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[Monta Ellis #11]

Expect Rose back for training camp
Bulls original timeline of up to 12 months to recover from surgery looks more and more likely

The only timeline the Bulls have given regarding Derrick Rose's return is eight to 12 months. That means, given the surgery took place May 12, missing the 2012-13 season always was a possibility.

Now that Rose sitting out all season is all but a certainty, the Bulls and Rose have drawn some criticism. Asked in light of that whether the Bulls should have just declared Rose out for the season last fall, coach Tom Thibodeau shrugged.

"They were just being forthright," Thibodeau said of management and team physician Brian Cole. "That's what everyone thought. We didn't know, and we still don't know. We were just being honest.

"Obviously, you can look back and say that now, but we never felt that way. We knew it was the type of injury that takes time, so you just want to do what you feel is right. We feel like we've done that."

Rose was cleared for full scrimmaging on Feb. 18. He has practiced well but has given no signs of playing in games.

"Derrick has put a ton into his rehab. He really has," Thibodeau said. "He gives you maximum effort every day. There's nothing more he could really do. Once he feels ready, he'll go."

Thibodeau reiterated there is no drop-dead date for Rose to return, leaving the possibility open he could play in the playoffs after missing the regular season. Nobody expects that scenario to transpire, however, which means Rose likely would return next training camp.

Thibodeau was asked if the story is more of an obsession with fans and media than within the organization.

"Look, this was not unexpected. A player like Derrick there's going to be a lot of attention on and rightfully so," Thibodeau said. "This guy has done an incredible job with his career, with this franchise, and we understand how important it is. … We knew (missing the season) would be a possibility all along."

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony told reporters at the morning shootaround to "stop rushing Derrick back."

"What's two more months going to do?" Anthony said. "I don't think he should come back, and that's just my opinion."

Roll call: Thibodeau detailed the organization's philosophy for all injured players when asked about Joakim Noah's progress from plantar fasciitis, which Noah has said will linger during the playoffs. Noah sat along with Taj Gibson, who is "getting real close" according to Thibodeau, and Rose.

"If he can play, we certainly would want him to before the playoffs (for rhythm and conditioning)," he said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...tory?track=rss

[Rondo9]

Spurs waive Stephen Jackson after disagreements about his role

After recurring disagreements with the team about his diminishing role, the San Antonio Spurs released forward Stephen Jackson on the cusp of the playoffs, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs had threatened the release for several days, but Jackson was still surprised that coach Gregg Popovich carried through with it on Friday, sources said.

Jackson, 34, isn't eligible to be included on a playoff roster if he's claimed off waivers or becomes a free agent after 48 hours.

Popovich and Spurs general manager R.C. Buford had worked out issues with Jackson as far back as the trade deadline, and one source says the organization even offered to release Jackson and let him go elsewhere, if that was his wish.

Nevertheless, disagreements over Jackson's role resurfaced in recent days, and the Spurs believed that Jackson had started to have a negative impact on the team's younger players. Within the Spurs, the organization didn't believe Jackson was playing well enough to bring him into the playoffs under these circumstances, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs' depth has taken a severe hit with the loss of Jackson, as well as Boris Diaw needing three to four weeks to recover after having surgery to remove a cyst from his lumbar spine.

In his second tour with Spurs, Jackson played a pivotal part in their run to the Western Conference finals a year ago. Still, those who knew Jackson believed that his desire for a contract extension in the final year of his agreement could bring tension to this season.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--sp...223252495.html

[Rondo9]

Kevin Durant fined $25,000

NEW YORK -- The NBA has fined Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant $25,000 for making a "menacing gesture," when he pretended to slice his throat after throwing down a big dunk during the Thunder's victory against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

The play that led to Durant's costly celebration occurred with about 1:45 left in the second quarter of Oklahoma City's 116-97 win at Golden State.

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook blocked Stephen Curry's layup, and Durant corralled the ball and went in for a soaring dunk at the other end of the court. He then made a throat-slashing gesture and crossed his hands in prayer.

"Kill 'em and pray for 'em after the game," Durant said.

"It's nothing against the team I'm playing against," Durant added. "Come out with a mindset and be friends after the game."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/91...nacing-gesture

[Rondo9]

Knicks waive Kurt Thomas

NEW YORK -- The Knicks have waived veteran forward Kurt Thomas to clear a roster spot for free-agent big man Solomon Jones, the team announced on Friday.

