Towns' double-double leads Wolves over Bulls

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 35 points and pulled down 22 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 111-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at Minneapolis.

Derrick Rose added 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench to help knock off his former team. Jeff Teague finished with 18 points for Minnesota, which has won back-to-back contests to climb two games within .500.

Zach LaVine scored 28 points to lead Chicago, which fell short for the sixth time in the past seven games. Jabari Parker had a season-high 27 points, and Justin Holiday registered his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota outscored Chicago 62-46 during the second half to win its fourth straight game at home against the Bulls. Each of the Timberwolves' last three home wins over the Bulls have come by double digits.

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau improved to 4-1 against the Bulls, with whom he began his head coaching career.

Towns scored at least 30 points and pulled down at least 20 rebounds for the third time in his career. The 23-year-old fell just four points shy of his season high of 39, which he notched Nov. 9 against the Sacramento Kings.

The Timberwolves opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to seize command. Towns totaled eight points during the scoring binge, including a jump shot and six free throws. Dario Saric started the run with a slam dunk off a feed from Tyus Jones.

Chicago led 50-49 at halftime. Wendell Carter Jr. and Towns traded baskets in the final minute.

Minnesota held close despite a woeful first half from Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, who combined to shoot 0 for 20 from the field. The Bulls also struggled to find their rhythm but leaned on Parker and LaVine, who combined to score 30 points on 17 shots before the break.

Parker scored 20-plus points for the third straight game, which marks his best streak since signing with his hometown Bulls this summer.

The game marked the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. The series will conclude in Chicago on Dec. 26.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Cavs' Rose to miss up to 3 weeks with ankle sprain

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose could be out for three more weeks as he treats a sprained left ankle, the team said on Friday.

Rose has missed the last five games with the injury which he sustained on Oct. 20. He returned briefly before he was sidelined again.

The former league MVP underwent further tests on Friday and will keep his ankle immobilized in a boot for the next week, the team announced.

Rose was signed by the Cavaliers in the off-season and is averaging 14.3 points per game in seven games played.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Derrick Rose fined $200,000 over no-show, according to report

The New York Knicks fined Derrick Rose about $200,000 for his mysterious no-show, the US media reported on Thursday.

Rose created a sensation on Monday when he failed to appear for the Knicks' 110-96 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New York Post said in a report Thursday that Rose had been fined $193,848 — 1/110th of his $21.3 million salary — mirroring the formula used by the NBA for a one-game suspension.

"The team fined him a pretty hefty amount — the amount of the fine for missing a game," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek was quoted as saying.

Rose angered the Knicks management after disappearing without notifying team officials or explaining his absence.

He also ignored calls from team officials attempting to locate him.

He later explained that he had travelled to visit family in Chicago, saying he needed "space."

Rose returned to the team Tuesday and apologized to his teammates, coaches, president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills.

"When I was in the room, I felt like they understood where I was coming from," Rose said of Knicks management.

Rose told reporters prior to the Knicks' 104-89 win over his former team, the Chicago Bulls, on Thursday that he didn't regret making his unscheduled trip.

"Family over everything," he said.

And Rose, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, hopes the Knicks will still want to re-sign him.

"I hope one incident didn't change their minds. Who knows? This is a business and if it was to happen I'm still going to play the way I normally know how to play no matter where I'm at."

Rose, who scored 25 points in his first game back with the Knicks on Wednesday — a nail-biting loss to Philadelphia — scored 17 against the Bulls on Thursday and said he'd been welcomed back warmly by the team, the fine notwithstanding.

"Right when I came back, I felt nothing but love," Rose said. "I apologized to them and like I said, it eases everything when they understand."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Rose helps Anthony bloom as Knicks overcome Pacers

When the New York Knicks acquired point guard Derrick Rose in the offseason they envisioned a playmaker who could accelerate to the rim and become a secondary scorer to Carmelo Anthony.

The only question was could the injury-plagued Rose, a former MVP with the Chicago Bulls, hold up to the rigours of a full season?

After missing three of the Knicks last four games with back spasms, Rose provided the Knicks with the ingredients they have been missing in the backcourt over the last several seasons.

