Argentines in the NBA

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San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, had 5 assists and 3 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Charlotte Bobcats 95-91.

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Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola scores 24 points and had 8 rebounds as the Rockets won over the New York Knicks 104-96.

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San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili helping the San Antonio Spurs win their 11th straight game over the Orlando Magic 106-97. Ginobili scores a team high 25 points, adding in 6 rebounds and 9 assists.

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San Antonio Spurs 113 Minnesota Timberwolves 109 in overtime

Manu Ginobili of the Spurs scores a team high 26 points, added 6 rebounds, 6 assists while a crucial steal with 30.1 seconds left in overtime.

Houston Rockets 111 Golden State Warriors 101

Luis Scola of the Rockets had 24 points and 12 rebounds while adding 3 assists.

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Shooting guard Manu Ginobili scores 23 points, added 7 rebounds and 8 assists as the San Antonio Spurs beat the New Orleans Hornets 109-95.

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Luis Scola scores 35 points and had 12 rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Detroit Pistons 97-83.

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Luis Scola scores 25 points and had 12 rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Detroit Pistons 97-83.

10 more, 35

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10 more, 35

Thanks for pointing that one out. Edited and fixed.

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Delfino recovering from concussion

Carlos Delfino of the Milwaukee Bucks is recovering from a sustained concussion.

Bucks' Delfino recovering from concussion

St. Francis — Carlos Delfino admits the last 30 days have been "scary" after he suffered a concussion, an injury he initially thought was just a bump on the head.

The Milwaukee Bucks forward went from swishing three-pointers and making pinpoint passes on the basketball court to lying in a dark room in his apartment, unable to watch TV or even look at a computer.

If he talked too much, his head would ache.

Now the 28-year-old Argentine is taking some small steps forward, such as riding a stationary bike Tuesday while his teammates prepared for Wednesday night's game against Indiana.

"It's frustrating because it's nothing you can control," Delfino said. "It's not like a knee injury where you go and work and you lift weights. Here it's your brain, and every single thing you do, you're using your brain.

"I wasn't able to watch TV or read on the Internet or read books or even talk, because if I was talking I was having headaches. I had vertigo and dizziness."

Delfino has made definite progress in the last few weeks and recently was evaluated by Bucks team physician Sam Idarraga and neuropsychologist Michael McCrea. Their evaluation showed Delfino to be 90% free of his concussive symptoms.

But Delfino will not be able to return to the court until he is symptom-free.

"Even now if I'm driving, I can't talk at the same time," Delfino said. "I'm able to drive and I feel safe driving. But if I'm on the passenger side, even one week ago, I was feeling like every car was coming to me.

"If someone is talking to me or calling on the phone, I can't stay too long. I can focus on only one thing right now."

Delfino also suffered a concussion in late March when he was inadvertently stepped on by Miami's Udonis Haslem in a game at the Bradley Center. Delfino was taken off the floor on a stretcher that night.

But his latest injury was not so obvious, occurring when he was taking a charge and his head hit another player's knee during a game at Minnesota on Oct. 29, the second game of the season.

The next night, in the Bucks' home opener against Charlotte, he took an inadvertent elbow to his ear as he rebounded the ball in the fourth quarter.

"It was just an action from the game," Delfino said. "After the elbow shot on my ear, I started to be more shaky and more tired. But for me it was nothing really serious."

The following weekend Delfino took a blow to the cheekbone from Indiana's Danny Granger, and the next night against New Orleans he was feeling dizzy and came out of the game in the first half.

"At the beginning I wasn't taking too much care of that," Delfino said. "Every single hit you take, you're going to feel it. That's why I had two things at the same time. I had a vestibular issue from the ear shot."

When he returns to the court, Delfino will play with protective headgear that he already has sampled.

"I don't want to work out with that," Delfino said, "but it will be something useful for me. We know I'm going to wear it and it's going to help. But we don't know the date when I'm going to get back."

Delfino said he is working on his memory and feeling better in his reaction to light and sound. He sat on the Bucks bench for a brief time Saturday during the game against Orlando, the first time he had been able to do that since the injury.

