Clutch NBA: Kevin Durant (West) y Kyle Lowry (East) elegidos como los Jugadores de la Semana en la NBA

Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and Thunder’s Kevin Durant 

named NBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK – The Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant today 

were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, 

for games played Monday, March 14 through Sunday, March 20.

Lowry guided the Raptors to a 4-1 week, averaging 27.2 points (fourth in the Eastern Conference 

and the NBA), 6.8 assists (eighth in the conference), 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals (seventh in the conference).  

He was the only player in the East to average at least 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.  

Lowry scored 30 or more points twice, including a 32-point performance to go with five assists, 

four rebounds and two steals in a 105-91 victory over the Boston Celtics on March 18.

Durant led the Thunder to a 4-0 week behind averages of 26.8 points (tied for first in the Western Conference), 

9.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.  He scored 20 or more points in all four contests, 

including a 33-point performance in Oklahoma City’s 115-111 road win 

over the Indiana Pacers on March 19.  Durant closed the week with back-to-back double-doubles 

against the Philadelphia 76ers (26 points and 13 rebounds) on March 18 and the Indiana Pacers 

(33 points and 13 rebounds) on March 19.

Here is a recap of the week for Lowry and Durant:

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors 

March 14 vs. Chicago: Scored 33 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists in

 a 109-107 loss to the Bulls.

March 15 @ Milwaukee: Finished with 25 points and 11 assists in a 107-89 win over the Bucks.

March 17 @ Indiana: Recorded 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in 

a 101-94 overtime win over the Pacers.

March 18 vs. Boston: Scored 32 points in a 105-91 victory over the Celtics.

March 20 vs. Orlando: Tallied 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals in 

a 105-100 win over the Magic.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

March 14 vs. Portland: Contributed 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds in 

a 128-94 victory over the Trail Blazers.

March 16 @ Boston: Finished with 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 

a 130-109 win against the Celtics.

March 18 @ Philadelphia: Posted 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 

a 111-97 victory over the 76ers as the Thunder clinched a playoff berth.

March 19 @ Indiana: Recorded 33 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in a 115-111 win over the Pacers.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Al Horford, 

Miami’s Dwyane Wade, San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard, Toronto’s Bismack Biyombo

 and Washington’s John Wall.

NBA Clutch: Kyle Lowry (East) y Stephen Curry (West) los Jugadores de la Semana en la NBA y unas cositas más...

TORONTO’S LOWRY AND GOLDEN STATE’S CURRY NAMED

NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

 The Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 28.

Lowry led the Raptors to a 3-1 week (3-0 in games in which he appeared) behind averages of 28.7 points (first in the Eastern Conference), 8.7 assists (tied-second in the conference) and 6.3 rebounds.  Lowry recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists during a 122-95 win against the New York Knicks on Feb. 22.  He closed his week by hitting the game-winning shot as part of a 43-point performance in a 99-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 26. 

Curry led the Warriors to a 4-0 week behind a league-leading 43.8 points, producing games of 36, 42, 51 and 46 points.  He made at least five three-point field goals in each contest, including two games with 10 or more threes, and shot 61.1 percent (33-of-54) from long distance.  On Feb. 27, Curry capped his 46-point outing by making the game-winning three-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in overtime as the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-118.  He finished with 12 threes, tying an NBA single-game record.

Here is a recap of the week for Lowry and Curry:  

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors

Feb. 22 @ New York: Recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists during a 122-95 win over the Knicks.

Feb. 24 vs. Minnesota: Tallied 21 points, six assists and three rebounds in a 114-105 win over the Timberwolves.       

Feb. 26 vs. Cleveland: Scored 43 points and added nine assists, five rebounds and four steals during a 99-97 win over the Cavaliers.

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Feb. 22 @ Atlanta: Scored 36 points and added eight assists and six rebounds during a 102-92 win over the Hawks.

Feb. 24 @ Miami: Posted 42 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 118-112 win against the Heat.  

Feb. 25 @ Orlando: Made 20-of-27 field goals, including 10-of-15 from deep, en route to 51 points during a 130-114 win over the Magic.   

Feb. 27 @ Oklahoma City: Scored 46 points, including 12-of-16 on threes, and had six assists in a 121-118 overtime win over the Thunder.   

