nba.1728nba.news,
Orlando's Scott lands back on injured list
Dennis Scott, who has managed to play just 28 minutes this season, is
back on the injured list after aggravating his left hamstring strain
against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Scott, who's sharp-shooting ability was supposed to help offset the
loss of center Shaquille O'Neal for the Orlando Magic, has played in
just two games thus far. He opened the season on the injured list and
sat out the first six games.
He returned Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves and scored
just eight points in 15 minutes off the bench. He was held scoreless
against the Pacers on Saturday and was placed on the injured list list
prior to tonight's game with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Scott, who averaged 17.5 points per game last season, knocked down an
NBA-record 267 three-pointers in 1995-96.
nba.1729nba.news,
Chicago center Longley injured in Pacific Ocean mishap
CHICAGO (Nov 25, 1996 - 23:12 EST) -- Chicago Bulls starting center
Luc Longley suffered a separated left shoulder in a swimming accident
and will be lost to the team for a minimum of eight weeks.
Longley, a five-year NBA player and experienced swimmer and body
surfer who grew up in Australia, was swimming in the Pacific Ocean at
Hermosa Beach, Calif., on Sunday when a wave sent him crashing into
the sand.
"I always try and get wet when I'm on the West Coast and I like to get
in the salt water; I don't get many chances in Chicago," Longley, a
native of Melbourne, said Monday night before the Bulls' game against
the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I decided to jump on a wave to come in and it was kind of a mongrel
wave. I thought I'd just come in real easy. I think I went over a
sandbar and it just sort of spat me into the sand."
Longley said he has been in much larger waves thousands of times
before and he had never been hurt.
"I still don't consider it to be an irresponsible act, but more of an
incredibly unlucky accident. I turned a little and took it on my
shoulder and felt it go crunch. To be quite frank, I'm lucky I didn't
break my neck. If I hadn't turned, I would have landed on my head."
Longley dreaded telling Bulls officials, and he said coach Phil
Jackson's first five or six words were "pretty ugly," adding, "None of
you can ever print them. ...
"The hardest part is that I feel I'm letting the team down," Longley
added.
Teammate Steve Kerr said, "I don't think you should fault Luc for
putting himself at risk or anything. It's not like he was snow skiing
or scuba diving. He was just out for a swim."
Longley has averaged 7.3 points and five rebounds a game this season.
He will return to Chicago on Tuesday with the Bulls and see his team's
orthopedic doctor.
The Bulls said no roster move was planned at this time to make up for
Longley's loss.
Backup center Robert Parish was placed on the injured list Friday with
a back strain, leaving Bill Wennington the team's only true center.
nba.1730nba.news,
The defense doesn't stop in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (Nov 25, 1996 - 15:01 EST) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers
leading the NBA in defense is nothing new. What's a surprise is by how
much.
Through 12 games, opponents are shooting 39.8 percent. The Cavaliers
also are allowing a league-low 80.9 points a game, with the Atlanta
Hawks second at 86.2.
The Cavaliers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-74 Sunday to send their
opponents' field goal percentage below .400. If they force another
YMCA-like total against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, their
points-against average could dip into the 70s.
And how about this for a scary thought: They don't think their defense
is in sync yet.
"We know we've been pretty sharp at the defensive end," forward Chris
Mills said. "But we've talked about it, and we know we can play
better. If we do, there's no telling how low we could hold opponents
down."
Last season, the Cavaliers held opponents to an NBA record-low 88.5
points a game, while earning a reputation as one of the most boring
teams in years. This year, scoring is down across the league, which
has looked like the "No Baskets Association" at times.
Heading into Tuesday night's games, the Utah Jazz were second in
opponents' field goal percentage at .404, and the Chicago Bulls third
at .406.
But Gund Arena is "Clank Central" when the Cavs are in town. A swish
seems as out of style there as old Naismith and his peach basket.
The Kings missed everything from long 3-pointers to dunks against
Cleveland on Sunday. Coach Garry St. Jean would call the play, then
stand with arms crossed as another ball clanged off the rim.
"If you're not sharp," an exasperated St. Jean said, "they're going to
make you play."
Cleveland, which held the Atlanta Hawks to 63 points in a game last
week, has allowed 100 points only once in the last 18 games. Of
course, the Cavs have reached 100 just three times themselves this
season, and only four teams are averaging in triple digits.
So here's the question: Is Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello 1) a
defensive genius. 2) a beneficiary of a low-scoring trend. 3) lucky.
"Do you think they're missing shots because they want to?" Fratello
asked. "If they're missing them on a consistent basis, then something
must be working on them. I don't know any shooters who try to miss on
purpose."
It's unlikely Cleveland's points-against average will hover around 80
all season. The Cavaliers have yet to play any of the top scoring
teams -- Houston, Chicago, Seattle and Golden State.
Plus, Cleveland can play all the defense in the world and still feel
like it's playing for second place in the Central Division behind
Chicago. The Cavaliers are off to a fine start at 9-3, but the Bulls
started 12-1.
"Every day at practice, we take a look at the standings and see that
we are up there, and that is a good feeling," Mills said. "We're not
paying attention to the Bulls. They're going to do their thing
regardless."
nba.1731nba.news,
Hack-a-Shaq strategy works for Rockets
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Nov 25, 1996 - 13:42 EST) -- The strategy is
Hack-a-Shaq, and it worked just right for the Houston Rockets.
Other teams can be expected to follow Houston's lead. Of course, it's
nothing new. Opponents of the Orlando Magic sometimes did the same
thing during O'Neal's four years there.
"I've been playing against Shaq for a while," said Kevin Willis, who
has filled in at center for the Rockets since Hakeem Olajuwon
experienced an irregular heartbeat last week. "I know what he does,
it's no surprise. You've got to prevent him from doing what he does
best.
"If he gets it, foul him, that was our plan. Make him make the free
throws. We know what the weakness is. We wanted to exploit it."
Exploit it, the Rockets did. O'Neal missed four straight free throws
in the final 73 seconds of a 90-85 Houston victory over the Lakers on
Sunday night.
The win avenged the only loss of the season by the Rockets (12-1), who
were beaten by the Lakers 126-115 in double overtime at Houston on
Nov. 12. O'Neal fouled out late in the fourth quarter of that game.
As usual, O'Neal led the Lakers with 23 points and 11 rebounds Sunday
night, but he was 1-of-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and
3-of-11 in the game, dropping him to 46 percent (54-of-118) for the
year.
In his four previous NBA seasons, O'Neal made 55 percent of his free
throws. He signed a seven-year, $120 million contract with the Lakers
in July.
When asked about Willis' remarks, Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich was
evasive.
"If he got it in a good position, yeah," Tomjanovich said when asked
about intentionally fouling O'Neal. "Shaq did his job. If we wouldn't
have fouled him (following an offensive rebound), he would have torn
the basket down.
"It's out of great respect for him. I respect the great players in
this league and he's a great player."
But not a great foul shooter, or even a good one. And he knows it.
The Lakers led 85-83 when O'Neal misfired twice from the line with
1:13 remaining. Charles Barkley made a 3-point shot with 56 seconds
left to put the Rockets on top 86-85 -- their first lead of the second
half.
O'Neal missed another pair of free throws with 43 seconds to play.
Barkley made 1-of-2 free throws with 18.9 seconds to go, giving
Houston a two-point lead.
Los Angeles reserve Jerome Kersey missed a forced 10-foot running shot
with about six seconds left, and Willis, who had 17 points and eight
rebounds, made a three-point play with 1.1 seconds remaining to
complete the scoring.
"I have to take the blame," O'Neal said. "Usually, though I'm a bad
free throw shooter, I can make one. I'll just have to come out and try
harder. I had a chance to personally pick up this team. I didn't do
it.
"The last two I shot felt good, but they didn't go in. He (Barkley)
hit the big shots. But, as I said, I had four chances and didn't do
it. It's a very tough loss, but we have to move on."
Barkley had 23 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists one night after
his 27 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists helped the Rockets beat
Golden State 120-115 in overtime.
"We're playing for the championship," Barkley said. "Only three or
four teams are playing for the championship."
When asked if the Lakers (9-5) are one of those three or four, Barkley
smiled and said, "I don't want to voice my opinion."
The Lakers led 80-71 before being outscored 19-5 in the final six
minutes.
"The game should never have been that close," Barkley said. "They let
us hang around. You have a nine-point lead at home, you should win the
game."
nba.1732nba.news,
Rockets' Davis will miss rest of season with knee injury
HOUSTON (Nov 25, 1996 - 21:01 EST) -- Houston rookie Emanual Davis
will miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee in Sunday's
victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Davis, a point guard who has been averaging five points a game, has a
torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Surgery was set for
late next week.
The Rockets, tied with the Chicago Bulls for the NBA's best record at
12-1, already were thin at point guard, with Davis and fellow rookie
Matt Maloney sharing the duties.
Brent Price, a free-agent offseason acquisition, was signed to be a
starter and give the Rockets an outside shooting threat. But he broke
his arm in the preseason and isn't expected back until January.
nba.1733nba.news,
Suns set on moving Manning?
The Phoenix Suns shot me down last week. Danny Manning is, indeed, a
base-year compensation player, meaning he counts for just $1 million
on the Suns' cap instead of the $6.8 million he's being paid.
But that doesn't mean Phoenix isn't shopping the veteran forward, and
it doesn't mean they aren't interested in acquiring Shawn Bradley from
the Nets. It just means they'd have to do the deal in a different
manner. Both teams want to clear cap room for next year and beyond.
Remember, the Suns protested long and loud all summer that they
weren't shopping Charles Barkley, really they weren't. And while
Bradley hasn't played that badly for the Nets, there's no way he fits
into what John Calipari wants to do -- trap, press and run. Meanwhile,
the Pacers shot down another rumor last week -- Manning to Indiana,
where he'd have a reunion with Larry Brown. "Don't think you'll see
that again," an Indiana source says.
Around the East
One reason the Bucks are doing better this year: Chris Ford came in
and simplified Mike Dunleavy's complex playbook. But a bigger reason
is the addition of high character guys like Armon Gilliam and Elliot
Perry, and the subtraction of dead weight like Kevin Duckworth and
Benoit Benjamin.
One veteran advance scout says the Bucks are the most improved team in
the league. Milwaukee's bench is deeper, and that's taken some
pressure off Glenn Robinson. "I feel like he knows we have a much
better team, and he doesn't have to carry the full weight," Dunleavy
said. "Before, he felt like he was the guy and he had to carry the
load ... I never felt it was out of selfishness, but that he felt he
had to do it."
Pat Riley is still looking to tweak his roster, and his offer to
Brian Williams is still on the table. Ditto the Pacers, who offered
Williams their $1 million cap exemption. Williams' agent, Fred
Slaughter, is putting his hopes on the cap going up by as much as $1
million, but don't count on it, the way the league and the union are
haggling.
More on the Pacers: Travis Best is in at the point after suffering
what GM Donnie Walsh called a "lobotomy" at the hands of Larry Brown
during the preseason. "Woody (Haywoode Workman) has been through it
before," Walsh said. "Travis ... is trying too hard to please Larry.
What Travis needs is to be more of a scoring threat than Mark
(Jackson) was."
Best has done that since taking over for the injured Workman at the
point a week ago. But the Pacers still desperately need Rik Smits back
on the low post. Reggie Miller's getting crowded on the perimeter;
defenses aren't doubling Dale Davis when he posts up.
The Pistons have gotten surprisingly good play from Lindsey Hunter,
whom they were shopping all summer. They're playing him at the "two"
on offense (letting Grant Hill handle the ball) and point guard on
defense.
"Grant can get anybody shots," a Detroit insider says. "Lindsey is
playing his true position. What Lindsey is, is a scorer. He's really
filled in for where Allan (Houston) was." And Doug Collins has
lightened up a little after cracking the whip last season. "He had to
be an (expletive) last year to get everybody's attention," the Detroit
man says.
The Cavaliers are 7-3 but Mike Fratello's snoozefest isn't packing
them in at Gund Arena, where attendance is off 14 percent from last
season, which was off from the year before.
It's been a tough year so far for Juwan Howard, who has been
arrested for driving under the influence in Washington, been sued for
paternity by a Detroit woman and played poorly, in part because of
painful shin-splints. Not to mention the fact that since he signed his
$105 million deal, he's become the favorite relative of a lot of
people.
"I have to know how to say no," Howard says. "It's a two-letter word
in some sense, but it's a big word, too. You have to learn that. And
I'm starting to learn that. I can't be Mr. Nice Guy all the time. It's
like if I never had this, you wouldn't come my way. If I didn't have a
million dollars, you wouldn't notice me at all. And sometimes you have
to turn down family members. They want to pay a few bills and stuff
like that."
Dennis Rodman's first salvo in the rebounding war he'll have this
season with Charles Barkley: "If I had a million dollars for every
rebounding title I had ... if he's just worried about the rebounding
title, he's losing sight of the big goal. (Bleep) the rebounding
title. The big goal is the ring."
Way out West
Jim McIlvaine hasn't played great so far in Seattle. He's had a couple
of good defensive games, but he's having trouble picking up all the
things coach George Karl wants his centers to be able to do, like
switching out front. But McIlvaine insists there's no bad blood
between him and Shawn Kemp, who held out of camp when he couldn't get
his contract redone. "(Shawn) knows and I know that he's going to make
a lot more money than me," McIlvaine said. "It's just a matter of
time."
The Sonics have gotten a solid lift from free-agent pickup Craig Ehlo,
who was this close to retiring when Seattle offered him $360,000 for
this season. "I heard all the stories about them, that Gary (Payton)
wouldn't shut up ... where he was like all about him and all the talk
was about himself," Ehlo said. "The bottom line is that the guy wants
to win, and he's very competitive and that is what he talks about, and
he says it in sometimes a selfish way, but it's moreover to let the
team know that he's trying his best."
Olden speaks out
Okay, Olden Polynice is hardly an angel, and his two-day hunger strike
to protest atrocities in his native Haiti a few years ago engendered
snickers from teammates. But his heart is in the right place, like
when he refused to sit in a chair at ARCO Arena last week that had the
Texaco logo on it.
Texaco recently settled a massive lawsuit by employees that alleged
racial discrimination, and there's at least some debate about a
recorded tape in which company executives may or may not have uttered
racial slurs.
"I would have been very hypocritical as far as my beliefs if I had sat
in the chair," Polynice said. "I don't have to worry about big
endorsements or anything like that, and even if I did I would still be
doing the same thing. I think a lot of guys worry about their shoe
deals, their commercials. They're afraid (to speak out). And that's
unfortunate."
Stupidity in Texas: Oliver Miller getting into a screaming match
with Kevin Sullivan, vice president of the Mavericks communications
staff. In front of startled television photographers, Miller shouted
obscenities at Sullivan and said, according to the Dallas Morning
News, "I don't even know your (bleeping) name." Maybe he should.
Sullivan was perhaps the best PR man in the league for a decade with
the Mavericks, and more important, one of the nicest and most
respected as well.
The Suns figured Cotton Fitzsimmons had run out of steam before he
quit 10 days ago. Jerry Colangelo and son Bryan, the team's GM, had
had to talk Fitzsimmons into returning in the first place. They'd
taken him out to dinner after Phoenix got smoked in the first round
last year to see if he had the energy to return for one more campaign,
after which they'd hand the reins to Danny Ainge. Fitzsimmons said
then that he did, but obviously changed his mind.
Could Garry St. Jean be in trouble in Sacramento? Teams that have
played the Kings say they're just going through the motions right now,
and Mitch Richmond hasn't been as good this season.
Utah's Jeff Hornacek finally broke out for 30 last week after
hitting just 35 percent from the floor the first two weeks of the
season.
Rookie point guard Derek Fisher's play for the Lakers has made
Rumeal Robinson an afterthought off the Los Angeles bench. "Jerry West
has been doing a great job of kind of helping me out and pushing me
along, staying in my ear," Fisher said.
"For the most part, my job coming in is to play good defense, be under
control, not turn the ball over, and just let things come to me. I'm
not in a position on this team where I have to score any points at
all."
Says coach Del Harris: "He's tough. I think people appreciate
toughness...they respond to point guard play in general...it's not
like a prima donna pitcher shaking the catcher off all the time."
nba.1734nba.news,
Sonics booming as winning-streak rises to 11
NEW YORK (Nov 25, 1996 - 15:54 EST) -- George Karl has two
distinguishing quirks these days. He laughs a lot and he talks like
Phil Jackson.
His team is a lot like the Chicago Bulls, too.
The Seattle SuperSonics have won 11 straight games, and Karl is
confident his team is every bit as good as the one that defeated the
Sonics 4-2 in the NBA Finals last June.
"I like the idea that we don't play them until February," Karl said
Sunday after the Sonics beat the Knicks 102-92 for their fourth
straight victory on a six-game road trip and their eighth straight
road win overall. "We want to play them. It would be fine to play them
four times. And we don't care if we lose to them.
"I think the Bulls are a fantastic basketball team. They're special in
many, many ways. But the whole thing is that when we've played them, I
think it's been pretty equal."
The Sonics won't play Chicago until Feb. 2. In the meantime, the
11-game streak, combined with a familiarity among the players that the
Rockets and Lakers lack, has left Seattle again looking like the team
to beat in the West.
"I think our team is over the need for an ego boost or attention. This
team got a taste of playing in a championship series. It wants to
prove itself," Karl said.
Next up for the Sonics are games at Charlotte on Tuesday and Minnesota
on Wednesday. With two more wins, they would have a chance to play
Phoenix at home Friday night with a chance to tie the team record of
14 straight wins set last season.
After winning 64 games and shedding their penchant for first-round
playoff disasters last season, the Sonics made it to the finals and
promptly lost the first three games to the Bulls.
"We have a mentality that it was our first time in the championship
series, and we fell in a hole or tripped over a rock before we got
started," Karl said. "Once we got started, it was pretty cool. We know
that."
And Karl thinks that given the chance, things will turn out
differently next time. In the meantime, he's trying to get his team to
pay attention to Chicago's personality.
"I have a love relationship with the Bulls," he said. "I think they're
fantastic. I love their mentality, I love their attitude ... they're
just assassins.
"Sometimes I don't like my team because we try to be entertainers. I
don't ever see the Bulls being entertainers. They just go boom, boom,
boom," Karl said, pretending to fire a gun.
The Sonics' 12-2 record is a half-game below Houston's 12-1 mark, but
Seattle is already past the midpoint of its longest road trip of the
season.
After the current trip, the Sonics will play nine of their next 14 and
20 of their next 31 games at home.
If the winning pattern holds, they could go into the All-Star break
with a record to rival Chicago's.
The Sonics' formula for success is much like it has been the past few
seasons. Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp are arguably the best point
guard-power forward combination in the conference, Hersey Hawkins and
Sam Perkins are the outside threats, Detlef Schrempf does a little of
everything and the defense uses pressure and traps to force an
up-tempo style that suits the Sonics best.
Nate McMillan, Karl's favorite player, is expected back next week.
"We have such an unselfish bunch of guys, a lot of veterans who
understand the sacrifices it takes to win games and be a championship
caliber team," Hawkins said.
The difference this year comes from the experience of coming so close
to a championship last season. And when Karl talks about it, he comes
close to sounding like his counterpart in Chicago, the introspective
Jackson.
"There's an innerness to our thoughts this year," Karl said. "Last
year, it was like an armor -- we wore it on the outside. I think this
team has a trust and an innerness to it. I don't know if that makes
any sense, but ...
"They know me, we know each other. We know what we want to do and we
usually we get it done."
nba.1735basrak,
-> #1709, superhik> Kako bre ista!????
> Potpuno različiti podaci...
Izgleda da se kod mene desio neki zbrlj pa su fajlovi bili potpuno isti sem u
imenu... Sad sam ponovo skinuo i sve je ok. Sorry na šumu.
nba.1736superhik,
Vlade Divac HTML format...
Ako nekog zanimaju strani igrači neka viče, ja ću baciti sve naše...
vlade.zipnba.1737dizel,
Houston - Portland 103:102, posle produžetaka. Igrač utakmice
Čarls Barkli.
nba.1738vpoznanovic,
Tuesday, November 26
L.A. Lakers at Philadelphia 100:88
Miami at Golden State 107:88
Phoenix at Denver 108:117
Portland at Houston 101:102
Sacramento at Toronto 98:87
San Antonio at Dallas 101:105
Seattle at Charlotte 89:97
Vancouver at Atlanta 80:101
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
LA LAKERS 25 19 27 29 100
PHILADELPHIA 29 25 16 18 88 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: LAL - EDDIE JONES 23, SHAQUILLE ONEAL 23, TWO PLAYERS WITH
12
PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 17, JERRY STACKHOUSE 17, ALLEN
IVERSON 16
HIGH REBOUND: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 20, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7
PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 10
HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - EDDIE JONES 6, NICK VAN EXEL 6
PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 10, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2
ATT: 20,652
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MIAMI 27 25 23 32 107
GOLDEN STATE 25 11 27 25 88 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: MIA - DAN MAJERLE 23, ALONZO MOURNING 22, TIM HARDAWAY 17
GSW - JOE SMITH 24, CHRIS MULLIN 17, LATRELL SPREWELL 14
HIGH REBOUND: MIA - PJ BROWN 8, ALONZO MOURNING 7
GSW - JOE SMITH 15, FELTON SPENCER 7
HIGH ASSISTS: MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
ATT: 15,026
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PHOENIX 21 27 26 34 108
DENVER 23 25 33 36 117 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: PHO - KEVIN JOHNSON 34, REX CHAPMAN 20, WESLEY PERSON 19
DEN - DALE ELLIS 28, BROOKS THOMPSON 26, TOM HAMMONDS 19
HIGH REBOUND: PHO - THREE PLAYERS WITH 5
DEN - TOM HAMMONDS 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 10
HIGH ASSISTS: PHO - MICHAEL FINLEY 4, KEVIN JOHNSON 3
DEN - MARK JACKSON 8, BRYANT STITH 6
ATT: 9,226
NBA FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- --- -----
PORTLAND 36 16 18 23 8 101
HOUSTON 19 29 22 23 9 102 FINAL IN 1ST OT
HIGH SCORERS: POR - KENNY ANDERSON 32, CLIFFORD ROBINSON 22, RASHEED
WALLACE 16
HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 30, HAKEEM OLAJUWON 27, CLYDE
DREXLER 12
HIGH REBOUND: POR - RASHEED WALLACE 12, CHRIS DUDLEY 8
HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
HIGH ASSISTS: POR - ISAIAH RIDER 11, KENNY ANDERSON 5
HOU - MARIO ELIE 8, MATT MALONEY 5
ATT: 16,285
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SACRAMENTO 31 28 11 28 98
TORONTO 20 23 23 21 87 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SAC - MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF 18, OLDEN POLYNICE 16, MITCH
RICHMOND 15
TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 27, POPEYE JONES 15, WALT WILLIAMS
15
HIGH REBOUND: SAC - BILLY OWENS 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7
TOR - POPEYE JONES 16, WALT WILLIAMS 7
HIGH ASSISTS: SAC - MITCH RICHMOND 7, LIONEL SIMMONS 4
TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 6, WALT WILLIAMS 3
ATT: 15,037
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SAN ANTONIO 24 26 24 27 101
DALLAS 30 19 31 25 105 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SAS - DOMINIQUE WILKINS 32, VERNON MAXWELL 21, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 12
DAL - CHRIS GATLING 26, GEORGE MCCLOUD 22, JIM JACKSON 21
HIGH REBOUND: SAS - MONTY WILLIAMS 8, WILL PERDUE 8
DAL - CHRIS GATLING 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5
HIGH ASSISTS: SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 8, SEAN ELLIOTT 5
DAL - JASON KIDD 10, JIM JACKSON 8
ATT: 14,567
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SEATTLE 28 26 13 22 89
CHARLOTTE 23 25 24 25 97 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SEA - SHAWN KEMP 23, GARY PAYTON 17, DETLEF SCHREMPF 15
CHA - GLEN RICE 24, ANTHONY MASON 14, DELL CURRY 14
HIGH REBOUND: SEA - SHAWN KEMP 14, HERSEY HAWKINS 7
CHA - VLADE DIVAC 13, ANTHONY MASON 10
HIGH ASSISTS: SEA - GARY PAYTON 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
CHA - TYRONE BOGUES 12, ANTHONY MASON 10
ATT: 24,042
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
VANCOUVER 19 20 23 18 80
ATLANTA 37 16 25 23 101 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 19, ROY ROGERS 16, BRYANT REEVES
9
ATL - CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 18, TYRONE CORBIN 17, MOOKIE
BLAYLOCK 15
HIGH REBOUND: VAN - ANTHONY PEELER 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 21, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 13
HIGH ASSISTS: VAN - GREG ANTHONY 4, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 2
ATL - MOOKIE BLAYLOCK 8, TYRONE CORBIN 4
ATT: 6,957
nba.1739nba.news,
LA LAKERS (100) AT PHILADELPHIA (88)
LA LAKERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
JONES F 42 7-18 6-6 5 1 6 6 2 8 1 23
CAMPBELL F 28 2-6 5-7 2 5 7 2 4 0 0 9
ONEAL C 38 9-15 5-12 4 16 20 1 4 1 1 23
SCOTT G 22 4-7 3-4 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 12
VAN EXEL G 21 1-7 0-0 0 0 0 6 2 0 5 2
ROOKS 8 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0
KNIGHT 20 3-4 0-0 2 5 7 2 3 0 3 6
BLOUNT 10 1-1 1-2 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 3
FISHER 27 3-7 3-6 0 2 2 2 3 3 1 10
BRYANT 21 4-10 2-2 0 1 1 1 1 0 3 12
ROBINSON 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KERSEY DNP - STRAINED ACHILLES TENDON
TOTALS 240 34-78 25-39 15 34 49 23 20 12 18 100
(.436) (.641) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 20(18 PTS)
PHILADELPHIA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WEATHERSPOON F 34 5-12 2-2 4 6 10 1 2 1 4 12
COLEMAN F 40 7-15 2-2 5 8 13 2 6 1 4 17
WILLIAMS C 31 2-4 2-2 2 8 10 0 6 1 3 6
STACKHOUSE G 31 6-12 5-6 1 3 4 1 6 2 6 17
IVERSON G 43 6-27 2-2 4 3 7 10 3 3 2 16
DAVIS 21 3-8 0-0 3 1 4 1 1 0 1 6
CAGE 16 2-2 2-4 1 2 3 0 2 1 0 6
HARRIS 7 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
WALTERS 16 2-9 0-0 0 2 2 2 1 0 1 6
OVERTON 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BRADTKE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
MACLEAN DNP - INJURED RIGHT KNEE
TOTALS 240 34-93 15-18 20 33 53 18 27 10 21 88
(.366) (.833) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 23(34 PTS)
LA LAKERS 25 19 27 29 - 100
PHILADELPHIA 29 25 16 18 - 88
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - CAMPBELL 2, ONEAL 2, KNIGHT. PHILADELPHIA -
COLEMAN, WILLIAMS, CAGE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-23 (.304), JONES 3-10, ONEAL 0-1, SCOTT
1-2, VAN EXEL 0-3, FISHER 1-2, BRYANT 2-5. PHILADELPHIA 5-18 (.278),
COLEMAN 1-3, STACKHOUSE 0-3, IVERSON 2-6, DAVIS 0-1, HARRIS 0-1, WALTERS
2-4.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: TIM DONAGHY, TED BERNHARDT, ED F RUSH.
A - 20,652. T - 2:15.
LA LAKERS (100) AT PHILADELPHIA (88)
Shaquille O'Neal had 23 points and 20 rebounds and led a
decisive fourth-quarter surge as the Los Angeles Lakers opened a
three-game road trip with a 100-88 victory over the Philadelphia
76ers.
Eddie Jones added 23 points for the Lakers, who overcame a
10-point halftime deficit and improved to 5-3 on the road. Los
Angeles has won 16 of its last 20 games against Philadelphia.
"I thought we played an outstanding second half," Lakers coach
Del Harris said. "I was worried at halftime. Philadelphia took
a lot of momentum into their locker room."
"We didn't want to lose to this team," O'Neal said. "We came
back in the fourth quarter and made the shots when we needed
them, when it counted."
Derrick Coleman and Jerry Stackhouse scored 17 points apiece and
rookie Allen Iverson added 16 and a season-high 10 assists for
the 76ers, who have lost five of seven.
"We cost ourselves the game," Stackhouse said. "It is a
scenario that's been happening at home. We got in foul trouble,
then things started to break down. They got a lot of forced
turnovers, but we have to focus more on not turning it over in
the trap."
Philadelphia still led by eight points early in the third period
before Jones scored seven points in a 13-3 burst. Two foul
shots by rookie Kobe Bryant capped the run and gave the Lakers a
68-66 lead with 2:52 left in the quarter.
The Sixers trailed 71-70 entering the final period and took
their last lead at 80-79 on a three-pointer by Iverson with 6:58
remaining. But Los Angeles scored 16 of the next 20 points over
the next six minutes, with O'Neal accounting for seven. Rookie
Derek Fisher's two free throws gave the Lakers a 95-84 lead with
a minute to go.
