SPORT.3

07 Jul 1997 - 12 May 1998

Messages - nba

nba.805 nba.news,
The universal language The L.A. Lakers will broadcast 12 games in Chinese this season, presumably for fans of Shaquille O'Neal. "After all," says Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times, "people whose forefathers were capable of building the Great Wall probably have a real appreciation for bricks." Nick out of time? L.A. Lakers guard Nick Van Exel, frustrated with a nagging knee injury, is contemplating an early retirement, says the Orange County Register. "If it's going to bother and bother me, I wouldn't mind just playing my contract out and then sitting back, playing golf," Van Exel said. "There's so much to life other than just basketball nowadays. "... I've thought about it, just playing my contract out, just giving it up. ... Sometimes, because of the things I've been through. Sometimes, because I'm tired. Sometimes, because of my knee. You think about a lot when you have time to think." Van Exel has missed two practices and two exhibition games this season. Team doctor Steve Lombardo and Van Exel's personal doctor in Oklahoma City, David Flesher Sr., said his left knee is suffering a bone bruise. Van Exel, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in 1992 and 1993 on his left knee, has a five-year, $10.5 million contract that expires in 1999. Pssst ... Kenny Walker, the New York Knicks' top draft pick in 1986, finally served his one-week jail sentence for pleading guilty last year to menacing his wife. The reason the jail term was delayed? So Walker could play ball in Japan.
nba.806 junior, -> #805, nba.news
> Kenny Walker, the New York Knicks' top draft pick in 1986, Jel' to onaj što je nosio sedmicu, i zakucavao kao životinja?
nba.807 gligo, -> #791, junior
> A do pre samo 2 meseca, igrao si sa ortacima basket na DIFu. > E, sad pokusaj da shvatis njegovu psihologiju i kako se on > oseca. Zato i ne odobravam odlazak igraca (dece) iz srednje skole direktno u ligu. Bas zbog sazrevanja kao licnosti koja bi mogla normalno da se nosi sa onim sto navodis. Ali lova cini svoje.... > Uostalom, pokazace se on veceras protiv Sietla. Nije toliko ni vazno ali opet je imao ocajan sut, 0-3. P.S. Ono sto ti kazes, setih se Atlante '96, odnosno finala D.Team-Yug, pa ono kad Rebarce i Tomasevic ulaze u igru... Jos se kao Rebarce dogovorio s'fotoreporterima da ovi uhvate trenutak kad Rebarce zakuca preko Barklija, pa da prave postere....;) ...a ono.... ..e to je samopouzdanje ;)
nba.808 gligo, -> #773, miskop
> -> CHARLOTTE (86) AT UTAH (105) > > -> DIVAC 15 0-4 1-2 3 2 5 > 1 2 0 0 1 > > Ovogodisnji prvenac... :) Ma on svake godine tako, do all star weekend-a ga nigde nema, a posle na svakoj drugoj po triple-double.
nba.809 vpoznanovic,
1997 NBA Preseason Tuesday, October 14 Cleveland at Indiana 93:90 Denver at Golden State 98:97 L.A. Clippers at Sacramento 92:103 Minnesota at Miami 90:102 Portland at Vancouver 83:103 San Antonio at Orlando 88:87 Seattle at Detroit 96:98 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- CLEVELAND 25 24 20 24 93 INDIANA 26 23 18 23 90 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: CLE - WESLEY PERSON 13, SHAWN KEMP 13, VITALY POTAPENKO 10 IND - FRED HOIBERG 17, REGGIE MILLER 16, CHRIS MULLIN 12 HIGH REBOUND: CLE - VITALY POTAPENKO 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6 IND - DALE DAVIS 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5 HIGH ASSISTS: CLE - BOB SURA 2, SHERMAN DOUGLAS 2 IND - CHRIS MULLIN 6, MARK JACKSON 4 ATT: 13,596 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- DENVER 31 25 22 20 98 GOLDEN STATE 24 28 23 22 97 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: DEN - ERIC WILLIAMS 24, BRYANT STITH 14, DEAN GARRETT 12 GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 33, MARK PRICE 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH REBOUND: DEN - DEAN GARRETT 10, DANNY FORTSON 9 GSW - ERICK DAMPIER 10, LATRELL SPREWELL 8 HIGH ASSISTS: DEN - BOBBY JACKSON 7, BRYANT STITH 4 GSW - B J ARMSTRONG 5, MARK PRICE 5 ATT: 5,890 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- LA CLIPPERS 24 23 24 21 92 SACRAMENTO 23 19 27 34 103 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: LAC - LAMOND MURRAY 20, RODNEY ROGERS 13, BRENT BARRY 11 SAC - LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 24, MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF 17, ANTHONY JOHNSON 15 HIGH REBOUND: LAC - STOJKO VRANKOVIC 11, KEITH CLOSS JR 8 SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 12, MICHAEL STEWART 5 HIGH ASSISTS: LAC - DARRICK MARTIN 4, POOH RICHARDSON 3 SAC - TERRY DEHERE 7, ANTHONY JOHNSON 5 ATT: 11,123 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MINNESOTA 21 20 27 22 90 MIAMI 27 22 24 29 102 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 17, TOM GUGLIOTTA 16, STEPHON MARBURY 16 MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 21, TODD DAY 16, MARK STRICKLAND 14 HIGH REBOUND: MIN - CLIFFORD ROZIER 10, PAUL GRANT 6 MIA - MARK STRICKLAND 8, ISAAC AUSTIN 6 HIGH ASSISTS: MIN - STEPHON MARBURY 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2 MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 8, ERIC MURDOCK 5 ATT: 14,312 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PORTLAND 29 21 16 17 83 VANCOUVER 25 29 29 20 103 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: POR - STACEY AUGMON 18, JERMAINE ONEAL 12, KENNY ANDERSON 10 VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 27, OTIS THORPE 14, BRYANT REEVES 13 HIGH REBOUND: POR - ARVYDAS SABONIS 7, SEAN HIGGINS 6 VAN - OTIS THORPE 12, PETE CHILCUTT 10 HIGH ASSISTS: POR - ISAIAH RIDER 6, STACEY AUGMON 4 VAN - ANTONIO DANIELS 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- SAN ANTONIO 27 25 10 26 88 ORLANDO 31 17 19 20 87 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: SAS - DAVID ROBINSON 14, WILL PERDUE 13, SEAN ELLIOTT 11 ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 21, RONY SEIKALY 19, HORACE GRANT 11 HIGH REBOUND: SAS - WILL PERDUE 10, MALIK ROSE 9 ORL - HORACE GRANT 11, DEREK STRONG 7 HIGH ASSISTS: SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 4, JAREN JACKSON 3 ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 6, DEREK HARPER 6 ATT: 16,126 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- SEATTLE 33 21 21 21 96 DETROIT 27 38 20 13 98 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: SEA - SAM PERKINS 18, DETLEF SCHREMPF 17, VIN BAKER 17 DET - AARON MCKIE 17, BRIAN WILLIAMS 16, LINDSEY HUNTER 15 HIGH REBOUND: SEA - VIN BAKER 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6 DET - BRIAN WILLIAMS 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7 HIGH ASSISTS: SEA - GARY PAYTON 9, GREG ANTHONY 6 DET - JOE DUMARS 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5 ATT: 12,373 Wednesday, October 15 Philadelphia at Toronto, 7:00 p.m. New Jersey vs. Boston at Lexington, Ky., 7:30 p.m. Phoenix at Houston, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver vs. Dallas at Rapid City, S.D., 9:30 p.m.
nba.810 nba.news,
CLEVELAND (93) AT INDIANA (90) CLEVELAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === PERSON F 24 3-5 6-8 1 5 6 1 1 0 2 13 FERRY F 18 2-6 2-2 2 0 2 0 4 3 0 7 KEMP C 24 4-9 5-7 1 1 2 1 3 1 3 13 SURA G 24 1-2 2-8 0 6 6 2 1 0 3 4 ANDERSON G 19 1-5 3-4 2 2 4 0 4 1 0 5 POTAPENKO 18 2-7 6-8 5 2 7 0 3 0 3 10 BUTLER 21 2-6 1-2 1 2 3 0 3 1 2 5 DOUGLAS 16 1-2 5-6 1 0 1 2 2 2 1 7 ILGAUSKAS 14 2-5 2-4 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 6 JAMES 16 2-3 2-2 0 1 1 1 2 0 2 7 CALDWELL 11 1-1 2-4 2 0 2 0 0 2 1 4 SCOTT 11 2-5 0-1 1 1 2 1 2 0 0 4 FORD 4 1-2 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 KNIGHT 8 0-0 4-4 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 HENDERSON 8 0-2 1-2 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 1 ALLEN 4 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 24-60 42-64 17 26 43 10 33 11 20 93 (.400) (.656) TEAM REBS: 17 TOTAL TO: 20(23 PTS) INDIANA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === D DAVIS F 30 5-10 1-2 4 3 7 0 6 1 2 11 MULLIN F 23 5-7 2-2 0 2 2 6 0 1 0 12 SMITS C 14 2-2 0-0 3 2 5 2 3 0 1 4 JACKSON G 19 0-3 2-4 0 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 MILLER G 32 4-13 7-8 0 2 2 2 3 2 3 16 POPE 22 1-4 2-4 3 2 5 1 5 0 4 4 WEST 12 2-5 1-3 2 1 3 1 5 0 1 5 ROSE 17 3-7 4-8 1 1 2 1 4 0 3 10 BEST 27 1-7 4-4 0 3 3 3 4 3 4 7 HOIBERG 25 6-8 2-2 0 1 1 1 4 1 0 17 A DAVIS 19 0-3 2-2 2 1 3 0 6 1 1 2 TOTALS 240 29-69 27-39 15 22 37 21 43 11 21 90 (.420) (.692) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 22(16 PTS) CLEVELAND 25 24 20 24 - 93 INDIANA 26 23 18 23 - 90 BLOCKED SHOTS: CLEVELAND - FERRY, ILGAUSKAS. INDIANA - D DAVIS 4, MULLIN, POPE. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CLEVELAND 3-9 (.333), PERSON 1-3, FERRY 1-2, KEMP 0-1, SURA 0-1, ANDERSON 0-1, JAMES 1-1. INDIANA 5-15 (.333), JACKSON 0-1, MILLER 1-4, ROSE 0-2, BEST 1-3, HOIBERG 3-5. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, JOE BORGIA, ROBBY ROBINSON. A - 13,596. T - 2:28. CLEVELAND (93) AT INDIANA (90) Shawn Kemp and Wesley Person scored 13 points apiece as the Cleveland Cavaliers hit 42-of-64 free throw attempts in a 93-90 win over the Indiana Pacers. The teams combined for 76 personal fouls, 43 by Indiana and 33 by Cleveland. The Pacers (3-0) sank 27-of-39 free throw attempts, led by Reggie Miller's 7-of-8 performance. Indiana's 22 turnovers gave it 20-or-more turnovers for the third consecutive game. Cleveland finished with 20 turnovers. Indiana (1-2) was led by Fred Hoiberg's 17 points. Miller, despite shooting just 4-of-13 from the field, finished with 16 points. Chris Mullin of the Pacers was injured in the second quarter when he was hit on top of head by an errant Danny Ferry elbow on a drive to the basket. He left the game and received four stitches, but returned to play in the third quarter, finishing with 12 points and six assists.
nba.811 nba.news,
DENVER (98) AT GOLDEN STATE (97) DENVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === WILLIAMS F 38 9-15 6-8 3 4 7 1 2 2 3 24 BATTIE F 20 3-6 1-2 1 3 4 0 5 1 1 7 GARRETT C 37 6-9 0-0 2 8 10 3 3 1 3 12 JACKSON G 32 4-13 3-3 4 2 6 7 4 2 5 11 STITH G 37 4-14 5-5 0 4 4 4 4 1 3 14 FORTSON 23 3-5 5-8 4 5 9 2 5 0 1 11 NEWMAN 16 1-5 3-4 0 0 0 1 3 1 2 5 LAUDERDALE 8 2-5 2-4 1 1 2 0 2 1 4 6 WASHINGTON 8 1-3 0-0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 GOLDWIRE 16 1-2 4-4 0 1 1 2 0 0 3 6 WOLF 5 0-4 0-0 4 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 34-81 29-38 21 30 51 20 29 9 25 98 (.420) (.763) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 26(19 PTS) GOLDEN STATE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MARSHALL F 27 0-7 2-2 2 3 5 3 5 1 1 2 SMITH F 18 2-10 2-2 4 1 5 1 5 1 2 6 DAMPIER C 33 3-7 1-2 5 5 10 0 2 1 1 7 ARMSTRONG G 26 3-11 4-4 1 2 3 5 1 0 2 11 SPREWELL G 37 13-23 2-3 3 5 8 2 2 3 3 33 FERRELL 14 0-3 6-6 0 3 3 1 5 2 3 6 PRICE 19 4-9 5-6 1 1 2 5 5 1 2 13 SIMPKINS 13 0-2 2-2 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 THOMAS 11 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 4 SPENCER 13 0-3 0-2 1 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 FULLER 17 5-8 1-2 2 2 4 0 2 0 1 11 BURTON 3 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 STEWART 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LANG 7 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 2 COLES DNP - INJURED LEFT ANKLE FOYLE DNP - INJURED LEFT FOOT TOTALS 240 32-88 27-33 22 25 47 19 32 11 20 97 (.364) (.818) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 20(18 PTS) DENVER 31 25 22 20 - 98 GOLDEN STATE 24 28 23 22 - 97 BLOCKED SHOTS: DENVER - GARRETT 3, LAUDERDALE, WASHINGTON. GOLDEN STATE - DAMPIER 3, MARSHALL, THOMAS, SPENCER, FULLER. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DENVER 1-3 (.333), STITH 1-2, NEWMAN 0-1. GOLDEN STATE 6-13 (.462), MARSHALL 0-1, ARMSTRONG 1-2, SPREWELL 5-6, PRICE 0-3, THOMAS 0-1. TECHNICALS: GOLDEN STATE - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2. OFFICIALS: ED T RUSH, KEN MAUER, VIOLET PALMER. A - 5,890. T - 2:19. DENVER (98) AT GOLDEN STATE (97) Eric Williams scored 24 points and B.J. Armstrong threw away a pass in the final seconds as the Denver Nuggets kept the Golden State Warriors winless with a 98-97 preseason victory. Armstrong tried to hit Donyell Marshall on the right baseline with a skip pass from the free throw line but turned the ball over. Rookie Danny Fortson chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds and gave the Nuggets a 98-93 lead with a tip-in with 1:50 to play. Latrell Sprewell led all scorers with 33 points for Golden State (0-3), while Marshall and Joe Smith combined for four points on 2-of-17 shooting. Mark Price scored 14 points and Erick Dampier added 10 for Golden State. Dean Garrett totaled 14 points and 10 rebounds and Bryant Stith added 14 points for the Nuggets (2-1).
nba.812 nba.news,
LA CLIPPERS (92) AT SACRAMENTO (103) LA CLIPPERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ROGERS F 24 5-11 2-4 1 1 2 1 3 0 2 13 VAUGHT F 9 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 VRANKOVIC C 22 4-5 0-0 2 9 11 0 4 1 2 8 BARRY G 23 3-10 4-4 0 3 3 1 3 0 2 11 MARTIN G 27 3-7 4-4 0 1 1 4 3 0 2 10 PIATKOWSKI 24 4-9 0-0 2 3 5 2 3 0 7 9 WRIGHT 14 1-3 2-3 0 5 5 0 2 0 2 4 MURRAY 24 7-14 5-6 1 2 3 0 1 4 2 20 CLOSS 18 3-8 0-0 4 4 8 0 2 1 0 6 RICHARDSON 17 0-7 0-0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 TAYLOR 5 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 COLLINS 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 MANNING 8 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 2 MCCRAY 16 1-2 2-2 4 1 5 1 1 0 0 4 HUFFMAN 4 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GARRIS 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 ROBINSON DNP - INJURED RIGHT FOOT TOTALS 240 34-84 19-23 15 32 47 15 24 7 23 92 (.405) (.826) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 24(20 PTS) SACRAMENTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === OWENS F 12 1-5 0-4 2 2 4 0 1 0 0 2 FUNDERBURKE F 35 8-11 8-9 1 1 2 2 0 1 2 24 POLYNICE C 25 6-12 2-2 4 8 12 0 6 0 0 14 DEHERE G 25 4-11 3-4 1 2 3 7 3 1 2 11 HURLEY G 19 1-4 1-2 0 1 1 4 0 2 1 3 ABDUL-RAUF 29 7-11 2-2 0 3 3 3 4 1 2 17 JOHNSON 29 6-9 2-2 1 2 3 5 2 4 2 15 SAINT JEAN 12 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 SALVADORI 7 1-2 2-2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 4 GRIMM 16 3-4 1-2 0 3 3 0 2 1 3 9 STEWART 16 1-5 2-4 1 4 5 1 0 0 1 4 GAMBLE 15 0-4 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 1 0 0 RICHMOND DNP - SORE RIGHT ACHILLES SIMMONS DNP - REHABILITATION RIGHT KNEE SMITH DNP - NOT WITH TEAM - PERSONAL C WILLIAMSON DNP - LEFT KNEE TENDINITIS TOTALS 240 38-80 23-33 10 30 40 25 21 11 16 103 (.475) (.697) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 16(12 PTS) LA CLIPPERS 24 23 24 21 - 92 SACRAMENTO 23 19 27 34 - 103 BLOCKED SHOTS: LA CLIPPERS - VRANKOVIC. SACRAMENTO - STEWART 6, POLYNICE 2, OWENS, JOHNSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA CLIPPERS 5-15 (.333), ROGERS 1-2, BARRY 1-4, MARTIN 0-2, PIATKOWSKI 1-4, MURRAY 1-2, GARRIS 1-1. SACRAMENTO 4-8 (.500), OWENS 0-1, DEHERE 0-1, ABDUL-RAUF 1-2, JOHNSON 1-1, GRIMM 2-3. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: BILL OAKES, BLANE REICHELT, JIM CAPERS. A - 11,123. T - 1:58. LA CLIPPERS (92) AT SACRAMENTO (103) Lawrence Funderburke led all scorers with 24 points and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half as the Sacramento Kings earned their first win of the exhibition season with a 103-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Los Angeles (1-3) led 71-69 going into the fourth quarter. But Sacramento went on a 15-2 run capped by rookie Anthony Johnson's three-pointer as the Kings (1-3) took an 84-73 lead with 5:53 to play. Johnson, a second-round pick from the College of Charleston, chipped in five assists. Sacramento outscored Los Angeles, 61-45 in the second half. Lamond Murray had 20 points and Roy Rogers added 13 for the Clippers.
nba.813 nba.news,
MINNESOTA (90) AT MIAMI (102) MINNESOTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === K GARNETT F 41 6-16 5-8 1 3 4 2 2 0 3 17 GUGLIOTTA F 29 6-20 4-6 2 2 4 0 3 2 3 16 ROZIER C 32 2-4 2-4 4 6 10 0 3 1 2 6 MARBURY G 31 7-13 2-4 3 2 5 6 5 0 8 16 CARR G 23 1-2 2-4 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 4 PORTER 17 1-4 1-1 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 3 GRANT 16 2-3 0-0 3 3 6 0 4 0 2 4 WILLIAMS 17 3-5 5-5 0 1 1 1 3 1 1 12 MITCHELL 24 3-8 0-0 1 3 4 0 4 1 0 6 JORDAN 8 2-4 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 1 1 4 OSBORNE 2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 HEAL DNP - LEFT CALF STRAIN WEST DNP - PULLED GROIN TOTALS 240 34-80 21-32 15 23 38 11 31 7 22 90 (.425) (.656) TEAM REBS: 17 TOTAL TO: 22(23 PTS) MIAMI REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BROWN F 13 1-4 5-6 1 1 2 0 5 1 0 7 STRICKLAND F 29 7-10 0-2 4 4 8 1 4 1 1 14 AUSTIN C 25 4-6 2-2 4 2 6 3 2 1 2 10 HARDAWAY G 27 9-17 0-0 1 3 4 8 3 1 9 21 LENARD G 27 4-11 0-0 0 3 3 4 3 0 1 10 DAVIS 27 1-3 4-6 0 3 3 0 5 0 1 6 SANFORD 9 2-4 1-1 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 5 DAY 20 5-9 5-6 1 2 3 1 4 2 0 16 MURDOCK 22 2-7 2-2 0 2 2 5 2 3 0 6 NEMBHARD 16 2-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 4 CAUSWELL 23 1-2 1-1 0 3 3 0 3 0 1 3 HUCKABY 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 38-76 20-26 12 25 37 22 32 9 18 102 (.500) (.769) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 19(19 PTS) MINNESOTA 21 20 27 22 - 90 MIAMI 27 22 24 29 - 102 BLOCKED SHOTS: MINNESOTA - K GARNETT, ROZIER, WILLIAMS. MIAMI - CAUSWELL 2, DAY, STRICKLAND. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MINNESOTA 1-5 (.200), K GARNETT 0-1, MARBURY 0-1, PORTER 0-1, WILLIAMS 1-1, MITCHELL 0-1. MIAMI 6-14 (.429), HARDAWAY 3-7, LENARD 2-5, DAY 1-1, MURDOCK 0-1. TECHNICALS: MINNESOTA - GUGLIOTTA, MIAMI - SANFORD, STRICKLAND, ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2, MURDOCK. OFFICIALS: RONNIE NUNN, SEAN CORBIN, ANTHONY JORDAN. A - 14,312. T - 2:20. MINNESOTA (90) AT MIAMI (102) Tim Hardaway scored 21 points and Todd Day added 16 as the Miami Heat used a strong fourth quarter to turn back the Minnesota Timberwolves, 102-90. Mark Strickland had 14 points for the Heat (2-0), who broke open a tight game with a 24-11 burst. Miami played without three-fifths of its regular starting lineup. Dan Majerle, Jamal Mashburn and Alonzo Mourning all sat out with injuries. Kevin Garnett led Minnesota (1-2) with 17 points while Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta, an off-season acquisition from the Boston Celtics, had 16 apiece. Hardaway scored 12 points in the first quarter, helping Miami establish a 27-21 lead.
nba.814 nba.news,
PORTLAND (83) AT VANCOUVER (103) PORTLAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ONEAL F 28 5-11 1-2 1 1 2 1 3 0 1 12 WALLACE F 34 4-13 1-2 1 4 5 2 2 1 2 9 SABONIS C 16 2-8 3-3 4 3 7 1 1 2 0 7 RIDER G 29 2-9 5-5 2 1 3 6 1 1 3 9 ANDERSON G 16 5-5 0-1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 10 AUGMON 28 8-17 2-2 2 2 4 4 2 3 1 18 CROTTY 20 1-6 2-2 0 3 3 0 0 1 0 4 CATO 13 0-1 0-0 1 2 3 1 4 2 0 0 HIGGINS 25 4-9 0-0 3 3 6 0 0 1 2 8 LISTER 6 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 0 WINGFIELD 13 1-4 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 2 WILLIAMS 12 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 4 ASKEW DNP - ANKLE INJURY GRANT DNP - STRAINED HAMSTRING TRENT DNP - SORE LEG TOTALS 240 34-88 14-17 15 21 36 18 18 14 11 83 (.386) (.824) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 12(14 PTS) VANCOUVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ABDUR-RAHIM F 31 11-17 5-6 3 3 6 0 0 1 4 27 THORPE F 29 6-7 2-2 2 10 12 3 2 0 3 14 REEVES C 30 5-11 3-4 2 6 8 0 3 1 1 13 PEELER G 29 3-10 0-0 0 1 1 4 2 2 1 7 DANIELS G 25 3-4 2-3 0 1 1 9 3 1 4 8 MAYBERRY 19 3-6 0-0 0 1 1 4 2 0 0 8 B EDWARDS 19 3-8 0-0 0 3 3 3 2 0 1 6 CHILCUTT 25 3-8 4-4 4 6 10 3 2 1 2 10 LYNCH 18 2-5 0-0 0 4 4 0 0 1 2 4 NEWBILL 5 1-2 0-0 4 3 7 0 0 0 1 2 BOOTH 4 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 GREEN 4 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 2 OGG 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BROWN DNP - SHOULDER INJURY ROBINSON DNP - ANKLE INJURY ROGERS DNP - SORE KNEE TOTALS 240 42-82 16-19 16 38 54 27 16 8 20 103 (.512) (.842) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 20(16 PTS) PORTLAND 29 21 16 17 - 83 VANCOUVER 25 29 29 20 - 103 BLOCKED SHOTS: PORTLAND - SABONIS 2, CATO 2, ONEAL, WALLACE, HIGGINS. VANCOUVER - DANIELS 2, ABDUR-RAHIM, LYNCH. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PORTLAND 1-8 (.125), ONEAL 1-1, SABONIS 0-2, RIDER 0-1, CROTTY 0-1, WINGFIELD 0-2, WILLIAMS 0-1. VANCOUVER 3-10 (.300), PEELER 1-4, MAYBERRY 2-5, CHILCUTT 0-1. TECHNICALS: VANCOUVER - ABDUR-RAHIM. OFFICIALS: SCOTT WALL, JOE CRAWFORD, BRUCE ALEXANDER. A - 0. T - 1:56. PORTLAND (83) AT VANCOUVER (103) Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 27 points and the Vancouver Grizzlies held the Portland Trail Blazers to 33 second-half points en route to their first victory of the preseason, 103-83. Abdur-Rahim scored five points during a 13-4 run to start the second half and Bryant Reeves chipped in six of his 13 points during the spurt. Stacey Augmon led Portland (2-1) with 18 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 12 for the Blazers, who trailed at halftime, 54-50. Otis Thorpe totaled 14 points and 12 rebounds and Pete Chilcutt contributed 10 points and 10 boards for the Grizzlies (1-2), who outscored Portland in the third quarter, 29-16.
nba.815 nba.news,
SAN ANTONIO (88) AT ORLANDO (87) SAN ANTONIO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ELLIOTT F 23 4-12 3-4 1 1 2 1 4 0 1 11 DUNCAN F 13 3-5 0-1 0 4 4 0 4 0 2 6 ROBINSON C 24 4-6 6-8 2 5 7 2 1 0 4 14 DEL NEGRO G 28 3-5 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 0 2 7 JOHNSON G 30 4-7 2-4 0 2 2 4 0 1 3 10 W PERDUE 24 4-9 5-9 5 5 10 0 3 1 1 13 IGO 7 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 C PERSON 25 2-6 2-2 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 8 ALEXANDER 18 0-3 0-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 HERRERA 12 0-1 0-0 2 3 5 0 1 1 1 0 JACKSON 20 4-9 1-2 0 3 3 3 3 1 1 9 ROSE 16 4-6 2-4 3 6 9 2 4 0 2 10 TOTALS 240 32-70 21-36 13 32 45 18 23 6 18 88 (.457) (.583) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 19(23 PTS) ORLANDO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ANDERSON F 30 4-15 0-0 0 3 3 0 4 0 2 9 GRANT F 35 5-8 1-2 3 8 11 4 2 2 0 11 SEIKALY C 24 7-12 5-9 2 2 4 2 4 4 1 19 A HARDAWAY G 40 6-15 9-12 3 2 5 6 2 2 0 21 D HARPER G 38 0-7 0-0 0 2 2 6 1 1 4 0 EVANS 19 3-8 2-2 4 1 5 1 2 0 1 8 STRONG 20 4-7 1-2 3 4 7 2 4 0 1 9 BRUNSON 9 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 OUTLAW 15 3-3 2-4 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 8 SCHAYES 6 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 KEMPTON 4 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 2 ARMSTRONG DNP - BRUISED RIGHT KNEE SHAW DNP - SORE LEFT ANKLE TAYLOR DNP - TENDON TEAR RIGHT SHOULDER WILKINS DNP - BRUISED RIGHT KNEE TOTALS 240 33-80 20-31 16 26 42 24 25 11 13 87 (.413) (.645) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 13(10 PTS) SAN ANTONIO 27 25 10 26 - 88 ORLANDO 31 17 19 20 - 87 BLOCKED SHOTS: SAN ANTONIO - ROBINSON, W PERDUE, IGO. ORLANDO - D HARPER 2, GRANT, OUTLAW. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SAN ANTONIO 3-8 (.375), DEL NEGRO 1-1, C PERSON 2-4, ALEXANDER 0-2, JACKSON 0-1. ORLANDO 1-5 (.200), ANDERSON 1-4, A HARDAWAY 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: ED F RUSH, MIKE SMITH, SCOTT FOSTER. A - 16,126. T - 2:16. SAN ANTONIO (88) AT ORLANDO (87) Malik Rose's layup with 16 seconds left rallied the unbeaten San Antonio Spurs to an 88-87 victory over the winless Orlando Magic. Rose's basket completed a fourth-quarter comeback which saw the Spurs battle back from a 12-point deficit with 8:55 remaining. After the go-ahead shot, the Magic called timeout to set up a play. But Derek Harper missed a jumper and San Antonio pulled down the rebound, preserving the win. David Robinson scored 14 points and Will Perdue added 13 for the Spurs (3-0), who held a 52-48 halftime lead before being held to just 10 points in the third quarter. San Antonio's Tim Duncan, the top overall pick in the draft, left in the second quarter but returned after taking seven stitches over his left eye. Anfernee Hardaway scored 21 points and Rony Seikaly contributed 14, only five in the second half, for Orlando (0-3).
nba.816 nba.news,
SEATTLE (96) AT DETROIT (98) SEATTLE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === D SCHREMPF F 27 6-9 3-3 1 2 3 0 4 1 2 17 PERKINS F 25 6-7 3-4 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 18 BAKER C 27 7-16 3-7 4 4 8 1 3 2 3 17 PAYTON G 29 5-12 0-2 2 4 6 9 2 2 3 10 HAWKINS G 28 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 0 2 3 COTTON 14 2-3 3-4 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 7 EHLO 14 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 0 2 0 WILLIAMS 19 3-3 3-4 2 4 6 0 2 1 1 9 ANTHONY 13 0-2 0-0 0 3 3 6 4 0 0 0 HOWARD 8 1-1 3-4 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 5 SNOW 5 0-2 0-2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 KERSEY 16 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 4 0 2 2 ELLIS 15 3-9 0-0 1 3 4 1 1 0 0 8 TOTALS 240 35-72 18-30 12 25 37 24 31 8 17 96 (.486) (.600) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 18(22 PTS) DETROIT REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 26 4-9 5-6 2 2 4 5 4 1 2 13 G LONG F 22 3-5 0-0 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 6 B WILLIAMS C 29 6-12 4-5 1 7 8 0 6 1 6 16 HUNTER G 23 5-9 4-4 1 2 3 5 0 1 1 15 DUMARS G 28 4-9 0-0 0 1 1 6 1 1 1 9 MCKIE 31 5-8 7-9 0 2 2 4 0 1 3 17 RATLIFF 14 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 2 4 SEALY 25 2-7 4-4 3 4 7 0 4 2 1 8 J WILLIAMS 13 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 2 OBANNON 11 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 REID 17 3-8 1-3 2 5 7 0 3 0 0 7 ROBINSON 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 35-74 26-33 12 27 39 23 24 9 17 98 (.473) (.788) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 18(9 PTS) SEATTLE 33 21 21 21 - 96 DETROIT 27 38 20 13 - 98 BLOCKED SHOTS: SEATTLE - BAKER, WILLIAMS. DETROIT - RATLIFF 2, MCKIE, REID. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SEATTLE 8-17 (.471), D SCHREMPF 2-4, PERKINS 3-4, PAYTON 0-1, HAWKINS 1-2, COTTON 0-1, EHLO 0-1, ELLIS 2-4. DETROIT 2-7 (.286), HUNTER 1-2, DUMARS 1-3, MCKIE 0-1, SEALY 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: RON GARRETSON, TOM WASHINGTON, RODDY MOTT. A - 12,373. T - 2:12. SEATTLE (96) AT DETROIT (98) Malik Sealy hit a pair of free throws with 6.1 seconds left to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 98-96 win over the Seattle SuperSonics. Sealy went to the line after he was fouled by Dale Ellis while chasing a loose ball. Aaron McKie scored six of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Pistons (2-1). Brian Williams, whose hook shot tied the game, 96-96, with 47 seconds remaining, added 16 points for Detroit. Sam Perkins led Seattle (1-3) with 18 points, hitting three of his four three-point attempts. Vin Baker and Detlef Schrempf each added 17 points for the Sonics, who went on a 17-1 run over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter to turn a 10-point deficit into a 92-86 lead. Seattle rookie guard James Cotton injured his right knee in the first half and will have an MRI on Wednesday.
