Tag: Oklahoma City

All-Star notebook: Calf strain keeps Leonard out of Rising Stars game

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kawhi Leonard’s first trip to All-Star weekend was barely worth the flight.

The Spurs rookie forward was a late scratch in Friday’s BBVA Rising Stars Challenge game at the Amway Center after suffering a strained right calf in a 114-99 victory at Denver the night before.

Leonard played just 2:05 against the Nuggets before being sidelined. He does not know if he’ll be able to take the floor when the Spurs resume the season Wednesday against Chicago.

“I’m still a little tight,” Leonard said. “I couldn’t move out there. I’m just going to see how time goes on, get some treatment over the next few days.”

The Rising Stars team drafted by NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley — aka “Team Chuck” — was also without Spurs center Tiago Splitter, who like Leonard is dealing with a calf strain.

Splitter, who was replaced by Utah’s Derrick Favors, did not make the trip to Orlando. Leonard, meanwhile, watched from the bench as Team Chuck ripped Team Shaq — drafted by Shaquille O’Neal — 146-133.

Cleveland rookie guard Kyrie Irving, who scored 34 points to lead Team Chuck, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Even though he was inactive, Leonard said he enjoyed his night.

“I wanted to play,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a little injury. I couldn’t go out and compete.

“It’s just a great feeling being selected and being here with these guys. Some of them I’ve been through the draft process with. To know a few of us made it, it was fun.”

Leonard promised to be back as a sophomore next year in Houston.

“They’re going to see me again,” he said.

Missing the captain: For the first time in four All-Star trips, Spurs point guard Tony Parker had to go it alone this year.

Parker said it didn’t hit him that Tim Duncan’s streak of 13 consecutive All-Star games was over until Friday morning’s player meetings.

“It’s weird,” Parker said. “Like at the meetings, usually I’m always sitting next to Timmy. It feels a little bit weird to be solo.”

Still, Parker was having trouble summoning too much sympathy for the Spurs’ 35-year-old power forward.

“I know he’s happy to be on vacation and enjoying time with his family,” Parker said.

Saturday night primer: Before he takes the floor in Sunday’s All-Star game, Parker will participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge tonight as part of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday night festivities.

Rounding out the field for that event are Irving, Washington’s John Wall, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, New Jersey’s Deron Williams and Boston’s Rajon Rondo.

Rondo will replace Golden State’s Stephen Curry, last year’s winner, who is out with an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, the Silver Stars’ Sophia Young will compete with Team Texas in the Haier Shooting Stars competition. Joining her are Houston’s Chandler Parsons and former Rocket-turned-TNT-analyst Kenny Smith.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

LeBron paces star-studded roster on Thursday’s S&Ds

Before the game, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra implored LeBron James he would need a “Magic Johnson-like” performance from him Thursday night to overcome the loss of missing power forward Chris Bosh. 

James obliged with a performance that would have pleased Johnson, erupting for 38 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals in the Heat’s 107-93 victory at Portland — their NBA-best ninth straight victory.  

Spoelstra invoked Johnson’s name to James, telling him he needed him to do a lot with a strong all-around effort.

“Really, it was as simple as this: `We need a Magic Johnson-type, not necessarily performance, but awareness,”’ Spoelstra told the Associated Press. “Man, he really took the challenge. It’s his ability to do all these different things in the course of one game.”

James said he was ready to do what his team needed.

“We had a big piece of our team out, so I definitely had to step up my game to bring home this win,” he told the AP.

Dwyane Wade added 33 points and 10 assists as the Heat cruised  to their sixth straight victory on the road and 17th victory in their last 19 games.

Their big games were enough to place both on Thursday’s Studs and Duds of  the top efforts across the league.

STUDS

Miami F LeBron James: Erupted for 38 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, five steals and was plus-8 in the Heat’s victory at Portland.

Oklahoma City F Kevin Durant: Went for 38 points, eight rebounds and was plus-9 in the Thunder’s victory at Orlando.

