NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Wittman, Wizards work on extension
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Randy Wittman and the Washington Wizards are finalizing a three-year contract extension worth more than $3 million per season.
According to multiple reports, Wittman and the team first broached the new deal after Washington’s first-round playoff upset of Chicago. Washington posted its best regular season record (44-38) and won a playoff series for the first time since 2005.
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said this week that Wittman “deserves the opportunity to come back” after performing well in the final season of his contract.
—San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter was fined $5,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for violating anti-flopping rules during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City.
The play took place with 7:30 left in the second quarter on Tuesday night when Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka pushed Splitter lightly in the chest area and he fell backward during the Thunder’s 105-92 win in Chesapeake Energy Arena.
—Guard Ray Allen and power forward Chris Andersen did not take part in Miami’s shootaround and will be game-time decisions as the Heat try to close out the Indiana Pacers in Wednesday night’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis.
Andersen, who bruised his thigh in a collision with teammate Dwyane Wade in the Heat’s Game 3 win Saturday, sat out Monday’s 102-90 victory as Miami took a 3-1 series lead. Allen bruised his hip and thigh as he attempted to run through a screen in the second half of Monday’s win.
Allen is averaging 10 points and 3.5 rebounds off the bench while shooting a team-best 44.4 percent from 3-point range against the Pacers. If Allen can’t play, the Miami Herald reported that James Jones is the next likely shooter off the bench. Andersen has averaged 6.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game off the bench in the series.