nba.817 nba.news,
National Basketball Association Leaders (Through Tuesday, October 14) SCORING (MINIMUM OF 1 GAMES PLAYED OR 56 POINTS SCORED) PLAYER GP PTS AVG ------ -- --- --- Antoine Walker, BOS 2 59 29.5 Allen Iverson, PHI 2 56 28.0 Shareef Abdur-rahim, VAN 3 81 27.0 Shaquille Oneal, LAL 2 52 26.0 Eric Williams, DEN 3 67 22.3 Damon Stoudamire, TOR 2 44 22.0 Glenn Robinson, MIL 1 21 21.0 Latrell Sprewell, GSW 3 62 20.7 Lawrence Funderburke, SAC 3 60 20.0 Hakeem Olajuwon, HOU 1 20 20.0 Keith Van Horn, NJN 1 20 20.0 Marcus Camby, TOR 2 38 19.0 Glen Rice, CHA 1 19 19.0 Detlef Schrempf, SEA 2 37 18.5 Patrick Ewing, NYK 2 37 18.5 Tim Hardaway, MIA 2 37 18.5 Anfernee Hardaway, ORL 3 55 18.3 Vin Baker, SEA 4 72 18.0 Olden Polynice, SAC 3 54 18.0 Michael Jordan, CHI 3 53 17.7 Shawn Bradley, DAL 2 35 17.5 Kobe Bryant, LAL 2 35 17.5 John Starks, NYK 3 52 17.3 Danny Manning, PHO 2 34 17.0 Jeff Hornacek, UTH 1 17 17.0 Isaac Austin, MIA 2 33 16.5 Michael Finley, DAL 2 33 16.5 Fred Hoiberg, IND 3 48 16.0 Steve Nash, PHO 2 32 16.0 Stephon Marbury, MIN 1 16 16.0 Brent Price, HOU 1 16 16.0 REBOUNDING (MINIMUM OF 1 GAMES PLAYED OR 32 REBOUNDS) PLAYER GP REB AVG ------ -- --- --- Antoine Walker, BOS 2 28 14.0 Shawn Bradley, DAL 2 24 12.0 Greg Ostertag, UTH 2 24 12.0 Jayson Williams, NJN 1 12 12.0 Dikembe Mutombo, ATL 3 35 11.7 Chris Dudley, NYK 1 11 11.0 Horace Grant, ORL 1 11 11.0 Shaquille Oneal, LAL 2 21 10.5 Dean Garrett, DEN 3 30 10.0 Keith Closs Jr, LAC 3 29 9.7 Otis Thorpe, VAN 3 29 9.7 Matt Geiger, CHA 2 19 9.5 Ac Green, DAL 2 19 9.5 Charles Oakley, NYK 3 28 9.3 Will Perdue, SAS 3 28 9.3 Matt Bullard, HOU 1 9 9.0 Mark Strickland, MIA 2 17 8.5 Clarence Weatherspoon, PHI 2 17 8.5 Erick Dampier, GSW 3 25 8.3 Olden Polynice, SAC 3 25 8.3 Clifford Rozier, MIN 3 25 8.3 ASSISTS (MINIMUM OF 1 GAMES PLAYED OR 16 ASSISTS) PLAYER GP AST AVG ------ -- --- --- Jason Kidd, PHO 2 20 10.0 John Stockton, UTH 1 8 8.0 Damon Stoudamire, TOR 2 15 7.5 Tim Hardaway, MIA 2 14 7.0 Terrell Brandon, MIL 1 7 7.0 Sam Cassell, NJN 1 7 7.0 Kerry Kittles, NJN 1 7 7.0 Allen Iverson, PHI 2 13 6.5 Gary Payton, SEA 3 18 6.0 Darrell Armstrong, ORL 2 12 6.0 Chris Childs, NYK 2 12 6.0 Stephon Marbury, MIN 1 6 6.0 Steve Nash, PHO 2 11 5.5 Robert Pack, DAL 2 11 5.5 Grant Hill, DET 3 16 5.3 Bobby Jackson, DEN 3 16 5.3 John Starks, NYK 3 16 5.3 Bob Sura, CLE 3 15 5.0 Rodrick Rhodes, HOU 2 10 5.0 Clyde Drexler, HOU 1 5 5.0 Jamal Mashburn, MIA 1 5 5.0 STEALS (MINIMUM OF 1 GAMES PLAYED OR 5 STEALS) PLAYER GP STL AVG ------ -- --- --- Eddie Jones, LAL 2 7 3.5 Anthony Johnson, SAC 3 10 3.3 Rony Seikaly, ORL 3 9 3.0 David Wesley, CHA 2 6 3.0 Kendall Gill, NJN 1 3 3.0 Ervin Johnson, MIL 1 3 3.0 Kerry Kittles, NJN 1 3 3.0 Anfernee Hardaway, ORL 3 8 2.7 Bobby Jackson, DEN 3 8 2.7 Latrell Sprewell, GSW 3 8 2.7 Rex Chapman, PHO 2 5 2.5 Pete Chilcutt, VAN 2 5 2.5 Andrew Declercq, BOS 2 5 2.5 Ac Green, DAL 2 5 2.5 Allen Iverson, PHI 2 5 2.5 Eric Murdock, MIA 2 5 2.5 Mark Strickland, MIA 2 5 2.5 Tim Thomas, PHI 2 5 2.5 Derek Anderson, CLE 3 7 2.3 Anthony Peeler, VAN 3 7 2.3 BLOCKED SHOTS (MINIMUM OF 1 GAMES PLAYED OR 4 BLOCKED SHOTS) PLAYER GP BLK AVG ------ -- --- --- Shawn Bradley, DAL 2 8 4.0 Marcus Camby, TOR 2 8 4.0 Keith Closs Jr, LAC 3 9 3.0 Greg Ostertag, UTH 2 6 3.0 Mark Strickland, MIA 2 5 2.5 Dale Davis, IND 3 7 2.3 Dean Garrett, DEN 3 7 2.3 Dikembe Mutombo, ATL 3 7 2.3 Tony Battie, DEN 3 6 2.0 Kelvin Cato, POR 3 6 2.0 Erick Dampier, GSW 3 6 2.0 Luc Longley, CHI 3 6 2.0 Michael Stewart, SAC 3 6 2.0 Rasheed Wallace, POR 3 6 2.0 Antonio Mcdyess, PHO 2 4 2.0 Shaquille Oneal, LAL 2 4 2.0 Cherokee Parks, MIN 2 4 2.0 Duane Causwell, MIA 1 2 2.0 Kornel David, CHI 1 2 2.0 Theo Ratliff, DET 3 5 1.7 Arvydas Sabonis, POR 3 5 1.7 FIELD GOAL PCT (MINIMUM OF 12 FIELD GOALS MADE) PLAYER GP FGM FGA PCT ------ -- --- --- --- Rik Smits, IND 3 14 19 .737 Detlef Schrempf, SEA 2 12 17 .706 Damon Stoudamire, TOR 2 12 17 .706 Isaac Austin, MIA 2 12 18 .667 Lawrence Funderburke, SAC 3 21 32 .656 Allen Iverson, PHI 2 19 29 .655 Mark Strickland, MIA 2 14 22 .636 Tim Duncan, SAS 3 18 29 .621 David Robinson, SAS 3 16 26 .615 Shareef Abdur-rahim, VAN 3 27 44 .614 Fred Hoiberg, IND 3 16 27 .593 Todd Fuller, GSW 3 13 22 .591 Aaron Mckie, DET 3 13 22 .591 Olden Polynice, SAC 3 21 36 .583 Danny Manning, PHO 2 15 26 .577 FREE THROW PCT (MINIMUM OF 5 FREE THROWS MADE) PLAYER GP FTM FTA PCT ------ -- --- --- --- John Crotty, POR 3 12 12 1.000 Dana Barros, BOS 2 11 11 1.000 Bobby Jackson, DEN 3 11 11 1.000 Malik Sealy, DET 3 11 11 1.000 Detlef Schrempf, SEA 2 9 9 1.000 Steve Nash, PHO 2 9 9 1.000 Luc Longley, CHI 3 7 7 1.000 Darrick Martin, LAC 3 7 7 1.000 Terry Porter, MIN 3 7 7 1.000 Shawn Respert, TOR 2 7 7 1.000 B J Armstrong, GSW 3 6 6 1.000 Terrell Brandon, MIL 1 6 6 1.000 Duane Ferrell, GSW 2 6 6 1.000 Alan Henderson, ATL 2 5 5 1.000 Anthony Mason, CHA 2 5 5 1.000 Chris Mullin, IND 3 5 5 1.000 Stojko Vrankovic, LAC 3 5 5 1.000 THREE POINT PCT (MINIMUM OF 1 THREE POINT FIELD GOALS MADE) PLAYER GP 3FG 3FA PCT ------ -- --- --- --- Chris Morris, UTH 1 4 4 1.000 Damon Stoudamire, TOR 2 3 3 1.000 Donald Whiteside, ATL 2 3 3 1.000 Vinny Del Negro, SAS 3 2 2 1.000 Matt Steigenga, ATL 2 2 2 1.000 Keith Van Horn, NJN 1 2 2 1.000 Chris Childs, NYK 2 1 1 1.000 Derrick Coleman, PHI 2 1 1 1.000 Tony Delk, CHA 1 1 1 1.000 Nate Erdmann, UTH 2 1 1 1.000 Don Maclean, NJN 1 1 1 1.000 Jimmy Oliver, WAS 1 1 1 1.000 Jermaine Oneal, POR 3 1 1 1.000 God Shammgod, WAS 1 1 1 1.000 Joe Stephens, HOU 1 1 1 1.000 Micheal Williams, MIN 2 1 1 1.000
nba.818 nba.news,
Stockton sidelined 6-8 weeks SALT LAKE CITY (Oct 14, 1997 - 19:22 EDT) -- The Utah Jazz are suddenly an army without a general. John Stockton, who has missed only four games during his entire NBA career, had knee surgery Monday night and will be sidelined for the first six to eight weeks of the regular season. He has played every game for seven straight seasons. "It's weird without Stock here," Karl Malone said at practice Tuesday. "It's not going to be the same until he gets back." The 35-year-old star guard, the NBA career leader in assists and steals, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove loose cartilage. Dr. Lyle Mason, the team's orthopedic surgeon, said this particular injury does not heal easily. "It's possible he could return to 100 percent effectiveness, but he could also have some permanent limitations," Mason said. "We just have to wait and see." Stockton, in the second year of a three-year, $15 million contract, has played 609 consecutive regular-season games, the third longest active streak behind Phoenix's A.C. Green (696) and New Jersey's Michael Cage (657). The career leader is Randy Smith (906). He has played in all 127 playoff games in Jazz history and last season led the team to the NBA Finals for the first time. "It's too bad for John, but it gives our young guys a chance to show what they can do," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "I've seen organizations destroyed over situations like this, but that won't happen to us." "He told me last night, 'I'll see you in two weeks,"' Malone said. "I told him to just sit down. It's a great loss for us, but this will definitely help the organization later by getting some young guys more minutes." The Jazz re-signed backup point guard Howard Eisley during the offseason. Eisley has played in 147 consecutive games for Utah and will start in Stockton's place. "It's unfortunate, but we must move on," Eisley said. "I still have a lot of learning to do during the preseason." The Jazz also drafted Jacque Vaughn and intended to keep three point guards on their roster. "This is a terrible thing, but at the same time it's an opportunity for me," Vaughn said. "I just want him on the bench to yell at me." Stockton is the third big-name player who will miss the start of the season with a major injury. Miami's Alonzo Mourning (knee surgery) will be out eight to 12 weeks and Chicago's Scottie Pippen (foot surgery) will be out two to three months. "We'll probably have to stop him from coming back too quick," Malone said. "Maybe he needs the rest after all these years." Stockton, a nine-time All-Star, is beginning his 14th year in the NBA. He first noticed soreness in his knee when the Jazz opened training camp Oct. 3 in Boise, Idaho. Stockton had fluid drained from his knee Sunday night in El Paso, Texas, before Utah's game against the Dallas Mavericks. Stockton didn't play in that game, and Mason said he decided to do an MRI exam in Utah on Monday as a precaution. "John was reluctant to do it because he didn't feel any real pain," Mason said. "With Stock, I was just thinking, 'Come on, ice it down and get back out there,"' Malone said. "But John won't ever tell you if he's hurt." Stockton was Utah's first-round draft pick in 1984. He was on the gold medalist Olympic teams in 1992 and 1996 and was selected in 1996 as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players. Including the preseason, Stockton will be out eight to 12 weeks. Mason said Stockton asked him if that recovery time was a worst-case scenario. "I told him that was the only scenario," Mason said.
nba.819 nba.news,
NBA roundup Wizards: Team doctors said Gheorghe Muresan's injured right ankle is improving, but the starting center still might not be able to play in the season opener. Lorenzo Williams is starting in Muresan's place. Rookie guard God Shammgod will be examined after sustaining a broken nose in practice.
nba.820 nba.news,
Bulls head straight to practice upon arriving in Paris PARIS (Oct 14, 1997 - 19:22 EDT) -- Straight from an exhibition loss in Chicago and an overnight flight, the Chicago Bulls landed in Paris on Tuesday afternoon and immediately went to practice as they prepare for the McDonald's Championship this weekend. The two-time defending NBA champions worked out lightly for one hour in Coubertin arena, an old facility on the west side of Paris. After practice, about 20 local teens crowded near the team bus to squeal and scream for Michael Jordan, who might be more famous in France than the top French athletes. Bulls shirts, hats and jackets are popular among French children. "Bon Jour. Bon Jour," Jordan said, acknowledging the crowd but not stopping to sign autographs. He was accompanied by his son Jeffrey. The Bulls, playing in Europe for the first time, are looking to continue the unbeaten streak NBA teams have in the McDonald's tournament. The Milwaukee Bucks won in 1987, followed by the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. There are six teams in the tournament: Chicago, Paris-St. Germain, Atenas de Cordoba of Argentina, Benetton Treviso of Italy, FC Barcelona and Olympiakos Pieaeus of Greece. The Bulls have a bye in the first round. On Friday they play the winner of the game between Paris-St. Germain and FC Barcelona. The title game is Saturday. Even with Jordan, the Bulls don't expect to dominate the tournament. Scottie Pippen is out while he recovers from foot surgery and Dennis Rodman has not yet joined the team because of bronchitis and pneumonia. "To go to Paris and hang out for a week should be a great time," Chicago's Steve Kerr said Monday night. "Now the games, they might be pretty tough. I mean, we're playing some good teams, and we're not exactly in great shape, and we're not exactly playing that well. So we will have a lot of pressure on us to win."
nba.821 nba.news,
Bulls turn out to be a tough ticket SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct 14, 1997 - 06:05 EDT) -- Fans trying Saturday to get a couple of the 1,000 individual tickets available to see Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in their only appearance of the season at Arco Arena -- barring that likely matchup in the NBA Finals, of course -- found that as difficult as attempting to slow His Airness on the court. Kings president Rick Benner said Monday that those tickets for the Nov. 23 game were gone at 10:07 a.m., or seven minutes after they went on sale. He said the tickets were available throughout the entire BASS ticket system, which also incorporates the Bay Area. Benner said buying Bulls tickets always is difficult because the demand is so high and the quantity so low. "This happens every year," he said. "We know that there are going to be some people who don't get tickets and are going to have complaints. That was one of the reasons why I stayed around to try and monitor what was going on. We had special 'Bulls-only' windows so that people getting those tickets wouldn't hold things up. "But I just looked at a report that indicates where tickets were purchased, and no one dealer sold more than 23 tickets. That was the most, and most of the rest of the dealers sold between two and 12." Benner said the allotment of individual tickets available was small because the Kings include Bulls tickets into their 15- and eight-game packages as well as group ticket plans in an attempt to make the packages as attractive as possible. He said the ability to sell via BASS also makes it possible for a huge number of tickets to be sold quickly -- as many as 74,000 tickets in one day to a Garth Brooks concert. Richmond may play Friday -- Guard Mitch Richmond did not practice Monday at Arco but did show up. He said he thinks he will play in Friday's exhibition in Portland. Richmond said he could play with his injuries (sore Achilles' tendon and groin) if this were the regular season but believes he will best prepare himself for the season by resting until later in the week. Richmond has not attended or played in either of the first two preseason games.
nba.822 nba.news,
Flying Saint-Jean must adapt to Kings offense SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct 14, 1997 - 05:52 EDT) -- Late in Sunday night's preseason game in Fresno, barely half of the approximately 4,000 people in Selland Arena remained. The Milwaukee Bucks were going to beat the Kings and the fans who were left were more interested in finding out if the teams were going to give postgame autographs than watching the game's dwindling moments. So when Kings rookie swingman Olivier Saint-Jean went up for a leaning jump shot on what proved to be the game's final possession, it was no big thing. Nope, the big thing came when Saint-Jean realized the shot was going awry. He allowed his momentum to carry him toward the basket, quickly jumped again, grabbed the ball with two hands as it came off the rim and dunked it before anyone else could do anything. The play occurred right in front of the Bucks bench, and it was clear by the looks on the faces of the Milwaukee players that they were impressed. It was all instinct and athleticism, and probably the only other players on this team who could have made it are Lawrence Funderburke and Michael Stewart. This phase of the game is no problem for Saint-Jean, who finished with 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting. But as much as athleticism plays a role in the NBA, there is so much more technique, experience and feel that must be acquired. Those are the things that transform an athlete into a complete basketball player. "You're dealing basically with bigger players, smarter players," Saint-Jean said. "That is the difference from college. Experience is the key word. The pace of the game is slower than it was in college, but the players are smarter. "You see players that make the game look easy. The easier you make it look, there is the proof of the level of knowledge you have. If you watch some players, they show that you don't need that much effort to get to where you need to be." Kings coach Eddie Jordan said he is learning more and more about Saint-Jean. The coach wants to make sure that his young colt remains free to run, but learns how to harness his skills and when to unleash them. "He certainly has athleticism," Jordan said of the first-round pick. "He has a gift once he's close to the basket. In the paint, he can rise above people and shoot. He can go get his own missed shot. He's shown that." But Jordan said there are some things only time can teach and Saint-Jean agrees. "He has admitted that he hasn't grasped the concept of NBA basketball and you can see that," the coach said. "He'll break his routes in a play and his reaction to the ball or to the defense can be delayed. He has good instincts, though, and a knack to cut and help people get open. "He'll do that for the sake of doing it without running the offense, though. He needs to look at the game from a guard's perspective, even though he's naturally a forward, in terms of setting people up. Make a pass to help another player instead of making a pass to get rid of the ball." Saint-Jean is an aerodynamic player, whose creativity and ability to hang in the air are rare and electrifying. However, man can stay only so long and do only so much in the air. "I wish I was better on the floor, because you're not going to always be in the air," Saint-Jean said. "It's good to be in the air, but most of the people in the air really beat you on the floor." When he becomes capable of working within the offensive framework as well as he jumps, the Kings will have something special. "The offense we play can make things look easy because it shows exactly how to react when the defense plays a certain way," Saint- Jean said. "But it takes time. We are all trying to learn the offense right now."
nba.823 nba.news,
Open mouth, and insert foot (again) Once in a while, on special occasions -- you know, like during every preseason, every All-Star Weekend, and before every playoff series -- Patrick Ewing makes his public declaration that the Knicks are going to win the NBA title. Such predictions are met with playful disdain from his friends in Chicago, with sincere gratitude from tabloid headline writers, and with utter disregard from the rest of the world, which has learned not to take them very seriously. He said it again last week -- throwing in some colorful repartee this time, something about kicking butts and taking names -- and now you wonder whether he wished he saved his perfunctory optimism until he saw what his team looked like in an actual game. Because just 10 days into the preseason, the Knicks are a physical mess. For all the talk about the setbacks which have befallen Chicago and Miami, the problems of these teams don't quite match what's been happening in New York. To begin with, two of their top eight -- Buck Williams and Charlie Ward -- have yet to practice because of injuries. On Sunday, Chris Childs had his face rearranged by an inadvertent David Robinson fist, which fractured the point guard's orbit bone. Allan Houston is unable to catch-and-shoot, as he still hasn't fully recovered from June wrist surgery. Even Ewing has sat out a game, as per the new Jeff Van Gundy policy for saving his center's cranky knees on back-to-back nights in preseason. And the players who are still standing are playing wretchedly. Worst of all, they can't seem to agree on whether they should worry about their 0-3 record, the most recent loss being Monday night's 24-point pounding at home at the hands of the Nets. Van Gundy clearly is worried -- he even dusted off his biannual Somewhere I Have Failed speech, admitted that he is "disgusted" with his team, and observed that his team looked "bored by the process." As for his players, they're either raising red flags or dismissing the preseason entirely. "Hell, yeah -- we've got a problem," said Larry Johnson, who handled the point guard chores better than John Starks or Scott Brooks could against Jersey. "Losing is losing, We better be worried. You just don't turn it around like that. It's preseason, yeah, it doesn't count. But there's a carryover effect, I do believe. We've got some work to do." "We need a sports psychiatrist on this team or something," Houston said. "You look at the faces of the people we have, and things we've done before, but we can't make it consistent. I don't know if it's a case of the guys who have been around being leaders or what. But something is going to have to happen very soon." For a contrasting viewpoint, here's John Starks: "I'm not worried about it, no. There's no danger," he said after his 4-for-16, seven-turnover debacle against the Nets. "We have veteran players here. Each and every last one of them doesn't have a ring on their finger, that's why there's no danger." There's not much relief in sight, either. Though their injuries won't last as long as those to Alonzo Mourning and Scottie Pippen, the Knicks had grandiose plans to jump to the front of the Eastern Conference and stay there. Throughout camp, they had vowed never to play another Game 7 on somebody else's court next spring. They promised each other they would start strong and finish stronger, and take no prisoners along the way. Van Gundy wrapped up these themes in one pithy phrase: He emblazoned the slogan "It's time" on T-shirts, hats, playbooks, and on his players' minds. Now they really know what time it is: It's high noon. "If we don't get our offense together, it can carry over," said Charles Oakley. "It's not clicking at all. The ball stays in one place, and the defense just isn't together. We can't use the growing-together excuse again." Duncan has arrived In his debut Saturday, Tim Duncan scored 19 off Chris Webber, a performance that one Spurs teammate described with the kind of joy you feel when the toughest kid on the block decides to make you his best friend: "He just destroyed Webber," Monty Williams said. "It wasn't even close." So it was with no small amount of anticipation that we watched Duncan for the first time Sunday in Syracuse, and no great surprise that he turned out to be the best player on the floor by a large margin. The stats (19 points again, plus nine boards and two blocks) were irrelevant. You just never saw such a combination of athleticism and agility in such a large package since, well, Robinson. And you were left with one recurring thought: How will Utah possibly defend the Spurs now? Can the Jazz still get away with Karl Malone checking Robinson? If so, Duncan is the type of player who will draw four fouls on Greg Ostertag during warmups. Scattershots Word out of Salt Lake is that Malone has a handshake deal with Larry Miller to extend his contract once the current one runs out after 1998-99. Two more years at $10 million per, taking him right up to his 38th birthday. Hate to be the one to bring this up, but he'd get more than double that amount if he played the market. . . . Look who's in Clippers camp: a going-on-37 Rodney McCray. Guess Ralph Sampson wanted too much money to accept an invite. . . . Chris Collins, son of Doug, was cut by Minnesota Wednesday and was promptly signed by Grand Rapids. . . . It turned out Mookie Blaylock didn't have a broken middle finger after all -- only a slightly chipped bone at the large joint. So he iced it and can play much sooner than expected. . . . Rick Pitino has given Dee Brown his captaincy back, and Dee's showing good judgment already. A few days after Larry Bird trashed him ("He'll get hurt -- he doesn't work hard, never did"), Brown refused to fire back. "I have no personal vendetta with Larry -- that's something I can't win," he said. "He's an icon in Boston, and I hope he's doing a good job in Indiana." . . . Derek Anderson is beginning to look like a great defensive player -- so much that nobody around Camp Cav would be surprised if he's the opening-night starter at small forward. . . . Interesting approach from Chuck Daly in Magic camp -- his practice floor didn't have a 3-point arc. "I want them thinking two, and getting to the basket," he explained. His favorite player so far? Bo Outlaw, in a landslide. Coach said he reminds him of Rodman. . . . We'll admit it: We doubted the Larry Brown-Allen Iverson marriage would work. Now we hear this from Iverson, which is encouraging: "I think God sent me Larry Brown," he said. "He's what we need. Of all the coaches available, he was the best coach for me. You hear people say he's too hard on point guards, that we wouldn't mix -- none of that's true. Coach tells me what he wants, Iverson goes and tries."
nba.824 nba.news,
ANALYSIS: Nuggets deal raises eyebrows around NBA (Oct 14, 1997 - 11:58 EDT) -- Dave Checketts, president of Madison Square Garden, said last week what a lot of people around the NBA are thinking in the wake of the one-sided Antonio McDyess deal: The Denver Nuggets can't afford to field a competitive team. It's a natural conclusion after watching the Nuggets lose Dikembe Mutombo and McDyess in successive summers, after watching them ignore top coaching prospects such as Rick Pitino and Larry Brown to hire Bill Hanzlik, who came much cheaper. "I don't agree with any team ever doing that," Checketts said after the Nuggets traded McDyess to Phoenix on the eve of training camp for five future draft picks. "I think it was unfortunate. I think it was a mistake. If you cannot stay in basketball, and make basketball decisions instead of financial decisions, you're just in the wrong business, and you'd better get out. I don't know what all the pressures they had on them, but I hate to see that happen to any franchise." Ascent Entertainment Group, which owns the Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, denies the charge. "The Antonio McDyess decision was 100-percent a basketball decision," said Charlie Lyons, Ascent's CEO. "If it had been a recommendation of the basketball organization that (signing McDyess) was the way to go, that would have been the way we went." Checketts, of course, has his own ax to grind, dating to his courtship of hockey star Joe Sakic for MSG's New York Rangers. There has been bad blood between the two organizations since Ascent matched MSG's $21 million offer. "I guess he's feeling bad about hockey," Lyons said after Checketts' recent fusillade. Still, it is a remarkable coincidence that Ascent managed to hire the only two management regimes in the NBA opposed to paying market prices. Bernie Bickerstaff took the blame for letting Mutombo go. Allan Bristow took the blame for the McDyess deal. It's not their money. Is it really likely both of these men decided, independently, to take stands against escalating salaries while their colleagues all around the league are only too happy to sign similar players to similar contracts? There is only a certain amount of honesty you can expect from Ascent in these circumstances. If the Nuggets were owned by an individual, he might plead poverty and talk about the difficulties of competing in a small market with an antiquated arena. But the minute a publicly traded company even suggests financial difficulty, its stock price plummets and whatever difficulties it had before soon multiply geometrically. League sources say the proof of Ascent's contention lies in the trade talks it held with Seattle in the days just before it dealt McDyess to Phoenix. The Nuggets were willing, finally, to trade McDyess for Shawn Kemp. By then, it was too late. Seattle liked Milwaukee's Vin Baker better, largely because he's a three-time All-Star who won't be a free agent next summer. The Nuggets pursued those talks seriously, however. So seriously that they began putting pencil to paper about re-doing Kemp's contract. The deal they were prepared to offer the five-time All-Star was in excess of $100 million, the same amount they refused to pay McDyess, the sources said. "That was something we were excited about doing," one Nuggets official said. Nevertheless, the spin now being put on the McDyess deal suggests either that Ascent isn't very smart or it doesn't think Denver fans are very smart. The pitch is the company is doing on the basketball side just what the Avalanche -- while operating in Quebec as the Nordiques -- did on the hockey side. The Nordiques traded the rights to Eric Lindros for a passel of draft picks, which formed the foundation of today's talented team. The implication: The McDyess deal could do the same for the Nuggets. People who buy this line don't understand the difference between the two sports. Hockey has very restrictive free-agent rules; you get to keep your draft choices. Basketball has very liberal free-agent rules; a draft choice can flee after just three years. That's what the McDyess case was all about. The Nuggets might have been right not to pay McDyess. If a player of his slim accomplishments is worth $100 million at this early stage of his career, the NBA is heading toward fiscal ruin. But being right doesn't win games. As Checketts suggested, if you're going to compete in the league, you have to live with the market, whatever you think of it. For now, the Nuggets stand for fiscal restraint. And losing basketball.
nba.825 nba.news,
AROUND THE NBA: Now Karl is unhappy in Seattle (Oct 14, 1997 - 12:05 EDT) -- Shawn Kemp has departed the Great Northwest, but controversy continues to reign in Seattle. But now, it's coach George Karl who is in the eye of the storm. Karl is bitter about his contract, which is entering its final season and is valued at $3.5 million. It's not a money thing, insists Karl; it's the fact that his contract is due to expire after this season that bothers him. "Money-wise, I'm happy," said Karl. "It's not a contract thing; it's a philosophy thing. I don't think any coach should be in the last year of his contract. (Cleveland general manager) Wayne Embry told me a long time ago that the last year of a coach's contract is basically a severance year." Karl is of the opinion that situations like the one in which he finds himself can become distracting to a team. And players sometimes, realizing that a coach's security is limited, can use that to their advantage. Karl is disturbed that management has not approached him about an extension and apparently won't until after the season. "They have not even approached the subject," said Karl. "Basically, they've told me that they have no interest in talking to me." Karl does point out, however, that the trade that brought Vin Baker to Seattle has eased his mind some. "Three weeks ago I was a lot more upset than I am now," he said. Karl and general manager Wally Walker are said to be very different people whose relationship was strained somewhat last season when the SuperSonics signed center Jim McIlvaine to a lucrative free-agent contract. Karl was lukewarm on signing. * * * THE ROUND MOUND RETURNS -- Charles Barkley showed up to Houston's training camp about 20 pounds overweight, prompting teammates to wonder if he was entering his second or third trimester. "Don't worry about me," Barkley said. "I'm the least of their worries around here. I don't think they're concerned about me. I feel mentally refreshed." OK, but what about his promise to work out over the summer and come to camp in the best shape of his life? "I lied," Barkley said. * * * PAY UP -- The Timberwolves were going through a drill of low-post moves in training camp and Kevin Garnett, the team's $126 million man, was becoming frustrated over his continued inability to finish his shot. "I can't buy a layup," he mumbled. "Yes you can," teammate Tom Gugliotta responded. * * * TOUGH CALL -- Seattle's Baker was in a difficult position. He was in the SuperSonics' locker room preparing for an exhibition game Friday against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center when he pulled a pair of new Michael Jordan basketball shoes out of his duffel bag. But Baker, realizing that he was in Chicago, hesitated. "I don't know if I should wear these tonight," said Baker. "The boss might get mad." Someone pointed to an image of Jordan on the shoe. That boss? "That's the boss," said Baker, who wore the shoes for the game. * * * LEARNING THE ROPES -- Rookie Keith Van Horn has been making a big splash in New Jersey's camp, even though he's experiencing culture shock, going from the mountains of Utah to the swamplands of New Jersey. Rick Majerus, Van Horn's college coach at Utah who visited the Nets camp, said it might take the rookie some time to get his feet on the ground. "New Jersey is completely different from Utah," said Majerus. "Brother in Utah and brother in New Jersey are entirely different concepts." * * * MONEY MATTERS -- Orlando's Nick Anderson, who shot a sorry 40.4 percent from the free-throw line last season, has plenty of incentive to improve on his free-throw shooting. Under terms of his new contract, he can earn a $1 million bonus for shooting 67 percent from the line and another $1 million if he averages 2.9 free throws per game (based on playing 35 minutes). Also, Anderson can pick up another $200,000 if Orlando reaches the Eastern Conference final, $300,000 if it reaches the NBA Finals, $50,000 if Orlando wins 50 games and $100,000 if it wins 60 games. And that's all on top of Anderson's $4 million base salary. * * * AROUND THE LEAGUE -- Seattle's Sam Perkins and Nate McMillan plan to retire after this season ... With 18-year-old Tracy McGrady and 41-year-old John Long in camp, Toronto could open the season with the league's youngest and oldest players ... Newcomer Dennis Scott is wearing uniform No. 7 with Dallas because it's the number his best friend, Kenny Anderson, wears in Portland, not because it's the over-under for Mavericks' victories this season ... Minnesota coach Flip Saunders on second-year guard Stephon Marbury: "He's been nothing short of phenomenal." ... Orlando coach Chuck Daly does not want a three-point shooting team, which is why the Magic don't have a three-point arc on their training camp court. "I don't want them even thinking about three-pointers," said Daly ... Indiana's Reggie Miller, distraught over the destruction of his new $2 million home in a fire last May, admitted that he considered retiring from basketball at the time ... Portly 36-year-old Rodney McCray has dusted off the cobwebs and is in the Clippers' camp. He's been out of the league for four years ... Miami is frustrated over how long it's taking newcomer Terry Mills to come back from arthroscopic knee surgery in April. "He's a long ways away," coach Pat Riley said ... New Boston coach Rick Pitino is said to be running his team ragged in camp, to the point where some of the big men have had to be hooked up to IVs before and after practice ... Pistons veteran Joe Dumars is easing his way through training camp with the hope of being fresh in April. "Baseball's the only game that gives out rings in October," he said ... Golden State's promotional theme this season is "No More Mr. Nice Guy." No players are included in any of the team's advertising, prompting a feeling on the team that no one's job is safe ... The Celtics have petitioned the league for a minor uniform change next season. They want to add a small shamrock on the waistband.
nba.826 nba.news,
Almost caught with his pants down Tracy McGrady only wishes he would have done one thing different in Monday night's Toronto Raptors-Seattle SuperSonics game -- tie the drawstring waist in his pants. The 18-year-old millionaire rookie made his home debut playing against Gary Payton while tugging at his shorts, one hand defending the opposition, the other keeping his pants up. "I guess I didn't tie them," McGrady said afterward with a smile. "I guess, in the rush to get ready, I forgot. I'm still a little nervous about this. You know how it is." After the game, which the Raptors won, McGrady received word that coach Darrell Walker wanted to see McGrady in his office -- he wanted to find out why the shorts didn't fit. On second thought Exchange overheard at Minnesota Timberwolves camp: Kevin Garnett, after missing an easy shot: "I can't buy a layup." Tom Gugliotta: "Yes, you can." Staying loyal What is Reebok man Shaquille O'Neal going to do this year now that the L.A. Lakers' uniforms are made by Nike? Simple. Tape over the swoosh. "I'm not going to sit here and fight with the league," he said. "Nike doesn't pay me to wear the swoosh. I'm loyal to my other companies." Memoirs of a rookie Larry Bird plans to write a book about his rookie year as an NBA head coach, says the New York Post. The Indiana Pacers coach began circulating a proposal for the book, "Full Court Press," late last week. Bird's agent, Frank Weimann of the Literary Group, said Bird could get a $750,000 advance. The book will be written over the course of the upcoming season and likely hit stores in the fall of '98.
nba.827 payce, -> #806, junior
=> > Kenny Walker, the New York Knicks' top draft pick in 1986, => => Jel' to onaj što je nosio sedmicu, i zakucavao kao životinja? Yup, Kenny "Sky" Walker.
nba.828 vpoznanovic,
1997 NBA Preseason Wednesday, October 15 New Jersey at Boston 123:115 Philadelphia at Toronto 118:124 Phoenix at Houston 111:100 Vancouver at Dallas 83:79 NBA AT LEXINGTON KY FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- NEW JERSEY 30 37 23 33 123 BOSTON 35 28 19 33 115 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: NJN - SAM CASSELL 32, KERRY KITTLES 18, DON MACLEAN 16 BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 29, TRAVIS KNIGHT 19, TWO PLAYERS WITH 14 HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 15, DON MACLEAN 6 BOS - TRAVIS KNIGHT 10, PERVIS ELLISON 6 HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - SAM CASSELL 15, KERRY KITTLES 4 BOS - DANA BARROS 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5 ATT: 15,010 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PHILADELPHIA 26 27 32 33 118 TORONTO 38 28 27 31 124 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: PHI - JIM JACKSON 20, JERRY STACKHOUSE 19, TWO PLAYERS WITH 18 TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 24, JOHN WALLACE 24, POPEYE JONES 16 HIGH REBOUND: PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 8, SCOTT WILLIAMS 8 TOR - POPEYE JONES 11, JOHN WALLACE 8 HIGH ASSISTS: PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4 TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 8, TRACY MCGRADY 6 ATT: 15,962 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PHOENIX 31 25 29 26 111 HOUSTON 18 34 18 30 100 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: PHO - STEVE NASH 35, KEVIN JOHNSON 18, JASON KIDD 16 HOU - KEVIN WILLIS 28, BRENT PRICE 13, EMANUAL DAVIS 12 HIGH REBOUND: PHO - THREE PLAYERS WITH 6 HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 12, KEVIN WILLIS 5 HIGH ASSISTS: PHO - STEVE NASH 7, KEVIN JOHNSON 5 HOU - BRENT PRICE 9, RODRICK RHODES 4 ATT: 16,285 NBA AT RAPID CITY SD FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- VANCOUVER 23 27 16 17 83 DALLAS 20 19 26 14 79 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 21, ANTONIO DANIELS 13, PETE CHILCUTT 10 DAL - ROBERT PACK 19, SHAWN BRADLEY 17, MICHAEL FINLEY 12 HIGH REBOUND: VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 15, OTIS THORPE 10 DAL - SHAWN BRADLEY 17, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH ASSISTS: VAN - LEE MAYBERRY 3, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2 DAL - ROBERT PACK 7, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3 ATT: 3,175 Thursday, October 16 Atlanta at Toronto, 7:00 p.m. Golden State at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia vs. New York at Albany, N.Y., 7:30 p.m. New Jersey at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. Washington at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Portland at Seattle, 10:00 p.m.
nba.829 nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (123) AT BOSTON (115) NEW JERSEY REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GILL F 23 6-10 1-2 1 1 2 2 6 0 3 13 VAN HORN F 31 5-12 0-0 1 3 4 1 5 2 3 10 J WILLIAMS C 29 6-13 0-2 5 10 15 0 6 1 1 12 CASSELL G 34 10-16 11-11 0 3 3 15 1 0 3 32 KITTLES G 37 8-11 1-2 1 4 5 4 0 6 2 18 EDWARDS 20 5-8 4-4 1 0 1 2 2 1 2 15 MACLEAN 28 6-11 4-4 1 5 6 1 4 1 2 16 CAGE 14 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 0 3 0 1 0 HENSON 12 0-3 4-4 0 1 1 3 2 1 1 4 BENOIT 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 HALEY 6 0-0 3-6 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 3 WERDANN 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 SMITH DNP - COACH'S DECISION HARRIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION DARE DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 46-85 28-35 11 33 44 29 30 12 18 123 (.541) (.800) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 18(37 PTS) BOSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MILLS F 26 3-6 2-2 2 3 5 1 2 0 1 8 WALKER F 32 14-27 0-4 1 4 5 3 5 1 7 29 KNIGHT C 32 6-10 6-10 2 8 10 3 3 3 3 19 BROWN G 38 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 5 6 0 0 2 MERCER G 18 7-11 0-0 0 0 0 1 4 1 1 14 DECLERCQ 9 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 BILLUPS 4 3-6 0-0 0 2 2 5 0 0 3 7 MINOR 5 3-4 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 BARROS 26 3-7 6-6 1 2 3 7 3 2 2 14 BOWEN 23 3-5 1-4 1 2 3 0 4 2 0 7 MASSENBURG 11 0-2 2-2 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 2 ELLISON 12 2-3 3-4 2 4 6 0 1 0 3 7 EDNEY 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 COLEMAN DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 45-84 20-32 9 30 39 27 30 11 25 115 (.536) (.625) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 25(22 PTS) NEW JERSEY 30 37 23 33 - 123 BOSTON 35 28 19 33 - 115 BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - NONE. BOSTON - KNIGHT, ELLISON, BOWEN. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 3-8 (.375), GILL 0-1, CASSELL 1-2, KITTLES 1-1, EDWARDS 1-1, MACLEAN 0-1, HENSON 0-2. BOSTON 5-11 (.455), MILLS 0-2, WALKER 1-1, KNIGHT 1-1, BILLUPS 1-3, BARROS 2-4. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: MONTY MCCUTCHEN, TERRY DURHAM, BENNIE ADAMS. A - 15,010. T - 2:13. NEW JERSEY (123) AT BOSTON (115) Sam Cassell scored 32 points as the New Jersey Nets defeated the Boston Celtics, 123-115, at Lexington, spoiling Rick Pitino's return to Kentucky. Kerry Kittles added 18 points and Don MacLean had 16 off the bench for the Nets (2-0). Rookie Keith Van Horn, the second overall pick in the draft, chipped in with 10. Former Kentucky standout Antoine Walker scored 29 points and off-season acquisition Travis Knight contributed 19 for the Celtics (0-3). Ron Mercer, another former Wildcat who was one of Boston's two first-round choices, was 7-for-11 from the field and had 14 points. Dana Barros also had 14 for Boston. Pitino coached at Kentucky for eight years, leading the Wildcats to the 1996 NCAA championship and a runner-up finish last season before taking the Celtics' job over the summer.
