NBA: Even without Davis, Lakers rout Warriors

LeBron James had 23 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in three quarters, and the Los Angeles Lakers coasted to a 120-94 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles center JaVale McGee finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, three blocks and three steals against his former team. 

Dwight Howard added 15 points and eight boards for the Lakers, who won for the ninth time in their last 10 games.

Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points while starting for Los Angeles in place of Anthony Davis, who was rested since he is dealing with shoulder and rib soreness.

D'Angelo Russell scored 21 points for Golden State, which has lost five in a row. Russell had scored at least 30 points in each of his previous four contests. Rookie Eric Paschall had 15 points for the Warriors.

Los Angeles got off to a sizzling start, using a 12-0 run for a 29-15 lead after a 3-pointer by Alex Caruso with 4:11 left in the first quarter. 

The Lakers led 38-26 at the end of the quarter, having hit 69.6 percent of their shots from the floor, including 5 of 8 3-point attempts. James scored 11 points in the first.

The Warriors managed 50 percent shooting in the quarter but misfired on 5 of 6 3-point tries. Overall on the night, Los Angeles hit 53.9 percent of its field-goal attempts to 40.4 percent for Golden State.

The Lakers dominated the glass, compiling a 51-33 rebounding edge. They also topped 30 assists for the fourth consecutive game, finishing with 31 compared to 29 for the Warriors.

After trailing by double digits for much of the first half, the Warriors launched a brief rally in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to seven before the Lakers seized a 67-55 edge at the break.

In the third, the Lakers blew the game open.

Lakers reserve guard Rajon Rondo, who made his season debut Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns after missing nine games with a strained right calf, didn't play since the club did not want him to appear in back-to-back contests yet.

Los Angeles guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left the game in the second half due to a left ankle injury.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hot-shooting Hornets cruise past Kings

Charlotte forward Nicolas Batum scored 21 points, and center Dwight Howard had 20 as the Hornets rolled to a 131-111 victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on Tuesday.

Jeremy Lamb and Johnny O'Bryant III each had 16 points, and Kemba Walker contributed 12 points and 10 assists for the Hornets (14-23). Charlotte shot 57.3 percent from the field and coasted after building a 20-point halftime lead that grew to 23 late in the third quarter.

Batum and Lamb made three 3-pointers apiece as the Hornets sank 15 of 32 from long distance. Marvin Williams, O'Bryant and Frank Kaminksy had two apiece.

Zach Randolph finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Skal Labissiere had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Sacramento, which has lost three straight home games since beating the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday. The Kings (12-25) have lost five of six.


The Kings shot 51.7 percent from the floor and had a 47-30 rebounding advantage but could not overcome Charlotte's 3-point efficiency and precision ball-handling. The Hornets committed only three turnovers, while the Kings turned the ball over 15 times.

Charlotte posted a season high in points, two more than it had in an overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on Nov. 22.

Kings rookie guard De'Aaron Fox, the fifth player taken in the 2017 draft, had 17 points and four assists in 33 minutes. He started in his first appearance since Dec. 19, having recovered from a partial tear in his right quad. He had missed six games in a row and seven of eight, playing only 11 minutes in that Dec. 19 contest against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kaminsky scored 12 points for Charlotte, which is 6-14 since Nov. 24.

Howard had 13 points in the first half, one of four Hornets in double figures at halftime, as Charlotte rolled to a 72-52 lead.

Williams had two of the Hornets' six 3-pointers in the final eight minutes of the first half, which Charlotte closed on a 33-14 run.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dwight Howard suspended, Rockets coach fined

NEW YORK -- The NBA suspended Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard for one game on Tuesday for striking the arm of a referee, and his coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $10,000 for criticizing officiating after the same game.

Howard was to miss Tuesday night's home game against the Miami Heat over the incident in the fourth quarter of the Rockets' 123-122 loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

 He made contact and struck the arm of one of the officials.

Howard scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the game but was ejected for the second straight contest after tangling with Wizards center Nene.

