Tag: DeMarre Carroll

Today in Nets history: Quincy Acy emphatically denies Dirk Nowitzki at the rim

Quincy Acy only had one blocked shot when the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Mavs on March 17, 2018. But was it ever a memorable rejection.

With the NBA going on hiatus — which NBA commissioner Adam Silver set as at least 30 days on Thursday — and New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, placing a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, no Brooklyn Nets games will be played for the time being.

For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.

Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight major individual performances and key developments throughout Nets history:

After joining the Nets in 2016-17 and spending all of 2017-18 in Brooklyn, Quincy Acy wasn’t around to help the team reach the playoffs in 2018-19.

The reserve forward didn’t exactly post big-time numbers off the bench on a consistent basis, but like anyone else, Acy had his moments. One of them came on March 17, 2018, when he denied Dirk Nowitzki at the rim during the Nets’ 114-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks (full box score):

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets in the win with 23 points and D’Angelo Russell was right behind him with 22.

DeMarre Carroll scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds, and Joe Harris chipped in 11 points. Off the bench, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. This was win No. 22 for the Nets in 2017-18

On the other side, Nowitzki finished with 13 points. Dennis Smith Jr. led the Mavs with 21.

After long day, James Harden scores 37 as Rockets crush Knicks

Despite a long travel day, James Harden still led the Rockets (37-20) with 37 points and nine assists. It’s their eighth win in 10 games.

Despite unusually extensive gameday travel, All-Star James Harden still led the Rockets with 37 points and nine assists as Houston cruised to a 123-112 home win (box score) over visiting New York on Monday night.

Harden’s 37 came on 14-of-25 (56.0%) shooting, with 31 of those points coming in the first half. That gave Houston a 15-point halftime advantage, allowing them to lead comfortably throughout the second half.

The Rockets (37-20) have now won four consecutive games and eight of their last 10 overall. Houston led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks cut the final margin to a more respectable 11 after head coach Mike D’Antoni emptied his bench and the former MVP exited.

The Knicks were led by 21 points (8-of-15 shooting) from prized rookie guard RJ Barrett, selected No. 3 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Harden, Russell Westbrook, and P.J. Tucker only arrived at Toyota Center an hour before Monday’s tip-off, since they were in Los Angeles during the day for Kobe Bryant’s memorial service. But against the lowly Knicks (17-40), any fatigue from the day’s events didn’t slow down Harden.

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Westbrook did not play due to left thumb soreness, though D’Antoni indicated postgame that it wasn’t a major concern.

Starting in Westbrook’s place, Eric Gordon scored 16 points and had a team-best point differential of +16 in his 26 minutes. However, Gordon left the game early in the second half with a sore knee.

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Off the bench, reserve guards Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore each continued their hot shooting of late with a combined 31 points on 6-of-12 (50.0%) from behind the 3-point arc.

In their home debuts, veteran newcomers Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll added 16 points between them on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%).

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Among frontcourt starters, Robert Covington led the way with 11 points (3-of-8 on 3-pointers), seven rebounds, and four blocks — extending his streak to four consecutive games with three or more blocked shots.

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The Rockets will wrap up a brief two-game homestand when they host the Memphis Grizzlies (28-28) and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central time from Toyota Center, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

After adding Carroll, Rockets agree to sign veteran Jeff Green

The Houston Rockets added to their front line Monday by striking contract agreements with veterans Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll.

The Rockets filled out their roster Monday and bolstered their frontcourt depth by reaching agreements to sign a pair of 33-year-old NBA forwards, first DeMarre Carroll and later Jeff Green.

Both veterans will be signed to the team’s two open roster spots, created after GM Daryl Morey‘s trade deadline moves. News of Green’s deal with Houston leaked only minutes after the agreement with Carroll broke.

Each player seems to fit with Houston’s trend toward smaller lineups, designed to bolster floor spacing and open up driving lanes for backcourt stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The 6-foot-8 Green and 6-foot-6 Carroll could each be options on the front line behind rotation regulars P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Robert Covington.

In effect, Morey and innovative head coach Mike D’Antoni are giving up the size and rim protection of a traditional center — such as Clint Capela — in exchange for more perimeter shooting and defensive versatility.

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Green played 30 games with Utah earlier this season, scoring 7.8 points (32.7% on 3-pointers) and grabbing 2.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. He was waived on Dec. 24 and has been without a team since.

Unlike Carroll, it appears that Green will initially sign a 10-day contract with the Rockets before committing to a deal for the rest of the season.

Over his 12-year NBA career, Green has averaged 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per game.

Drafted No. 5 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Green already has experience playing alongside both Westbrook and Harden during his time in Oklahoma City from 2008 until early 2011.

Both Green and Carroll should be available to play when Houston (34-20) returns to action Thursday night at Golden State (12-43). The game will tip off at 9:30 p.m. Central and be televised nationally on TNT.

Rockets to sign DeMarre Carroll after reported buyout with Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly buying out DeMarre Carroll, giving the Houston Rockets the opportunity to add another large wing.

The Houston Rockets will likely get the chance to add another large wing who can fill in at the center position.

Forward DeMarre Carroll and the San Antonio Spurs have agreed to a buyout, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj added that Houston will be the “frontrunner” to sign him after he clears waivers.

Now 33 years old, Carroll has only appeared in 15 games for the Spurs this season, averaging just nine minutes per game. It was the fewest number of minutes in several years for the 11-year NBA veteran; Carroll exceeded 25 minutes per game in each of the previous six seasons.

Over those prior six years, Carroll averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 36.4% from behind the 3-point line. The University of Missouri alum shot above 38% on corner 3-pointers in four of those six seasons, eclipsing 40% in two of them.

The financial terms of Carroll’s new deal with the Rockets had yet to be reported, as of early Monday evening.

In some ways, Carroll is a similar player to P.J. Tucker. The two played a similar role when they were on the Toronto Raptors together following the 2017 trade deadline.

Listed at 6-foot-6, Carroll should be able to play the big man role in the small lineups the Rockets have been putting onto the floor. He also has the versatility, however, to potentially line up alongside other big wings — such as Tucker and Robert Covington.

As the Rockets continue to experiment with ultra-small lineups, Carroll would be ideal addition as a larger wing who can defend and make catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.

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