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

NBA suspends Magic's Turkoglu for positive steroid test

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu was suspended 20 games by the NBA on Wednesday after testing positive for steroids.

The NBA said Turkoglu tested positive for methenolone, an anabolic steroid. He began serving the suspension Wednesday night when the Magic hosted the Atlanta Hawks.

Turkoglu took full responsibility for the positive test and apologized to the Magic organization, fans and fellow teammates. He said he took medication from a trainer in Turkey this past summer to help him recover from a shoulder injury and mistakenly neglected to check it against the NBA's list of banned substances.

"As a player this is the worst situation that you want to be in," Turkoglu said. "I'm just sorry to put the organization in this situation. ... I should have double-checked and researched and shouldn't be in this situation."

He is the eighth player suspended for performance-enhancing drugs under the NBA's drug testing policy. He is the second Magic player to be suspended under the policy in four years. Former Magic forward Rashard Lewis was suspended 10 games in 2009 after testing positive for an elevated testosterone level.

Turkoglu said he was tested by the league in December and learned of the suspension Tuesday night. General manager Rob Hennigan said Turkoglu informed the team of the positive test a week ago.

Turkoglu sat out the Magic's past three games for what the team said were flu-like symptoms and a sore back. Hennigan said those ailments were legitimate and unrelated to the positive test.

It is the latest in a string of bad news for Turkoglu during the past year.

He missed 10 games at the end of last year's regular season for a fractured bone above his eye and then missed 28 straight games at the start of this season after breaking a bone in his hand. He's appeared in just 11 games in 2012-13 with only one start. Turkoglu is in the third year of his second stint with the Magic. He is averaging 2.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds, all down from his career numbers over the previous 12 seasons.

"It's been really nightmare," Turkoglu said. "It wasn't a really good year for me. Now I'm facing this. As a player, you face a lot of injuries. It just comes and goes. But this kind of situation, you don't want to put yourself in. This is the worst one I'm dealing with now."

Hennigan said he doesn't believe there are any issues with the NBA's drug testing policy or the culture of the team in light of Lewis' previous test.

"Clearly we need to continue to educate our players on what's safe to take and what not to take," he said. "We'll move forward. We don't support the decision he made, but we support Hedo."

After seeing his rotation disrupted throughout the season because of injuries, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said there is no choice but to move on.

"There's a great thing called reality and you have to accept it," Vaughn said. "Today was an unfortunate reality and you accept it and move forward."

Turkoglu is making about $11.8 million this season. He has one more year remaining on his current deal, but it is only partially guaranteed. He was picked as the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2008 while with Orlando.

The Magic came into Wednesday night's game with a 15-36 record in their first season of rebuilding following the departure of All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers this past offseason.

Asked about Turkoglu's future, Hennigan said it is yet to be determined.

"I think we're going to get through this step. We'll worry about the summer when the summer comes," Hennigan said. "Contracts are what they are. We have to make decisions about a lot of different things in the summer and certainly the Hedo situation will be one of them. But we're not able to comment now on what the decision will be."

Turkoglu said he is focused on serving his suspension.

"I've had my best years in Orlando and I've tried to play as much as I can here. Certain situations are out of my hands," he said. "So like Rob said, we'll wait for the summer to come and we'll see what happens. Right now I want to deal with this and get it over as quick as I can."

For the original post visit: http://www.nba.com/2013/news/02/13/magic-turkoglu-suspended/index.html

Northeast storm disrupts travel for Knicks, Spurs, Nets

NEW YORK (AP) -- Several professional and college sports teams were forced to rearrange their travel plans as a massive storm swept through the Northeast.

The NBA's New York Knicks were stuck in Minnesota after playing the Timberwolves on Friday night, hoping to try to fly home sometime Saturday. The San Antonio Spurs were also staying overnight in Detroit after seeing their 11-game winning streak end against the Pistons, awaiting word on when they might be able to fly to New York for their game Sunday night at Brooklyn.

Airlines canceled more than 5,300 flights through Saturday, and New York City's three major airports and Boston's Logan Airport closed.

The Brooklyn Nets planned to take a train home instead of flying from Washington D.C. after losing to the Wizards on Friday night.

Source: NBA.com

Howard returns to Lakers' starting lineup

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Dwight Howard is back in the Los Angeles Lakers' starting lineup after missing three games with a right shoulder injury.

Howard started at center for the Lakers against Cleveland on Sunday night as Los Angeles attempted to end its six-game losing streak.

Howard apparently tore the labrum in his shoulder earlier this month during a game against the Clippers, and he aggravated the injury last Sunday while grabbing a career high-tying 26 rebounds against Denver. He sat out for the past week to rest the injury.

Howard is averaging 17.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game in his first season with the struggling Lakers, who are on their worst skid in six years.

Pau Gasol missed his fourth straight game for Los Angeles with a concussion.

Source: NBA.com

Stoudemire makes debut, Anthony back in lineup

NEW YORK (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire is making his season debut and Carmelo Anthony is back in the starting lineup for the New York Knicks against Portland.

Stoudemire will come off the bench as he plays his way back into shape following left knee surgery Oct. 31. Both Stoudemire and coach Mike Woodson said the forward's minutes would be limited in Tuesday night's game.

"It's been a long time coming. I've been so ready to play, I put in so much hard work this offseason and then to have to sit out for the first half of this season, but now to be back, I'm so ready to go," Stoudemire said. "I'm ready to provide whatever my team needs to improve, so that's what I'm here for."

Anthony missed two games with a hyperextended left knee, an injury that occurred in the Knicks' loss to the Lakers on Christmas. The Knicks are still without point guard Raymond Felton because of a broken right pinky, and Rasheed Wallace remains out with a sore left foot.

That makes Stoudemire's return even more important for the Knicks, though it was unclear how much he would play. Woodson would only say it would be less than 30 minutes. Stoudemire said he wasn't worried about warming up and then going back to the bench at the start, though Woodson said it was something to monitor.

"That's always a concern, but again, it's what we're faced with," Woodson said. "That's why big minutes at the early stage of him going through this process won't be to his advantage, so we've just got to slowly work him back in."

Woodson said he wasn't sure who he wanted Stoudemire to play with, or whether the reserve role would remain permanent.

"I'm not going to discuss that. I mean, first things first. We've got to get him back on the floor and get him acclimated to what we're doing, and then we'll go from there," Woodson said.

With Stoudemire sidelined, Anthony has slid into his power forward spot and flourished, averaging 28.5 points in leading the Knicks to a 21-9 start. The Knicks have had little success with the two stars playing together, and Woodson could try to avoid that problem by splitting them as much as possible.

However, he has said the Knicks need to have both on the floor to truly contend for an NBA title. He sent Stoudemire to work on his low-post skills this summer, hoping that could become a bigger part of his game.

Stoudemire hardly got to use what he learned, appearing in just one preseason game before having the surgery to clean up loose tissue in his knee. He practiced with the Knicks twice since they returned from their Western trip and decided now was the time to play, even while not yet feeling 100 percent.

"To get back out there now will be great for me to really get my feet wet and see how it goes," Stoudemire said.

Source: NBA.com