[more]
Posted June 7, 2006 2:30:00 PM
The
NBA announced today that the excitement of NBA action will make its way to Monterrey
, Mexico on Saturday, October 14, when the Denver
Nuggets play the Golden State
Warriors in a preseason match-up at Arena de Monterrey.
NBA Mexico 2006 will mark the league's first visit to Monterrey. The
WNBA staged an exhibition game at Arena de Monterrey on May 5, 2004, when the Detroit Shock defeated the San Antonio
Silver Stars, 75-57. The Nuggets vs. Warriors game is the 17th time the NBA will play in Mexico and the 24th game organized by the NBA in Latin America since 1992. The NBA's last game in Mexico was played on October 5, 2003, when the Utah
Jazz defeated the Dallas
Mavericks, 90-85, in Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes.
The Denver Nuggets, who will be designated as the home team, had a solid 2005-06 season with a 44 - 38 record to take honors in the NBA's
Northwest Division. They qualified for the 2006 NBA Playoffs, but lost their first round series to the Los Angeles Clippers, 4-1. The Nuggets roster features Mexican native
Eduardo Nájera who will return home for the NBA Mexico 2006 match-up.
"It is an honor to serve as a global ambassador for the NBA and the Nuggets while playing before my hometown fans," said Nájera. "We will be proud to represent the NBA in a very positive way while providing local fans in Monterrey with a great game and first-class sports entertainment."
NBA Mexico 2006 will be produced in partnership with Arena Monterrey. Tickets for the game will go on sale on May 31, 2006, for the general public.
"We are very pleased to bring, for the first time ever, the best basketball in the world for a preseason match-up in Monterrey. Three years since the league's last visit, we know that basketball fans across the country will want to witness the much anticipated return of the NBA to Mexico, with the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets," said
Alfredo Bernal, Official Spokesperson for Arena de Monterrey.
When the NBA Playoffs tipped off on April 22, team rosters featured a record 44 international players from 25 countries and territories. Latin players also reached a new record in the league, with nine of the 16 Latinos currently in the NBA making it to the playoffs. Almost every team competing in the Playoffs featured at least one international player. This year's number of international players nearly doubled last year's, with 24 players from 18 countries and territories participating in the Playoffs.
[more]
Posted June 2, 2006 12:23:00 PM
The Sacramento Kings have received permission from the Golden State Warriors to interview Mario Elie for their head-coaching vacancy, according to NBA coaching sources.
Elie, who just completed his second season as a Warriors assistant to Mike Montgomery, is expected to meet with Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie by week's end.
|  |
| Elie |
Joe Maloof told ESPN.com Tuesday that he was heading to Las Vegas to join his brother and Petrie to conduct multiple interviews this week, as the Kings intensify their search to replace Rick Adelman.
Memphis assistant Eric Musselman interviewed with the Kings on Wednesday.
Maloof also said Tuesday that the Kings are planning to request permission to speak with San Antonio assistant P.J. Carlesimo.
Carlesimo hasn't been an NBA head coach since a Golden State tenure (1997-99) most remembered for the Latrell Sprewell choking incident. Yet he quickly surfaced as a potential Adelman replacement, with the Maloofs known to be big admirers of San Antonio's defense-first philosophy and approach to team-building.
But Elie, 43, has Spurs ties as well, after helping San Antonio win its first of three championships as a player in 1999. And Elie's candidacy in Sacramento, according to coaching sources, could be enhanced by the Dallas Mavericks' playoff success.
Sacramento, according to sources, sees some Avery Johnson potential in Elie, after Johnson and Elie combined to supply much of the vocal leadership for the Spurs' first championship team in 1999.
In his first full season in Dallas, Johnson quickly lived up to his reputation as an X-and-O natural, intensely guiding the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals and winning Coach of the Year honors.
Elie, an assistant for one season in San Antonio before joining the Warriors, was also known for his intensity as a player and has an existing relationship with fellow New Yorker Ron Artest, Sacramento's enigmatic new franchise player.
Besides Elie and Musselman, it's believed that John Whisenant of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs will also be interviewed this week.
[more]
Posted May 29, 2006 1:57:00 PM