They shoved each other and Referee Mitchell Ervin stretched out an arm in warning. Howard, who leads the league with 12 technical fouls this season, pushed Ervin's arm down and walked away, later apologizing for making contact with the official.

After the game, Bickerstaff blasted NBA officials, saying they routinely fail to call "dirty" play against Howard.

Bickerstaff said Rockets executives, including owner Leslie Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey had brought up the issue with the league office "tons."

Bickerstaff also criticized the overall officiating of Saturday's contest.

"We don't like to blame referees," Bickerstaff said. "Tonight, there were too many calls that were critical (that were) missed and they went the other way."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets complete stunning series comeback over Clippers

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets humbled the Los Angeles Clippers 113-100 in game seven of their NBA second round playoff series Sunday to reach their first Western Conference final since 1997.

James Harden tallied 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Dwight Howard finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who became just the ninth team ever to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to win in seven games.

"They had stretches where they did some things that got us off our game a little bit, but for the most part we stayed in attack mode," said Rockets coach Kevin McHale. "We just had a lot of guys play well."

It marked another playoff meltdown for the Clippers, who have never made it to the NBA semi-finals in franchise history and looked to be in command of this series after notching three wins in dominating fashion.

"So close? I don't even know what that means anymore," said Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who had 26 points and 10 assists.

"Like Ricky Bobby said," he went on, referencing a Will Ferrell Hollywood movie character, "if you're not first, you're last. Close isn't good enough."

The Rockets move on to face the top-seeded Golden State Warriors starting on Tuesday in Oakland.

They closed out the series three days after stealing game six in Los Angeles, where they rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit for a 119-107 victory.

This is the Clippers' first season under new ownership, but it has ended in familiar style. It's the third time in four years the Clippers have failed to get past the second round.

Trevor Ariza hit a three-pointer with 55 seconds left in the fourth that pushed the Rockets' lead to 11 and all but clinched the series victory.

"It's a long summer," said a disappointed Paul. "It's getting old, to tell you the truth. I have to get better. It starts with me."

The Rockets, after back-to-back first-round exits, finally made the NBA final-four again for the first time since '97 -- two years after the Hakeem Olajuwon-led teams won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

They will face a Golden State team who won all four meetings between the two during the regular season.

"This was a great test for us," said Howard. "I think we passed it, so it's time for the next one."

Blake Griffin had 27 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles and DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 17 rebounds.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets soar over Clippers to avoid elimination

James Harden and Dwight Howard delivered when it mattered most for the Houston Rockets, who averted playoff elimination with a 124-103 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Five of the Western Conference semi-finals on Tuesday.

Harden posted 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Howard added 20 points and 15 rebounds as the Rockets forced a return trip to Los Angeles for Game Six on Thursday by thriving in the paint and playing with defensive vigour.

Los Angeles still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 but if the Rockets can even the series on Thursday, Game Seven would be back in Houston on Sunday.

The Rockets matched their Game Three total for points in the paint (36) by halftime and finished with 64 as they took full advantage of DeAndre Jordan's foul trouble, with the Clippers center picking up three by the break while logging just nine first-half minutes.

Jordan finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds but was largely neutralised as a rim protector. Forward Blake Griffin paced the Clippers with 30 points and 16 rebounds, while guard Chris Paul added 22 points and 10 assists.

The guard trio of J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, instrumental in two blowout wins in Los Angeles, shot a combined 8-for-33.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale tweaked his lineup, starting forward Josh Smith in place of Terrence Jones. Smith finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Jones added 12 points and five boards.

(Editing by Cameron French/John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets rally past Clippers to tie series at 1-1

Dwight Howard carried them early and James Harden took over in the fourth quarter as the Houston Rockets rallied past the Los Angeles Clippers for a 115-109 win on Wednesday to tie up their Western Conference semi-final series at 1-1.

Harden scored 32 points and dished out seven assists, while Howard posted 24 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, playing doggedly at both ends despite picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter.