Bryant and Byron Scott scored 12 points apiece for the Lakers,
who shot 44 percent (34-of-78) from the field and were beaten on
the boards, 53-49.
"We are going to have days when we are not going to shoot the
ball well so we are going to have the guys come off the bench
and tonight those young fellas did the job for us," Jones said.
"Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, those guys did a great job for us.
As soon as I get on the bus I'm going to smack them in the head
and say 'Great job.'"
Usually guarded by 6-10 Scott Williams, the 7-2 O'Neal made just
5-of-12 free throws, but Los Angeles attempted 21 more foul
shots than Philadelphia.
"We stepped up our defense, we held them to one shot, we even
hit some free throws," said O'Neal, who was 3-for-11 from the
line in a loss to Houston on Sunday. "Usually I hit my free
throws in clutch situations with the exception of the other
night. I said to myself 'Nah, I don't want to have two bad free
throw shooting nights.' I came out 0-for-6 so I said to myself,
'I'm going to hit my other ones.'
Coleman had 13 rebounds and Williams and Clarence Weatherspoon
had 10 apiece for the Sixers, who shot 37 percent (34-of-93) and
committed 23 turnovers.
Stackhouse scored 14 points, Coleman 12 and Weatherspoon 10 in
the first half as Philadelphia raced to a 54-44 lead.
"We had a real solid first half," Sixers coach Johnny Davis
said. "In the second half, we didn't handle the press well. In
order for us to reach where we want to be, we need to play 48
minutes. Tonight we only played 24."
nba.1740nba.news,
MIAMI (107) AT GOLDEN STATE (88)
MIAMI
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BROWN F 33 4-7 4-4 1 7 8 1 4 0 0 12
MAJERLE F 39 8-14 1-2 2 3 5 3 3 3 2 23
MOURNING C 39 9-20 4-6 2 5 7 2 3 2 4 22
DANILOVIC G 33 4-9 2-2 1 2 3 3 2 2 3 11
HARDAWAY G 37 6-7 4-5 2 4 6 14 0 0 4 17
AUSTIN 19 2-7 2-2 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 6
ASKINS 19 3-6 0-0 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 9
GRANT 11 0-2 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 0 2 2
PINCKNEY 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
LENARD 3 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3
STRICKLAND 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
SCOTT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-75 19-23 10 27 37 26 15 7 16 107
(.507) (.826) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 16(19 PTS)
GOLDEN STATE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MULLIN F 40 6-12 4-4 1 1 2 6 3 5 2 17
SMITH F 37 11-25 2-2 8 7 15 0 2 0 2 24
SPENCER C 32 1-2 2-2 1 6 7 0 4 0 1 4
PRICE G 26 5-11 2-2 0 2 2 6 2 1 0 12
SPREWELL G 42 6-20 1-2 1 2 3 8 1 3 4 14
DECLERCQ 15 3-6 0-0 5 1 6 0 4 3 1 6
ARMSTRONG 22 2-6 2-2 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 6
ROYAL 5 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0
FULLER 9 0-3 0-0 2 0 2 1 2 0 1 0
ROE 6 0-1 2-2 2 0 2 1 2 0 1 2
MARSHALL 3 1-4 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 3
OWES 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 240 35-91 15-16 21 23 44 24 22 12 14 88
(.385) (.938) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 14(14 PTS)
MIAMI 27 25 23 32 - 107
GOLDEN STATE 25 11 27 25 - 88
BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - MOURNING 8, STRICKLAND 2, BROWN 2. GOLDEN STATE -
SMITH 2, SPENCER 2, DECLERCQ, MULLIN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 12-22 (.545), MAJERLE 6-11, DANILOVIC 1-2,
HARDAWAY 1-2, ASKINS 3-4, GRANT 0-1, LENARD 1-2. GOLDEN STATE 3-15 (.200),
MULLIN 1-3, PRICE 0-4, SPREWELL 1-4, ARMSTRONG 0-2, MARSHALL 1-2.
TECHNICALS: MIAMI - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: RON GARRETSON, TOMMY NUNEZ, KEVIN FEHR.
A - 15,026. T - 2:00.
MIAMI (107) AT GOLDEN STATE (88)
Dan Majerle scored 23 points and keyed a decisive first-half run
as the Miami Heat won their fifth straight game, defeating the
Golden State Warriors, 107-88.
Alonzo Mourning scored 22 points and former Warrior Tim Hardaway
added 17 and 14 assists for Miami, which improved to 5-0 on its
current six-game road trip. Mourning blocked eight shots and
grabbed seven rebounds for the Heat, who conclude their road
trip Wednesday against the Clippers.
"We played very well on the road tonight," said Hardaway, who
had a tumultuous stay with the Warriors. "Our inside game was
very outstanding. It was nice to come back to the bay area
tonight. No ill feelings toward (coach) Rick Adelman or the
Warriors. "
Joe Smith scored 24 points, Chris Mullin added 17 and Mark Price
contributed 12 for Golden State, which was held to 11 points in
the second quarter and fell to 1-6 at home. The Warriors shot
19 percent (4-of-21) from the field in the second quarter.
"The (Heat) played a very solid game tonight," Adelman said. "We
were never in this thing even as early as the first quarter. We
keep playing all these quality teams and we can't put a run
together."
Trailing 15-9 early in the first quarter, the Heat scored the
next seven points to grab a 16-15 lead as Hardaway scored four
points and Sasha Danilovic hit a three-pointer to cap the spurt.
The Heat overtook the Warriors 27-25 on Majerle's three-pointer
with four seconds left in the first quarter and never looked
back.
Majerle also began the second quarter with a three-pointer to
continue a 22-4 burst. He added a 20-foot jumper, and later, a
free throw during the run.
Isaac Austin scored six points in the run. Keith Askins's
three-pointer gave Miami a 46-29 advantage with 5:02 remaining.
The Heat shot 51 percent (38-of-75) from the field and held the
Warriors to 39 percent (35-of-91).
nba.1741nba.news,
PHOENIX (108) AT DENVER (117)
PHOENIX
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
FINLEY F 29 5-11 2-2 3 2 5 4 1 0 2 12
MANNING F 20 2-7 1-2 0 2 2 0 3 1 2 5
KLEINE C 20 0-3 0-0 0 4 4 1 1 2 0 0
CHAPMAN G 31 9-16 0-0 0 4 4 1 3 2 1 20
JOHNSON G 36 12-17 9-11 1 2 3 3 3 0 4 34
HORRY 22 1-3 1-2 2 3 5 1 2 0 2 3
PERSON 35 8-15 0-0 1 4 5 1 2 5 0 19
WILLIAMS 22 1-5 6-10 2 1 3 2 3 3 1 8
NASH 14 1-5 1-2 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 4
GREEN 11 1-4 1-2 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 3
BROWN DNP - COACH'S DECISION
CASSELL DNP - ILLNESS IN FAMILY
TOTALS 240 40-86 21-31 11 25 36 15 19 14 12 108
(.465) (.677) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 12(15 PTS)
DENVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D ELLIS F 47 9-21 8-8 1 4 5 2 3 0 3 28
MCDYESS F 31 6-14 0-0 3 7 10 3 5 2 5 12
JOHNSON C 31 3-5 0-2 1 9 10 1 3 0 2 6
STITH G 29 3-5 7-8 1 3 4 6 3 1 0 13
JACKSON G 23 3-5 0-0 0 1 1 8 1 2 1 7
MARCIULIONIS 11 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 0
HAMMONDS 34 8-10 3-4 5 8 13 1 3 0 1 19
B THOMPSON 25 10-17 0-0 0 2 2 4 4 0 4 26
HAM 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0
MCINNIS 4 2-3 2-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
L THOMPSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 44-83 20-24 11 35 46 28 25 5 19 117
(.530) (.833) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 19(20 PTS)
PHOENIX 21 27 26 34 - 108
DENVER 23 25 33 36 - 117
BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX - MANNING 2, HORRY 2. DENVER - JOHNSON 4,
HAMMONDS 2, MCDYESS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 7-16 (.438), CHAPMAN 2-5, JOHNSON 1-1, HORRY
0-2, PERSON 3-5, NASH 1-3. DENVER 9-18 (.500), D ELLIS 2-6, STITH 0-1,
JACKSON 1-1, MARCIULIONIS 0-1, B THOMPSON 6-9.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BERNIE FRYER, HUGH EVANS, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - 9,226. T - 2:05.
PHOENIX (108) AT DENVER (117)
Dick Motta's return to coaching was a victorious one as Dale
Ellis scored 28 points and Brooks Thompson added a career-high
26 for the Denver Nuggets, who knocked off the winless Phoenix
Suns, 117-108.
Motta, hired as an asssistant to Bernie Bickerstaff during the
off-season, replaced him earlier in the day. Bickerstaff
resigned as coach but will remain general manager.
"We get to celebrate this one for about 30 seconds," said Motta,
who recorded his 919th win. "We had a tough time with 'KJ'
(Kevin Johnson) in the second half, but I thought we did a much
better job in the second half in adjusting. Obviously, Brooks
Thompson shot the ball very well."
The Suns set a franchise record with their 13th straight loss.
They are four shy of the NBA record for most losses to start a
season, set by the 1988 Miami Heat.
Thompson, a second-year guard who was released by the Utah Jazz
11 days ago and signed by Denver less than a week later, nailed
six three-pointers. Tom Hammonds had 19 points and 13 rebounds
off the bench for Denver, which was coming off a franchise-low
65 points in a loss at Portland on Saturday. Denver improved to
2-5 at home.
"It feels great with a career-high game in my second home game
where I grew up," Thompson said. "I can't say how happy I am
playing here in Denver. I won a state championship here in high
school and this feels good."
Kevin Johnson, playing his second game of the season, scored 34
points, Rex Chapman added 20 and Wesley Person contributed 19
for Phoenix, the only other team to have changed coaches thus
far. Danny Ainge fell to 0-5 since replacing Cotton
Fitzsimmons.
"Dick must have got after their guys more than I did because
they came out with a good effort in the third quarter," Ainge
admitted. "Brooks Thompson was great."
"We hung our heads on the defensive end," Johnson said. "What
bothers me is that we just didn't compete as hard as we should.
Brooks gave them a huge lift. He stepped up and gave them what
they needed."
Thompson nailed consecutive three-pointers to ignite a 14-6 run
at the outset of the fourth quarter. Ellis' jumper capped the
burst and gave the Nuggets a 95-80 lead a little less than four
minutes into the fourth quarter.
Phoenix cut into a 100-85 deficit midway through the fourth
quarter with an 18-8 run. Chapman scored seven points in the
spurt and John "Hot Rod" Wiliams made one free throw to draw the
Suns within 108-103 with 2:01 remaining in the game. Williams
was playing his first game of the season after having surgery on
his foot.
But Thompson followed with a three-pointer to seal the game.
The Nuggets took a 23-21 lead into the second quarter desoite 13
first-quarter points by Johnson. Denver outscored Phoenix 33-26
in the third quarter to take an 81-74 advantage into the final
12 minutes behind Ellis' 18 points.
Antonio McDyess and Ervin Johnson each grabbed 10 rebounds for
Denver, which shot 53 percent (44-of-83) from the field to
defeat Phoenix for the fourth time in five games.
Johnson made 12-of-17 shots and Michael Finley scored 12 points
for Phoenix, which shot 47 percent (40-of-86) and was
outrebounded 46-36.
nba.1742nba.news,
PORTLAND (101) AT HOUSTON (102) - FINAL IN OT
PORTLAND
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
C ROBINSON F 49 9-18 1-2 2 2 4 4 4 2 2 22
WALLACE F 37 8-12 0-0 1 11 12 0 5 2 5 16
SABONIS C 31 2-5 2-2 1 6 7 3 6 1 5 6
RIDER G 43 3-12 0-0 3 1 4 11 2 2 0 8
ANDERSON G 45 10-19 8-8 0 4 4 5 3 3 3 32
CHILDRESS 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0
DUDLEY 28 2-3 1-2 3 5 8 1 5 0 3 5
TRENT 14 5-9 0-0 2 2 4 0 1 0 1 10
MCKIE 13 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 4 1 0 1 2
BUTLER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
DJORDJEVIC DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WINGFIELD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 265 40-81 12-14 12 32 44 28 28 11 22 101
(.494) (.857) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 22(32 PTS)
HOUSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ELIE F 42 2-8 3-3 1 2 3 8 1 0 5 8
BARKLEY F 50 10-20 9-12 5 9 14 4 1 5 3 30
OLAJUWON C 41 9-21 9-11 0 6 6 0 2 2 3 27
DREXLER G 47 4-10 4-6 2 4 6 1 1 2 3 12
MALONEY G 35 3-5 2-2 0 1 1 5 3 2 0 9
WILLIS 15 3-7 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 6
LIVINGSTON 18 1-5 0-1 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 2
MACK 7 1-1 1-1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3
BULLARD 10 2-2 0-2 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 5
HARRINGTON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
JONES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
MOORE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 265 35-79 28-38 10 26 36 19 14 12 17 102
(.443) (.737) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 17(23 PTS)
PORTLAND 36 16 18 23 8 - 101
HOUSTON 19 29 22 23 9 - 102
BLOCKED SHOTS: PORTLAND - WALLACE 3, C ROBINSON 2, DUDLEY 2, SABONIS.
HOUSTON - OLAJUWON 3, DREXLER 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PORTLAND 9-24 (.375), C ROBINSON 3-6, WALLACE 0-2,
SABONIS 0-2, RIDER 2-5, ANDERSON 4-8, CHILDRESS 0-1. HOUSTON 4-14 (.286),
ELIE 1-4, BARKLEY 1-2, DREXLER 0-4, MALONEY 1-3, BULLARD 1-1.
TECHNICALS: PORTLAND - ANDERSON, HOUSTON - BARKLEY, ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: DAVID JONES, BOB DELANEY, SEAN CORBIN.
A - 16,285. T - 2:36.
PORTLAND (101) AT HOUSTON (102) - FINAL IN OT
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 27 points after a three-game absence due
to an irregular heartbeat and Clyde Drexler's three-point play
with 39 seconds left in overtime snapped a tie as the Houston
Rockets shook off a slow start to defeat the Portland Trail
Blazers, 102-101.
Houston has won seven straight games and improved to 7-1 at
home. The Rockets are 13-1 and are tied with the Chicago Bulls
for the NBA's best record.
"This was a gut win for us," said Rockets coach Rudy
Tomjanovich. "Portland has some very fine players and a
19-point lead is hard to come by with the talent they have.
Give our guys credit, they stayed with the offense and played
great defense when they had to."
Isaiah Rider had given Portland a 99-97 lead when he hit a
turnaround jumper with 2:02 left in overtime. But Portland
center Arvydas Sabonis picked up his sixth foul with 1:12 left
trying to cover Olajuwon.
Ten seconds later, Olajuwon hit a pair of free throws to tie the
game before Drexler was fouled by Rider on a fast break basket.
His free throw gave Houston a 102-99 lead. Kenny Anderson drew
Portland within 102-101 with 34 seconds remaining on a pair of
foul shots.
After the Rockets did not score, the Trail Blazers got the ball
back with nine seconds to play. But Anderson missed a 15-footer
and Rider shot an airball on a 19-footer in the closing seconds.
"The last play of the game, I almost broke Rider's arm," said
Barkley. "I hit him so hard, but the referees just didn't make
the call. They wanted the players to decide the game."
Anderson finished with a season-high 32 points and Clifford
Robinson added 22 for Portland, which had a four-game winning
streak snapped despite owning a 32-13 first-quarter lead.
"We started out like gang-busters," said Anderson. "We were
hitting threes from everywhere, but we just didn't do some of
the little things we should have and that allowed them to get
back in the game."
Houston forced overtime when Matt Maloney hit a bank shot with
13 seconds remaining in regulation for a 93-93 tie. Olajuwon
rejected Sabonis in the closing seconds.
Olajuwon opened overtime with a jumper, but Anderson and
Robinson hit jumpers to give Portland a 97-95 lead at the 3:05
mark. Barkley answered with a turnaround jumper to tie
the game before Rider gave the Blazers their final lead.
Olajuwon made 9-of-21 shots from the field and played 41
minutes. He helped Houston outscored the Blazers, 46-28, in the
paint.
"Everything is fine, I was not fatigued, just a little sluggish
to start," said Olajuwon. "Sabonis is like a giant out there,
he's not very mobile, but he positions himself well. I just
had to beat him to the punch. We know the type of team we are
and we do not panic when the other team jumps out to a big lead."
"I thought Dream (Olajuwon) was a little flat to open the game,"
added Tomjanovich. "But you won't be able to tell that if you
look at the stat sheet."
Portland shot 49 percent (40-of-81) from the field and
outrebounded the Rockets, 44-36. But the Blazers also committed
22 turnovers, leading to 32 points for Houston. Rider also had
a career-high 11 assists.
"We had opportunities and we played very hard," said Portland
coach P.J. Carlesimo. "But you can't let the other team shoot
24 more free throws than you do. What we used to get the big
lead they used to get back in the game. It's not an accident
they won the game, they have great players and are extremely
well-coached."
Houston made 28-of-38 free throws compared to 12-of-14 by
Portland.
nba.1743nba.news,
SACRAMENTO (98) AT TORONTO (87)
SACRAMENTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
OWENS F 29 4-9 0-0 3 5 8 2 2 0 1 8
C WILLIAMSON F 24 5-11 2-2 1 1 2 3 5 2 1 12
POLYNICE C 39 6-12 4-6 2 5 7 3 4 0 1 16
RICHMOND G 45 5-18 4-4 0 3 3 7 1 0 3 15
ABDUL-RAUF G 30 5-10 7-8 0 1 1 2 4 3 0 18
SIMMONS 30 4-6 4-4 0 4 4 4 2 3 1 13
SMITH 24 2-3 3-4 0 7 7 1 0 1 0 7
EDNEY 19 3-9 3-3 1 1 2 3 1 0 0 9
CAUSWELL DNP - COACH'S DECISION
DANIELS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
GAMBLE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HURLEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 34-78 27-31 7 27 34 25 19 9 7 98
(.436) (.871) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 7(4 PTS)
TORONTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WILLIAMS F 41 6-13 2-3 3 4 7 3 3 1 5 15
JONES F 45 6-10 2-2 5 11 16 1 3 1 0 15
WRIGHT C 14 5-12 3-6 2 2 4 0 6 0 2 13
CHRISTIE G 38 1-9 5-6 0 6 6 2 6 1 2 7
STOUDAMIRE G 36 9-17 4-6 0 6 6 6 2 0 6 27
EARL 28 3-9 2-2 2 1 3 0 4 0 3 8
WHITESIDE 12 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 2
DAVIS 17 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0
LOHAUS 9 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 0
ROBINSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROGERS DNP - ASTHMA
CAMBY DNP - BACK INJURY
TOTALS 240 31-75 18-25 12 35 47 15 28 3 18 87
(.413) (.720) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 18(22 PTS)
SACRAMENTO 31 28 11 28 - 98
TORONTO 20 23 23 21 - 87
BLOCKED SHOTS: SACRAMENTO - SMITH, RICHMOND. TORONTO - WILLIAMS 2, EARL
2, JONES.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SACRAMENTO 3-11 (.273), OWENS 0-1, RICHMOND 1-5,
ABDUL-RAUF 1-2, SIMMONS 1-2, EDNEY 0-1. TORONTO 7-22 (.318), WILLIAMS 1-7,
JONES 1-1, CHRISTIE 0-2, STOUDAMIRE 5-9, WHITESIDE 0-1, LOHAUS 0-2.
TECHNICALS: TORONTO - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2, STOUDAMIRE.
OFFICIALS: BILL OAKES, DERRICK STAFFORD, MARK WUNDERLICH.
A - 15,037. T - 2:12.
SACRAMENTO (98) AT TORONTO (87)
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Corliss Williamson combined for 21 points
in the first quarter as the Sacramento Kings opened an 11-point
lead and held on for a 98-87 victory over the Toronto Raptors,
who lost their sixth straight game.
Abdul-Rauf scored 11 of his 18 points and Williamson added 10 of
his 12 in the opening period, when Sacramento opened a 31-20
lead. The Kings, who led by as many as 16 points, snapped a
three-game losing streak.
The slumping Raptors were without starting rookie forward Marcus
Camby, who collapsed during pre-game warmups and was taken to a
hospital with limited feeling below his waist. He is expected
to make a full recovery.
"I had back spasms and I'll be out at least a week," Camby said.
"You play an NBA game on the road and it's a nice win," Kings
coach Garry St. Jean said. "But you put your life into
perspective when you see Marcus Camby on the floor in pain. ...
That was obviously a major loss for them tonight."
Toronto grabbed an early 5-2 lead, but Williamson had a pair of
baskets in an 8-0 run that gave Sacramento the lead for good.
The Raptors got within a point before Abdul-Rauf scored eight
points in a 12-3 burst that widened the lead to 22-12 with 4:08
left in the period.
"I feel much better this year," said Williamson, who last year
began his rookie season on the injured list. "The fact that my
teammates support me is a big factor."
Abdul-Rauf and Williamson combined for just two points in the
second quarter, but the Kings widened the lead to 59-43 at
halftime behind Tyus Edney, who had seven of his nine points in
the period.
Sacramento went cold in the third quarter, making just 3-of-17
from the field (17 percent). Damon Stoudamire scored nine of
his 27 points as Toronto cut the deficit to 70-66 entering the
final period.
The Raptors closed to 72-70 with 9:59 to play on a jumper by
Sharone Wright, who scored 13 points. But Lionel Simmons made a
three-pointer and two free throws and Mitch Richmond added two
baskets, capping a 9-0 spurt that gave the Kings an 81-70 bulge
with 7:40 to go.
"We had a tendency to rush the shots too much in the second
half, so we came down and worked on our execution," Abdul-Rauf
said.
"We were active at first, and then went into a lull," Stoudamire
said. "We cut it down and evened it out at the end. But Mitch
hit some big ones down the stretch."
Olden Polynice scored 16 points, Richmond added 15 and Simmons
13 for Sacramento, which shot 44 percent (34-of-78) from the
field and committed just seven turnovers.
"Some good things for us was our assist to turnover ratio," said
St. Jean. "I really liked our defense, we kept them down. ... I
thought we played well in the fourth quarter."
Popeye Jones had 15 points and 16 rebounds and Walt Williams
added 15 points for Toronto, who fell to 0-3 all-time against
Sacramento. The Raptors held a 47-34 rebounding edge but had 18
turnovers.
"We could've come out with a little more energy," Raptors coach
Darrell Walker said. "We just didn't get it done tonight. We've
got to keep plugging, we've got a game tomorrow. I'm positive
and I know the guys are still positive."
nba.1744nba.news,
SAN ANTONIO (101) AT DALLAS (105)
SAN ANTONIO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D WILKINS F 37 8-17 15-16 3 4 7 1 2 0 3 32
ELLIOTT F 43 4-10 2-2 2 3 5 5 2 2 0 12
W PERDUE C 24 3-6 1-3 3 5 8 0 2 0 2 7
JOHNSON G 45 5-10 1-2 1 0 1 8 2 1 1 12
DEL NEGRO G 18 3-4 0-0 1 1 2 2 0 1 5 7
HERRERA 10 1-5 0-0 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 2
MAXWELL 33 7-18 2-3 1 0 1 3 5 1 0 21
M WILLIAMS 25 4-9 0-2 5 3 8 1 4 0 0 8
ANDERSON 5 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0
ALEXANDER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
KEMPTON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SMITH DNP - CHRONIC KNEE SYNOVITIS
TOTALS 240 35-79 21-28 18 18 36 21 18 5 11 101
(.443) (.750) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 14(10 PTS)
DALLAS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MCCLOUD F 40 7-13 3-4 0 3 3 3 5 0 2 22
MEYER F 7 3-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 6
MONTROSS C 21 4-6 0-0 1 4 5 1 3 0 1 8
KIDD G 44 4-8 4-4 2 1 3 10 1 3 1 12
JACKSON G 44 7-14 4-4 1 4 5 8 3 0 2 21
HARPER 36 4-9 2-2 1 1 2 6 1 1 1 10
GATLING 35 9-13 8-11 0 6 6 1 2 2 1 26
MILLER 13 0-1 0-0 3 1 4 0 2 1 2 0
DREILING DNP - COACH'S DECISION
DUMAS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROBERTS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WALKER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-67 21-25 8 21 29 29 20 7 11 105
(.567) (.840) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 11(11 PTS)
SAN ANTONIO 24 26 24 27 - 101
DALLAS 30 19 31 25 - 105
BLOCKED SHOTS: SAN ANTONIO - M WILLIAMS, MAXWELL. DALLAS - GATLING 4,
MONTROSS 2, KIDD.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SAN ANTONIO 10-24 (.417), D WILKINS 1-5, ELLIOTT 2-4,
JOHNSON 1-2, DEL NEGRO 1-2, MAXWELL 5-11. DALLAS 8-17 (.471), MCCLOUD 5-9,
KIDD 0-1, JACKSON 3-5, HARPER 0-2.
TECHNICALS: DALLAS - ILLEGAL DEFENSE, GATLING.
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, BRUCE ALEXANDER, JIM CLARK.
A - 14,567. T - 2:13.
SAN ANTONIO (101) AT DALLAS (105)
Chris Gatling scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter
as the Dallas Mavericks dealt the San Antonio Spurs their sixth
straight loss, 105-101.
George McCloud scored 22 points and Jim Jackson added 21 for the
Mavericks, who led by as many as nine points in the final period
and snapped a two-game losing streak. Dallas matched its
highest point total of the season.
"There are several times in the first half where I thought we
had them on the ropes, but in our anxiety to score we turned the
ball over," Dallas coach Jim Cleamons said. "We have to have
better decisions when we have possession of the basketball, that
is a mindset."
Dominique Wilkins scored a season-high 32 points for the Spurs,
who broke 100 points for the first time this season.
"We played better, but you have to give their team some credit,"
Wilkins said. "They hit some huge shots, jump shot after jump
shot. We had a couple of missed opportunities down the stretch
that kind of hurt us. I felt we should have won the game."
San Antonio has lost six straight games for the first time since
dropping the last nine of the 1988-89 campaign. All-Star center
David Robinson joined the team the following season and the
Spurs have won no less than 47 games since his arrival. But he
has missed every game this season with back woes.
"We hung in all night long," Spurs coach Bob Hill said. "Our
togetherness was a lot better and we moved the ball. Gatling
was a little bit too much for us to deal with inside. You have
to give them credit, their spacing was good and they streched us
out."
San Antonio led 50-49 at halftime but Dallas never trailed after
Jackson opened the second half with a three-pointer. The Mavs
took the lead for good at 69-67 on a basket by Eric Montross
with 4:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Dallas led 80-74 entering the fourth quarter and opened its
largest lead at 92-83 on a jumper by Gatling with 4:23 to play.
Wilkins had a basket and two free throws and Vernon Maxwell made
a three-pointer to help San Antonio pull within 94-91 with 2:11
to go.
Derek Harper made two free throws but a three-pointer by Wilkins
cut the deficit to 96-94 with 1:37 left. But Gatling scored
with 48 seconds left and Jason Kidd added a pair of free throws
22 seconds later to give the Mavs a 100-94 lead.
Kidd had 12 points and 10 assists and Harper 10 and six for the
Mavericks, who shot 57 percent (38-of-67) from the field and
committed just 11 turnovers.
"Everybody felt good shooting the ball," Kidd said. "You have
to give San Antonio credit, they never gave up. That is what
kept them in the game. We made our free throws and that is the
most important thing when you are in a close game."
Sean Elliott and Avery Johnson scored 12 points apiece for the
Spurs, who shot 44 percent (35-of-79) and held a 36-29 edge in
rebounds. Wilkins was 15-of-16 from the line and Maxwell was
5-of-11 from three-point range.
"It was a tough game," Maxwell said. "I felt we made a great
effort. We are just coming up short."