Rose poured in 24 points and dished out six assists in the Knicks 118-111 win over the Indian Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. His layup with 1:37 left gave the Knicks a 116-107 lead.

Rose looked sharp early and often in his 36 minutes. Rose and Anthony, who matched his season high with 35 points, led a fourth-quarter comeback by scoring 11 points apiece in the final frame.

The Knicks (15-13) were down by as many as 81-66 with 4:45 left in the third quarter, before staging their biggest comeback of the season. Anthony got it started with a step-back jumper.

Anthony drained seven-of-11 three-point attempts. He was 13-of-25 from the floor overall.

"I'm just happy that we won," Rose told reporters. "I was just trying to get a feel for the game. With me being out, I tried to come in and get them going.

"I saw Melo (Carmelo Anthony) was hot and the team did a great job of finding Melo and KP (Kristaps Porzingis) in the second half. We were making the extra pass tonight."

Joakim Noah added 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double this season and Porzingis contributed 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

New York sank 13 of its 23 three-point tries, matching its most of this season.

Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young paced Indiana (15-15) with 21 points apiece. Al Jefferson scored 18 points off the bench, and Jeff Teague registered 17 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.

"Carmelo (Anthony) got hot and made some tough shots," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "When he wasn't scoring, (Derrick) Rose did a good job of taking over.

"You have to finish. If you don't finish, whether you are at home or on the road, you are not going to win ball games. It comes down to executing and making plays when you have to."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Judge denies mistrial in Derrick Rose rape lawsuit trial

LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles judge refused to declare a mistrial in the sexual assault lawsuit against NBA star Derrick Rose on Wednesday, saying his accuser's lawyers did not intentionally conceal evidence.

Lawyers for the New York Knicks guard sought the mistrial on grounds that they were not given access to several text messages they call essential to their case until the player was on the witness stand in the civil trial.

Federal Judge Michael Fitzgerald described the situation as "careless" but ruled that the delay in providing the texts to the defense should not result in a mistrial.

Rose, Randall Hampton and Ryan Allen are being sued for at least $21.5 million by a 30-year-old woman who says they gang-raped her at her apartment in Los Angeles in 2013.

The three men deny the allegations, claiming the sexual contact that took place was consensual.

Lawyers for the woman claim the text messages show the plaintiff was unaware the men were coming to her apartment and that she had no intention of having sex with them.

Rose's legal team say the texts prove the opposite -- that the woman was a willing participant.

Rose, 28, testified on Tuesday that the plaintiff was "awake and alert" when he and his friends took turns having sex with her.

The woman testified last week that she was so intoxicated that she has only "flashes" of memory of the alleged rape.

Rose said that after a party at his house, the woman sent him a text message that read: "You need to come see me right now."

The former Chicago Bulls star said the woman greeted the men at her door and told them they could have sex with her "one at a time."

Lawyers for the plaintiff say their client was drugged by the men earlier in the evening and that she was unaware they had entered her apartment.

No criminal charges have been brought in the case, although a criminal investigation was opened when the woman reported the incident to authorities in 2015, around the same time she filed the lawsuit.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department said the death a day earlier of detective Nadine Hernandez, who was part of the team investigating the allegation against Rose, appeared to be suicide and unrelated to the case.

Hernandez, 44, died in hospital after she was found suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest in a home in suburban Whittier.

"Detective Hernandez was among several detectives working on the Derrick Rose case at the time of her death," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. "At this point there is no indication that her case work had any connection to her death. The Rose investigation will continue unimpeded."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Magic hand Bulls fourth straight loss

The Chicago Bulls have fallen, and they can't seem to get up. And the playoffs are slipping away.

The Bulls lost badly for the second consecutive night, 102-89 to the Orlando Magic, and never seriously challenged after a woeful start in another poor defensive performance.

Chicago (30-30) lost its fourth consecutive game and their seventh straight on the road. If the playoffs started today, the Bulls would be home watching for the first time in eight seasons.