The Knicks signed Jones shortly before Friday night's game against Cleveland. Jones is eligible to suit up for the Knicks against the Cavs and will take Thomas' roster spot.

Due to a recent rash of injuries to the Knicks' front line, the team decided to release Thomas to create room for a healthy big man. The 40-year-old Thomas suffered an acute stress reaction in his right foot in mid-March and had been inactive for the past 12 games.

"We thank Kurt for all that he has done," Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement released by the team. "I have the utmost respect for Kurt as a player and as a man."

Thomas provided a huge lift for the Knicks in his last game of the season. Playing with a major injury in his right foot, Thomas scored six points and grabbed three rebounds in New York's win in Utah. The victory on March 18 snapped a four-game losing streak and was the first of 13 straight wins for the Knicks.

Many players credited Thomas' performance against the Jazz as a key to their winning streak.

"Kurt's contributions to the Knicks have been immeasurable," Grunwald said. "From the first day of training camp, to his last game against the Utah Jazz, Kurt has been a key contributor to our team.

The team's success this season has been driven by veteran leadership on and off the court -- it is something that cannot be quantified or read in a box score."

An MRI of Thomas' foot taken the day after the Utah game revealed an acute stress reaction. The team had hoped that Thomas could return sometime during the postseason. But with Tyson Chandler (neck), Kenyon Martin (ankle) and Marcus Camby (foot) sidelined by injury, the team could not afford to wait for Thomas.

The Knicks had agreed in principle to a deal with free-agent forward James Singleton on Wednesday. Singleton was in Chicago on Thursday preparing to join the Knicks, but the deal fell through because of a procedural issue with Singleton's team in the Chinese Basketball Association, according to a league source. Singleton could not gain clearance through the FIBA to leave the Chinese Basketball Association and join the Knicks. There is a chance that the Knicks could still agree to terms with Singleton, but nothing is imminent.

So the Knicks turned their attention to Jones on Friday.

Jones most recently played in the Chinese Basketball Association with Liaoning. The 6-foot-10 Jones played in the NBA in 2011-12 with the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. Jones will be eligible for the Knicks' postseason roster.

Thomas' future is unclear. The 18-year veteran recently expressed interest in playing next season.

He played seven seasons with the Knicks between 1998 and 2005. Thomas was a key contributor to the Knicks teams that reached back-to-back Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. He currently ranks ninth on the franchise's all-time rebounding list with 4,272 caroms and 15th in games played with 569 appearances.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...est-player-nba

[Урош94]

Vitti on Bryant's Injury



То explain and expand upon the happenings around Kobe Bryant's season-ending tear of his left Achilles tendon, Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti addressed reporters on Saturday at the team's practice facility.

"Third-degree rupture," said Vitti of Saturday morning's MRI results. "It’s gone. It has to be sewn back together."

Vitti said that the plan is to have Bryant ready to play for the start of next season, providing a rough timetable of six to nine months.

"He’ll be immobilized for quite awhile – a month or more," Vitti explained. "Then like anything else, he’ll start working on strength and range of motion. This isn’t something you want to speed up or accelerate. You don’t want to lengthen the tendon too soon because then that destroys the repair. It’s a very delicate process of getting the strength and length back into the tendon without overloading it too soon."

GARY VITTI

Q: Opening statement:
Vitti: Obviously when something like this happens, everybody wants to know why. And there’s not always a reason why. If you look at our season, it’s been a nightmare. We had a player come in with a surgery which was Dwight Howard, then we had Steve Nash break his leg, then we had Steve Blake have an abdominal surgery, then Jordan Hill with hip surgery, then we had Metta World Peace with a knee surgery. We also had Dwight with a labrum (tear) in his shoulder. Antawn Jamison will have surgery after the season on his wrist. When you try to look at the ‘why’s,’ it’s bad luck. If we’re going to look at why these guys are getting injured, then we have to look at why the years we had seven or eight guys playing 82 games. Why? Some of it is just bad luck.

The stuff out there with Kobe playing 48 minutes … if you want to say it’s 48 minutes, it has more to do with every minute you’re on the court, gives you an opportunity of being injured. You can’t be injured if you’re on the bench. If that’s your argument, I can see that. The odds increase with time on the floor. You can step on somebody’s foot, you can get yourself in a bad position and get injured. To say he was injured because he played 48 minutes the last however many games is a stretch. Lots of guys rupture their Achilles tendons and don’t play 48 minutes. To make that correlation isn’t fair. We’ve just had a very bad luck season, but we’re not done. Kobe showed some tremendous guts out there hitting the two free throws that kept us in the game, and eventually we won the game. The kid went up there with a torn Achilles tendon and buried two free throws. I think it’s a big inspiration to our players and we’re ready to play the next two games.