nba.830 nba.news,
PHILADELPHIA (118) AT TORONTO (124) PHILADELPHIA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === JACKSON F 33 8-13 3-7 1 0 1 3 4 1 3 20 COLEMAN F 29 5-9 8-10 2 6 8 1 4 1 2 18 MONTROSS C 13 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 2 2 STACKHOUSE G 29 7-13 5-9 1 2 3 4 2 2 2 19 IVERSON G 28 5-13 7-9 0 2 2 9 5 3 3 18 THOMAS 16 3-8 6-7 1 1 2 4 3 1 1 12 WEATHERSPOON 24 2-7 1-2 4 3 7 3 4 2 4 5 OVERTON 20 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 2 2 DAVIS 18 1-3 1-2 2 3 5 3 1 1 0 3 WILLIAMS 13 4-6 3-5 4 4 8 0 2 0 2 11 CUMMINGS 17 2-5 4-8 3 1 4 2 5 1 0 8 TOTALS 240 39-82 38-59 18 24 42 31 34 12 21 118 (.476) (.644) TEAM REBS: 21 TOTAL TO: 22(31 PTS) TORONTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === W WILLIAMS F 29 3-10 4-6 0 5 5 5 6 3 1 12 CAMBY F 32 4-8 3-5 3 2 5 5 5 0 1 11 TABAK C 3 0-1 2-2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 MCGRADY G 24 4-8 2-4 1 2 3 6 2 0 2 10 STOUDAMIRE G 35 9-15 6-6 0 3 3 8 3 3 4 24 JONES 31 6-9 4-6 4 7 11 4 4 1 3 16 ROGERS 11 2-2 3-5 0 2 2 2 4 0 1 7 B WILLIAMS 12 2-6 0-0 0 4 4 2 2 1 1 5 WALLACE 24 8-12 8-9 3 5 8 0 4 1 3 24 GARNER 11 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 0 SLATER 8 1-4 4-4 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 6 RESPERT 15 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 4 COKER 5 1-1 1-2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 TOTALS 240 42-81 37-49 11 30 41 36 40 13 19 124 (.519) (.755) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 19(17 PTS) PHILADELPHIA 26 27 32 33 - 118 TORONTO 38 28 27 31 - 124 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHILADELPHIA - WEATHERSPOON 2, JACKSON. TORONTO - CAMBY 7, MCGRADY 2, W WILLIAMS, JONES, COKER. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHILADELPHIA 2-5 (.400), JACKSON 1-2, IVERSON 1-3. TORONTO 3-9 (.333), W WILLIAMS 2-4, MCGRADY 0-1, STOUDAMIRE 0-1, B WILLIAMS 1-2, RESPERT 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: BERNIE FRYER, NOLAN FINE, DEREK RICHARDSON. A - 15,962. T - 2:33. PHILADELPHIA (118) AT TORONTO (124) Damon Stoudamire and John Wallace each scored 24 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 124-118 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Stoudamire was 9-of-15 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line while handing out eight assists. Wallace, who was 8-of-12 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line, scored all of his points in 24 minutes off the bench. He had 10 points during the the final four minutes of the game, helping the Raptors (2-1) pull away. Jim Jackson and Jerry Stackhouse scored 19 points apiece to lead the Sixers (1-2). Philadelphia outscored the Raptors, 17-9, to start the fourth quarter, tying the game for the last time at 102-102 following a 20-foot jumper from Stackhouse with 5:20 left. Toronto's Tracy McGrady, an 18-year-old rookie, made his first start of the preseason. He replaced Doug Christie, who sat out with a strained calf. In 24 minutes, McGrady collected 10 points, six assists and three rebounds.
nba.831 nba.news,
PHOENIX (111) AT HOUSTON (100) PHOENIX REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BRYANT F 20 2-5 1-2 2 4 6 0 4 1 1 5 NASH F 35 13-19 5-5 0 3 3 7 2 2 5 35 MCDYESS C 27 3-10 0-0 2 0 2 2 4 0 2 6 KIDD G 24 7-10 2-2 1 2 3 3 0 5 0 16 JOHNSON G 30 7-11 2-2 3 2 5 5 0 1 2 18 WILLIAMS 18 2-3 0-0 1 5 6 0 2 1 1 4 ROBINSON 28 3-9 2-6 4 2 6 2 4 2 3 8 MANNING 15 3-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 2 3 1 6 DIRDEN 17 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 1 1 4 JACKSON 13 0-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 CEBALLOS 9 3-4 0-0 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 7 LLAMAS 2 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 MILLARD 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 45-84 14-19 15 22 37 26 21 18 19 111 (.536) (.737) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 19(23 PTS) HOUSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ELIE F 19 2-7 2-2 4 0 4 3 0 1 3 7 BARKLEY F 25 3-11 3-3 5 7 12 1 3 0 4 9 OLAJUWON C 21 4-9 1-2 2 1 3 3 2 1 2 9 DREXLER G 25 2-9 0-0 0 2 2 2 4 0 2 4 MALONEY G 17 3-7 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 9 WILLIS 25 11-13 6-6 3 2 5 1 2 2 2 28 PRICE 28 5-11 3-3 1 1 2 9 3 3 3 13 DAVIS 26 4-5 1-2 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 12 HARRINGTON 20 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 2 0 RHODES 19 2-4 0-0 0 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 JOHNSON 8 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 ZWIKKER 3 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 BULLARD 2 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 STEPHENS 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 38-83 16-18 15 24 39 25 22 11 24 100 (.458) (.889) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 24(33 PTS) PHOENIX 31 25 29 26 - 111 HOUSTON 18 34 18 30 - 100 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX - WILLIAMS 3, BRYANT 2, MCDYESS 2, ROBINSON. HOUSTON - BARKLEY, DREXLER. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 7-15 (.467), NASH 4-8, KIDD 0-1, JOHNSON 2-2, DIRDEN 0-1, JACKSON 0-2, CEBALLOS 1-1. HOUSTON 8-20 (.400), ELIE 1-3, DREXLER 0-2, MALONEY 3-6, PRICE 0-5, DAVIS 3-3, BULLARD 1-1. TECHNICALS: PHOENIX - ILLEGAL DEFENSE, HOUSTON - BARKLEY. OFFICIALS: DEE KANTNER, BENNETT SALVATORE, LUIS GRILLO. A - 16,285. T - 2:00. PHOENIX (111) AT HOUSTON (100) Steve Nash hit 13-of-19 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-8 three-pointers, en route to 35 points as the Phoenix Suns downed the Houston Rockets, 111-100. Nash, whose previous high in an NBA game was 21 points, also handed out seven assists and hit all five of his free-throw attempts for the Suns (3-0). Kevin Johnson, who started at forward, chipped in with 14 of his 18 points in the second half for Phoenix, which went on an 11-2 run at the end of the third quarter to open an 85-70 lead. Nash's backcourt partner, Jason Kidd, was Phoenix's other double-figure scorer with 16 points. Kidd also led the Suns -- who outscored the Rockets 19-2 to open the game -- on the defensive end with five steals. Kevin Willis, who sank 11-of-13 shots from the field and was 6-of-6 at the free-throw line, finished with 28 points off the bench to lead Houston (2-1). Charles Barkley also pulled down 12 rebounds for the Rockets. Brent Price contributed 13 points and Emanual Davis 12 for the Rockets. Price paced Houston with nine assists.
nba.832 nba.news,
VANCOUVER (83) AT DALLAS (79) VANCOUVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ABDUR-RAHIM F 38 8-14 5-6 3 12 15 1 1 0 3 21 THORPE F 29 4-9 1-4 3 7 10 2 3 0 3 9 REEVES C 22 2-6 2-2 1 2 3 0 5 0 3 6 PEELER G 22 2-7 0-0 2 2 4 0 1 0 2 4 DANIELS G 29 4-10 5-6 0 2 2 2 3 1 1 13 LYNCH 13 1-3 2-2 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 4 MAYBERRY 20 3-3 0-0 0 2 2 3 0 2 1 6 CHILCUTT 28 5-10 0-0 1 4 5 1 1 3 3 10 NEWBILL 15 1-4 0-1 2 1 3 0 2 1 3 2 B EDWARDS 24 4-10 0-0 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 8 TOTALS 240 34-76 15-21 14 35 49 9 20 7 19 83 (.447) (.714) TEAM REBS: 1 TOTAL TO: 19(6 PTS) DALLAS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GREEN F 29 4-6 0-0 3 8 11 0 3 1 1 8 FINLEY F 40 5-17 2-4 5 6 11 3 2 1 1 12 BRADLEY C 38 7-14 3-4 6 11 17 3 5 0 6 17 REEVES G 32 4-8 1-1 0 1 1 3 1 2 0 10 PACK G 34 8-16 3-5 0 2 2 7 2 2 7 19 OLLIE 11 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 2 2 STRICKLAND 6 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 DAVIS 21 1-6 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 2 STRONG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 MACKEY 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 WELLS 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 CUSTIS 18 2-6 2-2 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 6 NWANKWO 4 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 33-81 11-16 16 33 49 18 23 6 20 79 (.407) (.688) TEAM REBS: 2 TOTAL TO: 20(10 PTS) VANCOUVER 23 27 16 17 - 83 DALLAS 20 19 26 14 - 79 BLOCKED SHOTS: VANCOUVER - ABDUR-RAHIM, B EDWARDS. DALLAS - BRADLEY 5, GREEN. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: VANCOUVER 0-3 (.000), PEELER 0-1, DANIELS 0-1, CHILCUTT 0-1. DALLAS 2-5 (.400), FINLEY 0-1, REEVES 1-2, STRICKLAND 1-2. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: HUE HOLLINS, GREG WILLARD, JOHN HEATLEY. A - 3,175. T - 2:20. VANCOUVER (83) AT DALLAS (79) Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Antonio Daniels added 13 points as the Vancouver Grizzlies earned their first preseason victory, 83-79 over the winless Dallas Mavericks at Rapid City, South Dakota. Robert Pack had 19 points and Shawn Bradley collected 17 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks for Dallas, which outscored Vancouver 26-16 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 66-65. Michael Finley chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds but shot just 5-of-17 from the field for Dallas (0-3), which shot 41 percent from the field. Pete Chilcutt had 10 points and five rebounds and Otis Thorpe grabbed nine boards for the Grizzlies (1-2). The teams combined for 31 fourth-quarter points.
nba.833 nba.news,
Kemp close to seven-year, $107 million deal NEW YORK -- Shawn Kemp moved a step closer Wednesday to getting his renegotiated megacontract, a seven-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers that will be worth about $107 million. "It's close," Kemp said with a smile when asked by The Plain Dealer to comment on its report Wednesday and those in The New York Times and the Daily News of his imminent signing. It will make Kemp the fifth NBA player in the $100 million club and will end the salary saga of the ex-Seattle All-Star whose anger with his old contract played a big part in driving him away from the SuperSonics. According to a source close to the Cavs, the sides have agreed on the amount of money Kemp will be paid -- approximately $8.3 million in the first season with 20 percent raises in each of the next six years. Several details remain to be worked out. "We're close, but I won't comment further than that," said Tony Dutt, Kemp's agent. Cavs spokesman Bob Price said the team would have no comment until an agreement is finalized. Cleveland had about $9.5 million of salary cap room when it acquired Kemp from the Seattle SuperSonics in a three-way trade that sent Terrell Brandon, Tyrone Hill and a first-round draft pick to Milwaukee and Vin Baker to Seattle. Since then, the Cavs have signed free agent Henry James and made a trade with Phoenix for Wes Person and Tony Dumas, shrinking their cap room to about $5 million. When the agreement is finalized, that money will be added on to Kemp's current $3.3 million cap slot. With the 20 percent bumps, it adds up to about $107 million. That number would put Kemp among Kevin Garnett ($126 million), Shaquille O'Neal ($120 million), Alonzo Mourning ($112 million) and Juwan Howard ($100.8 million) as players with nine-figure contracts. Kemp signed his current contract three years ago and quickly regretted the decision. The $35 million deal had annual salaries of about $3.5 million until a balloon payment of more than $17 million was due in the final season, 2002-03. When other premier players started signing contracts that made Kemp's look paltry by comparison, he grew angry. Never was that more evident than last season in Seattle, where Kemp was jealous of the $80 million contract signed by Gary Payton and the $33 million deal signed by Jim McIlvaine. Under collective bargaining rules, the Sonics weren't allowed to discuss a renegotiation until Oct. 8 -- three years to the date after Kemp signed his last contract. Kemp demanded a trade anyway, and he got it last month. The Cavs also had to wait until Oct. 8 to discuss a new contract, but the sides have been negotiating since then on the new deal. Kemp, a 6-foot-10 forward, has averaged 16.2 points and 9.6 rebounds in eight NBA seasons. In three exhibition games with Cleveland he is averaging 11.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from the field and 71 percent from the foul line.
nba.834 nba.news,
Bucks bounce two Milwaukee, WI (TSN) - The Milwaukee Bucks have dropped their roster to 15 players by placing guards Melvin Booker and Reggie Freeman on waivers. Booker, who was signed earlier this month, is being let go so he can sign with the Scavolini Pesaro club in Italy. He had played briefly in the Bucks' only preseason game. Freeman was signed late last month, and had three assists and a pair of rebounds in seven minutes during the preseason outing. Wednesday's moves leave the Bucks three players over the opening-day roster limit of 12. They must be at a dozen players by October 30.
nba.835 nba.news,
National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 15 1997 Indiana Pacers: Waived guard Gerald Madkins. San Antonio Spurs: Waived forwards Danya Abrams and David Wood. Seattle Supersonics: Waived forward Ed Stokes.
nba.836 nba.news,
NBA Players Association to begin strategy sessions for new CBA Faced with the likelihood of the owners re-opening the collective bargaining agreement next spring, NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter announced there will be a special meeting of the Agent Advisory Committee on October 24th. The meeting will be held New York at a time and site yet to be determined. "The Advisory Committee is made up of agents who represent a wide cross-section of our athletes," said Hunter. "It is important we approach the upcoming negotiations with a united front among our players, agents and union leadership. We'll determine some of the priority issues to pursue at the bargaining table based on the input we receive from the Advisory Committee and our other agents." The NBA came close to a lockout prior to the 1996-97 season but no games were missed. It is the only major professional league that has not lost games due to labor problems. The owners had the option to re-open the current collective bargainning agreement and are expected to exercise it as salaries continue to climb. Four players have contracts in excess of $100 million -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett, Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, Washington Wizards forward Juwan Howard and Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, with Cleveland's Shawn Kemp expected to join that group. Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan has the highest one-year contract, re-signing with the team for a reported $33 million this season.
nba.837 nba.news,
Jordan longs for Parisian days of old PARIS (Oct 15, 1997 - 14:40 EDT) -- Michael Jordan longs for the good old days in Paris. When he could walk unnoticed down the streets, bereft of body guards. When he could dine out. When he could be himself. "I used to come every other year when I first got into the league and I used to sit out at some of the restaurants outdoors and not be bothered," Jordan said. All that has changed. The Chicago Bulls are in town, and Jordan-mania is mounting with the five-time NBA champions preparing for the McDonald's Championship -- a field that includes the Bulls and five European and South American club champions. "Basketball has grown here due to the Olympics, Dream Team or whatever. It's become a major sport worldwide now," he said Wednesday after practice. "It's just hard for me to go anywhere now unnoticed -- in the sense of getting out in the public and trying to enjoy myself without people bothering me. "This was like my last area that I could go to where no one really knew who I was to some degree. And now it's been exposed." Jordan has come to Paris twice before to play, the last time in 1990 as part of a sponsor's promotion -- but that was before the Bulls won their first NBA title in 1991. Now getting around Paris is different. This time he's swamped by security guards, reporters, cameras -- and all his visits are well choreographed by the promotion-mined NBA. "I'll probably go on some tours where I get to stay in the car and I look at the areas that I am going to," he said. Even other Bulls are protected with zeal. At a promotional appearance on the Champs Elysees where Jordan was not involved, a security guard reportedly kicked a cameraman. Jordan, in the city where Princess Diana was killed, is cognizant of risks to well-known celebrities. "I am aware of it and take cautions and precautions to make sure I can enjoy myself publicly as well as making sure my family is very safe," he said. "It is just one concern that comes along with the job."
nba.838 nba.news,
Mullin rebuilds career in Indiana (Oct 15, 1997 - 07:28 EDT) -- His entire NBA history -- 12 seasons and 16,120 points -- rest on the fragile fault line that is the Golden State Warriors. But now, in the early days of his deliverance, Chris Mullin doesn't even bother recounting the good times because they are so entangled with the bad times. "It's strange, in a way," says Mullin. "But I haven't looked back one second." The Indiana Pacers are his present and his future. They are what matter in a basketball life that is 34 years old and as vulnerable to injury as San Francisco is to tremors. The Golden State Warriors are not even worth mentioning, at least not by name. "From where I'm coming from, some of the teams I played on, we played some of our best games in November," says Mullin. "That makes for a long season." From where he's coming from, some of the teams he played on ... For now, Mullin would like to forget, he'd like the past to blur, the future to pull into a nice tight focus. The Pacers crave the same. A team doesn't trade for a player in his twilight unless there is an expectation of lighting up the night sky. The trade of Erick Dampier and Duane Ferrell to Golden State for Mullin in August made clear the Pacers' intent. This season is about this season. No breaking in first-year coach Larry Bird for the real run in a year or two. Reggie Miller is 32. Rik Smits is 31; his chronically bad feet are 47. The Pacers are two seasons removed from consecutive runs to within a game of the NBA Finals. Defense and just enough offense from Miller's outside shooting and Smits' inside play got them that far. Mullin is, or at least was, a scorer. His career average is 20.5. In his prime, he averaged more than 25 points over five straight seasons. But beginning with the most recent season first, he has averaged 14.5, 13.3, 19.0, and 16.8. He has been -- two words that are always unsettling next to one another -- a Dream Teamer and an all-star. Those days are done. Now we find out what he has left. Mullin is a Pacer because he wanted to be a Pacer. Because he saw a future that might extend beyond the playoffs' first round, because he was excited about playing for Bird, a former rival who always seemed to "snooker" the Warriors. "That was a big factor in me getting here," Mullin says. "I wasn't looking to make a change laterally." In some ways, he hasn't changed at all. With his flattop, Mullin still has that boy's look to him, a gleam in the eye that says he just wants to play ball as hard as he can for as long as he can. He looks, well, almost innocent. But he's not. He had his own travails early in his career, overcoming an alcohol problem. Now, he's recognized as a leader who has only lacked an adequate amount of talent and good attitude around him. So, he is expected to make the Pacers better even if he averages closer to 13 points than 25. His presence should mean more quasi-open 3-pointers for Miller, more low post opportunities for Smits and, yes, plenty of good shots for himself. But Chris Mullin is something else, too. He's a guy who knows his way to a rebound, a guy who can flip a pass through a crease, a guy who can make something out of nothing. Deep breath here, but he's a little bit like his coach. "I don't know if I'd compare those two," Pacers guard Travis Best says, taking the cautious approach. "But Chris is a winner like Larry was. He comes up with the plays that win games. He's a crafty kind of player." No one calls you crafty when you're 26 and healthy. But then when you're 26 and healthy you believe you always have time to make a special season. All of a sudden, time and talent start to slide away. So it is for both Mullin and the Pacers. He understands he was brought here to be part of an immediate solution to the Pacer problem: almost, but not quite, good enough to beat the league's best. "That's what you play for -- to win today," he says. "As you get older, you get a better feeling for that, you know about injuries, and you get to that time of life when you can't just say, 'Next year.' Because, sooner or later, next year's not going to be there." And then there is time to look back ... too much time.
nba.839 nba.news,
The Timberwolves' Marbury could steal the show on Garnett FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- So Kevin Garnett is locked in through the year 2004, by which time he'll be 28 and a lot of us will be dead. Aside from having to actually fork over the $126 million to pay him, the Minnesota Timberwolves' worries are pretty much over, right? Wrong. Garnett could end up being the third best player on the Timberwolves this season, and the first- and second-best guys will be shopping for new contracts themselves next summer. First there's forward Tom Gugliotta, the lone Minnesota star who is actually old enough to be supposed to be out of college. Gugliotta, 27, a versatile 6-foot-10 power forward, led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, became the franchise's first All-Star when he was selected to the Western Conference squad by the coaches and was the focal point of Houston's defense in the Timberwolves' brief sweep out of the playoffs. Gugliotta, who signed in 1995 for the then-astounding price of $27 million for five years, was shrewd enough to have an escape clause built into his contract, and it opens up next July. If Garnett soon will be worth an average of $21 million per season, what is Gugliotta -- currently the better player in the prime of his career -- worth right now? "Tommy's probably licking his chops, but he knows he's not going to get the kind of numbers they gave Kevin,'' veteran Timberwolves guard Doug West said. In fact, Gugliotta may be the one asked to accept something less than sheer market value to stay in the mix for the NBA championship club that Kevin McHale conjures during slow moments in his fishing boat. Otherwise -- and people in the organization have felt this for months -- if there has to be a fall guy, if one of the team's three building blocks has to be sacrificed, it will be Gugliotta. Garnett, the team's future as well as its personality and charisma, had to get done first. And then there's Stephon Marbury, who frankly could end up being the best player of the three. The value of this 6-2, ankle-breakingly quick point guard already has been demonstrated twice, in dramatic fashion, in less than two weeks of training camp. Over the first six days of practice, Marbury by far was the team's most impressive player. Even though he's on the brink of only his second NBA season, he already rates as the best point guard in franchise history. Sorry, Pooh Richardson. Sorry, Michael Williams. And sorry, Stephon, if that seems like faint praise. "He's been just short of phenomenal,'' coach Flip Saunders said after his third set of two-a-days. Said West: "He understands the league. He understands the offense. He's picked up on his defense. He's making everybody better, getting them open shots. He's gotten to the basket and he's been able to finish, more than last year. As long as he stays injury-free, I see big things for him this year.'' How big? "The All-Star Game is in New York this year, right?'' West said. Then he smiled knowingly, his question purely rhetorical. Marbury grew up in the Coney Island area and nothing would please him, or his hovering, intensely supportive family, more than to be in uniform for the Western Conference squad at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 8. It probably doesn't hurt, either, that Marbury essentially is on a salary drive this season. If, like Garnett, he wants to sign a contract extension with the Wolves next summer -- and he said last week that he does -- his market value will be set largely by what he and the team accomplish. He, too, has tossed out the magic $100 million mark as a target. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing,'' Marbury said. "There aren't too many Kevin Garnetts that are going to come along. There aren't too many Stephon Marburys that are going to come along. You want to be better. You want to win a championship. We're seeing ourselves progress.'' Marbury's progress comes from several places. Physically, he's maturing, and he learned the hard way last season how important conditioning was. Not only was he in worse shape for training camp, but he suffered injuries that cut into his stamina, too. "It took me five years to realize that you come to camp in shape,'' West said. "Steph's in shape. He was working out, he was running stairs. He's gotten bigger. And like Terry Porter said, 'It might not be possible, but Steph's gotten faster.' '' Marbury also is developing emotionally. A year ago, he was the new kid, the equivalent of a college sophomore stepping into a man's league. He pieced together a solid season around two semi-serious injuries -- a sprained right ankle and a bruised right thigh -- that cost him 15 games, still averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 assists. Supremely confident, the recipient of positive feedback on every basketball court on which he's stepped, the playmaker got comfortable later in the season. No surprise, he led the Wolves in scoring (21.3 points) in their three playoff games. And he has kept on going. In a scrimmage last week, Saunders wanted to see a faster pace, so he told Marbury that if his side scored 20 points in six minutes, their running regimen at the end of practice would be halved. "He is so dang competitive,'' Saunders said. "They were down 8-0 with about 3 1/2 minutes to go. What he did, he went crazy and said he was going to do the rest.'' Marbury led and finished one fast break after another. "Flip challenged him,'' said West, who watched from the sideline. "I looked at him and said, 'Steph, think you could pass the ball a little bit?' He said, 'We needed to get 20.' They had 23 points. He had 19, K.G. had four.'' Oh, that other manner in which Marbury recently demonstrated his worth? He dislocated his left pinkie and missed the Timberwolves' first two preseason games. The offense bogged down, opposing point guards harassed the Wolves' backups and Garnett was largely uninvolved. Two pretend games into his second season and already the 20-year-old is virtually indispensable. Marbury, who finished second to Philadelphia's Allen Iverson in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting, has talked about accepting more responsibility for the Wolves' direction. That's another change. "Last year, after about the third practice, I talked to him about leading a team,'' Saunders said. "He said, 'But these guys are my elders. I can't yell at them.' I said, 'Well, when they step on the floor, they don't ask how old you are. It's what you can do.' Now he has kind of taken over the team. "Y'know what? I think the signing of K.G. helped solidify that,'' the coach added. "He feels the team has made a commitment to be good, and they have an opportunity to be around for a long time and win some championships. Now he relishes that role of being a leader.'' Said Marbury: "All I've got to say to people talking about this year is, just watch.''
nba.840 vpoznanovic,
Opet nije objavljena kompletna statistika jedne utakmice, ali za razliku od prošlog puta, ovaj put sam našao neku skraćenu verziju. 1997 NBA Preseason Thursday, October 16 Atlanta at Toronto 103:102 Golden State at Charlotte 91:97 L.A. Clippers at Milwaukee 97:109 New Jersey at Cleveland 109:117 Philadelphia at New York 83:88 Portland at Seattle 92:90 Washington at San Antonio 76:96 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- ATLANTA 20 31 30 22 103 TORONTO 28 25 21 28 102 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: ATL - ALAN HENDERSON 21, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 14, ELDRIDGE RECASNER 12 TOR - WALT WILLIAMS 17, MARCUS CAMBY 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 12 HIGH REBOUND: ATL - ALAN HENDERSON 8, THREE PLAYERS WITH 5 TOR - POPEYE JONES 14, ZAN TABAK 6 HIGH ASSISTS: ATL - MOOKIE BLAYLOCK 6, ELDRIDGE RECASNER 6 TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 7, CARLOS ROGERS 5 ATT: 13,378 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- GOLDEN STATE 24 25 21 21 91 CHARLOTTE 19 29 21 28 97 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 26, JOE SMITH 15, DONYELL MARSHALL 10 CHA - J.R. REID 22, GLEN RICE 20, MATT GEIGER 13 HIGH REBOUND: GSW - JOE SMITH 10, DONYELL MARSHALL 7 CHA - J.R. REID 10, MATT GEIGER 8 HIGH ASSISTS: GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 5, MARK PRICE 5 CHA - DAVID WESLEY 7, GLEN RICE 6 ATT: 21,347 NBA AT LA CROSSE WI FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- LA CLIPPERS 16 22 29 30 97 MILWAUKEE 25 26 32 26 109 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: LAC - ERIC PIATKOWSKI 17, LORENZEN WRIGHT 15, LAMOND MURRAY 13 MIL - RAY ALLEN 21, GLENN ROBINSON 18, MICHAEL CURRY 12 HIGH REBOUND: LAC - STOJKO VRANKOVIC 7, KEITH CLOSS JR 6 MIL - JAMIE FEICK 12, ERVIN JOHNSON 7 HIGH ASSISTS: LAC - POOH RICHARDSON 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 MIL - TERRELL BRANDON 6, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 3 ATT: 3,187 NBA FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL --- --- --- --- --- ----- NEW JERSEY 24 19 37 21 8 109 CLEVELAND 25 26 22 28 16 117 FINAL IN 1ST OT HIGH SCORERS: NJN - KENDALL GILL 30, SAM CASSELL 22, KERRY KITTLES 15 CLE - WESLEY PERSON 26, SHAWN KEMP 25, DEREK ANDERSON 16 HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 7, KENDALL GILL 6 CLE - ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 13, VITALY POTAPENKO 11 HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - SAM CASSELL 10, KERRY KITTLES 5 CLE - BOB SURA 12, DEREK ANDERSON 6 ATT: 14,109 NBA AT ALBANY NY FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PHILADELPHIA 25 16 15 27 83 NEW YORK 20 21 19 28 88 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: PHI - JERRY STACKHOUSE 22, DERRICK COLEMAN 15, JIM JACKSON 14 NYK - PATRICK EWING 20, LARRY JOHNSON 15, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH REBOUND: PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 9, ERIC MONTROSS 9 NYK - PATRICK EWING 11, CHRIS DUDLEY 6 HIGH ASSISTS: PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 NYK - CHARLIE WARD 4, ALLAN HOUSTON 4 ATT: 10,380 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PORTLAND 24 21 21 26 92 SEATTLE 21 19 24 26 90 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: POR - ISAIAH RIDER 26, RASHEED WALLACE 18, TWO PLAYERS WITH 9 SEA - GARY PAYTON 20, AARON WILLIAMS 12, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH REBOUND: POR - ARVYDAS SABONIS 11 SEA - AARON WILLIAMS 10 HIGH ASSISTS: POR - JOHN CROTTY 11 SEA - GARY PAYTON 7 ATT: 9,431 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- WASHINGTON 25 17 16 18 76 SAN ANTONIO 14 32 23 27 96 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: WAS - CALBERT CHEANEY 12, CHRIS WEBBER 11, ROD STRICKLAND 11 SAS - TIM DUNCAN 20, DAVID ROBINSON 14, SEAN ELLIOTT 10 HIGH REBOUND: WAS - HARVEY GRANT 7, LORENZO WILLIAMS 7 SAS - TIM DUNCAN 10, WILL PERDUE 9 HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - ROD STRICKLAND 13, GOD SHAMMGOD 5 SAS - REGGIE GEARY 6, CORY ALEXANDER 5 ATT: 15,813 Friday, October 17 Atlanta vs. Detroit at Knoxville, Tenn., 7:30 p.m. Miami at Orlando, 7:30 p.m. Utah at Indiana, 8:00 p.m. Milwaukee at Minnesota, 8:00 p.m. L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m. Phoenix at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Washington at Denver, 9:00 p.m. Sacramento at Portland, 10:00 p.m.
nba.841 nba.news,
ATLANTA (103) AT TORONTO (102) ATLANTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === CORBIN F 19 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 4 1 0 1 2 LAETTNER F 26 5-7 4-5 0 5 5 4 2 2 4 14 MUTOMBO C 27 3-6 5-8 1 4 5 0 3 0 2 11 SMITH G 21 4-8 2-5 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 10 BLAYLOCK G 26 3-9 1-1 0 5 5 6 2 3 2 8 ANDERSON 6 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 BARRY 6 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 HENDERSON 24 9-15 3-4 2 6 8 1 1 1 3 21 STEIGENGA 7 2-2 0-0 1 2 3 0 2 0 2 4 RECASNER 27 3-6 4-4 0 1 1 6 2 0 2 12 BROWN 28 5-8 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 BOND 11 1-6 0-0 2 1 3 1 1 0 1 2 MILLER 8 3-5 2-2 3 1 4 0 2 0 1 8 WHITESIDE 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 CRAWFORD DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 39-77 22-31 11 28 39 26 20 7 20 103 (.506) (.710) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 20(20 PTS) TORONTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === W WILLIAMS F 31 6-10 3-3 0 4 4 3 1 2 2 17 CAMBY F 35 6-18 2-2 1 2 3 0 3 1 3 14 TABAK C 11 3-5 0-2 4 2 6 1 4 0 2 6 STOUDAMIRE G 20 2-9 1-1 0 1 1 7 3 0 0 5 MCGRADY G 20 2-6 3-4 1 1 2 0 3 1 1 7 JONES 21 5-8 2-2 7 7 14 3 0 2 0 12 WALLACE 21 3-6 5-6 0 3 3 1 2 0 3 11 RESPERT 17 4-7 2-2 0 1 1 1 3 1 2 12 ROGERS 17 3-6 0-0 2 2 4 5 1 1 2 6 B WILLIAMS 12 0-3 2-2 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 2 SLATER 19 2-5 2-3 2 3 5 2 2 1 0 6 GARNER 15 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 4 BARRETT 1 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 38-88 22-27 17 26 43 29 25 11 16 102 (.432) (.815) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 16(26 PTS) ATLANTA 20 31 30 22 - 103 TORONTO 28 25 21 28 - 102 BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 2, BLAYLOCK, HENDERSON, STEIGENGA, BROWN. TORONTO - CAMBY 3, WALLACE 2, TABAK, MCGRADY, W WILLIAMS, ROGERS. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 3-9 (.333), SMITH 0-2, BLAYLOCK 1-3, RECASNER 2-3, BOND 0-1. TORONTO 4-9 (.444), W WILLIAMS 2-4, STOUDAMIRE 0-1, RESPERT 2-2, B WILLIAMS 0-1, BARRETT 0-1. TECHNICALS: TORONTO - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 5, TABAK. OFFICIALS: ED F RUSH, MARK WUNDERLICH, GARY ZIELINSKI. A - 13,378. T - 2:15. ATLANTA (103) AT TORONTO (102) Alan Henderson scored 21 points and his free throw with 21.2 seconds to play provided the difference as the Atlanta Hawks remained unbeaten in the preseason with a 103-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Henderson hit one-of-two from the free throw line to give Atlanta (4-0) the lead, and Toronto wasted a pair of good scoring chances down the stretch. Marcus Camby, who scored 14 points, missed a 14-foot jumper with 9.9 seconds to go and Shawn Respert failed to convert a short running jumper as time expired. Christian Laettner had 14 points and Eldridge Recasner chipped in 12, including seven in the fourth quarter. Henderson, who scored 16 in the first half, grabbed eight rebounds. Walt Williams, whose three-pointer had given Toronto (2-2) a 97-96 lead late in the fourth, had 17 points. Respert, who drained two three-pointers in the final 4:02, scored 12 as did Popeye Jones, who added 14 rebounds. Raptors guard Doug Christie missed his second straight game with a charleyhorse.
nba.842 nba.news,
GOLDEN STATE (91) AT CHARLOTTE (97) GOLDEN STATE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MARSHALL F 24 3-9 2-2 1 6 7 4 2 0 3 10 SMITH F 34 5-15 5-5 1 9 10 0 3 0 8 15 FULLER C 16 3-6 2-6 0 1 1 1 3 0 2 8 SPREWELL G 37 10-17 3-4 0 3 3 5 2 6 6 26 PRICE G 32 2-7 3-3 0 3 3 5 0 2 4 8 SPENCER 21 3-6 3-4 1 1 2 0 5 1 0 9 FERRELL 24 1-4 0-0 1 3 4 4 3 3 0 2 ARMSTRONG 16 1-5 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 STEWART 6 0-3 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 1 0 0 DEMPS 11 3-3 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 6 DAMPIER 19 2-2 1-2 1 4 5 1 2 0 1 5 TOTALS 240 33-77 19-26 6 32 38 23 24 13 26 91 (.429) (.731) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 29(30 PTS) CHARLOTTE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === REID F 39 9-18 4-4 3 7 10 2 4 2 3 22 RICE F 35 6-18 8-8 1 5 6 6 3 1 7 20 GEIGER C 26 3-5 7-8 2 6 8 0 4 1 0 13 WESLEY G 40 4-8 2-2 1 3 4 7 4 5 4 11 MEE G 15 1-5 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 DIVAC 22 3-5 0-0 1 4 5 1 4 0 2 6 FARMER 9 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 CURRY 22 4-9 2-2 2 2 4 1 1 3 2 11 BOGUES 6 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 WILLIAMS 13 2-5 2-2 2 2 4 1 0 1 2 6 BECK 13 1-3 2-6 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 4 TOTALS 240 34-79 27-32 12 31 43 23 26 15 25 97 (.430) (.844) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 25(21 PTS) GOLDEN STATE 24 25 21 21 - 91 CHARLOTTE 19 29 21 28 - 97 BLOCKED SHOTS: GOLDEN STATE - SPENCER 3, MARSHALL, FULLER, DAMPIER. CHARLOTTE - DIVAC 2, REID, MEE, CURRY. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: GOLDEN STATE 6-14 (.429), MARSHALL 2-3, SPREWELL 3-5, PRICE 1-3, FERRELL 0-1, ARMSTRONG 0-2. CHARLOTTE 2-8 (.250), RICE 0-1, WESLEY 1-2, MEE 0-2, CURRY 1-2, BECK 0-1. TECHNICALS: CHARLOTTE - ILLEGAL DEFENSE. OFFICIALS: RONNIE NUNN, BILL SPOONER, CRAIG CARMICHAEL. A - 21,347. T - 2:14. GOLDEN STATE (91) AT CHARLOTTE (97) J.R. Reid had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets rallied for a 97-91 victory over the winless Golden State Warriors. Glen Rice added 20 points and Matt Geiger chipped in with 13 and eight rebounds for the Hornets (2-1). The Warriors, who blew a 10-point second-quarter lead, tied the game for the final time at 82-82 on a three-pointer by Mark Price with 5:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Travis Williams had a dunk and Dell Curry nailed a three-pointer before Reid, signed during the off-season after playing last year in Europe, made a pair of free throws for an 89-82 advantage with 3:12 to play. Off-season signing David Wesley had 11 points and seven assists and Curry also had 11 points for Charlotte. Latrell Sprewell had 26 points and Joe Smith contributed 15 and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (0-4). Donyell Marshall finished with 10 points, but just two after the first quarter.