Wilkins scored 16 points and Gatling 14 in the first half.
nba.1745nba.news,
SEATTLE (89) AT CHARLOTTE (97)
SEATTLE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D SCHREMPF F 39 6-13 3-3 2 4 6 4 3 0 3 15
KEMP F 41 7-16 9-9 4 10 14 1 4 0 6 23
MCILVAINE C 17 1-3 0-2 1 3 4 0 2 0 0 2
HAWKINS G 35 5-8 1-4 2 5 7 4 2 1 0 12
PAYTON G 36 8-17 1-3 2 3 5 5 1 2 4 17
PERKINS 29 6-10 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 14
EHLO 20 2-5 0-0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 5
SNOW 14 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0
STEWART 9 0-0 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
GRAHAM DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HARVEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WINGATE DNP - FLU
TOTALS 240 35-73 15-25 12 28 40 19 13 4 16 89
(.479) (.600) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 16(22 PTS)
CHARLOTTE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
RICE F 42 9-20 2-2 1 4 5 4 3 2 1 24
MASON F 41 5-9 4-5 3 7 10 10 6 0 2 14
DIVAC C 35 5-13 2-2 5 8 13 2 2 2 3 13
CURRY G 38 6-15 1-1 0 2 2 1 2 2 1 14
BOGUES G 36 4-7 2-2 1 1 2 12 3 4 3 10
GEIGER 19 5-8 2-2 0 5 5 1 3 0 1 12
BURRELL 15 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 2 3 2 1 4
GOLDWIRE 12 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6
SMITH 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DELK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROSE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ZIDEK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-81 13-14 10 29 39 33 22 12 12 97
(.469) (.929) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 13(2 PTS)
SEATTLE 28 26 13 22 - 89
CHARLOTTE 23 25 24 25 - 97
BLOCKED SHOTS: SEATTLE - KEMP 2, MCILVAINE. CHARLOTTE - DIVAC 4, CURRY,
GEIGER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SEATTLE 4-14 (.286), D SCHREMPF 0-2, KEMP 0-1, HAWKINS
1-4, PAYTON 0-2, PERKINS 2-3, EHLO 1-2. CHARLOTTE 8-21 (.381), RICE 4-9,
DIVAC 1-2, CURRY 1-4, GEIGER 0-1, BURRELL 0-2, GOLDWIRE 2-3.
TECHNICALS: SEATTLE - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: JOE CRAWFORD, LUIS GRILLO, BLANE REICHELT.
A - 24,042. T - 1:57.
SEATTLE (89) AT CHARLOTTE (97)
Anthony Mason recorded his first career triple-double and Muggsy
Bogues scored six of his 10 points in a third-quarter run as the
Charlotte Hornets snapped the 11-game winning streak of the
Seattle SuperSonics, 97-89.
Mason finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for
Charlotte, which has won four straight games overall and three
of its last five against the SuperSonics.
Vlade Divac added 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who
used a 17-4 run to start the second half and erased a six-point
halftime deficit.
"We had six guys in double figures and that feels great," said
Charlotte coach Dave Cowens. "We are beating some great teams.
We have a few hard weeks ahead of us and need to beat some teams
on the road."
Shawn Kemp had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Gary Payton added
17 points for Seattle, which lost for the first time since
November 5th and had an eight-game road winning streak snapped.
The Sonics' other road loss came to Utah on opening night.
"We played a team that wanted to beat us more than we wanted to
figure out our problems for the win," said Seattle coach George
Karl. "We didn't get the ball in position and at times, we
tried to force our matchup instead of finding our matchup."
Bogues scored the first points of the second half on a jumper,
cutting Seattle's lead to 54-50. Glen Rice added a
three-pointer before Payton made a jumper to give the Sonics a
56-53 lead with 10:10 to play in the third period.
Bogues and Curry hit jumpers before Payton answered with another
jumper to give Seattle its last lead at 58-57 with 8:35
remaining. Mason responded with a three-point play and Bogues
hit a jumper before Rice capped the run with a three-pointer to
give Charlotte a 65-58 lead with 6:54 left in the quarter.
Seattle pulled within 68-65 on a jumper by Payton with 2:34
remaining, but Divac and Bogues hit jumpers to push the lead
back to seven with 1:51 remaining. The Sonics came no closer
than five points thereafter.
Bogues also dished out 12 assists for Charlotte, which shot 47
percent (36-of-81) from the field and scored 22 points off 16
Seattle turnovers. Matt Geiger added 12 points and five
rebounds off the bench.
"We're playing good basketball right now, we're playing
together," said Curry. "The guys that have been around here
awhile have known what it would take to get better, and that's
defense."
Detlef Schrempf scored 15 points, Sam Perkins added 14 off the
bench and Hersey Hawkins 12 for the Sonics, who forced 13
turnovers but only scored two points off them. Seattle was
outscored, 49-35, in the second half.
"We couldn't find a rhythm," said Perkins. "Turnovers hurt. We
just didn't find a sync. We were a step slow here and there.
We tried so hard, but we couldn't get in sync."
nba.1746nba.news,
VANCOUVER (80) AT ATLANTA (101)
VANCOUVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
B EDWARDS F 24 1-7 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 2 2
ROGERS F 22 8-10 0-0 2 3 5 0 0 0 0 16
REEVES C 32 4-14 1-1 1 5 6 2 3 1 0 9
MOTEN G 22 3-11 0-0 0 3 3 2 2 0 1 7
ANTHONY G 24 3-8 1-1 0 2 2 4 0 1 1 8
ABDUR-RAHIM 29 5-12 9-9 2 4 6 2 3 2 3 19
MAYBERRY 24 3-4 0-2 1 1 2 1 2 0 0 7
PEELER 26 3-14 0-0 2 6 8 0 0 2 2 6
LYNCH 20 2-5 0-0 2 2 4 2 1 1 1 4
MOBLEY 9 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 2
CHILCUTT 5 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
MANNING 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 240 33-88 11-13 10 32 42 14 15 7 11 80
(.375) (.846) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 13(10 PTS)
ATLANTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
CORBIN F 34 7-11 1-1 3 3 6 4 2 0 2 17
LAETTNER F 38 7-18 3-4 3 10 13 3 2 1 2 18
MUTOMBO C 34 6-10 2-4 4 17 21 2 1 0 2 14
BARRY G 36 3-7 1-1 1 3 4 3 1 2 3 7
BLAYLOCK G 28 5-12 1-2 0 0 0 8 0 2 2 15
RECASNER 25 4-12 0-0 0 0 0 3 2 1 1 8
NORMAN 14 3-7 1-2 0 2 2 1 2 0 3 7
NEWBILL 12 2-2 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 4
BOYCE 8 3-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 7
BURTON 6 1-3 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 4
ALSTON 5 0-0 0-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
SMITH DNP - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE
TOTALS 240 41-85 11-18 12 40 52 26 13 6 15 101
(.482) (.611) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 16(12 PTS)
VANCOUVER 19 20 23 18 - 80
ATLANTA 37 16 25 23 - 101
BLOCKED SHOTS: VANCOUVER - ROGERS, ABDUR-RAHIM. ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 3,
NEWBILL 2, CORBIN, LAETTNER, BOYCE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: VANCOUVER 3-16 (.188), B EDWARDS 0-2, MOTEN 1-5,
ANTHONY 1-4, MAYBERRY 1-2, PEELER 0-3. ATLANTA 8-19 (.421), CORBIN 2-2,
LAETTNER 1-1, BARRY 0-1, BLAYLOCK 4-7, RECASNER 0-4, NORMAN 0-3, BOYCE 1-1.
TECHNICALS: ATLANTA - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: STEVE JAVIE, TERRY DURHAM, TONY BROTHERS.
A - 6,957. T - 1:53.
VANCOUVER (80) AT ATLANTA (101)
Christian Laettner scored 18 points to lead five players in
double figures and Dikembe Mutombo added 14 and a season-high 21
rebounds as the Atlanta Hawks coasted to their third straight
victory, 101-80 over the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Tyrone Corbin scored 17 points, Mookie Blaylock 15 and Eldridge
Recasner 10 for Atlanta, which outscored Vancouver 37-19 in the
first quarter and never looked back. The Hawks have won all
three meetings between the teams.
"We just came out and tried to take the game away from them from
the beginning and that's why we jumped on them offensively from
the start," Mutombo said. "I tried to be very physical from
beginning to end."
Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 19 points, including 9-of-9 from the
foul line, and fellow rookie Roy Rogers added 16 for Vancouver,
which has lost five of its last six and has yet to reach 100
points in a game this season.
"This is what you'd call a mental letdown," Grizzlies forward
Blue Edwards said. "We had a huge win at San Antonio and then
got today off as far as practice. I think we kind of came in
here and felt like we could just push buttons and things were
going to happen. We should've known that we can't start the
game off like that. We played really passive, they got the
shots that they wanted and on the offensive end, we didn't play
well together."
Atlanta shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the first quarter and
limited the Grizzlies to 43 percent (9-of-21).
"I think as a team we really came out and played well," said
Blaylock, who had missed the last two games with an ankle
injury. "Vancouver is really struggling. I think we came in
and took them out of the game early and that was the most
important thing."
Vancouver used an 11-2 run to pull within 45-36 with 5:46 left
in the first half, but Atlanta closed the second quarter with an
8-3 run for a 53-39 advantage at intermission.
The Grizzlies got as close as 69-56 with 3:53 remaining in the
third before the Hawks built their lead to 78-62 after three
quarters.
Laettner led the Hawks in scoring for the fifth straight game.
"It's good to play a team like this when you've got some injured
people coming back," Laettner said. "It's Mookie's first game
back and we're trying to work other people injured into our
lineup. We've also had a tough schedule, so it's nice to get a
home game."
Atlanta had a 52-42 rebounding edge and shot 42 percent
(8-of-19) from three-point range.
Vancouver's Bryant Reeves left the game in the third quarter
with a left knee sprain.
nba.1747nba.news,
Winless Suns get C Hot Rod Williams back from injured list
The Phoenix Suns, the league's only winless team, got some good news
today when center-forward John "Hot Rod" Williams was activated off
the injured list in time for tonight's road game against the Denver
Nuggets.
Williams becomes the second key player the Suns (0-12) have gotten
back from injury in three days. Point guard Kevin Johnson was
activated Sunday, though forward Wayman Tisdale was shelved at the
same time.
The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Williams had plantar fasciatis in his right
foot and has not played this season. He had surgery October 29th to
remove a piece of metal from the soft tissue on the bottom of his
right foot under the big toe.
He missed 18 games last year with knee, hand and leg ailments, and
averaged 7.3 points, six rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Williams is
10th among active players in blocks at 1,290.
To make room for Williams, the Suns placed rookie forward Ben Davis on
the IL with ligament damage to his right little finger. Davis injured
the finger November 23rd in practice and will wear a splint to protect
the injury. His status will be determined from week to week.
The Suns already have gone through a coaching change from Cotton
Fitzsimmons to Danny Ainge and still have forward Mark Bryant and
Tisdale on the injured list. They are off to the worst start in
franchise history and the losing streak matches the longest in club
annals.
nba.1748nba.news,
Magic sign G Dell Demps
The injury-riddled Orlando Magic today signed guard Dell Demps to an
undisclosed contract.
The 26-year-old Demps averaged 16.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in five
games for Orlando's summer professional league team in New York this
year. He appeared in 16 games with the San Antonio Spurs last season
(3.3 ppg) and in two for Golden State during the 1993-94 campaign (2.0
ppg).
"Dell was a player we got very comfortable with during this past
summer's free agent camp," said Magic general manager John Gabriel.
"We feel he can help us at a time when we have a depleted backcourt."
Orlando currently has starting point guard Penny Hardaway,
guard/forward Dennis Scott and first-round draft pick Brian Evans, a
forward, on the injured list.
nba.1749nba.news,
Camby collapses, but diagnosed with back spasms
Toronto Raptors rookie forward Marcus Camby could return to the court
as soon as Wednesday despite a pre-game collapse tonight that saw him
rushed to the hospital with limited feeling below his waist.
Doctors at Toronto Western Hospital expect Camby to make a full
recovery, citing no neurological disorders. The incident is unrelated
to Camby's collapse as a college player in January and doctors
anticipate a full recovery.
"His back went out and I guess he had loss of nerves for a period of
time," Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas said. "We expect to,
hopefully, get him moving around (Wednesday) and he'll be ready to
play (Wednesday) night."
Camby, who left SkyDome on a stretcher and wearing a neck brace, was
slightly less optimistic about his return.
"I had back spasms and I'll be out at least a week," he said.
Camby was working under the basket by himself when he fell to the
floor after attempting a spin move. He was fitted for a brace and
removed on a gurney. He was taken via ambulance to Toronto Western.
"All of Marcus' motor and sensory reflexes are intact," said a release
from the Raptors issued during tonight's 98-87 loss to the Sacramento
Kings. "He has been assessed by a neurosurgeon and neurologically
appears normal. ... All signs are positive and the doctors expect a
full recovery."
Camby was the second overall pick in the 1996 draft and received a
three-year deal worth $8.4 million. He is averaging 14.3 points and
4.2 rebounds with 21 blocks in 11 games this season.
According to an earlier statement, Camby fell after experiencing back
pain. He had limited feeling in his right and left legs and was taken
to Toronto Western for examinations.
Tonight's collapse is believed to be unrelated to an incident on
January 14th, when Camby, playing for the University of Massachusetts,
collapsed prior to a game at St. Bonaventure.
He was hospitalized and underwent a battery of tests before doctors
ruled out possible cardiac and neurological causes. Camby said he
passed out because he had taken cough syrup on an empty stomach.
Camby declared himself eligible for the NBA draft following his junior
year at Massachusetts. The 6-11 forward averaged 20.5 points, 8.2
rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots for the Minutemen last season, helping
them advance to the Final Four.
Camby missed some of the pre-season with a sprained right foot
suffered in training camp.
nba.1750nba.news,
Denver Nuggets waive G Eric Murdock
The Denver Nuggets, who have lost four straight games, continued their
shakeup today when they waived backup point guard Eric Murdock.
Murdock, who signed a one-year contract at the NBA minimum of $247,500
on October 1st, averaged 3.8 points and two assists per game in 12
appearances this season.
Earlier in the day, Bernie Bickerstaff stepped down as coach and
handed over the reins to assistant and long-time NBA coach Dick Motta.
Bickerstaff will remain team president and also assume the title of
general manager.
With Murdock gone, journeyman Brooks Thompson and rookie Jeff McInnis
will back up Mark Jackson, who leads the NBA in assists.
Murdock played collegiately at Providence and was selected 21st
overall by Utah in 1991. He also has played with the Milwaukee Bucks
and the Vancouver Grizzlies.
nba.1751nba.news,
Hakeem probable for Tuesday night game
HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon is listed
as probable for Tuesday night's home game against Portland after
missing three games because of an irregular heartbeat.
"I'm feeling fine," Olajuwon said in a statement. "Everything is back
to normal. This happened before and it was just the same thing."
Early in the 1991-92 season, he missed seven games because of a
similar condition. This time he missed three games, and Houston won
all three to improve to 12-1 this season.
Olajuwon scored 10 points in the first half last Tuesday, helping the
Rockets to a 71-48 lead during their 122-93 victory over Minnesota.
He reportedly entered the locker room at halftime and had a glass of
water. As soon as he drank it, his heart started feeling strange. He
was examined by team doctors and said he felt better, although his
heart rate still had not returned to normal.
Doctors suggested Olajuwon undergo tests and he was taken to the
hospital. His heartbeat had returned to normal Wednesday after doctors
used a defibrillator to restore the proper rhythm, and he was released
from the hospital Thursday.
Olajuwon, 33, is an 11-time All-Star who won the Most Valuable Player
Award in 1994 and led the Rockets to consecutive NBA championships in
1994 and 1995.
nba.1752nba.news,
Hendrickson out, Overton in for Sixers
Philadelphia 76ers forward Mark Hendrickson will miss at least the
next five games, as the team placed him on the injured list with a
lumbar spine strain and sprain. He was replaced on the roster by
guard Doug Overton, who was activated from the list.
Hendrickson averaged three points and two rebounds in three games
this season. Before Overton was placed on the list November 15th
with a sprained ankle, he contributed 1.4 points and 2.4 assists
per game.
Hendrickson will miss tonight's home contest against the Los
Angeles Lakers, plus games against Orlando, Vancouver, San Antonio
and Dallas.
nba.1753nba.news,
Blazers activate Djordjevic
The Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday activated Yugoslavian rookie
guard Aleksandar Djordjevic from the injured list and placed guard
Reggie Jordan on it with an injured left thumb.
Djordjevic (GEORGE-uh-vich) sprained his right ankle during the first
quarter of Portland's final pre-season game against the Vancouver
Grizzlies. He averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the
Olympics as Yugoslavia claimed the silver medal, losing to the United
States in the final. The Trail Blazers signed him on Sept. 24.
Jordan injured a joint in his thumb during the Blazers' win over the
Denver Nuggets on Saturday. In five games, the defensive specialist
averaged 1.6 points and shot 50 percent from the field.
nba.1754nba.news,
Atlanta's Henderson leaves hospital
ATLANTA (Nov 26, 1996 - 22:12 EST) -- Forward Alan Henderson of the
Atlanta Hawks left a Minnesota hospital Tuesday facing a lengthy
recovery from a virus that affects his pancreas.
Henderson, who was diagnosed last week with acute viral pancreatitis
by doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was flown to
Indianapolis, where his parents live. His father, Ray, is a
cardiologist and will help monitor his recovery.
Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said the second-year player has
started eating solid foods again and is able to walk for short
periods. But Henderson has lost more than 20 pounds and won't be
returning to the NBA soon.
"It's going to be a long haul in terms of the rehabilitation," Babcock
said. "The muscle strength, the muscle weight, the endurance, all that
suffers. And he can't start addressing that until he gets a clean bill
of health."
Babcock doesn't know when Henderson will return to Atlanta, though
doctors are confident he will be able to play this season. Henderson
was stricken in the last days of training camp and has not played a
regular-season game.
"He's making slow, steady progress," Babcock said. "There's no real
timetable on this. When he get's healthy, he's healthy."
Henderson initially was sidelined by severe viral gastroenteritis.
Pancreatitis is a secondary condition that affects the digestive
process.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 79 games
as a rookie last season.
"He had a great summer, a great training camp," Babcock said. "He had
taken two or three giant steps forward as a player and was poised to
have a terrific second year. This was a big setback for him."
The Hawks are over the salary cap, so they don't have the flexibility
to address their lack of frontcourt depth.
nba.1755nba.news,
Denver Nuggets switch coaches: From Bickerstaff to Motta
DENVER (Nov 26, 1996 - 18:54 EST) -- His team slumping and attendance
declining, Bernie Bickerstaff resigned as coach of the Denver Nuggets
on Tuesday, turning over the club to assistant Dick Motta.
Bickerstaff will remain president of the team and reclaimed the title
of general manager, which he had held until last season.
Motta, 65, the longtime NBA coach who last season was with the Dallas
Mavericks, was to coach the Nuggets (4-9) for the first time Tuesday
night against Phoenix.
Bickerstaff's resignation came three days after his team scored a
franchise-low 65 points in a 40-point loss to Portland. He had a 59-68
record in parts of three seasons, and the Nuggets never regained the
promise they showed in the playoffs of 1994 under Dan Issel.
"In evaluating the situation, hey, it wasn't working," Bickerstaff
said. "I always said I would do what's best for the organization, and
this is the best thing.
"This gives me an opportunity to step back and try to solidify the
talent level and the contract situations of this basketball team -- to
do the job I was originally hired to do."
Charlie Lyons, chief executive officer for Ascent Entertainment, which
owns the Nuggets, said he and Bickerstaff were "in complete agreement
that the right thing was for him to go to his original job. At the
same time, we're lucky we have Dick Motta here."
The move marks the second NBA coaching change this season, following
Cotton Fitzsimmons' resignation in Phoenix.
The Nuggets are hurting not only in the standings but at the gate as
well. In six home games -- five of them losses -- the Nuggets have
averaged 13,004 fans, down from 16,474 a year ago.
Motta, known for building down-and-out teams into contenders, has
spent 24 years as an NBA head coach. He has 918 career wins, third on
the NBA list behind Lenny Wilkens and Red Auerbach. Motta also has
coached Washington and Chicago.
"I have totally mixed emotions today," Motta said. "I feel bad that it
didn't work out quite the way we all envisioned it would. I also know
Bernie well enough to know this is where he wants to be in his heart.
"I'm sad for my friend, but I can't help feel enthusiasm and
excitement with this ball club. We have a tough schedule facing us,
but we're going to get through it."
Motta was NBA coach of the year in 1971 and led Washington to the NBA
title in 1978. Bickerstaff was an assistant coach under Motta for five
seasons in Washington, including the championship year.
"I retired twice before and it didn't work out," Motta said. "I've
been doing this for 43 or 44 years, and it's my life. I still have
energy."
With Bickerstaff back as general manager, Todd Eley was demoted to
vice president of basketball operations.
Motta, who signed a multi-year contract, becomes the sixth Denver
coach in this decade and the fourth in three years.
Issel resigned midway through the 1994-95 season and was replaced for
16 games by Gene Littles before Bickerstaff elevated himself to coach.
Bickerstaff went 20-12 the rest of that season, getting the Nuggets
into the playoffs, where they were swept in three games by San
Antonio. He was 35-47 last season.
Motta said he planned no immediate changes in the Nuggets' style of
play.
"I've learned to go slow, to try to be as mature and calculating and
responsible as possible," he said. "I really am a plodder. I'm not a
miracle man. We're not going to stand in front of you and say that Dr.
Wilkerson's Mud Bath will cure this whole deal.
"In the brief meeting I had with the players, I said all I wanted out
of them was a full effort. I'm going to give a full effort in return."
Nuggets forward LaPhonso Ellis, recuperating from knee surgery, said
players were quiet when they heard the news.
"I'm not surprised," Ellis said. "I felt it would happen down the
road, I just didn't know when. I'm always leery of change. We need
stability more than anything. But I think Dick can get the job done.
The guys have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I feel this is a
step in the right direction."
Before joining the Nuggets as general manager and executive vice
president in 1990, Bickerstaff was Seattle's head coach, leading the
SuperSonics to the playoffs three times in five seasons.
He dropped his general manager duties last year as he tried to relieve
some of the pressures that came from three job titles.
nba.1756nba.news,
Bernie Bickerstaff coaching record
DENVER (Nov 26, 1996 - 21:42 EST) -- The career coaching record of
Bernie Bickerstaff, who resigned as head coach of the Denver Nuggets
on Tuesday:
Regular Season
W L Pct. Fin
1985-86 Seattle 31 51 .378 5
1986-87 Seattle 39 43 .476 4
1987-88 Seattle 44 38 .537 3
1988-89 Seattle 47 35 .573 3
1989-90 Seattle 41 41 .500 4
1994-95 Denver 20 12 .625 4
1995-96 Denver 35 47 .427 4
1996-97 Denver 4 9 .308 --
Totals 261 276 .486
Playoffs
W L Pct.
1986-87 Seattle 7 7 .500
1987-88 Seattle 2 3 .400
1988-89 Seattle 3 5 .375
1994-95 Denver 0 3 .000
Totals 12 18 .400
Overall Totals 273 294 .481
nba.1757nba.news,
Heal adapting to NBA
WASHINGTON (Nov 26, 1996 - 02:42 EST) - Six weeks in the National
Basketball Association have given Australia's Shane Heal improved
defensive skills, a better passing touch and the chance to live a
dream.
"It's a whole new world for me," Heal said. "At times I'm still like a
bit of a kid. It's a really wonderful experience."
The nine-year Australian league veteran and Olympic starting guard had
his best night so far in the NBA here Monday, scoring 11 points and
sparking a rally that fell short for Minnesota in a 105-98 loss to
Washington.
"We hadn't given him a lot of time," Minnesota coach Phil "Flip"
Saunders said. "We decided to give him an opportunity. We know what he
can do with the ball. We put him in to try and spread their defense
out a little bit."
After sitting on the bench the first three quarters, Heal played the
entire final period. He set up baskets with a steal, a no-look
fast-break pass and his first NBA defensive rebound. He also played
aggressive defense.
"I was actually feeling it halfway through the quarter," Heal said. "I
had to get on it. I have to concentrate on defense, to make sure I
don't get penetrated upon or else I will be right out of there. I have
to make the most of every opportunity."
Heal's third and final three-point basket put the Timberwolves, who
once trailed by 24 points, within 92-87 with 86 seconds to play. But
Washington made 11 of 14 free throws to win.
"We didn't give ourselves much of a chance until Shane cut it to
five," Saunders said. "We made it interesting. I'm glad we played
hard. But we shouldn't have any satisfaction."
Still, the Timberwolves (5-7) are on pace to break the club record of
29 victories in a season. Heal does his part, using his experience in
practice to test rookie star Stephon Marbury, improving both.
"I'm playing better defensively," Heal said. "I am guarding Stephon in
practice and he is so quick. I'm passing into the post better. At the
end of this year, I will have a lot better idea where I stand."
Heal makes a 320,000-dollar salary plus bonus money of nearly 200,000
dollars. But instead of the shooting star slot he had at home and at
the Atlanta Olympics, Heal has had to handle a reserve role.
"It's different. But I have sort of prepared myself," he said. "It's a
lot like when I was on the Olympic team at Barcelona. I'm relaxed
about things. If I play the role well and be happy on the bench,
things will come.
"I have got to stay positive even if I don't get to play. If you get
negative you don't make the most of your opportunities. For a time I
didn't think I would get the opportunity. I'm working hard. I want to
be in this league for a long time."
Heal has averaged 20.7 points and 6.2 assists a game in his Australian
career, including 24.9 points a game and a league-high 101
three-pointers last year for the Sydney Kings.
Heal averaged 17.8 points at the Olympics and played tough against
Charles Barkley in an tuneup game. Heal's 28-point effort in the
tuneup was the best showing by any player against the US gold medal
"Dream Team."
Now Heal, who wears number 10 in honor of Aussie star Andrew Gaze,
finds himself in the hectic 82-game NBA season.
"It has been crazy with all the players and travel and hotels on the
road, " Heal said. "It's very different."
He has not talked to Olympic teammate Mark Bradtke, now at
Philadelphia, or Luc Longley, the center for reigning NBA champion
Chicago. He and Longley missed messages at hotel rooms last week.
"It's tough getting a call into the Chicago Bulls' hotel," Heal said.
Heal's wife Jenny and daughters Ashleigh and Jamie Lee moved two weeks
ago to Minnesota. Aussie basketball pal Andrew Parkinson will visit
and stay with him next week.
The Heals' new home is in a land where heavy snowfalls are legendary.
Should Heal play in the NBA and Australia the next three years as
planned, they would endure six winters, chasing the cold weather
around the globe.
Heal and Bradtke join a growing set of prominent Aussies in US
leagues, including Longley, American football kicker Darren Bennett,
pitcher Graeme Lloyd of the World Series champion New York Yankees and
his baseball rival David Nilsson, golfer Greg Norman and LPGA star
rookie Karrie Webb, the first golfer to win one million dollars in a
rookie year on a US golf tour.
nba.1758nba.news,
AROUND THE NBA: Barkley knows time is running out for aging Rockets
(Nov 26, 1996 - 09:18 EST) -- Charles Barkley didn't mince his words.
If Houston is going to make a run at the championship, it will be this
season.
"Clyde (Drexler) is not going to get any better physically, and me and
Dream aren't going to get any better physically," he said, referring
to Hakeem Olajuwon. "So if we don't win it this year, we're not going
to win. That's realistic. It's a young game.
"Seattle is going to be around for a few more years. L.A. (the Lakers)
is going to be good. They're not good now, but they will be as soon as
they get some time together. And then you'll have a lot of young teams
coming up.
"You lose a little bit every year. You don't get better. This ain't
golf, where you go to the Senior Tour and get better."
* * *
THEY SAID IT: This week's hyperbole award goes to Minnesota coach Flip
Saunders, who said of his 20-year-old wunderkind Kevin Garnett, "Right
now, if there's a better defensive forward in the league ... I want to
see him." The schedule will oblige him Dec. 11, when his team visits
Chicago and Scottie Pippen ...
Brad Cesmat, talk show host for the Suns' flagship radio station who
promised to stay in the station's van outside America West Arena until
the Suns win a game, on how long he's prepared to wait: "I've got all
my Christmas shopping done."
* * *
NUMBERS ...: 6 metal screws in Miami forward Kurt Thomas' body --
three in his right ankle, two in his left and one in his left wrist.
The three in his right ankle, intended to stabilize a stress fracture,
are new, and likely to keep him on the shelf until mid-December. The
injury is similar to the one that kept the Dolphins' Dan Marino out a
month.
-- 2 1/2 minutes, the amount of game time it takes Indiana's Reggie
Miller to earn the $10,000 he was fined for criticizing referees,
based on his $11.25 million salary and average of 36 minutes a game.
-- 15 turnovers and five assists in 18-year-old Kobe Bryant's first 11
games.
-- 254 consecutive games played by Milwaukee's Vin Baker before he sat
out two games after bruising his right hip crashing to the floor at
Sacramento on Nov. 15.
* * *
NEWS:
-- The Bulls' Toni Kukoc hopes his sixth man award last season will
lead to an All-Star berth this season. There is precedent: Detlef
Schrempf and Kevin McHale each made the All-Star team the year after
winning the supersub award. On the other hand, with Michael Jordan,
Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman also likely selections, Chicago would
have to get four spots for Kukoc to make it.
-- The Bullets played Wednesday in the striped uniforms worn by their
1978 championship team, coached by Dick Motta and Bernie Bickerstaff.
Chris Webber wasn't concerned about the style so much as the cut.
"I'll wear them as long as they're big," he said. "I can't wear those
tiny shorts."
* * *
AND QUOTES:
-- Miami's Dan Majerle on former Phoenix teammate Danny Ainge taking
over as Suns coach: "He's been trying to coach for years, but nobody's
listened to him."