Q: On if he’ll be back by the beginning of the next season:
Vitti: That’s the plan. (Timetable recovery they said is six to nine months).

Q: On the severity of the injury:
Vitti: There are no good Achilles tendon ruptures. Third-degree rupture. It’s gone. It has to be sewn back together.

Q: On the next steps after surgery:
Vitti: He’ll be immobilized for quite awhile – a month or more. Then like anything else, he’ll start working on strength and range of motion. This isn’t something you want to speed up or accelerate. You don’t want to lengthen the tendon too soon because then that destroys the repair. It’s a very delicate process of getting the strength and length back into the tendon without overloading it too soon.

Q: On what makes him believe Kobe can win this battle:
Vitti: I said to him last night this is just another challenge in your life. The game of basketball comes too easy for you, so you need these things. The best thing you can do for us, as media, is say things like: ‘He can’t do it.’ That will force him to do it. He’s already taken the challenge. He’s already made the decision today to have the surgery. For us, it’s trying to keep him down and trying to slow him down.

Q: On if there’s anybody that could talk Kobe out of not playing:
Vitti: No, maybe his kids. Maybe his children.

ВИДЕО

Извор: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/130413vitti_kobebryant

[Rondo9]

Rip Hamilton suspended one game

MIAMI -- Chicago Bulls guard Richard Hamilton has been suspended for Sunday's game against the Miami Heat after receiving a flagrant-2 foul in Friday night's loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Hamilton was ejected with 5:33 left in the third quarter after elbowing the Raptors' DeMar DeRozan in the face. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was frustrated that the veteran lost his composure, given that the Bulls were already playing without Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson because of various injuries.

"I hate to see him get thrown out of a game," Thibodeau said after Friday's loss. "I thought there was a lot of grabbing and holding and we got to handle that better. Calls didn't go our way. We're on the road. We're not going to get calls. But sometimes that happens."

This will be the 31st game Hamilton has missed this season. He returned last Thursday after missing about six weeks because of a lower-back injury.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story...-demar-derozan

[Rondo9]

Kevin Love vows to come back strong

MINNEAPOLIS -- Just when Kevin Love was getting ready to try to salvage something positive from a lost seasons, one more injury cropped up to end it all.

A few days after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Love vowed to come back stronger than ever from a massively disappointing season for him and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"This was supposed to be such a big year for us and myself and everybody included in this organization," Love said on Saturday before the Wolves hosted the Suns. "It (ticks) me off in a lot of ways."

Coming off a breakout season in the NBA and playing a pivotal role in the Team USA's run to the gold medal in London, Love was poised to vault into the elite in this league, and take the Timberwolves right with him. But he broke his right hand twice -- once just before the season started and then again in early January -- and was limited to just 18 games. And as he was preparing to return after having surgery on his hand in January, Love felt discomfort in his left knee that prevented him from running in workouts.

So the decision was made for him to have surgery, which ended any chance of him returning to the court. Doctors removed some built-up scar tissue in the knee on Wednesday, and he expects to be back up to full speed in about a month. He'll have a full summer to work out and prepare for next season, and Love plans to take full advantage.

"You never want to have a season like this," Love said. "Who would have thought coming into this that I would have two broken hands and had to have surgery and now this. The best part about it is I'll have a clean bill of health now and I'll be ready to go in a month."

Love averaged 18.3 points and 14 rebounds in the 18 games, and the Wolves also dealt with injuries to Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic, Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger as they watched another season swirl down the drain. Love endured some angst from the fans, both for some critical remarks he made about the organization shortly after returning to the court for the first time and for a career-low 35.2 shooting percentage.

After spending all last summer with Team USA, Love will have this one all to himself. He plans to throw himself into workouts with trainer Rob McClanaghan to get himself back to where he was before this season.

"I've always prided myself on being a pretty ambitious kid," Love said. "That's part of the reason I've been where I'm at today. You can always get better, you can always push forward."

The Wolves haven't made the playoffs since 2004, something Love fully expects to change next season when everyone returns healthy.