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Al Horford, Detroit’s Reggie Jackson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and Washington’s John Wall.

Brad Stevens (East) y Terry Stotts (West) nombrados de los dirigentes del mes de Enero en la NBA

CELTICS’ STEVENS AND TRAIL BLAZERS’ STOTTS NAMED

NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE COACHES OF THE MONTH

The Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Terry Stotts today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February. 

Stevens led the Celtics to the best record in the Eastern Conference (9-3) in February, which included a 6-0 mark at TD Garden.  The Celtics scored 100-plus points in 10 of 12 games and led the conference in scoring at 110.8 points.  Boston recorded wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, and enters March with the East’s third-best record (36-25). 

Stotts guided the Trail Blazers to a 9-2 record in February, which included wins over the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.  Portland ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (110.6 points) and enjoyed the league’s second-best point differential (+8.0 points).  Stotts’ Trail Blazers closed the month winning eight of their final nine games and enter March tied with the Dallas Mavericks’ for sixth place in the Western Conference.

Other nominees for Coach of the Month were Charlotte’s Steve Clifford, Golden State’s Steve Kerr, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich and Toronto’s Dwane Casey.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES’ MIKE CONLEY RECEIVES
JANUARY NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD

PRESENTED BY KAISER PERMANENTE

– NBA and Kaiser Permanente to donate $10,000 to the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation –

Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley has received the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his work to empower youth through basketball and encourage healthy and active living in the Memphis community, the NBA announced today.  The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.

Kaiser Permanente and the NBA are honoring Conley for his efforts to improve the health and wellness of local youth and raise awareness for sickle cell anemia.  Serving as a member of the NBA FIT Team and ambassador for Jr. Grizzlies, Conley has hosted and participated in more than two dozen basketball skills clinics for young boys and girls this season. 

Conley soon recognized that clinic participants often lacked the proper footwear to play and launched the Shoe Up! with Mike Conley campaign, a seasonlong initiative to provide shoes and basketball skills training to kids from underserved communities across Memphis.  In January, Shoe Up! with Mike Conley partnered with Under Armour, Samaritan’s Feet and more than 100 community volunteers to give new sneakers to 200 children, prior to leading a basketball clinic at FedEx Forum.

“I’m grateful that the NBA has given me a platform to support the causes that are important to me,” said Conley.  “It’s a blessing to be recognized, but the real blessing is to be able to inspire youth to love this game and recognize its possibilities in creating change in our communities.”

A longtime advocate for research and treatment of sickle cell anemia, Conley often dedicates his time to hosting events and raising awareness and funds for the disease, as two of his family members suffer from sickle cell.  In addition to supporting advanced sickle cell treatment centers like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Conley recently worked to secure a $15,000 contribution from local donors to Methodist Hospital in support of sickle cell research.

Before Memphis’ home game tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA Cares Ambassador Bob Lanier, Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace and Kaiser Permanente Director, Community Benefit Madelyn R. Adams will present Conley with the award during an oncourt ceremony.  The award honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.  In addition, Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Conley’s behalf to the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation.

To learn more, please visit http://www.nba.com/communityassist/.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care.  We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans.  Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.  We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.  Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers.  Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management.  Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.

NBA Clutch: Resumen de la semana del 22 al 28 de febrero en la NBA

 NBA Clutch: Semana del 22 al 28 de febrero

Por Daniel “Mr. Clutch” Mercado Castro

          Lunes 22: Los Warriors se convirtieron en el equipo que más rápido arribó a las 50 (50-5) victorias en una temporada en la historia de la NBA al vencer 102-92 a los Hawks gracias a 36 puntos de Stephen Curry. Kyle Lowry realizó un triple double con 22 puntos, 11 rebotes y 11 asistencias en la victoria 122-95 de sus Raptors ante los Knicks. Detroit detuvo una racha de 5 derrotas y a su vez, paró la racha de 5 victorias consecutivas de los Cavs, al vencerlos 96-88. LeBron James solo anotó 12 con 8 rebotes y 5 asistencias. Giannis Antetokounmpo logró su primer triple double en su carrera con 27 puntos, 12 rebotes y 10 asistencias en la victoria 108-101 de los Bucks sobre los Lakers en la ultima visita de Kobe como jugador a Milwaukee. Kobe anotó 15. Dallas reforzó la pintura con la contratación de David Lee y los Warriors hicieron lo propio con la firma de Anderson Varejao.