"I was there for a couple minutes, but it was really hard with the lights and music, and it was loud," Delfino said. "I was trying to watch the game. I was there one month ago and it was such a different experience.

"I was here playing and competing; then one month later I was in a suit. My brain right now is just one step back. It's frustrating because there's nothing you can do.

"You just continue to work on the little things and focus on that. Hopefully step by step I will continue to get better."

Delfino's wife, Martina, has been a strong source of support, and he said his parents, Carlos and Cristina, traveled from Argentina and stayed in Milwaukee for one week.

"It was great for them and me," Delfino said. "I'm trying to show them I'm OK.

"And everyone here in the organization is great to me. With the symptoms of a concussion you change emotions; you get sometimes aggressive or emotional. I know I've been like that."

Delfino also credited his teammates for texting him and showing their support.

He emerged as a key player for the Bucks last season when he played in 75 games, including 66 starts, and averaged 11 points and 5.3 rebounds.

It was his three-pointer from the corner that helped lift the Bucks to a Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, although the Bucks eventually fell in seven games.

Then he had a highly productive summer while playing for the Argentine national team in the FIBA World Championship, teaming with Luis Scola as the South American nation placed fifth.

And Delfino was the Bucks starting small forward and off to a great start (averaging 12.9 points in seven games) before being sidelined.

"The day I shoot the ball again, I know I'm going to make a huge step," Delfino said.

"When you have a concussion your head is fragile and you're at risk. I already have two concussions and it's something that can be serious if I don't take care of it."

-jsonline

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Houston Rockets 118 Sacramento Kings 105

Luis Scola scored 23 points, added 10 rebounds and 2 assists for the Rockets.

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Nocioni: 'This team has given me a lot.'

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Manu Ginobili helping the San Antonio Spurs to win a close game against the Milwaukee Bucks 92-90 as Ginobili had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Including the game winning fall-away jumper.

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Luis Scola scoring 23 and adding 9 rebounds as the Houston Rockets overwhelm the Memphis Grizzlies 103-87.

[mvblair]

Delfino might be back in a few weeks! That's great news!

Delfino Feeling Better - January 4, 2011, by GERY WOELFEL, Racine Journal Times

Carlos Delfino was having so much fun he didn't want to stop.

The Milwaukee Bucks' forward was shooting jump shot after jump shot by himself and hitting nothing but net.

But Delfino was instructed by a Bucks official to stop his shooting clinic at the Cousins Center and stop he did.

...Delfino, who played an instrumental role in the Bucks' advancing to the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs last season, hasn't played a game since Nov. 6 against New Orleans.

He hadn't stepped onto to a basketball court - period - until Sunday. That's when he dribbled a basketball and hoisted a few shots during a 30-minute individual workout.

Delfino spent about the same amount of time on the court Monday, until he was told to shut it down by Bucks officials, who closely monitored his situation.

For Delfino, getting back on the court after nearly a two-month absence was a belated Christmas present.

"This is a great feeling,'' Delfino said. "It's therapeutic for me. I love basketball.''

Delfino especially loves playing competitive basketball but when he'll do that again remains a mystery.

While returning to the court was a major step in the right direction, Delfino isn't prepared to say when he'll don a Bucks' uni again....

Delfino acknowledged his heart raced substantially higher at times when he did anything remotely strenuous since his suffering his concussion.

...What's more, the almost-depressed demeanor he had been exhibiting since his concussion has disappeared. During a 15-minute interview Monday, he was much more vocal and upbeat.

Delfino, who suffered a concussion Oct. 29 in the Bucks' second regular-season game against Minnesota and then took an inadvertent hit to the head in a game against Indiana Nov. 5, said he intends to be on the Cousins Center floor again Tuesday while his teammates are in Florida preparing to play the Miami Heat that night...

"Like I said, this feels great," said Delfino, who has played seven games this season, averaging 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. "I never felt this was career-threatening because my doctors told me it wasn't.

...

[ars111]

I liked argentina from past few years more than today... It should be generation change, so younger players like Nocedal and Gaynor can take their minutes in A team (they will need them in Olimpics, when this team will be too old for anything big).