"I'm definitely looking forward to that and I know this team is hungry," Love said. "I'm hungry myself. The only thing we can do now is just look towards the future."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/91...-stronger-ever

[Урош94]

Kobe Bryant update: Surgeon 'optimistic' for recovery

By Matt Moore | NBA writer
April 14, 2013 1:32 pm ET



The surgeon who repaired Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles tendon is "optimistic" about his recovery prospects. From the LA Times:

The doctor who performed surgery on Kobe Bryant's ruptured Achilles' tendon said he expects the Lakers star to be back playing at some point next season.

Speaking exclusively to The Times, Dr. Neal ElAttrache said Sunday that Bryant's competitive drive and mental toughness will give him an edge in recovering from an injury that figures to sideline him at least six to nine months.

“I can point to all of the scientific aspects of the repair, but just as important if not more important is, who is that Achilles attached to?” said ElAttrache, who performed the hour-long surgery Saturday. “In this situation, it's attached to Kobe Bryant, who has figured out a way to get through some injuries that would ordinarily be career-threatening. Some of the things he's had go on with him have ended guys' careers in the NBA.

“He's figured out a way to get through it and be one of the best players in the NBA.”

via Exclusive: Doctor who performed Kobe Bryant's surgery is optimistic - latimes.com.

The surgery always looks good immediately afterwards, it's only later when complications arrive. But everything is on the right path, and Bryant seems resolved to attack this process as only he can. He has no other choice.

Meanwhile, Bryant's personal trainer Tim Grover told the LA News that the injury was a freak one, and had nothing to do with his minutes:

But as Bryant's MRI results taken this morning, his personal trainer, Tim Grover, spoke with absolute certainty on one thing regarding his client's injury.

“It had nothing to do with the minutes he had been playing or anything of that sort,” Grover said in a phone interview with this newspaper. “A torn Achilles tendon is a very freaky injury. It's just one of those things that just happened.”

Grover conceded the possibility that Bryant's torn Achilles tendon could stem from the bone spurs in his left foot that he has had “for a while.” But Grover said it's common for anyone to suffer the injury through every-day movements, such as climbing out of bed or stepping off a sidewalk.

“Everybody is trying to look at somebody to blame for it whether it be the coaching staff, Kobe, me or whatever it is. But everyone who is involved with him has to take responsibility in this. But it's more of a freakish injury than anything else.”

via Kobe Bryant's personal trainer says heavy minutes had nothing to do with injury | Inside the Lakers.

People won't believe Grover, because they want someone to blame, and specifically they want to blame Mike D'Antoni. But what does he know? He's only been training the best athletes in the world for twenty years.

Grover told our own Ken Berger of CBSSports.com this weekend:

Grover spoke with Bryant on Friday night after the injury, and as of then, he said his star pupil was all in -- “fully on board” with waging this fight. But the road will be long, slow and grueling. Full recovery will not take kindly to Bryant's insistence on pushing through pain, ignoring normal human timetables and doing the impossible. His sewn-together tendon will be a lot tougher than those who allowed him to push himself to such incredible limits over these past few weeks.

“We'll have to see,” Grover said. “It's not an easy process. It's not an impossible process; it's been done many times before, and I believe he can be as well as he was before. But it's definitely a long, tedious process.”

via When Kobe Bryant gives the word, the long road back will begin - CBSSports.com.

And Mitch Kupchak said on Saturday:

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak came out firmly in defense of D'Antoni on Saturday, and the Lakers made athletic trainer Gary Vitti available to the media to dispel the notion that Bryant's recent workload had triggered the injury.

"If you want to say it's 48 minutes, it has to do more with every minute that you're on the court gives you an opportunity of being injured," Vitti said. "You can't be injured if you're on the bench. So if that's your argument, I can see that. The odds increase with time on the floor; you could step on somebody's foot, you can get yourself in a bad position and you can be injured.

"But to say that he was injured because he played 48 minutes, I think, is a stretch," Vitti said. "Lots of guys rupture their Achilles' tendon and don't play 48 minutes. So to make that correlation I don't think is fair. We've just had a really bad-luck season."

via Is Mike D'Antoni responsible for Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury? - CBSSports.com.

The Lakers have lined up their side of the story. It was a freak injury, it wasn't avoidable, he's going to be back.

Everything else for Bryant is up in the air.

