Ailing Beverley to skip All-Star skills challenge
TORONTO — Pat Beverley won’t defend his title in the NBA All-Star skills challenge on Saturday, the league announced.
Beverley tweaked his left ankle in the Rockets’ 116-103 loss to Portland on Wednesday.
Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay of the Denver Nuggets will replace Beverley in the skills challenge.
The Rockets still will be represented at All-Star Weekend by Clint Capela in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday. James Harden is in the 3-point contest on Saturday and is one of the Western Conference reserves for Sunday’s All-Star Game.
Kidd-Gilchrist re-tears labrum
Charlotte forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has torn the labrum in his right shoulder for a sec- ond time, possibly ending his season.
The team said KiddGilchrist will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break and gave no prognosis for his return.
However, when KiddGilchrist first tore his labrum in his shoulder in early October in a preseason game, he needed shoulder surgery and missed nearly than four months of action.
He returned last month and averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in seven contests.
Kidd-Gilchrist, a former No. 2 pick in the draft out of Kentucky, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Charlotte’s 11795 victory over Indiana on Wednesday.
Kidd-Gilchrist hit the floor under the Hornets’ basket and was fallen on by Pacers center Ian Mahinmi.
Odds and ends
Miami center Hassan Whiteside has been suspended one game without pay for his elbow to the head of San Antonio center Boban Marjanovic on Tuesday. Whiteside will serve his suspension Feb. 19 when the Heat play the Hawks in Atlanta. …
Phoenix rookie Devin Booker has replaced injured Nerlens Noel of Philadelphia on the U.S. team roster in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night. Noel has tendinitis in his right knee.