Sports News Written By Sports Fans
Ray Allen will not play tonight against the 76ers for elbowing Anderson Varejao in the groin. The suspension was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
The incident occurred with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics 107-76 loss to the Cavaliers last Sunday.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGgDF0oFM4Y[/youtube]
The deal reportedly is worth close to $19 million over four years.
The Washington Post also reported that Sam Cassell could be an assistant coach for Saunders.
Flip Saunders was fired last June after the Pistons lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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James scored 37 points as the Cavaliers continued their winning streak and beat the Pacers (117-109) on Monday night. It was a big win and a big milestone for the Cavaliers as for the first time they clinched the best record in the NBA.
“It’s one step, however, it’s a big step,” James said. “When you consider all the great teams, all the great players, all the great coaches and all the great systems that are in the NBA, for us to finish with the best record is a tremendous feat. And that is something the franchise should be proud of.”
The Cavaliers have one more game on Wednesday again the 76ers. A win would tie them for the NBA record for best home mark, 40-1, set by the Boston Celtics in 1985-86.
Mike Brown might rest some players and they are not concerned about breaking that record.
“We’ve got to do what’s best for the ring,” James said. “We’ve got home-court advantage already. We’re not fighting for breaking a record anymore. We’re fighting for that ring.”
MVP votes:
ESPN asked 18 of their NBA experts to fill out their MVP ballots. It was a slam dunk for Lebron. 17 of 18 picked Lebron to win the MVP award.
Granger on Lebron:
“I think LeBron separates Cleveland from other teams,” Granger said. “Kobe’s still a great player, and D-Wade’s a great player, and Boston has their ‘Big Three,’ but I think LeBron brings so much to that team. It opens up so much for everyone else. He’s virtually unguardable, and I think he makes them special.”
With Detroit loss to Chicago last night, Detroit now clinched the eighth seed and will face Cleveland in the first round set to begin Saturday or Sunday.
Should the Cavaliers try to tie best home record (40-1) Wednesday night vs the 76ers?
Yes, go for the record (58%)
No, rest starters for playoffs (42%)
Loading ...An MRI taken at the Cleveland Clinic today revealed that Ben Wallace has a patellar tendon strain.
Wallace will miss tonight’s game against the Pacers and possibly Wednesday night game. His status for the playoffs is unknown at this point.
Patellar tendinitis or “jumper’s knee” is a condition resulting from overuse of the knee. It is possible that his sudden increase in training after missing 17 games with a broken right leg caused the injury.
According to the athleticadvisor.com, the best treatement is to remain active in practice as well as rehabilitation so that he will not detrain.
The Cavaliers handed the Celtics their worst loss of the season and they are now one win away from matching the 1985-86 Celtics for best home record. They are also one win away from clinching best record in the League and having home-court throughout the Playoffs.
The Cavaliers have now topped Boston in eight straight regular season games. Overall the home team between Boston and Cleveland has won the last 16 contests including the postseason.
The Cavaliers held Boston to only 9 points in the first quarter. The last time the Cavs held a team to 9 points or fewer in a quarter was in 1999.
“I looked up at the scoreboard one time and they were shooting 15 percent from the floor,” James said. “That’s unbelievable.”
When the Cavs reserves pushed the lead to 30, James, Mo Williams and Delonte West boogied together during a timeout as Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” pumped through the arena. The trio wasn’t shy about things as they mugged for TV cameras to the roaring crowd’s delight.
I’m always going to remember that,” Ray Allen said. “If I beat a team, as happy as I may be in victory, I’m always going to stay humble and always remember that there’s another day. We play each other too much. Those are great motivational thoughts for me.”
James insisted the Cavs weren’t being irreverent toward the league’s most storied franchise.
“We’re not trying to disrespect any team or show up any team,” he said. “We’re all professionals. If you take it as disrespectful, then you got to do something about it.”
Ben Wallace, who just returned to the lineup last Wednesday suffered a right knee contusion with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter and didn’t return to action against the Celtics on Sunday afternoon.
He will undergo an MRI on Monday and is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Pacers.
Flip Saunders appears to be the top candidate for the coaching job with the Washington Wizards, ESPN reported.
Saunders spent his first 9 1/2 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, taking them to the playoffs eight times and lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals in 2004. Then he coached the Pistons for three seasons and lost in the Eastern Conference finals all three years. One against Miami, Cleveland, and the last one last year against the Celtics.
Anderson Varejao is being treated for a swollen and stiff wrist. He received therapy before Sunday’s game against the Spurs but it didn’t improve.
X-rays taken at the arena showed no break and there’s a chance he’ll have an MRI today. The team believes it is not serious. Varejao said he could play if it was a playoff game
He is currently considered day-to-day.
Ben Wallace–who is still on the inactive list–warmed up on the court prior to the game. He wore a black protective covering on his lower right leg and noticeably favored that leg as he shot from various midrange areas, including the free throw line. He jogged through some basic sets with an assistant coach, setting screens and then popping out to shoot jumpers. He tended to shoot well on his first few attempts but then miss wildly the longer he shot from the same spot. For instance, he hit seven of his first nine attempts from the right baseline but ended up making 11 out of 20 from that area. He shot 10-17 on midrange jumpers from the left baseline. Wallace shoots a better percentage on practice jumpers then you might expect from watching him shoot during games but it is important to keep in mind that great NBA shooters typically shoot 80% or better on uncontested practice shots from midrange areas, so making more than half of those shots is not a tremendous percentage, even if the casual fan might be surprised that Wallace can do that in light of his dismal free throw percentage.
The Cavaliers waived guard Eric Snow on Sunday. The biggest impact it will have is it will reduce their luxury-tax hit to about $13.6 million after this season.
The Cavs didn’t apply for an injured player exception. They applied for long-term disability salary cap relief. They are in the final stages of that process and expect to hear a formal answer from the NBA in the next week.
When that occurs, the Cavs will deduct Snow’s $7 million contract from their tax bill.