Извор: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...due-to-minutes

[Урош94]

Seattle group ups offer to buy Kings to NBA-record $550 million

By Ken Berger | NBA Insider/Columnist
April 12, 2013 4:02 pm ET

The group of investors making a pitch to buy the Kings and keep them in Sacramento has informed the NBA it will essentially match the offer put forth by a group hoping to move the team to Seattle, a league source confirmed to CBSSports.com.

The detail, first reported by USA Today, means the Sacramento group has agreed to sweeten its offer to account for a $30 million deposit that would be refunded to the Seattle group, led by Chris Hansen and Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer, if NBA owners scuttle Seattle's bid for the team. Any other financial comparison between the two offers also would have to account for there being no relocation fee associated with a successful bid by the Sacramento group to keep the team in Northern California, but that aspect of the negotiation has been understood from the start of the process.

The Sacramento group, led by Indian billionaire Vivek Ranadive, has been in constant contact with the league office and remains committed to working with the league on the process that has been set forth to purchase the team, a league source said.

The agreement to cover Hansen's $30 million "non-refundable" deposit essentially rendered moot the Maloofs' establishment of a 5 p.m. PT deadline for the Sacramento group to submit a backup offer in writing. The Sacramento group's lawyers also have been in contact with the Maloofs' lawyers as the fate of the Kings pushes toward a possible resolution next week. The deadline is not part of the process the league has set forth, according to multiple sources.

However, late Friday Hansen announced the Seattle group had reached an agreement with the Maloofs to increase by $25 million its offer to buy the team, putting the potential purchase price at an NBA-record $550 million.

"While we already have a binding purchase agreement to purchase the controlling interest in the team, the Seattle ownership group has elected to voluntarily raise its purchase price as a sign of our commitment to bring basketball back to our city and our high degree of confidence in our Arena plan, our financing plan, the economic strength of the Seattle market, individual and corporate support for the team and, most importantly, the future of the NBA," Hansen said in a statement posted on SonicsArena.com.

Hansen's group entered into a binding agreement with the Maloof family in January to purchase the controlling interest of the franchise based on a $525 million value.

The sale of the team now is essentially in the hands of the NBA owners, who will meet April 18-19 in New York to potentially vote on the sale and possible relocation -- if questions raised during a committee meeting earlier this month have been answered. Many of those questions relate to construction timelines and potential obstacles for arena development in both cities.

Since the owners' committee meeting in New York last week, where both groups made presentations, the Sacramento group has changed in complexion. Billionaire Ron Burkle, who was going to spearhead Sacramento's arena project, recently dropped out of the group of proposed equity investors. Burkle cited a conflict of interest because one of his companies manages some NBA players' careers. Burkle also was not viewed favorably by the Maloofs, so it has been suggested his absence from the group could ease the Maloofs' reluctance to negotiate with the Sacramento contingent.

In fact, the Maloofs' attempt to create a deadline to negotiate with the Sacramento group has been viewed in some circles as a step in the right direction for Sacramento because the family has never before indicated a willingness to do so.

Replacing Burkle on the Sacramento team -- which includes Ranadive, 24-Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs and Sacramento developer Mark Friedman -- is former Facebook executive Chris Kelly. Other investors have asked to join the group, but a person familiar with the situation said Ranadive has been turning additional contributors away because he believes the current group has enough to make a competitive bid for the team.

Извор: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ke...ffer-for-kings

[Rondo9]

Source: Doug Collins to resign

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins will resign at the end of the season, a league source confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard on Sunday night.

The Sixers picked up the option on Collins' contract for the 2013-14 season in training camp and he said then he wanted to remain with the organization in some capacity when his coaching career was finished.

ESPN.com reported Friday that Collins staying with the organization in a front-office or advisory role was an option if he decides to step down, according to sources close to the situation.

Yahoo! Sports reported Collins' decision to resign earlier Sunday night.

Team president Rod Thorn was already set to step aside after this season, leaving open the possibility Collins assumes greater front-office control.

With the franchise in decline after the Andrew Bynum trade was a massive flop, Collins decided he wanted no part of what could be a long rebuilding effort.

The Sixers are 33-47 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference a year after they won 35 games and a round in the playoffs in last year's lockout-shortened season. The Sixers finish out the season Monday in Detroit and Wednesday in Indiana.

Team owner Joshua Harris, who did not immediately respond to emails Sunday night, was scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday.

Collins, a four-time All-Star with the Sixers, returned to the franchise in 2010 and led them to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons.