nba.843 nba.news,
LA CLIPPERS (97) AT MILWAUKEE (109) LA CLIPPERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ROGERS F 21 3-8 5-7 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 11 MURRAY F 30 6-11 1-1 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 13 VRANKOVIC C 20 2-4 3-3 1 6 7 0 2 1 2 7 PIATKOWSKI G 22 7-12 2-2 1 1 2 2 2 0 2 17 MARTIN G 24 1-7 0-0 0 2 2 3 2 0 3 2 WRIGHT 25 6-8 3-4 0 4 4 1 5 2 2 15 RICHARDSON 19 2-6 0-1 1 1 2 5 2 0 4 4 BARRY 21 3-8 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 0 1 6 CLOSS 16 3-4 1-2 4 2 6 0 3 0 1 7 MCCRAY 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 TAYLOR 20 5-8 0-2 1 4 5 0 5 0 0 10 COLLINS 5 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 3 GARRIS 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 MANNING 3 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 HUFFMAN 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 TOTALS 240 40-80 15-22 8 27 35 17 26 6 18 97 (.500) (.682) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 19(24 PTS) MILWAUKEE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 21 3-3 4-6 0 3 3 2 2 0 0 10 ROBINSON F 26 7-13 4-5 0 3 3 3 1 4 1 18 JOHNSON C 19 2-4 2-4 4 3 7 3 3 0 1 6 ALLEN G 23 8-15 3-5 2 2 4 3 2 0 0 21 BRANDON G 23 3-6 0-0 1 3 4 6 1 0 2 6 GILLIAM 21 4-8 0-0 0 5 5 1 5 1 1 8 FEICK 22 3-5 1-2 4 8 12 1 3 1 2 7 PERRY 25 4-10 1-2 0 1 1 3 2 0 2 9 NORDGAARD 12 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 BREAUX 19 1-3 2-2 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 4 CURRY 11 2-5 8-10 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 12 EARL 7 1-2 0-0 2 0 2 0 3 0 0 2 HONEYCUTT 6 2-2 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 MCDONALD 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 40-79 26-38 13 31 44 26 25 8 9 109 (.506) (.684) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 9(10 PTS) LA CLIPPERS 16 22 29 30 - 97 MILWAUKEE 25 26 32 26 - 109 BLOCKED SHOTS: LA CLIPPERS - VRANKOVIC, WRIGHT, CLOSS. MILWAUKEE - JOHNSON, NORDGAARD, EARL, MCDONALD. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA CLIPPERS 2-9 (.222), ROGERS 0-1, PIATKOWSKI 1-3, MARTIN 0-1, BARRY 0-3, COLLINS 1-1. MILWAUKEE 3-4 (.750), ALLEN 2-3, HONEYCUTT 1-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: TOMMY NUNEZ, DON VADEN, MIKE SMITH. A - 3,187. T - 2:12. LA CLIPPERS (97) AT MILWAUKEE (109) Ray Allen scored 15 of his 21 points in the third quarter, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Allen had two three-pointers and Glenn Robinson scored all but two of his 18 points in the first half for Milwaukee (2-0), which took a 51-38 halftime lead. The Bucks opened the game with a 9-2 run and never trailed. Eric Piatkowski scored 17 points and Lorenzen Wright added 15 for the Clippers (1-3), who committed 19 turnovers. Michael Curry chipped in 12 points and Jamie Feick grabbed 12 rebounds for the Bucks, who had just nine turnovers.
nba.844 nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (109) AT CLEVELAND (117) - FINAL IN OT NEW JERSEY REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GILL F 40 12-23 5-6 2 4 6 2 3 1 4 30 VAN HORN F 34 5-15 0-0 1 4 5 1 6 3 3 11 J WILLIAMS C 33 3-4 1-1 0 7 7 1 6 0 1 7 CASSELL G 37 7-19 7-9 0 1 1 10 4 4 8 22 KITTLES G 29 6-10 2-4 0 4 4 5 3 3 1 15 MACLEAN 25 2-10 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 4 HARRIS 29 4-8 2-2 1 4 5 3 0 2 1 10 DARE 20 1-3 1-2 2 1 3 0 5 0 0 3 WERDANN 6 0-2 1-2 1 1 2 1 2 0 2 1 SMITH 8 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 HALEY 2 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 HENSON 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 TOTALS 265 42-97 20-28 8 27 35 25 34 15 21 109 (.433) (.714) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 21(31 PTS) CLEVELAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === PERSON F 38 10-21 0-2 1 5 6 2 2 2 3 26 KEMP F 35 8-17 9-12 3 7 10 1 4 1 2 25 POTAPENKO C 28 4-6 1-1 1 10 11 0 4 1 4 9 SURA G 33 2-5 2-2 2 4 6 12 2 1 6 7 ANDERSON G 39 6-11 4-6 3 2 5 6 2 3 5 16 ILGAUSKAS 21 2-5 4-6 4 9 13 0 3 0 3 8 KNIGHT 12 0-2 1-2 0 3 3 5 1 1 4 1 BUTLER 11 1-2 0-2 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 2 FERRY 18 1-6 2-2 1 1 2 1 4 1 1 4 JAMES 7 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 DOUGLAS 8 2-3 2-2 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 6 HENDERSON 8 3-3 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 MARSHALL 3 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 SCOTT 4 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 265 42-86 26-39 15 45 60 30 27 11 32 117 (.488) (.667) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 33(23 PTS) NEW JERSEY 24 19 37 21 8 - 109 CLEVELAND 25 26 22 28 16 - 117 BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - CASSELL 2, VAN HORN, J WILLIAMS, DARE. CLEVELAND - ILGAUSKAS 2, SCOTT 2, PERSON, KEMP, POTAPENKO. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 5-16 (.313), GILL 1-4, VAN HORN 1-5, CASSELL 1-1, KITTLES 1-1, MACLEAN 0-1, HARRIS 0-2, SMITH 1-2. CLEVELAND 7-21 (.333), PERSON 6-14, KEMP 0-1, SURA 1-3, ANDERSON 0-1, FERRY 0-1, JAMES 0-1. TECHNICALS: NEW JERSEY - J WILLIAMS, HENSON, CLEVELAND - FERRY, SURA. OFFICIALS: JIM CLARK, GARY BENSON, DAVID JONES. A - 14,109. T - 2:34. NEW JERSEY (109) AT CLEVELAND (117) - FINAL IN OT Wesley Person scored seven of his 26 points in overtime and Shawn Kemp added 25 as the Cleveland Cavaliers remained unbeaten in the preseason with a 117-109 come-from-behind victory over the New Jersey Nets. Person nailed a three-pointer to open the extra session and Derek Anderson converted a driving layup, giving the Cavaliers a 106-101 lead with 4:02 left. Sam Cassell's three-point play drew New Jersey within 106-104, but Anderson sank two free throws and Person made a layup for a 110-104 advantage with 3:04 to go. The Nets held a 95-87 lead with three minutes remaining in regulation but Person hit three three-pointers to give Cleveland a 101-99 edge with 13 seconds left. Kendall Gill's 15-foot jumper with three seconds to play forced overtime. Anderson finished with 16 points for the Cavaliers (4-0), who trailed 80-73 after three quarters. Gill had 30 points and Cassell contributed 22 for New Jersey (2-1).
nba.845 nba.news,
PHILADELPHIA (83) AT NEW YORK (88) PHILADELPHIA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === STACKHOUSE F 30 4-13 12-12 2 1 3 0 5 1 4 22 COLEMAN F 33 5-16 4-5 2 7 9 3 5 1 0 15 MONTROSS C 19 3-6 0-0 3 6 9 0 4 1 0 6 IVERSON G 37 2-6 4-6 1 1 2 5 2 2 6 8 JACKSON G 33 6-12 2-3 0 4 4 2 3 2 0 14 CUMMINGS 13 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 2 WEATHERSPOON 18 3-4 0-2 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 6 THOMAS 14 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 DAVIS 15 0-3 2-2 1 3 4 3 4 0 2 2 OVERTON 11 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 2 WILLIAMS 13 2-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 4 MILIC 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 28-69 24-30 9 30 39 16 30 9 18 83 (.406) (.800) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 20(20 PTS) NEW YORK REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === JOHNSON F 38 4-8 7-9 1 4 5 2 3 1 0 15 OAKLEY F 36 4-8 0-0 3 2 5 2 1 1 1 8 EWING C 29 7-13 6-7 0 11 11 1 6 0 4 20 HOUSTON G 33 2-8 6-6 1 2 3 4 2 0 2 10 WARD G 32 5-9 1-2 0 4 4 4 4 3 4 11 DUDLEY 19 1-3 1-2 2 4 6 0 3 2 1 3 BROOKS 5 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 STARKS 24 3-13 3-5 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 10 MCCARTY 20 4-7 3-4 3 0 3 0 2 0 0 11 MYERS 4 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 TOTALS 240 30-71 27-35 11 30 41 14 22 9 14 88 (.423) (.771) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 15(21 PTS) PHILADELPHIA 25 16 15 27 - 83 NEW YORK 20 21 19 28 - 88 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHILADELPHIA - WEATHERSPOON 3, MONTROSS 2. NEW YORK - EWING 2, JOHNSON, DUDLEY, STARKS. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHILADELPHIA 3-14 (.214), STACKHOUSE 2-5, COLEMAN 1-3, IVERSON 0-1, JACKSON 0-3, DAVIS 0-2. NEW YORK 1-10 (.100), HOUSTON 0-2, WARD 0-2, STARKS 1-6. TECHNICALS: PHILADELPHIA - STACKHOUSE, NEW YORK - ILLEGAL DEFENSE, OAKLEY. OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, MIKE CALLAHAN, TIM DONAGHY. A - 10,380. T - 2:23. PHILADELPHIA (83) AT NEW YORK (88) Larry Johnson sank four free throws in the final 21 seconds and Patrick Ewing scored 20 points as the New York Knicks held off the Philadelphia 76ers, 88-83, at Albany, New York, for their first victory of the preseason. The 76ers trailed by as many as 10 points in the final quarter before pulling within 84-81 in the final 30 seconds. But Johnson was fouled with 20.6 seconds left and made both free throws to extend the Knicks lead to five points. Allen Iverson got it back to 86-83 with a pair of free throws, but Johnson iced the win with two more foul shots with eight seconds left. Johnson finished with 15 points and Charlie Ward added 11 for New York (1-3), which was outscored 11-2 to start the game. Jerry Stackhouse scored 22 points and Derrick Coleman added 15 for the 76ers (1-3), who were held to 31 points over the second and third quarters.
nba.846 nba.news,
PORTLAND (92) AT SEATTLE (90) PORTLAND (92) Augmon 4-8 1-4 9, Wallace 6-14 6-6 18, Sabonis 3-7 0-0 7, Crotty 1-4 5-5 7, Rider 9-15 4-4 26, Higgins 2-6 0-0 4, Al. Williams 0-2 0-2 0, Cato 4-5 1-2 9, O'Neal 2-5 2-2 6, Grant 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 33-69 21-27 92. SEATTLE (90) Baker 4-14 3-5 11, Schrempf 4-13 3-4 11, Perkins 2-3 0-0 6, Payton 7-16 4-6 20, Wingate 1-5 0-0 2, Ellis 3-11 0-0 7, Kersey 3-10 2-2 8, Aa. Williams 6-12 0-1 12, Anthony 2-3 1-2 5, Howard 0-2 0-0 0, Snow 1-3 2-2 4, Ehlo 1-3 0-0 2, McIlvaine 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 35-98 15-22 90. Portland 24 21 21 26--92 Seattle 21 19 24 26--90 3-Point goals--Portland 5-12 (Rider 4-8, Sabonis 1-2, Wallace 0-1, Higgins 0-1). Seattle 5-14 (Perkins 2-2, Payton 2-5, Ellis 1-3, Ehlo 0-1, Schrempf 0-3). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Portland 42 (Sabonis 11), Seattle 48 (Aa. Williams 10). Assists--Portland 23 (Crotty 11), Seattle 22 (Payton 7). Total fouls--Portland 22, Seattle 23. Technicals--Wallace, Crotty. A--9,431. PORTLAND (92) AT SEATTLE (90) Isaiah Rider scored seven of his 26 points in the final three minutes to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 92-90 exhibition victory over the Seattle SuperSonics. After Gary Payton gave Seattle its last lead, 78-77, with a layup with 3:38 left, John Crotty sank a pair of free throws 10 seconds later for the Blazers (3-1). Rider took over with 3:02 to go with a layup, two free throws, and a 10-foot jumper to give Portland an 85-78 cushion. Newly acquired Vin Baker hit two free throws and Dale Ellis nailed a three-pointer to pull the Blazers within 85-82 with 1:39 remaining. Rider answered with a three-pointer with 82 seconds left to push the Blazers advantage to 88-82. Detlef Schrempf converted three of four free throws as Seattle moved within four points and, after Jermaine O'Neal made a layup with 18.3 seconds left, Payton made two free throws to cut the deficit to 90-87 with 12.9 seconds. But Rasheed Wallace made two free throws to ice the game for the Sonics. Payton hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to account for the final score. Payton had 20 points, Aaron Williams chipped in with 12 and Baker finished with 11 for the Sonics, who fell to 1-4 in the exhibition season. Wallace had 18 points for Portland.
nba.847 nba.news,
WASHINGTON (76) AT SAN ANTONIO (96) WASHINGTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GRANT F 22 4-9 0-0 2 5 7 0 2 0 1 8 WEBBER F 23 5-13 1-2 1 2 3 2 4 1 0 11 WILLIAMS C 19 0-1 0-0 3 4 7 0 2 1 1 0 CHEANEY G 19 6-8 0-3 0 2 2 1 4 1 2 12 STRICKLAND G 26 4-9 3-4 0 1 1 13 2 3 1 11 T MURRAY 22 2-12 1-1 2 0 2 1 2 1 1 5 WALLACE 17 1-3 0-0 2 1 3 0 3 0 0 2 WHITNEY 21 3-9 0-0 0 2 2 3 2 0 1 7 LECKNER 15 1-4 0-0 1 3 4 0 4 0 2 2 SHAMMGOD 17 1-4 1-2 0 2 2 5 3 0 5 4 OLIVER 16 3-8 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 7 HAM 7 1-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 MCCASKILL 7 1-1 0-0 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 2 RHODES 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 KORNEGAY 4 1-1 0-1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 TOTALS 240 33-84 7-15 13 27 40 27 31 7 16 76 (.393) (.467) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 16(17 PTS) SAN ANTONIO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ELLIOTT F 24 3-9 2-2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 10 DUNCAN F 32 7-16 6-8 5 5 10 1 5 0 4 20 ROBINSON C 20 5-9 4-5 0 4 4 1 1 1 2 14 DEL NEGRO G 21 2-3 1-1 0 2 2 0 3 0 0 5 JOHNSON G 23 3-6 1-2 1 4 5 3 1 2 1 7 W PERDUE 19 1-3 2-2 3 6 9 1 2 0 2 4 C PERSON 14 3-6 0-0 0 4 4 1 0 0 0 9 GEARY 24 0-3 4-6 0 4 4 6 3 2 1 4 ALEXANDER 25 2-5 2-4 0 3 3 5 1 0 1 7 HERRERA 11 2-5 2-4 0 3 3 2 0 0 0 6 ROSE 7 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 2 IGO 12 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 4 JACKSON 8 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 TOTALS 240 33-76 24-34 9 39 48 22 19 6 13 96 (.434) (.706) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 13(10 PTS) WASHINGTON 25 17 16 18 - 76 SAN ANTONIO 14 32 23 27 - 96 BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - WEBBER 2, RHODES 2. SAN ANTONIO - HERRERA 3, ROBINSON 2, DUNCAN. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 3-12 (.250), CHEANEY 0-1, T MURRAY 0-3, WHITNEY 1-4, SHAMMGOD 1-2, OLIVER 1-2. SAN ANTONIO 6-11 (.545), ELLIOTT 2-4, C PERSON 3-5, ALEXANDER 1-1, HERRERA 0-1. TECHNICALS: WASHINGTON - WEBBER, ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2. OFFICIALS: ED MIDDLETON, DAN CRAWFORD, RASHAN MICHEL. A - 15,813. T - 2:01. WASHINGTON (76) AT SAN ANTONIO (96) Rookie Tim Duncan scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half as the San Antonio Spurs remained unbeaten in the preseason with a 96-76 rout of the Washington Wizards. Duncan also grabbed 10 rebounds and David Robinson added 14 points for the Spurs (4-0), who used a 15-5 run to take a 65-55 edge late in the third quarter. Washington, which did not challenge for the lead in the final period, played without star forward Juwan Howard, who has a sprained right ankle. Calbert Cheaney scored eight of his 12 points in the first quarter, helping the Wizards (0-2) to a 25-14 lead. But the Spurs responded with a 17-6 run early in the second quarter. Rod Strickland had 11 points and 13 assists and Chris Webber chipped in 11 points for Washington, which scored just 34 points in the second half. Spurs veteran forward Chuck Person left the contest in the third quarter when he was undercut going for a rebound and landed on his back and head.
nba.848 nba.news,
Cavaliers sign Kemp CLEVELAND (Oct 16, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Shawn Kemp signed a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, becoming the fifth member of the NBA's $100 million club. "I feel like I'm blessed," Kemp said minutes after scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 117-109 exhibition victory over the New Jersey Nets. "I appreciate the organization stepping up and getting it done and allowing me to concentrate on basketball I intend to show that appreciation by working hard to show I am worth it." Neither Kemp nor the club would reveal terms, but reports Wednesday said the deal was for seven years and about $107 million. "It's a whole lot of money, we're talking big numbers, that's all I can say," Kemp said. The deal would reportedly pay the five-time All-Star approximately $8.3 million in the first season with 20 percent raises in each of the next six years. The other players with nine-figure contracts are Minnesota's Kevin Garnett ($126 million), Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers ($120 million), Miami's Alonzo Mourning ($112 million) and Washington's Juwan Howard ($100.8 million). Kemp, a 6-foot-10 forward, was acquired in a three-way trade with Milwaukee and Seattle on Sept. 25. Terrell Brandon, Tyrone Hill and a first-round draft pick went from Cleveland to Milwaukee and Vin Baker went from Milwaukee to Seattle. Kemp had expressed displeasure with the contract he signed three years ago with Seattle during the offseason and demanded a trade. That $35 million deal had annual salaries of about $3.5 million until a balloon payment of more than $17 million was due in the final season, 2002-03. "Cavs owner Gordon Gund has made a commitment to get the team back in contention for an NBA championship," team president Wayne Embry said Thursday. "We all look forward to many exciting years of Shawn Kemp leading the Cavaliers." Kemp, 27, had spent his entire eight-year pro career with Seattle after jumping from high school in Elkhart, Ind. to the NBA. He has averaged 16.2 points and 9.6 rebounds and was a second team All-NBA pick in 1994, 1995 and 1996. "I came into this league a man-child and with this, I'm a man," Kemp said. "Yes, it was important for me to move up with the name players in salary. More important, though, is helping this team because they have been so good to me. "I've never been happier. One of the refs tonight said he had never seen my so relaxed, smiling, having fun. When you are relaxed you ultimately play better."
nba.849 nba.news,
NBA highest salary packages (Oct 16, 1997 - 23:52 EDT) -- A list of the NBA's $100 million dollar packages. List does not make distinction for money deferred without interest: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves, six years (1997-2003), $121 million. Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, seven years (1996-2003), $120 million. Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat, seven years (1996-2003), $112 million. Shawn Kemp, Cleveland Cavaliers, seven years (1997-2004), $107 million. Juwan Howard, Washington Wizards, seven years (1996-2003), $100.8 million.
nba.850 nba.news,
National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 16 1997 Cleveland Cavaliers: Waived forward Sherell Ford, forward-center Adrian Caldwell and guard Jerome Allen. Minnesota Timberwolves: Waived guards Jimmy King and Victor Page. Toronto Raptors: Named Butch Carter assistant coach.
nba.851 nba.news,
Jordan has sore toe as Bulls prepare for run in Paris PARIS -- Michael Jordan has a sore toe, and the Chicago Bulls are already missing Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Could a stumble be coming in the McDonald's Championship? Jordan cut his practice time in half Thursday as the Bulls prepared for their opener Friday in this six-team international championship, and Bulls coach Phil Jackson sounded worried. "He had one toe bothering him (Monday) and now the other toe is bothering him," Jackson said. "It hurts him and he can't jump. We have a big concern about it, but that's a minor problem. Hopefully by tomorrow (Friday), he'll be better." Jackson then slapped on his game face. This may be a preseason tournament, but the NBA is 14-0 in seven previous events and Jackson doesn't want a blemish. Would he rest Jordan? "Not if it threatens winning," Jackson said. "I don't think it's anything about saving face. I think it's that the NBA has something they have to uphold. It is a status we have to uphold." No mistaking how big this biennial showdown has become between the NBA and five of the world's best clubs laden with American and international talent. More than 1,000 reporters and photographers have been accredited, more than for the NBA Finals -- and 40 percent more than six years ago when Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers played in Paris' Bercy Sports Palace. "I want to win, whatever it takes to win," Jordan said. "If that means 60 (points), great. If it means 70, great. If that means 10, I'll take it. I don't think the toe is going to hurt the way I play." Jordan has been swamped for autographs not only from fans but from players on the other five teams. "I try to oblige them (other players)," Jordan said. "I don't have a problem separating autograph seekers from the competition. But once the ball is tossed up, the only autograph you are going to get is maybe a jump shot or two in your face." Of the five teams in the field, Benetton Treviso -- the Italian champions -- and Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece are the two favorites to meet the Bulls in Friday's semifinals and Saturday's final. The Bulls had a bye in Thursday's opening round. Olympiakos is the defending EuroLeague champions. Henry Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard from North Carolina-Charlotte, is the MVP from the Italian champions. An ordained minister, he gets $2 million a year in Italy -- and he can't see anyone beating the Bulls. "They shouldn't lose," Williams said. "The NBA is so good. Now I'm not just going to go out and fall down if we play them. And there's always a slim chance. But I tend to operate in another world, so anything is possible."
nba.852 nba.news,
Bulls on tenuous footing without Pippen DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 16, 1997 - 22:22 EDT) -- Jerry Krause, shaken but not stirred, delivered the news as if someone had shot the president. Michael Jordan, who normally must invent obstacles at this time of year, looked ahead and found the perfect challenge for his farewell tour. And with one minor formality -- and that's all playing on the road means to the Chicago Bulls -- Steve Kerr discovered a blessing in disguise, which we now know to be a wooden shoe and a pair of crutches. After weeks of suspicion, it is learned that Scottie Pippen underwent foot surgery Oct. 6 in New York. If all goes well, he will miss an estimated 30 games, and you know what that could mean. A Game 7 in Madison Square Garden? "We know how to win on the road in the playoffs," Jordan said. "So if it comes down to that, we know how to do it." Yes, the price of Pippen's injury could very well be the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The Eastern Conference is significantly upgraded, and the Bulls aren't getting any younger. They staggered down the stretch last season, succumbing to the nagging injuries of age before grinding out another title. And they begin the last call of a dynasty without their best defender, their primary ball-handler, their only reliable scoring threat outside of Jordan. Will it matter? Probably not. Fact is, they play better on the road, away from all the distractions. In the last two title runs, they are 63-19 in the away jerseys, 10-6 in the playoffs. And while Krause has no money left in the budget to rent another player, the Bulls are better equipped to handle such a crisis than they were a year ago. Joe Kleine was a solid addition, and will offer a bit more than the sideline furniture known as Robert Parish. Same goes for Scott Burrell, providing he shows some aptitude for the triple-post offense. And while it certainly provided leverage in the late stages of his contract negotiations, it also gives Dennis Rodman a reason to remain interested for 82 games. "I think Dennis will now come in with a whole new approach," Jordan said. "I think he'll have a willingness to come in and make sure this team succeeds." Sure, there is risk. If Toni Kukoc doesn't stay healthy or doesn't earn his money, the Bulls might have trouble outscoring the New Jersey Nets. And if Jason Caffey and Jud Buechler don't provide immediate relief, there is a chance of running Jordan into the ground, a man who must carry the weakest Bulls team to open a season since Sidney Green was still employed. How does Jordan resist the temptation of scoring 40 every night, turning his legs into Jell-O by the closing bell? "I don't know," he said. "I haven't figured that out yet. It's something I've always been willing to accept, to do whatever I have to in order to help this team win. I don't think that's going to change." That will be left to the creative mind of Phil Jackson, who is already dealing with a major chasm between players and management. As is the norm with this organization, there was much cloak-and-dagger surrounding Pippen's injury, a soft-tissue problem in his left foot suffered during the Eastern Conference Finals. A cynic might wonder why Pippen waited so long to have surgery. And he might find the answer in Pippen's growing disgust with the organization, a man who had no incentive to spend his summer vacation immobilized on the couch. Better on company time, for, after all, what have they ever done for him? As much as he acted like a concerned father the day after surgery, Krause was baffled by the injury as recently as the week before, saying it wouldn't have hampered any plans to trade Pippen in the off-season. "An injury like this, you take your time with it, treat it conservatively," Krause said. "It just got to the point where (surgery) wasn't avoidable." But if extended rest was the original recommendation, shouldn't the Bulls have sent a team doctor to Arkansas in mid-August? Just for a courtesy call? "Scottie wants this, this was his wish," Krause said. "As far as we're concerned, the doctors went to medical school and the player knows his body." Krause was very careful to absolve Pippen from any blame, and it is important to take Pippen's word on this matter. Despite his disenchantment, he is in a contract year. And he'd probably wouldn't intentionally hurt his teammates just to even the score with Krause. Probably. "Every year, it seems we start off with some kind of challenge," Jordan said. "And this year is no different." As long as Pippen comes back and comes back healthy, the outcome should be no different, either. For this is the only team that could win the NBA title with a No. 8 seed. "The only way I can see it negatively affecting us is if we don't win enough games to win the home-court advantage," Kerr said. "The good thing is, this gives Scottie a lot of time off. He gets to play a 50-game season, and probably, in the long run, it's going to help us out." Probably.
nba.853 nba.news,
Bulls plan to win despite missing stars PARIS (Oct 16, 1997 - 11:16 EDT) -- Even without Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the McDonald's Championship in Paris is no place for the five-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls to lose -- even if it's just an exhibition game. The NBA is 14-0 in this event, which is billed by NBA commissioner David Stern the "international club championship." "First and foremost is to stay focused and make sure we are not the first team to lose in the McDonald's Open," said Michael Jordan, wearing a black beret after Wednesday's practice at Paris' Bercy Sports Palace. "When you're in France, do as the French," he quipped. "Hopefully, jet-lag will not be a problem. Too much tourism and tourist things around the city could be. Nightlife hopefully isn't." Even NBA junkies might draw a blank on the other five clubs in the field, but they're all national or continental club champions in a world of slowly shrinking U.S. basketball dominance. In the 1990 McDonald's in Barcelona, the New York Knicks needed a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to force overtime and beat Italy's Scavoline Pesaro by four. Six years ago in Paris, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers squeezed by Spain's Joventut Badalona 116-114. It could happen this time in an event that dates back to 1987. The Bulls are 1-2 in the preseason and seem in turmoil with coach Phil Jackson saying he won't return next year, Rodman out with bronchitis and a case of pneumonia, and Pippen gone for three months after foot surgery. Security around the Bulls in Paris is heavy, due partly to the death here of Princess Diana almost seven weeks ago. The promotion-minded NBA has a tight schedule for the Bulls, from photos at the Eiffel Tower to department store appearances at Galeries LaFayette -- forcing quick trips across congested Paris traffic. Would a loss mean the Bulls were no longer world champions? Jordan bristled at the suggestion. "No one can take away what we accomplished last year," he said. "No one can take away the five championships that we have attained over the last seven years. People who say that certainly don't understand the game of basketball." "There is a certain expectation for us to come here and play well and win -- even though we are not 100 percent healthy. That is the challenge we face. I think we are capable of doing that, without a doubt." The Bulls have a bye in the first round. On Friday they play the winner of today's game between Paris-St. Germain and FC Barcelona. The title game is Saturday. Also on Thursday, the Italian team Benetton faces Atenas de Cordoba of Argentina, with the winner facing Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece. Each of the five clubs has a smattering of near, former or promising NBA talent. And the enormous incentive of recording a first. The Bulls will be watching Barcelona. They hold the NBA rights to Barcelona's 7-foot-1 Roberto Duenas. Barcelona also starts former NBA player Jerrod Mustaf. "I think if we go out and play our type of basketball, it doesn't matter who we play, whether European or American -- doesn't matter," Jordan said. This is Jordan's third time playing in Paris. Twice before he was on promotional tours for his sponsors, and the last time was 1990 before he shot to worldwide fame. He once went unnoticed in a Paris cafe. But not now. "I used to come every other year when I first got into the league and I used to sit out at some of the restaurants outdoors and not be bothered," Jordan said. "It's just hard for me to go anywhere now unnoticed."
nba.854 nba.news,
Bulls surrounded by tight security PARIS (Oct 16, 1997 - 18:10 EDT) --The barriers are up in front of the hotel. The guards prowl the halls with their earphones, checking anyone who looks out of place. It's not a visiting chief of state. It's the Chicago Bulls. Rather, it's Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. "The crowds that have been around have been the most I've seen since I've been involved in the NBA for the last 16 years," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said. The three-day McDonald's Championships has a six-team field, but there is only one team the Paris guards are interested in protecting. The security around the Chicago players is indeed tight. And at times rough-house tactics have been used to keep fans -- and sometimes accredited media -- from the players. "I think there is a certain sensitivity among the local security people we've hired here because of the events that occurred here," said McIntyre, referring to Princess Diana's death in Paris almost seven weeks ago. Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed and their driver were killed and their bodyguard was injured in the crash Aug. 31. Diana only had one bodyguard. Jordan has many. Jordan has escorts wherever he goes. He went out shopping for cigars Wednesday and had a van to himself -- and a van of security agents with him. Appearances at local stores and schools involving other players are strictly controlled. At an appearance at a McDonald's restaurant on the Champs Elysees, a security guard was reported to have kicked a cameraman. "Perhaps people are trying to do the job right and when the crowds merge, there is a lot of pushing and shoving," McIntyre said. "I have been even knocked to the ground twice." More than 1,000 photographers and reporters have been accredited, more than the finals of the NBA -- and 40 percent more than the 1991 McDonald's Championships in Paris six years ago when Magic Johnson and his Lakers were the featured entertainment.
nba.855 nba.news,
Another McDonalds in Paris; Another NBA team facing a French team PARIS (AP) The last time an NBA team played in a McDonald's tournament in Paris, the Los Angeles Lakers beat Limoges by 31 points behind the brilliance of Magic Johnson. This time, the Chicago Bulls with - or maybe without - Michael Jordan are playing another French team, Paris-St. Germain. The result might be closer this time. With Jordan's toe hurting and Dennis Rodman sick and Scottie Pippen recovering from surgery, the Bulls were vulnerable against PSG in the semifinals of the McDonald's championship. PSG reached today's semifinals by beating FC Barcelona 97-84 in Thursday's opening round. Argentina's Atenas de Cordoba defeated Italy's Benetton Treviso 87-78 to reach the semifinals against European champions Olympiakos of Greece. The Bulls had a bye in the first round. Considering the lack of practice Jordan has, maybe they needed it. Jordan missed the first day of practice in Paris with reports of a cold, although it turned out to be a toe injury. Then he missed half of Thursday's practice getting treatment on another toe. But Jordan downplayed his injury. "I don't think the toe is going to hurt the way I play," Jordan said. Bulls coach Phil Jackson thinks otherwise. "He had one toe bothering him and now the other toe is bothering him," Jackson said. "It hurts him and he can't jump. We have a big concern about it, but that's a minor problem. Hopefully by today), he'll be better." The NBA is 14-0 in seven previous McDonald's events, and Jackson doesn't want to be a coach of the first NBA team to lose in the tournament. Jackson knows the French might be ready to surprise the Bulls. "We have to respect (PSG) as a competitive team in this country," Jackson said. "They have some talented kids and some good old veterans." Richard Dacoury and Frederic Forte faced the Lakers in 1991 while playing for Limoges. Dacoury is 37 years old and doesn't start. But he provided a spark off the bench and scored eight points Thursday. Paris-St. Germain earned the right to meet the Bulls when it made a 15-1 run to go up 44-33 after trailing 32-29. Spaniard Alfonso Reyes led the scoring with 22 for the winners.
nba.856 nba.news,
Pitino returns to Rupp LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct 16, 1997 - 11:16 EDT) -- It was like old times for Rick Pitino in Rupp Arena, except that his team lost. Two minutes before player introductions Wednesday night, Pitino walked across the sideline to the home bench along with the University of Kentucky mascot. He got a standing ovation from the 15,010 fans. But this time, Pitino wasn't coach of the Wildcats as he was for the past eight seasons. He was the coach of the Boston Celtics. During the exhibition game against the New Jersey Nets, Pitino was the same as he always was at Kentucky, working the sidelines, giving encouragement to players and shouting plays. "It was very good to be back in Kentucky," he said after the Nets' 123-115 victory. "It was great for our players and coaching staff to be back here because it was our home for eight years. We wish we could have won, but it was great seeing old friends." Also playing for Pitino were former UK stars Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer and Chris Mills and Louisville standouts Greg Minor and Pervis Ellison. "Antoine is going to be tremendous, and Ron is going through the learning stages," Pitino said. "Pervis and Greg are doing fine, so all four guys are doing very well." In the locker room before the game, Pitino and assistant coach Jim O'Brien, who was with him at Kentucky, wrote down plays on the blackboard to review with the players. Another former UK assistant, Winston Bennett, was seated in a chair writing down notes. A few minutes later, former Kentucky player Travis Ford dropped by to speak with Pitino. Boston forward Andrew DeClercq, who played at Florida, recalled a victory over Kentucky while Ford was with the Wildcats. Pitino, looking at Ford, said, "I don't remember that" and they all laughed. Walker finished with 29 points, Mercer 14, Ellison seven and Minor six as the Celtics played an uptempo style that was Pitino's trademark at Kentucky. The loudest cheers for players during pregame introductions went to Walker and Mercer, who were teammates on Kentucky's 1996 national championship team. "It was real nice to get back to a place you know," Walker said. "I left on real good terms, and the fans have such a respect for us, being from UK. It was nice to see the appreciation and support." Mercer also enjoyed being back in Rupp Arena. "I felt comfortable today, more than in the other exhibition," he said. "It's obviously because we are on familiar ground. I needed this exhibition, after the others this year, and really enjoyed the atmosphere." Among those in the stands were Cameron Mills, Stephen Masiello, Jared Prickett and Jeff Sheppard, who played for Pitino at Kentucky. For Chris Mills, it was his first visit to Kentucky since his freshman year during the 1988-89 season. He left after being part of an NCAA investigation that put the school on a two-year ban from postseason play. "I don't think too much about that year," Mills said with a smile. But Mills said he is glad to have the opportunity to play for Pitino, who arrived at Kentucky the season after he left. "If I knew he was coming here, I might have stayed (at Kentucky)," he said. The players said Pitino's practices are demanding. "He's a hard worker," Mills said. "He's just trying to bring out the best in us. It's a lot more aggressive than what I was used to in Cleveland." Despite the third straight loss without a victory in the exhibition season, Pitino said the Celtics are making progress. "I've seen so much improvement from our first two games," he said. "They rotated properly on defense, and when they missed shots, they got back. I was very pleased tonight."