-- Golden State coach Rick Adelman on nine slam dunks by Shaquille
O'Neal against the Warriors: "It's like we were trying to be
supporting actors on Sports-Center."
-- Utah's Karl Malone on a brief visit to his Arkansas ranch last
summer for workouts by overweight Jazz center Greg Ostertag: "You
can't work miracles in 2 1/2 days."
-- Portland's Kenny Anderson, upon returning to Continental Airlines
Arena, confirming he advocated eradicating the turnpike facility: "I
said they should blow up this place, and I was basically serious. If
they're going to build an arena, build it where someone in Jersey can
get to it. This place would make a great amusement park."
nba.1759nba.news,
Knicks fans have no reason to panic
NEW YORK (Nov 26, 1996 - 12:30 EST) -- The panic makes you laugh
sometimes. The Knicks have played only 13 games this season, have had
the audacity to lose four of them, and have barely played well enough
to win most of the others. This is not acceptable in Madison Square
Garden, where some of the patrons drop a cool thousand for the
privilege of inhabiting a courtside seat, where everyone else is
unfailingly finicky.
The Seattle Supersonics paid the Garden a visit Sunday night and there
could not have been more dread residing within these walls had Riddick
Bowe's entourage been providing security. Already, the Knicks are a
disappointment. Already, the locals are feeling the queasiness rise in
their throats. Already, there is talk that the coach must go, that the
center is too old and is taking too many shots, that the newcomers are
lacking in basic fundamentals.
All of this before the first of December, in an NBA season that won't
start for real until around the first of May. The Knicks were losing
by 15 points by the end of the third quarter. They ended up behind by
10, 102-92. They should have been booed. They were awful, they seemed
only partly upset by the way the Sonics were scooting past them on
both ends of the floor. Worse, they still look old, even after an
offseason spent chopping years off the roster, adding youth, adding
legs, adding (we thought) a lot more scoring punch.
How bad did it get? This bad: Tony Bennett sang the "America the
Beautiful" before the opening tap and received a warmer response than
Patrick Ewing did. And deserved it, because it isn't difficult to
imagine that Bennett could easily have matched the 1-for-14 start
Ewing got himself off to last night. It was so bad that Gary Payton
sneered at Spike Lee after one of his more dazzling tours to the
basket, and Lee didn't talk back.
That's bad.
And you know what?
It doesn't mean a thing.
Really. The Sonics went to the NBA Finals a year ago, have essentially
the same team back this year, and came to New York as a very good team
on a superb roll, having now won 11 in a row. Gary Payton is better
than any Knick. So is Shawn Kemp. In November, with the Knicks still
working on getting to know each other on a first-name basis, this is
the only thing you could expect to happen.
More worrisome is the fact that the Knicks are now 3-3 in Madison
Square Garden, continuing a troubling trend of mediocrity in their
home whites that is now three years old. The Philadelphia 76ers, of
all teams, have owned them this year. They turn the basketball over
with the expert ease of an expansion team.
Still, the truth remains that the Knicks are a team designed for the
springtime, and as such can not be expected to jell in the fall.
People were spoiled by the Knicks' home opener, when they lapped a
sluggish Charlotte Hornets team, smacked them around good in a 113-86
drubbing. Suddenly, this is what people wanted every night.
Sometime this season, that may be precisely what they will get. But
not now. Allan Houston has been too reluctant to assert himself yet,
plagued by bad shooting nights and dogged by foul trouble. Larry
Johnson seems slow to claim a part of the paint for himself, not
wanting to get in Ewing's way. Ewing still shoots way too much from 20
feet, and way too little from five. Chris Childs, the new point guard,
was set way back by a fractured leg in training camp. And his backup,
Charlie Ward, seems to accumulate fresh sets of floor burns and muscle
strains every night.
It should also be noted that John Starks is the Knicks' second leading
scorer, in a season when he was expected to have a reduced role in the
offense. If Starks is still averaging 14 1/2 points a game in April,
the city will already have shifted its attention to the Yankees.
In the end, what worries New York -- if not necessarily the Knicks, at
least not yet -- is what always worries New York: The Bulls have raced
off to a 12-1 start and made it look easier than breathing. Michael
Jordan is looking thoroughly underpaid at $30 million. The Bulls make
the Knicks look like a JV team, the way they make everyone in the NBA
look that way.
And so panic reigns. Now. In November. It's silly. The Knicks were
dreadful Sunday night. They've been an eyesore for much of the season
so far. And will be better, much better than this, when they need to
be, come March and April and beyond. They will have to be.
nba.1760nba.news,
Judge under investigation for taking money from Spurs player
TUCSON, Ariz. (Nov 26, 1996 - 14:30 EST) -- A judge who approved
another judge's deal to help negotiate a contract for a tennis star
faces an ethics review himself for receiving money from San Antonio
Spurs player Sean Elliott.
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct is investigating Pima
County presiding judge Michael Brown, who said he received more than
$1,000 from Elliott for "personal advice."
Keith Stott, the executive director of the commission, confirmed the
investigation.
On his financial disclosure statement filed in January, Brown listed
"S. Michael Elliott" as "an employer or other source of compensation
over $1,000."
Brown received $13,000 in all over the past two years for giving
advice to Elliott, a former star at the University of Arizona.
Brown has driven a BMW registered to Elliott, and also received an
unspecified gift from the athlete this year.
In 1994, Superior Court Judge Lawrence Fleischman consulted with
Brown, who said he saw nothing wrong with Fleischman's helping
negotiate a multimillion-dollar contract for tennis star Andre Agassi.
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct investigated Fleischman
earlier this year in response to a complaint filed against him. It
found that Fleischman had violated the Arizona Constitution and
several canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct in his dealings with
Las Vegas-based Agassi Enterprises.
Fleischman's financial disclosure statement for 1995 listed his work
for Agassi's organization as a tennis marketing consultant.
Fleischman said he was surprised to learn that Brown had received
money from Elliott. He said he knew nothing about it.
Brown said Monday that he did not act as Elliott's agent or lawyer and
did not draft papers or negotiate on Elliott's behalf. He said Elliott
grew up with his sons and that he considers Elliott as family and did
not engage in any business actions on his behalf.
nba.1761nba.news,
Journeymen don't begrudge NBA millionaires
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov 26, 1996 - 07:12 EST) -- The superstars of the
NBA pay for their wives to meet them on road trips, spend their
summers shooting commercials and lining up endorsements, and are known
throughout the country on a first-name basis.
Then there are guys like Seattle SuperSonics Larry Stewart and Antonio
Harvey, who entered the league as free agents and are destined to
always be fighting for jobs, unencumbered by the riches of seven-year,
$85 million-deals like the one Gary Payton signed over the summer.
Stewart and Harvey, by contrast, will make the NBA minimum of $247,500
if they last the season. They can walk through shopping malls and
hotel lobbies unrecognized, and don't dare do anything more than rent
an apartment in Seattle.
"The minimum is still more money than most people will ever make,"
said Stewart, who knows he won't win any sympathy contests.
Still, some NBA observers wonder if the wide gap in salaries won't
eventually result in jealousy of those players at the top of the
ladder by those at the bottom. With only 12 players on an active
roster and seasons lasting six months or longer -- with half of that
time spent on the road -- the potential for a fractious locker room is
always there.
"It is a concern," NBA commissioner David Stern said last month when
asked about the widening gap in salaries, due in large part to last
summer's unprecedented array of free-agent signings. "I don't think we
quite anticipated it being as intense as it is."
Stern hinted it was an issue that would be discussed by the league
office and the NBA Players Association sometime soon.
Stewart, for one, doesn't see it as a problem.
"You could say we have the same job, but we really don't," said
Stewart, a 6-foot-8 forward. "The superstars are carrying the league.
I don't think there's any jealousy."
And Stewart and Harvey each say they are too busy worrying about their
own careers to worry about what anyone else is making.
"The guys who can make the millions deserve it," said Harvey, a 6-11
center. "Rather than be jealous of someone making $100 million, guys
should see that we are all capable of that if you go out there and
perform every day. My goal is to be a $100 million player, and if I
fall $50 million short, I won't be mad."
Stewart and Harvey have already beaten the odds, having forged NBA
careers despite having never been drafted; fewer than 10 percent of
players on NBA rosters this season were never drafted.
Drafted players tend to have an easier time making rosters than free
agents, even if they don't perform as well, because teams usually have
invested more in their draft picks.
"Whoever gets the money is going to play," Stewart said.
Still, Stewart made the Washington Bullets roster as a free agent from
Coppin State in 1991, and was named to the All-Rookie second team when
he was among the top five rookies in scoring, rebounding and field
goal percentage.
But an injury and a coaching change made Stewart expendable after four
years there, and he was claimed by Vancouver in the 1995 expansion
draft. The Grizzlies then traded Stewart to Orlando, where he was cut
before ever playing a game. That forced Stewart to head to Spain to
keep his career going. He played for Baloncesto Zarongoza, taking
along his wife and 3-year-old daughter.
"It's still money," Stewart said. Teams in Spain played only one game
a week. "It was gorgeous weather, and great beaches. If I had the
choice, of course, it would be the NBA. But that's not a bad second
choice."
Playing well in Spain, where Sonics coach George Karl coached for two
years before coming to Seattle in 1992, helped Stewart land a job with
the Sonics summer league team in Los Angeles, and a subsequent
invitation to training camp.
A good pre-season by Stewart forced the Sonics to eat the contract of
former first-round pick Sherell Ford to keep Stewart, who now has
earned a spot in the team's regular rotation due in part to persistent
injuries to Nate McMillan.
Stewart has played in all but one game for Seattle, averaging four
points and almost two rebounds a game.
"Mentally, he is a Sonic player," Karl said. "He's very
defensive-minded, very serious and tough-minded. He should have a good
year for us."
But while Stewart said he feels secure with the team this season, he
isn't looking past it. His wife, Toi, who is six months pregnant, is
living in Washington, D.C., with the couple's daughter, Lexis. Stewart
said he saw his daughter last week for the first time since September
when the team played the Bullets.
Stewart said his wife is surrounded by family in Washington, D.C.,
which makes it better for her to stay there for now.
"It's tough, but we are two strong people," Stewart said. "We have an
understanding about all this. She knew and I knew" what would happen.
The unmarried Harvey doesn't have such emotional pulls, making his
vagabond life easier to deal with. Harvey made the Lakers as a free
agent out of Division II Pfeiffer College of North Carolina three
years ago, and spent two seasons in Los Angeles. Like Stewart, Harvey
was picked up by Vancouver in the expansion draft last year, and
played briefly for the Grizzlies, then was cut and played briefly with
the Clippers before being cut again.
He played with the Clippers summer league team, but didn't attend any
training camp and was living back home in Pascagoula, Miss., when the
Sonics called two weeks ago after Elmore Spencer was cut.
But Harvey's hold on a roster spot is much more tenous than Stewart's.
Harvey could be gone when the Sonics decide either Steve Scheffler or
McMillan is healthy enough to rejoin the active roster.
Harvey said having no real idea if he will have an NBA job a month
from now only helps him play harder.
"As soon as you start thinking (your place in the league is secure)
you start getting complacent," Harvey said. "I know that any day it
can all end. You have to realize that."
nba.1762nba.news,
Williams sees fortunes go round like a wheel
TORONTO (Nov 26, 1996 - 06:24 EST) -- If things had gone the way
Toronto Raptors forward Walt Williams had hoped, he would be signed to
a new, long-term contract with the Kings and helping them become one
of the Western Conference's best teams.
However, Williams and his crossover move became far more acquainted
with change last season than he ever could have imagined, and now "the
Wizard" will be reunited with his former Kings teammates in an
adversarial role Tuesday at the SkyDome.
"I'm going to try to make this like just any other game," said
Williams, who starts at small forward for Toronto, "but of course, I'd
be lying to say there won't be a difference playing against these
guys, because I played with them for most of my career."
Monday afternoon, Williams sat on a basket support in the stadium
while his former teammates and Kings coach Garry St. Jean saluted him
with hugs, encouragement and playful verbal harassment.
It was respect and mutual admiration.
"When I step out on the court, it's going to be just playing
basketball. I'm just going to be out there playing, trying to bust
Mitch's (butt)," Williams said while laughing, because he knew
Richmond had walked up behind him.
Said Richmond, "I already told Walt, 'I know you're going to be trying
to get off, but I hope we don't have to switch, because I'm going to
have to lock your (butt) up."'
Last season at this time, Williams, selected by the Kings with the
seventh pick of the 1992 draft, was early in the fourth year of a
six-year contract. Williams held an option that allowed him to become
a free agent once the season ended.
Williams had two more years guaranteed on that contract that would
have paid him about $6 million.
He wanted to re-sign with the Kings, he said, but he and forward
Tyrone Corbin were dealt just before the trading deadline Feb. 22 to
the Miami Heat for forward Billy Owens and swingman Kevin Gamble.
Williams exercised his option at the end of the season with the Heat,
then found no takers at money he liked and ended up signing a one-year
deal with the Raptors for the league minimum, $247,500.
"Sacramento is where I thought I was going to be," Williams said. "I
thought I was laying down a foundation of being in Sacramento for a
long period of time.
"But things definitely can change, and this was more evident this
offseason than in any other. (Last season) was just a bad season for
me all around as far as being traded and losing a lot of money."
Yet Williams appears to be none the worse for the wear mentally.
"It doesn't matter now, because I'm here and I'm happy and I'm playing
basketball."
Williams said he has no idea where he will play next season.
"I like it here. I think we have the potential of having a very good,
young team. I enjoy playing here, but I'm not even thinking about it.
I'm thinking about playing for right now. And that's all I can worry
about, because anything can happen."
Williams is averaging 16.9 points and shooting 49 percent from
three-point range in 37.4 minutes per game.
While he harbors nothing but love for his teammates, it would take
more than a mouthful of bubble gum to erase the bad taste he has for
the end of his Kings stint.
"I love the guys and playing with the guys," he said. "I think things
didn't work out the way they should have. I wanted to stay there.
"I mean, I heard about being traded on ESPN. It just wasn't handled
properly. Then when I left, I heard things like I was asking for too
much. But in actuality there never were any real discussions, so I
don't know where that came from."
nba.1763vpoznanovic,
Wednesday, November 27
Atlanta at Orlando 75:79
Charlotte at Toronto 88:92
Cleveland at Milwaukee 75:92
Denver at Utah 103:107
L.A. Lakers at Boston 94:110
Miami at L.A. Clippers 98:82
New Jersey at Phoenix 77:99
Portland at San Antonio 120:109
Seattle at Minnesota 106:98
Vancouver at Detroit 78:87
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ATLANTA 24 18 21 12 75
ORLANDO 19 18 24 18 79 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 20, TYRONE CORBIN 19, MOOKIE
BLAYLOCK 16
ORL - RONY SEIKALY 16, NICK ANDERSON 14, DARRELL ARMSTRONG
14
HIGH REBOUND: ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 14, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 9
ORL - RONY SEIKALY 19, DEREK STRONG 10
HIGH ASSISTS: ATL - MOOKIE BLAYLOCK 5, ELDRIDGE RECASNER 2
ORL - THREE PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 17,248
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHARLOTTE 25 28 13 22 88
TORONTO 29 24 20 19 92 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: CHA - GLEN RICE 29, VLADE DIVAC 15, SCOTT BURRELL 9
TOR - WALT WILLIAMS 23, SHARONE WRIGHT 16, DOUG CHRISTIE 16
HIGH REBOUND: CHA - VLADE DIVAC 12, ANTHONY MASON 9
TOR - POPEYE JONES 18, SHARONE WRIGHT 8
HIGH ASSISTS: CHA - ANTHONY MASON 5, ANTHONY GOLDWIRE 5
TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 6, DONALD WHITESIDE 3
ATT: 15,710
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CLEVELAND 17 25 21 12 75
MILWAUKEE 33 18 23 18 92 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: CLE - TYRONE HILL 16, TERRELL BRANDON 13, BOB SURA 10
MIL - VIN BAKER 22, GLENN ROBINSON 22, SHERMAN DOUGLAS 14
HIGH REBOUND: CLE - DANNY FERRY 9, TYRONE HILL 6
MIL - GLENN ROBINSON 12, ARMON GILLIAM 9
HIGH ASSISTS: CLE - TERRELL BRANDON 6, BOB SURA 5
MIL - THREE PLAYERS WITH 4
ATT: 13,189
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DENVER 37 33 15 18 103
UTAH 19 17 36 35 107 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: DEN - BRYANT STITH 31, DALE ELLIS 25, ANTONIO MCDYESS 15
UTH - KARL MALONE 31, JEFF HORNACEK 29, CHRIS MORRIS 11
HIGH REBOUND: DEN - ANTONIO MCDYESS 11, BRYANT STITH 9
UTH - KARL MALONE 17, BRYON RUSSELL 7
HIGH ASSISTS: DEN - MARK JACKSON 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
UTH - JOHN STOCKTON 10, JEFF HORNACEK 7
ATT: 19,324
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
LA LAKERS 30 22 21 21 94
BOSTON 29 22 31 28 110 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 22, EDDIE JONES 19, ELDEN CAMPBELL 16
BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 19, DINO RADJA 19, ERIC WILLIAMS 18
HIGH REBOUND: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 10, ELDEN CAMPBELL 9
BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 12, DINO RADJA 9
HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
BOS - RICK FOX 6, DANA BARROS 5
ATT: 18,624
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MIAMI 40 19 18 21 98
LA CLIPPERS 14 26 17 25 82 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: MIA - DAN MAJERLE 26, ALONZO MOURNING 19, TIM HARDAWAY 18
LAC - DARRICK MARTIN 18, TERRY DEHERE 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH
11
HIGH REBOUND: MIA - DAN MAJERLE 10, PJ BROWN 10
LAC - LOY VAUGHT 10, CHARLES OUTLAW 6
HIGH ASSISTS: MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 6, PJ BROWN 3
LAC - RODNEY ROGERS 3, DARRICK MARTIN 3
ATT: 7,006
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 24 20 18 15 77
PHOENIX 28 22 30 19 99 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: NJN - KENDALL GILL 18, JAYSON WILLIAMS 12, REGGIE WILLIAMS
12
PHO - WESLEY PERSON 22, MICHAEL FINLEY 18, KEVIN JOHNSON 17
HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 13, KENDALL GILL 6
PHO - AC GREEN 13, JOHN WILLIAMS 9
HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - KHALID REEVES 6, ROBERT PACK 5
PHO - KEVIN JOHNSON 8, WESLEY PERSON 6
ATT: 19,023
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PORTLAND 30 21 29 40 120
SAN ANTONIO 31 14 30 34 109 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: POR - KENNY ANDERSON 25, ARVYDAS SABONIS 23, CLIFFORD
ROBINSON 20
SAS - DOMINIQUE WILKINS 33, SEAN ELLIOTT 27, AVERY JOHNSON
18
HIGH REBOUND: POR - CHRIS DUDLEY 8, GARY TRENT 7
SAS - DOMINIQUE WILKINS 11, TWO PLAYERS WITH 5
HIGH ASSISTS: POR - KENNY ANDERSON 8, ARVYDAS SABONIS 4
SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 12, VINNY DEL NEGRO 9
ATT: 13,797
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SEATTLE 33 28 18 27 106
MINNESOTA 24 22 23 29 98 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SEA - DETLEF SCHREMPF 27, HERSEY HAWKINS 24, GARY PAYTON 22
MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 22, KEVIN GARNETT 21, SHANE HEAL 15
HIGH REBOUND: SEA - SHAWN KEMP 14, DETLEF SCHREMPF 11
MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 17, SAM MITCHELL 6
HIGH ASSISTS: SEA - GARY PAYTON 12, DETLEF SCHREMPF 5
MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 7, STEPHON MARBURY 5
ATT: 16,173
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
VANCOUVER 21 24 11 22 78
DETROIT 23 19 25 20 87 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: VAN - GREG ANTHONY 24, ANTHONY PEELER 14, LAWRENCE MOTEN 10
DET - LINDSEY HUNTER 24, OTIS THORPE 17, GRANT HILL 15
HIGH REBOUND: VAN - ERIC MOBLEY 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
DET - OTIS THORPE 14, LINDSEY HUNTER 7
HIGH ASSISTS: VAN - GREG ANTHONY 5, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3
DET - GRANT HILL 8, JOE DUMARS 4
ATT: 15,195
nba.1764nba.news,
ATLANTA (75) AT ORLANDO (79)
ATLANTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
CORBIN F 43 8-15 3-4 2 3 5 0 3 2 2 19
LAETTNER F 38 3-12 2-2 1 8 9 1 4 1 1 9
MUTOMBO C 40 8-11 4-4 6 8 14 1 2 0 1 20
BARRY G 22 0-4 0-0 1 2 3 1 2 0 1 0
BLAYLOCK G 38 6-18 1-3 1 3 4 5 3 3 3 16
RECASNER 20 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0
NORMAN 15 1-7 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 1 2 2
NEWBILL 8 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0
BURTON 16 3-8 3-3 1 1 2 1 3 0 1 9
BOYCE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SMITH DNP - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE
TOTALS 240 29-77 13-16 12 29 41 12 21 9 11 75
(.377) (.813) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 12(14 PTS)
ORLANDO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
STRONG F 35 6-11 0-0 4 6 10 0 4 2 1 12
GRANT F 37 2-8 3-6 3 3 6 1 4 1 1 7
SEIKALY C 41 5-15 6-8 5 14 19 3 4 0 1 16
ANDERSON G 38 5-14 1-2 1 3 4 1 2 0 1 14
SHAW G 33 2-7 2-2 0 2 2 3 1 1 3 7
ARMSTRONG 25 5-11 2-2 0 1 1 3 3 2 2 14
MCCASKILL 20 4-7 1-2 3 2 5 2 0 1 0 9
VAUGHN 11 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0
DEMPS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROZIER DNP - BRONCHITIS
SCHAYES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WILKINS DNP - STRAINED LOWER BACK
TOTALS 240 29-73 15-22 16 32 48 13 19 7 11 79
(.397) (.682) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 13(17 PTS)
ATLANTA 24 18 21 12 - 75
ORLANDO 19 18 24 18 - 79
BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 4. ORLANDO - VAUGHN 2, STRONG, SEIKALY,
ANDERSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 4-20 (.200), CORBIN 0-3, LAETTNER 1-2, BARRY
0-1, BLAYLOCK 3-10, NORMAN 0-3, BURTON 0-1. ORLANDO 6-16 (.375), ANDERSON
3-8, SHAW 1-2, ARMSTRONG 2-6.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JOE CRAWFORD, BLANE REICHELT, LUIS GRILLO.
A - 17,248. T - 2:07.
ATLANTA (75) AT ORLANDO (79)
Nick Anderson hit three three-pointers in a 2:07 span of the
fourth quarter and Rony Seikaly scored 16 points as the
undermanned Orlando Magic squeaked past the Atlanta Hawks,
79-75, snapping their three-game winning streak.
Orlando, which improved to just 5-3 at home this season, won
despite playing without starting point guard Penny Hardaway,
starting forward Dennis Scott and reserve guard Gerald Wilkins,
who are all out with injuries. The Magic lost only four games
at home last season.
"Right now, we're the Red Cross team," joked Anderson. "We've
got a lot of guys out, but nobody's going to feel sorry for us.
The guys are showing a lot of character to just keep playing."
Dikembe Mutombo scored 20 points and Tyrone Corbin added 19 for
Atlanta, which had just 33 points in the second half and 12 in
the fourth quarter.
Anderson's third three-pointer, with 35 seconds to play, put
Orlando ahead for good, 76-74. Mookie Blaylock hit one free
throw with 21 seconds remaining to pull the Hawks within one,
but Seikaly countered with a foul shot to give the Magic a 77-75
edge with 18 seconds to play.
"I got three good passes from Darrell (Armstrong) down the
stretch," Anderson said. "He gave me three big assists and I
gave him three big shots. I was calling for it and he gave it
to me."
Christian Laettner missed a hook shot with four seconds to go
and Seikaly, who grabbed 19 rebounds, hit two foul shots with
2.8 seconds remaining to cap the scoring.
"Some big shots by Nick down the stretch, but Rony Seikaly's 19
rebounds tonight against one of the best rebounders in the NBA,
to go with 16 points," observed Orlando coach Brian Hill. "I
thought Darrell and Amal (McCaskill) off the bench gave us a big
lift."
McCaskill lifted Orlando into a 67-67 tie with 4:15 to play when
he made the second of two free throws. Neither team scored
until Anderson drilled a pair of three-pointers around a
three-pointer by Mookie Blaylock to give Orlando a 73-70 bulge
with 1:50 remaining.
Mutombo drew Atlanta within one with a pair of free throws at
the 1:28 mark and Laettner made a layup with 56 seconds to play
to give the Hawks their final lead, 74-73. But Anderson nailed
a three-point shot from the top of the key and the Magic were
never headed.
"We did not make big shots down the stretch and they made some
big ones," said Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens. "They hit some big
shots and we missed and that hurt us. We hate to lose any game.
We had some opportunities. I thought we did not capitalize on
them down the stretch here."
Atlanta enjoyed a 59-49 lead with 3:16 to play in the third
quarter after Mutombo hit a short hook shot, but the Magic
closed the third quarter with a 12-4 run, keyed by Armstrong's
10 points. Armstrong hit a pair of three-pointers and added a
layup and two free throws to pull Orlando within 63-61 at the
end of three.
nba.1765nba.news,
CHARLOTTE (88) AT TORONTO (92)
CHARLOTTE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
RICE F 42 9-19 10-12 1 3 4 0 1 0 3 29
MASON F 42 1-5 3-6 1 8 9 5 2 1 2 5
DIVAC C 37 6-12 3-4 5 7 12 3 5 1 3 15
CURRY G 25 2-7 2-4 1 2 3 1 4 0 3 7
BOGUES G 9 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
GEIGER 11 2-3 1-2 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 5
GOLDWIRE 31 2-7 1-2 0 6 6 5 4 0 2 7
BURRELL 23 3-7 3-3 1 4 5 1 5 0 1 9
ROSE 6 2-3 2-2 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 6
DELK 6 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2
SMITH 8 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 1
ZIDEK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 29-68 26-37 11 32 43 18 23 5 17 88
(.426) (.703) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 17(20 PTS)
TORONTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WILLIAMS F 37 8-18 3-4 2 2 4 2 3 2 2 23
JONES F 42 2-4 6-7 6 12 18 2 5 3 2 10
WRIGHT C 38 8-18 0-0 4 4 8 0 3 1 1 16
CHRISTIE G 40 6-17 1-3 2 4 6 1 4 0 1 16
STOUDAMIRE G 35 4-13 2-4 1 2 3 6 1 2 3 10
DAVIS 18 3-8 1-1 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 7
WHITESIDE 14 0-4 3-3 0 1 1 3 0 1 2 3
EARL 10 0-3 2-2 1 3 4 2 3 1 0 2
LOHAUS 6 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5
CAMBY DNP - STRAINED BACK
ROGERS DNP - ASTHMA
TOTALS 240 33-87 18-24 18 28 46 17 22 10 12 92
(.379) (.750) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 13(12 PTS)
CHARLOTTE 25 28 13 22 - 88
TORONTO 29 24 20 19 - 92
BLOCKED SHOTS: CHARLOTTE - GEIGER 2, DIVAC, CURRY, BURRELL, ROSE. TORONTO
- WRIGHT, CHRISTIE, EARL.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CHARLOTTE 4-17 (.235), RICE 1-6, DIVAC 0-2, CURRY 1-2,
GOLDWIRE 2-6, BURRELL 0-1. TORONTO 8-20 (.400), WILLIAMS 4-6, CHRISTIE
3-5, STOUDAMIRE 0-5, DAVIS 0-1, WHITESIDE 0-2, LOHAUS 1-1.
TECHNICALS: TORONTO - JONES.
OFFICIALS: DAN CRAWFORD, JOE DEROSA, JIM KINSEY.
A - 15,710. T - 2:16.
CHARLOTTE (88) AT TORONTO (92)
Walt Williams scored 23 points and Sharone Wright added 16
points and eight rebounds to help the Toronto Raptors snap a
six-game losing streak with a a 92-88 victory over the Charlotte
Hornets.
The Raptors, who were without rookie center-forward Marcus
Camby, trailed 61-55 early in the third quarter before embarking
on a 15-3 run to take a 70-64 lead with 1:37 left in the period.
Doug Christie hit two three-pointers in the run.
Christie, who had 16 points and six rebounds, sank a
three-pointer with 11:36 left in the fourth to give Toronto its
largest lead of the game, 76-66.
Charlotte made the game close in the final five minutes. Anthony
Mason scored five points and Dell Curry had a jumper as the
Hornets went on a 20-11 run to close within 87-86.
Popeye Jones hit two free throws to push Toronto's advantage to
89-86 with 23.7 seconds left. With 10 seconds remaining, Rice
missed a three-pointer and Christie hit one of two from the
line. Rice tipped in a missed shot as the Hornets inched to
90-88 with 2.7 seconds left. But Williams converted two free
throws with 1.8 on the clock to close out the scoring.
