Boomer Bogut to skip NBA for now

VETERAN Boomers centre Andrew Bogut says he won’t return to the NBA this season to remain instead in Australia with his pregnant wife.

Bogut announced yesterday he had decided to forgo a potential 10-day contract in the US.

After being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers in January, it was expected the 33-year-old free agent would join a contending team for a playoff push, but he says he will stay in Australia and focus on returning in the 2018-19 season. Bogut tweeted his wife’s pregnancy with their second child had been deemed “high-risk” and she’s not allowed to travel.

“I thank those teams that reached out and inquired,” he wrote. “This was a decision that has been up in the air for the past few months, but ultimately, I decided being home and around as much as possible during this period was the best thing for my family.

“I am still working out and staying in shape, and will be ready for training camp for the 2018-19 season.” Bogut played 23 games for the Lakers this season, averaging just 1.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. ERIC Gordon scored 31 points and tied a career high with eight three-pointers on a night James Harden sat out to rest, and the Houston Rockets got their 10th straight win with a 118-86 rout of the Chicago Bulls. The Rockets became the first team since San Antonio in 2011-12 to have three winning streaks of at least 10 games in a season.