nba.857 nba.news,
Riley returns home for gym dedication SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (Oct 16, 1997 - 11:16 EDT) -- When Pat Riley looks back at his 15 years of NBA coaching, he can see the four NBA titles, the three Coach of the Year awards and the triumphs in Los Angeles, New York City and Miami. But on Wednesday he said it was the 2-foot high letters of his name, painted on the side of a gymnasium wall here in his hometown, that brought him the greatest pride. "Because it means something. It matters," Riley told 1,800 high school students gathered for the dedication. "People here believed that what I did meant something." Riley, known as much for his slicked-back hair and his Armani suits as for his coaching record, spoke to the students for more than an hour. He aimed to motivate, to encourage and to offer himself as a role model. "I'm not an authority on kids," he said. "The only thing I know anything about is being part of the team." And that team, he said, doesn't just have to be the Miami Heat. It's family, community and school. As the gym filled with the students, Riley met with the boys and girls basketball teams in a smaller room before the ceremony. Teen-agers gripped his hand and offered their names, their eyes shining. He was a celebrity. "You'll go down in history as one of the best ever," Kyle Clark told him. Clark, who is in a wheelchair and graduated from high school in 1996, has stayed with the boys' basketball team as an equipment manager since he started in 1991. Riley talked about going downtown as a teen-ager on Thursday nights. He recalled the movie theaters and drug stores of a Schenectady that doesn't exist any more, but refused to give up on the city where his 88-year-old mother still lives. "People tell me not to come downtown anymore because it's dangerous. Why?" he said. "It's all about attitude. What's worse than the people who are saying these bad things about Schenectady, what's worse are the people who are listening to them." Attitude took a commanding part of his talk. When he'd been cut from the NBA in 1970 and had nothing but $5,000 in debt and four plastic plants, he was glad to take a job with the Lakers as a practice player -- someone unlikely to see playing time. But it meant being a part the team, and he said he was glad. "My father was a coach. I've had 16 coaches in my life. I listened to them," Riley said. "That's all we are. We become products of our education, products of our environment." What his coaches taught him, he said, was how to be part of a team, how to put something in to life in order to get something out. How it takes sweat and discipline to achieve. How competition brings out both the worst and the best. Now, Riley said, he wants to give something to the other people who are part of his team -- his family, his basketball players and the kids of his hometown. "It's not just winning anymore. I've had an opportunity to win championships. So I know what that feels like," he said. His goal, he said, is "to see other people enjoy that."
nba.858 nba.news,
Shaq now a leader INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Oct 16, 1997 - 18:16 EDT) -- He led the Lakers in scoring, rebounds and blocks last season. Shaquille O'Neal now knows he must lead in other ways as well. "I've never been the type to call people out," he said. "I've been the type to lead by example. I was new to the program, I didn't want to step on anybody's toes. I'll probably have to be a little more vocal, which is fine. That's a job that they gave me to do. I accept that job." O'Neal is just 25, perhaps young for a team leader. But the Lakers are a young team -- 29-year-old Elden Campbell is their oldest player. And O'Neal, about to start his sixth NBA season and second with Los Angeles, is an imposing figure who clearly has the respect of his teammates. Last season, the Lakers had two veterans -- Byron Scott and Jerome Kersey -- who provided leadership, albeit as substitutes. But they're no longer around. "I like what I see, we're going to be fine," O'Neal said. "We just need to go out and play, do what we're capable of doing. If we can do that, we can go a long way. "I just have to stay out of trouble, play hard, make sure my guys play hard. The last time I played a full season, I made it to the (NBA) finals." That was during the 1994-95 season, when he led the league in scoring and the Orlando Magic reached the finals before being swept by the Houston Rockets. "I think if our key guys can stay in without missing 31 games (the number he missed last season), we'll be fine," O'Neal said. "We want to do enough during the regular season to have the home court advantage during the playoffs." That didn't happen last season, and no doubt the loss of O'Neal for two months with an injured left knee was a factor. "When I went down, we had the best record in the West," he recalled. O'Neal returned late in the season, but admitted this week his knee "was killing me" during the playoffs. The Utah Jazz beat the Lakers 4-1 in the second round en route to the finals, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls. Now O'Neal is looking forward to the start of a new season. The Lakers open against the defending Western Conference champion Jazz on Oct. 31 at the Forum. O'Neal said he spent a quiet summer, which hasn't always been the case. "I'm a father now, I just wanted to chill out, be a daddy," he said, referring to his 1-year-old daughter. "That's all I did this summer." Well, not quite. He spent the last couple of weeks traveling abroad. But before that, for the first time during a summer, he shot the basketball. Repeatedly. "Free throw line, around the baseline, stuff like that," he said. "I've always known how to shoot." Some might debate that, especially from the foul line, where O'Neal has his woes, although he did improve last spring after being sidelined with the knee injury. "You know what my problem was? I tried to listen to too many chefs," he said. "I'm not going to listen, I'm just going to shoot them. I figured it out, that's all it was. "The only thing different is I'm not listening to 800 people. I'm listening to me. I'm not listening to people like Rick Barry, who say I should shoot underhanded." So what percentage does O'Neal have in mind? "Eighty," he replied. What percentage does he believe he can make? "Eighty," he said. Would 70 percent be realistic. "Yeah," he said. "You'll see."
nba.859 nba.news,
Denver's Jackson jumps through hoops to make grade AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (Oct 16, 1997 - 08:34 EDT) -- If Bobby Jackson develops into an NBA star, one story from his rookie season is sure to be retold into the next century. Jackson was heading for the whirlpool after an especially difficult workout in rookie camp when trainer Jim Gillen approached him with a life jacket. Gillen told Jackson an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule required that he strap on a life jacket before entering the 3-foot-deep whirlpool. Without questioning the straight-faced trainer, Jackson buckled on the flotation device and tried to submerge himself in the tub. When assistant trainer Max Benton entered the room moments later, he took one look at the team's rookie point guard and doubled over in laughter. There was Jackson, pushing against the sides of the whirlpool, struggling to submerge his body in the water, while his life jacket did everything it could to keep him afloat.. "Max was dying laughing, and I said, 'What are you laughing at?"' Jackson said. "And he's laughing so hard, he sort of wheezes, 'What in the heck are you doing with that jacket on?'. "I'm going to get Jim," Jackson said. "You know, it wasn't really as bad as it sounds, because the water in a whirlpool isn't too deep." Jackson's past has allowed him to laugh at himself -- and at life's misfortunes. Long before he led the University of Minnesota to its first Final Four appearance last season, long before the Nuggets made him the No. 23 pick of last June's draft and long before he became Denver's starting point guard -- Jackson learned how unhumorous life can be. When he and his twin sister, Barbara Ann, were 2, his father threw a final glance at their mother, Sarah, and left forever. So Sarah, who worked long hours as a hotel manager in Salisbury, N.C., ran a tight ship with her children. When Bobby failed to perform up to her standards during junior high, Sarah called her son's principal and demanded the boy be held back a year until his schoolwork improved. "She meant business," Jackson remembers with a broad grin. "Had to be that way." And it was that way for most of Bobby's childhood. As he and Barbara Ann grew older, Sarah made them a deal: She would take care of the necessities (food, clothes, housing), but if they wanted any of the extravagances of the '80s, they had to get jobs to pay for it. That's all Jackson needed to hear, because in the summer of 1988, he had his eyes on a pair of shoes being marketed by a basketball star named Michael Jordan. "I needed a job and I could already swim, so I decided to become a lifeguard," Jackson remembers. "But to get the job, I had to pass a test first. So I went to the library, got a book and studied." He got the job, and a few weeks later, he cashed his first check and brought home a pair of the most wonderful "Jordans" he had seen. Jackson graduated from Salisbury High School in 1992 and enrolled at Western Nebraska Community College. While there, he met Georgann, and the couple had two children -- daughter Breann,. now 3, and son Kendrick, 1. Jackson now wears their names tattooed on his left biceps and right shoulder. Jackson's first year at Western Nebraska was tough because he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and had to redshirt. But he returned stronger the next two seasons, setting a school record for steals (156) and being selected a second-team All-American as a sophomore. Jackson's play at Western led to a scholarship to the University of Minnesota in 1995. Though the distance eventually led to an amicable end to his relationship with Georgann,. Jackson's basketball career blossomed. He played in 15 of 25 games in 1995-96, averaging 13.3 points and 2.7 assists. He burst onto the national scene in 1996-97, averaging 15.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals. He was selected second-team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region while leading the Gophers to their first Final Four appearance. Despite his success at Minnesota, Jackson kept focused on his children -- and a relationship that hadn't worked. He still had memories of his father, who, for all practical purposes, no longer existed, and of his mother, who had sacrificed any dreams she might have had to be there for her children. He told himself he would not allow that to happen to his family, that his children and his life were going to be different. "My relationship did not work with their mother. We never married. But they only live three hours away now, and whenever I have free time, I'm going up there or she's coming down to see me. I make a great effort to be a father to my kids. I don't want them to grow up like I grew up. I want to be a part of their life. I want them to know who their father is. I want them to call me when they need something." They are in good hands, given how Jackson has responded when the Nuggets have needed something. Entering training camp, Jackson was penciled in as the backup to veteran Anthony Goldwire. But after only one week, Jackson was moved into the starting lineup. "I'm trying to temper (Jackson's enthusiasm) because I really think he's good," coach Bill Hanzlik said. "Bobby just has to work on getting the ball in and making the easy plays. I keep trying to tell him, 'Don't try to make the play tough. Try and make it easy, throwing a little bounce pass. You don't always need a no-look, between-the-legs, over-the-shoulder, through-the- crowd, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson pass. Just think E-A-S-Y." A word such as easy can seem alien to a guy whose childhood was anything but. Of course, if Jackson ever feels as if things are dragging him down, someone in the Nuggets organization always will be around to throw him a life jacket.
nba.860 nba.news,
Brown, Coleman butting heads already in Philly PHILADELPHIA -- The Larry Brown coaching era in Philadelphia is only a few months old, and his 76ers are just tip-toeing through their first exhibition season with him. While everyone predicts Brown and Allen Iverson will eventually have problems -- Brown always seems to have his greatest battles with his point guards -- those problems haven't surfaced yet. Iverson, in fact, said he felt God has sent Brown to be his coach. We'll reserve comment on that for another time. The big contention right now, and this shouldn't come as a shock either, is between Brown and an unwilling power forward named Derrick Coleman. Coleman prepared for training camp by getting himself 15 pounds overweight and by not showing up for optional workouts or practices with his teammates. "What's new,'' Brown said. "He's played 68 games in two years. How many times has he practiced?'' If this doesn't seem a good way to begin a season, well, there doesn't seem to be any alternative. Coleman has refused to be a real part of the team and, to his credit, Brown has refused to pretend that everything is rosey. Coleman would like to be traded to a good team, but good teams apparently don't feel they need Derrick Coleman. For one thing, he's never been on a good team, and perhaps that's not a coincidence. Coleman plainly told Brown that the Sixers can't be winners and he doesn't want to be a part of a loser again. In his defense, it must be said Coleman tried hard for a couple of months last season before packing it in. He would work to get into position, only to see Iverson jack up a jumper from 40 feet. After that, he shrugged and gave up. Brown asked Coleman how good he thinks he is, and Coleman confessed that he's one of the two or three best players in the league. "If you're that good,'' Brown told Coleman, "any team you're on will be good.'' But Coleman doesn't see it that way. He also bristles when management says he was unable to be contacted this summer, furthering his image as a malcontent. "Everyone knows my telephone number,'' Coleman said. "I'm not ducking, dodging or hiding from anybody. If they wanted to talk to me, they knew how to get in touch with me. They definitely exaggerated.'' Exaggerated? "Well,'' Coleman said. "They told you a lie.'' Of course, Coleman told that little fib about being one of the best players in the league. Maybe they're even. Coleman is a very good player and he can make a big difference for any team. The shame is that he doesn't seem to take joy in using his abilities, or take shame in misusing them. Maybe in 10 years, when youth has deserted him -- when everything but desserts have deserted him -- he'll regret the missed opportunities, but I doubt it. "I don't even want to address the Coleman situation,'' Brown said finally. "We've made our position very clear. He's here, and he'd be wise to be ready to play basketball.'' Wise has never described Coleman, and patient has never usually been applied to Brown. So, mark this down as a bad coupling of coach and player. It doesn't seem likely the Sixers will find anyone to trade for Coleman. But before long, if Coleman is once again a bad influence in the locker room, Brown might have to find a way to keep him out of uniform. If the past is a guide, Coleman will give them some reason. And, no, it's not a great way to begin a season. But Coleman has accomplished one thing: No one's worried about Iverson and Brown any longer. That will probably change. For now, however, the point guard and the coach seem, as Iverson suggested, like a match made in heaven. The power forward and the coach? Well, you can figure it out.
nba.861 nba.news,
Sir Charles barks at teammates Something is troubling the Chuckster. Oh, sure, it could be his usual end-of-honeymoon reality check of whatever team he's on. But Sir Charles wasn't his usual carefree self the other day. He's trying to set the tone for his Rockets team -- a veteran bunch that takes its time getting ready for the annual bump and grind. To wit: Barkley thinks his guys are getting soft. He's calling it "the disease of success," which he thinks has struck most of the Rockets who won championships in '94 and '95. He won't name specific names, but people that know him say he's pointing the finger squarely at Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Tangential evidence: Barkley goes to pains to point out he's not talking about Eddie Johnsonn, who, like him, has yet to win an NBA title. And after Phoenix's Steve Nash dropped 35 big ones on the Rockets Wednesday night, Barkley went off. "You just have to play so hard," Barkley said. "I don't think this team understands that ... that was embarrassing. It was a layup drill; a fast-break drill. That's stuff that we talk about. We've got the best talkers talking. But we've go to address our getting back on defense. That team out there's not even the best team in the west ... right now, we've just got a long way to go. Or we're going to do like we did last year. We're going to win 55 games and lose in the playoffs." Barkley sees slippage in game preparation and in execution. Guys not showing up early for practice -- this from the Chuckster, whose life work has been dedicated to getting to arenas as close to the start of layup lines as possible! Houston has never reminded anyone of the lock-'em-up Pistons in terms of defense, but Houston looked really old against the coltish Suns. Most nights, the Rockets will outscore the opposition. But in the heat of May and June, defense wins. "Around here, it's always frustrating," Barkley continued. "Everybody's always afraid to say what's wrong. But we've just got to get better, man. I know we're going to make excuses and say it's the preseason. But the way they ran us out of the building, it's just embarrassing ... we're getting that reputation of a team that doesn't run back on defense, and teams can just outrun us. I know you guys won some championships, and that was great three or four years ago, but that ain't gonna work anymore. We've got to get in shape and run, and we've got to get back." That brings up the chicken-and-egg question with this team: How much is too much for the graybeards? No one wants to cut back on the Big Three's minutes, though Rudy Tomjanovich is giving them some practices off and not playing them too much in the preseason. Everyone knows, though, that when the light goes on, Rudy T will ride his Big Dogs like every other coach. Predictably, Olajuwon laughs Barkley off. "To me, with all these years of experience, you can't make a big issue out of nothing," the Dream says. "The key is to learn from this kind of game. We did not measure up conditioning-wise, where we are. We have to work harder in practice, day by day, and prepare for next time. As long as the team is focused and ready to go when it counts." You know Charles. You know Clyde. You know Hakeem. Three men with supreme talents. Three men with supreme egos. Probably just Charles blowing off a little steam. Everything's probably fine. Probably. Da kid wid all da loot: Here's what I know about Kevin Garnett: He waited 15 minutes for me in Detroit for our Sunday Conversation interview while I was waiting for Doug Collins to finish an hour and a half shootaround on the day of his first preseason game. For a guy who could literally buy the hotel with the money he's going to make from his contract extension starting next season, that was impressive. Sure, KG needed the forum to spin his version of a summer that ended with him inking a $126 million deal to stay in Minnesota through the start of the millennium. But he could just as easily have let his game and his wallet do the talking for him. Instead, he answered the questions, including one I had to ask -- how in the world he could say "it wasn't about the loot" at his news conference with a straight face. "I think Jordan said it the best," Garnett said. "You're in sports to, you know, get independent financially. I think as far as an athlete, you play so many years and you look back and you say 'what did I accomplish?' My thing is being comfortable in my surroundings, or whatever. I really didn't want to go off and try to meet guys, new teammates, feel this guy out, feel this guy out, even though it probably would have been astronomical as far as talent or whatever. "You know, my thing is I know Minnesota. I've been through the first year, blown out by 40, and the second year, blowing people out by 40. I'm coming into my third year. I wanted it to be one of those years that one and two add up to being something real strong, something real more confident. My thing was all about a comfort level. I really wasn't focused on anyplace else. You know, I really don't put money before basketball. I've been playing this before the money, before the lights, before you guys. So that's me." But Garnett can't pretend no one else will notice the money. There will be a line a mile long of people just waiting to say he doesn't deserve the money (a discussion of "worth" in our society has to wait for another column). Because, of course, no one will be able to live up to the deal. And there's the more pertinent question of how the Wolves can possibly re-sign Tom Gugliotta and Stephon Marbury. Garnett claimed his deal allows the Wolves enough flexibility to keep their core together. We'll see. He was more philosophical about how he'll deal with the critics. "You're always going to have somebody in the crowd, or a couple of people to say whatever they have to say," Garnett said. "That's people, that's America, that's how the globe goes around. But people are people. They're going to say what they want. You know, I'm not God; I'm not Superman. I know you're going to have some tough nights. The best of the best have them. So I just always put that in my head, that everything's not going to go my way every night, everything's not going to go Minnesota's way. I understand that. I understand people are going to say whatever they're going to say. So I can never be mad about another person's opinion." It still concerns me that high schoolers will see how Garnett got paid (and, soon to follow, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal and Tracy McGrady) and think it a no-brainer to avoid college altogether for their shot at the pros. Garnett fell back on his standard "do what's right for you" answer, which is probably what you'd have to do in his shoes. But it bugs me nonetheless. Still, that's my problem, not his. His life has gotten more complicated -- but more better. He has to be a role model and an ambassador and a hundred other things now because of his contract. He says the money won't change him. He has no idea how much it will change him, if no other reason than because it will change so many around him. "I think of myself as Kevin," he said. "I have a lovely little sister that I try to guide the right way, so I've always been one of those kind of people that if I have advice and you want to hear it, I'll give it to you. I'm a hardworking person and I always thought that pays off for something, for being the so-called natural leader. So I don't look at it as being the ambassador or whatever. People are going to put you in shoes that they think you can fulfill. I always thought that the own expectations of yourself should always overcome everybody else's expectations. You know yourself better than anyone in this world." Around the NBA Doug Collins can't understand why everyone asks him if he plans to pull back this season, if he plans to be a little less demanding of his Pistons. "Does Pat Riley pull back?," he asked. "I guess I wonder why that question is always asked of me." This is why: Collins played Lindsey Hunter 35 minutes in the first preseason game last Friday, putting both Hunter and Grant Hill back in the game in the fourth quarter. And Hunter then went down in a heap with a minute left to play after driving the lane. This, after that hour and a half shootaround and before this week's two-a-day practices. The Heat wasn't thrilled that Terry Mills was 30 pounds overweight upon reporting to camp. He wasn't able to do much this summer while rehabbing from knee surgery. But he's lost a lot of the weight and is back practicing. And the Hots were encouraged when Mills made 78 of 100 three-point attempts last week -- behind the new/old line, one short of Keith Askins' team mark. Jeff Van Gundy is getting worried about Allan Houston's return from offseason wrist surgery. Houston's scored 20 points in each of the Knicks' first two preseason games, but he doesn't yet have three-point capability. "He still doesn't have 100 percent range of motion," Van says. "He's an 18-foot shooter right now. He doesn't feel at all confident right now shooting the three. In the first two games he was a medium-range shooter. They keep saying he's going to be 100 percent by October 31st but I'm beginning not to think so." So, the Knicks are looking for a 2/3 with range. The Celtics have struggled out of the gate, but Rick Pitino isn't fazed. "I don't think you'll see the Celtics with as little talent as they have now," he said. "Right now, I see a team that just doesn't get it. They just don't understand some of the things we're trying to do." The Suns are toying with the idea of playing Danny Manning with four guards at times this season, with Manning manning point forward duties. "We can go big, we can go small, or we can go super-small," said Kevin Johnson, envisioning Jason Kidd, himself, Rex Chapman and Cedric Ceballos on the floor with Manning. Danny Ainge is already looking at different combinations: The 6-4 Kidd checked 6-9 Shareef Abdur-Rahim at times last week. And Kidd Stuff made no secret of who he'd like to see the Suns go after next spring to complement Antonio McDyess: "Scottie Pippen would be a great addition for us," he said.
nba.862 nba.news,
Stranger in Paris Michael Jordan is enjoying his team's low-key presence in Paris this week. "I could get used to this," joked Jordan, his son Jeffery by his side, as he checked into the team hotel unnoticed. "Maybe this is where I should retire." The Chicago Bulls have spent nearly $1 million to fly to Paris to participate in a three-day tournament called the McDonald's Championship. The Bulls have received a rather lukewarm reception from the French, says the Chicago Tribune. One reporter asked the doorman at the Ritz hotel what he thought of the NBA's top team. "We are not a hotel for that sort of person," said the doorman. "I do not know this Jordan and the Bulls." A security person at an information booth downtown said he's never heard of the Bulls. "Why should I know them?" he said. "They are not French, oui?" Then, when the Bulls got off their team bus before checking into their hotel, only a small crowd of 20 fans greeted the team. "So who do you like most, Michael Jordan?" a TV reporter asked one of the people. "We just came because we saw a lot of people," replied the teen. Motivation factor New Jersey Nets guard Kendall Gill can't wait to face the Rick Pitino-led Boston Celtics this season. "I love playing against guys who think they invented the game of basketball," Gill quipped. "I just want to go down there and whip butt." Pssst ... Word had it the NBA and Michael Jordan's agent David Falk have begun talks to discuss how to handle Jordan's farewell tour should he retire this season, says the New York Daily News.
nba.863 gligo, -> #841, nba.news
> WALLACE 21 3-6 5-6 0 3 3 1 > 2 0 3 11 > BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 2, BLAYLOCK, HENDERSON, > STEIGENGA, BROWN. TORONTO - CAMBY 3, WALLACE 2, TABAK, > MCGRADY, W WILLIAMS, ROGERS. ^^^^^^^^^ Ako je to mali sa Syracuse-a.... Secam ga se kad je postavljao rekorde za koledz, sila od igraca... A i uopste mi nije jasan taj trejd New York-a i Toronta. Sta ce im onaj Dudley? Imaju ona dva metuzalema Williams-a i nek' im oni igraju.
nba.864 vpoznanovic,
1997 NBA Preseason Friday, October 17 Atlanta at Detroit 99:105 L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers 116:85 Miami at Orlando 84:97 Milwaukee at Minnesota 99:94 Phoenix at Dallas 86:99 Sacramento at Portland 94:74 Utah at Indiana 80:89 Washington at Denver 112:107 NBA AT KNOXVILLE TN FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- ATLANTA 20 23 31 25 99 DETROIT 30 24 28 23 105 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: ATL - STEVE SMITH 15, THREE PLAYERS WITH 14 DET - MALIK SEALY 22, GRANT HILL 17, LINDSEY HUNTER 14 HIGH REBOUND: ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 8, ANTHONY MILLER 8 DET - DON REID 5, THREE PLAYERS WITH 4 HIGH ASSISTS: ATL - STEVE SMITH 5, ELDRIDGE RECASNER 4 DET - BRIAN WILLIAMS 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4 ATT: 6,348 NBA AT ST LOUIS MO FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- LA LAKERS 25 23 43 25 116 LA CLIPPERS 20 14 18 33 85 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 28, RICK FOX 15, EDDIE JONES 11 LAC - KEITH CLOSS JR 14, LAMOND MURRAY 13, LORENZEN WRIGHT 11 HIGH REBOUND: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 10, CORIE BLOUNT 7 LAC - LORENZEN WRIGHT 7, LAMOND MURRAY 6 HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - NICK VAN EXEL 5, DEREK FISHER 5 LAC - DARRICK MARTIN 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 ATT: 17,398 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MIAMI 14 23 26 21 84 ORLANDO 32 20 21 24 97 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 23, ISAAC AUSTIN 12, VOSHON LENARD 10 ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 19, RONY SEIKALY 16, DEREK STRONG 12 HIGH REBOUND: MIA - ISAAC AUSTIN 9, BEN DAVIS 7 ORL - HORACE GRANT 8, CHARLES OUTLAW 7 HIGH ASSISTS: MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 ORL - DEREK HARPER 8, ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 5 ATT: 16,630 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MILWAUKEE 27 19 32 21 99 MINNESOTA 21 27 24 22 94 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: MIL - GLENN ROBINSON 19, THREE PLAYERS WITH 14 MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 23, KEVIN GARNETT 18, STEPHON MARBURY 14 HIGH REBOUND: MIL - TYRONE HILL 7, ARMON GILLIAM 5 MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 10, KEVIN GARNETT 8 HIGH ASSISTS: MIL - TERRELL BRANDON 6, RAY ALLEN 6 MIN - STEPHON MARBURY 9, TOM GUGLIOTTA 3 ATT: 13,772 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PHOENIX 28 22 23 13 86 DALLAS 21 30 19 29 99 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: PHO - JASON KIDD 19, REX CHAPMAN 15, STEVE NASH 13 DAL - MICHAEL FINLEY 21, ROBERT PACK 19, HUBERT DAVIS 19 HIGH REBOUND: PHO - TOM CHAMBERS 10, CLIFF ROBINSON 10 DAL - AC GREEN 17, MICHAEL FINLEY 7 HIGH ASSISTS: PHO - STEVE NASH 5, JASON KIDD 4 DAL - ROBERT PACK 7, HUBERT DAVIS 7 ATT: 11,011 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- SACRAMENTO 20 26 16 32 94 PORTLAND 26 18 15 15 74 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: SAC - MITCH RICHMOND 20, BILLY OWENS 16, LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 10 POR - ISAIAH RIDER 17, RASHEED WALLACE 15, JERMAINE ONEAL 11 HIGH REBOUND: SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 13, LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 7 POR - JERMAINE ONEAL 9, THREE PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 4, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3 POR - JOHN CROTTY 8, ISAIAH RIDER 2 ATT: 19,103 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- UTAH 19 19 19 23 80 INDIANA 17 16 32 24 89 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: UTH - KARL MALONE 18, JACQUE VAUGHN 15, ADAM KEEFE 11 IND - DALE DAVIS 16, REGGIE MILLER 13, CHRIS MULLIN 12 HIGH REBOUND: UTH - THREE PLAYERS WITH 7 IND - DALE DAVIS 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: UTH - HOWARD EISLEY 5, JEFF HORNACEK 4 IND - MARK JACKSON 7, REGGIE MILLER 4 ATT: 12,975 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- WASHINGTON 21 22 40 29 112 DENVER 29 26 27 25 107 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: WAS - TRACY MURRAY 27, CALBERT CHEANEY 25, CHRIS WEBBER 23 DEN - ERIC WILLIAMS 18, DANNY FORTSON 18, ANTHONY GOLDWIRE 13 HIGH REBOUND: WAS - CHRIS WEBBER 10, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5 DEN - DANNY FORTSON 11, DEAN GARRETT 10 HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - CHRIS WHITNEY 8, CHRIS WEBBER 7 DEN - BOBBY JACKSON 6, DANNY FORTSON 4 ATT: 5,117 Sunday, October 19 Toronto vs. New York at Hartford, Conn., 6:00 p.m. Minnesota vs. Charlotte at Roanoke, Va., 7:30 p.m. Houston vs. Phoenix at Tucson, Ariz., 8:30 p.m.
nba.865 nba.news,
ATLANTA (99) AT DETROIT (105) ATLANTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === LAETTNER F 24 3-9 2-2 1 0 1 0 5 0 0 8 CORBIN F 14 4-5 0-0 1 2 3 1 4 3 1 8 MUTOMBO C 24 3-3 7-8 4 4 8 0 3 0 0 13 BLAYLOCK G 28 3-7 0-2 0 4 4 2 2 0 3 7 SMITH G 21 3-13 9-9 2 1 3 5 4 0 4 15 MILLER 21 1-3 0-0 4 4 8 1 4 1 2 2 BROWN 25 7-8 0-0 0 5 5 0 2 0 0 14 CRAWFORD 26 4-8 6-6 3 1 4 0 2 0 1 14 ANDERSON 12 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 3 0 GRAY 20 5-14 3-4 2 1 3 1 2 1 3 14 RECASNER 20 1-6 2-2 0 1 1 4 4 0 0 4 WHITESIDE 5 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 0 2 0 TOTALS 240 34-78 29-33 17 27 44 17 33 5 19 99 (.436) (.879) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 19(22 PTS) DETROIT REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === G LONG F 24 1-4 1-2 1 1 2 1 3 0 0 3 HILL F 28 4-9 9-13 0 4 4 4 2 3 3 17 B WILLIAMS C 31 5-15 2-2 1 3 4 6 4 0 2 12 HUNTER G 31 6-9 2-2 0 2 2 2 3 3 2 14 DUMARS G 24 4-5 0-2 0 3 3 1 1 1 1 11 MAHORN 13 2-2 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 0 2 6 MCKIE 17 3-6 2-5 0 3 3 4 2 0 0 8 SEALY 28 9-13 4-5 3 1 4 2 4 1 2 22 RATLIFF 12 1-3 1-2 1 1 2 0 3 0 2 3 REID 12 0-2 0-0 2 3 5 1 5 0 0 0 J WILLIAMS 11 2-2 1-2 2 1 3 1 1 2 0 5 OBANNON 6 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 POLLARD 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 TOTALS 240 39-74 24-37 10 24 34 24 31 11 15 105 (.527) (.649) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 15(14 PTS) ATLANTA 20 23 31 25 - 99 DETROIT 30 24 28 23 - 105 BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - MUTOMBO, SMITH, BLAYLOCK, GRAY. DETROIT - G LONG. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 2-12 (.167), LAETTNER 0-1, BLAYLOCK 1-3, SMITH 0-2, GRAY 1-3, RECASNER 0-2, WHITESIDE 0-1. DETROIT 3-5 (.600), DUMARS 3-4, OBANNON 0-1. TECHNICALS: ATLANTA - LAETTNER 2 (EJECTED). OFFICIALS: JIM KINSEY, TERRY DURHAM, MONTY MCCUTCHEN. A - 6,348. T - 2:45. ATLANTA (99) AT DETROIT (105) Theo Ratliff scored 22 points off the bench and Grant Hill added 17 as the Detroit Pistons handed the Atlanta Hawks their first preseason loss, 105-99, at Knoxville, Tennessee. Ratliff was 9-for-13 from the field for the Pistons (3-1), who shot 52.7 percent (39-for-74) and held Atlanta to 43.6 percent (34-for-78). Hill had 12 points in the first quarter, helping the Pistons open a 30-20 lead. Lindsey Hunter scored all but two of his 14 points in the first half as Detroit extended its last to 54-43 at halftime. Off-season acquisition Brian Williams had 12 points and six assists and Joe Dumars contributed 11 points, including three three-pointers, for the Pistons. Atlanta's Steve Smith hit just 3-of-13 field-goal attempts but was 9-for-9 from the foul line and finished with 15 points. Chucky Brown and rookies Chris Crawford and Ed Gray each had 14 points for the Hawks (4-1).
nba.866 nba.news,
LA LAKERS (116) AT LA CLIPPERS (85) LA LAKERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HORRY F 19 4-5 0-0 2 2 4 1 3 1 1 8 FOX F 24 7-9 0-1 1 5 6 1 4 2 0 15 ONEAL C 29 9-14 10-14 1 9 10 2 3 0 2 28 JONES G 25 3-9 2-3 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 11 VAN EXEL G 23 1-6 6-7 1 1 2 5 0 2 0 8 BARRY 21 2-6 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 4 BENNETT 13 3-5 0-0 1 4 5 0 1 0 0 6 BLOUNT 15 2-5 3-4 5 2 7 1 4 1 1 7 FISHER 17 2-3 4-4 0 1 1 5 0 1 0 8 FORREST 7 1-2 1-4 1 4 5 0 1 0 1 3 ROOKS 13 2-4 3-6 0 1 1 1 3 0 2 7 SEALS 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 WHEAT 8 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 BRYANT 24 2-5 4-6 1 3 4 3 1 1 2 9 TOTALS 240 39-76 33-49 15 36 51 22 21 9 12 116 (.513) (.673) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 12(0 PTS) LA CLIPPERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ROGERS F 23 2-6 2-5 1 0 1 3 4 0 1 6 WRIGHT F 27 5-10 1-1 2 5 7 0 2 0 1 11 VRANKOVIC C 16 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 2 4 1 3 2 MARTIN G 26 2-7 0-1 1 0 1 4 4 1 2 5 BARRY G 26 3-9 1-1 0 5 5 3 1 0 2 8 CLOSS 23 6-9 2-4 0 4 4 0 3 0 2 14 COLLINS 5 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 GARRIS 4 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 HUFFMAN 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 MANNING 7 2-4 1-4 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 5 MCCRAY 3 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 MURRAY 20 3-10 7-8 1 5 6 0 3 0 2 13 PIATKOWSKI 17 1-7 0-0 2 0 2 2 1 0 0 2 RICHARDSON 18 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 TAYLOR 21 3-10 7-8 0 4 4 1 4 1 2 13 TOTALS 240 31-80 21-32 10 29 39 18 31 8 17 85 (.388) (.656) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 17(0 PTS) LA LAKERS 25 23 43 25 - 116 LA CLIPPERS 20 14 18 33 - 85 BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - BLOUNT, JONES, ONEAL, ROOKS. LA CLIPPERS - WRIGHT 2, CLOSS. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 5-17 (.294), HORRY 0-1, FOX 1-1, JONES 3-4, VAN EXEL 0-3, BARRY 0-3, SEALS 0-1, WHEAT 0-1, BRYANT 1-3. LA CLIPPERS 2-15 (.133), ROGERS 0-3, MARTIN 1-3, BARRY 1-3, COLLINS 0-1, MURRAY 0-2, PIATKOWSKI 0-3. TECHNICALS: LA LAKERS - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2, BARRY, LA CLIPPERS - MARTIN, MURRAY. OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, LUIS GRILLO, BENNIE ADAMS. A - 17,398. T - 0:00. LA LAKERS (116) AT LA CLIPPERS (85) Shaquille O'Neal scored 15 of his 26 points in the decisive third quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers trounced the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-85, at St. Louis. The Lakers (2-1) built a 48-34 lead at halftime before taking command in the third, outscoring the Clippers by 25 points to open a 91-52 advantage entering the final period. The Lakers outscored their crosstown rivals, 66-32, over the second and third quarters. Rookie Keith Closs scored 15 points for the Clippers (1-4), who suffered their fourth straight loss following an win over the Vancouver Grizzlies.