"It's a good win for us, but hopefully we can build upon this,"
said Toronto point guard Damon Stoudamire. "It feels good to
finally get a victory after coming close in the last couple of
ballgames. Hopefully we've got the monkey off of our backs and
we can come back on a winning streak."
"We had a chance to win that game, we just didn't make our free
throws, " said Charlotte head Dave Cowens, whose team was
26-for-37 from the line. "We gave them too many shots, too many
offensive rebounds but when you don't make your free throws,
that's just how it goes. We should have won this game."
Rice scored 29 points and Divac had 15 points and 12 rebounds
for Charlotte, which had its four-game winning streak stopped.
"It was a just a slow start," said Curry. "I didn't get many
opportunities tonight. We didn't execute. It shouldn't be hard
to get up for a game. It was a big win last night, we should
have kept it going. We weren't as assertive as we were last
night."
Jones grabbed 18 rebounds for the second game in a row and
Stoudamire contributed 10 points and six assists for the
Raptors, who shot 37.9 percent (33-for-87) from the field.
"It was very important to get this win," Jones said. "We did a
great job down the stretch. I love to rebound and I hope to set
another record. The first time we played them down in
Charlotte, they killed us on the boards. I told Sharone
(Wright) 'They're not going to beat us on the boards tonight.'"
All five starters finished in double figures for the first time
this season.
"Everyone stepped up," Toronto head coach Darrell Walker said.
"We got contributions fromn everybody. It was a team win. It
feels great to get off the skid and get the win. This team
(Charlotte) beat Seattle, I was glad to see that the guys didn't
quit. We if get this same effort, we'll win in Minnesota."
Scott Burrell chipped in nine points and five rebounds and
Anthony Goldwire added seven points and six rebounds for the
Hornets, whose reserves outscored Toronto's, 30-17.
Charlotte, which used an 8-0 run early in the third to snap a
55-55 halftime tie and take a six-point lead, shot 42.6 percent
(29-for-68) from the field, including 4-for-17 from three-point
range.
Camby collapsed during pre-game warmups Tuesday and was taken to
a hospital with limited feeling below his waist. He is expected
to miss up to a week.
nba.1766nba.news,
CLEVELAND (75) AT MILWAUKEE (92)
CLEVELAND
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HILL F 34 8-11 0-0 3 3 6 0 2 0 5 16
MILLS F 26 3-8 0-0 0 2 2 1 5 1 0 7
WEST C 13 1-3 1-1 1 2 3 0 3 0 0 3
BRANDON G 33 5-17 2-2 0 2 2 6 2 2 4 13
PHILLS G 32 1-5 1-4 1 3 4 3 1 0 1 4
FERRY 36 3-7 1-3 1 8 9 1 4 0 1 7
SURA 24 4-7 2-7 1 2 3 5 2 0 1 10
GEARY 2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
POTAPENKO 16 4-5 0-0 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 8
LANG 19 2-4 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 4
THOMAS 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 3
MARSHALL DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 32-71 7-17 8 26 34 19 24 6 15 75
(.451) (.412) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 15(13 PTS)
MILWAUKEE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BAKER F 38 7-13 8-9 0 6 6 1 4 0 5 22
ROBINSON F 44 8-17 4-6 2 10 12 4 0 0 3 22
LANG C 19 2-3 0-0 3 1 4 0 2 0 2 4
ALLEN G 19 4-7 2-3 1 1 2 0 4 1 0 11
DOUGLAS G 31 4-6 5-7 0 3 3 4 1 2 0 14
NEWMAN 33 1-5 3-6 1 2 3 4 1 1 0 5
GILLIAM 25 1-3 3-4 2 7 9 2 3 1 2 5
WOOD 14 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 3 0 1 2
PERRY 17 3-8 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 7
HANCOCK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
RESPERT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WOLF DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 31-63 25-35 9 31 40 17 18 7 13 92
(.492) (.714) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 14(14 PTS)
CLEVELAND 17 25 21 12 - 75
MILWAUKEE 33 18 23 18 - 92
BLOCKED SHOTS: CLEVELAND - POTAPENKO 2, HILL, LANG. MILWAUKEE - LANG,
NEWMAN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CLEVELAND 4-9 (.444), MILLS 1-2, BRANDON 1-2, PHILLS
1-2, GEARY 0-1, THOMAS 1-2. MILWAUKEE 5-8 (.625), ROBINSON 2-3, ALLEN 1-3,
DOUGLAS 1-1, PERRY 1-1.
TECHNICALS: MILWAUKEE - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: ED T RUSH, TED BERNHARDT, MARK WUNDERLICH.
A - 13,189. T - 2:01.
CLEVELAND (75) AT MILWAUKEE (92)
Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker scored 22 points apiece as the
Milwaukee Bucks snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Cleveland
Cavaliers with a 92-75 victory.
Milwaukee defeated the Cavaliers for the first time since
December 30th, 1993. The Bucks snapped a two-game home losing
streak and improved to 5-2 at home.
The Bucks raced to a 26-8 lead in the first 8:40 of the game on
the strength of a 24-5 run. Ray Allen keyed the run with five
points and Robinson and Baker finished with eight points apiece
in the first quarter.
"We played a very smart game tonight at both ends of the floor,"
Milwaukee coach Chris Ford said. "I can't say enough about our
team; they played well. The Cavaliers are a good team. I
thought that we did some great things out there as far as moving
the ball. It certainly was one of our better games of the
season."
Tyrone Hill scored 16 points and pulled down six rebounds and
Terrell Brandon added 13 points and six assists for Cleveland,
which had a three-game winning streak snapped. The Cavaliers
could get no closer than seven points after a 16-foot jumper by
Danny Ferry late in the first half made it 49-42.
The Bucks sank 71 percent of their free throws (25-of-35) while
Cleveland made just 41 percent (7-of-17). Robinson grabbed 12
rebounds and Arnom Gilliam pulled down nine as Milwaukee
outrebounded the Cavaliers 40-34.
"Teams used to know that they could come into Milwaukee and get
a win; now, it's a different story," Robinson said. "If I am
not scoring, I can play defense and get some rebounds. I'm very
comfortable with or without Vin Baker on the floor. I'm not
concerned about scoring. I'm pleased with my rebounding and I
just want to keep it up."
"Missed shots and missed free throws just killed us," Brandon
said. "We contested their shots but they still hit them,
especially in the first quarter. We're having sucess with a 9-4
record. This was just a tough night and a small setback. After
tonight, we're going to forget about this game and go into the
holiday and come back strong."
Cleveland's defense entered with a league-best average of giving
up 80.9 points a game, but surrendered 33 points to the Bucks in
the first quarter alone.
Bucks center Andrew Lang returned to the starting lineup after
missing five games with an injury to his right Achilles tendon.
Lang finished with four points and four boards in 19 minutes.
"I don't think that we were slacking on defense," said guard
Bobby Phills, who totaled just four points. "They just made
some tough shots. Sometimes guys make shots like that. Tonight
was one of those nights for Milwaukee."
nba.1767nba.news,
DENVER (103) AT UTAH (107)
DENVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D ELLIS F 46 7-15 9-12 1 2 3 1 2 0 4 25
MCDYESS F 37 7-13 1-2 2 9 11 1 5 1 5 15
JOHNSON C 21 2-6 0-0 1 4 5 0 4 0 1 4
JACKSON G 33 2-3 2-3 0 4 4 13 5 1 6 6
STITH G 42 9-14 6-6 0 9 9 4 4 2 2 31
HAMMONDS 35 4-8 0-0 2 2 4 1 5 0 1 8
B THOMPSON 8 1-4 2-2 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 5
MCINNIS 14 3-4 1-2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 9
HAM 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MARCIULIONIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
L THOMPSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 35-67 21-27 6 30 36 25 31 4 19 103
(.522) (.778) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 20(30 PTS)
UTAH
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MALONE F 44 13-25 5-7 6 11 17 6 3 2 1 31
RUSSELL F 33 4-7 2-3 4 3 7 3 4 0 4 10
OSTERTAG C 30 2-2 1-2 2 2 4 0 4 1 0 5
STOCKTON G 39 2-12 4-4 0 2 2 10 2 4 2 9
HORNACEK G 35 10-20 7-7 3 2 5 7 2 2 2 29
ANDERSON 18 2-5 1-1 1 2 3 2 1 0 1 5
KEEFE 5 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
MORRIS 15 4-5 1-2 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 11
FOSTER 5 0-1 2-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2
CARR 12 1-6 1-2 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 3
EISLEY 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2
WATSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 39-84 24-30 16 26 42 29 22 11 11 107
(.464) (.800) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 11(13 PTS)
DENVER 37 33 15 18 - 103
UTAH 19 17 36 35 - 107
BLOCKED SHOTS: DENVER - MCDYESS, JOHNSON, STITH. UTAH - OSTERTAG 2,
RUSSELL.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DENVER 12-25 (.480), D ELLIS 2-8, MCDYESS 0-1, JACKSON
0-1, STITH 7-9, B THOMPSON 1-3, MCINNIS 2-3. UTAH 5-14 (.357), RUSSELL
0-1, STOCKTON 1-5, HORNACEK 2-5, MORRIS 2-3.
TECHNICALS: DENVER - MCDYESS, ILLEGAL DEFENSE 3, UTAH - HEAD COACH SLOAN,
OSTERTAG.
OFFICIALS: TOMMY NUNEZ, WOODY MAYFIELD, RONNIE NUNN.
A - 19,324. T - 2:14.
DENVER (103) AT UTAH (107)
Jeff Hornacek's three-pointer with 41 seconds to play gave Utah
the lead for good as the Jazz rallied from a 36-point first half
deficit to record an improbable 107-103 victory over the Denver
Nuggets, extending their winning streak to eight games.
Utah, which trailed 70-34 in the final minute of the first half,
trailed by 34 points at halftime before outscoring the Nuggets
71-33 in the second half. It is believed to be the largest
rally in NBA history. The previous best rally from a halftime
deficit is believed to belong to Philadelphia, which came from
27 points down to defeat Boston in March 1988.
"We certainly got embarrassed in the first half, but the second
half was a different story," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "When
you play with enthusiasm, you have a chance to win."
"I've seen a lot of things in my career, but I think that's the
biggest comeback in NBA history," said Nuggets coach Dick Motta.
"I've seen a lot of stuff, but I don't know we looked like a
deer in the headlights."
Bryant Stith's seventh three-pointer gave Denver its last lead,
101-100, with 59 seconds left. But Hornacek drilled a jumper
from the top of the key to put the Jazz ahead for good and
prevent Motta from earning his second win in as many games
since taking over for Bernie Bickerstaff on Tuesday.
"I would think that's the greatest comeback in NBA history,"
said Hornacek. "It's especially amazing is that we were down
that much at half, it wasn't like the middle of the second
quarter. I think there was still seven minutes to go and we
were still down 29, so it was a rapid comeback after that."
Karl Malone scored 31 points and Hornacek added 29 for Utah,
which improved to 10-2 and has won six straight home games.
Stith finished with 31 points and Dale Ellis added 25 for the
Nuggets, who have lost five of their last six.
"In my wildest imagination, I never thought we would lose that
game," said Stith. "We were supposed to win that game. There's
no reason, no excuse for us to lose here to Utah tonight. They
are a very good basketball team, we expected them to make a run
and have a spurt in the second half, but not a 36-point run."
The Jazz opened the third quarter with a 23-4 run, keyed by
Malone's 10 points as Utah closed within 74-57. Utah trailed
85-72 after three quarters, but opened the fourth with a 14-3
spurt to close within two.
Malone made a layup before Stith nailed a three-pointer to give
Denver an 88-74 advantage. John Stockton hit a foul shot and
Chris Morris had a three-pointer before Shandon Anderson threw
down a dunk to make it 88-80.
Morris followed with a jumper and reverse dunk before Malone
capped the run with a put-back to pull the Jazz within 88-86 at
the 6:20 mark.
"I've never heard of anything this unbelievable in my life,"
said Morris. "I've heard of being down 20, maybe 25 and then
try to fight hard and let it slip away, but I think the way we
did it was we played with straight heart and we just kept
battling and battling."
After Jeff McInnis hit a free throw to give Denver a 91-88 lead
with 5:03 to go, Morris tied it with a three-pointer. Stith
answered with a three-pointer before Malone had a dunk and
Hornacek two free throws to give Utah a 95-94 lead with 3:02 to
play. It was the Jazz's first lead since 2-0.
Stith and Stockton traded three-pointers before Mark Jackson hit
a free throw to forge a 98-98 tie with 1:31 to play. But
Hornacek's jumper gave Utah a two-point lead 18 seconds later.
Denver shot 73 percent from the field in the first half as Ellis
scored 21 points and Stith added 15. The Nuggets made 15-of-18
shots in the first quarter and took a 37-19 lead. They tailed
off slightly in the second, hitting on only 12-of-19 shots.
nba.1768nba.news,
LA LAKERS (94) AT BOSTON (110)
LA LAKERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
JONES F 44 6-19 5-6 1 2 3 3 4 3 1 19
CAMPBELL F 36 7-13 2-7 2 7 9 4 5 1 0 16
ONEAL C 38 10-15 2-7 4 6 10 5 3 0 0 22
SCOTT G 26 2-7 1-2 0 2 2 0 2 1 2 5
VAN EXEL G 35 6-11 0-0 0 2 2 4 1 1 3 15
FISHER 20 3-6 3-4 0 2 2 1 1 2 3 10
KNIGHT 13 1-2 1-2 2 3 5 1 1 0 0 3
BRYANT 20 1-7 0-0 1 3 4 1 3 0 2 2
BLOUNT 8 1-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 0 2
ROBINSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROOKS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
KERSEY DNP - STRAINED ACHILLES TENDON
TOTALS 240 37-84 14-28 10 30 40 19 21 8 11 94
(.440) (.500) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 12(15 PTS)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WALKER F 34 8-14 2-4 3 9 12 4 3 2 3 19
WILLIAMS F 31 7-12 4-5 1 3 4 1 3 0 1 18
RADJA C 40 9-18 1-4 1 8 9 3 3 0 3 19
BARROS G 37 6-9 0-0 1 4 5 5 1 1 2 15
FOX G 30 3-5 6-7 0 5 5 6 6 2 2 13
BROWN 25 1-4 2-4 0 2 2 4 1 2 1 4
CONLON 8 1-3 0-0 2 3 5 0 2 0 1 2
DAY 6 1-4 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 2
BRICKOWSKI 14 1-5 0-0 0 2 2 2 3 0 0 2
MINOR 14 4-7 6-6 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 14
SZABO 1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
WESLEY DNP - SORE RIGHT FOOT
TOTALS 240 42-82 21-30 10 38 48 25 23 8 14 110
(.512) (.700) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 14(11 PTS)
LA LAKERS 30 22 21 21 - 94
BOSTON 29 22 31 28 - 110
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - ONEAL 4, JONES 3, KNIGHT 2, CAMPBELL, BRYANT,
BLOUNT. BOSTON - RADJA 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 6-21 (.286), JONES 2-6, SCOTT 0-4, VAN EXEL
3-6, FISHER 1-2, BRYANT 0-3. BOSTON 5-9 (.556), WALKER 1-2, BARROS 3-3,
FOX 1-1, BROWN 0-1, DAY 0-1, MINOR 0-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JACK NIES, DON VADEN, SCOTT FOSTER.
A - 18,624. T - 2:12.
LA LAKERS (94) AT BOSTON (110)
Dana Barros and Antoine Walker hit consecutive three-pointers to
ignite a key fourth-quarter run as the Boston Celtics won
consecutive games for the first time this season, defeating the
Los Angeles Lakers, 110-94.
After the Lakers scored eight straight points to draw within
96-93 with 2:49 to play, Barros and Walker hit three-pointers to
spark a 14-1 spurt. Walker finished with 19 points and a
career-high 12 rebounds.
"After all the games we have blown, we learned a lesson," Walker
said. "My shot was a backbreaker. It felt good. They were
trying to come back and it broke them."
"A win against the Lakers means a lot to all of us," Celtics
coach M.L. Carr said. "This is a great win to boost our
confidence. We showed a total team effort."
Shaquille O'Neal had 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to
lead Los Angeles, which had its three-game road winning streak
snapped. The game marked the fourth time this season the Lakers
have played road games on consecutive nights. In each case, Los
Angeles has won the first game and dropped the second.
The Lakers made just 14-of-28 free-throw attempts, with O'Neal
and Elden Campbell each going 2-for-7. O'Neal has missed 12 of
his last 19 from the line.
"The Celtics hit a lot of shots and played good defense and,
most importantly, they were very energetic," O'Neal said.
"Times have changed, it (the Celtic-Laker rivalry) means nothing
to me. Many teams have come and gone and Magic and Bird are no
longer around."
Boston snapped a tie late in the third quarter by closing the
period with a 13-4 run. Dana Barros had five points during the
spurt, which was capped when Rick Fox made two of three free
throws.
The Celtics also regained the services of guard Dee Brown, who
had four points and four assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
"It's good to have Dee back. Now we have the opportunity to do
many different things and hopefully we can get the rest of the
team back in the next few weeks," said Barros.
nba.1769nba.news,
MIAMI (98) AT LA CLIPPERS (82)
MIAMI
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MAJERLE F 44 11-20 0-1 4 6 10 1 3 2 2 26
BROWN F 34 1-4 3-4 3 7 10 3 1 4 0 5
MOURNING C 18 9-10 1-2 1 2 3 1 4 0 1 19
DANILOVIC G 23 2-6 0-0 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 5
HARDAWAY G 27 8-11 0-0 0 2 2 6 1 1 3 18
AUSTIN 28 6-9 1-2 1 5 6 0 3 2 3 13
GRANT 21 1-5 1-2 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 4
PINCKNEY 13 1-1 0-0 1 3 4 0 0 0 1 2
LENARD 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
STRICKLAND 3 1-2 2-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 4
SCOTT 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
ASKINS 23 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 4 1 2 2
TOTALS 240 41-74 8-13 11 32 43 16 20 13 16 98
(.554) (.615) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 17(22 PTS)
LA CLIPPERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
VAUGHT F 32 4-10 1-1 1 9 10 1 0 2 0 9
ROGERS F 34 4-11 3-3 3 2 5 3 3 0 4 11
DUCKWORTH C 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
RICHARDSON G 22 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 5
SEALY G 22 0-4 3-3 0 2 2 1 2 0 3 3
ROBERTS 15 2-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 5 0 2 4
WRIGHT 11 1-5 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 2
DEHERE 27 5-15 3-3 1 0 1 2 4 2 4 14
MURRAY 27 2-9 0-0 1 3 4 0 0 0 1 5
D MARTIN 24 6-10 4-5 1 1 2 3 2 0 0 18
OUTLAW 23 4-5 3-4 4 2 6 0 2 5 1 11
PIATKOWSKI DNP - FLU
TOTALS 240 30-77 17-19 12 23 35 11 19 10 17 82
(.390) (.895) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 18(22 PTS)
MIAMI 40 19 18 21 - 98
LA CLIPPERS 14 26 17 25 - 82
BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - PINCKNEY 2, MAJERLE, BROWN, MOURNING. LA CLIPPERS
- VAUGHT, SEALY, ROBERTS, OUTLAW.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 8-23 (.348), MAJERLE 4-11, DANILOVIC 1-4,
HARDAWAY 2-3, GRANT 1-3, LENARD 0-1, ASKINS 0-1. LA CLIPPERS 5-10 (.500),
ROGERS 0-1, RICHARDSON 1-2, DEHERE 1-3, MURRAY 1-2, D MARTIN 2-2.
TECHNICALS: MIAMI - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 3.
OFFICIALS: BERNIE FRYER, HUGH EVANS, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - 7,006. T - 2:06.
MIAMI (98) AT LA CLIPPERS (82)
Dan Majerle scored 26 points and keyed two first-quarter runs as
the Miami Heat completed a 6-0 West Coast trip with a 98-82
triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Majerle scored 12 points in the opening quarter for Miami, which
used spurts of 14-0 and 21-2 to build a 40-14 lead after the
first quarter. Alonzo Mourning scored 19 points and Tim
Hardaway added 18 for the Heat, who shot a torrid 77 percent in
the opening period (17-of-22) and 55 percent for the game
(41-of-74).
"He's a 40 minute guy, he works hard, he's in great, great
condition," said Miami coach Pat Riley. "I think back-to-back
it's a little bit harder. But he thrives on it. He's in a
better rhythm, he is playing better than the first five or six
game of the season."
"We came with the purpose of getting six in a row on the road,"
Majerle said. "We moved the ball, we ran and we made our shots.
I am happy with the way I am playing, I am getting a good mix of
threes, getting layups and creating for others."
Majerle and P.J. Brown each grabbed 10 rebounds as Miami
outrebounded the Clippers 43-35.
"We need to enjoy these wins right now, but we've got to stick
with it," said Mourning. "We are at the top of our division and
we want people to be chasing us."
The Heat led by as many as 27 points after a Majerle layup with
9:38 remaining in the second quarter.
Darrick Martin had a season-high 18 points and Terry Dehere
added 14 for the Clippers, whose bench outscored the starters
54-28.
"On a scale of 1-to-10, I rate the first quarter a 26 because
they had 26 more points than us," Los Angeles coach Bill Fitch
said. "I don't know who will starting against Utah but I
guarantee it will be a different lineup. I didn't like their
energy. We just had some guys that didn't come to the ballpark
tonight. It wasn't a group that I recognized."
Charles Outlaw scored 11 points and Loy Vaught pulled down 10
boards for Los Angeles, which trailed 59-40 at the half.
Los Angeles cut the deficit to 62-50 midway through the third
quarter after a Vaught layup. Hardaway then scored Miami's next
nine points to run the lead to 71-53 with 4:27 remaining in the
quarter to end the threat.
nba.1770nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (77) AT PHOENIX (99)
NEW JERSEY
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GILL F 36 7-17 3-4 3 3 6 0 1 1 1 18
J WILLIAMS F 34 5-19 2-4 6 7 13 0 2 1 1 12
BRADLEY C 23 3-5 1-4 1 3 4 0 3 0 2 7
KITTLES G 36 2-10 0-1 0 5 5 3 2 2 0 4
PACK G 25 1-10 5-6 1 1 2 5 5 0 3 7
MASSENBURG 29 3-5 3-4 2 3 5 0 0 0 1 9
R WILLIAMS 20 5-11 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 3 2 12
REEVES 22 1-7 3-4 2 2 4 6 0 1 1 6
OBANNON 6 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
CALDWELL 6 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 0
DARE 3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
TOTALS 240 28-88 17-27 15 29 44 15 16 10 12 77
(.318) (.630) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 12(9 PTS)
PHOENIX
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
FINLEY F 28 7-12 4-4 0 1 1 3 4 1 3 18
GREEN F 40 3-5 0-0 1 12 13 1 4 0 3 6
WILLIAMS C 21 3-6 0-0 1 8 9 1 2 0 0 6
PERSON G 32 7-15 6-7 0 3 3 6 2 0 1 22
JOHNSON G 32 6-14 5-7 0 4 4 8 1 0 2 17
HORRY 20 3-6 0-0 2 2 4 3 1 1 2 6
MANNING 10 1-5 0-0 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 2
CHAPMAN 16 2-5 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 4
KLEINE 22 5-7 1-1 3 5 8 1 2 0 1 11
NASH 16 1-4 0-0 1 0 1 4 2 1 3 3
BROWN 3 2-4 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 4
CASSELL DNP - PERSONAL PROBLEMS
TOTALS 240 40-83 16-19 10 37 47 28 21 4 17 99
(.482) (.842) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 17(19 PTS)
NEW JERSEY 24 20 18 15 - 77
PHOENIX 28 22 30 19 - 99
BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - BRADLEY 2, R WILLIAMS 2, GILL, DARE. PHOENIX
- WILLIAMS 2, PERSON, HORRY.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 4-16 (.250), GILL 1-2, J WILLIAMS 0-1,
KITTLES 0-3, R WILLIAMS 2-5, REEVES 1-3, OBANNON 0-2. PHOENIX 3-8 (.375),
PERSON 2-5, CHAPMAN 0-1, NASH 1-2.
TECHNICALS: NEW JERSEY - DELAY.
OFFICIALS: MIKE MATHIS, BILL SPOONER, MIKE CALLAHAN.
A - 19,023. T - 2:04.
NEW JERSEY (77) AT PHOENIX (99)
Wesley Person scored a season-high 22 points and sparked a key
third-quarter run as the Phoenix Suns became the last NBA team
to win a game, defeating the hapless New Jersey Nets, 99-77.
In a matchup of the worst teams in each conference, Phoenix
snapped its franchise-record 13-game slide to open the season.
Michael Finley had 18 points and Kevin Johnson added 17 as the
Suns also gave Danny Ainge his first career coaching victory.
"It's been ugly losing, but I don't feel overly excited," Ainge
said. "Let's keep this thing in perspective. This is a team
we're supposed to beat. It's just one win but I'm glad the huge
gorilla is off the players' backs."
"It's embarrassing but this is the first step," Johnson said.
"We can enjoy it tonight but tomorrow we will still be
1-and-whatever. For our team to be effective, Wesley (Person)
is going to have to score 16 points a night. Tonight he really
lit it up but he going to have to do that night in and night
out."
Kendall Gill had 18 points and Jayson Williams added 12 points
and 13 rebounds for the Nets, who are 0-5 on the road and 2-8,
overall.
The Suns have won the last seven games with New Jersey,
including four straight in Phoenix. The Suns' last home loss to
New Jersey was on March 13th, 1993.
When the Suns seized a 54-44 lead just under two minutes into
the third quarter it marked the first time this season that they
have had a double-digit lead. Their halftime lead was just the
second time this season that they have led at intermission.
Phoenix blew the game open late in the third quarter with a 12-3
run that turned a 68-59 lead into an 18-point advantage heading
into the final quarter. Person hit a three-pointer to start the
burst and A.C. Green capped it with a layup. In between Johnson
had five points.
"It feels great to get the first win," Person said. "We got
close in a couple of earlier games, but we couldn't pull it off.
We had a chance to cruise in the fourth quarter tonight and not
worry about it. The team hasn't been scoring and it comes down
to me. I have to put up points and make it happen."
The Nets starting backcourt of Kerry Kittles and Robert Pack
made just 3-of-20 shots from the floor, contributing to the Nets
overall shooting woes. New Jersey made just 31 percent of its
shots (28-of-88) and was 4-of-16 from three-point range.
"When you shoot 29 percent, you lose," Nets coach John Calipari
said. "I couldn't believe we were in it at halftime when we shot
28 percent. What it looked like was that they wanted it more
than we did and I am disappointed in that. They have guys that
started that were key parts in championship teams, it's not like
they are a slouch team. This was a game that they had to have."
"I thought going into the second half that we couldn't get that
bad, but we did it again in the second," pack said. "We had good
looks, I mean wide open shots in the lane, and we just didn't
make any."
nba.1771nba.news,
PORTLAND (120) AT SAN ANTONIO (109)
PORTLAND
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WALLACE F 29 3-5 4-8 4 1 5 1 2 0 3 10
C ROBINSON F 34 6-15 7-8 1 4 5 2 3 4 2 20
SABONIS C 24 8-13 7-10 2 3 5 4 0 1 2 23
RIDER G 34 6-9 1-2 2 3 5 3 5 0 1 17
ANDERSON G 38 8-15 8-10 3 3 6 8 3 1 2 25
TRENT 19 3-7 3-4 3 4 7 1 0 0 2 9
MCKIE 16 2-5 0-0 2 1 3 2 3 0 1 5
BUTLER 14 2-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5
CHILDRESS 9 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
DUDLEY 23 1-2 1-2 4 4 8 1 1 1 0 3
DJORDJEVIC DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WINGFIELD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 40-76 31-44 21 24 45 23 17 7 13 120
(.526) (.705) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 14(14 PTS)
SAN ANTONIO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ELLIOTT F 37 10-18 7-8 3 1 4 1 6 2 3 27
D WILKINS F 43 11-21 7-9 3 8 11 0 5 2 2 33
W PERDUE C 21 1-7 0-0 3 2 5 1 4 0 1 2
DEL NEGRO G 30 5-7 1-1 1 0 1 9 1 0 0 11
JOHNSON G 33 8-10 2-2 0 1 1 12 5 2 4 18
ALEXANDER 9 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
HERRERA 10 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
MAXWELL 25 4-10 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 1 0 10
M WILLIAMS 17 4-7 0-0 2 3 5 1 4 0 1 8
ANDERSON 12 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0
KEMPTON 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SMITH DNP - RIGHT KNEE
TOTALS 240 43-86 17-20 13 19 32 25 32 7 11 109
(.500) (.850) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 11(16 PTS)
PORTLAND 30 21 29 40 - 120
SAN ANTONIO 31 14 30 34 - 109
BLOCKED SHOTS: PORTLAND - DUDLEY 3, WALLACE, SABONIS. SAN ANTONIO -
ELLIOTT, ANDERSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PORTLAND 9-22 (.409), C ROBINSON 1-4, SABONIS 0-2,
RIDER 4-6, ANDERSON 1-5, MCKIE 1-1, BUTLER 1-1, CHILDRESS 1-3. SAN ANTONIO
6-15 (.400), ELLIOTT 0-1, D WILKINS 4-8, DEL NEGRO 0-1, MAXWELL 2-5.
