NBA LOCALS
A weekly look at locals players in the NBA:
Jordan Adams, Grizzlies, Central Gwinnett High
Averaging 2.6 points in 7.3 minutes in 18 games
Al-Farouq Aminu, Mavericks, Norcross High
Averaging 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.1 minutes in 56 games
Chris Bosh, Heat, Georgia Tech
Out for the season because of blood clots on his lung
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Pistons, Georgia
Averaging 15.8 points in past five games
Jae Crowder, Celtics, Villa Rica High
Averaging 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes in 60 games
Derrick Favors, Jazz, Georgia Tech
Averaging 16.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in 31.2 minutes in 56 games
J.J. Hickson, Nuggets, Wheeler High
Averaging 7.7 points and 6.2 rebounds 19.0 minutes in 53 games
Dwight Howard, Rockets, Southwest Atlanta Christian
Out indefinitely after having procedure on right knee
Jarrett Jack, Nets, Georgia Tech
Scored game-winner with 1.1 seconds remaining to beat Warriors on Monday
Jeremy Lamb, Thunder, Norcross High
Averaging 6.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.8 minutes in 39 games
Jodie Meeks, Pistons, Norcross High
Needs seven games for 400 career games
Anthony Morrow, Thunder, Georgia Tech
Averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 23.5 minutes in 53 games
Iman Shumpert, Cavaliers, Georgia Tech
Has a cominbed three points in 61 minutes in Cavs’ past three games
Josh Smith, Rockets, McEachern High
Had 14 points and seven rebounds against Hawks on Tuesday
Thaddeus Young, Nets, Georgia Tech
Ranks 12th in NBA in steals per game at 1.7
Lou Williams, Raptors, South Gwinnett High
Third player in franchise history to score 20 or more points as a reserve in three consecutive games (Feb. 28-Mar. 4)
Note: Stats through Thursday
Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll said he made an offseason commitment to improve his 3-point shot. He joked after last season he wanted to be the “African-American Kyle Korver.”
There is no doubt that Carroll has made significant strides.
Entering Thursday, Carroll ranked 17th in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 39.7 percent (89 of 224).
“Really?” Carroll said with a smile when told of his league standing. “I’m just hitting open shots. I give credit to my teammates for finding me in the right position. It’s something I really worked on this summer. It’s something I will continue to work on. Hopefully by next year I can be shooting 50 percent like Kyle Korver.”
Bosh out of hospital
Chris Bosh cleared one hurdle in his recovery from blood clots on his lung. The Heat forward was released from the hospital.
Heat coach Eric Spoelstra announced Feb. 28, before the game against the Hawks, that Bosh left the hospital the day before, after a week’s stay.
“He is at home,” Spoelstra said. “He is recovering. He is starting to feel a little better. He’s definitely glad to be out of the hospital. … That was his first goal. He was very anxious to get out of there. It was driving him nuts.”
Bosh, who played at Georgia Tech, will miss the remainder of the season following the discovery of the condition last month. Spoelstra would not speculate when Bosh might visit his teammates. He conversed with Bosh via text message.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” Spoelstra said. “The biggest thing is he is at home. We’ll take the next step when we get there.”
Bosh was indeed excited to be at home. He posted a Twitter message Tuesday declaring, “Showers are great!”
Teague-Schroder tandem
With increasing frequency, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer is using the pairing of point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder on the floor at the same time. It has paid dividends when the matchups are right.
In Tuesday’s win over the Rockets, Teague had 25 points and six assists, and Schroder had 16 points and eight assists. That’s 41 points and 14 assists combined.
“You’ve got two guys who can play-make, two guys who can get in the lane and cause problems,” Paul Millsap said after the game. “Opposing teams, it’s tough. You try to stop one, he kicks it out to the other and he drives. It helps us a lot when they are in the game together.”
Quotable
“I didn’t come through for my teammates tonight. I tricked the game up at the free-throw line. My guys put us in a position to win the game, and I didn’t come through tonight. It won’t happen again.”
— Cavaliers’ LeBron James after missing two free throws in the final seconds of a loss to the Rockets
“He gets so many fouls. Which one? He gets every one. That boy gets every call.”
— Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph on non-call against Rockets’ James Harden
“To be honest, they quit on Brian Shaw. They’ll quit again. A quitter is a quitter. That was my take on that.”
— Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett on the Nuggets decision to fire coach Brian Shaw
By the numbers
4: Consecutive triple-doubles by the Thunder's Russell Westbrook, the first player to do so since Michael Jordan in 1989.
21: Players the Heat have used this season, one shy of the franchise record. The number includes 23 starting lineups through 58 games.
18,500: Pounds of the 13-1/2-foot granite statue of Dominique Wilkins that will stand outside Philips Arena.
Carroll’s Corner
Words of wisdom from DeMarre Carroll, the man who brought you this quote from last season: “If you see me in a fight with a bear, you better help that bear.”
On chippy play in a game against Rockets: “It was chippy, and I thought that’s what really got us going. If they were quiet and went ahead and did what they did, they wouldn’t have woke up Jeff Teague, wouldn’t have woke up myself, wouldn’t have woke up Paul (Millsap). That’s when the game got chippy when they started talking and Josh Smith was doing all of this.”
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