In yet another sign that the NBA isn't counting Sacramento out, Sacramento City Manager told council members Tuesday night that the league has hired a local firm to review the city's offer.
The city's offer is a counter-offer to the one the Maloofs have signed with Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer in Seattle. If that deal is approved by the NBA Board of Governors, the Sacramento Kings will move to Seattle for the next NBA season.
Sacramento is trying to stop that sale and move, by submitting a counter offer lead by millionaires Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle.
Shirey did not say which local firm the league had hired, but did say the league is doing its homework. It wants to analyze Sacramento's offer before presentations will be made to the relocation and finance committees in New York City on April 3.
"It is a good thing; it means that they take us seriously," Shirey said. "It means they feel that we have a legitimate offer and that we're a contender to keep the team here."
Shirey and assistant city manager John Dangberg are representing the city in the negotiations between the city, Mastrov, Ron Burkle and JMA Ventures. JMA recently purchased the Downtown Plaza Mall and would like to develop an arena there. Burkle would be the developer and major equity investor.
"Our meetings are not what you'd traditionally think of as negotiations where everybody is gathered at one table," Shirey said. "A lot of this information is being exchanged via telephone, conference calls, emails, things of that sort. Both sides have a lot to do in terms of gathering information, so not much of this has to be done at a table with two sides facing off." The term sheet, or the framework of the arena construction financing, should be unveiled on March 21. Shirey wants the council to vote on the deal at their March 26 meeting, meaning the documents would have to be made public the Thursday before. Shirey said this term sheet will likely have much more detail then the first deal between the city and Maloofs; that document was 18 pages long.
"We hope that we can post that term sheet on the previous Thursday, the 21st. Don't hold me to that because there's a lot of work to be done between now and then," Shirey added.
Amy Williams, Sacramento's public information officer, also made a small presentation to the council updating them on outreach efforts.
She said more than 300 people had submitted ideas on their new website, envisionsacramento-com
The city will also hold a public meeting on March 21 at City Hall, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NBA hires local firm to review Sacramento's counter-offer | news10-net
LeBron James scored 27 points, and the Miami Heat became the fourth team to win at least 20 consecutive games in a season, rallying to beat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 98-94 on Wednesday.
Dwyane Wade added 21 points as the Heat needed big baskets over the final two minutes to get the milestone win.
"It certainly was not pretty, not the way we scripted it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Other teams to have won at least 20 straight in the same season are the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33), 2007-08 Houston Rockets (22) and 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (20).
Hawks 96, Lakers 92: Kobe Bryant severely sprained his left ankle after missing a game-tying shot in the closing seconds. Los Angeles said Bryant is out indefinitely.
"I'll just do what I have to do" to get back, he said.
The injury occurred after Bryant put up the baseline jumper with 3 seconds left. His left foot landed on Dahntay Jones' right foot, twisting awkwardly. X-rays were negative.
"That's a shot I'm very comfortable taking," said Bryant, who finished with 31 points but made just 11 of 33 shots. "You just can't go under these shooters, man. It's a dangerous play."
Devin Harris scored 17 points for host Atlanta.
Rockets 111, Suns 81: Donatas Motiejunas had 19 points to lead five starters in double figures as host Houston routed Phoenix. The Rockets stayed in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference standings. Thunder 110, Jazz 87: Kevin Durant had 23 points, and host Oklahoma City crushed Utah. The Jazz lost for the eighth time in 10 games and remained one-half game behind the Lakers for eighth in the West.
Grizzlies 96, Clippers 85: Marc Gasol scored 21 points, Tayshaun Prince added 18, and Memphis beat host Los Angeles for its 14th win in 15 games. The Grizzlies hung on in the fourth quarter of back-to-back games for their sixth straight victory.
Nuggets 117, Knicks 94: Carmelo Anthony's return to Denver was a flop, as Wilson Chandler had 24 points and the Nuggets routed the Knicks. The Nuggets led by as many as 34 points en route to their 10th straight win. Anthony left early in the second half when his balky right knee acted up. He had just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Celtics 112, Raptors 88: Kevin Garnett had 12 points, passing Jerry West for 15th on the NBA's career scoring list, and Paul Pierce joined him among the top 20 scorers in history with 15 points as host Boston beat Toronto. Garnett needed four points to pass West (25,192 points), and Pierce entered the game nine points shy of tying Charles Barkley (23,757) for 20th.
Kings 121, Bulls 79: Tyreke Evans had 26 points and seven assists in Sacramento's most lopsided win of the season. The host Kings led by 34 in the second quarter.
NBA: Miami Heat extends win streak to 20 games - San Jose Mercury News
Kobe Bryant said Dahntay Jones’s dangerous defense left him with a sprained left ankle, and the N.B.A. agreed. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the injury does not keep Bryant away from their playoff push for long.
Bryant received several hours of treatment Thursday on what he called the worst sprained ankle of his 17 seasons in the N.B.A. He hoped to play Friday at Indiana. The Lakers offered no update on his condition after saying Wednesday night that Bryant was out indefinitely.
The N.B.A. acknowledged that Jones should have been called for a foul on the play that left Bryant crumpled on the court in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Bryant, the fifth-leading scorer in N.B.A. history, was hurt when he landed on Jones’s foot with four seconds left after attempting a potential tying jumper in the Lakers’ 96-92 loss to the Hawks.
Bryant rolled on the ground and eventually left the court, furious that Jones had slid beneath him while he was airborne. He posted a message on Twitter on Thursday that included the hashtag “cleanupthegame.”
The N.B.A. said video confirmed that Bryant was fouled.
A statement on the league’s Web site said that the “referees missed a foul call on Jones as he challenged Bryant’s shot and did not give him the opportunity to land cleanly back on the floor.”
“Bryant should have been granted two free throws,” the statement added.
The Lakers (34-32) are a half-game ahead of Utah (33-32) for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Bryant, an uncommonly durable player, has not missed a game this season. He is the N.B.A.’s third-leading scorer with 27.5 points per game, keeping the Lakers afloat during a tumultuous year that included the early firing of Coach Mike Brown; a prolonged skid; Dwight Howard’s struggles to fit in with his new team; and the death of the team’s owner, Jerry Buss.
Bryant also said of Jones on Twitter: “He knows what he did, and anyone with half a brain can see it. I don’t want it to happen to anyone else!”
Bryant and Jones have a history: Jones stuck out his leg to trip Bryant during Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference finals while Jones played for Denver.
Miami's Big Three have led the defending champion Heat to the third-best-winning streak in NBA history.
Chris Bosh and LeBron James scored 28 points apiece and Dwyane Wade added 20 after shaking off a scary fall as the visiting Heat rolled to their 21st consecutive victory, 107-94 over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
"We've been able to get better throughout this streak," said James of the run that began on February 3.
"It's very impressive what we're doing right now. We want to continue the process and improve on our habits."
The blistering Heat moved past the 1970-71 Bucks and behind the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33) and the 2007-08 Houston Rockets (22) for the league's longest success.
Miami can match the Rockets with a win on Sunday at Toronto.
"We're just trying to make a mark on NBA history, any way we can," James added. "We want to leave our mark, so when we're all done we can look back and say our team was special. We still have work to do."
The Heat withstood a scare four minutes into the game, when Wade crashed to the court and stayed down for several minutes with a neck strain, after taking a hard foul from Larry Sanders.
The All-Star guard walked into the locker room under his own power and was treated for a concussion before returning in the second quarter.
"I've never been hit that hard, his hip hit me in the head and I went down fast," Wade said. "My head never hit the floor but my hands were numb for a while.
"The doctors took care of me and made sure I stayed right there until everything came back. I was able to feel almost everything they were doing and get back on the court to help my teammates win."
Miami led by 17 in the third quarter before having it cut to 85-79 with eight minutes 53 seconds left. But reserves Shane Battier and Norris Cole book-ended three-pointers in a 10-2 run, opening up a 95-81 cushion en route to a ninth straight road win.
Turkish-native Ersan Ilyasova had 26 points and 17 rebounds, while Brandon Jennings scored 21 for the Bucks, who lost their third in a row.
Only six games graced the Saturday night NBA schedule, but don't make the mistake of assuming a lack of quantity meant the quality was wanting, too.
The Boston Celtics finally cut down a giant that had been stepping on them all year, Spencer Hawes did his best Hakeem Olajuwon impression, and Tim Duncan continued his ongoing refusal to age, much to the dismay of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Besides all that, the Washington Wizards put together such a dynamic offensive performance that they set their own (unofficial) franchise record by appearing in two takeaway slides. That's pretty good for a lottery team, right?
Among playoff hopefuls, the Utah Jazz refused to go quietly, taking advantage of a dog-tired Memphis Grizzlies team to hang onto their fraying playoff dreams.
There were storylines galore as the league got to work on its weekend, and each of them has been handily compiled into digestible bites in the following slideshow. There are pictures and words and everything! In advance, you're welcome.
6 Takeaways from Saturday Night's Rousing NBA Action | Bleacher Report
The Miami Heat equaled the second-longest winning streak in NBA history, pulling away in the fourth quarter Sunday to beat the Toronto Raptors 108-91 for their 22nd consecutive victory.
LeBron James had 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Dwyane Wade added 24 points and nine assists, and Ray Allen scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the defending NBA champions.
"It's a special ride right now that we're on," James said. "The best thing about it is we're doing it together."
Chris Bosh finished with 18 points as the Heat tied the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the second-longest winning streak in NBA history. The longest is 33 games, set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
Miami will try to move into sole possession of second Monday when it visits the Boston Celtics - who ended the Rockets' run five years ago.
The Heat's 10th straight road win came in the same city where their streak started with a 100-85 victory over the Raptors on Feb. 3 - Super Bowl Sunday.
Lakers 113, Kings 102:
Antawn Jamison scored 27 points, Metta World Peace added 22 and host Los Angeles - without Kobe Bryant - earned its sixth victory in seven games. ... Bryant missed his first game of the season to rest his sprained left ankle. ... Steve Nash had 19 points and 12 assists, and Dwight Howard added 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Lakers, who used only seven players. ... Isaiah Thomas had 26 points to lead the Kings.
Bucks 115, Magic 109:
Monta Ellis scored a season-high 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter, and host Milwaukee ended a three-game losing streak. ... Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, and Brandon Jennings had 15 points and 14 assists. ... Arron Afflalo scored 24 points for the Magic.
Thunder 107, Mavericks 101:
Kevin Durant scored 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Russell Westbrook had 35 including the go-ahead jumper with one minute left, and Oklahoma City topped host Dallas. ... Durant was 3 of 9 from the floor before hitting seven shots in a row during one stretch in the fourth. ... Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points, including two free throws for the Mavericks to tie the score at 101 with 1:20 left. Dallas didn't score after that.
Clippers 93, Knicks 80:
Chris Paul had 20 points and eight assists, Caron Butler added 14 points, and Los Angeles beat injury-depleted New York in a meeting of division leaders. ... Blake Griffin had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers. ... J.R. Smith scored 17 points and Raymond Felton had 16 for the Knicks, who played without All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler in their fourth straight blowout loss on a five-game trip.
Hawks 105, Nets 93:
Al Horford had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and visiting Atlanta kept Brooklyn from tying for first place in the Atlantic Division. ... Reggie Evans had a season-high 14 points and grabbed 22 rebounds for the Nets. ... Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each added 18 points for Brooklyn.
Timberwolves 97, Hornets 95:
Derrick Williams scored a career-high 28 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 with six assists to lift Minnesota to the home win. ... Greivis Vasquez led the Hornets with 24 points and Robin Lopez had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Vince Carter surpassed 22,000 points for his career Monday night, becoming the 28th player in NBA history to cross that threshold. … After having just two dunks in his first 36 games, Dirk Nowitzki has had one in each of the last two games, including a two-handed job late in the first half against the Hawks. …
Atlanta’s Al Horford got two cheap points to start the second half when Chris Kaman tipped in a basket for the Hawks. Kaman had his most playing time in weeks. Not coincidentally, he had his most productive game, too, in that span. … The game was delayed more than five minutes between the third and fourth quarters after a member of the Hawks’ dance team fell to the floor during a routine. She was taken off on a stretcher.