TECHNICALS: PORTLAND - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: JOE FORTE, NOLAN FINE, DEREK RICHARDSON.
A - 13,797. T - 2:10.
PORTLAND (120) AT SAN ANTONIO (109)
Kenny Anderson scored 25 points and Arvydas Sabonis added 23 as
the Portland Trail Blazers used clutch free-throw shooting to
hand the San Antonio Spurs their seventh straight loss, 120-109.
Clifford Robinson had 20 points for the Blazers, who shot nearly
53 percent from the field and won for the fifth time in six
games.
Dominique Wilkins scored a season-high 33 points and pulled down
11 rebounds for the Spurs, who have lost 10 of their last 11
games. San Antonio topped the 100-point mark for the second
straight contest after failing to score as many as 96 points in
its first 12 games.
The Spurs, who have played all season without injured All-Star
center David Robinson, climbed within 105-100 on a pair of free
throws by Sean Elliott with 1:30 remaining.
But Portland hit 13-of-14 free throws down the stretch,
including seven by Robinson over the final 51 seconds.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Blazers.
Isaiah Rider contributed 17 points, while Rasheed Wallace had
10. No Portland player had more than seven rebounds, but the
Blazers had a 45-32 edge on the boards.
Avery Johnson had 18 points and 12 assists, while Vinny Del
Negro added 11 points and nine assists for San Antonio. The
Spurs shot 50 percent from the field, but were outscored from
the foul line, 31-17.
nba.1772nba.news,
SEATTLE (106) AT MINNESOTA (98)
SEATTLE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
KEMP F 38 2-8 15-18 2 12 14 1 4 0 1 19
D SCHREMPF F 40 10-16 4-4 3 8 11 5 3 0 7 27
MCILVAINE C 14 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
HAWKINS G 34 10-14 1-4 0 3 3 4 0 5 2 24
PAYTON G 44 9-20 3-4 2 1 3 12 4 3 5 22
PERKINS 27 1-3 2-4 0 3 3 3 1 0 0 5
STEWART 18 2-6 0-0 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 5
EHLO 18 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
SNOW 5 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
WINGATE 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
GRAHAM DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HARVEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 36-72 25-34 10 29 39 27 18 9 18 106
(.500) (.735) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 18(24 PTS)
MINNESOTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GUGLIOTTA F 30 10-14 2-3 0 2 2 4 4 2 4 22
K GARNETT F 42 7-11 7-9 5 12 17 7 2 3 2 21
VRANKOVIC C 19 3-6 0-1 2 2 4 2 3 0 3 6
WEST G 28 3-6 0-0 0 1 1 4 4 2 1 6
MARBURY G 36 5-16 4-4 1 2 3 5 2 3 2 14
MITCHELL 36 3-13 3-5 3 3 6 4 4 0 1 9
PORTER 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
ROBINSON 14 0-4 1-2 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1
PARKS 16 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 4
HEAL 13 5-9 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 15
CARR DNP - COACH'S DECISION
D GARRETT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-85 17-24 11 25 36 27 26 11 16 98
(.447) (.708) TEAM REBS: 15 TOTAL TO: 18(17 PTS)
SEATTLE 33 28 18 27 - 106
MINNESOTA 24 22 23 29 - 98
BLOCKED SHOTS: SEATTLE - KEMP 3, MCILVAINE 2, D SCHREMPF, HAWKINS,
PAYTON, PERKINS. MINNESOTA - VRANKOVIC 3, K GARNETT 2, PARKS, HEAL,
ROBINSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SEATTLE 9-17 (.529), D SCHREMPF 3-5, HAWKINS 3-5,
PAYTON 1-2, PERKINS 1-3, STEWART 1-2. MINNESOTA 5-18 (.278), WEST 0-2,
MARBURY 0-5, MITCHELL 0-1, ROBINSON 0-1, HEAL 5-9.
TECHNICALS: SEATTLE - D SCHREMPF.
OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, PAUL MIHALAK, JOE BORGIA.
A - 16,173. T - 2:13.
SEATTLE (106) AT MINNESOTA (98)
Detlef Schrempf scored 27 points and Hersey Hawkins hit a key
three-pointer at the end of the third quarter as the Seattle
SuperSonics maintained their mastery of the Minnesota
Timberwolves with a 106-98 victory.
Hawkins finished with 24 points and Gary Payton added 22 for the
SuperSonics, who have won 22 straight games over the
Timberwolves since a 100-96 loss at Seattle on March 15th, 1991.
The Sonics lead the all-time series, 26-3.
Kevin Garnett scored 21 points and Tom Gugliotta added 20 for
Minnesota, which lost for the first time in five home games.
Seattle has won 12 of its last 13 games, overall.
"Everybody in a locker room knew we were running low on gas,"
said Seattle coach George Karl. "Minnesota made a lot of plays,
but so did we. We never gave up the lead. I just wanted to win
two out of three and 'get out of Dodge.' This makes for an easy
flight at home."
Stephon Marbury capped a 16-4 Timberwolves run with a pair of
free throws, drawing Minnesota within 69-68 with 2:51 to play in
the third quarter. But Seattle answered with a 10-1 run to end
the quarter.
Shawn Kemp hit 5-of-6 free throws to extend the lead to 74-68
with 29 seconds to play. James Robinson made a foul shot, but
Payton canned a jumper with 3.9 seconds left to make it 76-69.
Hawkins stole the inbounds pass on the left wing and nailed a
24-footer with four-tenths of a second left to extend the lead
to 10 points.
"It's good to have the jump shot go in," said Hawkins. "Now I
have to work on my free throws. One comes and the other goes.
When Minnesota made their run, it's not the team of the past.
In the old days, when they were down 20, they would give up.
Now they feel they can win."
Minnesota countered with an 11-4 run over the first 3:20 of the
fourth quarter, pulling within 83-80 after a three-pointer by
Shane Heal. But Payton made two free throws and a layup and
Hawkins capped the run with a jumper, giving Seattle an 89-80
lead with 6:27 remaining. The Wolves came no closer than four
points down the stretch.
Kemp finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds for Seattle, which
shot 50 percent (36-of-72) from the field. Kemp was just 2-of-8
from the floor, but made 15-of-18 free throws. Payton had 12
assists and every Seattle starter blocked a shot.
Garnett had a season-high 17 rebounds and a career-high seven
assists for Minnesota, which shot 45 percent (38-of-85) from the
floor. Heal set a franchise record by making five
three-pointers in the fourth quarters and finished with 15
points.
"We came out with no energy in the first half," said Garnett.
"We have to have effort and energy to play a team like Seattle.
We need to solve the problem of our slow starts. We need to
have fun, let loose and go out and play. We haven't been doing
that like we should."
nba.1773nba.news,
VANCOUVER (78) AT DETROIT (87)
VANCOUVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ABDUR-RAHIM F 38 1-13 2-2 1 2 3 3 3 1 3 4
LYNCH F 34 3-4 1-2 3 3 6 3 6 2 0 9
MOBLEY C 16 1-6 0-0 4 3 7 1 2 0 2 2
MOTEN G 23 4-10 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 1 0 10
ANTHONY G 38 10-19 0-0 0 3 3 5 2 2 1 24
PEELER 34 6-15 0-0 1 5 6 3 2 1 1 14
MANNING 20 3-8 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 1 0 8
ROGERS 15 3-6 0-2 2 3 5 0 1 0 0 6
MAYBERRY 10 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
CHILCUTT 12 0-2 1-2 0 3 3 2 2 2 0 1
B EDWARDS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
REEVES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 31-85 4-8 13 24 37 18 23 10 7 78
(.365) (.500) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 10(13 PTS)
DETROIT
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HILL F 42 4-12 7-10 0 6 6 8 3 1 3 15
LONG F 24 3-4 0-0 2 3 5 1 2 1 1 7
THORPE C 35 6-11 5-8 6 8 14 2 3 0 2 17
HUNTER G 39 7-17 6-7 2 5 7 0 2 1 1 24
DUMARS G 41 2-5 2-2 0 2 2 4 1 0 6 7
MILLS 16 5-10 0-0 0 3 3 1 0 0 2 13
AUGMON 9 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
RATLIFF 9 1-3 0-0 3 1 4 0 0 0 2 2
CURRY 13 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
REID 4 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0
MAHORN 8 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0
WILLIAMS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 29-68 20-27 14 33 47 18 13 3 17 87
(.426) (.741) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 17(18 PTS)
VANCOUVER 21 24 11 22 - 78
DETROIT 23 19 25 20 - 87
BLOCKED SHOTS: VANCOUVER - ABDUR-RAHIM 2, MANNING. DETROIT - HUNTER 2,
MILLS, MAHORN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: VANCOUVER 12-25 (.480), LYNCH 2-3, MOTEN 2-4, ANTHONY
4-7, PEELER 2-6, MANNING 2-2, MAYBERRY 0-1, CHILCUTT 0-2. DETROIT 9-21
(.429), LONG 1-1, HUNTER 4-8, DUMARS 1-3, MILLS 3-7, CURRY 0-2.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JESS KERSEY, RON OLESIAK, BENNIE ADAMS.
A - 15,195. T - 2:01.
VANCOUVER (78) AT DETROIT (87)
Lindsey Hunter had 24 points and Otis Thorpe added 17 and 14
rebounds, including the 15,000th point of his career, as the
Detroit Pistons continued their early-season success with an
87-78 defeat of the reeling Vancouver Grizzlies.
The Pistons, whose six-game winning streak was stopped Saturday
in Charlotte, used a 30-7 run that bridged the third and fourth
quarters to break open a tight game.
Grant Hill, who was forced to leave Saturday's game, had 15
points for Detroit, which has won 11 of its first 13 games. He
also set up Thorpe's milestone basket -- a dunk with 9:21 to go
in regulation.
"It was nice to come out and score 15,000 points in a Pistons'
uniform," Thorpe said. "I'm pleased with our record so far, but
those games are behind us. We need to take each game one at a
time."
"I really didn't want to shoot the ball, everything was sort of
to the hole," Hill said. "I just wanted to go out there and try
to penetrate and pass it."
Greg Anthony scored 24 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost
six of their last seven games and are winless in seven road
contests this season. Vancouver played without starting center
Bryant Reeves, who is nursing a sprained right knee.
Grizzlies rookie Shareef Abdur-Rahim made just 1-of-13 shots,
grabbed three rebounds and committed three of Vancouver's seven
turnovers. The Grizzlies attempted only eight free throws in
the contest, but hit 12-of-25 three-point attempts.
The Grizzlies were leading 49-42 just under two minutes into the
second half, but the Pistons went on the decisive run that
extended into the fourth quarter. Thorpe hit a free throw to
begin the spurt and Chris Mills capped it with a three-pointer
61 seconds into the final period.
"It wasn't pretty, but I thought the third quarter and a little
bit of the fourth quarter our defense was sensational," Pistons
coach Doug Collins said.
"Detroit stepped up the defensive intensity in the second half,"
Anthony said. "In the first half, we got a lot of open looks,
but that changed in the second half. We competed well without
our go-to guy. The third quarter killed us. That's been our
Achilles heel all season. We didn't get a lot of shots or good
looks. When that happens, you end up taking bad shots."
The Pistons, who have yet to allow an opponent more than 100
points this season, held a 47-37 advantage on the boards and
made 9-of-21 three-point attempts.
Detroit has won all three all-time meetings with Vancouver.
nba.1774nba.news,
Rockets sign G Elmer Bennett; place C Charles Jones on IL
The Houston Rockets today signed point guard Elmer Bennett to take the
roster spot of injured center Charles Jones.
Bennett, a 6-foot guard out of Notre Dame, has played six games this
season with the Oklahoma City Cavalry of the Continental Basketball
Association. He was second in the league in assists (9.5 per game) and
fourth in scoring (23.7).
The 26-year-old Bennett was the 38th pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the
Atlanta Hawks and also made brief appearances with the Philadelphia
76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers during his 12-game NBA career. He
was in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs this fall.
The 39-year-old Jones was placed on the injured list with a lower back
strain. He has seen action in two games this season, averaging seven
minutes a game. The 6-9 pivotman has averaged 2.6 points and 4.7
rebounds a game over a 12-year NBA career that has also included stops
at Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Detroit.
nba.1775nba.news,
Bucks activate C Andrew Lang from injured list
The Milwaukee Bucks activated center Andrew Lang from the injured list
in time for tonight's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 6-11 Lang suffered a right Achilles tendon injury in a 95-86 loss
at Golden State November 14th and did not play in a 103-99 loss at
Sacramento the following night. He is averaging 4.6 points and 6.4
rebounds in seven games this season.
The Bucks went 2-3 in Lang's absence. With Lang in the middle,
All-Star Vin Baker can return to his natural position of power
forward. Milwaukee was 5-3 before Lang went down with the injury, its
best start since winning 11 of 14 in 1992.
Lang was acquired from Minnesota in some shrewd dealing by the Bucks.
Milwaukee chose guard Stephon Marbury with the fourth overall pick,
then sent him to the Timberwolves for guard Ray Allen and a 1997
first-round pick. The Bucks traded the first-round pick back to the
Timberwolves for Lang.
The 30-year-old Lang is playing for his fifth team in his eight NBA
seasons. He entered the season with averages of 6.6 points, five
rebounds and nearly two blocks per game.
To make room on the roster, the Bucks waived center Keith Tower, who
was signed when Lang went on the injured list. Tower averaged 1.4
points, 1.8 rebounds in five games, playing just 72 minutes and
committing 12 fouls. The 26-year-old Tower has been waived four times
in his three-year career.
He has scored just 98 points in 53 games and began the season on the
injured list with a broken right hand.
nba.1776nba.news,
Camby may return by Saturday
TORONTO (Nov 27, 1996 - 22:30 EST) -- Marcus Camby, who was carried
off the court on a stretcher during warmups Tuesday night, has a
strained lower back.
The Toronto Raptors rookie was expected to be sidelined a week, but he
said Wednesday he might return as early as this weekend.
"I feel a whole lot better today," Camby said prior to Toronto's 92-88
victory Wednesday night over the Charlotte Hornets. "The way this
thing is going, I'm getting good treatment and I might play Saturday."
Just 24 hours earlier, such a statement seemed farfetched. Camby had
been laying motionless on the floor of the SkyDome for 25 minutes
unable to move his legs.
"I got twisted and felt a sharp pain in my back," Camby said after
spending a few hours at the hospital. "I couldn't feel anything.
Everything went numb.
"When I got to the ambulance, everything started to come back. My
back's just sore right now."
Doctors found no neurological damage.
"All of Marcus's motor and sensory reflexes are intact," the team said
Wednesday.
Camby missed two games last season at Massachusetts after collapsing
before a game against St. Bonaventure. Extensive examinations revealed
no heart defect, and the incident was attributed to the flu and poor
diet.
In this latest incident, Camby was working on a simple drop-step move
during a pregame warmups when he fell. After spending nearly a half
hour on the court, he was taken to a Toronto hospital by ambulance.
His neck was stabilized with a cervical collar and he was strapped to
a stretcher.
"When (assistant coach John) Schumate came to my office and said he
was down, I thought it was his heart," Walker said. "He couldn't feel
anything in his legs.
"They pinched him and he couldn't feel anything. It was a scary moment
for this franchise."
Camby has been beset by physical problems. At the Raptors' training
camp in October, he sprained his left ankle and missed about a week of
workouts. Then, in the final exhibition game, he sprained his other
ankle.
That slowed his development, but he had been showing flashes of
excellence before Tuesday's fall. He is averaging 14.3 points, third
best on the team, and 4.2 rebounds a game.
His long reach and quickness make the 6-foot-11 rookie a perfect fit
for Toronto's pressing and trapping defense. He is also looking more
comfortable on offense, willing to take baseline jumpers and drive to
the basket.
Camby's injury adds to a long list of the team's ills. Forward Carlos
Rogers hasn't played in a week after an asthma attack and he's not
expected back until Saturday at least.
Sharone Wright has an ailing back and his effectiveness has been
limited. Zan Tabak, with a bad back and heel, isn't eligible to come
off the injured list until Saturday.
Toronto, last in the Central Division with a 3-9 record, took a
six-game losing streak into Wednesday night's home game with the
Charlotte Hornets.
nba.1777nba.news,
Celtics activates Brown, puts Ellison on injured list
BOSTON (Nov 27, 1996 - 20:30 EST) -- Dee Brown, who lost his Boston
Celtics captaincy after asking to be traded last season, was activated
from the injured list Wednesday. Pervis Ellison replaced him on the
list.
Brown missed Boston's first 11 regular-season games and all but one
preseason game with back pain. His ability to play shooting guard or
point guard was needed Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers
because starting point guard David Wesley missed his third straight
game with a sore right foot.
Brown, Boston's captain the last two seasons, was replaced in that job
this season by Rick Fox. In six previous seasons with the Celtics,
Brown averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Ellison was expected to be sidelined 8-to-12 weeks after breaking his
right big toe when he dropped a table on it last Friday. He had played
in six of Boston's 11 games before Wednesday, starting four at center.
nba.1778nba.news,
Chicago looks to compensate for loss of surfing center
DEERFIELD, Ill. (Nov 27, 1996 - 19:36 EST) -- If he'd crashed into
another 300-pound center while playing defense or hurdled his own
sizable body into the stands for a loose ball, Luc Longley's separated
shoulder wouldn't be so unusual.
But body surfing in the Pacific?
"I think all the surfing expeditions are over. Luc is an example for
us," Michael Jordan observed Wednesday as the Bulls adjusted to the
loss of their center for what could be two months.
Longley, an experienced swimmer who grew up in Australia, dreaded
telling Bulls officials after the mishap Sunday. He was injured when a
wave hurled him into the sand. He said coach Phil Jackson's first five
or six words were "pretty ugly."
"None of you can ever print them," he said.
But for public consumption, Jackson took a more tolerant approach.
"We encourage our guys to lead a fun life," he said. "They are not
monks and they are not sequestered to their rooms.
"It was 75 or 80 degrees and looking forward to winter, what's wrong
with that? ... It's not like Luc was out riding a dirt bike or
motorcycle. He was doing something like swimming, although it was in
the surf and it was a little higher than normal that day.
"He's a guy who is pretty comfortable in the ocean and he's just
living his life."
Now the Bulls face life without Luc. They'll mostly miss his size
(7-2, 292 pounds) in the middle and his ability to guard other big
centers one-on-one so the Bulls don't have to double team and leave a
shooter open. He's averaging seven points and five rebounds.
Bill Wennington, Dickey Simpkins and Robert Parish, who will come off
the injured list in three games when the Bulls finish a seven-game
road trip, will fill in at center. Jason Caffey also could see
increased playing time.
"It's just one of those things. We'll give Luc support. But we're not
going to let him forget what happened to him, either," Parish said
with Wednesday a laugh.
Jackson said Longley's absence will make it "tougher to win games."
The Bulls are off to a 13-1 start.
But Jackson also recited positive aspects of the injury, including a
chance for Longley to rest sore knees and be ready for the final
months of the season. By Wednesday, Longley had already regained some
range of motion in his left shoulder and might only be out six weeks,
instead of eight.
"My wife tells me I smell roses sitting on a manure pile," Jackson
said. "I seem to think it will be good for the team because it will
develop us in another area, strengthen us somewhere else where we need
other players to have some minutes."
Longley missed 19 games last season. The Bulls were 15-4 in his
absence.
"We found ways to compensate," said Jordan. "That's the makeup of this
team. We learn to survive."
nba.1779nba.news,
Mota makes successful debut as Nuggets coach
Veteran NBA coach Dick Motta got his Nuggets tenure off to a positive
start when Denver defeated the winless Phoenix Suns, 117-108.
Motta replaced Bernie Bickerstaff, who stepped down as head coach
earlier in the day and handed over the reigns to the long-time
Mavericks coach.
Bickerstaff, who is in his seventh year with the Nuggets'
organization, will remain as team president and also assume the title
of general manager. He had served as head coach since February 20,
1995.
Todd Eley, who was named as general manager by Bickerstaff last
February, is now the team's vice president of basketball operations.
Bickerstaff's decision to step down as coach is not surprising since
he has long expressed a desire to concentrate solely on his front
office responsibilities. The first sign that Bickerstaff would
eventually relinquish his head coaching duties came when he named
Motta as an assistant in the off-season.
"I am relinquishing my coaching duties in order to focus on
solidifying the talent base of this club and continue to build on its
nucleus," said Bickerstaff earlier in the day. "It is the best way I
can serve this organization and I have said all along that you must do
what is best for the organization."
The 65-year-old Motta is third on the all-time NBA wins list with 919
in his 24-year coaching career. He trails only Lenny Wilkens (1,021)
and Red Auerbach (938) in wins, but is second only to Bill Fitch
(1,002) in career losses with 965.
Motta voluntarily stepped down as coach of the Dallas Mavericks after
the 1995-96 season when new ownership took over the team.
Motta had a disappointing 26-56 record with the Mavericks last season
after a 36-46 mark in 1994-95, a 23-game improvement from the previous
year. He posted 329 wins in his nine seasons with Dallas and is the
franchise's all-time winningest coach.
The 52-year-old Bickerstaff served as an assistant coach under Motta
in Washington from 1976 to 1980. During their tenure, Washington
compiled a 185-143 record and made two NBA Finals appearances, winning
the title in 1978.
The Nuggets are off to a disappointing start in 1996-97 after
Bickerstaff made numerous off-season deals. Bickerstaff acquired
guards Mark Jackson, Ricky Pierce and Sarunas Marciulionis in trades,
signed free agent center Ervin Johnson after losing Dikembe Mutombo
via free agency and re-signed guard Bryant Stith and forward Dale
Ellis.
In his first full season as Nuggets coach last year, Bickerstaff
posted a 35-47 record. He had a coaching record of 59-68 in parts of
three seasons with Denver.
When Bickerstaff took over as head coach in February of 1995, the
Nuggets were 21-29. He led them to a 20-12 record the rest of the way
and a playoff berth.
Bickerstaff joined the Nuggets in 1990 as the team's executive vice
president.
Bickerstaff was the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics for five
years from 1985-86 to 1989-90 and compiled a 202-208 record.
nba.1780nba.news,
Dick Motta coaching record
(Nov 27, 1996 - 19:42 EST) -- The career coaching record of Dick
Motta, who was named head coach of the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday:
Regular Season
W L Pct. Fin
1968-69 Chicago 33 49 .402 5
1969-70 Chicago 39 43 .476 3
1970-71 Chicago-y 51 31 .622 2
1971-72 Chicago 57 25 .695 2
1972-73 Chicago 51 31 .622 2
1973-74 Chicago 54 28 .659 2
1974-75 Chicago 47 35 .573 1
1975-76 Chicago 24 58 .293 4
1976-77 Washington 48 34 .585 2
1977-78 Washington 44 38 .537 2
1978-79 Washington 54 28 .659 1
1979-80 Washington 39 43 .476 3
1980-81 Dallas 15 67 .183 6
1981-82 Dallas 28 54 .341 5
1982-83 Dallas 38 44 .463 4
1983-84 Dallas 43 39 .524 2
1984-85 Dallas 44 38 .537 3
1985-86 Dallas 44 38 .537 3
1986-87 Dallas 55 27 .671 1
1989-90 Sacramento 16 38 .296 7
1990-91 Sacramento 25 57 .439 7
1991-92 Sacramento 7 18 .280 7
1994-95 Dallas 36 46 .439 5
1995-96 Dallas 26 56 .317 t5
1996-97 Denver 1 0 1.000 --
Totals 919 965 .488
y-selected NBA Coach of the Year
Playoffs
W L Pct.
1970 Chicago 1 4 .200
1971 Chicago 3 4 .429
1972 Chicago 0 4 .000
1973 Chicago 3 4 .429
1974 Chicago 4 7 .364
1975 Chicago 7 6 .538
1977 Washington 4 5 .444
1978 Washington-x 14 7 .667
1979 Washington 9 10 .474
1980 Washington 0 2 .000
1984 Dallas 4 6 .400
1985 Dallas 1 3 .250
1986 Dallas 5 5 .500
1987 Dallas 1 3 .250
Totals 56 70 .444
Overall Total 974 1035 .485
x-won NBA championship
nba.1781nba.news,
Denver coach returns to front-office job
DENVER (Nov 27, 1996 - 05:24 EST) -- As the Denver Nuggets were doing
their fast fade last week, Bernie Bickerstaff found himself thinking
about his old life, remembering the simplicity of traveling the
country on his own in search of talent.
As he watched his team on the floor, he realized it was a job that
needed doing. Tuesday, he made it happen.
Twenty-one months after taking over as Nuggets coach, Bickerstaff
relinquished the reins, returning to his job in the front office and
naming his assistant and old friend Dick Motta the team's 13th head
coach.
Tuesday night, the team improved to 5-9 thanks to a 117-108 victory
over winless Phoenix.
"When you evaluate it, hey, it wasn't working," Bickerstaff said
earlier in the day.
Bickerstaff finished his Denver coaching run with a record of 59-68 in
one full season and parts of two others.
"The ox is in the mire," said Motta, who got a three-year contract to
take over through the 1998-99 season. "We've got work to do. We'll
make changes as we deem necessary."
Motta, 65, brought a pro record of 918-965 to the job. He is the
third-winningest coach in NBA history, behind Lenny Wilkens and Red
Auerbach, and the second-losingest, behind Bill Fitch.
"We were disappointed," said Charlie Lyons, president of Ascent
Entertainment Group, which owns the team. "Everybody was
disappointed."
Lyons said before the season he expected the Nuggets to finish with a
winning record and make the playoffs.
Asked whether he would hold Motta to that commitment, Lyons said, "I
don't think it would be well for us to start predicting or laying out
expectations on a guy who's been here 10 minutes. But we're looking
for improvement ..."
Ascent's concern is not merely the team's performance on the floor. At
the box office, the Nuggets have slipped even more dramatically,
returning to the bad old days in the early 1990s when McNichols Sports
Arena was routinely half empty for their games.
Through Monday, the Nuggets ranked 28th in the league in attendance,
averaging 13,004 tickets distributed per game. Only the Los Angeles
Clippers were doing worse.
Bickerstaff asked Motta on Sunday if he'd be willing to coach the
team. "I tried to talk him out of it all day," Motta said. But
Bickerstaff also had broached the subject with Lyons, who agreed it
was time. Bickerstaff went back to Motta on Monday and told him if he
didn't take the job, the team would find somebody else. The deal was
struck.
"I have totally mixed emotions," Motta said. "Bernie and I are close
friends, and I feel bad it didn't work out quite the way we all
envisioned it would. And yet I can't help but sell enthusiasm and
excitement to myself and to this ballclub."
Bickerstaff had emotional meetings with his players Tuesday morning to
give them the news. Some thought it was their fault. They were
probably right.
The news conference at McNichols, where the change was announced, was
reminiscent of a similar affair 22 months ago, when Dan Issel stepped
down as head coach and handed the reins to assistant Gene Littles.
Like Motta, Littles took over heading into a difficult stretch of the
schedule. When the team went into the tank, losing 13 of 16,
Bickerstaff came down from the front office to take over Feb. 20,
1995.
The Nuggets went 20-12 the rest of the way, making the playoffs. But
they were 35-47 last season and fell back in the lottery. They made
several personnel changes over the summer.
"We're not very familiar with each other," said Motta, who agreed to
join Bickerstaff as an assistant after the new Mavericks owners let
him go last spring. "I would say that has probably been the biggest
stumbling block for us."
Motta became the team's sixth coach of the 1990s, joining Doug Moe,
Paul Westhead, Issel, Littles and Bickerstaff.
"I think he's excited about it, as excited as you can be when you go
into a difficult situation," Bickerstaff said. The two men have known
one another 20 years. Motta was head coach and Bickerstaff his lone
assistant 18 years ago when the Washington Bullets won the NBA
championship.
Bickerstaff was Seattle's coach before joining the Nuggets as general
manager and executive vice president in 1990. He will return to his
former titles of president and GM.
Todd Eley, who was named general manager last season, takes the title
of vice president of basketball operations.
Bickerstaff will soon hit the road for a 10-day scouting trip.
He has been evaluating talent for a long time. While in Seattle, he
drafted Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, now the cornerstones of a title
contender. But he was gone by the time the team began to win.
