News and notes around the NBA

TRENDING ...

Jennings rehabs in D-League

Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings is nearing a return from a January Achilles’ tendon tear. Jennings recently made a rehab visit to the NBA’s Development League, playing 27 minutes for the Grand Rapids Drive, scoring 11 points with 12 assists in a 130-104 win over the Iowa Energy.

The Pistons are one of 10 teams with a winning record in the Eastern Conference, led by point guard Reggie Jackson, who is averaging over 20 points and six assists a game. Through Friday, Jennings had yet to make his NBA debut. Coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters that Jennings will need to work his way back slowly into a point-guard rotation that includes former Laker Steve Blake.

Nowitzki sixth all time

On Wednesday, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki passed Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard. Nowitzki is now sixth behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (32,928), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). O’Neal finished his career with 28,569 points. Through games played Friday, Nowitzki is at 28,609.

In addition to being named the league’s most valuable player for the 2006-07 season, the 37-year-old Nowitzki won an NBA title in 2011. At 17.5 points a game, Nowitzki is on pace to add another 928 points this season, about 1,900 points shy of catching Chamberlain.

Lillard sits for first time in career

Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard missed the first two games of his career Monday and Wednesday, sidelined because of plantar fasciitis (foot). Before sitting out, Lillard was second in the league for the longest streak of active games played at 275, dating to his drafting by the Blazers in 2012 with the sixth overall pick.

Lillard is one of the NBA’s most dynamic young scorers, averaging 24.6 points a game. The Blazers are currently rebuilding, sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan continues on as the league’s iron man. On Christmas against the Lakers, Jordan reached 352 consecutive games.

Nance pads Jordan’s stats

On Friday, Jordan was the beneficiary of that rare circumstance where an opposing player scorers on their own basket. Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. unintentionally tipped in a Paul Pierce miss early in the first quarter, giving the Clippers a couple of freebie points. Simply because Jordan was closer to the basket than any of his teammates, the center was officially credited with an offensive rebound, and a made 14-foot jump shot. Jordan finished with nine points and 14 rebounds, though not all by his own doing.

Two spots in West

Of the eight teams that made the playoffs last season in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans and Trail Blazers do not look as if they will return to postseason play in April. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which lost All-Star forward Kevin Durant for most of last season, is among the best in the West, leaving what may be a single spot for a newcomer such as the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns or Minnesota Timberwolves. It may be a war of attrition — none of the five have a winning record.

Prunty in for Kidd

The Milwaukee Bucks have lost Coach Jason Kidd indefinitely after the former All-Star point guard underwent hip surgery. Bucks assistant Joe Prunty has stepped in for Kidd in the interim, taking over a team that has underperformed after last season’s playoff bid. Prunty, 46, began his career as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. He is also the head coach of Great Britain’s national team. Like Golden State Warriors’ interim head coach Luke Walton, filling in for Steve Kerr (back), Prunty’s wins and losses will go on Kidd’s coaching record.

LOOKING AHEAD

Philadelphia at Lakers

When: Friday at 7:30 p.m.

TV: TWC Sports Net, TWC Deportes.

Let’s call this the Lottery Bowl. In June the Lakers get a first-round pick only if they wind up with one of the top three picks in the draft. Otherwise, their pick goes to Philadelphia. As for this miserable season, the 76ers opened 0-18 before beating the Lakers a month ago. Since then, the 76ers hired ex-Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni to fix their sputtering offense. There is also is the ongoing comparison between Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell and the big man the Lakers passed up, 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.

—Barry Stavro