nba.867 nba.news,
MIAMI (84) AT ORLANDO (97) MIAMI REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MASHBURN F 29 2-9 2-3 0 4 4 3 2 0 3 6 BROWN F 16 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 AUSTIN C 26 5-8 2-2 2 7 9 1 4 2 1 12 LENARD G 29 3-9 2-2 3 0 3 2 2 0 0 10 HARDAWAY G 32 8-19 4-4 0 4 4 4 3 0 4 23 STRICKLAND 27 1-6 2-2 2 4 6 1 2 1 0 4 DAY 16 1-5 0-0 0 1 1 0 4 1 3 2 CAUSWELL 12 0-0 0-2 1 4 5 0 4 0 1 0 MURDOCK 25 3-7 1-2 3 0 3 3 3 3 4 7 DAVIS 9 3-6 0-0 4 3 7 1 3 0 0 6 SMITH 7 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 HUCKABY 6 1-3 2-2 0 2 2 2 0 1 1 4 DOBBINS 6 4-4 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 8 TOTALS 240 32-81 15-19 16 31 47 18 33 8 18 84 (.395) (.789) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 19(26 PTS) ORLANDO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ANDERSON F 27 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 0 1 2 GRANT F 19 3-4 1-2 1 7 8 1 4 1 1 7 SEIKALY C 23 6-9 4-6 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 16 A HARDAWAY G 26 6-10 7-9 1 4 5 5 0 4 2 19 D HARPER G 26 3-9 0-0 1 1 2 8 1 1 0 7 EVANS 15 3-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 6 STRONG 21 4-7 4-6 1 4 5 1 2 0 0 12 ARMSTRONG 19 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 4 3 1 1 0 OUTLAW 23 2-5 4-7 4 3 7 1 3 4 0 8 WILKINS 22 4-14 2-6 2 1 3 2 0 1 1 10 KEMPTON 4 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 TAYLOR 6 2-3 0-2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 BRUNSON 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 VAUGHN 3 1-1 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 LAWSON 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 37-77 22-40 11 24 35 25 20 13 10 97 (.481) (.550) TEAM REBS: 21 TOTAL TO: 10(7 PTS) MIAMI 14 23 26 21 - 84 ORLANDO 32 20 21 24 - 97 BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - AUSTIN, STRICKLAND, CAUSWELL. ORLANDO - ANDERSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 5-22 (.227), MASHBURN 0-4, LENARD 2-6, HARDAWAY 3-8, DAY 0-2, MURDOCK 0-1, HUCKABY 0-1. ORLANDO 1-6 (.167), ANDERSON 0-1, A HARDAWAY 0-1, D HARPER 1-3, ARMSTRONG 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: HUGH EVANS, LEON WOOD, TOM WASHINGTON. A - 16,630. T - 2:18. MIAMI (84) AT ORLANDO (97) Anfernee Hardaway scored 12 of his 19 points in the first quarter as the Orlando Magic raced to an 18-point lead en route to their first victory of the preseason, 97-84 over the Miami Heat. Hardaway got the Magic (1-3) off to fast start, collecting six points as Orlando scored the first 12 before opening a 32-14 lead after the opening quarter. The Magic continued to pour it on in the second period, extending their lead to 25 points before the Heat cut the deficit to 52-37 at halftime. Rony Seikaly added 16 points and Charles Outlaw contributed eight points and seven rebounds off the bench for Orlando. Tim Hardaway scored 23 points and Isaac Austin added 12 for the Heat (2-1), who got as close as seven late in the third quarter before Orlando pulled away with a 22-12 burst.
nba.868 nba.news,
MILWAUKEE (99) AT MINNESOTA (94) MILWAUKEE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 27 6-9 2-3 3 4 7 1 3 4 3 14 ROBINSON F 31 6-16 7-8 1 1 2 0 3 1 1 19 JOHNSON C 27 4-5 1-2 0 2 2 0 5 1 3 9 ALLEN G 28 6-10 0-2 0 4 4 6 6 2 0 14 BRANDON G 29 6-11 2-2 2 2 4 6 3 1 2 14 BREAUX 17 3-8 5-8 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 11 CURRY 20 4-5 2-2 0 2 2 1 4 1 1 10 FEICK 16 0-2 0-0 2 2 4 1 5 0 1 0 GILLIAM 26 2-8 0-0 0 5 5 0 5 0 1 4 PERRY 19 1-2 2-2 1 0 1 2 2 1 3 4 TOTALS 240 38-76 21-29 9 22 31 20 36 13 16 99 (.500) (.724) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 16(0 PTS) MINNESOTA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GUGLIOTTA F 33 7-16 9-12 0 10 10 3 4 0 6 23 K GARNETT F 38 6-11 6-9 1 7 8 1 3 0 1 18 PARKS C 21 2-2 1-2 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 5 CARR G 23 2-6 3-4 3 0 3 0 3 0 2 7 MARBURY G 31 2-12 10-12 1 3 4 9 2 3 7 14 JORDAN 11 2-5 2-3 2 2 4 0 3 1 1 6 MITCHELL 30 3-6 3-4 0 5 5 1 4 0 1 9 PORTER 9 1-1 0-0 1 2 3 1 0 1 2 2 ROZIER 26 1-2 1-4 1 2 3 0 3 0 1 3 WILLIAMS 18 1-5 5-6 0 0 0 2 3 3 1 7 TOTALS 240 27-66 40-56 10 31 41 18 28 8 22 94 (.409) (.714) TEAM REBS: 16 TOTAL TO: 22(0 PTS) MILWAUKEE 27 19 32 21 - 99 MINNESOTA 21 27 24 22 - 94 BLOCKED SHOTS: MILWAUKEE - JOHNSON 3, FEICK, BRANDON. MINNESOTA - ROZIER 4, PARKS, K GARNETT. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MILWAUKEE 2-7 (.286), ALLEN 2-3, BRANDON 0-1, BREAUX 0-3. MINNESOTA 0-3 (.000), GUGLIOTTA 0-1, MARBURY 0-2. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: JIM CLARK, DAVID JONES, GARY BENSON. A - 13,772. T - 0:00. MILWAUKEE (99) AT MINNESOTA (94) Glenn Robinson scored 19 points and recently acquired Tyrone Hill and Terrell Brandon fueled a decisive third-quarter spurt as the unbeaten Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-94. Hill and Brandon -- acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the three-way trade that sent Shawn Kemp to Cleveland and Vin Baker to Seattle -- scored four points apiece to make up an 8-0 burst that turned a six-point lead into a 69-55 advantage with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Hill and Ray Allen each finished with 14 points for Milwaukee (3-0). Brandon had 12 points, eight in the third quarter. Tom Gugliotta scored 23 points and Kevin Garnett added 18 for Minnesota (1-3). Stephon Marbury chipped in with 14.
nba.869 nba.news,
PHOENIX (86) AT DALLAS (99) PHOENIX REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === NASH F 39 5-12 2-2 1 4 5 5 2 1 5 13 ROBINSON F 30 2-6 2-4 2 8 10 2 3 0 0 6 LLAMAS C 24 3-5 6-6 0 4 4 0 5 1 1 12 CHAPMAN G 37 4-9 6-8 0 4 4 2 0 0 2 15 KIDD G 29 8-21 2-2 3 5 8 4 3 1 2 19 CHAMBERS 23 4-10 0-0 6 4 10 2 2 0 5 8 BRYANT 17 2-6 2-2 2 3 5 0 2 1 1 6 DIRDEN 15 0-2 0-0 2 0 2 1 1 0 4 0 MILLARD 25 1-4 5-8 2 4 6 0 5 0 1 7 JACKSON 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 29-76 25-32 18 36 54 16 24 4 22 86 (.382) (.781) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 22(33 PTS) DALLAS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === FINLEY F 44 8-20 3-5 2 5 7 5 3 4 1 21 GREEN F 40 2-5 2-6 3 14 17 2 4 2 0 6 BRADLEY C 19 6-11 1-3 1 2 3 1 4 0 3 13 REEVES G 19 3-5 1-1 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 7 PACK G 38 8-16 3-4 1 3 4 7 3 0 3 19 CUSTIS 8 1-1 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 0 1 2 DAVIS 32 8-11 2-3 0 0 0 7 2 1 0 19 WELLS 9 3-6 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 STRONG 8 0-3 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 MACKEY 4 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 2 WHITTED 12 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 OLLIE 7 1-3 2-2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 TOTALS 240 41-85 14-24 8 30 38 24 24 9 12 99 (.482) (.583) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 12(15 PTS) PHOENIX 28 22 23 13 - 86 DALLAS 21 30 19 29 - 99 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX - ROBINSON 3, CHAMBERS 2, LLAMAS, KIDD. DALLAS - FINLEY, BRADLEY, REEVES, MACKEY. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 3-13 (.231), NASH 1-3, CHAPMAN 1-3, KIDD 1-3, DIRDEN 0-2, MILLARD 0-1, JACKSON 0-1. DALLAS 3-4 (.750), FINLEY 2-2, REEVES 0-1, DAVIS 1-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: DAN CRAWFORD, ED MIDDLETON, RASHAN MICHEL. A - 11,011. T - 2:22. PHOENIX (86) AT DALLAS (99) Michael Finley scored 21 points and A.C. Green pulled down 17 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks won their first game of the preseason, defeating the Phoenix Suns, 99-86. Robert Pack and Hubert Davis each added 19 points and seven assists for Dallas (1-3). Davis scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, when he was 6-of-7 from the field. Dallas closed the last 2:50 of the third quarter on a 12-2 run, cutting a 71-58 deficit to 73-70. Davis later made the first of three consecutive jumpers with 7:25 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Mavericks the lead for good, 80-79. Jason Kidd scored 19 points to lead Phoenix (3-1). Rex Chapman and Clifford Robinson each had 10 rebounds for the Suns, with Chapman adding 15 points. The Suns outrebounded the Mavericks, 54-38. The Mavericks lost two players with injuries. Rookie forward Ace Custis went down with a sprained right knee in the second quarter and is scheduled to have an MRI on Saturday. Pack broke the ring finger on his right hand in the second half and will have surgery to repair the injury next week. He's expected to miss a minimum of four weeks. Dallas also lost center Shawn Bradley in the third quarter when he was called for his second flagrant elbow of the game.
nba.870 nba.news,
SACRAMENTO (94) AT PORTLAND (74) SACRAMENTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === OWENS F 33 6-10 4-6 1 5 6 2 4 2 4 16 SMITH F 22 3-5 2-2 2 2 4 2 3 3 2 8 POLYNICE C 29 4-7 0-4 4 9 13 4 3 0 1 8 DEHERE G 20 1-3 0-0 0 4 4 1 3 0 4 2 ABDUL-RAUF G 19 3-7 2-2 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 8 FUNDERBURKE 31 4-9 2-3 2 5 7 2 1 1 0 10 RICHMOND 30 7-17 5-6 0 3 3 2 1 1 3 20 HURLEY 9 2-3 1-2 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 6 STEWART 17 1-2 0-0 1 4 5 1 6 0 3 2 JOHNSON 17 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 5 GRIMM 11 3-5 0-0 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 7 SALVADORI 2 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 37-74 16-25 13 34 47 23 27 7 18 94 (.500) (.640) TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 21(17 PTS) PORTLAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === AUGMON F 30 2-8 1-3 1 5 6 1 4 0 1 5 WALLACE F 32 7-16 1-2 1 1 2 0 2 4 2 15 SABONIS C 10 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 3 0 0 0 RIDER G 36 7-18 2-4 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 17 CROTTY G 33 1-6 3-4 0 3 3 8 3 1 3 5 ONEAL 22 3-8 5-6 6 3 9 1 1 0 3 11 CATO 28 3-7 4-4 2 4 6 0 3 2 1 10 GRANT 23 3-7 1-2 3 3 6 0 2 2 2 7 WILLIAMS 15 1-5 0-4 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 HIGGINS 11 0-3 2-2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 27-78 19-31 15 22 37 12 20 9 13 74 (.346) (.613) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 13(14 PTS) SACRAMENTO 20 26 16 32 - 94 PORTLAND 26 18 15 15 - 74 BLOCKED SHOTS: SACRAMENTO - FUNDERBURKE 3, POLYNICE, OWENS, STEWART. PORTLAND - AUGMON, CROTTY, ONEAL, CATO, GRANT. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SACRAMENTO 4-12 (.333), OWENS 0-1, ABDUL-RAUF 0-1, RICHMOND 1-6, HURLEY 1-1, JOHNSON 1-1, GRIMM 1-2. PORTLAND 1-9 (.111), WALLACE 0-2, RIDER 1-5, CROTTY 0-1, ONEAL 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: STEVE JAVIE, RON OLESIAK, DEREK RICHARDSON. A - 19,103. T - 2:09. SACRAMENTO (94) AT PORTLAND (74) Mitch Richmond scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings pulled away for a 94-74 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kings (2-2) held a 62-59 lead after three quarters but opened the fourth with a 6-0 spurt, sparked by Richmond's three-point play. A layup by Rasheed Wallace started a string of six straight points for the Blazers, who pulled within 76-70 with less than four minutes to go. But three-pointers by rookies Derek Grimm and Anthony Johnson sandwiched around a three-pointer by Richmond as the Kings built the lead to 85-70 with 1:58 remaining. Portland's Jermaine O'Neal hit a layup but Richmond responded with another three-pointer. Wallace scored 10 of his 15 points in the first quarter as Portland took a 26-20 lead. But Billy Owens scored all 16 of his points in the first half, helping the Kings to a 46-44 halftime edge. Isaiah Rider led the Blazers (3-2) with 17 points and former King Brian Grant, a free-agent acquistion, had just seven points and five rebounds in 19 minutes.
nba.871 nba.news,
UTAH (80) AT INDIANA (89) UTAH REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === RUSSELL F 24 0-5 1-2 2 0 2 1 3 0 0 1 MALONE F 25 8-14 2-5 0 7 7 1 3 1 3 18 OSTERTAG C 17 1-2 0-2 2 2 4 2 1 1 1 2 HORNACEK G 24 4-9 2-2 0 2 2 4 2 0 1 10 EISLEY G 26 2-6 3-4 1 1 2 5 3 1 5 7 ANDERSON 17 0-3 0-0 1 2 3 1 3 0 1 0 FOSTER 22 2-6 2-2 1 6 7 2 2 0 0 6 KEEFE 24 4-7 3-6 1 6 7 1 4 3 2 11 CARR 21 4-6 2-3 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 10 VAUGHN 22 6-10 3-3 1 4 5 3 4 2 4 15 ERDMANN 7 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 DREILING 11 0-2 0-2 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 31-72 18-31 11 33 44 22 27 9 17 80 (.431) (.581) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 17(18 PTS) INDIANA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MULLIN F 20 5-6 2-2 0 3 3 2 2 2 0 12 A DAVIS F 18 0-1 0-0 1 5 6 1 6 0 3 0 SMITS C 28 2-10 5-8 1 5 6 0 4 1 1 9 MILLER G 24 5-10 3-4 0 1 1 4 2 0 1 13 BEST G 26 2-9 2-2 0 4 4 3 1 2 1 6 D DAVIS 30 7-12 2-3 3 6 9 3 3 0 2 16 WEST 14 0-2 3-4 1 0 1 0 4 0 1 3 JACKSON 22 1-3 3-4 1 2 3 7 1 1 0 5 ROSE 27 3-12 2-2 0 1 1 1 4 1 2 8 HOIBERG 22 4-7 1-2 0 5 5 1 0 2 2 11 POPE 4 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 BOHANNON 2 2-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 4 RILEY 2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 LINDEMAN 1 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 32-77 23-31 9 33 42 24 31 9 15 89 (.416) (.742) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 15(19 PTS) UTAH 19 19 19 23 - 80 INDIANA 17 16 32 24 - 89 BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - MALONE, EISLEY. INDIANA - A DAVIS 2, SMITS 2, D DAVIS 2, WEST 2, ROSE. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 0-4 (.000), RUSSELL 0-2, HORNACEK 0-1, FOSTER 0-1. INDIANA 2-13 (.154), MILLER 0-2, BEST 0-1, D DAVIS 0-1, JACKSON 0-1, ROSE 0-3, HOIBERG 2-4, POPE 0-1. TECHNICALS: UTAH - MALONE, INDIANA - ILLEGAL DEFENSE. OFFICIALS: BERNIE FRYER, NOLAN FINE, DEREK RICHARDSON. A - 12,975. T - 2:03. UTAH (80) AT INDIANA (89) Dale Davis scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench as the Indiana Pacers capitalized on a big third quarter to post an 89-80 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Jazz had a 38-33 halftime lead before Indiana outscored them in the third quarter, 32-19, to take a 65-57 advantage into the final period. Indiana led 62-57 with 85 seconds left in the third quarter before going on a 13-0 run that was capped by Fred Hoiberg's layup with 8:11 left in the fourth. Reggie Miller scored 13 points and Chris Mullin added 12 for Indiana (2-2). Karl Malone scored 12 of his 18 points in the third quarter to lead the Jazz. Jacque Vaughn added 15 points and Adam Keefe had 11 for Utah (2-1).
nba.872 nba.news,
WASHINGTON (112) AT DENVER (107) WASHINGTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === WEBBER F 40 9-17 5-8 4 6 10 7 5 2 4 23 GRANT F 22 3-4 0-0 0 4 4 3 4 1 0 6 WILLIAMS C 15 0-2 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 STRICKLAND G 17 2-6 3-4 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 8 CHEANEY G 41 11-19 2-3 2 2 4 4 4 2 0 25 SHAMMGOD 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 WHITNEY 32 1-8 6-8 1 3 4 8 4 3 5 8 WALLACE 4 0-0 0-4 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 HAM 14 2-3 2-4 2 3 5 0 4 2 1 6 OLIVER 11 4-8 1-1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 9 T MURRAY 34 9-17 6-6 0 5 5 1 3 1 4 27 LECKNER 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 41-85 25-38 11 28 39 27 32 11 20 112 (.482) (.658) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 20(0 PTS) DENVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BATTIE F 21 3-8 5-10 2 2 4 0 5 2 2 11 WILLIAMS F 37 5-16 8-10 2 3 5 3 2 1 2 18 GARRETT C 28 3-7 0-1 4 6 10 0 3 2 1 6 JACKSON G 32 5-12 1-2 2 3 5 6 6 0 6 12 STITH G 35 4-8 2-2 1 5 6 2 2 0 2 11 GOLDWIRE 13 5-6 2-2 0 1 1 1 3 0 1 13 CODE 8 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 2 WASHINGTON 9 3-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 FORTSON 29 6-13 6-7 5 6 11 4 4 1 7 18 NEWMAN 21 3-5 2-2 0 2 2 1 0 2 3 8 LAUDERDALE 7 0-3 1-2 2 2 4 0 1 0 2 1 TOTALS 240 38-84 27-38 18 32 50 17 28 8 26 107 (.452) (.711) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 26(0 PTS) WASHINGTON 21 22 40 29 - 112 DENVER 29 26 27 25 - 107 BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - WEBBER 3, HAM 2, T MURRAY 2, CHEANEY, WHITNEY, WALLACE, WILLIAMS, STRICKLAND. DENVER - GARRETT 2, BATTIE, FORTSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 5-14 (.357), STRICKLAND 1-1, CHEANEY 1-1, WHITNEY 0-4, OLIVER 0-1, T MURRAY 3-7. DENVER 4-9 (.444), WILLIAMS 0-1, JACKSON 1-1, STITH 1-3, GOLDWIRE 1-2, WASHINGTON 1-2. TECHNICALS: DENVER - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2. OFFICIALS: GREG WILLARD, HUE HOLLINS, JOHN HEATLEY. A - 5,117. T - 0:00. WASHINGTON (112) AT DENVER (107) Tracy Murray scored 27 points and Calbert Cheaney added 25 to lead the Washington Wizards to their first preseason win, a 112-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Murray connected on 9-of-17 shots off the bench, including 3-of-7 from three-point range. Chris Webber added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Washington (1-2). Cheaney hit on 11-of-19 shots for Washington, which trailed 55-43 at halftime before outscoring the Nuggets in the third quarter, 40-27. Rookie Danny Fortson led the Nuggets (2-2) with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Williams, an off-season acquisition from Boston, also contributed 18 points.
nba.873 nba.news,
Bulls to face Olympiakos for McDonald's title PARIS -- The Chicago Bulls, even at half strength, have found their way into another championship game. This time it is the finals of the McDonald's Championship after an 89-82 victory over stubborn French champions Paris-St. Germain on Friday. "You probably saw the results of a few too many hot chocolates and crepes," said Bulls center Luc Longley, who finished with 14 points. European champion Olympiakos drew the spot in the finals opposite the five-time NBA champions after defeating Argentina's Atenas de Cordoba in the other semifinal 89-86 on a four-point play with 9.6 seconds to play by Lithuanian Arturas Karnisovas. The loudest crowd noise in the Bulls' lackluster first half came from the 13,515 fans in the Bercy Sports Palace when catcalls screamed out to greet French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin as he was shown on an huge arena TV screen. Michael Jordan, whose presence has drawn 1,000 reporters to Paris -- more than for the NBA Finals -- finished with 28 points and got wild cheers even for the unspectacular. In some polls he's the most popular athlete in France. Stephane Risacher had 14 for Paris-St. Germain. Paris-St. Germain coach Bozidar Maljkovic said he wouldn't bet against Olympiakos beating the Bulls. And he said without Jordan, his team would have. "Without Michael Jordan, yeah, we would have won," said Maljkovic, who has won four European championships. "With better success shooting free throws it would have been at least at tie. Why not?" "Who would know if that would happen?" Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "How can you make a statement like that? You have to go out and play the game again to know. "It's obvoius they were in the better condition; they've been playing two months and we have 11 days in," Jackson added. "I wasn't worried we'd lose the game, I felt we could pull it out in the end." The Bulls, with Scottie Pippen recovering from foot surgery and Dennis Rodman ill and surely distracted by a week of NBA hoopla in the French capital, started Jason Caffey and Randy Brown in place of their two missing stars. Still, Chicago led 42-29 at halftime after trailing 7-4. However, the French team never looked outclassed and were within six points several times late in the final quarter. The NBA is 15-0 in this event and only one NBA team has ever lost to an international team. That came in 1986 when the Atlanta Hawks -- fielding an under-strength club -- lost to the Soviet national team in Moscow. There have been close calls. In 1990 in Barcelona, the New York Knicks needed a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to force overtime and eventually eke out a 119-115 overtime victory over Italian club Scavolini Pesaro. In the first half in particular, the Bulls scored almost exclusively on transition baskets while making it difficult for the French -- accustomed to 30 seconds to shoot under European rules -- to run their offense in 24 seconds. They led twice in the third quarter by 17, but that was trimmed to four early in the fourth as the the Bulls hit only one of their first 10 3-point attempts. In the other semifinal, Karnisovas, who played at Seton Hall, had 23 points for Olympiakos, which had a bye into the semifinals. American Michael Hawkins, who played briefly with the Boston Celtics, has 22. The Argentines, who beat Italy's Benetton Treviso 87-78 in Thursday's opening round, were led by American Steve Edwards with 23. Edwards played college basketball at Miami.
nba.874 nba.news,
Miami changes Saturday's game time MIAMI (Oct 17, 1997 - 15:28 EDT) -- Because of the Florida Marlins' World Series appearance, the Miami Heat has moved the time of Saturday's game against the New Jersey Nets to 4 p.m. EDT. The game, which was originally set for 7:30 p.m., was shifted to avoid a direct conflict with the opening game of the World Series between the Marlins and Cleveland Indians.
nba.875 nba.news,
NBA roundup Nets: Kerry Kittles left the Nets' Thursday night loss to Cleveland midway through the fourth quarter with a strained left groin. The team listed him as day-to-day, and coach John Calipari indicated he might be able to play Monday against Utah. "Cal must think I'm made of rubber bands or something," Kittles kidded. Jazz: Already without John Stockton for as long as three months, the Jazz got a scare Thursday when Karl Malone fell and hurt his right wrist during practice. X-rays showed nothing broken, and he was expected to play Friday against Indiana.
nba.876 nba.news,
National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 17 1997 Boston Celtics: Signed free-agent center William Cunningham.
nba.877 nba.news,
Shaq covering up Nike logo; Dumars won't wear Nike clothes (Oct 17, 1997 - 20:58 EDT) - Shaq doesn't care to strut in a swoosh. Joe Dumars says he must be allergic to the ubiquitous Nike logo. Welcome to the latest chapter of insignia insurrection among basketball stars. Shaquille O'Neal is putting tape over the Nike logo on his Los Angeles Lakers warmup suit because he is under contract with rival Reebok and doesn't want to appear to be endorsing a rival's product. During games, the logo is not an issue because the swoosh does not appear on his team's jerseys or shorts. Dumars also has a problem with Nike, but it's nothing like O'Neal's. Dumars has developed a rash while wearing the Detroit Pistons' new practice shirts and game uniforms, which are designed by Nike. "I think I'm allergic to the swoosh," said Dumars, a long-time Adidas endorser. The Pistons switched from Champion apparel to Nike for this season, and Dumars began developing a rash. "It's not big, blotchy sores, but it's itching and aching," Pistons trainer Mike Abdenour said. "It's one of those things where we have to protect him and correct the problem." Nike is supplying uniforms, warmups and practice apparel to 10 teams, Champion is outfitting 10 teams and Starter is doing nine. Logos do not appear on game uniforms. Champion had the league-wide contract last year. "We're aware of the O'Neal situation and are looking into it," NBA spokeswoman Hillary Cassidy said. "The Dumars situation is a totally different issue -- it just seems to be an allergic reaction." "We're playing a role in resolving the issue. I don't think it will be a problem," Lakers spokesman John Black said. Nike isn't fazed by O'Neal's action. "The irony is that we never would have gotten all this attention had Shaq not taped over the swoosh, so we'll take it," Nike spokeswoman Vizhier Corpuz said Friday. Nike contemplates no action against O'Neal. "We're not playing logo cop," Corpuz said. "We'll leave that to the league." O'Neal's logo cover-up is reminiscent of the flap during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when several members of the Dream Team, most notably Michael Jordan, refused to appear on the medal stand wearing Reebok warmup suits. A compromise was reached whereby the team members who objected were allowed to drape the American flag over their shoulders so it would cover the logo. O'Neal's agent, Leonard Armato, said his client taped over the swoosh "once or twice during practices and media events," but would not violate NBA rules on team logos. "Shaq issued a symbolic statement of loyalty to the companies that are his marketing partners," Armato said. O'Neal had a piece of black tape covering the logo when he walked onto the court in St. Louis on Friday night for an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Clippers. "I'm not supposed to be creating controversy," O'Neal said. "I'm employed by Reebok and Warner Brothers Sports, and they told me to not to worry about it, to chill out. I'm doing it becaue I'm loyal to Reebok and Warner Bros. sports. Reebok said the 7-foot-1 star was acting on his own, and covering a Nike logo goes beyond any requirements of his four-year contract. "To the best of my knowledge, we have not had discussions with Shaquille," Reebok spokesman Dave Fogelson said. He said many Reebok endorsers wear apparel with competing logos because of team contracts with those sponsors. The Dallas Cowboys, for example, wear Nike uniforms while their star running back, Emmitt Smith, is a Reebok endorser. "We certainly respect that this is how sport is governed," Fogelson added. "We do not have any conversations with our endorsers other than that they abide by the uniform contract." The Pistons, meanwhile, are trying to figure out exactly why Dumars broke into a rash from wearing Nike apparel. "We've sent our detergent and laundry supplies to a lab, we're waiting for results on tests on our laundry machines, but we've been using the same detergent and machines for years and have never had a problem," Abdenour said. "We're not quite sure what's going on with Joe."
nba.878 nba.news,
Stern looks to add women's game to McDonald's tourney PARIS -- NBA commissioner David Stern hopes to add a women's game to the McDonald's Championships and is confident of eventually giving the women their own event. "I think we have the capacity to have some game at the next McDonald's and then a tournament shortly thereafter," Stern said Friday. Stern said he envisions an exhibition game between a group of WNBA All-Stars and a European All-Star team at the next McDonald's Championship in two years. Stern also said he was not worried about the negative impact on the NBA if Michael Jordan retires from basketball next year. "When he retires there will be a void that no one player can fill," Stern said. "But other stars have retired and the NBA has gone on." Stern said that Jordan and the NBA helped each other. "When Michael Jordan began in 1984, cable and satellite delivery in the United States and around the world hadn't even begun to develop," Stern said. "In the intervening 13 years, the growth of all those things has been so extraordinary, the pace so fast, there will never be a growth spurt like that again," Boris Stankovic, who heads FIBA, the world governing body of basketball, said he was pleased with the development of an event that started as a three-team tournament 10 years ago with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Soviet National team and Tracer Milan of Italy. "Now we have 72 TV stations showing it in 164 countries in approximately 40 languages, and it's seen by, we hope, 650 million people," Stankovic said. Russ Granik, who heads USA Basketball, looked to next year and the World Basketball Championships in Greece. He said within the next few weeks there will be an announcement of the first 10 players for Team USA, and said he and Stern are looking for an additional exhibition in Europe in addition to a game already scheduled in Rome next July.
nba.880 nba.news,
Pitino's Celtics are truly green LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct 17, 1997 - 08:34 EDT) -- It says Celtics on their jerseys, but this group bears no more resemblance to the real Celtics than the current Reds do to the Big Red Machine. Larry Bird is off coaching the Indiana Pacers. Dave Cowens is coaching the Charlotte Hornets. That's Tom Heinsohn over there, but he's broadcasting the games. The guys running up and down the floor, trapping and pressing and looking terribly out of control at times, could easily be mistaken for an expansion team, a collection of rookies and free agents who one day hope to become just like the old Boston Celtics. They are losing to the New Jersey Nets, 123-115, in an NBA exhibition game at Rupp Arena on Wednesday night and looking pretty bad doing it. But their coach, Rick Pitino, the former University of Kentucky coach who was paid $50 million over 10 years to reinvent this team, is thrilled. He wasn't watching the game. He was peeking into the future. OK, maybe he was using a telescope to view a future that's two or three years away, but what he saw was real enough to him even if no one else could see it. "Of the three games we've played, that's the best we've looked," Pitino said afterwards. "We've improved tremendously from our last game." After eight years of watching the UK Wildcats run and press opponents into submission, Pitino is on the other end now, preaching patience and taking solace in small victories. On this night, much of his satisfaction stems from the fact that his team rotated better on defense than it has in its other games. "I'm very excited," Pitino says. The Celtics won only 15 games last year. The team that used to dominate the league finished 46 games out of first place in its division. It hasn't been to the playoffs since 1993 and won its last NBA championship in 1986. Frankly, they are desperate, which is why they called Pitino. Pitino has been down this road before. He took over UK while it was on probation and built it into an NCAA Tournament champion. He improved the New York Knicks from 38-44 his first year to 52-30 his second. But he says this is his most difficult challenge, saddled as he is by salary caps and guaranteed contracts. Still, that hasn't stopped him from tearing the Celtics apart in a matter of months and stocking the team with players more suited to his full-court press, then working them so hard they have to hook themselves up to intravenous feeders after practice. "I do realize it's going to take a lot of patience," Pitino said. "You can't show frustration at all in the early going because it will upset the team in a negative way." It would have helped if the Celtics had won the NBA lottery for the right to draft Wake Forest center Tim Duncan. But Pitino didn't have that kind of luck. He had to settle for point guard Chauncey Billups and swingman Ron Mercer, his old standby at UK. Still in need of a center, he signed free agent Travis Knight, a rather frail 7-footer who backed up Shaquille O'Neal with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. From the outside, signing Knight was the best indication yet of just how desperate this franchise was. But Pitino talks about Knight as if he has made the steal of the century. Then Knight goes out against the Nets and scores 19 points to go with 10 rebounds and suddenly Pitino looks pretty smart. The biggest thing Pitino has going for him as he tries to resurrect this franchise is his track record. His players have bought into this reclamation project. Trailing by 13 points with 2:39 left, they're still playing as hard as they were during the first two minutes. They cut the lead to six with 1:38 to go before the Nets regain control. "Obviously, he's proven himself," Knight said. "And he's proven that his style works. We've just got to learn it." Let's not kid anyone here. This is still a bad team. Knight isn't likely to get 19 points and 10 rebounds against Patrick Ewing. The defense comes and goes. Playing that breakneck style of Pitino's is bound to take its toll over 82 games. "It's going to be tough," said Antoine Walker, a second-year forward from UK. "We're going to have to win games doing the little things." No one is lighting any victory cigars in Boston yet. Boston has lost all three of its exhibition games. But Pitino smiles, knowing how bad his team was a week ago, a year ago. Pitino could be getting ready for Midnight Madness at UK. He could be preparing for another run at a national championship in a state where he's still idolized. Instead, he finds himself getting excited about improved defensive rotations, albeit $50 million to the good. He's under no illusions about the job he faces. Or about the job he gave up. "At the midway point, if we're above .500, this will still be a blast," he says. "If we're below .500, I'll describe it as something else."
nba.879 nba.news,
T-Wolves owner will get involved with Twins stadium MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has begun discussions with legislative leaders in hopes of getting a stadium built and keeping the Minnesota Twins. He also says he intends to buy a piece of the team, a published report says. Taylor said he will ask legislative leaders Friday if his participation in the stadium process and an ownership stake in the team would make a difference. Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe said Friday he has had many conversations with Taylor, a former Senate minority leader, over the last few weeks, and encouraged him to discuss his interest in the team with other legislative leaders. Moe said he thought Taylor's close association with lawmakers might improve chances of passing a stadium bill when the Legislature convenes in a special session Thursday. "I don't know whether or not it will make a difference ... (but) the present owners are obviously having a hard time selling it," he said. But Taylor said he isn't sure if his involvement will make a difference. So far, lawmakers haven't been able to agree on a public funding source for a ballpark. Twins owner Carl Pohlad has a deal to sell the team to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver if the Legislature doesn't agree by Nov. 30 to build a stadium. Taylor said that as part of any role in ballpark negotiations, he would insist that Pohlad relinquish operating control of the Twins, although not all his stock in the American League franchise. "I think I have to be in a position to have the authority if I would be doing the negotiations," Taylor told the Star Tribune. "Yes, I would have to have some ownership, but not 51 percent." Taylor said he already has discussed a partnership with Minneapolis publisher and lawyer Vance Opperman, who did not immediately return a telephone call Friday. Pohlad declined to comment Thursday night but confirmed to the Star Tribune that he had met with Taylor on Wednesday, and said, "if that's what Glen told you, then write it."
nba.881 nba.news,
Stewart hopes to go from ball boy to NBA (Oct 17, 1997 - 08:05 EDT) -- Michael Stewart remembers like it was yesterday. When he was in the fifth and sixth grade, he would wear his Sacramento Kings hat and jacket to school on game days, then eagerly take his place on the court that night and go to work as a ball boy. All the stars stopped by the old Arco Arena: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Stewart smiles as he rattles off the names, then recalls seeing the likes of Mark Olberding, Reggie Theus, Mike Woodson, Larry Drew and LaSalle Thompson suit up for the Kings. "I used to laugh coming up here, just to get a chance to see those guys play," Stewart said. "For a kid, it was incredible." Stewart, a former Sacramento high school star now fighting for a spot on the Kings roster, beams when he recalls his favorite memory from his first job with the team. "You hear a lot about how athletes have bad attitudes, things like that," he said. "When the Lakers were here playing, I gave Kareem Abdul-Jabbar some water, and he said, 'Thank you.' "That just stuck with me all these years because I'm just a little ball boy and he's a big- time star. But he took the time to say 'thank you' for anything I did for him." Even then, Stewart dreamed of playing in the NBA. A little more than a decade later, he's on the brink of making that dream come true. The former Cal center -- he averaged just 4.3 points for the Bears but set a school career record with 207 blocked shots -- has shown enough athleticism and shot-blocking skills to gain the inside track in the battle for the backup spot behind Kings starter Olden Polynice. At 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, Stewart might lack the strength needed to survive in the NBA, but the Kings are intrigued by his defensive skills. "He protects the basket as well, if not better, than any player we've had here since the Kings have been in Sacramento," said Jerry Reynolds, the Kings director of player personnel. "In that one area, he's just spectacular. "He's small and raw, but he's got a skill that this team needs. ... I think if you're going to press (on defense) and you're going to take some chances, you've got to have somebody who can protect the goal." Stewart, 22, has shown he can do that. He blocked six shots in the Kings' 103-92 exhibition victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at Arco Arena. Kings coach Eddie Jordan thought enough of Stewart to waive centers Stacey King and Matt Fish after training camp, leaving Stewart and Kevin Salvadori to battle for the backup job. "We need for him to work on his offensive concept of the game, where the next pass is going to be and what we're trying to do," Jordan said. "Defensively, he's terrific. "Matt was a real solid guy. For me to make a move on him and keep Michael Stewart, that shows the respect I have for Michael Stewart and the upside he has." Stewart, who was born in France, was nicknamed "Yogi" by his brother Louis for all the Yogi Bear cartoons he watched as a child. "Yogi" has plenty of support from family and friends -- he's living with his Mom -- as he tries to land a job with the Kings. "There are a lot of rookies in this league who aren't going to get the same opportunity that I'm getting here," Stewart said. "On top of it, I'm at home and my family gets to come to every game. "My three best friends come every game. Sometimes it's tough for guys going to a new city and adjusting to the NBA. Half of that (for me) is taken care of." Stewart, a free agent, said he realized he had a chance to play in the NBA after a strong outing with the Kings summer-league team in the Rocky Mountain Revue. He averaged 6.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks against some better-known young players. "I was playing against a lot of guys who got picked first round and I had some success against them," he said. "I figure if they can play in this league, so can I." Ask him what he needs to work on, though, and Stewart shows his humble nature. "Everything," he said. "I'm a rookie. I need to get stronger, I need to work on my offense. "All I can do is come every day, work as hard as I can and if they like what they see, then that's good. But if not, then I have to move on." Stewart would prefer to stay. And maybe do for some ball boy what Abdul-Jabbar did for him years ago.
