Warriors’ Bogut out indefinitely with serious rib injury: Report

The Golden State Warriors announced Monday that starting center Andrew Bogut is out indefinitely with a serious rib fracture.

The injury puts into question Bogut’s availability for the playoffs, which begin this weekend and it “doesn’t sound like he expects to play again this season or postseason,” according to The Mercury-News.

”I’ve got to be careful, because if it cracks I’m looking at a punctured lung. You’ll see me in the hospital with a tube coming out of me,” said Bogut. ”It’s one of those things people have played through, but this is too close to comfort for me.”

Bogut sustained the injury after getting sandwiched between two players during the fourth quarter of Golden State’s 119-117 overtime loss in Portland on Sunday. He already had some pain in the area after getting elbowed in the ribs by the Nuggets' Kenneth Faried last Thursday. 

The 7-foot Australian exited Sunday's game with less than a minute remaining in regulation and did not return. A post-game X-ray revealed the extent of the complicated injury. Bogut said he can't take deep breaths and is pain anytime he coughs or sneezes — let alone try to run. The normal recovery time is at least six weeks.

Losing Bogut, one of the premier defensive big men in the league, could be a potentially crippling blow, although Golden State was 40-27 (.597) with him in the lineup and 9-4 (.692) without him. Bogut boasts a net rating of +9.1, and the Warriors have performed meaningfully better on both sides of the ball when he’s on the court. Golden State currently boasts the West’s stingiest defense, in large part due to his presence.

Should Bogut miss the postseason, Warriors coach Mark Jackson will be forced to turn to small ball lineups and/or rely more heavily on 35-year-old reserve center Jermaine O’Neal.  

Jackson’s other options include power forwards Marreese Speights and Hilton Armstrong. 

“[The injury] certainly does not make us a better basketball team,” Jackson said.

Former NBAer Erick Barkley attacks third-grader's father after loss (VIDEO)

Former NBA player Erick Barkley replaced the post-game handshake with some fists on a third grader's father when he allegedly went berserk after his 9-year-old son’s AAU basketball team lost a close playoff game by one point.

The altercation stemmed from Barkley believing a player on the opposing team was ineligible, according to the New York Post.

Barkley was coaching his son’s team from the Basketball Stars of New York against a squad based at House of Sports in Ardsley, N.Y.

“Before the game, Barkley got into a beef with the father of a kid on the other team. Barkley said the kid couldn’t play because he was on more than one team,” said a parent. “After a half-hour of arguing, the kid was allowed to play.”

But as soon as the game was over, a tough one-point loss for Barkley’s squad, he allegedly walked over to the father and punched him several times.

Police were called, they cuffed Barkley, intending to arrest him, but the victim declined to press charges even though the assault was captured on someone’s cellphone.

“He’s not a bad guy,” said another parent. “He just likes to beat people up.”

Barkley, a star point guard out of St. John’s, was a first-round pick by Portland in 2000. He was waived after being traded to the Bulls in 2002, before bouncing around Europe and the D-League.

Thomas Robinson destroys Corey Brewer's dunk attempt (VIDEO)

During the Portland Trail Blazers' comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves — where they erased an 18-point deficit — Thomas Robinson made the most of his minutes off the bench. 

First and foremost, he helped keep All-Star Kevin Love in check, but his biggest highlight of the game came in the fourth quarter when the Blazers were pulling away.

Corey Brewer came down on a fast break and looked to embarrass Robinson with a dunk. Brewer went up for the slam, only to have the much taller T-Rob swat it away. 

The Blazers took the loose ball the other way and Will Barton finished the play with an emphatic alley-oop.

Robinson finished the game with a career-high 18 rebounds and 14 points in 33 minutes.

Pimp sues Nike for $100m because Air Jordans don't come with warning about using shoes as weapons: Report

An Oregon pimp is suing Nike for $100 million — claiming that its Air Jordan shoes failed to include a warning that said they could be used as dangerous weapons after he used his own pair to beat a man. 

Sirgiorgiro Clardy alleges Nike is partially responsible for Clardy's 100-year prison sentence for beating a man in 2012, reports The Oregonian.  Clardy, a 26-year-old  Portland-based pimp, was wearing a pair of Jordans when he stomped on the face of a man who was attempting to leave a hotel without paying Clardy's prostitute.

Clardy was found guilty of second-degree assault by a jury in early 2013. The victim received stitches and plastic surgery — and Clardy's defense: It's gotta be the shoes.

This adds a new twist to the Air Jordan legacy — because Nike usually leaves all the violence up to customers waiting for their new kicks at your local mall.

Clardy, lifelong criminal who is representing himself, hand wrote his three-page complaint from the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, where he is incarcerated.

"Under product liability there is a certain standard of care that is required to be up-held by potential dangerous product," he said. 

"Do [sic] to the fact that these defendants named in this Tort claim failed to warn of risk or to provide an adequate warning or instruction it has caused personal injury in the likes of mental suffering."

On top of seeking payment, Clardy's complaint asks that Nike be required to include warning labels for all 'potentially dangerous Nike and Jordan merchandise.' 

Clardy's 2013 conviction was his 20th, and he was also arrested in June 2012, as part of a sex trafficking sting operation, KATU reports, where three teenagers were rescued. 

Clardy's suit will be served to Nike's Beaverton headquarters early next week for a response.

Someone should alert the Trailblazers. They've been beating on opponents all season.

Chris Bosh sinks long-range three to beat Blazers (VIDEO)

What's a team to do when it is playing on the road against the West's best team (record-wise) on the second night of a back-to-back without your best player (LeBron James)?

The Heat called on Chris Bosh — that's all.