After falling one win shy of advancing to the Eastern Conference finals last season, the Sixers shook up the roster and made the bold move to acquire Bynum.

Bynum never played for the Sixers because of bone bruises in both knees. He insisted from training camp he would play this season, only to shut it down for good on March 18 and undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on both knees. Bynum earned $16.5 million this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

His decision came out only hours after his agent told reporters Collins would return next season.

"He's here for another year, at least," agent John Langel said. "He's the coach and we'll see what happens."

There was no immediate word on when he notified his players. No Sixer indicated in the postgame locker room that Collins was leaving.

Hall of Famer Julius Erving, a former Sixers great and team adviser, said before Sunday's win over Cleveland that the Sixers needed to keep Collins.

"The organization can ill-afford to have Doug walk away," Erving said. "You're not going to get a better coach or a better teacher."

Collins refused to discuss his job status on Sunday.

Collins guided a young Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls from 1986-89, and the Detroit Pistons from 1995-98. He coached Jordan again with the Washington Wizards from 2001-03.

His two seasons with the Wizards had been his only two full seasons in which he did not lead his team to the playoffs. He was fired shortly after Jordan was denied a return to the front office.

Collins worked for TNT after leaving the Wizards and received the Curt Gowdy Media Award at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his work as a broadcaster.

He was a four-time All-Star with the Sixers, and he averaged 17.9 points in a career marred by injuries. A knee injury forced him to retire in 1981, two years before the 76ers beat the Lakers for the 1983 NBA title.

His son, Chris Collins, was hired as head coach at Northwestern earlier this month.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/91...cording-source

[Rondo9]

NBA to fine players for first flop

NEW YORK -- The NBA will fine players $5,000 for a first flopping offense during the playoffs.

The league issued players a warning for a first offense during the regular season, the first time it punished players for trying to fool referees into making calls by exaggerating contact.

The league says Thursday that there were 24 violations during the regular season, with five players getting a $5,000 fine for violating the anti-flopping rule twice.

A second offense in the postseason will bring a $10,000 fine, which increases to $15,000 for a third and $30,000 for a fourth. A player could be suspended if he is ruled to have flopped five or more times.

The NBA defines flopping as "any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player."

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013...-flop-playoffs

[Rondo9]

Warriors end long wait for playoffs

OAKLAND, Calif. -- David Lee has worked for eight seasons to be in the NBA playoffs. The last time he even attended a postseason game was between the Bulls and Wizards in Chicago before the 2005 draft.

"It's been a long time to wait," said Lee, who spent his first five seasons with the New York Knicks. "I'm having to do more to calm myself down than to get hyped to be ready for it."

A lot of Lee's teammates can relate.

Andrew Bogut is the only Golden State Warriors starter who has ever been to the playoffs. Only five players have been to the postseason. Heck, only five players on the current roster were even in the NBA the last time the franchise made the playoffs in 2007.

When the sixth-seeded Warriors begin their first-round series at third-seeded Denver on Saturday, it will be uncharted territory for most involved, including second-year coach Mark Jackson. For the first time, the former NBA point guard will be in a suit on the bench instead of a jersey on the court when the ball is thrown up for the first time.

Jackson was adamant after the team's light practice Thursday that playoff experience matters little. He also recalled when the Boston Celtics -- led by Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson -- knocked his Knicks out in the first round his rookie year in 1987-88 in four games.

"Experience didn't send us home," Jackson said. "The Boston Celtics, with four Hall of Famers, sent us home."

Denver's George Karl has Jackson well outnumbered on the NBA sidelines. Karl will be coaching his 22nd squad in the playoffs.

Jackson, who had never coached at any level when the Warriors hired him two years ago, deflected the attention to his players when pressed about how his abilities will be tested.

"Every series I've ever been a part of, the best team has won," he said. "Phil Jackson didn't, to me, outcoach Larry Bird. He won. He did an incredible job. (The Lakers) had the two baddest boys on the floor in Shaq and Kobe."

Meager expectations also are keeping the Warriors loose.

Lee posted a photo on Twitter in the afternoon of ESPN The Magazine's preseason prediction, which gave Golden State a zero percent chance to make the playoffs. Even though the Warriors finished 47-35 and made monumental strides on defense and rebounding this season, they are still treating themselves as the underdogs in this season.

Then again, the Nuggets won an NBA franchise-best 57 games and became just the 11th team in league history to lose three or fewer home games in a season. They finished 38-3 at the Pepsi Center, part of the reason Golden State left a day early to adjust to the altitude in the Mile High City.

