Golden State Warriors suspend Stephen Jackson for 2 games

Bill Jempty | Saturday, October 10, 2009

He went on a ‘foul spree’ in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. From AP-

Golden State Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson has been suspended for two exhibition games for conduct detrimental to the team.

The team said the suspension is for Jackson’s behavior Friday night against the Lakers. He picked up five fouls plus a technical foul in less than 10 minutes of action. He went to the locker room from the bench and never returned.

Jackson will miss Saturday night’s game against Phoenix in Indian Wells, Calif., and Monday’s game in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

Jackson has been unhappy with Golden State’s decline since reaching the second round of the 2007 playoffs.

Jackson has made it loud and clear that he wants to be traded. The NBA even fined him for his publicly stating so. If he doesn’t like getting millions to play for losing Golden State, I have an excellent solution. Send him to Oklahoma or Sacramento, who are as bad or worse than the Warriors.

All snark aside, the Warriors shoulld swallow this guy’s salary and just cut him loose if a trade can’t be arranged. He is no use to Golden State.

Tags | NBA Bill Jempty, Golden State Warriors

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Oklahoma City Thunder fire coach P.J. Carlesimo

Bill Jempty | Saturday, November 22, 2008

It didn’t take long for the recently moved NBA franchise to fire its first ever coach.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, off to a league-worst 1-12 start in their new home town, have fired coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Assistant coach Scott Brooks has been named interim coach.

The Thunder dropped their 10th straight game on Friday night, a 105-80 home loss to the New Orleans Hornets. Sources told ESPN.com that Carlesimo was fired before the team boarded a flight to New Orleans for Saturday’s game against the Hornets.

I can’t fault Thunder management for blaming Carlesimo after a 1-12 start. Brooks will certainly improve on that record, but it won’t take much to do it.

Tags | NBA Bill Jempty, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Supersonics, Seton Hall Pirates

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• Washington Wizards fire Coach Eddie Jordan  linked with  OTB Sports

Cal hires Ex-Stanford coach Mike Montgomery

Bill Jempty | Saturday, April 5, 2008

Knowing how much Cal and Stanford like each other, this news can only be seen as a sign of the apocalypse.

BERKELEY, Calif. – California has turned to its biggest rival to find its new basketball coach, hiring former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery on Friday to replace the fired Ben Braun. Montgomery was to be officially introduced at a news conference on campus Saturday, the school said.

Montgomery, who spent 18 years with the Cardinal, has been out of coaching since August 2006 when he was let go after two seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. He has announced college games and been an assistant athletic director at Stanford while still collecting money from the final two years of his contract with Golden State.

Braun was fired last week after 12 seasons as coach when the Bears missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years. Montgomery made the tournament his final 10 years at Stanford, winning at least one game each time.

Whether Montgomery could continue that streak at Cal would depend heavily on the decision leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Anderson makes about the NBA draft. Anderson said Thursday he would test the waters by declaring, but would not sign with an agent to leave the option open of returning to school for his junior year.

I never thought it was fair to judge a college coach till he is able to bring in his own recruits.

Montgomery was successful at Stanford, including a final four appearance 10 years ago. Because of that and his over 500 career lifetime wins, I see Montgomery having a reasonable chance at doing well at Cal. I just wonder what diehard Bear fans think about having a former Stanford Cardinal in their midst. Guess it won’t matter if Cal basketball gets invited to the NCAA tournament consistently under Montgomery.

Tags | College Basketball, College Sports, NBA Bill Jempty, Cal Bears, Golden State Warriors, Pac-10, Stanford Cardinal

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Miami Heat plays Golden State with just 7 players

Bill Jempty | Saturday, March 8, 2008

Do you need me to tell you the result?

MIAMI – The Miami Heat had half a team, and even less of a chance against the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Jackson scored 22 points, Al Harrington added 17, Baron Davis had 15 points and 10 assists and the Warriors eased past the severely shorthanded Heat 134-99 on Friday night, handing Miami its biggest loss of a dismal season.

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Miami only had seven available players and was without Dwyane Wade, sidelined by left knee soreness. The Heat played the final 4 1/2 minutes with one available substitute, after Udonis Haslem tweaked a gimpy ankle and retreated to the locker room.

Chris Quinn and Marcus Banks each scored 20 points for the Heat (11-48), who lost for the 30th time in their last 33 games and will take the NBA’s worst record into a doubleheader of sorts at Atlanta on Saturday.

Monta Ellis scored 16 points and Mickael Pietrus finished with 15 for Golden State (38-23), which eclipsed the 100-point mark for the 25th straight game and has won five of its last six. The Warriors also scored more points than anyone managed against Miami all season, topping Chicago’s 126 on Jan. 16.

Shawn Marion had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Haslem finished with 17 points for Miami.

“Knowing they only had seven players, we just wanted to push the tempo,” Davis said.

The Warriors did that with ease.

Jackson made three 3-pointers in a span of 2:09 late in the opening quarter, setting the tone for Golden State’s night. He and Harrington each connected on four 3-pointers in the first half alone, and the Warriors steadily built what was a 63-51 lead at intermission.

If there was any doubt, the Warriors erased it in the third quarter.

Golden State outscored Miami 37-22 in that period, stretching the lead to 100-73 entering the final 12 minutes, during which the Warriors essentially stayed on cruise control. Ellis had 14 points in the third, when the Warriors shot 73 percent (16-22) from the floor.

Wade could only watch helplessly from Miami’s bench.

Since Wade arrived, the Heat are 33-41 without him, 1-9 this season, but he was hardly the only absence of note for Miami in this one.

NBA rules mandate that a team have eight players in uniform for a game, and the Heat met that requirement; Wade and Earl Barron (sore right knee) were the eighth and ninth men in uniform, although neither played. The rest of the 15-man roster was unavailable because of an array of roster moves, suspensions and injuries.

“Taking all volunteers tonight,” Heat coach Pat Riley said.

Including for the head coaching position. It was recently announced that Riley would miss a few upcoming games in order to scout for the next NBA draft. I predict Riley won’t be back as Heat coach in 08-09.

How will the pathetic Heat manage to lose next? Stay tuned.

Tags | NBA Bill Jempty, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat

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