Heat, Cavaliers delayed by spill on floor

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The start of the Miami Heat's game against the Cavaliers was delayed 35 minutes Wednesday night because of liquid dripping from the scoreboard onto the floor.

The Cavaliers said the pool was caused by condensation from a carbon dioxide container in the scoreboard.

LeBron James and members of the Heat were in position near the midcourt line and ready for tip-off in Quicken Loans Arena when a large pool of liquid and some debris were discovered. As ball boys and arena workers used towels and mops to clean up the area, a referee went to the official scorer's table with something in his hand.

Both teams were sent to their locker rooms during the delay, and the near-capacity crowd was entertained with music and giveaways.

After the problem was fixed, the teams had a five-minute warmup period before the game began at 7:45 p.m.

The Heat are trying to win their 24th consecutive game and extend the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

original post @ http://www.nba.com/2013/news/03/20/heat-cavs-game-delayed.ap/index.html

Kobe starts, then sits with ankle injury

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Kobe Bryant played 12 minutes Friday after starting for the Lakers at Indiana, missed all four shots and then went to the bench for good.

It was all his severely sprained left ankle could take.

Bryant spent two days trying to fight his way back after landing on the foot of Atlanta's Dahntay Jones in the waning seconds of Wednesday's loss at Atlanta. Throughout the day, he looked better and after going through warm-ups, the Lakers put Bryant in the starting lineup.

He wasn't the same. His four shots all came up short and when he went to the bench at the end of the first quarter, he never returned. It was only the 15th time in Bryant's 17-year NBA career he was held scoreless in a game.

Original post @ http://www.nba.com/2013/news/03/15/bryant-ankle-warming-up.ap/index.html

VIDEO: Deron Williams sets an NBA record with nine first half 3s

There's hot, there's a sidewalk in Texas in the summer, there's the of surface of the sun and then there's Deron Williams' hand Friday in the first half.

In the first half, Williams set an NBA record with nine 3-pointers, seven of them coming in the first quarter. Seven!

(Is there anything better than when a player is feeling it and he's got the ball crossing halfcourt and you just know he's about to crank one from deep? I love that.)

He finished the game 11-16 from 3 for 42 points, one off the NBA record for most in a games held by Donyell Marshall and Kobe Bryant.

Williams was going for it too. With his team up 16 with 1:52 left, he splashed his 11th 3. And with his team up 17 with 1:07 left, he launched his 16th 3 of the game. Mark Jackson would've hired a hitman to take a bat to his knees before his got that one off.

And as you might expect, his Nets cruised over the Wizards 95-78.

for the original post visit: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/21834330/video-deron-williams-sets-an-nba-record-with-nine-first-half-3s