"This is foreign territory for me," said Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who led the Bulls with 16 points and six assists. "There are no excuses. It's all about the goals of the team. We said in preseason we wanted to be in the playoffs, but the question is now, are we trying to do that. I'm trying to figure that out. If we are, we have to start playing differently."


Rose, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, played only eight minutes in the second half and failed to score. They never seriously challenged without him.

"It's frustrating, and things don't look too good right now," said center Pau Gasol, who had 12 points and five rebounds. "Teams smell blood with us, and they just go for it. We have to step it up."

The Bulls were without starting forward Taj Gibson, who missed his first game of the season with a sore hamstring sustained Tuesday in a lopsided loss in Miami. They also have been playing without center Joakim Noah (left shoulder strain) and guard Jimmy Butler (left knee).

"We've got a hodge-podge group of guys out there now," said forward Mike Dunleavy, who had eight points and six rebounds. "There are a lot of holes everywhere. The team is struggling, but we have to hang in there."

The Magic (27-33) led from start to finish in a surprisingly easy victory.

Center Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and seven rebounds. Rookie Mario Hezonja had a career-high 21 points and hit three of his seven 3-point attempts.

The Magic got 17 points and seven rebounds from Victor Oladipo. Aaron Gordon had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Elfrid Payton had nine points and 12 assists.

"I think overall, it was a step forward for us," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "I think our overall energy was good. We had a much more aware game."

For the Bulls, it was the 15th straight game in which they surrendered 100 points or more. They gave up 129 points to the Heat in Miami on Tuesday.

Forward Doug McDermott had 11 points for the Bulls on Wednesday, but it was another frustrating night all around. Bulls reserve guard Aaron Brooks was ejected midway in the fourth quarter after two technical fouls for arguing with officials. He had seven points in 17 minutes.

"We've got 22 games left to figure it out," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "I would hope the pride would kick in. It's frustrating, another slow start. You dig yourself a hole, and again the same thing. We need to come out with a better defensive mentality. That's the only way we can do it."

The Magic led 84-67 going into the fourth. They led by as many as 20 points in the third as Vucevic had seven points in the period.

Orlando led 60-50 at halftime, grabbing a quick lead it never lost. It led by as many as 15 points midway in the second period.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Butler, Bulls bound past Bucks

The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 117-106 on Tuesday at the United Center.

The Bulls had dropped three of four games right around Christmas, leading to questions being asked about everything from their leadership to their effort.

"It wasn't anything I said or what anyone else said," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said of the turnaround.

"It was what we said together as a team in the locker room that nobody knows. We got a real good team on paper, out there on the court, but if we don't play for one another, don't stick together, we're not a really good team."

Individually, Butler has been largely responsible for helping the Bulls (21-12) be a better team lately.

Coming off a 42-point performance, which included 40 points in the second half, against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Butler continued to have a hot hand against the Bucks.

He scored a game-high 32 points, including 20 points in the first half, and recorded a career-high 10 assists. He shot 11-for-21 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

"He's balling right now," Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said of Butler. "I'll keep going to him until he doesn't want the ball anymore."

The Bulls got going early as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never once trailed. Milwaukee cut the margin to one point twice in the game, but the Bucks (14-23) just could not find enough consistency on defense.

The Bulls shot 46-for-83 from the field (55.4 percent). The Bucks hit 46 of 102 shots (45.1 percent).

POOR FUNDAMENTALS

Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty thought there was plenty of blame to thrown around for his team's defensive struggles. Milwaukee fell to 5-16 on the road this season.

"Tonight, they just didn't miss many shots," Prunty said. "Part of it may have been we weren't good defensively. The reason was partly the effort we put into it. Some was our poor fundamentals. It was in our stance, missed assignments and not getting in the right scheme. It was on all of us tonight."

On the other hand, the Bulls were again pleased with their offense. They have scored 100-plus points in their past eight games.

Bulls center Pau Gasol had 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and he added 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Rose had 16 points on 8-of-17 shooting, and he handed out six assists.

Bucks guard Khris Middleton scored a team-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting.

The Bucks pulled within striking distance and were only down 90-89 with 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, the Bulls closed the quarter on a 5-0 run and outscored the Bucks 23-17 in the fourth quarter.

"Yes, we tried to contain the deficit," Parker said. "We were in it, but we got down more in the (fourth) quarter and could not come back."

The Bulls led by as many 13 points in the first quarter and held a 36-28 advantage after the opening 12 minutes. The Bucks fought back during the second quarter and pulled within 42-41, but the Bulls stretched their lead to 67-61 by halftime.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Butler providing the spark for Bulls in Rose's absence

Jimmy Butler has stood up for the Chicago Bulls this season and has helped the franchise transition out of their dependence on the injury-ravaged Derrick Rose.

Butler scored a team-high 23 points on Friday as the Bulls routed the New York Knicks 108-81 despite the absence of Rose, who missed a second straight game due to a right hamstring problem.

It is a familiar story for Rose, the 2010-2011 league MVP, who has seen his career decline due to a rash of major injuries.

But as the face of their franchise has faded, Chicago have been propped up by the emergence of a new star.

Butler, 26, enjoyed his breakout during the 2014-15 campaign when he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player and earned his first All Star Game appearance.


This season, though, he has left his mark on the team in entirely new ways. Butler, the Bulls' top scorer and defender, has also become their emboldened vocal leader.

Following a loss against the Knicks on Dec. 19, Butler called out Bulls first-year coach Fred Hoiberg saying he needed to coach the team harder and hold them more accountable.

Butler was criticized for the statements at the time, though it has clearly lit a spark under the Bulls who have won their last three games. Chicago are squarely in the Eastern Conference mix despite finding a new identity under Hoiberg.

Rose continues to try to get back into form and complete his first season free of major injury in five years. But the fate of the Bulls may no longer rest on Rose's shoulders with Butler now doing the heavy lifting. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Snell comes on strong as Bulls topple Raptors

CHICAGO -- Tony Snell scored 16 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls improved to 12-5 at home with a 104-97 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday.

Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose and Snell combined for 64 points as five players reached double figures for the Bulls who collected their second NBA victory in three games.

Forward Gasol scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds while Rose contributed 20 points and four assists for Chicago (17-12). Rose has now registered back-to-back 20 points games for the first time this season.


Raptors guard Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 28 points on nine-for-15 shooting. Guard DeMar DeRozan added 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Toronto, who dropped to 19-13.

Toronto dropped its sixth consecutive contest against the Bulls. The Raptors have not beaten Chicago since December 2013.

Snell helped the Bulls pull ahead by double digits in the final quarter. He drove past guard Terrence Ross and forward Luis Scola for a layup to make it 84-74 with 9:22 left in regulation time.

On the next possession, Snell made a three-pointer to give Chicago a commanding 87-76 lead.

Jonas Valanciunas played his first game for the Raptors after missing 17 contests with a broken hand.

Valanciunas finished with nine points on four-of-seven shooting in 21 minutes of playing time.

Elsewhere, guard Monta Ellis scored a season-high 26 points, and the Indiana Pacers snapped Atlanta's six-game winning streak with a 93-87 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse arena.

Pacers centre Ian Mahinmi, who scored 13 points, tipped in a missed Ellis shot with 16.3 seconds remaining to give Indiana a 92-87 lead.

Solomon Hill and Chase Budinger each added 10 points for Indiana.

"Everybody's willing to learn and ready to step up when their names called," said Hill, who played 26 minutes on Monday with CJ Miles injured.

The Pacers six game win streak was the longest active streak in the NBA.

Paul Milsap led the Hawks with 24 points, Jeff Teague tallied 18, Thabo Sefolosha netted 14 and Al Horford finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Hill's driving layup with 6:21 to play pushed the Indiana lead back to nine at 86-77.

After the Hawks cut the Pacers' lead to 76-73, Budinger and Hill scored consecutive field goals to give Indiana an 80-73 advantage with 8:46 left in the fourth.

Indiana won despite being without Miles (sore back) and not getting much production from all-star Paul George, who scored just nine points on three-of-14 shooting from the field.

Indiana shot 43.7 percent, and Atlanta shot 41.9 percent while the Pacers' bench outscored the Hawks' reserves 14-10 in the opening 24 minutes.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose, two others, accused in lawsuit of rape

Derrick Rose, the 2011 National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player, is being sued by a former girlfriend who alleges he and two friends drugged and gang-raped her in 2013.

Rose's accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, said she and the three-time All-Star Chicago Bulls guard dated from 2011 to 2013.

In August 2013, she said, Rose and two friends invited her to Rose's home in Beverly Hills, California, where they slipped a drug into her drink with the aim of raping her.

The woman said she escaped the house but that Rose and his friends broke into her apartment later that night and gang-raped her while she was incapacitated, it said.

Rose's accuser, who is seeking unspecified damages, said she waited for two years to file the suit because she was "ashamed and embarrassed" of what happened.

"I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose, 26, said in a statement on Thursday. "I am not going to comment other than to say: I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A spokeswoman for Rose said in a statement the "plaintiff's allegations are completely false and without any factual basis."

"This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete," the statement said. "Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years."

"We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous."

Rose, who missed a portion of last season because of a knee injury, averaged 17.7 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game in 51 games.

"We just learned about this matter and do not know all the facts," the Bulls said in a statement. "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." (Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Peter Cooney)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Derrick Rose set for knee op on Friday

CHICAGO - Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose will have surgery on Friday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, the Chicago Bulls said Thursday.

Rose will undergo a meniscectomy, which is removal of part or all of the meniscus, and Bulls general manager Gar Forman will discuss the 26-year-old's prognosis after the procedure.

If the tear is small, it's possible Rose could return within six weeks.

It's the second straight season that Rose has needed surgery for a similar injury in the same knee.

The right knee injuries come after he missed an entire season recovering from a torn left knee ligament.

In their first game since announcing Rose's injury, the Bulls fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

"Our reality is that the games are going to keep coming," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

"We've been through it before. Our team, the thing that I think makes them special is how they care about each other. So we'll have a spirit about us that we're going to have to fight through things."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls' Rose to undergo knee surgery

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will undergo surgery for a torn meniscus is his right knee, the National Basketball Association team said on Tuesday.

The 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player, who was averaging 18.4 points per game this year, reported pain in his right knee earlier in the day, the Bulls said in a statement.

"An exam and subsequent MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear of the right knee," the team said.

The Bulls said a timeline for recovery would be determined after the surgery.

The knee surgery will be the third for Rose since 2012. Those injuries have knocked him out of most of the last two seasons.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gasol, Rose help Bulls get past Celtics in OT

Bulls 109, Celtics 104 (Overtime)

Pau Gasol scored 29 points with 16 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls held on for a win in overtime against the Boston Celtics.

Aaron Brooks added 19 points for the Bulls (24-10), who won for the ninth time in the past 10 games.

Chicago won despite playing without leading scorer Jimmy Butler who missed the game on bereavement leave.

Boston forward Evan Turner scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Celtics (11-20).

- - -

Nuggets 114, Grizzlies 85

Ty Lawson had 25 points and 11 assists, guard Arron Afflalo scored 23, and the Denver Nuggets routed the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kenneth Faried had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 33 to end a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies (24-9) had their Southwest Division lead trimmed to a half-game over Dallas.

- - -

Jazz 101, Timberwolves 89

Trey Burke scored a season-high 28 points and the Utah Jazz continued their recent run of success, using a big third quarter to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Jazz (12-22) led by six at halftime, then went on a 30-20 run in the third quarter, leading by as many as 20 points at one point.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls beat Pacers for 7th consecutive victory

Jimmy Butler scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds and the Chicago Bulls held off a late rally to beat Indiana, 92-90, Monday for their seventh consecutive NBA victory.

Spanish star Pau Gasol added 20 points, while Derrick Rose contributed 17 despite 5-of-20 shooting for the visiting Bulls, who improved to 22-9, two games behind Toronto for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls nearly squandered a 21-point lead with a sluggish fourth quarter in which they were outscored 25-11.

A 3-point play by Chicago's Mike Dunleavy, who pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, put the Bulls ahead 75-54 late in the third quarter, but Chicago missed an unprecedented 17 shots in a row until Gasol broke the futility streak with a turnaround jumper with 3:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

While the Bulls went silent, the Pacers scored 20 points in a row at one stretch, with Lavoy Allen's layup midway into the final period putting Indiana in front and Luis Scola's basket putting the Pacers ahead 86-83.

Butler sank a 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining to put the Bulls back on top and C.J. Watson missed a baseline 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for Indiana.

Chris Copeland came off the bench to lead Indiana's six double-figure scorers with 17 points, netting 13 of them in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers slid to 11-21, 11 1/2 games behind the pace-setting Bulls in the Central division.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rose, Butler lead Bulls past Raptors

Bulls 129, Raptors 120

Chicago chased the Toronto Raptors for most of the game before Chicago put up a franchise-best 49 points in the fourth quarter to secure a victory.

Led by starting Chicago (18-9) guards Derrick Rose (29 points) and Jimmy Butler (27 points, 11 rebounds), the Bulls outscored the Raptors -- the top team in the Eastern Conference -- by 12 in the final quarter.

Kyle Lowery scored a game-high 34 points, and center Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points for Toronto (22-7).

- - -

Hawks 105, Mavericks 102

Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder scored 22 points to lead a balanced attack in the Hawks' win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Hawks (20-7) earned their fourth consecutive win and 13th in the past 14 games. Atlanta is in second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Mavericks (20-9) lost despite 13 points and 11 assists from Rajon Rondo who was playing his second game since being acquired in a trade.

- - -

Spurs 125, Clippers 118

Tony Parker dropped 26 points on the Los Angeles Clippers, leading the Spurs to a victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.

Parker returned to his spot at point guard, after missing eight of the last nine games with a strained left hamstring, as San Antonio (18-11) earned a season-high output in points and assists with 37.

Chris Paul led the Clippers (19-9) with 25 points and nine assists.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rose's injury labelled as 'mild strain'

The Chicago Bulls received good news regarding the left hamstring that point guard Derrick Rose injured in Thursday night's game.

After an examination Friday, the Bulls determined it was a mild strain, the Chicago Tribune reported. No MRI was needed, and Rose is listed as day-to-day.

The Bulls' next game is a home contest on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers. Coach Tom Thibodeau would not speculate on Rose's availability for that game, according to the report. The Bulls have been conservative regarding Rose's playing time following injuries in the past.

Rose had 20 points on 5-for-14 shooting before tweaking his hamstring late in the 100-93 win over the Toronto Raptors.

- - -

Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot and will miss at least two games, the team announced Friday.

Kidd-Gilchrist will be re-evaluated in Charlotte after the current road trip, and a recovery time will be determined at that time.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that forward Thaddeus Young will miss at least the next two games because of his mother's death.

- - -

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett said he is interested in owning the Minnesota Timberwolves some day, Yahoo Sports reported.

"I want to buy the Timberwolves. Put a group together and perhaps some day try to buy the team. That's what I want," Garnett said after the Nets' 107-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

- - -

The Warriors assigned guard Justin Holiday and center Ognjen Kuzmic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced.

- - -

The Cleveland Cavaliers assigned center Alex Kirk to Canton of the NBA Development League. (Editing by Gene Cherry)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Team USA thrashes Dominican Republic

NEW YORK - The United States hammered the Dominican Republic 105-62 on Wednesday in a basketball World Cup tune-up at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The lopsided contest gave US coach Mike Krzyzewski a prime opportunity to tinker with his star-studded lineup.

He was without Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, who was a late scratch after returning to the game for the first time in eight months on Saturday in an exhibition win over Brazil in Chicago.

Rose had missed most of the last NBA season after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee on November 22. He had previously been sidelined by a torn ligament in his left knee.

Krzyzewski started much the same lineup as in the win over Brazil, with Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried all getting the starting nod, and Kyrie Irving in for Rose.

The United States were quick out of the gate, taking a 53-21 halftime lead. Harden scored 10 points while Curry delivered three assists and two three-pointers.

Off the bench, Klay Thompson also contributed 10 points with two three-pointers.