nba.882 nba.news,
Trip to Evansville brings back memories for Sloan EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Oct 17, 1997 - 06:52 EDT) -- December 13, 1977. Jerry Sloan thinks of that horrifying day still. "It comes across my mind every morning I go to work," says Sloan. "Evansville had that tragic accident ..." And Jerry Sloan easily could have been one of the victims. Twenty years ago, the University of Evansville chose Sloan as Hall of Fame basketball coach Arad McCutchan's successor. But Sloan kept the job only a few days, never even coached a practice. Sloan's change of mind probably saved his life. On the evening of Dec. 13, 1977, the Purple Aces' team plane took off from Evansville's airport amid rain and fog. Less than 90 seconds after the chartered DC-3 left the ground it crashed. All 29 people aboard were killed, including Sloan's replacement Bobby Watson, who had survived a 31-month tour of duty in Vietnam and earned five Purple Hearts. Sloan would go on to the Chicago Bulls, where he had been a two-time all-star, and scout for two years before enduring the inevitable growing pains of a young head coach. He says now, "The opportunity in Chicago probably came too soon." But Sloan's has been a charmed life since he decided not to coach at the school where he was a three-time All-America player and where he led the Aces to a perfect 29-0 season and two national titles. Saturday night, Sloan returns to Evansville as his Utah Jazz play the Indiana Pacers in an exhibition game. Sloan, 55, is now the NBA coach with the longest consecutive tenure with one team, starting his 10th year with the Jazz. Still, it's hard not to wonder what might have been had Sloan made a different choice in 1977. Some people have even speculated that had Sloan been the Aces' coach on that fateful day, he would have opted to travel by bus to Middle Tenneesse State in Murfreesboro, which is only about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. Wayne Boultinghouse, who was Sloan's roommate at UE, and still a close friend, says, "That's strictly a guess. But I knew Bob Hudson, who was killed in the crash and was a great friend and the business manager. They called him 'The Rock,' and I question whether Jerry or anyone else would have changed the plans." In other words, don't try to explain the unexplainable. Boultinghouse is sure, however, that Sloan would have provided a wonderful encore to McCutchan and his five College Division championships, 514 career victories. "Success has been Jerry Sloan's constant companion in everything he's ever done," says Boultinghouse, who might have been a Sloan assistant at UE, and now is high school athletic director. "He's still the same nuts and bolts person I met in the fall of 1960." So much so that Sloan's desire to deflect attention away from himself during the NBA finals, and since then, has produced a boomerang effect: He receives attention precisely because he stands out as being so different from slick guys like Miami's Pat Riley and Boston's Rick Pitino, and the metaphysically motivated Phil Jackson of Chicago. See, for Sloan, it's still just about the game. Corny as that sounds, true as it is. "From day one as a player, I loved going to practice," Sloan says. "I still enjoy that. And even when things go bad, it can be rewarding to fight through tough times." If that's the case, Sloan is entering into a period with the potential for great reward. All-star point guard John Stockton, who has been Sloan's alter ego in Utah, is out with a knee injury and not expected to return for at least six to eight weeks. But Sloan won't borrow trouble, won't look down the schedule to guess just how tough times might be. It's the way he's always been, narrowly focused on the task in front of him -- even when that meant roughing up his roomie. "We went head to head in practice and I saw stars more than once," Boultinghouse says with a laugh. "He never said he was sorry till we got back to the room." Tough but not gruff. That's Jerry Sloan. That's the Utah Jazz of John Stockton and Karl Malone, too. The Jazz gave the Bulls everything they had in last year's finals. Their effort earned a new measure of respect from their peers. But the effort wasn't quite good enough to win the championship, and thus Sloan can't really enjoy it like he probably should. "It's the finals, but once you get there, it's like any other game," he says. "It's a loss, and you have to go home." Boultinghouse says his friend is not driven by the desire to win as much as the desire to "never be perceived as failing." Until last season, he sometimes was perceived as a big-game failure. The Jazz would stack victory on top of victory in the regular season only to have their season topple in the early rounds of the playoffs. Critics awarded Sloan some, if not most, of the blame. "He definitely doesn't get his due," says Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "Jerry's been a great leader for that team and he does it the right way: He doesn't make himself the focal point." Had Jerry Sloan made a different decision 20 years ago he might, even now, be the focal point of Evansville's college basketball program. Or he might ... Well, like he said, the thought crosses his mind every morning.
nba.883 nba.news,
Bickerstaff return overshadowed by personnel moves (Oct 17, 1997 - 08:22 EDT) -- If the Washington Wizards were visiting McNichols Sports Arena for the first time on Nov. 4, in the Denver Nuggets' second home game of the NBA season, it would be reasonable to expect quite a reaction. Just what kind of reaction isn't so obvious. But the return of Bernie Bickerstaff, who ran the Nuggets for 6 1-2 seasons, likely would give frustrated fans a target, even if Bickerstaff has had nothing to do with the many moves of the past eight months. Bickerstaff will be there Nov. 4, but he makes his return to Big Mac as coach of the Wizards on Friday, in a meaningless preseason game unlikely to draw much of a crowd. "I know that's a great media story, but, hey, I'm happy for Bernie," Nuggets first-year coach Bill Hanzlik said. "He's in a great situation. He's got a great team, he's back where he's had a lot of success, and I think that's good for him. And I'm happy here. I tend to not look at what went on behind me. I'm looking ahead. I like our team and the guys we have, the character of the guys we got." Pacing the sideline in front of the visitors' bench, Bickerstaff will see few familiar faces when he looks at the home end. LaPhonso Ellis and Bryant Stith are the only players remaining from Bickerstaff's last training camp in Denver one year ago. In fact, there are more people from that team on the Wizards' payroll -- Bickerstaff and his assistants, Jim Brovelli, Mike Brown and John Outlaw -- than on the Nuggets'. "It's only preseason," Stith said. "I don't know that there's going to be such a large turnout. Those who will come, I really don't know what to expect from them. Bernie, he did do a lot of good things for this organization, but toward the end of his tenure, I think he became the fall guy. So it remains to be seen." "I really don't know what the atmosphere is going to be like," Ellis said. "I'm as interested to see as anyone else. "I think because people felt that Bernie and I had rifts in the past, that I'd anticipate something happening. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm just going to be out there rooting my team on. I'm happy for him that he's in a situation with a very talented team, as I was very happy for Dikembe (Mutombo) and Mahmoud (Abdul-Rauf) and all my other teammates who found greener pastures." For several months after his departure in February, Bickerstaff was blamed and even ridiculed for the downturn in the Nuggets' fortunes since 1994. But the moves of his successor, Allan Bristow, including the controversial trade of Antonio McDyess on the eve of camp, have begun to overshadow the criticisms of Bickerstaff. In addition, there has been a tendency of late to recall the first four years of his regime, which culminated in the memorable playoff run of 1994. "Bernie's always going to be a dear friend to me," Stith said. "He could have the shirt off my back. He gave me a start here in the NBA. He thought enough of me to bring me here to Denver, and it's just too bad that we couldn't have been together longer and things couldn't have worked out and had a perfect ending. But that's life. I accept that. He has moved on, and it's time for us to focus on our future." Stith is aware of the crescendo of criticism that followed Bickerstaff's departure. "I read the newspaper, I listen to the talk shows," Stith said. "I think that he's gotten an unfair rap." If Denver is down on him, Bickerstaff will have to do his answering through Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland and the rest of the Wizards. "I'm going to be glad to see him," Stith said. "And I'm going be glad to see Mike Brown and Jim Brovelli, too. Those guys were a part of my life, and I just can't turn my back on them."
nba.884 nba.news,
Mon Dieu! With the Chicago Bulls in Paris for the McDonald's Championship, what is Michael Jordan going to do with his spare time in the City of Light? "My kids and my wife are here, so we'll go on some tours to the Luge, probably some shopping," he said. "If I can find a cigar shop, I'll stop and buy some for my friends." Pardon moi? The Luge? By the time his faux pas hit the media, all of Europe was aware that Jordan had inadvertently dissed the Louvre, one of the world's most famous museums. More Jordan One of the French newspapers ran the following headline to celebrate the arrival of Jordan: "Michael Jordan is in Paris. That's better than the Pope. It's God in person." Geography 101 This exchange was recently overheard at a New Jersey Nets practice: Jayson Williams: Which state is Kentucky in? Teammate: "Lexington?" Pssst ... Former San Antonio Spurs coach Bob Hill has been hired by TSN to be its National Basketball Association analyst. Why did Scott Brooks accept $300,000 to play for the New York Knicks instead of $400,000 to play in Europe? "When I was a kid," he explained, "I didn't think I'd want to win the Italian League championship when I grew up."
nba.885 vpoznanovic,
1997 NBA Preseason Saturday, October 18 Boston at Milwaukee 96:118 Cleveland at L.A. Lakers 107:117 Detroit at Orlando 77:83 Houston at San Antonio 90:95 New Jersey at Miami 108:119 Philadelphia at Golden State 89:86 Sacramento at Vancouver 98:81 Utah at Indiana 88:89 NBA AT GREEN BAY WI FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- BOSTON 20 20 32 24 96 MILWAUKEE 34 16 30 38 118 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: BOS - DEE BROWN 16, TRAVIS KNIGHT 16, CHRIS MILLS 13 MIL - RAY ALLEN 19, TERRELL BRANDON 17, GLENN ROBINSON 15 HIGH REBOUND: BOS - TRAVIS KNIGHT 8, TONY MASSENBURG 7 MIL - TERRELL BRANDON 7, ARMON GILLIAM 7 HIGH ASSISTS: BOS - RON MERCER 3, TYUS EDNEY 3 MIL - RAY ALLEN 7, ELLIOT PERRY 5 ATT: 4,287 NBA AT KANSAS CITY MO FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- CLEVELAND 30 26 14 37 107 LA LAKERS 27 26 37 27 117 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: CLE - WESLEY PERSON 19, DEREK ANDERSON 17, ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 17 LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 34, THREE PLAYERS WITH 11 HIGH REBOUND: CLE - WESLEY PERSON 6, ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 6 LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 9, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 5 HIGH ASSISTS: CLE - BOB SURA 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 LAL - RICK FOX 7, KOBE BRYANT 5 ATT: 18,123 NBA AT MEMPHIS TN FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- DETROIT 14 21 31 11 77 ORLANDO 30 15 13 25 83 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: DET - LINDSEY HUNTER 14, AARON MCKIE 12, TWO PLAYERS WITH 10 ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 19, HORACE GRANT 17, RONY SEIKALY 9 HIGH REBOUND: DET - THREE PLAYERS WITH 9 ORL - HORACE GRANT 10, ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 8 HIGH ASSISTS: DET - GRANT HILL 6, LINDSEY HUNTER 5 ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 6, HORACE GRANT 5 ATT: 9,063 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- HOUSTON 20 27 23 20 90 SAN ANTONIO 22 18 24 31 95 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: HOU - KEVIN WILLIS 23, HAKEEM OLAJUWON 13, CHARLES BARKLEY 12 SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 24, TIM DUNCAN 17, SEAN ELLIOTT 11 HIGH REBOUND: HOU - HAKEEM OLAJUWON 10, KEVIN WILLIS 10 SAS - TIM DUNCAN 17, DAVID ROBINSON 8 HIGH ASSISTS: HOU - CLYDE DREXLER 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2 SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3 ATT: 22,600 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- NEW JERSEY 21 17 31 39 108 MIAMI 29 20 33 37 119 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: NJN - KEITH VAN HORN 26, JAYSON WILLIAMS 18, DAVID BENOIT 14 MIA - TODD DAY 22, TIM HARDAWAY 20, ERIC MURDOCK 19 HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 10, KEITH VAN HORN 7 MIA - PJ BROWN 11, THREE PLAYERS WITH 6 HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - SAM CASSELL 7, KEVIN EDWARDS 4 MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 5, ERIC MURDOCK 5 ATT: 14,683 NBA AT NORFOLK VA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- PHILADELPHIA 29 20 19 21 89 GOLDEN STATE 8 29 22 27 86 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 20, JERRY STACKHOUSE 18, ALLEN IVERSON 18 GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 23, JOE SMITH 19, BJ ARMSTRONG 12 HIGH REBOUND: PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 11, CLARENCE WEATHERSPOON 10 GSW - JOE SMITH 11, TODD FULLER 8 HIGH ASSISTS: PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 6, DOUG OVERTON 3 GSW - BJ ARMSTRONG 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4 ATT: 9,107 NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- SACRAMENTO 26 21 27 24 98 VANCOUVER 23 22 19 17 81 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: SAC - BILLY OWENS 18, LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 17, TERRY DEHERE 15 VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 23, BRYANT REEVES 19, BLUE EDWARDS 8 HIGH REBOUND: SAC - MICHAEL SMITH 8, LAWRENCE FUNDERBURKE 8 VAN - GEORGE LYNCH 8, IVANO NEWBILL 6 HIGH ASSISTS: SAC - BOBBY HURLEY 5, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3 VAN - ANTONIO DANIELS 5, LEE MAYBERRY 4 ATT: 14,700 NBA AT EVANSVILLE IN FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- UTAH 30 16 26 16 88 INDIANA 20 20 20 29 89 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: UTH - KARL MALONE 21, HOWARD EISLEY 10, ANTOINE CARR 10 IND - REGGIE MILLER 22, CHRIS MULLIN 15, ANTONIO DAVIS 14 HIGH REBOUND: UTH - GREG OSTERTAG 14, ADAM KEEFE 7 IND - ANTONIO DAVIS 10, RIK SMITS 5 HIGH ASSISTS: UTH - KARL MALONE 5, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3 IND - TRAVIS BEST 6, FRED HOIBERG 4 ATT: 12,252 Sunday, October 19 Toronto vs. New York at Hartford, Conn., 6:00 p.m. Minnesota vs. Charlotte at Roanoke, Va., 7:30 p.m. Houston vs. Phoenix at Tucson, Ariz., 8:30 p.m.
nba.886 nba.news,
BOSTON (96) AT MILWAUKEE (118) BOSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MILLS F 27 5-10 3-4 3 1 4 1 4 2 1 13 WALKER F 13 1-4 1-2 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 3 KNIGHT C 26 6-9 3-4 1 7 8 1 4 1 2 16 BILLUPS G 18 2-3 6-7 0 1 1 2 1 0 3 12 MERCER G 39 4-15 0-0 1 0 1 3 1 1 2 8 COLEMAN 5 1-1 0-2 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 2 BOWEN 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 ELLISON 7 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 2 0 MINOR 17 0-3 2-2 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 2 MASSENBURG 29 1-3 3-6 2 5 7 0 4 0 1 5 BROWN 22 6-10 3-4 1 2 3 1 2 0 2 16 DECLERCQ 10 1-3 4-7 0 0 0 1 4 1 1 6 EDNEY 12 3-5 3-4 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 9 CUNNINGHAM 6 2-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 BARROS 6 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 TOTALS 240 32-70 28-42 9 23 32 14 29 5 18 96 (.457) (.667) TEAM REBS: 17 TOTAL TO: 18(32 PTS) MILWAUKEE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 14 4-6 2-5 3 2 5 0 2 0 1 10 ROBINSON F 22 5-7 5-7 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 15 JOHNSON C 14 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 2 ALLEN G 24 7-9 4-4 0 3 3 7 2 2 0 19 BRANDON G 23 6-9 4-4 1 6 7 4 2 2 2 17 GILLIAM 20 2-4 4-4 0 7 7 1 1 1 1 8 PERRY 27 3-7 2-4 0 0 0 5 3 0 1 8 NORDGAARD 21 6-8 0-0 1 4 5 3 3 1 2 13 FEICK 16 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 CURRY 16 3-6 2-4 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 8 BREAUX 18 3-5 0-1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 7 HONEYCUTT 8 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 2 MCDONALD 11 2-3 1-2 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 5 EARL 6 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 4 TOTALS 240 44-72 26-37 5 29 34 29 31 8 10 118 (.611) (.703) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 11(8 PTS) BOSTON 18 24 21 33 - 96 MILWAUKEE 35 24 29 30 - 118 BLOCKED SHOTS: BOSTON - KNIGHT, COLEMAN. MILWAUKEE - HILL, ROBINSON, JOHNSON. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: BOSTON 4-9 (.444), MILLS 0-1, WALKER 0-1, KNIGHT 1-2, BILLUPS 2-2, BROWN 1-2, BARROS 0-1. MILWAUKEE 4-5 (.800), ROBINSON 0-1, ALLEN 1-1, BRANDON 1-1, NORDGAARD 1-1, BREAUX 1-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: BOB DELANEY, BILL SPOONER, ANTHONY JORDAN. A - 4,287. T - 2:23. BOSTON (96) AT MILWAUKEE (118) Ray Allen scored 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks remained unbeaten with a 118-96 victory over the Boston Celtics at Green Bay, Wisconsin. Terrell Brandon added 17 points and Glenn Robinson 15 for the Bucks (4-0), who built a 14-point lead after one quarter and coasted to the victory. Jeff Nordgaard, who played collegiately at Wisconsin-Green Bay, finished with 13 points. Travis Knight and Dee Brown had 16 points apiece for the Celtics (0-4), who are still searching for their first exhibition win under new coach Rick Pitino.
nba.887 nba.news,
CLEVELAND (107) AT LA LAKERS (117) CLEVELAND REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === PERSON F 24 8-12 0-0 3 3 6 1 1 2 0 19 KEMP F 21 2-8 0-0 1 3 4 2 6 1 3 4 ILGAUSKAS C 25 7-11 3-6 3 3 6 0 3 1 2 17 SURA G 24 1-3 1-2 0 2 2 8 2 1 3 3 ANDERSON G 31 4-4 8-8 0 2 2 2 3 0 1 17 BUTLER 17 6-8 2-3 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 14 KNIGHT 17 2-5 2-2 0 2 2 3 2 0 0 6 JAMES 6 0-4 2-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 MARSHALL 15 0-2 6-6 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 6 FERRY 13 1-8 0-0 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 2 SCOTT 8 0-3 1-4 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 1 HENDERSON 16 2-2 0-0 1 0 1 3 3 0 0 4 POTAPENKO 23 5-12 2-2 3 1 4 1 4 0 3 12 TOTALS 240 38-82 27-35 15 20 35 22 33 8 13 107 (.463) (.771) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 13(0 PTS) LA LAKERS REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HORRY F 30 1-4 1-2 2 3 5 3 2 2 0 3 FOX F 29 3-5 3-5 1 4 5 7 4 1 2 10 ONEAL C 27 15-17 4-6 2 7 9 0 3 0 4 34 JONES G 24 4-8 2-5 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 11 VAN EXEL G 27 3-8 4-4 1 1 2 3 1 0 3 11 WHEAT 3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 FISHER 18 2-4 2-2 0 5 5 2 6 1 1 7 BRYANT 17 3-8 1-1 2 1 3 5 2 0 4 7 BARRY 19 2-4 1-2 0 2 2 3 1 0 1 6 BENNETT 12 2-3 3-4 1 4 5 0 3 0 0 7 SEALS 7 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 BLOUNT 12 3-4 2-2 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 8 ROOKS 15 3-5 5-6 2 0 2 0 4 0 0 11 TOTALS 240 42-73 28-39 12 30 42 27 28 6 15 117 (.575) (.718) TEAM REBS: 0 TOTAL TO: 15(0 PTS) CLEVELAND 30 26 14 37 - 107 LA LAKERS 27 26 37 27 - 117 BLOCKED SHOTS: CLEVELAND - NONE. LA LAKERS - ONEAL 3, HORRY, BENNETT. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CLEVELAND 4-12 (.333), PERSON 3-6, SURA 0-1, ANDERSON 1-1, JAMES 0-1, MARSHALL 0-1, FERRY 0-2. LA LAKERS 5-13 (.385), HORRY 0-1, FOX 1-3, JONES 1-2, VAN EXEL 1-4, FISHER 1-1, BARRY 1-2. TECHNICALS: CLEVELAND - ANDERSON. OFFICIALS: TERRY DURHAM, JIM KINSEY, MONTY MCCUTCHEN. A - 18,123. T - 0:00. CLEVELAND (107) AT LA LAKERS (117) Shaquille O'Neal scored 17 of his 34 points in the third quarter and Nick Van Exel ignited a critical 10-0 spurt as the Los Angeles Lakers handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first exhibition loss, 117-107, at Kansas City, Missouri. O'Neal was 15-for-17 from the field, scoring all but two of his points in the second and third quarters. He added nine rebounds and went 4-of-6 from the foul line. The Lakers (3-1) trailed until Van Exel hit two free throws three minutes into the third gave them a 62-61 lead. He followed those with a three-pointer before Eddie Jones scored five straight points to cap the spurt. Van Exel and Jones finished with 11 points. Wesley Person scored 19 points and rookie Derek Anderson added 17 for Cleveland (4-1), which eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fourth time in the preseason.
nba.888 nba.news,
DETROIT (77) AT ORLANDO (83) DETROIT REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === HILL F 25 4-7 2-6 1 8 9 6 2 2 4 10 RATLIFF F 22 3-3 3-3 1 3 4 0 2 0 1 9 B WILLIAMS C 9 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 DUMARS G 18 3-7 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 HUNTER G 34 5-13 3-3 1 4 5 5 1 2 1 14 OBANNON 26 1-7 0-0 1 4 5 0 1 1 3 2 ROBINSON 15 0-4 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 J WILLIAMS 27 4-7 2-3 3 6 9 3 2 0 1 10 MCKIE 27 5-11 1-2 2 7 9 1 3 3 3 12 G LONG 20 1-5 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 2 REID 17 3-8 1-2 3 2 5 1 1 0 0 7 TOTALS 240 30-75 12-19 14 35 49 19 16 8 15 77 (.400) (.632) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 18(0 PTS) ORLANDO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ANDERSON F 20 2-8 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 0 4 GRANT F 32 8-8 1-1 4 6 10 5 2 1 0 17 SEIKALY C 21 4-8 1-1 1 5 6 3 3 0 0 9 D HARPER G 23 3-11 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 2 2 6 A HARDAWAY G 38 6-15 5-6 0 8 8 6 4 6 1 19 ARMSTRONG 23 3-8 2-3 0 3 3 2 3 0 2 8 EVANS 9 2-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 4 TAYLOR 16 2-6 0-2 1 2 3 1 3 0 1 4 WILKINS 17 1-5 2-2 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 4 SCHAYES 6 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 STRONG 19 2-8 2-2 3 2 5 0 0 1 0 6 OUTLAW 16 0-4 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 2 1 0 TOTALS 240 34-85 13-17 11 33 44 20 23 12 7 83 (.400) (.765) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 12(0 PTS) DETROIT 14 21 31 11 - 77 ORLANDO 30 15 13 25 - 83 BLOCKED SHOTS: DETROIT - RATLIFF, HUNTER, J WILLIAMS, REID. ORLANDO - SEIKALY, A HARDAWAY, SCHAYES. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DETROIT 5-19 (.263), RATLIFF 0-2, DUMARS 3-7, HUNTER 1-4, OBANNON 0-2, ROBINSON 0-1, MCKIE 1-3. ORLANDO 2-7 (.286), ANDERSON 0-1, A HARDAWAY 2-5, ARMSTRONG 0-1. TECHNICALS: DETROIT - RATLIFF. OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, LUIS GRILLO, BENNIE ADAMS. A - 9,063. T - 2:20. DETROIT (77) AT ORLANDO (83) Anfernee Hardaway scored 19 points and Horace Grant added 17 and 10 rebounds as the Orlando Magic overcame a 13-point third quarter to defeat the Detroit Pistons, 83-77, at Memphis, Tennessee. Orlando combined to score 28 points over the second and third quarters, but trailed only 66-58 entering the final period. The Magic shut down Detroit in the fourth quarter, holding them to 11 points. Hardaway, who attended Memphis State, also had eight rebounds, six assists and six steals for Orlando (2-3), which shot 40 percent (34-of-84) from the field. Lindsey Hunter scored 14 points and Aaron McKie contributed 12 for the Pistons (3-2), who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
nba.889 nba.news,
HOUSTON (90) AT SAN ANTONIO (95) HOUSTON REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === BARKLEY F 30 4-13 4-6 0 9 9 1 6 0 3 12 ELIE F 24 1-3 3-4 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 5 OLAJUWON C 29 4-12 5-7 1 9 10 2 4 2 2 13 DAVIS G 22 2-4 0-0 0 4 4 2 4 0 1 5 DREXLER G 34 5-11 1-2 0 1 1 4 3 2 1 12 MALONEY 26 1-4 2-2 1 1 2 1 2 4 5 4 WILLIS 23 10-14 3-4 4 6 10 0 5 0 3 23 HARRINGTON 9 2-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 4 RHODES 11 1-1 5-7 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 7 JOHNSON 20 1-6 0-0 0 3 3 0 2 0 2 3 BULLARD 5 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 MACK 7 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 240 32-74 23-32 7 36 43 11 29 9 19 90 (.432) (.719) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 20(20 PTS) SAN ANTONIO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ELLIOTT F 28 5-14 1-2 0 3 3 3 3 0 3 11 DUNCAN F 32 6-11 5-9 7 10 17 0 5 1 2 17 ROBINSON C 24 2-11 2-4 3 5 8 0 2 2 4 6 DEL NEGRO G 24 1-7 0-2 1 0 1 3 2 1 0 2 JOHNSON G 31 10-15 4-8 1 2 3 4 1 0 2 24 W PERDUE 11 2-4 1-3 4 3 7 0 2 0 1 5 HERRERA 9 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 JACKSON 21 3-6 2-2 2 1 3 0 3 2 0 8 C PERSON 28 3-9 1-1 0 6 6 2 3 0 1 9 ALEXANDER 17 3-8 2-2 0 1 1 2 1 2 2 8 GEARY 6 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 ROSE 9 1-3 1-4 1 1 2 1 3 1 0 3 TOTALS 240 37-91 19-37 20 32 52 16 25 10 15 95 (.407) (.514) TEAM REBS: 16 TOTAL TO: 15(20 PTS) HOUSTON 20 27 23 20 - 90 SAN ANTONIO 22 18 24 31 - 95 BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - OLAJUWON 3, BARKLEY. SAN ANTONIO - DUNCAN 2, W PERDUE. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 3-8 (.375), DAVIS 1-2, DREXLER 1-1, MALONEY 0-1, JOHNSON 1-4. SAN ANTONIO 2-12 (.167), ELLIOTT 0-5, C PERSON 2-6, ALEXANDER 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: SEAN CORBIN, RONNIE NUNN, DOUG SHOWS. A - 22,600. T - 2:20. HOUSTON (90) AT SAN ANTONIO (95) Avery Johnson scored 24 points and rookie Tim Duncan had 17 points and 17 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs remained unbeaten with a 95-90 victory over the Houston Rockets. Duncan, the top pick in the NBA draft, was the only starter to play in the final minutes for San Antonio (5-0). Malik Rose's tip-in put the Spurs ahead for good, 91-90, with 27 seconds remaining. Emanual Davis turned the ball over and Jaren Jackson sank two free throws to make it 93-90 with 16.8 seconds left. Eddie Johnson missed a three-pointer and Cory Alexander made two free throws for the final margin with 1.8 seconds to go. Kevin Willis had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Hakeem Olajuwon added 13 and 10 for Houston (2-2). Charles Barkley had 12 points and returned to the game after receiving stitches above his eye.
nba.890 nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (108) AT MIAMI (119) NEW JERSEY REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === GILL F 18 1-6 3-4 0 0 0 2 4 1 2 5 J WILLIAMS F 25 7-13 4-6 6 4 10 0 6 1 1 18 VAN HORN C 41 8-17 9-9 0 7 7 1 5 0 3 26 EDWARDS G 26 1-6 4-4 0 2 2 4 0 2 1 6 CASSELL G 23 4-9 3-4 1 1 2 7 2 1 2 11 BENOIT 27 6-13 0-0 2 3 5 1 5 0 2 14 HARRIS 22 3-6 2-2 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 10 SMITH 15 2-4 0-0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 6 DARE 18 2-2 0-0 1 4 5 1 3 0 0 4 HALEY 7 0-0 1-2 0 2 2 0 4 0 1 1 CAGE 5 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 MACLEAN 3 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 HENSON 10 1-2 2-2 0 0 0 2 3 0 2 4 GATLING DNP - BRUISED RIGHT KNEE KITTLES DNP - STRAINED LEFT GROIN WERDANN DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 36-82 28-33 13 25 38 22 35 7 16 108 (.439) (.848) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 16(13 PTS) MIAMI REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MASHBURN F 32 3-10 4-4 2 4 6 4 2 0 3 11 BROWN F 29 3-5 6-6 2 9 11 1 4 2 1 12 AUSTIN C 26 5-12 4-6 0 6 6 4 4 0 3 14 LENARD G 25 3-6 0-0 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 7 HARDAWAY G 25 7-9 2-4 0 3 3 5 2 0 2 20 MURDOCK 26 5-7 8-8 0 2 2 5 3 1 1 19 DAY 27 6-13 8-10 0 1 1 1 1 3 1 22 STRICKLAND 26 3-8 1-2 4 2 6 3 6 1 2 7 CAUSWELL 19 2-3 2-4 2 2 4 0 3 3 2 6 SMITH 5 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ASKINS DNP - WRIST AND ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY DAVIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION DOBBINS DNP - COACH'S DECISION HUCKABY DNP - COACH'S DECISION MAJERLE DNP - SORE BACK MILLS DNP - LEFT KNEE SURGERY MOURNING DNP - LEFT KNEE SURGERY NEMBHARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION SANFORD DNP - COACH'S DECISION SAVOY DNP - TENDINITIS IN LEFT FOOT TOTALS 240 37-74 36-46 11 30 41 25 27 10 15 119 (.500) (.783) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 15(12 PTS) NEW JERSEY 21 17 31 39 - 108 MIAMI 29 20 33 37 - 119 BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - VAN HORN 2, J WILLIAMS, BENOIT, DARE. MIAMI - STRICKLAND, CAUSWELL, SMITH. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 8-17 (.471), GILL 0-1, VAN HORN 1-3, CASSELL 0-1, BENOIT 2-5, HARRIS 2-3, SMITH 2-3, MACLEAN 1-1. MIAMI 9-15 (.600), MASHBURN 1-3, LENARD 1-3, HARDAWAY 4-4, MURDOCK 1-1, DAY 2-4. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, MIKE CALLAHAN, TIM DONAGHY. A - 14,683. T - 2:16. NEW JERSEY (108) AT MIAMI (119) Todd Day came off the bench to score 22 points and lead a balanced attack as the Miami Heat defeated the New Jersey Nets, 119-108. Tim Hardaway added 20 points and Eric Murdock 19 for Miami (3-1), which had an 11-point lead at halftime and was never threatened. Both teams scored 70 points in the second half. Nets' top draft pick Keith Van Horn had 26 points and made all nine of his free throws. Jayson Williams finished with 18 points and David Benoit netted 14 for New Jersey, which fell to 2-2.
nba.891 nba.news,
PHILADELPHIA (89) AT GOLDEN STATE (86) PHILADELPHIA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MONTROSS F 14 1-3 2-2 4 0 4 0 5 1 3 4 THOMAS F 17 3-7 1-2 1 0 1 2 1 1 3 7 IVERSON C 36 7-11 4-4 0 2 2 6 2 5 4 18 DAVIS G 15 2-5 2-2 1 3 4 0 2 0 0 6 OVERTON G 13 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 0 PARKER 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 JACKSON 31 0-7 2-2 0 4 4 2 3 1 1 2 WEATHERSPOON 38 4-9 3-5 4 6 10 0 3 2 2 11 STEWART 10 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 STACKHOUSE 29 6-13 5-7 1 2 3 2 4 3 2 18 COLEMAN 33 7-13 6-10 1 10 11 2 4 3 3 20 TOTALS 240 31-70 26-36 12 28 40 17 31 16 19 89 (.443) (.722) TEAM REBS: 0 TOTAL TO: 19(0 PTS) GOLDEN STATE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === LANG F 24 1-2 0-0 3 2 5 2 5 2 4 2 MARSHALL F 18 2-7 1-3 4 2 6 1 5 0 2 5 SIMPKINS C 7 1-2 0-1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 ARMSTRONG G 26 5-11 2-2 0 1 1 8 2 0 0 12 SPREWELL G 32 6-18 9-12 3 3 6 4 0 3 4 23 BURTON 17 1-4 1-2 0 2 2 0 2 1 3 3 FULLER 17 3-6 3-5 2 6 8 0 4 0 0 9 THOMAS 25 2-5 2-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 7 SMITH 40 7-19 5-8 5 6 11 4 1 1 4 19 FERRELL 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DAMPIER 10 0-0 0-0 0 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 SPENCER 21 2-3 0-0 4 3 7 0 4 0 2 4 TOTALS 240 30-77 23-35 21 30 51 19 28 7 21 86 (.390) (.657) TEAM REBS: 0 TOTAL TO: 21(0 PTS) PHILADELPHIA 29 20 19 21 - 89 GOLDEN STATE 8 29 22 27 - 86 BLOCKED SHOTS: PHILADELPHIA - COLEMAN 4, WEATHERSPOON, STACKHOUSE, MONTROSS. GOLDEN STATE - SMITH, DAMPIER. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHILADELPHIA 1-7 (.143), STACKHOUSE 1-5, COLEMAN 0-2. GOLDEN STATE 3-14 (.214), MARSHALL 0-2, ARMSTRONG 0-3, SPREWELL 2-6, THOMAS 1-3. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: . A - 9,107. T - 0:00. PHILADELPHIA (89) AT GOLDEN STATE (86) Jerry Stackhouse scored nine of his 18 points in the first quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers opened a big lead and held off the winless Golden State Warriors, 89-86, at Norfolk, Virginia. Allen Iverson, from nearby Hampton, added six of his 18 points in the opening period, when Philadelphia opened a 29-8 bulge. The Warriors closed within 88-86 on a pair of free throws by Latrell Sprewell with 56 seconds remaining, but Iverson hit a free throw to help the 76ers hold on. Derrick Coleman scored 20 points to lead Philadelphia (2-3). Sprewell scored 23 points and Norfolk native Joe Smith chipped in with 19 for the Warriors (0-5).
nba.892 nba.news,
SACRAMENTO (98) AT VANCOUVER (81) SACRAMENTO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === OWENS F 24 7-10 0-0 1 3 4 2 2 2 3 18 SMITH F 30 3-4 1-2 4 4 8 2 4 3 2 7 POLYNICE C 24 3-9 0-0 1 4 5 1 4 1 0 6 RICHMOND G 24 5-10 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 11 HURLEY G 16 2-4 1-2 1 1 2 5 0 1 0 5 ABDUL-RAUF 12 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 2 SALVADORI 21 4-8 0-0 3 2 5 3 0 0 0 8 FUNDERBURKE 21 7-11 3-4 2 6 8 1 0 0 1 17 DEHERE 24 6-11 0-0 1 1 2 1 3 0 4 15 GAMBLE 9 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 STEWART 3 0-3 0-0 3 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 JOHNSON 20 3-6 1-2 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 7 GRIMM 12 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 2 TOTALS 240 42-84 6-10 16 26 42 22 20 9 14 98 (.500) (.600) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 15(11 PTS) VANCOUVER REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === ABDUR-RAHIM F 31 7-13 9-10 3 2 5 3 2 2 5 23 THORPE F 24 3-5 1-2 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 7 REEVES C 30 6-12 7-8 1 4 5 2 2 0 2 19 PEELER G 24 2-7 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 4 DANIELS G 21 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 5 1 0 2 1 NEWBILL 15 0-3 1-2 3 3 6 0 3 0 0 1 LYNCH 20 0-3 2-2 3 5 8 1 0 1 0 2 CHILCUTT 24 2-5 0-0 1 3 4 0 1 1 1 4 MAYBERRY 12 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 4 0 0 1 2 B EDWARDS 9 4-8 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 8 GREEN 15 1-4 2-2 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 4 BOOTH 15 3-7 0-0 2 0 2 0 1 0 2 6 TOTALS 240 29-71 23-28 15 23 38 19 14 9 16 81 (.408) (.821) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 16(17 PTS) SACRAMENTO 26 21 27 24 - 98 VANCOUVER 23 22 19 17 - 81 BLOCKED SHOTS: SACRAMENTO - SALVADORI 2, JOHNSON. VANCOUVER - REEVES 2, ABDUR-RAHIM, CHILCUTT. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SACRAMENTO 8-15 (.533), OWENS 4-4, RICHMOND 1-3, DEHERE 3-7, JOHNSON 0-1. VANCOUVER 0-5 (.000), PEELER 0-2, CHILCUTT 0-1, MAYBERRY 0-1, BOOTH 0-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: RON GARRETSON, JOE DEROSA, DEE KANTNER. A - 14,700. T - 1:54. SACRAMENTO (98) AT VANCOUVER (81) Billy Owens scored 18 points and Lawrence Funderburke added 17 to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 98-81 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies. Terry Dehere came off the bench and had 15 points for Sacramento (3-2). Owens, Bobby Hurley and Mitch Richmond each scored four points in a 14-4 run to open the second half. The Kings never relinquished their 47-45 halftime lead. Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 23 points and Bryant Reeves added 19 for Vancouver (2-3). Sacramento shot 50 percent (42-of-84) from the field.