The Rockets also drained 42-of-64 free throws as they made regular trips to the charity stripe.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin scored 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds but shot just 2-for-9 from the field in the second half as the Rockets fought back from a nine-point deficit.

Center DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Jamal Crawford chipped in 19 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench.

Hot on the heels of a 71-point second half that propelled them to a 1-0 series lead, the Clippers continued their offensive assault against the Rockets in the first half of Game Two.

Griffin was electric, switching roles from facilitator to unstoppable scorer en route to 26 first-half points on just 14 shots.

However, by stepping up their defensive efforts, the Rockets worked their way back into contention in the third quarter as Griffin made just one-of-four shots in the period and the Clippers hit only 7-of-24 on the way to 20 points.

Houston center Howard earned the defensive assignment on Griffin, but the Rockets also scrambled better on the defensive end.

The Rockets scored the final five points of the third quarter, all on free throws, to head to the fourth just 85-83 adrift and Harden stepped up to bag 16 points in the final frame to help Houston pull clear.

(Editing by Jahmal Corner/John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Harden flirts with triple double against former team

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets took down Oklahoma City 112-101 Thursday thanks to a quick start out of the gate and a near triple double from former Thunder star James Harden.

Harden led a half dozen Houston players in double figure scoring with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in front of a crowd of 18,300 at the Toyota Center arena.

"We want to be a championship team," Harden said. "We got it rolling tonight.

"I had confidence and trusted in my teammates to make the easy threes. We had a great bounce back game."

The Rockets had a four-game NBA winning streak come to an end with Wednesday's 120-113 loss to the Orlando Magic.

On Thursday, Trevor Ariza tallied 17 points and Donatas Motiejunas scored 14 for Houston. Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and Josh Smith each scored 13 points in the win.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook, Dion Waiters and Reggie Jackson scored 16 points apiece in Oklahoma City's third loss in four games.

The Rockets jumped all over the Thunder from the opening buzzer as Harden stepped up his play against his former team. The Rockets also shot 16-of-36 from three-point range.

Harden scored the first seven points for the Rockets as part of a 23-2 run early in the first.

Oklahoma City scored the first four points of the contest then fell silent until Waiters hit a field goal to cut the Rockets commanding lead to 23-9.

Harden scored 15 points in Houston's highest-scoring quarter of the season as they led 40-18 at the end of the first and then 64-53 at the half.

The Rockets maintained a double-digit lead throughout the third and took an 88-75 lead into the fourth.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Irving scores 38 but Cavs fall to Rockets

CLEVELAND -- Australian star guard Kyrie Irving scored 38 points but did so in a losing cause Wednesday as the Houston Rockets pulled away late to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-93.

Houston's James Harden, the NBA scoring leader, went only 6-of-18 from the field but led the Rockets with 21 points as the visitors outscored the Cavaliers 32-19 in the fourth quarter in taking their third victory in five games.

The Cavaliers remain without injured star LeBron James, the NBA's number two scorer who has a sore back and knee.

Dwight Howard scored 17 points and grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds for Houston while reserve Josh Smith added 16 points, seven of them in the fourth quarter.

Irving's season-high point total included only four points in the final period after torching Houston for 34 over the opening three quarters. His first field goal in the fourth quarter did not come until that was only about a minute remaining in the game.

Houston's Corey Brewer scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and Trevor Ariza netted 13 points for the Rockets.

J.R. Smith played more than 17 minutes off the bench but went scoreless in his Cavaliers debut, missing all five of his shots. He was part of a three-team, six-player deal earlier in the week.

Kevin Love added 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers while Tristan Thompson scored 11 for Cleveland, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. They are 19-17 overall but only 1-5 since James was sidelined.

The Cavaliers open their road trip Friday at Golden State, which has the NBA's best record at 27-5.

The Rockets improved to 24-11, fifth in the Western Conference.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Dwight Howard investigated in Georgia for child abuse

ATLANTA - Authorities in Georgia are investigating child abuse allegations against National Basketball Association star Dwight Howard, a center for the Houston Rockets who is among the league's marquee performers, police said on Tuesday.

