As he sits on the bench at the start of each game, Jamal Crawford analyzes the opposition, the defenses they are employing, and the flow of the game. The Atlanta Hawks are sure glad their sixth-man extraordinaire is a quick study. Crawford scored 29 points and the Hawks avoided a three-game losing streak by beating the Washington Wizards 105-99 Thursday night.
Goodbye, “Agent Zero.” Gilbert Arenas is switching his uniform number. The suspended guard submitted paperwork to go from No. 0 to No. 6, and the NBA approved the change, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday. Arenas has worn zero since college, saying he picked that number because that’s how many minutes people expected him to play at…
Miami Beach police say Heat forward Dorell Wright has been charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Wright was stopped around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, then booked. Bond was set at $1,000, according to Miami-Dade County corrections officials. In a statement, the Heat said they were “aware of the traffic stop” and declined to comment until they could learn more about the incident.
Officials broke ground Thursday on a much-delayed 22-acre development project that will bring the NBA’s New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn. As protesters chanted and staged a mock funeral for the “soul” of Brooklyn, supporters enjoyed a lavish spread catered by developer Bruce Ratner. “Today is a great day for Brooklyn and for the soul of Brooklyn, which is very much alive,” said…
Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki was struggling, and the Dallas Mavericks needed points from other sources. Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, rookie Roddy Beaubois and Shawn Marion picked up the slack. Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and the Mavericks recovered from a lethargic start to match the NBA’s longest winning streak this season with their 13th straight victory,…
LeBron James is expected to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while Antawn Jamison will be a game-time decision. They were just two of six players to miss practice Wednesday for the Cavaliers, who took advantage of a break in the schedule to rest all five of their regular starters.
Kobe Bryant never gets tired of being the Lakers’ closer. And though he savored the chance to stop Los Angeles’ longest losing streak in nearly three years with yet another flawless game-winning shot, Bryant is hoping he won’t have to bail out the Lakers quite so frequently in the final weeks before they defend their title.
Mike Dunleavy and the Los Angeles Clippers parted company for good Tuesday, barely a month after he relinquished his head coaching duties to focus solely on being general manager. Now that arrangement is over, with the team announcing his departure in an e-mailed statement. Assistant general manager Neil Olshey will take over Dunleavy’s job.
An MRI taken on Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison’s left knee has shown no serious problems. Jamison was forced to leave Monday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter with tightness in the back of his knee. He underwent a follow-up exam and MRI, which a team spokesman said was “good.” Jamison, who has had soreness in his knee most of this season, will…
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey will miss at least a second game after collapsing in Cleveland. Detroit president of basketball operations Joe Dumars says Stuckey won’t play Wednesday night against Utah and there is no timetable for his return, which will be determined by doctors. Stuckey was out of the lineup against Houston on Sunday, two days after he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher…