NBA notebook: Mavs' Marion fined $25,000 for referee criticism
BY Associated Press
Sunday, January 20, 2013
1/20/13 at 6:06 AM
Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for publicly criticizing the officiating.
Marion was quoted after the Mavericks' 117-114 overtime loss to Oklahoma City on Friday as saying that "it's hard to beat anybody when you're playing five on eight."
Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant was given 21 free throws, making all of them, in his career-high, 52-point night.
The penalty was announced Saturday by executive vice president of operations Stu Jackson.
Warriors' Curry starts after missing 2 games: Stephen Curry started for the Golden State Warriors against the Hornets on Saturday night after missing the last two games with a right ankle injury.
Curry, who averages a team-high 20.5 points, landed on teammate Festus Ezeli's foot during Wednesday's shootaround before the Warriors played Miami. Without him, they scored a season-low 75 points against the Heat and followed with a 95-88 loss at San Antonio on Friday night.
"He'll be fine," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "He'll start. You won't see me bring him off the bench."
While Curry is back, Golden State will be without David Lee for the first time. Lee rolled his left ankle against the Spurs, and although he finished the game, the Warriors decided not to have him play on it on consecutive days. He had his foot in an ice bucket an hour before the Hornets' game.
Lee averages 19.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. Jackson said former Hornet Carl Landry, averaging 12.2 points, would replace Lee as a starter.
Hawks' Williams suffers season-ending knee injury: Lou Williams, the Atlanta Hawks' third-leading scorer, will miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury.
The Hawks announced before Saturday night's game against San Antonio that Williams tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee in Friday night's loss at Brooklyn. The tear was found when Williams was examined Saturday by Dr. Michael Bernot in Atlanta.
"It's certainly devastating to us to lose Lou," Hawks coach Larry Drew said.
Williams, a guard in his first season with the Hawks, is averaging 14.1 points.
The injury came in the second quarter when Williams stole the ball and was driving to the basket with around 7 minutes left. His leg appeared to give out as he tried to plant and go up for the shot. He limped out of bounds behind the basket and was eventually taken to the locker room area.
The loss of Williams is a blow to an Atlanta team which has lost seven of nine following a strong start. Williams has joined starters Devin Harris and Jeff Teague to make the backcourt a strength for the team.
Drew said the loss of Williams is especially difficult to overcome because the 6-foot-1 Williams played both guard positions.
Drew said rookie shooting guard John Jenkins, averaging only 4.1 points per game, will see more playing time.
Kyle Korver is starting at shooting guard against the Spurs. With the Hawks now limited to Harris and Teague at point guard, Drew said he preferred to have Harris come off the bench and play behind Teague. With a healthy Williams available, Drew didn't have to worry about playing Teague and Harris at the same time.
The Hawks' backcourt also is limited by injuries to DeShawn Stevenson, who is not cleared to play on back-to-back days due to a sore right knee, and Anthony Morrow, who has missed 12 straight games with a right hip and lower back injury. Drew said Morrow is day to day.
The loss of Williams is the biggest setback. The Atlanta native signed with the Hawks as a free agent after averaging a career-best 14.9 points with Philadelphia last season.