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Notched 33 points, 10 assists, three steals and was plus-13 in the Heat’s victory at Portland.

Oklahoma City G Russell Westbrook: Delivered 29 points, 10 assists and was plus-10 in the Thunder’s victory at Orlando.

Phoenix G Steve Nash: Provided 13 points, eight rebounds and 17 assists and was plus-9 in the Suns’ victory over Minnesota.

DUDS

Miami G Norris Cole: Missed all four shots with three turnovers and was minus-5 in the Heat’s victory at Portland.

Los Angeles Clippers Eric Bledsoe: Missed both shots, had two turnovers and fouled out in only 10 minutes of game in the Clippers’ victory at Sacramento.

Sacramento G Isaiah Thomas: Went 2 for 4 from the field, had  six turnovers and was minus-8 in the Kings’ loss to the Clippers.

Sacramento G Tyreke Evans: Clanked through a 7-for-21 shooting night with four turnovers and was minus-6 in the Kings’ loss to the Clippers.

Orlando F Glen Davis: Went 1 for 8 from the field in the Magic’s loss to Oklahoma City.

Blair says team can’t afford to let up now

DENVER — No team in NBA history ever fared better in a stretch of nine consecutive road games than the Spurs did on the rodeo road trip that concluded Thursday with a 114-99 victory in Denver.

Awaiting the Spurs when this weekend’s All-Star break concludes: Seven straight at the ATT Center, where they are 13-1. It is the second-best home-court record in the league, behind only Oklahoma City’s 15-1 mark. The seven-game homestand is to begin Wednesday with a game against the Chicago Bulls, whose 27-8 record is second-best in the Eastern Conference.

DeJuan Blair, who matched his career high with 28 points to spark the Spurs to their 114-99 victory in Denver, said it was more important to focus on the game in Denver as the first game of the second half of the season, rather than the end of the rodeo trip.

“We’re playing great, and we’re ready for the second half of the season,” Blair said. “The first half is over and we played good. We went 8-1 on the road trip. It was pretty cool, but we’ve got to keep playing. The first game back is Chicago, so we know we’ve got to keep playing well and just play hard.”

Blair’s most productive game of the season on Thursday was tonic for the Spurs’ interior game that is missing second-year center Tiago Splitter, likely to miss the first three games of the homestand. He made 12 of 21 shots — season highs in both categories — and grabbed 12 rebounds in 35 minutes, another season high.

Coach Gregg Popovich was happy to see Blair’s aggression.

“He and Tony (Parker) worked really well together,” he said. “Tony got him in positions where he had the ball, but DeJuan’s a really unique player. You never know what you’re going to get, as far as how he’s going to score.”

Avoiding a bad conversation: Popovich found himself rationalizing his decision to rest both Tim Duncan and Parker in Tuesday’s blowout loss in Portland, but he had an easy answer for everyone who questioned it: Duncan’s chronically sore left knee, diagnosed with tendinosis and supported by a knee brace in every practice and game, simply can’t be overworked if he is going to be effective during the playoffs.

“Everybody is going to do it at some point this season,” he said, “and it’s based on minutes played. Sometimes, it’s just got to give, and you’ve got to sit them in hopes it will pay off down the road and Timmy won’t come to me and say, ‘My knee is hurting.’

“I don’t want to hear that statement, and if he plays every game, I will hear that statement before playoffs. I’m just trying to guard against it, and if I make an error I will make it in the direction of caution, rather than the other direction.”

Missing Orlando: Splitter said his strained right calf muscle responded well to treatment he has received while remaining with the team and its athletic training staff for the final three games of the rodeo road trip. His leg feels better than he anticipated a week after the injury occurred during the Spurs’ win over the Clippers in Los Angeles.

He had been selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge, the first event of All-Star Weekend in Orlando.

“I will miss it,” he said, “but it is very important I continue to receive treatment on my injury. (Head athletic trainer) Will (Sevening) has done a great job, and it is improving a lot.”

mikemonroe@express-news.net

Twitter: @Monroe_SA