          Martes 23: Nikola Vucevic coló 35 puntos en la victoria de Orlando 124-115 sobre un 76ers que han perdido 5 juegos corridos. John Wall realizó un triple double con 16 puntos, 12 rebotes y 11 asistencias en el triunfo 109-89 de los Wizards sobre los Pelicans. En un duelo con sabor a Playoffs, los Jazz derrotaron 117-114 a Houston en tiempo extra. Harden anotó 42 y Hayward 28 para liderar sus respectivos equipos. Lillard y McCollum anotaron 34 cada uno en el triunfo 112-104 de Portland sobre Brooklyn. Brook Lopez anotó 36 con 10 rebotes.

          Miércoles 24: Curry anotó 42 con 6 bombazos en la victoria 118-112 de los Warriors sobre el Heat. Curry empató con Kyle Korver la marca de 127 juegos consecutivos anotando aunque sea un canasto de tres puntos, LeBron anotó 23 con 7 rebotes y 7 asistencias para liderar a los Cavs a una victoria 114-103 sobre los Hornets. San Antonio venció 108-92 a los Kings gracias a 23 puntos de Parker. Fue apenas el segundo juego en 1,373 que Tim Duncan no anota ni un punto. Westbrook y Durant anotaron 24 cada uno en el triunfo 116-103 de OKC sobre Dallas. Nowitzki coló 33 puntos en la derrota.

          Jueves 25: Curry estableció una nueva marca con 128 juegos consecutivos anotando al menos un bombazo en la victoria 130-114 de los Warriors sobre Orlando. Los Warriors ponen su marca en 52-5 mientras que Curry anotó 51 con 10 bombazos, 8 asistencias y 7 rebotes. Curry es el primer jugador en la NBA en anotar 50 puntos o más con tan solo tirar un solo tiro libre en el juego. New Orleans venció 123-119 a OKC gracias a 30 puntos de Anthony Davis. Westbrook coló 44 en la derrota mientras que Durant anotó 32 con 14 rebotes. Houston paró la racha de 6 victorias seguidas de Portland al vencerlos 119-105 gracias a 46 puntos de Harden, 34 en la segunda mitad. Joe Johnson estampó su firma para reforzar a los Miami Heat rumbo a la postemporada. San Antonio extendió su dominio sobre Utah al derrotarlos 96-78 gracias a 29 puntos de Kawhi Leonard.

          Viernes 26: Kyle Lowry anotó 43, total más alto en su carrera, para que los Raptors vencieran 99-97 a los Cavs. LeBron tuvo la oportunidad de ganar el juego con un bombazo, pero la bola ni toco el aro. ¡Air ball! LeBron sigue malito en el departamento de Clutch cuando se trata de anotar el tiro en los segundos finales. LeBron anotó 25 con 8 rebotes y 7 asistencias. Dallas vino de atrás para vencer 122-116 a Denver en tiempo extra gracias a 27 puntos de Parsons. Paul anotó 40 en la victoria 117-107 de los Clippers sobre los Kings.

          Sábado 27: Apaga y vámonos que esta temporada se acabó, le pueden dar el MVP a Curry, el campeonato a los Warriors y prepararse para la temporada 2016-2017 desde ya. Curry anotó un bombazo de 32 pies faltando 0.6 segundos en tiempo extra para que los Warriors le ganaran 121-118 a OKC. Curry anotó 46 con 12 bombazos y rompió su propia marca de bombazos en una temporada con su 288 en esta y faltan aun 24 juegos. Sin duda Curry es el Jugador Clutch de la Semana. Los Warriors (53-5) son el equipo que más rápido clasifica para una postemporada desde los Celtics del 1985-1986. Iguodala fue quien empató el partido y provocó el tiempo adicional con dos tiradas libres faltando 0.7 segundos. Durant anotó 37, Thompson 32 y Westbrook 26. Draymond Green aunque solo anotó 2 puntos, aportó 14 rebotes, 14 asistencias, 6 robos de balón y 4 tapones.  Tim Duncan llegó a los 3 mil tapones en su carrera y le pasó a Karl Malone en el 6to lugar de todos los tiempos en rebotes en la victoria 104-94 de los Spurs sobre Houston. Los Spurs ponen su marca en 50-9. Leonard lideró las anotaciones con 27. Los Suns al fin detuvieron la racha de 13 derrotas seguidas y le dieron la primera victoria al coach Earl Watson al vencer 111-106 a Memphis. Lillard anotó 31 en la victoria 103-95 de Portland sobre Chicago. Pau Gasol realizó un triple double en causa perdida con 22 puntos, 16 rebotes y 14 asistencias. Karl-Anthony Towns coló 30 puntos con 15 rebotes en la victoria 112-110 de sus Wolves sobre los Pelicans.