"I don't think anybody expected us to be in this position," Lee said. "We were talking last night, most of us were deciding (last year) which beach we were going to this weekend, are we going to ship the car out for the summer or leave it here for another week. Last night felt like it was just another game we were finishing with and beginning our new journey. I'm the most excited guy in this gym right now."

Getting too anxious is also part of the concern, especially in a series where both teams like to push the pace.

Denver led the league with 106.1 points per game this season. Golden State was seventh with 101.2, including Stephen Curry's NBA-record 272 3-pointers this season.

Veterans such as Bogut, Richard Jefferson, Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry and Andris Biedrins -- the only player still on the roster when Golden State upset top-seeded Dallas in 2007 -- have tried to offer advice to teammates about what to expect in the playoffs. Mostly, it's just to keep doing what got them to this point.

"It's not like you can tell them, 'It's this or it's that,'" Bogut said. "At the end of the day, it's 5-on-5 basketball. You still have to get stops to win games. It's just everything is magnified because there's more media attention and the games are all sold out. I don't think the game changes. I think the environment around the game changes."

Curry watched his dad, Dell Curry, in the playoffs growing up. The last time he attended a playoff game was in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., when the Orlando Magic swept the Bobcats in four games in 2010.

While he has never played in the NBA playoffs, Curry has often been at his best in the biggest games of his career.

Curry dazzled at Davidson, leading the tiny college to the regional finals in the 2008 NCAA tournament. He has also scored a career-high 54 points in a loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 27 and had 47 points in a loss at the Lakers last Friday.

"For me, it's about consistency and how you approach the big game," Curry said. "You don't get too hyped for the Madison Square Gardens, the Staples Centers, the nationally televised games more so than you do a Tuesday night game against the Phoenix Suns. It all has to be the same mindset so when you get into those situations where the moment is increased a little bit, you're prepared for it."

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013...tle-experience

[Rondo9]

Joakim Noah uncertain vs. Nets

CHICAGO -- Despite seeing action in each of the final two games of the regular season, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah still is in danger of missing all or part of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is planning on having Noah available for the first-round series that begins Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, but admitted that some uncertainty still hangs in the air when it comes to the All-Star who has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

During an appearance on ESPN Chicago 1000's "Waddle & Silvy Show," Thibodeau was asked if it is possible that Noah doesn't play.
"It's possible, yeah; he's still day to day," Thibodeau said. "If he has soreness, we're going to take it as it comes."

Noah has played in just three games since March 21, and played just 14 minutes in each of the last two games of the season. He looked sluggish in two separate stints on the court Wednesday against the Washington Wizards and afterward admitted to feeling "rusty." When not soaking his right foot in a bucket of ice water after the game, he walked around the locker room with a severe limp.

Even if Noah does play against the Nets, it's likely he will be on a severe minutes restriction. How much might Noah be able to play?

"I don't know and that's the unfortunate part," Thibodeau said. "All I know is that we're better with him on the floor. I prefer for him to be out there extended minutes but whatever he can give us we would like him to do it. But if he can't go he can't go and we have to go to the next guy."

Nazr Mohammed figures to pick up key minutes in place of Noah.

As for who starts at shooting guard, Thibodeau said he will go with the emerging Jimmy Butler. There was some thought Thibodeau might prefer the playoff experience of Richard Hamilton.

"It's Jimmy," Thibodeau said. "He's played extremely well. He's earned it and that was the one positive (of so many injuries this season). I think you have to make the best of what your circumstances are and I think with all those injuries, Jimmy had an opportunity to play and grow. He's played at a very high level so that's been a big plus for us."

Despite all signs pointing to Derrick Rose not playing until next season, the door still remains open for his return in the playoffs.

"It's always possible, but he's been out all season now so we'll see where that goes," Thibodeau said.

While Rose continues to impress in practice, playing in games is another level above that. And even another level higher than that are games in the playoffs and the intensity that comes with them.

Questions remain as to whether Rose isn't playing because of physical restrictions or if he's lacking the confidence he needs to operate at a high level.

"I think it's probably both," Thibodeau said. "But his game is so unique from the standpoint of it's built on power, speed, change of directions, stop and go, explosion, and he has to be able to do that comfortably. Until he's sure he can do that we don't want him out there. He has to be comfortable. We knew this would be a long process and we have to continue to be patient. And I think we have to do what is right and I feel we've done that."