In Denver, he has drafted LaPhonso Ellis and Antonio McDyess, players
he believes might one day be as good. But he won't be coaching them.
nba.1782nba.news,
All-Time Fastest To 25,000 Points
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls is on pace to become the
second-fastest player to reach 25,000 career points, having
24,929 points in 780 career games. The following is a list of
the fastest nine:
Player Games Date
------ ----- --------
Wilt Chamberlain 691 2/22/68
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 889 12/21/80
Oscar Robertson 917 12/01/72
Jerry West 920 12/04/73
Dominique Wilkins 960 3/08/95
Elvin Hayes 1093 1/10/82
Moses Malone 1093 11/21/90
Alex English 1133 12/14/90
John Havlicek 1185 4/06/77
nba.1783nba.news,
7,000,000th Point To Be Scored In NBA This Weekend
According to the NBA, the 7,000,000th point in league history
likely will be scored on Sunday as four games take place. Based
on the current scoring average of 94.0 points per game per
team, the 7,000,000th point is expected to be scored in either
the Utah-Seattle game at 8:00 pm EST or the Denver-Los Angeles
Lakers game at 9:30 pm EST. The following are the date, person
and game in which each of the first six millionth points were
scored:
POINT DATE GAME/PLAY
----- ---- ---------
1,000,000 12/22/62 Occurred in the Detroit-Chicago,
New York-Boston or
Syracuse-San Francisco game
2,000,000 1/9/72 Occurred in Baltimore-Phoenix or
Detroit-Buffalo game
3,000,000 2/17/78 Occurred in Indiana-Washington,
Buffalo-Kansas City,
Detroit-New York,
New Jersey-Cleveland or
Philadelphia-San Antonio game
4,000,000 2/18/83 Scored by Philadelphia's Moses
Malone on a tip-in of his own
miss at 11:59 of the first
quarter against Houston.
5,000,000 1/25/88 Scored by Utah's Rickey Green
on a 24-foot three-pointer as
the buzzer sounded at the end of
the third quarter against
Cleveland
6,000,000 3/23/92 Scored by Atlanta's Stacey
Augmon on driving layup at 7:41
of the second quarter against
Golden State.
nba.1784nba.news,
Timberwolves trying to end Supersonics' 21-game series win-streak
LANDOVER, Md. (Nov 27, 1996 - 06:48 EST) -- If any NBA game were a
lock, the Seattle Supersonics versus Minnesota Timberwolves was a
cast-iron, triple-plated, tungsten steel dead bolt.
From March 29, 1991 through last season, Seattle thrashed the
Timberwolves 21 consecutive times.
But this year, it's a different set of Wolves knocking on the door.
And Wednesday night in Minneapolis, they may have the key to ending
their futility: by catching the streaking Sonics on the tail end of
back-to-back games that conclude a 10-day road trip.
"It's a good opportunity," said forward Tom Gugliotta. "They've proved
that they're potential world champs. If we come out and play right,
maybe we can catch them."
At 5-7, the Wolves have played themselves right into third place in
the Midwest Division, matching the most victories in November in club
history. Gugliotta is having a breakout year, averaging 22.1 points
and 9.6 rebounds. But the spotlight is on Kevin Garnett and Stephon
Marbury.
In his second NBA season after leaping from the Chicago Public League,
power forward Garnett is developing into a genuine force, averaging
15.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks. Point guard Marbury, who
was acquired in a draft day deal with Milwaukee for Ray Allen, has
missed seven games with an ankle sprain, but has shown flashes that
made him the No. 5 pick in the lottery (10.8 points in 22.8 minutes).
These two youngsters (Garnett is 20, Marbury turns 20 next February)
have sparked comparisons to Seattle's dynamic forward/guard duo of
Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. Is Minnesota becoming a "junior" Seattle?
"A lot of people probably think that," first-year Wolves coach Phil
"Flip" Saunders said after Monday night's loss to the Washington
Bullets. "They were the team of the future; we think of ourselves as a
team of the future. But we've got some maturing (to do) to grow into
that."
Doug West, the only remaining player from Minnesota's inaugural season
in 1989-90, agreed it may be premature to compare the two teams.
"They're young guys and the same positions, " West said. "But they've
got a few years on us."
And a few hundred more victories. Since the Timberwolves entered the
league, they are a frigid 157-429. Seattle is 380-208, before Tuesday
night's game at Charlotte. But West isn't interested in the past.
"I don't look back," he said. "I don't remind myself of that. I was
there, but I forgot about it."
Instead he prefers to look ahead to what could be the first warm
winter ever at the Target Center. The Wolves are 4-0 at home so far,
which didn't escape Saunders.
"We haven't lost at home yet," he said. "It will be a good challenge
for us to go against a good basketball team."
And a good chance to end a 21-game hex.
nba.1785nba.news,
20,000-point scorers
(Nov 27, 1996 - 19:42 EST) -- National Basketball Association players
who have scored 20,000 or more points through Nov. 27: (x-active):
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
2. Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
3. Moses Malone 27,409
4. Elvin Hayes 27,313
5. Oscar Robertson 26,710
6. John Havlicek 26,395
7. x-Dominique Wilkins 25,627
8. Alex English 25,613
9. Jerry West 25,192
10. x-Michael Jordan 24,929
11. x-Karl Malone 23,634
12. x-Robert Parish 23,196
13. Adrian Dantley 23,177
14. Elgin Baylor 23,149
15. x-Hakeem Olajuwon 22,124
16. Larry Bird 21,791
17. Hal Greer 21,586
18. x-Charles Barkley 20,999
19. Walt Bellamy 20,941
20. Bob Pettit 20,880
21. George Gervin 20,708
22. x-Patrick Ewing 20,063
23. Tom Chambers 20,024
24. x-Clyde Drexler 20,022
nba.1786nba.news,
Stackhouse diagnosed with cornea disease
PHILADELPHIA (Nov 27, 1996 - 10:48 EST) -- Philadelphia 76ers guard
Jerry Stackhouse has been diagnosed with keratoconus, a degenerative
disease of the cornea that has reduced vision in his left eye but does
not threaten his career.
Team ophthalmologist Jack Jeffers said Tuesday that Stackhouse will be
fitted with one of four sets of specialized contact lenses designed to
put pressure on the cornea and stem the disease.
Stackhouse, 22, probably has had the condition for some time, so it
has not impaired his vision enough to hinder his play, Jeffers said.
He said Stackhouse's vision is 20/30 in his left eye and roughly 20/20
in his right.
"If Jerry was a baseball player, he would probably have some
problems," Jeffers said. "We are talking there about a missile moving
90 mph."
The disease produces a cone-shaped cornea and is probably hereditary.
It can lead to fluid collecting on and fogging the cornea. Unclouded
vision then can only be returned through a transplant.
"We haven't even talked to Jerry about that," Jeffers said. "That, in
all probability, would be years in the future."
Even in the case of a transplant, Stackhouse would be able to play
basketball, Jeffers said.
nba.1787nba.news,
Not inclined to fix declining scores ... yet
NEW YORK -- And you think Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy has problems
with his offense? David Stern and other NBA types are privately
fretting about the current state of scoring around the entire league.
As you've probably noticed from final scores that look more like
third-quarter partials, points and shots are way down, continuing a
dangerous, decade-long trend. Dangerous because no one wants games in
the 70s or 80s, with neither team getting off 70 shots in some cases.
So what is the NBA prepared to do about it? Nothing yet. As long as
Michael Jordan is around to keep TV ratings pumped to the max, look
for the NBA to maintain status quo.
Once Jordan retires, and if scores keep plummeting and the ratings
start slipping, you can bet the rules and competition committee will
start seriously looking for ways to jump-start the offenses.
Like widening the court from 50 feet to 52 feet. Or shortening the
shot clock from 24 seconds to 18. Or ditching the illegal-defense
rules and coming up with other guidelines that don't make offenses so
predictable. Or moving the 3-point line back out.
"But I think it's great that so many teams of ours are playing
defense," Stern said in a recent interview.
Yeesh, if that isn't a spin-job worthy of an old Dominique Wilkins
360-degree jam, nothing is.
Sure, even the toughest critic now has to admit that defense is being
played. Through Tuesday's games, the average output per team was a
measly 93.5 points per game -- nearly 26 less than when scoring peaked
at 119 ppg in 1961-62. (This is why Robert Pack's 22 assists for the
Nets against Dallas is the greatest feat this season.)
Is the game evolving and becoming defensive-minded, or is it less
exciting? Both.
But before the season even began, the league was petrified about the
trend that has seen scoring dip every year in this decade, from 107
points per game in 1990 to 99.5 ppg last season. Now, in only four
weeks, the average has taken its greatest plunge of the decade, a full
six points.
Yet the NBA is busy celebrating its 50th birthday and acting as if
nothing is wrong.
"Don't kid yourself," said one GM. "Everyone knows people pay to see
action. Games in the 90s, that's OK. But games in the 80s and 70s? I
don't think so."
When the rules and competition committee first met in September,
players bumping officials hardly got a mention. The big talk was the
lack of scoring. Since then, there have been some amazingly low
scores, and you can't blame it on Cavs coach Mike Fratello.
"We're very aware of it," said Rod Thorn, the NBA's vice president of
operations. "I've been in the league office 11 years and scoring has
dropped every year except one. The question is, is the game evolving
and becoming defensive-minded, or is it less exciting?"
Both. There's a lot of talk about why scores and shots have fallen
consistently. When it comes to identifying the problem, take your
pick:
Expansion
The current whipping-boy is getting blamed for this one, too. Too many
teams, not enough talent.
"Get rid of nine teams," said Seattle coach George Karl. "Then you
take their best players, give them to the other teams and you'd see
scoring go up." Chances of this happening: Zero.
Bad players
It's not that you don't need a college degree to get into the league.
You don't even need fundamentals anymore. All coaches and GM's agree:
Players entering the pros are woefully lacking shooting skills.
Passing isn't much better.
Control-freaks are out of control
Coaches are running the games as if the ball is made of gold. So this
is how you get ridiculously-low shot totals.
The Lakers, known forever as a running team, got off only 63 shots
against the Knicks -- the same total Wilt Chamberlain took in his
100-point game. Teams are averaging only 78 shots per game -- down
almost 30 from the peak year of 1961-62.
But with the ranks filled with defensive-oriented coaches, it's no
wonder. Where are we when we need you, Doug Moe?
Moving the 3-point line has backfired
Designed to open up the floor, it instead has allowed has defenses to
rotate out more quickly to the shooter since so many players are
firing up threes.
Free-agent movement
With unprecedented team-jumping this past off-season, many teams are
trying to find themselves offensively. It could take months before
they begin to jell.
The Knicks, with a new playmaker and new starters at two other spots,
are Exhibit A. All in all, 39 starters switched teams from a year ago.
Because of illegal-defense rules ...
... everybody is playing the same way.
How many times have you seen this: Team A comes down the court, works
the ball into the post, the defense doubles down, the offense kicks it
out, rotates the ball around the perimeter, then settles for a
20-footer with five seconds on the shot clock. The answer: Too many
times.
But the league is 50 years old, Michael is still Michael and the TV
ratings are as good as ever. So why worry?
nba.1788junior,
-> #1708, mileusna> Znači ništa od rekorda... :( BTW, pogledajte koliko je ko
> dao koševa u Čikagu. :)
Zašto ništa? Imaju 12 pobeda i 1 poraz, ako nastave ovim tempom,
do kraja sezone trebali bi da imaju 6 poraza i 76 pobeda. A to je
BOGOVSKI rezultat :))
nba.1789junior,
-> #1753, nba.news> The Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday activated Yugoslavian
> rookie guard Aleksandar Djordjevic from the injured list and
Hvala Bogu ;) Sad ćemo i njega gledati na utakmicama ...
> Djordjevic (GEORGE-uh-vich)
:)
nba.1790junior,
-> #1783, nba.news> 7,000,000th Point To Be Scored In NBA This Weekend
Divac daje sedammilioniti poen .. garant ;)
nba.1791junior,
-> #1787, nba.news> Is the game evolving and becoming defensive-minded, or is it
> less exciting? Both.
Kakva glupost.
Brinu se, zato što su i timovi sa zapada, kao Sietl, Hjuston, Denver,
shvatili da je deo igre i odbrana, a ne samo napad, te je odjednom
drastično opao procenat datih poena po utakmici. Kada će shvatiti da je
mnogo lepše gledati kako neko dobro odigra odbranu 1-1 (lupi bananu ili
ukrade loptu), nego kako neko puni trojke sa 7-8 metara? Uostalom, kad
dobra odbrana postane standard, a ne samo odlika nekih timova NBA lige,
onda će i svi ti poeni, "velikih" strelaca, dobiti mnogo drugačiji izgled,
jer ako oni i pored jake odbrane svih timova, postižu 20 i kusur poena
svake večeri, onda su stvarno dobri igrači.
PS. Ja tek kad sam video Radoševića kako uspešno izlazi na kraj sa jednom
jakom (da ne kažem, najjačom) odbranom, kao što je Beobankina, poverovao
sam da je mali potencijal za reprezentaciju. Istina, to su uradili i
Ivković i Obradović, kad su se kladili da li će on postići više ili manje
od 35 poena :))
nba.1792vpoznanovic,
Thursday, November 28
New Jersey at Golden State 118:124
Sacramento at Indiana 83:101
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 36 28 33 21 118
GOLDEN STATE 39 33 20 32 124 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: NJN - ROBERT PACK 25, KERRY KITTLES 25, TWO PLAYERS WITH 19
GSW - JOE SMITH 30, LATRELL SPREWELL 26, MARK PRICE 21
HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 15, SHAWN BRADLEY 12
GSW - RAY OWES 11, DONYELL MARSHALL 10
HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - ROBERT PACK 9, KENDALL GILL 5
GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 7, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
ATT: 15,209
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SACRAMENTO 21 17 20 25 83
INDIANA 24 19 25 33 101 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SAC - MITCH RICHMOND 18, MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF 12, BILLY
OWENS 11
IND - REGGIE MILLER 19, DUANE FERRELL 15, TRAVIS BEST 12
HIGH REBOUND: SAC - BILLY OWENS 7, OLDEN POLYNICE 6
IND - DALE DAVIS 12, ERICK DAMPIER 10
HIGH ASSISTS: SAC - BILLY OWENS 4, OLDEN POLYNICE 4
IND - THREE PLAYERS WITH 4
ATT: 14,732
nba.1793nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (118) AT GOLDEN STATE (124)
NEW JERSEY
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GILL F 42 6-21 4-4 5 5 10 5 6 1 0 16
J WILLIAMS F 37 6-11 7-9 7 8 15 0 5 0 2 19
BRADLEY C 30 7-13 5-5 5 7 12 1 6 2 0 19
PACK G 40 7-16 10-11 0 2 2 9 3 4 2 25
KITTLES G 44 7-15 8-11 0 1 1 3 6 1 2 25
MASSENBURG 22 4-7 3-5 3 0 3 1 4 0 1 11
R WILLIAMS 13 1-5 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3
REEVES 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0
CALDWELL 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
OBANNON 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-91 37-45 20 25 45 22 31 8 8 118
(.418) (.822) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 9(11 PTS)
GOLDEN STATE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MULLIN F 36 6-9 1-1 0 3 3 5 2 1 2 14
SMITH F 42 10-26 9-13 5 3 8 1 5 0 1 30
SPENCER C 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 4 0 1 0
PRICE G 32 7-10 5-6 0 3 3 6 4 1 2 21
SPREWELL G 45 4-16 17-19 1 6 7 7 2 0 1 26
FULLER 3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2
DECLERCQ 16 1-3 2-4 3 2 5 0 3 0 0 4
ARMSTRONG 17 3-5 0-0 0 1 1 6 2 0 0 7
MARSHALL 17 1-5 0-0 3 7 10 2 4 0 0 2
OWES 25 8-11 2-4 5 6 11 0 3 0 1 18
ROE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROYAL DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 41-86 36-47 17 32 49 28 31 2 9 124
(.477) (.766) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 9(12 PTS)
NEW JERSEY 36 28 33 21 - 118
GOLDEN STATE 39 33 20 32 - 124
BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - BRADLEY 4, PACK, MASSENBURG. GOLDEN STATE -
SMITH, SPREWELL, MARSHALL.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 5-19 (.263), GILL 0-2, PACK 1-2, KITTLES
3-7, R WILLIAMS 1-5, REEVES 0-1, CALDWELL 0-1, OBANNON 0-1. GOLDEN STATE
6-12 (.500), MULLIN 1-2, SMITH 1-1, PRICE 2-3, SPREWELL 1-3, ARMSTRONG
1-1, MARSHALL 0-2.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: RONNIE NUNN, WOODY MAYFIELD, GREG WILLARD.
A - 15,209. T - 2:33.
NEW JERSEY (118) AT GOLDEN STATE (124)
Joe Smith scored 30 points, including an 11-foot jumper with
2:57 remaining to put Golden State ahead, as the Warriors
rallied for a 124-118 victory over the struggling New Jersey
Nets to snap a four-game losing streak.
Latrell Sprewell had 26 points and seven assists and Mark Price
added 21 and six assists for the Warriors, who improved to 2-6
at home. They also beat an Atlantic Division team for the first
time this season.
"This was a big win for us tonight," said Smith. "We really came
back strong there in the fourth quarter. I tried to get Shawn
Bradley in foul trouble as soon as I could."
Robert Pack and Kerry Kittles led the Nets with 25 points
apiece. New Jersey fell to 0-5 on the road and has dropped 10
straight away from home dating back to last season.
"With four minutes to go we made bad decisions," said Nets'
coach John Calipari. "It is something we are going to work on.
Every play is a big one with three minutes to go in a close
game."
Jayson Williams had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Shawn Bradley
added 19 points and 12 boards for the Nets, who had their best
offensive output of the season. Their previous high came in a
114-91 victory over Dallas on November 23rd. Bradley, Kittles
and Kendall Gill all fouled out in the fourth quarter.
"Everyone came out and distributed the ball better," said
Williams. "We executed better on plays. We could've made better
choices down the stretch. It's going to take a while."
Golden State, which also posted a new season high, had the lead
most of the way. Price capped a 12-6 run with 3:02 remaining in
the half to give the Warriors a 64-58 advantage. Golden State
led 72-64 at halftime.
The Nets came back to take their first lead, 78-76, on a Kittles
three-pointer with 7:35 to go in the third quarter. New Jersey
led by as many as nine on a free throw by Kittles early in the
fourth.
The Warriors were able to tie it at 101-101 on a B.J. Armstrong
layup with 8:44 remaining. But the Nets regained the lead on a
Bradley slam and another free throw from Kittles.
Golden State tied it at 104-104 on Smith's three-pointer before
a Pack slam. New Jersey managed to keep the Warriors at bay
until Smith put his jumper off the glass 5:47 later.
The Nets stayed within a point until Golden State turned three
straight turnovers into a five-point advantage.
The Warriors have won four straight from New Jersey.
nba.1794nba.news,
SACRAMENTO (83) AT INDIANA (101)
SACRAMENTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
OWENS F 38 5-10 1-2 3 4 7 4 3 3 2 11
C WILLIAMSON F 22 4-6 2-2 2 2 4 1 3 1 1 10
POLYNICE C 35 3-9 3-6 1 5 6 4 4 0 2 9
ABDUL-RAUF G 30 4-13 2-2 0 3 3 3 1 0 3 12
RICHMOND G 39 7-20 2-2 2 1 3 3 2 2 2 18
SMITH 25 2-5 5-8 2 2 4 0 3 0 1 9
SIMMONS 16 3-9 1-2 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 7
CAUSWELL 12 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 6 0 1 0
EDNEY 14 1-7 0-0 2 2 4 3 0 0 1 2
DANIELS 3 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
GAMBLE 3 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2
HURLEY 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 240 31-85 16-24 13 25 38 20 23 6 13 83
(.365) (.667) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 15(19 PTS)
INDIANA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D DAVIS F 31 4-9 2-4 8 4 12 2 3 2 3 10
MCKEY F 27 2-9 2-2 2 4 6 2 2 0 3 6
DAMPIER C 18 3-6 3-4 1 9 10 1 3 0 1 9
BEST G 26 6-11 0-0 1 1 2 4 3 3 3 12
MILLER G 35 8-13 1-2 0 4 4 4 0 0 1 19
A DAVIS 29 2-6 3-6 2 6 8 1 3 1 0 7
ALLEN 8 3-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 6
ASKEW 23 1-6 4-8 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 7
FERRELL 23 6-11 3-4 1 4 5 2 2 2 0 15
ROSE 17 3-6 4-4 0 1 1 3 1 0 2 10
HOIBERG 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
JOHNSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-81 22-34 17 36 53 23 23 9 14 101
(.469) (.647) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 15(22 PTS)
SACRAMENTO 21 17 20 25 - 83
INDIANA 24 19 25 33 - 101
BLOCKED SHOTS: SACRAMENTO - POLYNICE 2, SMITH 2, OWENS, CAUSWELL, GAMBLE.
INDIANA - D DAVIS 2, DAMPIER 2, ROSE 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SACRAMENTO 5-17 (.294), OWENS 0-2, ABDUL-RAUF 2-4,
RICHMOND 2-5, SIMMONS 0-2, EDNEY 0-2, DANIELS 1-2. INDIANA 3-9 (.333),
MILLER 2-6, ASKEW 1-2, FERRELL 0-1.
TECHNICALS: SACRAMENTO - OWENS.
OFFICIALS: STEVE JAVIE, TERRY DURHAM, GARY BENSON.
A - 14,732. T - 2:11.
SACRAMENTO (83) AT INDIANA (101)
Reggie Miller scored 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter to
lead the Indiana Pacers to their second home win of the season,
101-83 over the Sacramento Kings.
Indiana had dropped its last three home games. Duane Ferrell
added 15 points and Dale Davis had 10 points and 12 rebounds for
the Pacers, who improved to 2-4 at home.
"We had a lot of good periods and a lot of people played well,"
said Indiana coach Larry Brown. "Reggie (Miller) continues to
play well all around. Our bench was terrific. (Ferrell's) been
great at both ends of the floor. He gets loose balls, gets out
on the break and makes open shots."
Mitch Richmond scored 18 points to lead the Kings, who have
played six of their last seven on the road. Richmond, who was
held to 15 points in Tuesday's 98-87 triumph over Toronto, again
struggled with his shooting. He was only 7-of-20 from the
field.
Richmond and point guard Mahamoud Abdul-Rauf, normally one of
the league's more dangerous backcourt combinations, were a
combined 11-for-33 from the field against the Pacers.
"We are just rushing it a little too much," said Rauf. "We are
not recognizing mismatches. They kept going to their strengths,
that's what we need to do more of."
Indiana, playing its first game since Saturday, opened things up
in the second half. The Pacers led by as many as 15 in the
third quarter, taking a 62-47 advantage on Miller's layup with
4:38 to go. They closed the period up by 10.
"We played aggressively and made some mistakes, but we were able
to correct them," said Davis. "In the previous games we have let
them get away. This one we were able to put them away."
Indiana put it away in the fourth. A pair of Davis free throws
brought the lead back up to 20 with 2:49 remaining and
Sacramento got no closer than 14.
"Well, (if) you don't shoot, you don't win," said Kings coach
Gary St. Jean. "We had a lot of good shots in the first half. We
had shots to put us in the position to win this game.
Eventually, they just widened the margin and kept it there."
The Kings' defense, which was allowing 98.8 points per contest
entering the game, continued to be porous. Sacramento has
allowed 100 or more points in eight of its 15 games this season.
Derrick McKey's free throw with just over four minutes remaining
in the first quarter capped a 15-2 Pacers' run and made it 19-9.
But the Kings' came back with a 10-2 spurt to tie it, 21-21,
with 36 seconds to go in the period.
The second quarter also saw a couple of major shifts in
momentum. Indiana opened the period with a 13-4 spurt which
concluded with Ferrell's fast-break layup at 6:23. It gave the
Pacers a 37-25 lead.
Sacramento rallied again with an 11-2 spurt and pulled within
three on an Olden Polynice free throw with 67 seconds remaining.
The Pacers closed the half with a 43-38 advantage.
The Kings had won the previous two contests between the teams,
but the Pacers have won 10 of the last 11 at Indiana.
nba.1795nba.news,
Bulls ready to go home
CHICAGO (Nov 28, 1996 - 14:01 EST) -- Dennis Rodman says he wasn't
interested in playing that night, and it just happened to be the only
game the Chicago Bulls have lost this season.
Australian center Luc Longley was body surfing in the Pacific Ocean
when a wave smashed his shoulder into a sandbar, knocking him off the
court for up to two months.
In one game, a fan waved a Bugs Bunny poster at Michael Jordan as he
tried to shoot free throws, hoping the sight of his co-star from the
"Space Jam" movie would distract him. It didn't.
It's all part of the Chicago Bulls' first extended road swing this
season. After a three-day interruption, there are three games left,
starting Friday in Dallas, moving on to San Antonio and then finishing
next week in Milwaukee.
"I wouldn't say (I'm) a movie star. It was a successful adventure the
way I look at it," Jordan said of the recently released "Space Jam."
The Bulls' road trip has been as big a success as the movie, despite
last Saturday's loss at Utah that sunk the team's hope of setting the
NBA record for consecutive victories (16) to start the season. They
settled for 13-1.
Coach Phil Jackson said his team needs to get off to a quicker start
in games without having to rely on Jordan, saving his star for those
so-far rare occasions when the Bulls are challenged in the final
period.
Jordan scored 22 of his 40 points Monday night in the first half of a
win against the Clippers and had 27 of his 44 against the Jazz in the
first two quarters.
"It's been Michael having to do a lot of scoring in the first half and
third quarter to keep us in games," Jackson said. "Or at least the
first half and then we find that little burst that breaks the game
open."
One problem has been poor shooting by Scottie Pippen, who's making
only 43 percent of his shots.
"I've been getting out quickly because of the lack of rhythm
offensively for some of the other players," said Jordan, who is
averaging 31.4 points and shooting 51 percent.
"I try to carry the load whenever the teams needs it, that's part of
my leadership role.
"I'd like to see Scottie playing better and shooting better. That
makes us a more potent team. But a lot of teams would love to have a
situation where they can have a bad night and one guy comes in and
more or less carries the load and they still get a win out of it."
After the loss at Utah, Rodman said he had little interest in the
game. He'd been ejected late in the game for shoving Utah's Jeff
Hornacek into the seats, an act that led to his second technical foul
and damaged the Bulls' chances for victory.
Most players would never admit boredom, especially when they are paid
millions.
But the season can drag, even for a team that wins most of its games,
stays in the best hotels and has its own jet.
"That's the tough part with a veteran team," Jackson said. "You look
down and you play 12 games and you still got 70 left and you think
about, 'What's this going to be when March and April comes?'
"The important thing as a coach is to keep them focused and energized.
I told our guys not to let their resolve down. We've had a good road
trip up to this point. We have three left."
nba.1796nba.news,
Motta won't be savior of Nuggets franchise
DENVER (Nov 28, 1996 - 12:18 EST) -- If you're of the medical opinion
that a sucking chest wound can be properly treated with a Band-Aid,
then you're probably pretty enthused about the Nuggets' latest round
of front-office moves.
On the other hand, if you happen to own a fully functional cerebral
cortex, you understand that this is nothing more than an empty,
cosmetic tactic that will not alter the fundamental truth about this
year's Denver Nuggets; notably, that they stink and are going
absolutely nowhere fast.
The bottom line on all of this? Dick Motta's job is to save Bernie
Bickerstaff's job. Period.
Take this to the bank: Unless Motta pulls off a small miracle and
reaches Charlie Lyons' stated preseason goals of finishing above .500
and making the playoffs, Bickerstaff is gone, history, done. Forget
that he has three years left on his contract after this season or that
Motta has a multiyear deal. Lyons is smart enough to know he cannot go
back to the fans after another disappointing season with Bickerstaff
still in charge and Motta on the bench.
"We're hoping this move will get us jump-started," Lyons said at the
Nuggets' semiannual coaching-change ceremony Tuesday.
Jump-started? Cattle prods couldn't jump-start this franchise.
And Lyons, who is just saying these things because there's nothing
much else to say, knows it.
Dick Motta? Jump-start? Who do the Nuggets think they're kidding?
"Hey, Joe, whaddya say we get the wives and kids and take in a Nuggets
game? I hear Dick Motta is coaching them now ..."
The problem isn't coaching.
The problem isn't that Bickerstaff was wearing too many hats and
couldn't devote enough time to personnel matters.
The problem is that Bickerstaff blew the Dikembe Mutombo deal and he
blew draft choices such as Rodney Rogers, Mark Macon and Jalen Rose,
and now he has a team that is bad, boring and old and won't get any
better for at least another two years, when the Nuggets have lots of
money available under the salary cap.
The problem, friends, is Bickerstaff.
When he came here in 1990, he promised he would bring stability to
this franchise and would build a young, exciting team. Now, it's 1996,
and the Nuggets are employing their fifth head coach in seven years
and have seen almost all their top executives leave the franchise.
Now, it's 1996, the Nuggets have just two promising young players --
one of whom is injury prone -- and the best this team can hope for is
a seventh or eighth playoff spot.
Conclusion: The Bickerstaff Era has been an abject failure.
"It wasn't working," Bickerstaff said by way of explaining his return
of the front office.