          Domingo 28: Vucevic y Oladipo anotaron 28 puntos cada uno en la victoria 130-116 de Orlando sobre unos 76eres que han perdido 8 juegos al hilo. Parsons anotó 29 en la victoria 128-101 de Dallas sobre los Wolves. Joe Johnson debutó con 12 puntos en la victoria 98-81 de Miami sobre los Knicks. Lillard anotó 33 en la victoria 111-102 de Portland sobre Indiana.

          Posiciones: Atlantic: Toronto (39-19), Boston (35-25), Knicks (25-36), Nets (17-42) y 76ers (8-51). Central: Cavs (41-17), Pacers (31-28), Bulls (30-28), Pistons (31-29) y Bucks (24-35). Southeast: Heat (33-26), Hawks (33-27), Charlotte (30-28), Wizards (28-30) y Magic (26-32). Northwest: OKC (41-18), Portland (32-28), Utah (28-30), Denver (23-36), Wolves (19-41). Pacific: Warriors (53-5), Clippers (38-20), Kings (24-33), Suns (15-44) y Lakers (11-49). Southwest: Spurs (50-9), Memphis (34-24), Dallas (32-28), Houston (29-30) y NO (23-35).

El Barrio Boricua en la NBA

          José Juan Barea (Mavs): en la derrota ante OKC (4 puntos y 2 asistencias en 12 minutos); en la victoria ante Denver (7 puntos, 3 rebotes y asistencia en 16 minutos) y en la victoria ante los Wolves (12 puntos, 7 asistencias y 2 rebotes en 24 minutos).

          Carmelo “Melo” Anthony (Knicks): en la derrota ante Toronto (23 puntos, 11 rebotes y 5 asistencias en 37 minutos); en la derrota ante Indiana (14 puntos, 7 rebotes, corte de balón y 3 asistencias en 35 minutos); en la victoria sobre Orlando (19 puntos, 11 rebotes, 6 asistencias y un corte de balón en 36 minutos) y en la derrota ante Miami (25 puntos, 7 rebotes, 4 asistencias y un tapón en 41 minutos).

          Maurice “Moe” Harkless (Portland): en la victoria ante los Nets (4 puntos, rebote, asistencia y dos tapones en 18 minutos); en la derrota ante Houston (11 puntos, rebote, asistencia y un tapón en 19 minutos); en la victoria ante Chicago (2 puntos, 2 rebotes y una asistencia en 7 minutos) y no jugó  (DNP) en la victoria ante Indiana.

          Shabazz Napier Velázquez (Magic): No estuvo activo en el roster en la victoria ante los 76ers ni en la derrotas ante Warriors y Knicks. Estuvo activo en el roster en la victoria ante los 76ers, pero no jugó (DNP) por decisión del coach. Napier pasó al fondo del banco con la llegada de Brandon Jennings y el regreso de CJ Watson. Se espera que Napier termine la temporada casi si ver acción, ya que Orlando aun pelea por una posición para la postemporada. Lo mejor para Napier es decirle que sí a la escuadra Nacional de Puerto Rico para tener mayor exposición a nivel internacional y asegurarse un contrato de quedar fuera de la NBA en algún momento no muy lejano.

          Devin Booker Gutierrez (Suns): en la derrota ante los Clippers (5 puntos, rebote y dos asistencias en 26 minutos); en la derrota ante los Nets (12 puntos, rebote y 2 asistencias en 30 minutos) y en la victoria ante Memphis (15 puntos, 4 rebotes y 2 asistencias en 38 minutos). Entre más juega Booker mejor trabajo realiza y el fruto se puede ver con una victoria para su equipo, la primera en la carrera del coach Earl Watson y a su vez, pararon la racha de 13 derrotas seguidas.