The allegation against the basketball star comes amid heightened attention to domestic violence incidents involving professional athletes including NFL star Adrian Peterson, who was suspended on Tuesday for "abusive discipline" on his 4-year-old son.

Police declined to elaborate on the details of the Howard investigation, which followed a prior probe of the same accusation in Florida. Entertainment news website TMZ said Howard is accused of beating his 6-year-old son with a belt buckle.

"The Cobb County Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit reopened their investigation into the allegations against Mr. Howard," said Dana Pierce, a spokesman for the suburban Atlanta police department.

Howard's attorney, David Oscar Markus, said in a statement that Florida authorities previously investigated the allegations and found them to be not substantiated. The Florida case was closed in September, Markus said.

The child's mother, with whom Howard is involved in an ongoing Florida civil case involving child custody, "is now shopping her baseless allegations to authorities in Georgia," Markus said.

In court documents from the Florida civil case, the NBA star said he disciplined his son "in an appropriate manner when necessary," but "never caused marks, bruises, welts or injuries requiring medical treatment."

Jane Carey, attorney for the child's mother, declined to comment.

The 28-year-old 6-foot, 11-inch (2.11-meter) Howard, a 10-year NBA veteran, played for the Orlando Magic from 2004 to 2012. He has led the league in rebounding during five seasons and is an eight-time All-Star.

Before entering the NBA, Howard played high school basketball in suburban Atlanta.

(Editing by Jonathan Kaminsky, Cynthia Johnston and Sandra Maler)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Howard's 32 points lift Rockets past Spurs

Dwight Howard paired 32 points with 16 rebounds and delivered a dominating interior performance against the short-handed San Antonio Spurs in a comfortable Houston Rockets win, 98-81.

With the Spurs (2-2) resting center-forward Tim Duncan and lacking injured center Tiago Splitter, Howard ruled the paint and overwhelmed forwards Aron Baynes and Jeff Ayres.

Howard made 12-of-18 shots from the floor, utilising a combination of dunks and hook shots to keep the Rockets (6-0) unbeaten.

Down five regulars, San Antonio shot its way into an early hole by missing its first 11 attempts from the field. Cory Joseph finished with a team-high 18 points for the Spurs.

Houston guard James Harden chipped in with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. (Editing by John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets douse Heat in battle of unbeatens

James Harden and the unbeaten Houston Rockets continued their sizzling start to the NBA season on Tuesday with a 108-91 triumph over the Miami Heat.

Harden was just one rebound shy of a triple-double, scoring 25 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Rockets, who also got 26 points from Dwight Howard.

With the win the Rockets are off to their first 5-0 start since opening 6-0 during the 1996-97 season.

They'll face another formidable test when they host the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

"We always want the test," Harden said. "Our next game against San Antonio in Houston is going to be a test as well. We're going to approach every game the same way -- both ends of the floor make sure we're together."

Chris Bosh, wooed by the Rockets as a free agent in the off-season before re-signing with the Heat -- staying put despite the departure of superstar LeBron James after four seasons in Miami -- had 21 points and eight rebounds for Miami, who opened the season with three straight wins.

Dwyane Wade added 19 points but it wasn't enough to get the Heat off to their first 4-0 start since they won five straight to start the 2011-12 campaign.

The Rockets shot 51.5 percent from the floor and hit 17 of 37 from three-point range.

Harden was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, improving to 61-of-64 from the foul line this season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets complete season sweep of Spurs

Rockets 104, Spurs 98
The Houston Rockets used a late rally to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit for a win over the San Antonio Spurs that clinched a season series sweep.

The Rockets (54-27) secured home-court advantage for their Western Conference quarter-final series against the Portland Trail Blazers by completing their first season sweep against the Spurs (62-19) since the 1988-89 season.

Dwight Howard finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds as Houston used a 10-2 run in the fourth to surge past the Spurs, who have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West.

