TURKEY BOUND – Andersen hits career high 19 in NBA as Rockets win at Lakers

LOS ANGELES (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Australia’s David Andersen left Barcelona for the glitz and glamour of the NBA in the summer and on Sunday the 29-year-old rookie proved he belongs in the talented squad of the Houston Rockets.

Andersen, a standout performer in the Euroleague over the years with CSKA and Barcelona, came off the bench and scored 19 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 101-91 triumph.

The Boomers power forward, who will play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, played 25 minutes and made nine of his 14 shots from the floor.

He reeled off the first six points of the fourth quarter to help the Rockets to an 86-73 advantage and Lakers coach Phil Jackson admitted the play of the big man caught him and his team by surprise.

"We obviously didn't know the scouting report that well on Andersen," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We knew he's a shooter but we didn't see him playing at that level."

Andersen also pulled down six rebounds.

Luis Scola of Argentina had nine rebounds and five assists to go with his six points but he turned the ball over four times.

Los Angeles lost for the second time in a row.

They are still playing without injured Spain’s national team star Pau Gasol, who has missed 10 games with a strained right hamstring.

Team USA’s Kobe Bryant, who poured in 18 points for LA, has been slowed by a groin injury.

Other players possibly headed to the 2010 FIBA World Championship were in action over the weekend.

Turkey

Hedo Turkoglu – The Toronto Raptors’ summer signing had 20 points but his team slipped to a 101-100 defeat at Phoenix. The Turkey national team captain’s three-ball knotted the game at 98-98 and he also buried a jump shot for a 100-98 advantage with less than a minute remaining but Toronto weren’t able to hold on.

France

Rodrigues Beaubois – A player with Cholet last season, Beaubois has worked his way into the Dallas Mavericks’ starting line-up and on Sunday made all six of his shots from the floor, including both attempts from long range, and had a career-high 14 points to help Dallas win 95-90 at Detroit. Beaubois also had four assists and came up with two steals in 19 minutes. Beaubois could force his way into the talented French team that plays in Turkey next year.

Germany

Chris Kaman – The Los Angeles Clipper center had 25 points, seven rebounds and swatted a shot in his team’s 101-93 victory at Oklahoma city. Kaman may play at the FIBA World Championship if Germany receive a wild card.

Dirk Nowitzki – The seven-footer poured in 25 points on 11 of 27 shooting for the Mavs’ in their win at Detroit. Nowitzki may play in Turkey next year if Germany receive a wild card.

Team USA

• Chris Bosh – The Toronto center scored 25 points and hauled in 10 boards in the Raptors one-point defeat at Phoenix.

Greece

• Dimitris Diamantidis – The Panathinaikos guard scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and came up with two steals in the Greens’ 70-62 victory at Aris.
• Kostas Vasileiadis – The Greek sensation of the ACB had 21 points to lead the surprising Xacobeo Blu:sens to a third straight win in the ACB, 83-66 at Unicaja Malaga.

Serbia

• Milos Teodosic – The Serbia playmaker made three of his five shots from long range and ended up with 20 in Olympiacos’ 90-60 win at Kavala in Greece’s top flight on Saturday.
• Kosta Perovic – The Valencia Basket Club center made seven of eight shots from the floor and scored 17 points in his team’s 65-61 home triumph over Lagun Aro GBC.

Argentina

• Pablo Prigioni – The Argentina playmaker finished with nine points and five assists in Real Madrid’s 73-67 triumph at Gran Canaria 2014 in the ACB.

Spain

• Ricky Rubio – The 19-year-old Regal Barcelona point guard had 10 assists and six steals in his team’s 100-72 demolition of Caja Laboral on Saturday at the Palau Blaugrana. Rubio didn’t score after taking just two shots.
• Juan Carlos Navarro – The Spain shooting guard made four of eight shots from long range and had 18 points in Barcelona’s victory.

Slovenia

• Jaka Lakovic – The Slovenia playmaker scored 10 points and dished out four assists in Barcelona’s win over Caja Laboral.

Sani Becirovic – The Union Olimpija point guard made all eight of his free-throws and scored 17 points while also handing out seven assists in his team’s Adriatic League win over Radnicki.

FIBA