nba.893 nba.news,
UTAH (88) AT INDIANA (89) UTAH REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === RUSSELL F 21 2-4 4-4 1 0 1 0 4 1 2 8 MALONE F 24 8-11 5-7 0 6 6 5 2 0 3 21 OSTERTAG C 25 2-5 0-0 3 11 14 1 4 1 3 4 HORNACEK G 24 4-8 0-0 0 3 3 2 1 0 1 8 EISLEY G 14 5-6 0-0 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 10 VAUGHN 17 2-6 1-2 0 1 1 3 2 2 1 5 ANDERSON 24 1-8 0-2 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 CARR 23 4-10 2-2 2 2 4 0 5 0 1 10 KEEFE 27 3-6 2-2 3 4 7 3 3 0 0 8 FOSTER 22 2-6 4-4 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 8 HUDSON 17 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 1 2 4 DREILING 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ERDMANN DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 35-76 18-23 11 30 41 20 30 6 17 88 (.461) (.783) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 17(0 PTS) INDIANA REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == === MULLIN F 19 5-8 4-4 1 3 4 0 2 1 1 15 D DAVIS F 18 2-3 0-0 0 4 4 0 2 0 1 4 SMITS C 29 4-12 5-6 1 4 5 1 6 0 4 13 MILLER G 34 6-12 7-8 0 1 1 2 2 3 2 22 BEST G 19 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 4 A DAVIS 31 3-6 8-12 3 7 10 0 2 0 0 14 ROSE 16 0-6 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 0 JACKSON 29 1-5 3-4 0 2 2 3 0 0 1 5 HOIBERG 25 1-6 0-0 1 3 4 4 3 2 0 3 WEST 10 2-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 4 POPE 10 1-3 2-4 2 2 4 1 1 0 2 5 BOHANNON DNP - COACH'S DECISION LINDEMAN DNP - COACH'S DECISION RILEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION TOTALS 240 27-66 29-38 8 28 36 20 21 7 15 89 (.409) (.763) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 15(0 PTS) UTAH 30 16 26 16 - 88 INDIANA 20 20 20 29 - 89 BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - MALONE 5, OSTERTAG 2, HORNACEK. INDIANA - A DAVIS 3, WEST 2, SMITS, MILLER. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 0-1 (.000), ANDERSON 0-1. INDIANA 6-13 (.462), MULLIN 1-2, MILLER 3-5, ROSE 0-1, JACKSON 0-1, HOIBERG 1-3, POPE 1-1. TECHNICALS: NONE. OFFICIALS: TOMMY NUNEZ, ED F RUSH, GARY ZIELINSKI. A - 12,252. T - 2:07. UTAH (88) AT INDIANA (89) Reggie Miller capped a big fourth quarter by sinking a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left as the Indiana Pacers edged the Utah Jazz, 89-88, at Evansville, Indiana. Miller, who finished with 22 points, had 10 in the fourth quarter. Off-season acquisition Chris Mullin added 15 points and Antonio Davis chipped in with 14 for Indiana (3-2). After Miller's free throws gave Indiana a one-point lead, Utah had a chance to win. Rookie Troy Hudson attempted a jumper from the top of the key but his shot was off the mark as time expired. Karl Malone led Utah (2-2) with 21 points and Howard Eisley and Antoine Carr added 10 apiece.
nba.894 nba.news,
Mavericks G Robert Pack breaks finger in exhibition win Dallas Mavericks guard Robert Pack, who suffered through an injury-plagued 1996-97 season, suffered a broken finger in tonight's exhibition win over the Phoenix Suns and could be lost for a month. Pack, projected to be the Mavericks' starting point guard, broke the ring finger on his right hand in the second half of Dallas' 99-86 victory. Pack, who had 19 points and seven assists, will undergo surgery next week. He's expected to miss at least four weeks. The 6-2 Pack, a six-year veteran from Southern California, averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 assists in four preseason games. He was acquired from the New Jersey Nets as part of last February's blockbuster nine-player trade. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 assists last season but was limited to 54 games due to injuries. Dallas, which went 24-58 last year, opens its season at Vancouver on October 31st.
nba.895 nba.news,
National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 18 1997 Toronto Raptors: Released forward Rowan Barrett and center John Coker. Washington Wizards: Waived guard Johnny Rhodes.
nba.896 nba.news,
Bulls make Happy Meal of Olympiakos PARIS (Oct 18, 1997 - 18:34 EDT) -- The five-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls can now call themselves true world champions. The Bulls beat European champion Olympiakos 104-78 Saturday in the finals of the McDonald's Championship as Michael Jordan scored 27 points and put on the kind of show that French fans paid big money to see. "I think hopefully the fans were pretty pleased despite the little time I was on the basktball court," said Jordan, who played 29 minutes. Scalpers got as much as $300 for tickets and the Bulls -- unlike their sluggish, disjointed semifinal win over Paris-St. Germain -- didn't disappoint the sellout crowd of 13,515. NBA teams are now 16-0 in this 10-year-old event and the Bulls -- without injured Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman -- played like it mattered in a game that drew more than 1,000 reporters from over 50 countries. Randy Brown added 12 points for the Bulls and Steve Kerr had 10. Lithuanian forward Arturas Karnisovas -- voted the best player last season in Europe -- led Olympiakos with 19 points and Franco Nakic had 16 for the Greeks, who shot only 36.2 percent to 52 for the Bulls. Jordan's finest move came with just over four minutes left in the first half when he gave the locals what they came to see as he skirted the baseline, swooped under the basket and stalled out in mid-air to score and draw the foul. "I think a lot of people in the stands were looking for something unique," said Jordan, who is shown in polls to be the most popular athlete in France. "It just happened to go in and I was pretty amazed to get the shot up," he added. Dozens of banners and hand-made pennants waved from the stands in reply. "Be Legendary MJ," read one. "His Airness Came on Earth to Bless Us," went another. "Give Us a Show Michael -- Germany Loves the Bulls," yet another. Several times Jordan said he put a "little extra mustard on top of the hot dog" to please the fans and good-naturedly challenge opponents. "I think I could sense the competition in their eyes at a challenge," Jordan said. "A couple of times I gave a head and shoulder fake and I felt like they were anticipating the worst." "If they were dreaming of playing Michael Jordan all alone, this was their opportunity. This is not television, they couldn't change the channel." "I gave one guy (Milan Tomic) a fake and I thought he lost his shoes. He was laughing about it, so I laughed." It was that kind of night as the Bulls played intense defense throughout, clogged up Olympiakos' big men in the middle and ran faster and shot better to go up 54-43 at halftime. The only sour note was Toni Kukoc, who is nursing a foot injury that may need surgery, Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. The Bulls were up 75-60 after three quarters and went ahead 84-62 on a 3-pointer by Kerr with 9:29 to play. The lead grew to 93-68 a few minutes later on 11 unanswered points keyed by two steals by Brown. Counteracting Olympiakos' size -- led by 6-foot-10 Serb-born Dragan Tarlac -- the Bulls started a big lineup that included 6-11 Kukoc, 7-2 Luc Longley, 6-8 Jason Caffey, Jordan and Ron Harper. But it wasn't the Greek big men that caused problems. It was 5-11 American Michael Hawkins, who played briefly with the Celtics, who was able at times to penetrate and run and make the Bulls look slightly vulnerable. He scored 12. Only one NBA team has ever lost to an international side. That came in 1986 when the Atlanta Hawks -- fielding an under-strength club on a summer trip -- lost to the Soviet national team in Moscow. There have been close calls in the McDonald's classic. In 1990 in Barcelona, the New York Knicks needed a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to force overtime and eventually eke out a 119-115 overtime win over Italian club Scavolini Pesaro. In the third-place game Saturday, Argentina's Atenas de Cordoba got 20 points from Marcelo Milanesio to beat Paris-St. Germain 88-78. In the fifth-place game, American Henry Williams scored 29 as Benetton of Italy beat Spain's Barcelona 106-103.
nba.897 nba.news,
Report: Shaq won't play in World Championships LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal reportedly has declined an invitation to play for the United States basketball team in the World Championships in Athens next summer. According to Saturday's Los Angeles Times, O'Neal's agent, Leonard Amato, notified Rod Thorn, who is the chairman of the selection committee for USA Basketball, of O'Neal's decision. O'Neal has won two gold medals playing for the United States, winning the World Championships in Toronto in 1994 and in the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. O'Neal has not ruled out playing in the 2000 Olympics, which will be held in Sydney. The 7-1 center averaged 26.2 points and 12.6 rebounds for the Lakers last season, his first after signing a seven-year deal for $121 million. O'Neal played with the Orlando Magic for his first four seasons, leading them to the NBA Finals in 1995.
nba.898 nba.news,
Shaq, Woods, Griffey -- community home to the rich and athletic WINDERMERE, Fla. (Oct 18, 1997 - 05:52 EDT) -- Behind the closely guarded gates of Isleworth, you might find Shaquille O'Neal playing hoops with Ken Griffey Jr. or challenging Tiger Woods to a putting contest on a front lawn. You might find Wimbledon doubles champion Todd Woodbridge playing tennis with golf pro Payne Stewart and later see them hitting the course together. The 800-acre community of sprawling mansions and bass-filled lakes is home to some of the biggest names in pro sports -- and some very vigilant security guards. Besides O'Neal, Griffey, Woods and Woodbridge, Isleworth residents include: golfer Mark O'Meara, the Buffalo Bills' Andre Reed, the Orlando Magic's Penny Hardaway and the Boston Celtics' Dee Brown. Planet Hollywood head Robert Earl also owns a home here, as does actor Wesley Snipes and some of Orlando's top business executives, doctors and lawyers. "It's comfortable living with your peers -- especially when we pretty much are all interested in the same activities," said O'Neal, who played for the Orlando Magic before signing with the Los Angeles Lakers last year. It's also a lot of fun. O'Neal paid $3.95 million for his lakefront mansion in 1993. The 27,000-square-foot home has a game room, small movie theater and miniature golf course. He describes the interior design as "contemporary ghetto bachelor." He said he rides his jet ski on the lake with some of his famous neighbors or plays them at the basketball court at his house. "We might get together and watch movies at my man Dennis' (Scott) house and cook out on the grill," said O'Neal, who also has a home in Los Angeles. "As in any community, we're always getting together to have a good time." Scott, recently traded to the Dallas Mavericks from the Magic, lives four houses away. O'Neal said he sometimes takes Griffey, the Seattle Mariners slugger, to his basketball court for some one-on-one. But he said he's waiting to challenge another neighbor. "As for Tiger, once my tennis elbow (heals), I'll be glad to take him to school on my miniature golf course in my front yard," O'Neal said. Isleworth is popular because of its amenities, security and lots that are either on the Arnold Palmer-designed golf course or on one of seven lakes, said Frankie D. Batura, a real estate broker. The clubhouse's chef is known to carry a cell phone around so that he can take orders from residents on their boats and have the food waiting for them when they dock. Security guards patrol 24 hours a day and escort visitors by car to their destinations. Stars also don't have to worry about being bothered by the not-so-famous residents. "They're basically seen as normal and no one intrudes on them," said Woodbridge, half of the No. 1 doubles team in the world. Thirteen years ago, orange and lemon trees grew where Isleworth's vast, Spanish-tiled mansions now stand. A group of investors led by Palmer purchased the property in 1984 and built the clubhouse, tennis courts and docks centered around the golf course. But Isleworth didn't take off as a premier neighborhood for the rich and athletic until 1993, when British tycoon Joe Lewis' Aviva Land Holdings bought the development from Palmer's group, which had run into financial problems. Lewis converted the half-acre lots into multiacre lots, allowing for the gargantuan mansions. The development attracted golfers and Magic players at first. Athletes attract athletes, and other stars soon followed. Woods is the most recent to get an Isleworth address, buying five adjacent lots this year for $3.5 million. Woodbridge said golf was the deciding factor in his purchase of a four-bedroom home in Isleworth four years ago. The tennis star lives on the 5th hole and can play a circuit of four holes that lead right back to his house. When Woodbridge and Stewart hit the tennis courts at Isleworth, the Wimbledon doubles champion sometimes spots the golf pro a few points and lets him use the doubles lanes. They also play golf together. "He's about as good at golf as I am a tennis player," said Stewart, a two-time U.S. Open winner. "He's taken my money out there on the golf course." Woodbridge doesn't have to leave the community to train for tennis. His coach, Ray Ruffels, is Isleworth's resident pro. "Most people at Isleworth are very successful. It breeds success. You breathe the air of success," Woodbridge said. But there is one drawback to living with so many top jocks, he added. "It's always very humbling because you think you're the best here and then you find someone who's better than you."
nba.899 nba.news,
Allen's got game ... and now he can prove it He has the starring role in a soon-to-be-released Spike Lee movie called "He Got Game," and, yes, he does. Ray Allen's got game. However, unless you're a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks -- and maybe even if you are -- that fact might have escaped you. In his rookie season last year, Allen did a lot of standing around on the court. Not by his choice, of course. The Bucks' offense called for Allen and everybody else on the team not named Vin Baker or Glenn Robinson to get the ball to Vin Baker or Glenn Robinson. And get out of the way. Somehow, Allen managed to average 13.6 points, a distant third behind Robinson (21.2) and Baker (21.0). The rookie guard also showed, in flashes, that he had game; there were the Jordanesque slashes to the basket, the rim-rattling dunks, the gracefully arced 3-pointers. Mostly, however, there was frustration. Allen had game. But he didn't have the ball. "I felt like a fifth wheel," he said. "It was frustrating, because I know I can score. I don't think I touched the ball enough. And sometimes, I passed up shots for the good of the team. "I didn't feel like I was improving myself as a player. That was the hardest thing. It was like I was going nowhere." Allen might have felt the same way going into the 1997-98 season, but the Bucks traded Baker in a three-team deal that brought point guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill to Milwaukee. With Baker went the team's "Black Hole" offense (the ball goes in and never comes out). It remains to be seen whether the trade helped the Bucks. There is no doubt, however, that it helped Allen. "Definitely," he said. "It's going to open my game up and allow me to be more free, as opposed to just coming down, running a halfcourt type of game and throwing the ball down low. It's definitely going to suit the guards and perimeter players a lot more." Robinson is still going to get his shots. Allen is going to get a big share of Baker's. The plan calls for Brandon to distribute the ball around the perimeter, and for bangers such as Ervin Johnson, Hill and Andrew Lang to do the dirty work inside. "We're not going to set up and call one guy's number, throw it down into the block and sit there and watch him score, like we did many times last year," Allen said. "Whoever is going to be open is going to have a shot. That's what's going to make our offense beautiful." Here's a couple of predictions: Allen will average 20 points this year, and the Bucks will be a better team because more players will be involved in the offense, which may even make them feel like playing some defense. After they floundered to a 33-49 record last year -- the Bucks lost more games than all of Allen's high school and college teams combined -- he knew something had to change, which meant someone had to go. Allen won't say he's glad it was Baker, but he wasn't exactly heartbroken when the trade went down. "I thought it was a great decision, a great trade," he said. Did Baker's selfishness bring down the team? Allen chooses his words carefully. "I would think anybody who is an All-Star, you become a selfish player," he said. "When you've been an All-Star, you feel that pressure and you kind of want to go out there and say, 'Hey, give me the ball; I gotta get this.' "A lot of times that makes for a bad situation, because then you're playing for another reason instead of the team concept. "We didn't have good chemistry last year."
nba.900 nba.news,
Timberwolves' Garnett gets nice welcome MINNEAPOLIS (Oct 18, 1997 - 12:16 EDT) -- Kevin Garnett is rich and happy. Playing his first home game since signing a six-year, $126 million contract, Garnett was greeted with cheers during the Timberwolves' 99-94 exhibition loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Garnett scored 18 points, going 6-for-11 from the field and 6-for-9 from the foul line. "I had a lot of fun tonight," he said. "That's my whole world when I'm out there. My whole purpose is to have fun. It wasn't as sweet because we didn't win but it's like that sometimes." Garnett, 21, once again wowed the fans with his flashy style. When Stephon Marbury bounced a lob pass off the backboard on a 2-on-1 fast break, Garnett went straight to the basket and dunked it. "That's just a little playground thing we have," Garnett said. "I saw that when he got his steps together, he wasn't going to take off and I saw he was going to throw it off the glass." When the Bucks called a timeout, Garnett pointed to the crowd and raised his arms in the air. "Kevin feeds off the fans," Wolves coach Flip Saunders said. "It's a double-edged sword. He gets them going and they get him going." Garnett scoffs at the notion that his contract -- the most lucrative in sports history -- will make him more business-like on the court. "Nothing has changed about him," Marbury said. "He's still the same Kevin Garnett. He's always been focused on the court and never worries about stuff off the court." Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson, who once was the NBA's highest paid player, was impressed by Garnett, who entered the league straight out of high school. "He's going to be a monster in this league," Robinson said. "Heck, he's only supposed to be what, a sophomore or junior in college?" Garnett averaged 17 points and eight rebounds last season, but he still isn't satisfied. "Defensively, I'm nowhere near to where I want to be," he said. "I work on my offense a lot and I'm focusing on getting to the free throw line."
nba.901 nba.news,
Cash won't make a Kid a man MINNEAPOLIS (Oct 18, 1997 - 11:52 EDT) -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett and Glenn (Big Dog) Robinson of the Milwaukee Bucks have shared a friendly rivalry from the moment Garnett got to the NBA two years ago. Now they share a lot more. Three years ago, Robinson was the young, exciting small forward from whom big things were expected. Not only was he supposed to be the Bucks' franchise player and one-man fresh start, but he lugged around a headline-grabbing contract that got more attention than his skills on the court. Ridiculed in 1994 for trying to become the NBA's first $100 million man, Robinson finally signed a 10-year deal worth $68.1 million. It still was an outrageous amount, enough to make Robinson the target of intense scrutiny and heckling wherever he played. Now the golden baton has been passed. Now Garnett is the small forward who willingly thrust himself into the savior's role by demanding and receiving pro sports' reigning mega-deal. He's the one who will face the criticism and the catcalls around the NBA, the one who will be expected to play like a superstar and win like a champion. Besides, Garnett's contract extension dwarfs the dough Robinson got, his average annual salary ($21 million) more than triple that of Robinson. Since Robinson has averaged 21.1 points per game since joining the Bucks -- and since it's unlikely Garnett is going to average 63.3 -- some of the pressure figures to be off Robinson this season. Then again, maybe not. The Bucks are 62 games under .500 since they drafted Robinson with the No. 1 pick in the 1994 draft. He has been a one-dimensional player -- a scorer, period -- who shows little interest in rebounding and laughably bad habits on defense. He was overshadowed almost from the start by former teammate Vin Baker, and unproductive enough that the Bucks decided to blow things up; Milwaukee shipped Baker to Seattle in a three-way trade that brought guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill to the Bucks. Under the new plan, Brandon will deliver the ball, Hill will rebound it and Robinson, first among Milwaukee's options, will shoot it. "I'm anxious to see him play," Wolves coach Flip Saunders said. "They say he worked really, really hard over the summer. He's going to have to be their main guy to score a lot." The fact is, Robinson buckled a little under the weight of his contract. It was out of proportion to his performance, and the former Purdue star heard about it constantly. From the stands. In the media. On the court. "I think Glenn did let it get to him a little mentally," said Miami guard Todd Day, who played for Milwaukee in Robinson's rookie season. "At that time, I did think it made it harder on him." Similarly, fans and opponents rode the Heat's Alonzo Mourning and Washington's Juwan Howard like never before after they signed their $105 million deals last summer. That's what Garnett could face this season, despite the Wolves' frequent (and cute) reminder that his salary this season will be only $2.1 million. "If Kevin Garnett lets the pressure of the expectations affect him," Mourning told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, "he's going to go out every night, thinking, 'Hey, I signed this big contract and I've got to play like a superhero now.' As long as he helps that ballclub win, then all the expectations will be secondary." Saunders agreed. "It's not what he's going to do, it's what the team does," the coach said. "Michael Jordan's stats are the same now as they were 10 years ago. What's he's judged by now is that he's won five rings and is going for six. "Do you know how many points Bill Russell averaged? I'll bet it was under 20 (15.1 ppg). But I know one thing -- he won a lot of championships." Then there is the reaction of opponents, those who feel they deserve that sort of money. Miami forward P.J. Brown saw the reactions after landing a seven-year, $36 million package last summer. "I think some guys will act jealous and envious toward it," Brown said. "There'll probably be some who congratulate him and a lot who won't. "Guys get off on that kind of stuff. He'll be kind of like a marked man for a lot of guys. Guys say, 'Hey, if I can play well against this guy, maybe I can hit the lotto, too.' " Remember, Garnett was pumped up to face Robinson the first time he stepped on a court with him, way back in October 1995 for a preseason game in Moline, Ill. Chances are, Charlotte forward Glen Rice -- the All-Star MVP who tried and failed to renegotiate his $4.7 million salary for this season -- will want to prove a point or two when he faces the Wolves Sunday in Roanoke, Va. Garnett already has said that he expects opponents to test him more than ever. Stopping or beating him suddenly is a bigger deal. But Wolves guard Doug West said: "He's going to be a focal point in every gym anyway. If someone needs Kevin's contract to get motivated, (that guy is) in trouble."
nba.902 nba.news,
SuperSonics try to go on without Kemp SEATTLE (Oct 18, 1997 - 13:46 EDT) -- There is an uneasiness surrounding the Seattle SuperSonics as they get ready to face life without Shawn Kemp. It could turn out to be an overwhelming experience. "We've struggled a little," coach George Karl said. "A lot of it's because of new faces." And, Karl didn't say, the loss of an old face -- Kemp, who won a staredown with Sonics owner Barry Ackerley and was rewarded with a new $107 million contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ackerley has only himself to blame that Kemp is gone. Kemp was distressed in Seattle because he was paid last season as the NBA's 18th best power forward, while he was regarded as second best to Utah's Karl Malone. On Thursday night, Seattle lost its fourth of five exhibition games when Vin Baker made his debut at the Key Arena in a Sonics' uniform. Baker, acquired from Milwaukee in the three-team trade last month that sent Kemp to Cleveland, played well, blocking four shots, grabbing nine rebounds and scoring 11 points. But he was no Kemp. The high-leaping, emotional Kemp thrilled crowds with his athletic, acrobatic moves. Kemp scored on dazzling alley-oop dunks and could carry the Sonics. The quiet, unspectacular Baker is not that type of player. Two years ago, the Sonics, led by Kemp and Gary Payton, made it to the NBA Finals against Chicago and won a franchise-record 64 games. A year ago, the Sonics won 57 games despite Kemp's funk over his contract and reached the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs. The Sonics have to wonder how many games they can win without Kemp. The team that scared Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the Finals in 1996 probably will struggle to win 57 games this season. A lot of people in Seattle are upset that Kemp forced his way out of the Northwest. A lot of those same people in Seattle didn't think Kemp had made enough improvement in his eight years here, pointing out that he still made questionable decisions and fouled too much. Those people may miss Kemp more than they thought. Can the Sonics be a better team without Kemp than they were with him? That's not likely and the Sonics know it. "I think that question is better answered in February," Karl said. The Sonics still have a wonderfully talented Payton, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year two seasons ago, at point guard, and Baker, a three-time All-Star, is a good player whom Payton will make better. They'll be in the starting lineup, along with Jim McIlvaine, Hersey Hawkins and Detlef Schrempf. For reserves, Karl probably will rely mainly on Jerome Kersey, Dale Ellis, Greg Anthony, Sam Perkins and Aaron Williams. McIlvaine was a flop after his arrival in Seattle last season and the $33 million contract general manager Wally Walker gave him hastened Kemp's departure. Schrempf, 34, is a three-time All-Star headed into his 12th season and the 31-year-old Hawkins is going into his ninth. They're probably not going to get any better. Kersey (35) and Ellis (37) were brought in to help the Sonics bench because Perkins, at 38, can't play too many minutes at this stage of his career. If Kersey and Ellis don't have anything left, the Sonics could be in trouble.
nba.903 nba.news,
The bright, the fast and the heavy of the preseason Halfway through the preseason, and little has changed. The Bulls are doing what global powers have always done, by invading France and beating up on inferior competition. Teams are promising to run more this year. And every coach has announced that his team -- news flash -- has just completed the best camp we ever had in all my years here. . . There have been, however, a few interesting developments this month. Here are some random observations on the preseason: 1. The kids are all right. On consecutive nights, we had our first looks at Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn last week and saw enough to arrive at the same conclusion regarding both: Wow. Duncan looks bionic, with the kind of agility, power and versatility that hasn't been seen since, well, David Robinson. Only Robinson admits Duncan is light years ahead of where he was as a rookie. Van Horn is not a good defensive player-he reaches too much, making him foul prone, and he'll need time to learn team concepts. That is his only weakness. Offensively, he looks as though he can average 25 points per game immediately: pristine shooting stroke, parking-lot range, strong first step and uncanny court awareness. And, like the great ones, he appears to be playing at a different rhythm than everyone else. The Nets won't make the playoffs, but they have a player. 2. Mike Fratello wasn't kidding. You thought he was animated before? Wait until you see him now, trying to will his team to find another gear on every transition opportunity. He made good on his promise: The Cavs have pushed it like crazy-running off makes, running off misses-and the athletes he has assembled appear well-suited to the new style. The early results are interesting: Cleveland, which averaged 87.5 points per game last season, was averaging 108.5 after its first four games (all wins), a startling difference even considering it's the preseason. The Cavs have some burners to sustain that pace-specifically, Shawn Kemp, Bobby Sura, Wesley Person, Derek Anderson, and Brevin Knight-for a while, anyway. But if Fratello can challenge his players to do this every night, he'll have elicited a transformation unlike few others in recent league history: He'll take what has been believed to be a slow, systematic, fundamentally flawed .500 team and converted it into a fast, sleek, fundamentally flawed .500 team. 3. Rickyball might take awhile. The Celtics lost their first three, which happens even to the best of teams (ask the Knicks), and Rick Pitino's system is taking hold at an understandably gradual pace. One night they might appear to have their defensive rotations down; the next night they seem to forget what they're doing. One night they cash in on their runouts effectively; the next night they fling the ball into Row G on the break. Give it until, say, January. But even then, don't expect the Celtics to be much more than a very interesting, scrappy, dangerous team. They're not a playoff contender, not with the dearth of big men that Pitino is having to deal with. How do we know this? He has been heard wishing out loud that Pervis Ellison has a big year for him. 4. Tubby still has no credibility. Charles Barkley, who came to camp 25 pounds overweight, is going off on his teammates again. That the Rockets were run off the court by Phoenix, of all teams, has made him more obnoxious than ever. It's all predictable stuff: They're not in condition, they're spoiled by success, they're not playing or practicing hard. "Around here it's always frustrating," Barkley says. "Everybody is always afraid to say what's wrong. But we're getting the reputation of a team that doesn't run back on defense. Right now, teams think they can run us out of the building, that we're too old and not in good enough shape to run." Teammates are responding with shrugs that say, "That's Charles," and are vowing to take him more seriously the day he returns all those mirrors he took down from around his locker. 5. No fun for Phil. We ran into a friend of Phil Jackson's last week, a guy who's not in the league, but one who talks to him every week or so. We asked him whether Jackson is pulling our leg with his predictions about slow starts and his comments about bad vibes, and lingering doubts. "Oh, no," the friend says. "He means all of it. He really has some ominous feelings about this year the way it's began with the Scottie (Pippen) injury and the other stuff with (Jerry) Krause. He thinks it's going to be a yearlong struggle." Fine. We'll still pencil the Bulls in for 60 wins, which, in Chicago, will earn only you a comparison with the Cubs. Prince of pessimism The Magic players are doing what had appeared to be impossible: They are making management begin to regret it dumped Dennis Scott. Orlando averaged 85 points in its first three games, nobody can hit a shot and there is no third scorer to complement Penny Hardaway and Rony Seikaly. "It's going to be a struggle, every step of the way for us," coach Chuck Daly says of the point drought. "I can already see what's coming. It's a problem we'll have to address, but I don't sense any easy solution. This has been a concern of mine all along . . . Somebody has to make some shots, and we're not making them, and I'm not sure this won't be a persistent problem all year long." Cynical fellow, but then, you expected something different? Actually, it's such a common dynamic nowadays: new coach arrives, implements new system, players jump through flaming hoops to please new coach. From Day One, Daly has stressed defense, and his players -- trying to show they're good soldiers and not coach-killers -- have complied. He even has Hardaway saying things like, "I don't want to be known as a great scorer. I want to be known as a defensive stopper." But the offense will come as soon as the honeymoon winds down. All Daly has to do is remind Hardaway he is a star -- a dominant force at both ends-which he seems to forget on occasion. Fallen stock, rising stock For two years now, Howard Eisley has prepared himself for the moment when he would have to take over Utah's point guard chores -- this is, after all, the reason he didn't go after the money placed before him this past summer by the Clippers and Magic, among others. He just didn't think it would happen this suddenly. We'd be surprised if he doesn't play well in John Stockton's absence, or if his team didn't challenge San Antonio in the Midwest. Two reasons: Eisley is the best backup point in the league, and Stockton, given his legendary work ethic, should be at full strength by February. The new Kemp? Early leader for the Refrain Man Redux Award is Mitch Richmond, who has decided that sulking and not accompanying his team on road trips is the best way to get himself traded. Hey, it worked for Shawn Kemp. But at least he didn't babble on in a preseason statement about how he would be a professional amid financial injustice. And at least he didn't claim an Achilles' tendon injury to get out of work, only to be seen blowing by people in one-on-one games after practice. "We would be a better team if he would take the leadership role and really take charge," coach Eddie Jordan says, in a tone that suggests he isn't expecting it to happen. Scattershots The Lakers' season of great expectations hasn't begun well. Nick Van Exel is talking openly of retirement in two years because of chronic knee pain, and the three doctors he has seen since camp began have told him that even rest won't help much. . . . Four reasons to question the Timberwolves' ability to take a step up in class this year: Cherokee Parks, Paul Grant, Clifford Rozier, Stanley Roberts. The first two centers can't rebound, the third has distinguished himself so far only by starting a fight with Vitaly Potapenko, and the fourth is hurt again. Even with Dean Garrett (now with Denver), this wasn't a very physical team last season. . . . From the Thank Heaven It's Preseason File: The Knicks and T-Wolves each had games last week in which they committed 11 assists and 22 turnovers. You almost have to try to reach that mark. . . . For all the changes the Suns have undergone, it is no small surprise their best player this preseason has been Danny Manning. "He's the glue that keeps us going," coach Danny Ainge says, whatever that means. Manning now admits now he played with a broken toe in last season's playoffs but kept it a secret from the team's medical staff so the injury wouldn't become a target for opponents. Thank Heaven It's Preseason, Part II: The Grizzlies, the third-worst rebounding team in the league a year ago, went up against the Blazers, the fourth-best. Final board tally: Grizzlies 54, Blazers 36. . . . They carted out the Pillsbury Doughboy for the 76ers' appearance last Thursday in Albany, N.Y., where they are apparently starved for timeout entertainment, and it was hard to overlook the fact he and Derrick Coleman were never on the court at the same time.
nba.904 nba.news,
Forget North vs. South; In the NBA it's East vs. West For years it has been debated as a stereotype, a myth or a prejudice. East-West relations never have been particularly strong in the court of basketball opinion. The view from the East long has been that basketball in the West is best played by wimps. The view from the West traditionally has been that Eastern basketball is nothing but a gathering of bullies. The perceptions might be inaccurate, but the debate is real. Recently, Detroit forward Grant Hill stepped forward on the issue, concerned that his Pistons could lose their toughness with an infusion of players who trace their basketball roots to the West Coast, players such as Brian Williams, Charles O'Bannon and Scot Pollard. "Nothing against the West Coast, but you know the perception of East Coast vs. West Coast, more so in high school than anything else, that West Coast teams are particularly athletic but are kind of soft,'' Hill said. For Hill, that is a concern, with Detroit having lost the force of power forward Otis Thorpe in the off-season. "I don't know if we'll be as mentally tough this season,'' he said. "Are we going to be as mentally tough as before? Before, last year, because we weren't as talented, we had to be mentally tough. Now that we have a little bit more talent, is that toughness going to stay there? Are we still going to be a team that, with four minutes left in the game, can buckle down and play good defense for the entire 82 games? Collectively, as a unit, can we still be tough?'' Stretching beyond those Western roots, even coaches notice the difference between the NBA's two conferences. Perhaps, therefore, it is not coincidence that Minnesota is playing all eight of its exhibitions against Eastern Conference competition. Having lost center Dean Garrett in the off-season, coach Flip Saunders has expressed concern about a lack of toughness, even with a roster that features Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta. "All good teams have a lunch-pail type of player,'' Saunders said. "Whether it's (Greg) Ostertag in Utah, (Dennis) Rodman in Chicago, Charles Oakley in New York or, in Miami, a guy like P.J. Brown. They're guys you don't have to run plays for. They just go out and play off everyone else, play hard and rely on the little stuff.'' San Antonio, another Western Conference team perceived as soft in recent seasons, also appears to be in search of an Eastern mentality. "The teams that play more physically, more aggressive from the start of a game will always come out ahead,'' coach Gregg Popovich said. Center David Robinson said he would welcome the change in San Antonio. "It's not so much we'll play more physically because it's already physical enough out there,'' he said. "It's more of being the initiator of the action instead of the reactor. The team that is active, aggressive right from the start of a game, will get credit from the refs for initiating. But it's not a question of knocking somebody to the floor.'' Already, nobody can tell Shawn Kemp the difference between the two conferences only is perceived. In his two weeks as a Cavalier, he's already witnessed his share of aggressive behavior. "They said the Eastern Conference was a little different, and we've already had a couple altercations,'' he said. "I think we're learning quickly that we're going to have to protect ourselves.'' Around the NBA So bothered by persistent knee pain that cannot be fully cured, Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel, who already has seen three doctors this month, said he might have to consider retirement when his contract expires in 1999. "If it bothers me and bothers me,'' he said, "I wouldn't mind playing out my contract and just playing golf.'' ... Spurs rookie center Tim Duncan has bled in his first three games, suffering scratches on the arm in the first two and a gash over his left eye in the third. "He's a bleeder, there's no doubt about that,'' Robinson said. "He gushes blood. I told him we're going to have to wrap him up like a mummy.'' ... Guard Bob Sura, who now guides the Cavaliers offense, on the new up-tempo approach of Cleveland coach Mike Fratello, "When we don't push the ball after a basket, Mike is yelling at us to push it faster. It's a total change from what we're used to.'' ... Thomas Hamilton, the cockroach of NBA training camps, is making another tryout with the Bulls. The 7-foot-3 center shaved 30 pounds to get down to a svelte 350. Perhaps because of cargo concerns, the Bulls left him behind when they headed off to Paris. ... After piercing his eardrum in a collision with Indiana center Mark West, Cleveland forward Donny Marshall said, "I turned my head and my ear suction-cupped his chest.'' ... Gary Trent, on teammate Rasheed Wallace's six-year, $80 million extension from the Blazers, "If Kevin Garnett signed for $125 million ... are you telling me Garnett is $45 million better than Rasheed? I don't think so.'' ... Shooting guard Ray Allen, on life as a Milwaukee Buck, "It's hurtful when you go home or when you are just out and someone asks who you play for.'' ... Center Chris Dudley, on the delays before his trade went through with the Knicks, "I think I ought to get an honorary law degree for going through all this.''