- - -

Bulls 108, Magic 95

Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points, leading the Chicago Bulls to a victory over the Orlando Magic as they fight for playoff positioning.

The Bulls played their final regular-season home game, but their playoff future remains unsettled. Chicago and Toronto Raptors remain tied for third place in the Eastern Conference, both with 48-33 records.

The Bulls need to win their season finale on Wednesday and have Toronto lose theirs in order to get the No. 3 seed.

- - -

Bobcats 95, Hawks 93

Chris Douglas-Roberts made a running six-footer at the buzzer to give the Charlotte Bobcats a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Center Al Jefferson scored 27 points and added 15 rebounds to lead the Bobcats (42-39), who remain a game behind the Washington Wizards in the battle for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Scott tallied 20 points for Atlanta (37-44), locked into the East's eighth spot.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Howard's Rockets thrash Lakers 134-108

LOS ANGELES - Dwight Howard enjoyed a winning return to Los Angeles on Wednesday as he and the Houston Rockets dealt the floundering Lakers a resounding 134-108 NBA defeat.

Howard spent last season with the Lakers, a campaign shadowed by injury and squabbles with teammates, including Los Angeles superstar Kobe Bryant.

As a free agent he bolted for Houston, where he earned All-Star honors as part of a Rockets team now third in the Western Conference.

The teams had met twice before this season, both times in Houston. On Wednesday, Howard was defiant in the face of jeers from the Lakers faithful, scoring 20 points with 13 rebounds and three blocks -- and earning a technical less than two minutes into the contest.

"He came out and wanted to make a statement," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said of Howard. "He's good. He played well."

James Harden contributed 29 points and 11 assists as the Rockets stretched their winning streak to eight.

Chandler Parsons added 18 points, Donatas Motiejunas scored 12, and Terrence Jones and Francisco Garcia chipped in 11 points apiece.

The Rockets notched their eighth straight win against a Lakers team in free fall.

Los Angeles dropped their fourth straight game overall and extended their club-record home losing streak to eight.

Wesley Johnson led the injury depleted Lakers -- still making do without Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash among others -- with 24 points.

Kendall Marshall scored 20 points and handed out 16 assists for the Lakers, who launched their long-term rebuilding efforts shortly before the game started with a trade of veteran Steve Blake to Golden State.

The Lakers received young shooting guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks in return for Blake.

Blake, who had to change out of his warm-ups and back into his street clothes before departing the arena, seemed shocked.

"The hardest thing is for my family, really. I've got a wife and three little kids and now I'm going to have to spend four months probably away from them," he said.

Blake said he'd loved his time as a Laker and would consider returning as a free agent in the future, but in the meantime he was hoping to find a good fit with the Warriors.

"I'm going to, obviously, a really, really good team," Blake said. "I've got a lot of respect for them there and I look forward to getting to know them."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Howard's Rockets stun the Spurs

HOUSTON - Dwight Howard helped overcome the loss of leading scorer James Harden as the Houston Rockets posted a 97-90 win over San Antonio to sweep the season series from the Spurs.

Howard shook off a slow start Tuesday to finish with 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Rockets who also won the previous two contests against the Spurs this season.

Houston had to play without top gun Harden who was out with a thumb injury. Like Howard, Terrence Jones also stepped up with 21 points and nine rebounds and Jeremy Lin added 18 points and eight assists in front of a crowd of 18,314 at Toyota Center arena.

"We didn't give up," said Howard. "We kept fighting, we hit the offensive glass. Terrence got hot for a little bit and we just kept playing."

The Rockets took the series from San Antonio this season for the first time since 1996-97. Tim Duncan started with the Spurs a year later.

"I thought, defensively, we did a pretty decent job of controlling the game for a long time, and then it just got away from us," said Duncan, who recently surpassed Shaquille O'Neal for sole possession of sixth place on the NBA's blocked shots list and moved past Allen Iverson for 20th all-time in points.