Down 107-105 in the closing seconds against the Trail Blazers, Dwyane Wade's drive was cut off so he kicked out to an open Bosh who drilled a deep 3-pointer to win it for Miami.

It capped a 37-point, 10-rebound game for Bosh and lifted the Heat to what might be called a  warning to the West.

Denver Nuggets mascot hangs unconscious during pre-game introductions (VIDEO)

Shortly before the Denver Nuggets' game against the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night, the team’s mascot, “Rocky,” was lowered from the ceiling of the Pepsi Center to the floor as part of player introductions.

One problem was that Rocky was noticeably limp while being lowered from the rafters and then laid out on center court in front of the stunned fans. It looked more like an old-style Western lynching than a glorious entrance.

Poor Rocky was apparently unconscious during the whole thing. 

After the eerie entrance, the Nuggets said the person inside the getup wasn't injured and would be fine.

Nuggets mascot was just lowered from the ceiling limp and then just laid down on the floor. Wat pic.twitter.com/3RgWLV4i4c
— Dane Carbaugh (@danecarbaugh) November 2, 2013

Blazers mock Knicks’ Felton on Twitter with angry face

The Raymond Felton-Portland Trailblazer spat is a feud that keeps on giving — and getting.

Two days ago Felton gave an interview with two writers at an Under Armour appearance in midtown Manhattan where he went on a long rant about the unfair criticism of his conditioning repertoire as a Blazer.

The Portland organization got wind of Felton's diatribe and has fired back with a photo of their former player with an angry face via Twitter.

In March, Felton was heckled by the road fans inside the Rose Garden. Felton is still bitter at the taunts he believes he received in Portland two seasons ago.

"I laughed at the crowd," Felton said in the interview. "We’re in the playoffs. What about you all?"  He went on for more than a couple of minutes.

The Blazers posted this response on their official Twitter account:

Why so mad, Ray? pic.twitter.com/eOFVI9KNA1
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) September 24, 2013

"At the end of the day, they said a lot things about me," Felton said the other night regarding the Portland media and fans. "Said a lot of things about Jamal Crawford. They said me and Jamal were bad eggs. I’m sitting back like, ‘Jamal is with the Clippers having a great year, up for Sixth Man of the Year. His team was in the playoffs.’ And our team is in the playoffs. I don’t think we were the issues of bringing that team down. Not in the playoffs again and you want to put the blame on two guys. It was our fault they didn’t make the playoffs. Really?

“I don’t think that we were the issue because we were not there last year and they were not in the playoffs,” Felton added. “I was kind of upset about that because then you’re trying to kill my character. That’s not what I’m about. That part pissed me off. Now you’re trying to mess with my character? I was kind of upset about that. I’m not a type of cancer in the locker room."

Felton said he has lost at least 15 pounds since his stint with the Blazers during the lockout-shortened, 2011-12 season.

The Knicks visit Portland on Nov. 25. Expect a lot angry faces in the crowd.

[NY Post]

J.R. Smith questions Knicks' hearts not their knees

The New York Knicks are dealing with knee problems to three of their key players, but J.R. Smith is more concerned about another part of the body as the team continues to stumble towards the back end of a five-game road-to-ruin swing.

"We got to checkout our heart right now," said the Knicks guard. "We either got to compete or pack up and go home. It's just that simple."

The Knicks have dropped the first three games of their west coast tour by an average of 22 points and the prognosis doesn't look any better without Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire in the mix together for at least a while.

Smith held up his end of the deal against the Trailblazers — pouring in 33 points.  But it wasn't enough.

"I don't mind losing," Smith said . "But if we just go out there and get demolished , that's a problem, especially when you're supposed to be considered one of the best teams in you division and your conference. It's just not a good look for us."

The Knicks' Atlantic division lead over the Nets is down to one game and dwindling. They close out the west coast tour with games against the Clippers and Jazz.

Lin says he owes D'Antoni "a lot" for starting Linsanity

No one was more stunned about New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni's resignation than the man at the center of all of the Linsanity— Jeremy Lin, himself.

"I was surprised," Lin said of D'Antoni's departure.  "I know some people were talking about it and what-not, but I didn't know the reality of it.  I figured after the shoot-around he's definitely be here."

"What he did for my career, I'm not going to forget what he did for me personally," Lin said.  "It's very emotional.  I'm sad to see him go and I owe a lot to him."

Lin has many reasons to be thankful for D'Antoni.

The Knicks coach took a chance on the little used and oft-travelled point guard— who was bunking on his brother's couch— when he got the chance to show his skills.  Putting Lin in the starting lineup turned New York and the NBA upside-down.

Lin thrived under D'Antoni's fast-paced system and turned the Knicks from a plodding, boring team into a winning sensation.  The team was 8-1 after Lin was given the chance to take over on Feb. 4 and brought roaring crowds back to Madison Square Garden.

Interim coach Mike Woodson— a defensive coach— indicated he will make changes to the Knicks lineup and style of play, but after one game, the most noticeable difference was a lull in Lin's game.  He finished last night's 121-79 rout of Portland with un-Lin-teresting numbers (six points, six assists and six turnovers).

Whether or not it was Carmelo Anthony's return or if D'Antoni lost control of the team as the reasons for the end of Linsanity, it's a moot point now.  D"Antoni is gone and Linsanity has subsided.

Lin, on the other hand, will continue to take the changes in stride.

"It's going to be, including the D-league, like my sixth or seventh system in the last year and a half.  It'll be all right," Lin said with a smile after last night's game.  "We're not going to change everything.  Some things will be the same."

One thing that won't ever be the same is the few weeks of optimism that thing called Linsanity brought to the Garden.