Former NBA star and Olympian Adrian Dantley left the NBA in 1991, but has found a new career: crossing guard.
WTOP reports Dantley, who spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz and the Detroit Pistons and led the 1976 U.S. Olympic team in scoring, got the idea to become a crossing guard in a weight room.
"All I do is work out and lift weights all the time," Dantley tells WTOP. "I was in the weight room and a couple guys were talking saying, 'Man, I tell you what's a good job? A couple of my friends' wives they're crossing guards.' So I heard them and I said, 'That's something I want to do."
The 6-foot-5 Dantley started working as a crossing guard in September 2012 for an hour a day at Eastern Middle School and New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md.
Dantley says he wanted something to do in his free time, and enjoys the health care benefits. Records show he gets paid $14,685.50 a year, but Dantley says he doesn't need the money.
"I could sit around the house. I could do that, I don't want to do that," he told WTOP.
Dantley says he plans to remain a crossing guard for the next 20 years.
Read more: Former NBA star now working as a crossing guard in Maryland | Fox News
Kiki Vandeweghe, who has been covering the Los Angeles Clippers as a writer and analyst on Fox Sports the past two seasons, will join the NBA as vice president, basketball operations on April 1, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations Stu Jackson announced Wednesday.
Vandeweghe will be involved in a broad range of basketball matters, including the development of playing rules and interpretations, game analytics, disciplinary matters, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of NBA games. He will also serve as a key interface between the league and the teams, drawing upon his years of experience as a general manager and coach.
Vandeweghe, an All-American basketball player at UCLA and a former two-time NBA All-Star, will report to Jackson.
"Kiki has a lifetime of basketball experience, including an NBA career spanning more than three decades as a player, coach, and general manager, which provides him with a tremendous amount of insight into our game," Jackson said in a statement released by the league. "We're looking forward to drawing upon his expertise on a wide range of matters involving our game."
Vandeweghe was the general manager, and for one season the interim head coach, of the New Jersey Nets from 2007 to 2010. Before joining the Nets, he was a broadcast analyst for two years with ESPN. Before his time with ESPN, Vandeweghe was the general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2001 to 2006.
Vandeweghe's NBA playing career spanned 13 years, with the Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, and Clippers, during which he averaged 19.7 points, shot 52.5 percent from the field, 87.2 percent from the free-throw line, made two All-Star appearances, and helped his teams to the postseason 12 times.
Vandeweghe, who covered Wednesday's Clippers-76ers game, was a candidate to be the Clippers' general manager in the offseason before the team promoted Gary Sacks. "I'm very excited to be joining the NBA league office," Vandeweghe said in a tweet Wednesday.
Kiki Vandeweghe to join NBA office as VP - Los Angeles Clippers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and six assists, Tyreke Evans scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter Thursday night and the Sacramento Kings earned their third straight home win, holding off the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves 101-98.
The Kings are 6-5 over the last three weeks and their 19 home wins are the most over the previous three seasons.
Nikola Pekovic had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost two straight and four of five. Injury-plagued Minnesota has dropped 21 of 28 games since Jan. 8. The Timberwolves have lost nine straight and 17 of 18 on the road.
Ricky Rubio had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for Minnesota, which beat the Kings twice this season. Both Derrick Williams and Greg Stiemsma had 12 points and Dante Cunningham added 11.
The Kings survived a miscue at the end when they were leading by three points and Evans turned the ball over on a poor pass after penetrating to the basket. Cunningham missed a 3-point attempt on the other end with 1 second left that would have sent the game to overtime. DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Sacramento. John Salmons scored 13 and Patrick Patterson added 11.
Rubio made a jumper and hit four free throws to cut the Kings’ lead to 99-97, but Evans ended a Kings drought of three-plus minutes with a basket, giving Sacramento a 101-97 lead with 41 seconds remaining.
There was also news off the court for the Kings on Thursday. Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle have brought Vivek Ranadive aboard in a move that should strengthen their bid to keep the team in Sacramento.
Ranadive, the chairman and chief executive of TIBCO Software in Palo Alto, Calif., appears to be the new leader in the bid to buy the team. Ranadive also is a limited partner and vice chairman of the Golden State Warriors. He would have to sell his share of the Warriors if he became an owner with the Kings.
Sacramento is trying to keep the team and prevent it from being sold to a Seattle group headed by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer. The NBA board of governors is expected to vote in mid-April on the fate of the Kings.
Chase Budinger played for the first time since tearing the meniscus in his left knee in Nov. 10 against Chicago. Budinger was playing in only his seventh game this season and finished with nine points in 18 minutes.
Evans scored seven straight points for the Kings, including a three-point play midway through the fourth quarter. He found Cole Aldrich for a basket the next time down the court to give the Kings a 95-87 lead.
Thomas enjoyed a big first half and continued to give Minnesota trouble in the third quarter. The feisty point guard scored eight points and so did Evans to give Sacramento a 79-77 lead heading into the fourth.
Trailing since early in the second quarter, the Kings took the lead in the third quarter on a dunk by Cousins at the 3:02 mark. The Kings trailed by four points at the half, but outscored the Timberwolves 26-20 in the third quarter.
Pekovic got off to a fast start, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and 13 by halftime in helping the Timberwolves to a 57-53 lead. Thomas had 14 points and Patterson added 11 for the Kings.
NBA: Thomas leads Kings over Timberwolves, 101-98 | St. Cloud TIMES | sctimes-com
It's no longer the taboo topic it was earlier in the streak. But now that the Miami Heat collected their 25th consecutive victory Friday night against Detroit, there are still times coach Erik Spoelstra tries to avoid this circus.
The Heat's success has engulfed Spoelstra's March Madness. Their pursuit of the Los Angeles Lakers' record 33-game winning streak has disrupted his bracketology.
"I mistakenly put on the TV when we were on the road, wanting to see some college [analysis], getting my bracket ready," Spoelstra said Friday. "ESPN was on and already, they were talking about [Heat upcoming] games that could possibly happen and the significance of a game 10 days from now. That's the most dangerous thing in this league."
There's no avoiding it now. Not even the Heat can continue to escape or downplay the round-the-clock attention their remarkable run has garnered over the past six weeks.
Despite moving to within eight more consecutive wins of matching the milestone set by Jerry West and the 1971-72 Lakers, the Heat still insisted after pulling away from the Pistons that they're not going to get ahead of themselves. Instead, Spoelstra and his star players took time Friday to acknowledge a couple of legendary Lakers who jumped on a Heat bandwagon that's potentially headed toward history.
After putting up 28 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals to help the Heat cruise past the Pistons, LeBron James repeatedly spoke of how appreciative he is it to receive encouragement from West and Elgin Baylor as Miami closes in on the Lakers' 41-year-old record.
James took it a step further and explained how "cool" it is to be complimented by former Lakers compared with how "crazy" it is that ex-NFL running back Mercury Morris and some members of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins celebrate each year when that league's last unbeaten team loses.
"I just appreciate the history," James said. "I appreciate guys like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor and all those unbelievable guys who paved the way. For them to say they're pulling for us to get the streak, I think that's cool. When you read stuff like that, it's cool. Guys like Mercury Morris, when you read stuff like that, I think that's crazy."
Since they flamboyantly came together in the summer of 2010, James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh haven't been strangers to intense criticism from former superstar players. But there are also moments when they receive credit.
Baylor, who retired the season before the Lakers won 33 in a row, told NBA TV earlier this week that the Heat's toughness and tenacity during the streak has been fantastic, and that he's enjoying watching them make their run.
The Heat go for their 26th straight win on Sunday at home against Charlotte before a four-game trip that takes them to Orlando, Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio.
Should Miami get through that stretch without a loss, their next four games are against home against New York, at Charlotte and back home for a potential chance to tie the streak against Philadelphia and break it against Milwaukee.
"It's going to be a tough road for them because everybody is going to be out there gunning for them -- none of the teams want them to break a record or set a record against them," Baylor told NBA TV. "I just give them all the credit in the world. To do this without a dominant -- LeBron is a dominant player, but he's not a dominant center. To do that with their team. They're not an overpowering team, they don't overpower you. They just finesse you and they're just more talented than other teams. I like to see them do well."
West, who led the Lakers to a 69-win season and an NBA title during that '71-72 season, echoed Baylor's sentiment during a conference call with reporters on Friday. He spoke highly of James' unselfish play and gushed about how, despite the Heat's star power, they've forced everyone to appreciate the beauty and dominance of team basketball. "So much of the marketing in the NBA has been, frankly, about players," West said. "I think it's time we talked about the teams. There's gonna be more and more focus on the games, and I think it makes the players focus more on trying to achieve the record that everyone said couldn't be broken. I think they've got a great chance to do it myself."
While James embraced the love from the former Lakers, Wade was a bit more skeptical. The Heat guard smiled coyly when asked after Friday's game how he felt about some of the glowing comments by the Lakers' greats.
"I don't believe it," Wade said with a laugh, suggesting the Lakers might be trying to butter up the Heat for a letdown. "Yeah, I don't believe it."
Wade then said that "if the shoe is on the other foot," he would be proud to be on the team that ended the Heat's streak. For now, Wade said he's having just as much fun watching and listening to all of the pundits on national TV and radio try to predict when the Heat's streak might end.
"I watch all of you guys," Wade said. "I watch TV. I read Twitter. It's funny to see some of the people say we're going to do this, and people who say, 'Nah, this is the game we're going to lose.' It's a shot in the dark. We don't know. No one does. It's cool. It's entertainment right now."
Meanwhile, they're trying to maintain proper perspective. But that's growing tough with each win. The media, they can handle. The games -- even ones like Friday's when the heat dug themselves out of yet another double-digit deficit have become routine like clockwork.
But it's within their private lives when many of the Heat's players and coaches face their stiffest challenge. Spoelstra said his family and friends -- for now -- know him well enough to avoid making too big of a deal of the streak.
That's not the case for Wade, who joked that members of his family have told him the team needs to stop trying to give them heart attacks with those thrilling comebacks.
With every basketball fan’s eyes tuned in to March Madness, the 2013 NBA playoffs will aim to attain similar hype.
There are plenty of rivalries and intriguing matchups to go around in the NBA that fans would love to see. It will simply be a matter of which teams end up facing one another.
The Miami Heat’s 26-game winning streak is the leading storyline in the Eastern Conference, while the Los Angeles Lakers clinging to a playoff seed gets nearly all the attention in the Western Conference. Once the postseason rolls around, though, the regular season will no longer matter.
Here are possible 2013 NBA playoff matchups that every fan would love to see. They may even match the excitement of the NCAA tournament.
Pictures: 2013 NBA Playoff Matchups Every Fan Wants to See | Bleacher Report
Metta World Peace left the Los Angeles Lakers' 109-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors with a strained left knee and did not play after halftime.
World Peace is day-to-day and will be re-evaluated in Minnesota on Tuesday. The Lakers face the Timberwolves on the road on Wednesday.
"He said that the back of his knee was bothering him and I told him, 'Well, if it's bothering you, you just can't go out,'" Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's just really hurting, so that's why we held him (out), but I don't know what that means."
World Peace could not remember the specific play that caused the aggravation but said it occurred late in the second quarter. D'Antoni said that World Peace told him he felt fluid in the back of his knee and it is an issue he has played with before.
World Peace would not confirm any fluid buildup in his knee to reporters after the game before limping out of the locker room with his left leg straightened as he walked.
"He's a tough guy, so don't count him out," D'Antoni said.
World Peace had 7 points, 2 steals and 1 assist in 19 minutes before exiting the game.
The 14-year veteran was unsure if he would be able to play against the Wolves but added, "I'm not in pain."
World Peace was not the only Lakers player to suffer an injury Monday. Dwight Howard had to receive three stitches in his lower lip, stemming from a hit to his face from Golden State's David Lee.
"He got away with a shot," said Howard, who was called for a technical foul -- his ninth of the season -- for arguing after the hit occurred. "I'll remember this game, I'll remember that shot."
Howard said Lee told him the play was unintentional, but the Lakers center did not buy his explanation.
"You can look at the play and see for yourself," Howard said.
Howard said he did not say anything back to Lee, adding, "I'll take care of it later."
NBA - Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Peace strains his left knee in a loss to the Golden State Warriors - ESPN Los Angeles
With the clock clicking down, Sacramento city officials took their last shot at keeping the NBA Kings in California's capital by approving a public-private deal to build a new 18,500-seat arena and retail center downtown.
The city council's approval of the arena Tuesday was the last step in what has been a full court press by Mayor Kevin Johnson to keep Sacramento's only major league sports team from bolting to Seattle, where a new ownership group and arena deal awaits. He now must convince NBA owners to block the Maloof family from initiating the move, a deal made public in January.
Since then, the mayor, himself a former NBA All-Star, has scrambled to assemble a group to buy the team, convince Commissioner David Stern to consider a counter offer, and get approval for the financial deal that would build a $448 million arena on the site of a shopping mall -- a development many say will revitalize a problem area in its bustling city core.
Next week, Johnson will present the arena plan and purchase offer to an NBA committee. The following week, the NBA Board of Governors will vote on whether the team can be sold, and whether it will stay or move.
"We want the folks of Seattle to get a team, we wish them well, but we want to keep what's ours," Johnson said after the 7-2 vote to approve the arena. "We're going to New York to talk about the viability of this market and the love affair we've had with our team."
The Sacramento investment group includes Silicon Valley software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle, co-owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. Johnson announced late Monday that Paul Jacobs, CEO of the international technology company Qualcomm, also agreed to become part of the Sacramento bid.
"We have four billionaires who have said that Sacramento is worthy. It's been a long time since people have validated us in this way," said city councilmember Steve Hansen, who voted in favor of the deal.
The NBA has said the aging Sleep Train Arena in the suburbs four miles north of downtown no longer is adequate.
"We're in competition to keep the Sacramento Kings from being taken away from us," said City Manager John Shirley as he began outlining the arena plan for council members. "We've known all along that we need to present the NBA a first-rate, quality place for them to play." The Seattle group, led by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, has had a deal to acquire a 65 percent stake in the team for $341 million.
The Chamber of Commerce, labor groups and fans spoke in favor of the arena deal, saying that keeping the Kings saves 800 jobs and creates 6,500 more during the construction and downtown revitalization process.
The plan was opposed by several groups and speakers, some of whom asked the council to take more time to study whether the deal is good for the city. City officials reached a preliminary arena agreement Saturday with the investment group, but the late negotiations left little time for community members to study the proposal before the vote.
"Mr. Mayor, your attempts to pull off an upset win could adversely affect this community for decades," said attorney and professed Kings fan Jeffrey Anderson, who asked the council to put the plan before voters or he would file a lawsuit to stop it.
Other speakers said the timing of the deal was ironic given that nearby Stockton is in bankruptcy court after over-extending itself with debt, including a minor-league hockey arena.
Development partners compared their vision of a downtown arena to other projects that have revitalized urban areas such as the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the new Barclays Center where the Nets began play in Brooklyn this season. Architect AECOM, tapped to build a new Kings arena, recently completed the Barclays venue.
"I have a lot of faith in this site. It's nothing short of world class," said AECOM's Bill Crockett.
The arena will be built on the west end of city center on the site of the Downtown Plaza, an aging mall that has lost more than half of its sales revenue in the last 10 years as stores have moved to the suburbs. It's just blocks from Interstate 5, a short walk from Amtrak and sits at a gateway to downtown and the city of 475,000.
The city's share is $258 million, the bulk of which would come from event parking collections and ticket surcharges. Nearly all of the city's parking lots are used by government workers who vacate downtown after 5 p.m. The city would own the arena.
The investment group will contribute $189 million to the arena construction and would be responsible for all capital improvements.
The 18,500-seat downtown arena also could host hockey, concerts and family entertainment. The development would include 475,000 in office space, 300,000 in retail space, 250 hotel rooms and 600 housing units.
The arena term sheet includes a 35-year non-relocation agreement with two five-year extensions that would keep the Kings in the city until the last quarter of the century.
Sacramento council approves NBA Kings arena deal - ESPN
One story burns out, and LeBron James lights the fuse of another. This is how it works with LeBron, the Heat, the media and the NBA right now. It is James' league. He dominates it, and he gets to complain about it.
So there he was after Miami's 27-game winning streak ended in 101-97 loss to the Bulls, and somebody asked about his flagrant foul on Carlos Boozer in the fourth quarter. He could have said nothing. He could have waited a day and let the appreciation of the winning streak carry the news cycle.
But this is LeBron James in 2013. And so he said Kirk Hinrich tackled him in the first half and no flagrant was called, and "Taj Gibson was able to collar me around my shoulder and bring me to the ground" in the fourth quarter, and ...
"Those are not basketball plays," James said. "And it's been happening all year and I've been able to keep my cool and try to tell [coach Erik Spoelstra], 'Let's not worry about it too much. But it is getting to me a little bit.' Because every time I try to defend myself, I've gotta face the consequences of a flagrant for me, or a technical foul. It's tough."
And ... well, he is absolutely right. He gets hammered when other wings don't, and officials, perhaps acting on behalf of the media, expect him to take the abuse and like it.
He is right.
Also: it doesn't matter if he is right.
What matters is that a streak for the ages can end, but nothing really changes for LeBron James. He remains the dominant story in the NBA, maybe in all of sports.
* * *
The NBA finally happened to the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Basketball happened. The road happened. Sports happened. That's what Shane Battier thought as time expired on his team's amazing 27-game win streak. This, Battier said, was a "garden-variety" NBA road loss. The Bulls had more energy, shot well, made a few key plays at the end.
"It's amazing we avoided this for as long as we did," Battier said.
How impressive was this 27-game avoidance? Forget the comparisons to the 1971-72 Lakers for a moment. The NBA has changed so much that it's almost like comparing different sports. No, to understand how incredible the Heat streak was, consider this:
When the Heat lost, I turned on my computer and checked the NBA standings. Only one team -- ONE! -- had a winning streak longer than three games. (That was the Knicks, at six.)
This 27-game winning streak was a thing of beauty, and it wasn't all James. Dwyane Wade is (generally) healthy and playing as well as he has in years. Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Battier and the rest of the pieces fit together so well. The Heat looked like something better than a champion: basketball artists who raised the game.
The 1996 Bulls were like that. So were the 1986 Celtics, and Magic Johnson's best Lakers teams. The Shaq-Kobe Lakers were not -- they fought too much and coasted through too many regular seasons, and when you watched them, you always wondered if Kobe might make Shaq reach up for a lob pass so he could knee him in the testicles. At least, I did.
The four championship Spurs teams were not like this because they were clinical, not artistic. The Bad Boy Pistons sure weren't like this, and neither were the 2004 Pistons or the Rockets of the 1990s. Those were worthy champions. The Heat looks like a team for all-time, and it's beautiful to watch.
That's why this game felt so normal and odd at once, like seeing Usain Bolt trip on a sidewalk crack or Jeff Gordon lock his keys in his car. The Bulls were missing Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Richard Hamilton, but got 28 points from Luol Deng, 21 points and 17 rebounds from Carlos Boozer and beat the best team in the league. Things like this happen in the NBA, but it hasn't happened in two months to this Miami team.
That's why, right up to the final minutes, I thought Miami would win. The United Center fans were loud and optimistic, but that just added to my feeling that James would crush their spirit.
Chicago is not a tortured hoops town by any stretch. But nobody misses greatness right now like Bulls fans. They had a homegrown MVP, Derrick Rose, who seemed poised to take on the Heat -- and who, most important, wanted to beat the Heat. He tore up his knee and probably won't play this season, no matter how many times Bulls fans ask. And, of course, Chicago was spoiled so beautifully by Michael Jordan for all those years. The fans wanted this one, not just because of the streak, but because of what the city is missing.
So anyway, it seemed Miami had this game ... right up until that moment, with 3:52 left, when James ran into a Boozer screen, lowered his shoulder, and drew a flagrant foul. Boozer hit one of his two free throw attempts and gave the Bulls a 91-82 lead.
When the flagrant was called, the United Center crowd cheered like Rose had just checked into the game.
And suddenly, this wasn't just the end of the streak. It was the beginning of another story for LeBron, and it's obviously a smaller one, but it will still be turned against him: MJ never whined like that!
Of course, MJ probably got more superstar calls than anybody in history, and we have airbrushed his flaws out of our memories. We're comparing James to a Michael Jordan who never existed, which is ridiculous -- the real Jordan was great enough.
Wade compared James to his old teammate Shaquille O'Neal -- so abnormally big and powerful that the refs don't know what to do with him. Battier said: "If you focus on the amount of punishment he takes, he should lead the league in free throws. We deal with it. If I took the punishment he took, I'd be out of the league."
James is sixth in the league in free throw attempts. Houston's James Harden is first. James has shot 283 more two-pointers than Harden, but 204 fewer free throws. So yeah, he has a point.
But this is still James' championship to lose. Look at the other contenders. The Thunder traded Harden, the Spurs have flamed out in the playof
Everyone in the Timberwolves' locker room Wednesday night believed Kobe Bryant got away with a foul that allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to hold on to a much-needed victory in Minnesota.
On Thursday, the NBA agreed: The league informed the Timberwolves that the referee crew should have called Bryant for a foul on a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"Video review by the league office confirmed that Kobe Bryant fouled [Ricky] Rubio while Rubio was in his shooting motion," the league said on its website. "Rubio should have been awarded three free throws." "They said that? Doggone it," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said sarcastically before his team played the Bucks on Thursday night. "Well, it makes us even. It all works out."
D'Antoni was referring to the no-call against Atlanta's Dahntay Jones earlier this month when he undercut Bryant as the Lakers' star was attempting a potential game-tying jump shot.
D'Antoni did not want to pile on the officials, however.
"Those are tough calls and the referees want you to kind of determine the game," D'Antoni said. "They should call a foul, I think, in theory, but also in theory they want players to decide the game. So, I can understand it.
"It's easy to criticize, but it's hard. That's a hard job. We go back and watch tape and we still argue in the summer time, 'What is a block? What is a charge? And what's a foul, what isn't a foul. Who pushed? Who didn't push? Who flopped? Who didn't flop?' We're watching film and we have a hard time. They got to make those decisions (immediately). They're doing the best they can do it; they always do. I get mad at them, they get mad at me, but I know that everybody is doing the best they can do."
The NBA's admission won't change the outcome of the game, a 120-117 victory for the Lakers, who have beaten the Timberwolves 22 consecutive games and are clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. It also may do little to assuage a feeling in the Timberwolves organization that they are not getting the same respect from the officials that teams with more stars receive.
But it will at least give Rubio, coach Rick Adelman and the rest of a frustrated team a little bit of solace that their disappointment was justified this time.
"We have to earn the respect," Rubio said. "But I don't understand how things go sometimes. We just want to play basketball, play hard as we can and do all the things. Sometimes it's not fair because we give 100 percent and sometimes we can't control things. But we have to improve things that we can control."
Bryant, who scored 31 points, stepped to the line for his second free throw with 3.4 seconds remaining and a chance to ice the game. He struck a pose after releasing the shot, which resulted in him being caught out of position when the ball bounced off the rim and into Rubio's hands.
The point guard zipped by Bryant and darted up the court, rising up for a 28-foot runner. He released it just before the buzzer sounded and Bryant came from behind to try to block the shot. Replays showed that Bryant hit Rubio's right wrist. When no foul was called, an exasperated Rubio protested, but referee Jason Phillips dismissed him. Adelman was asked after the game if he thought Rubio was fouled.
"What do you think?" the coach said. "I mean, c'mon. The guy should've never gone and tried to block the shot. But he did. What are you going to say?"
Bryant scoffed at the notion that he fouled Rubio.
"That's not a foul," he said. "You don't call that (stuff)."
The play has renewed the theory in some corners that superstar players are treated differently by the officials. The league and referees have long disputed this notion, which Wolves forward Chase Budinger was asked about after the game.
"When you're playing against the Lakers, it's always going to be tough," Budinger said when asked about the idea of star treatment. "When you're playing against Kobe and Dwight [Howard] and big superstars like that, you're going to have your hands full with them."
The Wolves also were seething about a technical foul given to J.J. Barea earlier in the fourth quarter, along with several calls earlier in the game.
"It was tough all night long," Adelman said. "Really tough."
Earlier this month, Barea was ejected from a game for a Flagrant-2 foul against Miami Heat guard Ray Allen. The NBA later downgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1, saying Barea should not have been ejected.
"We've been through it all year, dealing with stuff like that," Barea said. "It didn't go our way. We've just got to learn from it and keep fighting for the next one."
NBA says refs missed foul call on Kobe Bryant vs. Minnesota Timberwolves - ESPN Los Angeles
Age is only a number, but it's an important one for each of the best players at every age in the NBA.
From the teenagers to the guys who might start getting AARP cards in the mail relatively soon, we're not going to leave any age group out in this article.
I'd also like to issue an apology to any older basketball fans out there. You're going to feel bad about your athletic prowess when you see how old some of the NBA's premier studs are now. I'm sorry, but it's just inevitable.
The younger fans out there, myself included, might wonder what went wrong in our athletic careers. We're still pretty young and spry, but we're definitely not professional athletes.
Who's the best out there at your age?
Pictures: The Best Player at Every Age in the NBA | Bleacher Report
The Los Angeles Lakers realize every victory is important as they try to make the NBA playoffs, and so they shook off injuries and a poor defensive first quarter to claim a 103-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night before a sellout crowd at Sleep Train Arena.
The Lakers (38-36) remained tied for eighth place in the Western Conference standings. Utah defeated visiting Brooklyn to get to 38-36. The Jazz hold the tiebreaker in case the two teams finish in a tie.
The Kings (27-47) missed an opportunity to win their third straight game after scoring 37 points in the first quarter. Ultimately, a 17-3 run at the end of the third quarter gave the Lakers an insurmountable lead.
The Lakers lost point guard Steve Nash (hip) less than two minutes into the game. However, Kobe Bryant took on added playmaking duties. Bryant already was stepping into the role of injured starting small forward Ron Artest (left knee surgery) as coach Mike D’Antoni started Jodie Meeks at shooting guard.
Bryant, who was hindered by bone spurs, never could not find his normal shooting stroke and finished 5 of 17 from the field. Yet his all-round game did not suffer with a game-high 14 assists, eight rebounds and a key steal from Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans to help Los Angeles protect a 100-98 lead in the final minute.
Bryant hit three free throws down the stretch to finish off a 48-minute, 19-point night.
In the process, Bryant moved into fourth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, passing Wilt Chamberlain. Bryant has 31,435 points, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292).
Dwight Howard led the Lakers with 24 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots in one of the most complete performances of the season.
Evans scored 21 points to lead six Kings scorers in double figures. He added nine rebounds and six assists.
Kobe Bryant moves to fourth on NBA's career scoring list | Basketball | Sports | Toronto Sun
Often the forgotten member of Miami's ``Big Three,'' Chris Bosh stepped up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sitting out to get the Heat a big win and move closer to securing home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.
Bosh scored 23 points, including the winning 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining, and the Heat beat San Antonio 88-86 on Sunday night with James, Wade and Mario Chalmers watching from the locker room as they sat out with injuries.
``We are the defending champs no matter who we put out there,'' Bosh said. ``We are still the Miami Heat. We believe in ourselves. Each one of these guys is a professional. We played bigger roles in other cities but we came together and accepted lesser roles to win a championship here. We can still tap into that.''
Ray Allen added 14 points, Norris Cole had 13 and Mike Miller 12 for Miami (58-15), which swept the season series with San Antonio (55-18). By earning the head-to-head tiebreaker with San Antonio, the Heat have a four-game cushion with nine remaining for the league's best record.
Miami beat San Antonio 105-100 on Nov. 29 when the Spurs opted to rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green.
All but Ginobili (strained right hamstring) played Sunday.
Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who had a seven-game home winning streak snapped. Green and Parker added 12 points apiece and Stephen Jackson had 11.
Bosh finished 3 for 5 on 3s, including the final shot from straightaway in the closing seconds. He let out a loud yell after making the shot and celebrated with teammates when Parker's jumper bounced off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.
``He's a heck of a player, No. 1, but he's also a hell of a shooter,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ``He knocked down a big shot. Timmy contested it and he hit a big shot to win the game. Give him credit.''
The game was similar to their first meeting this season, when the Spurs' reserves nearly toppled the Heat. This time the reserves prevailed, however.
``There's no question, it's a gratifying win,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. ``To come in and play against a great team, an elite team. We talked about coming in with Miami Heat pride. It doesn't matter who's in uniform or not, all of our guys have proven that it's the pride of the name on the jersey, on the front of the jersey.''
James and Wade were surprise late scratches while Chalmers did not play Friday in New Orleans and was listed as day-to-day with a sprained right ankle.
James strained his right hamstring in the first half of the 108-89 victory against the Hornets, according to the Heat. He continued to play despite the injury, however, scoring 36 points in 32 minutes prior to sitting out late in the blowout victory.
Wade injured his right ankle in Miami's 101-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, which snapped the Heat's 27-game winning streak. Wade had 17 points and nine assists in 33 minutes Friday against New Orleans.
The three did not join their teammates on the bench, choosing to stay in the locker room to watch the game. None were available for comment.
The absences didn't impact Miami.
``They played great tonight,'' Leonard said. ``LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers didn't play, but the guys stepped up tonight and their coach had them prepared and ready to play.''
Miami outscored San Antonio 31-18 in the third quarter, going 4 for 7 on 3s to take a 71-64 lead. Rashard Lewis' layup off a turnover gave the Heat a 64-56 lead, their largest of the game.
Leonard and Green hit back-to-back 3s as San Antonio pulled to 80-78 with 5:21 remaining in the game.
Duncan's jumper gave the Spurs an 84-83 lead with 2:59 to go. San Antonio had an opportunity to extend the lead when Green raced toward the basket off a steal, but Shane Battier blocked his 1-on-2 attempt. Parker pushed his hands down on the next stoppage of play, telling Green to take his time.
Both teams were scoreless until Duncan hit another fadeaway jumper with 1:21 left to give San Antonio an 86-83 lead. Cole hit two free throws to pull Miami to 86-85 with 32.1 seconds left, setting up Bosh's heroics.
Miami controlled the Spurs' pick-and-roll plays by double-teaming Parker with a bigger defender. Parker finished 4 for 14 with eight assists and one turnover.
