NBA LOCALS
A weekly look at locals players in the NBA:
Al-Farouq Aminu, Mavericks, Norcross High
Had 14 points in 24 minutes at Toronto on Nov. 28; Mavericks are 4-0 when he scores in double figures
Chris Bosh, Heat, Georgia Tech
Recorded seventh double-double after posting 27 points and 11 rebounds vs. Hawks on Dec.3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Pistons, Georgia
Scored a season-high 23 points vs. Golden State on Nov.30
Jae Crowder, Mavericks, Villa Rica High
Averagaing 3.3 points in 8.7 minutes
Derrick Favors, Jazz, Georgia Tech
Missed first game of season because of an illness
J.J. Hickson, Nuggets, Wheeler High
Averaging 8.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 18.2 minutes in 10 games
Dwight Howard, Rockets, Southwest Atlanta Christian
Has missed nine games with knee injury and likely will be out through weekend
Jarrett Jack, Nets, Georgia Tech
Shot 10-of-10 against Warriors on Nov. 11; became first in the NBA to shoot 10 or more field goals without a miss this season
Jeremy Lamb, Thunder, Norcross High
Averaging 12.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 26.4 minutes in 13 games
Jodie Meeks, Pistons, Norcross High
Has starting light jogging in return from a stress reaction in his lower back
Anthony Morrow, Thunder, Georgia Tech
Averaging 11.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 28.2 minutes in 11 games
Glen Rice Jr., Wizards, Georgia Tech
Averaging 12.4 points through five games on D-League assignment with Fort Wayne
Iman Shumpert, Knicks, Georgia Tech
Averaging 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 27.2 minutes
Josh Smith, Pistons, McEachern High
Tied a season-high 11 rebounds at Boston on Dec. 3
Thaddeus Young, Timberwolves, Georgia Tech
Hit the game-winning free throw with 2.8 seconds left Nov. 28 at the Lakers on his way to 22 points
Lou Williams, Raptors, South Gwinnett High
Reached double-figure scoring 14 times off bench, including eight consecutive from Nov. 15-30
Note: Stats through Wednesday
The 76ers stopped one short of history.
After starting the season with 17 consecutive losses, Philadelphia defeated Minnesota on Wednesday night. A loss would have tied the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets for the worst start to a season in NBA history, at 0-18.
“We feel like this validates the work they’ve put in,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters after the game. “I just have a tremendous amount of respect for the fact that they never once quit on themselves, short-circuited a practice, and they were rewarded tonight.”
The 76ers won despite shooting 39 percent against the Timberwolves, who have the poorest defense in the NBA. The 76ers had 19 turnovers and scored only nine points in the second quarter.
Being the 76ers’ first win didn’t sit well with the Timberwolves, who lost for the 11th time in 13 games.
“That’s what makes it bad,” Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer told reporters. “They play that bad and we still lose? We have to look at ourselves, man. It’s tough.”
The Hawks host the 76ers on Wednesday.
Sour grapes?
Evan Turner didn’t take too kindly to the Hawks’ come-from-behind win over the Celtics on Tuesday night.
The Celtics guard lamented the physical play in the game in which the Hawks erased a 23-point first-half deficit for a 109-105 victory.
Turner took particular exception to a third-quarter foul call when he was whistled for tripping Kyle Korver.
“They started pressuring, and it’s tough to score when you have two hands inside your jersey as well,” Turner told Boston reporters after the game. “At the same time, I got a foul call on Korver and they said I pushed him and tripped him and he just fell.
“He can’t guard to save his life and he’s grabbing Marcus Thornton and he’s grabbing me and he has no business being in the game on the defensive end, but what can you possibly do if they’re allowed to have their hands on you?”
Turner notably got in a fight with teammate Lance Stephenson with the Pacers last season during the playoff series against the Hawks.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before Tuesday’s game that Korver was a player his team had to keep an eye on. Stevens said if you don’t guard Korver as a 30-point scorer, he just might put that many points up.
Korver finished with a team-high 24 points, making 6 of 7 3-pointers. He became the first player in the NBA this season to score at least 24 points on less than 10 field-goal attempts. Korver is averaging 13.6 points per game this season. He has scored 20 or more points four times and has made at least six 3-pointers three times.
On defense, Korver leads the Hawks, and is 35th in the NBA, in the plus-minus statistical category with a plus-89.
Pac helping sales
The Hawks’ evolved secondary logo, known as the Pac Man, has helped the team set a record for merchandise sales.
According to the team, retail sales in Philips Arena for the first full month of the season rose 65 percent from Nov. 2013. Team merchandise website sales rose by 58.5 percent this year over last year
Quotable
“Anybody who can pass the ball to me I’ll click with.”
— Heat guard Dwyane Wade on starting alongside Josh McRoberts
“I’m not gonna say I have a selfish team or lazy team. We have a messed-up team.”
— Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy after loss to Lakers Tuesday.
“I get used to the speed now. Last year, it was kind of fast. One year in the league and you see how it goes, it’s a little slower. You get used to it.”
— Hawks guard Dennis Schroder on his recent success
By the numbers
17 Consecutive losses to start the season by the 76ers before their first win Wednesday
1,559 Career 3-pointers made by Hawks' Kyle Korver through Thursday, tied with Glen Rice for 16th on the NBA all-time list
4 Consecutive victories by the Hawks over the Heat following Wednesday's win in Miami
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 Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer’s postgame message following a blowout win over the Hornets on Saturday: “Let’s get better. We have a day off (Sunday), but let’s get better the next day. He was pretty pleased, but he still got to be coach and look hard and act hard. We know what we did. We just have to build on it.”
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