Hornets coach fined
New Orleans Hornets rookie big man Anthony Davis, who suffered a concussion in Friday’s win vs. the Utah Jazz, still must be cleared by the NBA to play in today’s game vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. And his coach, Monty Williams, is taking a financial hit for his public comments critical of the NBA’s concussion policy.
Davis, the overall No. 1 draft pick, is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. He must undergo a series of tests and be cleared by Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA’s director of the concussion program. The Hornets next play the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday.
Williams is unhappy that the league decides whether Davis can play, and that unhappiness cost the coach a $25,000 fine from the NBA for his comments: “Now, they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers, and it’s getting old. It’s just the way the league is now.”
uThe NBA fined the Los Angeles Lakers’ Steve Blake $25,000 for inappropriate language toward the end of Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers to a fan complaining about the guard’s difficulties knocking down shots. The fan, the son of shoe mogul and influential Lakers courtside ticketholder Steve Jackson, and his father were at practice Tuesday, each side apologizing to the other.
REWIND
James Harden might have had his feelings hurt by the stunning Oct. 28 trade that sent him from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets, but his former boss isn’t about to offer any consolation.
The Rockets shooting guard told Yahoo Sports he was “hurt” by the move, specifically that he was given only an hour to decide whether to take a final offer on an extension or be traded. He declined the deal, then eventually signed a five-year, $80 million extension with Houston.
“We certainly wish James the best. He was a great player for us,” general manager Sam Presti told USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick. “But right now, as a team, we have to move forward, and that’s where our focus is.”
The irony is that the decision looks good for Harden, who is averaging 35.3 points for the 2-1 Rockets.
INJURY FRONT
Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion (sprained left knee ligament), the team’s leading rebounder (9.0 a game), will miss at least three games.
Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson (sprained left foot), their leading scorer last season, will miss two to four weeks.
QUOTABLE
“He’s strong, he’s aggressive, he plays like a pit bull.” — Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Toronto Raptors point guard Kevin Lowry, who joined Michael Jordan (1989) and Kevin Garnett (2007) as the only players to start a season with three consecutive games of at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.