Houston Rockets forward Patrick Patterson was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday for public criticism of referees. The fine was announced by NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson. Patterson was fined for comments on his Twitter account. The 6-9 forward scored 13 points in Sunday’s 99-86 loss at Phoenix. He is averaging 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds this season.
Tonight’s best game: Dallas at Denver
The race for playoff positioning is a day-to-day adventure in the ultra competitive Western Conference, and two teams in the thick of it all look to gain ground against each other — despite some separation in Sheridan’s most recent Power Rankings. The Dallas Mavericks — on a three-game winning streak including an impressive win over the Spurs — look to snap their seven-game road skid as they visit the Denver Nuggets in Monday’s best game. It has been a tale of home
Thursday’s best game: Orlando at Chicago
Dwight Howard just wants to win, according to him. It remains to be seen if he stays in Orlando, but games like the Magic’s previous outing won’t be very convincing for the best center in the NBA. With the trade deadline approaching, Howard and the Magic suffered their worst loss of the season when they allowed Charlotte — the worst team in the league — to turn a 20-point deficit into a 100-84 win. The Magic (25-15) now have the daunting task
Thursday’s Best Game: Oklahoma City at Orlando
Kevin Durant has won in every building in the NBA in his career except one: the Amway Center. Durant and the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (28-7) put their six-game winning streak on the line as they visit Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic (23-13) in Thursday’s best game, airing on TNT. The Thunder last won in Orlando in March 2004, when they were still wearing the Seattle Supersonics uniforms and Durant was 16 years old. Although you’d never guess after watching him put
Utah’s Derrick Favors fined $25,000 by NBA
On Jan. 31, Derrick Favors will have an extra deduction from his paycheck. Late in the third quarter of Thursday’s loss to Dallas, the forward of the Utah Jazz threw a ball into the stands in disagreement with an offensive foul call. His immediate punishment was ejection from referee Matt Boland. On Saturday, the NBA decided Favors needed further discipline and fined him $25,000. The fine came from NBA VP of Violence Stu Jackson, who has been remarkably inactive this season. Gotta love
Kobe wins, LeBron loses, and the argument is alive again
// There’s been a spirited argument over the last several years over who is the best player in the NBA. There is the Kobe Bryant camp, which points to his skill, will and five championships. And there is the LeBron James camp, which points to his freakish athleticism and all-around game. For a couple of years, the argument went back and forth during the regular season, then was settled in the postseason, where Bryant was winning or advancing to championships while
Hubbard: Will ugly turn into beautiful?
Those who thought the NBA would be plagued by inconsistency because of the nutty compressed schedule have been unpleasantly surprised. The NBA has been very consistent. All you have to do is consult the NBA roundup in your local newspaper each day. In recent days, we’ve read that players either missed or will miss games because of: — Strained hamstring (Charlotte’s Corey Maggette). — Groin injuries (Chicago’s Rip Hamilton, Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey, Milwaukee’s Mike Dunleavy, New Orleans’ Trevor Ariza). — Back injuries (Dallas’ Jason
Tonight’s best game: Chicago at Orlando
There are a dozen games on the slate Friday night, including the Mike D’Antoni Death Watch in Washington. However, the best of the bunch has the Chicago Bulls taking their five-game winning streak to Orlando, where their primary concern may not be Magic center Dwight Howard. Yes, Howard has been his usual monstrous self lately, ignoring the trade rumors to average 20 points, 18 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in his last five games. Right now, the best strategy appears is to