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story...-brooklyn-nets

[Rondo9]

Amar'e Stoudemire all but ruled out

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson has all but ruled out Amar'e Stoudemire for the team's opening-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

"I think he's going to be out,'' Woodson said Thursday. "That's my gut."

Stoudemire was on the floor during practice but hasn't started running yet. The veteran power forward underwent surgery March 11 to clean up debris in his right knee.

At the time of the surgery, the Knicks said Stoudemire was expected to miss four to six weeks. Based on that timetable, the earliest he could return would have been April 22, a day before Game 2 of the first-round series.

On Thursday evening, Stoudemire stopped short of ruling himself out of the Knicks-Celtics series but did not put a specific timetable on his return.

"I'm doing everything I can to get back out there and be extremely strong and healthy so, hopefully, I'll be out there soon," Stoudemire said on Thursday at the premier of his documentary, "Amar'e Stoudemire: In The Moment," which will debut on EPIX on Friday.

The Knicks have thrived even with Stoudemire out, finishing the regular season 17-6 in their last 23 games and winning the Atlantic Division title for the first time in 19 years.

Stoudemire has dealt with injuries in each of his three postseasons with the Knicks.

In the Knicks' first-round series against Boston in 2011, Stoudemire suffered a back injury prior to Game 2 while attempting a dunk during warm-ups. He played through the injury, but averaged just 10 points in the final three games of the series.

Last season, he suffered a hand laceration after punching the glass casing of a fire extinguisher following a Game 2 loss to the Heat. He missed Game 3 of the series.

Stoudemire missed the first two months of this season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. In 29 games this season, the 10-year veteran averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds in 23.5 minutes, shooting 57 percent from the field.

In positive injury news for the Knicks, All-Star center Tyson Chandler said he's feeling 100 percent healthy.

Chandler had missed 16 of the Knicks' final 20 games with a bulging disk in his neck. He practiced with the team Thursday.

"It's the best I've felt in a long time," Chandler said. "It actually was a blessing in disguise that I was able to get that time off because now I'll have fresh legs throughout the playoffs and I'm excited for this long run we're about to endure."

Knicks starting guard Pablo Prigioni is questionable for Saturday's Game 1 because of a sprained right ankle. If Prigioni can't play, Woodson may opt to insert rookie forward Chris Copeland into the starting lineup and shift Iman Shumpert to shooting guard.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...boston-celtics

[Rondo9]

Kris Humphries divorce agreed on

LOS ANGELES -- The marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, which began with a storybook wedding, ended Friday in a grim courtroom with a judge approving a divorce settlement after a protracted legal battle between the former couple.

"I think this is a reasonable way to resolve this case," said Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg, who did not disclose terms of the settlement.

Humphries sent his lawyer but did not appear in court. Kardashian, who is pregnant with a child by her boyfriend Kanye West, appeared in a black silk puffy sleeveless maternity dress embellished with sequins on the skirt.

"Ms. Kardashian, is this your signature?" the judge asked her as he perused a three-page settlement agreement.

"Yes," she replied. She continued to answer yes when asked if she had discussed the matter with her attorney and understood that there would be no trial.

"During your marriage did irreconcilable differences occur?" the judge asked.

"Yes," said Kardashian.

"Is there any way your marriage can be saved?" he asked.

"No," said Kardashian.

She married the NBA player in a high-profile wedding in August 2011. She filed for divorce later that year.

Humphries sought an annulment, claiming their marriage in an elaborate wedding ceremony was a fraud staged for her reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

She denied the allegations and insisted on a traditional divorce. She apparently won.

"The court is going to grant dissolution of marriage," the judge said, advising that the divorce would not be final until papers are drawn up and signed.

Humphries did not attend the brief hearing. His lawyer, Benjamin Johnson, said he agreed to the settlement. The judge dropped an order for the Brooklyn Nets power forward to appear and explain why he failed to attend a previous hearing.

At Nets practice, Humphries was asked if he was relieved.

"Yeah, I'm focused on basketball," he said. "It's something where I'm out here practicing and playing and like I said, I would never let anything get in the way of basketball."

Kardashian was hustled into court by sheriff's deputies through a back entrance and no photos were allowed.

The judge congratulated Johnson and Kardashian's attorney, Laura Wasser, for achieving the settlement.

"I wish both parties the best of luck as they move forward with their lives," he said.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...-divorce-terms