``They just trapped me,'' Parker said. ``They trapped me every time I did a pick-and-roll or any kind of play. They were trapping me the whole game.''
The absences of James, Wade and Chalmers rekindled the controversy surrounding Popovich's decision to send Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green home instead of having them play the second game of a back-to-back Nov. 19 in Miami. It was the finale of a six-game road trip, finishing with four games in five days. The Spurs did not give the NBA or Miami prior notice of the players' absences, which led the NBA to fine San Antonio $250,000.
Spoelstra was asked if San Antonio's decision to sit their stars in Miami had an impact on his decision to rest his stars for this game.
``I could see how you guys can draw that conclusion, but no,'' Spoelstra said before the game.
Unlike Popovich, Spoelstra listed injuries as the reason for his stars' absence, which will likely eliminate the chance of the league fining Miami.
Popovich reacted in mock horror when told James, Wade and Chalmers were out.
``Are you kidding me,'' Popovich said in mock astonishment. ``Who would think of something like that? That's below the belt. There's no place for that.''
San Antonio led 45-40 at halftime.
NOTES: Two-time majors champion Rory McIlroy was in attendance, sitting alongside former Spurs forward and ESPN analyst Bruce Bowen. McIroy is in San Antonio to compete in the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, which opens Thursday at the AT&T Oaks Course. He won the 2012 PGA Championship and 2011 U.S. Open. ... Former Texas Rang
New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis set the pick at the top of the key, and point guard Greivis Vasquez split the double team. As Anthony moved toward the basket, Vasquez hit him with a perfect no-look pass, culminating in a Davis dunk.
Another time in the same game, instead of rolling to the basket after the setting a screen, Davis stayed on the perimeter. Vasquez — become familiar with this combination — delivered a bounce pass to Davis, who swished an 18-foot jump shot.
Late in his rookie season, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, is mastering two of the NBA's favorite plays: the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop.
It's what NBA teams will see from Davis in future seasons. The Davis opponents see now is not the Davis teams saw earlier in the season. And that is by design.
"Today's young guys are a bit different," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "I don't think you throw them in the fire right away and put them in situations early where they can fail and lose their confidence.
"Now he understands what it takes. He still has a ways to go, but we're starting to see more confidence, more of him exploring, more of him taking chances." Earlier in the season, Davis scored often by running the floor, collecting offensive rebounds and otherwise making opportunities for himself.
Now, New Orleans calls plays for him.
"Just being more aggressive and trying to attack the basket and using my speed and athleticism to my advantage," Davis said.
Since the All-Star break, Davis has averaged more points (15.1) and rebounds (9.3) and shot a better percentage (53%) than he did before the break. His percentage on shots 8-16 feet has also improved from 40.4% before the break to 44.1% after the break, according to NBA-com/stats-
Davis was fine with the Hornets' plan to initiate him slowly to the pro game.
"It's helped me a lot to see the game, explore the game and figure out how I want to play the game," Davis said. "Monty's done a great job bringing me into this system slowly, and I'm progressing each and every day." Since the summer of 2010, it's been an incredibly fast ascent. It wasn't until the summer before Davis' senior year of high school that the nation's top colleges began recruiting him. He played in smaller, lower division Chicago Public Schools league.
He won a national title and was national player of the year at Kentucky last season and because of injuries to some of the USA's top big men, he found himself on the U.S. Olympic basketball team — along with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.
New Orleans' plan for Davis was smart. The Hornets took pressure off of the No. 1 overall pick, and he grew as a player without a microscope on every game.
"People forget this is all new to him," Williams said. "He's only been doing this for three years on a big stage." Davis, who just turned 20 on March 11, likely will not beat out Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard for rookie of the year, but it's not the slam dunk for Lillard that it was earlier in the season. Lillard scored 20 or more points in his first three games, including 23 points and 11 assists in Portland's 116-106 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers in his first NBA game — a sign of things to come for both Lillard and the Lakers.
Lillard virtually won rookie of the year in first month of the season. However, Davis deserves consideration. In ESPN's Player Efficiency Ratings, created by now Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger, Davis ranks second, ahead of Lillard who is fifth. PER is a rating of a player's per-minute productivity taking into account a player's accomplishments, positive and negative.
Read More: NBA A-Z: Don't hand Damian Lillard rookie of year yet
The city's offer is a counter-offer to the one the Maloofs have signed with Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer in Seattle. If that deal is approved by the NBA Board of Governors, the Sacramento Kings will move to Seattle for the next NBA season.
Sacramento is trying to stop that sale and move, by submitting a counter offer lead by millionaires Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle.
Shirey did not say which local firm the league had hired, but did say the league is doing its homework. It wants to analyze Sacramento's offer before presentations will be made to the relocation and finance committees in New York City on April 3.
"It is a good thing; it means that they take us seriously," Shirey said. "It means they feel that we have a legitimate offer and that we're a contender to keep the team here."
Shirey and assistant city manager John Dangberg are representing the city in the negotiations between the city, Mastrov, Ron Burkle and JMA Ventures. JMA recently purchased the Downtown Plaza Mall and would like to develop an arena there. Burkle would be the developer and major equity investor.
"Our meetings are not what you'd traditionally think of as negotiations where everybody is gathered at one table," Shirey said. "A lot of this information is being exchanged via telephone, conference calls, emails, things of that sort. Both sides have a lot to do in terms of gathering information, so not much of this has to be done at a table with two sides facing off." The term sheet, or the framework of the arena construction financing, should be unveiled on March 21. Shirey wants the council to vote on the deal at their March 26 meeting, meaning the documents would have to be made public the Thursday before. Shirey said this term sheet will likely have much more detail then the first deal between the city and Maloofs; that document was 18 pages long.
"We hope that we can post that term sheet on the previous Thursday, the 21st. Don't hold me to that because there's a lot of work to be done between now and then," Shirey added.
Amy Williams, Sacramento's public information officer, also made a small presentation to the council updating them on outreach efforts.
She said more than 300 people had submitted ideas on their new website, envisionsacramento-com
The city will also hold a public meeting on March 21 at City Hall, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NBA hires local firm to review Sacramento's counter-offer | news10-net