San Antonio has dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season after losing at Miami in a 2013 NBA finals rematch on Sunday.

To make matters worse, the injury-depleted Spurs might have lost star Manu Ginobili to an injury. Ginobili left the game in the third quarter with a possible hamstring injury which he appeared to aggravated on a dunk.

The Spurs were already without starters Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard as well as reserve Danny Green.

San Antonio is two and a half games behind Oklahoma City for top spot in the Western Conference.

The Rockets were playing the first of two road games in Texas. They face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

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

Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin arrive in Manila

MANILA - The NBA team Houston Rockets arrived in Manila Monday on board a chartered Boeing 747 plane of Atlas Air.

Led by coach Kevin McHale, they disembarked at around 10 am Monday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

The team is scheduled to play against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

Houston Rockets star players Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard and James Harden got the most attention from the fans upon their arrival at the tarmac area of NAIA.

From the airport, the team went directly to Sofitel Philippine Plaza for their four-day stay in Manila.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rockets fined $150,000 for loose lips on Howard

The Houston Rockets have been fined $150,000 for prematurely commenting about new acquisition Dwight Howard, the NBA confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday.

The league has a moratorium on teams discussing personnel business until players officially sign on Wednesday.

Howard made waves across the league by verbally committing to the Rockets on Friday rather than returning to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Amidst the excitement, both the Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and coach Kevin McHale publicly commented on securing Howard to draw the penalty.

Howard is set to officially sign a four-year, $88 million contract to join the Houston franchise.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lakers' Howard thinks D'Antoni good fit

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard said he was "excited" by the prospect of working with Mike D'Antoni, who was named as the club's new head coach in a surprise announcement Monday morning.

The move came after widespread reports that Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson -- who guided the Lakers to five NBA titles before retiring in 2011, was front-runner for the job.

Howard said he knew Lakers fans were keen to see Jackson return. It would have been hard not to after the chants of "We want Phil" that rang out at two Lakers games since head coach Mike Brown was sacked on Friday.

"I really didn't know what was going to happen, besides what I heard at the game, 'We want Phil,'" Howard said Monday, after D'Antoni's hiring was announced.

"I'm excited for D'Antoni," he added. "I think it will be good for us."

But the decision didn't come without drama.

Jackson himself said in a statement quoted by the Los Angeles Times that after preliminary talks with Lakers executives on Saturday he thought he had until Monday to render his decision.

Instead, he said, general manager Mitch Kupchak phoned him around midnight on Sunday night to tell him D'Antoni had been hired.

"The decision is of course theirs to make," Jackson said. "I am gratified by the groundswell of support from the Laker fans who encouraged my return and it is the principal reason why I considered the possibility."

D'Antoni, who recently underwent knee surgery, was expected to be formally introduced as coach this week.

Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash have both supported the appointment, according to the Lakers' website on Monday, and other players around the league who have played for D'Antoni praised the coach.

Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin, whose breakthrough came last season in New York before the Knicks parted ways with D'Antoni, told reporters in Houston that D'Antoni made his career.

"He gave me confidence in running the offense," Lin said. "He gives his players the confidence and freedom to go out and play to the best of their abilities. That's what he did for me last year."

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Howard shines in Lakers pre-season debut

LOS ANGELES - Dwight Howard saw his first action in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey Sunday, flashing signs of potential dominance to come during a pre-season loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Howard, who the Lakers acquired from Orlando in a blockbuster off-season trade, registered 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in his first court time since he underwent back surgery in April.


Los Angeles fell 99-92 to the Kings but the result was less important to the Lakers than Howard's display. The new big man showed few signs of limitation as he ran the floor and dunked aggressively during 33 minutes of play.

The Lakers were able to unveil their new high profile lineup of Howard, Kobe Bryant, newly acquired Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace.

Bryant led all scorers with 21 points as he prepared for his quest for a sixth NBA championship.

The Lakers open the regular season against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 30. (Writing by Jahmal Corner, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

article source: abs-cbnnews.com