DeMarcus Cousins, nursing a bruised knee, also saw limited action but looked back to full mobility after taking a knock in practice last Thursday.

The United States was playing without stars Kevin Durant, who withdrew from the team recently saying he was too mentally drained for a World Cup campaign, and Paul George, who suffered a horrific broken leg in a training game in Las Vegas.

The FIBA World Cup -- previously known as the World Championships -- will be held August 30-September 14 in Spain.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Jeremy Lin lands endorsement deal with adidas

MANILA, Philippines – Houston Rockets star Jeremy Lin has landed an endorsement deal with adidas, joining the apparel company’s basketball roster that includes seven-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard and Chicago Bull’s superstar Derrick Rose.

On Monday (Tuesday, Manila time), adidas announced its partnership with Lin, who first turned heads while playing for the New York Knicks.

“I’m really excited to join the adidas family,” Lin said in a statement. “They’ve changed the game with new technology and style and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Unheralded as a high school player, undrafted from Harvard University and cut twice from NBA rosters, Lin made global headlines when he led the New York Knicks to an improbable seven game winning streak in 2012.

Dubbed “Linsanity,” his rise to stardom was fueled by elite playmaking ability and clutch shooting as he became the only NBA player in modern history to tally 20 points and seven assists in his first five starts.

“Jeremy’s relentless drive, passion for the game and background of leading winning teams throughout his career makes him a perfect fit for the adidas brand,” said Chris Grancio, adidas head of global basketball sports marketing.

The first Asian-American player in the NBA, Lin joined the Houston Rockets in 2012 and has helped them become one of the Western Conference’s top teams while averaging over 14 points, four assists and two rebounds per game this season.

Lin will be featured in a variety of upcoming adidas marketing initiatives and will play a role in the development of basketball footwear and apparel.

Other adidas athletes include WNBA MVP Candace Parker, FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi FC Barcelona and six-time tennis Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls' Rose facing surgery on right knee

LOS ANGELES - Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will need surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely, the NBA team said Saturday.

The Bulls had been anxiously awaiting the results of medical tests after Rose was hurt in Friday's 98-95 loss at Portland on Friday night.

"Subsequent examinations and an MRI confirmed a medial meniscus tear to his right knee, which will require surgery," the Bulls said in a statement on their official Twitter feed.

"Rose is out indefinitely, and will not accompany the team on the rest of its current road trip."

It's heartbreaking news for Rose, the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player who missed all of last season following surgery on a torn ligament in his left knee.

Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a playoff game on April 28 of 2012 and didn't play again until the opening night of this season.

Rose was averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 assists per game going into Friday's contest, but was shooting just 36 percent from the floor.

He showed flashes of his former MVP form on Friday, but late in the third quarter, when a pass from team-mate Joakim Noah was picked off by Nicolas Batum, Rose stepped awkwardly as he tried to get back on defense and hyper-extended his right knee.

After hobbling to the bench he was helped the locker room. He later left the arena on crutches.

"He has pain and it felt like he couldn't push off his right knee," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game.

The Bulls are scheduled to play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls rout previously unbeaten Pacers

CHICAGO - Britain's Luol Deng scored 23 points and Derrick Rose added 20 in his return from injury Saturday to power the Chicago Bulls over previously unbeaten Indiana 110-94.

The Pacers, who fell to 9-1, had been the NBA's last undefeated team and the first club to win so many games to start a season since the Dallas Mavericks in 2002.

But a night after the Pacers ripped Milwaukee, the host Bulls outplayed Indiana from the start, seizing a 31-20 lead after the first quarter and a 60-35 half-time advantage.

Chicago's biggest lead of the night was 33 points before the Bulls, 5-3, benched their stars and left the reserves to finish off their fourth win in a row.

Bulls playmaker Rose, who had not practiced since injuring his right hamstring in a victory Monday over Cleveland, was named a starter shortly before the game and showed he was ready to return with a solid performance, hitting 6-of-11 shots from 3-point range and 7-of-16 overall in 31 minutes on the court.

Roy Hibbert had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers, who had seven double-figure scorers.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com