No, it wasn't working. And it won't work. Not until Lyons, who has
been loyal to a fault with Bickerstaff, decides at season's end to
clean house and bring in somebody new to rebuild this shattered
franchise. (Since we're on the subject, how about making a run at Rick
Pitino? How about Bill Hanzlik? Wouldn't it be intriguing to inquire
about Phil Jackson, who has a one-year deal with the Bulls?)
Bickerstaff has had his chance. He has had seven years. He has had
five top 10 draft choices. He has had a chance to dip into the free
agency market. And for all that, the Nuggets have made the playoffs
twice.
This is not opinion. These are facts.
Now, of course, we're going to hear how these are all new players and
it takes time to jell. Now, of course, we're going to hear about the
injuries, about Dale Ellis' knee and Mark Jackson's ankle, as if the
Nuggets are the only team in the league with injuries. And, of course,
we're going to hear how it's going to take more time for the players
to get used to Motta.
"I'm a plodder," said Motta, who might have been describing his team
as well. "I'm not a miracle man. We're not going to stand in front of
you and say that Dr. Wilkerson's Mud Bath will cure this whole thing."
Which is refreshing and true. But it doesn't put fannies in the seats.
This is not meant to diminish Motta in any way. His hoops acumen is
unquestioned, he is third all-time in victories (918) and he owns a
championship ring. He is also 65 years old, recently had bypass
surgery, is coming off a terrible experience in Dallas where his young
stars staged a mutiny and is 35 losses away from joining Bill Fitch in
the 1,000-loss club.
It's the craziest thing with Nuggets coaches, isn't it? First, Dan
Issel had to be talked into taking the job. Then, Gene Littles was
dragged kicking and screaming to the job. Then, Bickerstaff had to be
talked into taking over. Now, Motta says he begged Bickerstaff not to
leave the bench.
Look, give me $350,000 and I'll coach the team.
Ultimately, this is a desperate, last-ditch effort by Bickerstaff to
save himself and his program. Lyons gave him a second chance. That
patience will not last past another losing season.
The Band-Aids aren't working. The patient is listed as critical.
nba.1797nba.news,
Suns shine again, at least for this night
PHOENIX (Nov 28, 1996 - 19:30 EST) -- The Phoenix Suns went back to
their roots to stop their longest losing streak.
For the first time this season, they started five players who were on
the team a year ago. It paid off with a 99-77 victory Wednesday night
over the New Jersey Nets, ending a franchise-record, 13-game skid only
four defeats shy of the NBA mark for the worst start to a season.
There was elation for a night, and then they began to prepare for a
daunting challenge: keep it going Friday night against the SuperSonics
in Seattle.
"It doesn't look that much better in the standings when a team is 1-13
instead of 0-13," Kevin Johnson said. "It's still pretty bad out
there. We've got a long way to go, and we dug ourselves a hole, but
this is a good start because so many guys contributed."
Johnson missed 11 games after abdominal surgery, and Hot Rod Williams
missed the first 12 because of a foot injury.
Johnson had led the team in scoring his first two games back, but
there was something missing until coach Danny Ainge, who was 0-5 after
replacing Cotton Fitzsimmons, decided to start A.C. Green ahead of
Danny Manning at power forward and Wesley Person instead of Rex
Chapman at shooting guard.
Green matched the Nets' Jayson Williams with 13 rebounds, and Person
had a season-high 22 points.
Hot Rod Williams actually spent less time on the floor (21 minutes)
than he did his first game back against the Nuggets, but he was
obviously more comfortable, hitting 3-of-6 shots this time against
1-for-5 and getting his first two blocks.
By the second half, the chemistry was evident. Michael Finley made a
layup and a jumper early in the third quarter to give Phoenix its
first 10-point lead of the season, and Finley, Johnson and Person each
scored eight points to help the Suns to a 30-18 run in the period.
By then, it was 80-62, and even the self-doubters realized they were
almost there.
"We're up 21, and then Khalid Reeves hits a '3,' and we're like, 'Oh
no,"' said Joe Kleine, who had seven of his 11 points in the final
period. "Then it was like, 'Wait a minute. We're still up by 18.'
Through this whole thing, whatever can go wrong did go wrong, so it's
hard to stay positive when you expect something bad to happen."
Finley had 18 points and Johnson had 17 points and eight assists.
"I just feel good about this lineup," Johnson said. "Hot Rod is such a
great defensive player, and A.C. can match Jayson Williams' intensity
on both ends of the court, and Michael Finley is Michael Finley, a
great player."
For the time being, the victory took some of the sting out of trading
Charles Barkley to Houston for Robert Horry, Sam Cassell, Chucky Brown
and Mark Bryant.
But it left some the same questions after Cassell skipped the game to
be with his mother for surgery in Baltimore, Brown played three
minutes and Horry came off the bench for the fourth straight game.
Bryant is still injured, but the other former Rockets, Manning, who
played 10 minutes, and almost everyone else remain trade bait.
The Suns decided early on that a trade for New Jersey's Shawn Bradley
was unworkable, but are interested in Clifford Robinson of Portland.
Green's intense effort may have reduced the urgency, though.
"I think the one major difference was A.C.," Ainge said. "You know,
he's been in and out of the lineup. It's going to be tough to take him
out right now."
nba.1798nba.news,
Brawl was a hit for the Sacremento
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov 28, 1996 - 05:36 EST) -- Last season's visit to
Market Square Arena proved costly but valuable to the Kings.
The Kings dominated the favored Indiana Pacers on the floor during a
119-95 victory and also held their own during a full-scale brawl that
resulted in 18 games of suspensions and more than $200,000 in fines.
Although the Kings' performance may have been the team's most complete
of the regular season, it was the brawl that caused the players to
bond together and trust in each other.
It was the defining moment of the season in just Game 5 and a moment
the current team has yet to experience.
The Kings hope there will not be a repeat fight Thursday night when
they face the Pacers, but it will be impossible to ignore the events
of one year past.
Since he hasn't received a lot of playing time, Kings guard Bobby
Hurley may not get into the game. However, he likely will recall the
brawl if he gets the call from coach Garry St. Jean.
It was a brief shoving match between Hurley and Indiana forward Dale
Davis that got the fracas going. It was fueled further when Kings
forward Michael Smith interceded.
"I'll never live that one down around the guys," said Hurley, who was
starting at the time and, like most of the Kings, played exceptionally
well against Indiana.
"You certainly won't," Kings forward Lionel Simmons interjected. "You
set us all up. You cost a lot of people money and then you didn't even
get fined."
Hurley was one of four players on the floor, along with Brian Grant,
Mitch Richmond and Sarunas Marciulionis, who did not get fined for the
fight or for leaving the bench to participate at the other end of the
floor.
During Tuesday night's game in Toronto, St. Jean was reminded of the
fight.
"Referee Billy Oakes and I were just chatting, and I asked him if he
was going to get a chance to go home for Thanksgiving," St. Jean said.
"(Oakes) said he was going home, and I said we were going to Indiana
to play.
"He reminded me that he had worked that game, and we didn't need to
say anymore."
Asked what he remembered, St. Jean said: "Holy Moley. Besides the
altercation, it was arguably our best game of the whole year."
St. Jean said he agreed that the game was a defining moment of last
season.
"It's a distant memory, right now," he said, as his team heads into
tonight's game with a 5-9 record.
"We're still looking for it. I keep reading in our (daily) game notes
that we have 10 of 12 games at home once we finish with this
(six-game) road trip. We've got one road win on this trip, and if we
can get a couple more, we would be all right. I think the ball
movement we had and the assists to turnover ratio (25-7) we had
(Tuesday night in the win over Toronto) was very good news. We let the
ball do the work, and the game came easily to us."
Smith said he remembered losing $55,000 because of the fine and
suspension.
"I also remember that everybody came together as a team," he said.
"No, I don't think we need another one to come together. Plus, the
money that the league made off of that fight. Oh, no. But if it came
down to it, I think everybody would be willing. But we don't want that
to happen."
Richmond also is waiting for this team to become defined.
"I guess you can say that was that team's defining moment," he said.
"I remember that we lost the next game because we didn't really have
enough players to play against New Jersey because of the suspensions.
But I think that game taught us what kind of intensity we had to bring
to the table.
"We played great defense and we played together. It was a physical
game and we stepped up to the challenge. We knew that (Antonio) Davis
and (Dale) Davis were going to be intense, and I remember that Brian
and Mike met every challenge."
It remains to be seen if these Kings can pull off a similar feat.
nba.1799vpoznanovic,
Friday, November 29
Chicago at Dallas 116:97
Golden State at Portland 93:119
Houston at Boston 120:94
L.A. Clippers at Utah 94:111
L.A. Lakers at Detroit 84:76
Minnesota at Denver 108:103
Orlando at Philadelphia 91:100
Phoenix at Seattle 92:105
Vancouver at Indiana 94:104
Washington at Atlanta 81:110
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 26 35 22 33 116
DALLAS 15 27 25 30 97 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: CHI - MICHAEL JORDAN 36, SCOTTIE PIPPEN 32, STEVE KERR 17
DAL - CHRIS GATLING 35, JIM JACKSON 21, GEORGE MCCLOUD 17
HIGH REBOUND: CHI - DENNIS RODMAN 19, SCOTTIE PIPPEN 10
DAL - CHRIS GATLING 11, JIM JACKSON 9
HIGH ASSISTS: CHI - TONI KUKOC 6, STEVE KERR 5
DAL - JASON KIDD 17, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 18,042
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
GOLDEN STATE 26 30 22 15 93
PORTLAND 30 29 30 30 119 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 32, MARK PRICE 15, CHRIS MULLIN 14
POR - RASHEED WALLACE 20, GARY TRENT 18, AARON MCKIE 17
HIGH REBOUND: GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 5, TODD FULLER 5
POR - RASHEED WALLACE 12, GARY TRENT 10
HIGH ASSISTS: GSW - LATRELL SPREWELL 8, MARK PRICE 4
POR - AARON MCKIE 6, CLIFFORD ROBINSON 6
ATT: 21,068
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 35 28 30 27 120
BOSTON 17 23 24 30 94 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 18, MATT MALONEY 18, HAKEEM OLAJUWON
17
BOS - DINO RADJA 18, DANA BARROS 14, ANTOINE WALKER 12
HIGH REBOUND: HOU - HAKEEM OLAJUWON 13, KEVIN WILLIS 10
BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 7, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 4
HIGH ASSISTS: HOU - MARIO ELIE 8, CLYDE DREXLER 5
BOS - DEE BROWN 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 18,624
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
LA CLIPPERS 24 25 20 25 94
UTAH 29 23 34 25 111 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: LAC - DARRICK MARTIN 18, MALIK SEALY 13, POOH RICHARDSON 12
UTH - JOHN STOCKTON 28, JEFF HORNACEK 19, KARL MALONE 19
HIGH REBOUND: LAC - STANLEY ROBERTS 9, THREE PLAYERS WITH 6
UTH - GREG OSTERTAG 14, ANTOINE CARR 7
HIGH ASSISTS: LAC - POOH RICHARDSON 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
UTH - JOHN STOCKTON 10, JEFF HORNACEK 6
ATT: 19,381
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
LA LAKERS 19 24 20 21 84
DETROIT 13 22 18 23 76 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: LAL - SHAQUILLE ONEAL 27, EDDIE JONES 20, ELDEN CAMPBELL 14
DET - GRANT HILL 20, JOE DUMARS 16, OTIS THORPE 14
HIGH REBOUND: LAL - ELDEN CAMPBELL 12, SHAQUILLE ONEAL 11
DET - OTIS THORPE 12, GRANT HILL 7
HIGH ASSISTS: LAL - NICK VAN EXEL 10, SHAQUILLE ONEAL 3
DET - GRANT HILL 7, OTIS THORPE 3
ATT: 21,454
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MINNESOTA 24 32 21 31 108
DENVER 22 27 24 30 103 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: MIN - STEPHON MARBURY 30, TOM GUGLIOTTA 24, SAM MITCHELL 12
DEN - ANTONIO MCDYESS 34, TOM HAMMONDS 16, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 14
HIGH REBOUND: MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 8, KEVIN GARNETT 8
DEN - ANTONIO MCDYESS 9, ERVIN JOHNSON 9
HIGH ASSISTS: MIN - STEPHON MARBURY 11, THREE PLAYERS WITH 2
DEN - BROOKS THOMPSON 13, JEFF MCINNIS 5
ATT: 12,129
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ORLANDO 26 24 18 23 91
PHILADELPHIA 33 25 16 26 100 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: ORL - NICK ANDERSON 18, GERALD WILKINS 18, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 12
PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 19, JERRY STACKHOUSE 16, CLARENCE
WEATHERSPOON 15
HIGH REBOUND: ORL - RONY SEIKALY 13, HORACE GRANT 12
PHI - DERRICK COLEMAN 9, SCOTT WILLIAMS 9
HIGH ASSISTS: ORL - BRIAN SHAW 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 10, DERRICK COLEMAN 5
ATT: 15,489
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PHOENIX 19 28 19 26 92
SEATTLE 25 24 21 35 105 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: PHO - DANNY MANNING 18, KEVIN JOHNSON 13, STEVE NASH 12
SEA - GARY PAYTON 26, SHAWN KEMP 25, DETLEF SCHREMPF 14
HIGH REBOUND: PHO - DANNY MANNING 15, AC GREEN 8
SEA - SHAWN KEMP 13, DETLEF SCHREMPF 9
HIGH ASSISTS: PHO - KEVIN JOHNSON 10, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
SEA - GARY PAYTON 7, THREE PLAYERS WITH 5
ATT: 17,072
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
VANCOUVER 24 18 30 22 94
INDIANA 26 24 28 26 104 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: VAN - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 20, GREG ANTHONY 18, LAWRENCE
MOTEN 16
IND - REGGIE MILLER 25, JALEN ROSE 17, DUANE FERRELL 14
HIGH REBOUND: VAN - GEORGE LYNCH 11, SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 5
IND - ANTONIO DAVIS 11, THREE PLAYERS WITH 7
HIGH ASSISTS: VAN - GREG ANTHONY 7, LEE MAYBERRY 5
IND - JALEN ROSE 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 15,488
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 18 27 15 21 81
ATLANTA 30 32 28 20 110 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: WAS - CHRIS WEBBER 14, GHEORGHE MURESAN 13, JAREN JACKSON
13
ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 25, MOOKIE BLAYLOCK 25, TYRONE
CORBIN 17
HIGH REBOUND: WAS - GHEORGHE MURESAN 9, CHRIS WEBBER 8
ATL - DIKEMBE MUTOMBO 15, JON BARRY 5
HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - ROD STRICKLAND 6, JAREN JACKSON 3
ATL - MOOKIE BLAYLOCK 7, JON BARRY 5
ATT: 12,457
nba.1800nba.news,
CHICAGO (116) AT DALLAS (97)
CHICAGO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
RODMAN F 31 2-7 1-2 9 10 19 3 3 0 6 5
PIPPEN F 40 14-22 2-2 1 9 10 3 5 1 2 32
WENNINGTON C 19 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2
JORDAN G 40 13-23 6-6 0 7 7 4 1 2 2 36
HARPER G 14 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 2
KUKOC 30 3-11 3-4 4 3 7 6 2 0 1 9
KERR 29 7-10 1-1 0 3 3 5 0 0 1 17
BUECHLER 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CAFFEY 13 2-6 4-6 3 2 5 1 4 0 0 8
BROWN 11 0-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 1 0 0
SIMPKINS 8 2-2 1-2 2 1 3 2 0 0 1 5
LONGLEY DNP - STRAINED LEFT SHOULDER
TOTALS 240 45-90 18-23 19 36 55 28 20 5 16 116
(.500) (.783) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 16(15 PTS)
DALLAS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MCCLOUD F 35 7-18 2-2 2 2 4 3 3 1 1 17
MEYER F 15 3-7 1-2 1 1 2 0 3 1 1 7
MONTROSS C 19 1-4 1-1 3 3 6 0 1 0 1 3
KIDD G 43 2-9 2-4 3 4 7 17 1 3 0 6
JACKSON G 42 8-17 5-6 2 7 9 2 5 2 3 21
HARPER 30 2-8 2-2 1 0 1 3 0 3 3 6
GATLING 30 14-22 7-11 4 7 11 2 3 0 2 35
MILLER 20 0-1 2-2 1 1 2 2 4 0 0 2
DUMAS 6 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0
DREILING DNP - DID NOT DRESS
ROBERTS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WALKER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-88 22-30 17 25 42 29 22 10 12 97
(.420) (.733) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 12(16 PTS)
CHICAGO 26 35 22 33 - 116
DALLAS 15 27 25 30 - 97
BLOCKED SHOTS: CHICAGO - RODMAN, KUKOC. DALLAS - MCCLOUD, JACKSON,
MILLER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CHICAGO 8-14 (.571), PIPPEN 2-3, JORDAN 4-5, HARPER
0-1, KERR 2-4, BROWN 0-1. DALLAS 1-13 (.077), MCCLOUD 1-5, KIDD 0-1,
JACKSON 0-3, HARPER 0-3, DUMAS 0-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: ED T RUSH, TED BERNHARDT, SCOTT WALL.
A - 18,042. T - 2:04.
CHICAGO (116) AT DALLAS (97)
Michael Jordan scored 36 points and Scottie Pippen added 32 and
both keyed a pair of first-half runs as the Chicago Bulls
continued their domination of the Dallas Mavericks with a 116-97
victory.
The Bulls improved to 14-1 with their fourth straight win over
the Mavericks. Chicago has taken 16 of the last 17 meetings
between the clubs.
Jordan had eight of his 13 first-quarter points during a 12-0
spurt that saw Chicago open a 26-14 advantage. Dennis Rodman
grabbed 12 of his 19 rebounds in the opening quarter for the
Bulls, who improved to 8-1 on the road this season.
"I'm happy about our winning," Jordan said. "I'm shooting the
ball well, I'm getting good looks. I've been able to get into a
good rhythm, but tonight was one of those nights when I wanted
to get everyone involved, especially Scottie."
Pippen had the final eight points during a 15-4 Bulls' burst
that extended the advantage to 44-28 with just under five
minutes remaining in the first half. He was 14-of-22 from the
floor and added 10 rebounds and three assists.
"Tonight, the rhythm was there," Pippen said. "The shots were
there and I took advantage of it. Everyone knows that Michael
is the type of guy that wants to go out and score and put up big
numbers. I don't think it's fair to say he needs help scoring.
I think our club likes having more versatile guys that can
handle the ball and open up the court."
"Michael and Scottie seemed to be in a flow tonight," said Bulls
coach Phil Jackson. "What they were doing was very special. The
rebounding by Rodman in the first half is what kept us out of
any trouble."
Chris Gatling came off the bench to score a career-high 35
points and added 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who fell to 3-4
at home. Gatling's previous high was 29 points against Detroit
while with Golden State on March 19th, 1995.
Jimmy Jackson had 21 points and nine rebounds and Jason Kidd
added a season-high 17 assists. But the duo, who comprise
Dallas' starting backcourt, combined to shoot 10-of-26 from the
field.
Eric Montross and Oliver Miller provided only five points from
the center position.
Overall, the Bulls were 45-of-90 from the field and made 8-of-14
three-point attempts. They also outrebounded Dallas, 55-42, and
recorded the highest point total by a Mavericks' opponent this
season.
"I thought the first half we were a little shellshocked," said
Dallas coach Jim Cleamons. "The thing we have to understand as
a basketball team is that you have have to be able to sustain an
effort over a period of time."
Dallas trailed by as many as 21 and was unable to draw any
closer than 13 in the second half.
nba.1801nba.news,
GOLDEN STATE (93) AT PORTLAND (119)
GOLDEN STATE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MULLIN F 35 6-8 2-2 1 0 1 3 1 0 0 14
SMITH F 33 4-11 5-6 2 2 4 0 4 4 5 13
SPENCER C 15 1-1 1-2 1 1 2 0 5 0 1 3
SPREWELL G 38 9-21 12-14 0 5 5 8 0 3 3 32
PRICE G 30 5-10 2-2 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 15
FULLER 21 2-3 2-2 2 3 5 0 4 0 0 6
OWES 12 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
MARSHALL 5 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ARMSTRONG 18 0-3 0-0 0 4 4 1 3 0 1 0
DECLERCQ 9 1-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 2
ROYAL 19 1-6 6-7 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 8
ROE 5 0-1 0-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 240 29-70 30-37 10 17 27 17 21 9 13 93
(.414) (.811) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 14(20 PTS)
PORTLAND
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
C ROBINSON F 37 4-10 5-10 4 0 4 6 2 0 2 14
WALLACE F 34 9-13 2-2 5 7 12 4 3 0 3 20
SABONIS C 13 2-5 0-0 2 1 3 1 4 2 2 5
MCKIE G 32 7-12 1-2 1 5 6 6 2 2 2 17
RIDER G 32 7-16 0-0 3 2 5 1 4 0 2 16
TRENT 22 7-11 4-5 2 8 10 0 3 0 1 18
DUDLEY 22 1-1 3-4 2 2 4 0 4 1 2 5
BUTLER 15 2-5 2-2 0 1 1 0 4 1 0 7
ANDERSON 19 4-8 2-2 1 1 2 2 2 0 1 12
DJORDJEVIC 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
WINGFIELD 5 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 0 1 3
CHILDRESS 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0
TOTALS 240 45-86 19-27 20 30 50 22 32 7 16 119
(.523) (.704) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 16(19 PTS)
GOLDEN STATE 26 30 22 15 - 93
PORTLAND 30 29 30 30 - 119
BLOCKED SHOTS: GOLDEN STATE - MULLIN, SPENCER, SPREWELL, OWES. PORTLAND -
C ROBINSON, MCKIE, BUTLER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: GOLDEN STATE 5-14 (.357), MULLIN 0-2, SPREWELL 2-5,
PRICE 3-5, MARSHALL 0-1, ROYAL 0-1. PORTLAND 10-23 (.435), C ROBINSON 1-4,
SABONIS 1-1, MCKIE 2-5, RIDER 2-4, BUTLER 1-3, ANDERSON 2-4, WINGFIELD 1-2.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: HUGH EVANS, TOM WASHINGTON, TIM DONAGHY.
A - 21,068. T - 2:14.
GOLDEN STATE (93) AT PORTLAND (119)
Rasheed Wallace scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and
Gary Trent added 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench as the
Portland Trail Blazers dominated on the boards en route to their
sixth win in seven games, a 119-93 victory over the Golden State
Warriors.
Aaron McKie had 17 points, six assists and six rebounds as
Portland outrebounded Golden State, 50-27. Isaiah Rider
contributed 16 points for the Trail Blazers, who have won the
last four meetings with the Warriors.
"I just play hard, try to give the team some energy off the
bench," Trent said. "That's why coach puts me in. I'm not used
to playing in the fourth quarter. I didn't last year because of
my poor free-throw shooting."
Latrell Sprewell had 32 points and eight assists for the
Warriors, who have lost five of their last six games. Mark
Price tossed in 15 points for Golden State, which was trying to
win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Joe Smith, who had 13 points, made a free throw to give the
Warriors a 15-9 lead with 6:34 left in the first quarter.
Arvydas Sabonis made a three-pointer and Wallace had a layup as
Portland cut the lead to 15-14 with 5:47 left. Rider made a
driving layup to give the Blazers their first lead, 22-21, with
3:02 left.
"This team is a lot faster than I played with in the past," said
Wallace, who spent his rookie season with Washington. "We have
our ups and downs but we bounce back and gel pretty quickly."
Sprewell made three free throws to give the Warriors a two-point
lead late in the first quarter, but Mitchell Butler made a pair
of foul shots with 37.4 seconds left as Portland ended the first
quarter with an 8-2 run and a 30-26 advantage.
McKie completed a three-point play as the Blazers scored the
first eight points of the second quarter to build a 38-26 lead.
Two free throws by Trent made it 49-33 midway through the
period.
The Warriors used a 23-8 run to close within 57-56, but Portland
scored the first seven points of the third quarter to restore
its 10-point cushion. Golden State climbed within four as Price
made consecutive three-pointers and the Warriors got within
79-76 late in the period.
But the Blazers ended the quarter with a 10-2 burst, extending
its lead to 89-78. Golden State got no closer in the fourth.
"They just outrebounded us, but they are a good team and we just
struggled," Sprewell said. "We got it to three, but they got
momentum to begin the fourth quarter."
nba.1802nba.news,
HOUSTON (120) AT BOSTON (94)
HOUSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BARKLEY F 30 7-9 1-2 2 7 9 2 1 1 2 18
ELIE F 24 3-4 2-2 0 1 1 8 0 1 4 10
OLAJUWON C 28 8-16 1-2 3 10 13 3 3 0 3 17
MALONEY G 27 6-8 3-3 0 3 3 2 1 2 1 18
DREXLER G 24 6-9 2-2 1 3 4 5 0 0 1 15
WILLIS 27 5-10 1-2 3 7 10 2 4 0 3 12
LIVINGSTON 21 2-4 6-6 2 2 4 4 2 1 2 10
BULLARD 18 3-6 0-0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 8
MOORE 24 4-7 1-2 2 2 4 1 2 0 2 9
HARRINGTON 11 1-4 1-4 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 3
BENNETT 6 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
MACK DNP - SORE LEFT FOOT
TOTALS 240 45-80 18-25 14 37 51 30 16 5 19 120
(.563) (.720) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 19(16 PTS)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WALKER F 26 5-15 2-3 3 4 7 3 1 2 1 12
WILLIAMS F 23 2-7 0-0 1 3 4 1 2 0 1 4
RADJA C 27 8-13 2-2 1 2 3 1 3 0 2 18
BARROS G 32 5-13 3-4 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 14
FOX G 27 4-11 0-0 2 2 4 3 2 4 1 9
BROWN 29 5-10 0-0 0 2 2 5 3 1 0 11
BRICKOWSKI 8 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
DAY 22 2-5 3-4 0 4 4 0 4 0 2 8
MINOR 22 4-8 0-0 2 2 4 2 1 1 0 8
CONLON 16 2-5 1-2 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 5
SZABO 8 1-3 1-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3
WESLEY DNP - SORE RIGHT FOOT
TOTALS 240 39-91 12-17 12 21 33 18 21 9 9 94
(.429) (.706) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 9(11 PTS)
HOUSTON 35 28 30 27 - 120
BOSTON 17 23 24 30 - 94
BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - BARKLEY, ELIE, HARRINGTON. BOSTON - FOX, SZABO.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 12-22 (.545), BARKLEY 3-4, ELIE 2-3, MALONEY
3-4, DREXLER 1-3, WILLIS 1-1, LIVINGSTON 0-1, BULLARD 2-4, MOORE 0-1,
BENNETT 0-1. BOSTON 4-13 (.308), WALKER 0-2, BARROS 1-4, FOX 1-4, BROWN
1-2, DAY 1-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, TOMMIE WOOD, KEN MAUER.
A - 18,624. T - 1:55.
HOUSTON (120) AT BOSTON (94)
Matt Maloney scored a career-high 18 points and Charles Barkley
added 18 to lead the Houston Rockets to their eighth straight
victory, a 120-94 blowout of the Boston Celtics.
Hakeem Olajuwon -- in his second game back after a three-game
absence due to an irregular heartbeat -- had 17 points and 13
rebounds for the 14-1 Rockets, who own the best record in the
Western Conference. They entered the game tied with Chicago for
the NBA's best record.
"Our spot shooting tonight was just outstanding," said Rockets
coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "Defensively, we just wanted to take
away their high-percentage plays. Offensively, our spacing and
ball movement was excellent."
Houston improved to a perfect 7-0 on the road. Their only loss
season came in double overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers,
126-115, on November 12th.
"What was good about tonight is we put away the game early,"
said Barkley. "Back-to-back games like tonight and tomorrow
are hard because we have an older team."
Dino Radja scored 18 points and Dana Barros added 14 for the
Celtics, who were trying to extend their winning streak to a
season-high three games.
"One stretch we battle hard and play well and another stretch,
like tonight, its baffling," said Boston's Rick Fox. "We need
to show commitment on the floor and it seems like I need to
address a different situation every night (as captain). Either
it's approach one night or commitment on another."
The Rockets took the lead, 12-10, on a Clyde Drexler dunk with
6:38 to go in the first quarter and never surrendered it.
Houston closed the period with a 21-5 run, capped by a Barkley
three-pointer.
The Rockets built a 25-point advantage on Maloney's free throw
with a 1 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter and had a 63-40
cushion at halftime.
"In the first part of the game I wouldn't call it light effort,
but we didn't do what we had to do," said Celtics coach M.L.
Carr. "It's not so much a lack of effort, but the lack of
executing the game plan."
Boston got no closer than 21 in the second half on a
three-pointer by Barros with 5:05 to go in the third.
Houston twice built the lead to 31 in the fourth quarter, the
last time when Randy Livingston hit four straight free throws
with 5:01 to go.
The Rockets have won their last four games in Boston.
nba.1803nba.news,
LA CLIPPERS (94) AT UTAH (111)
LA CLIPPERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ROGERS F 36 5-8 1-2 1 5 6 3 1 0 2 11
VAUGHT F 22 1-7 1-2 2 4 6 0 3 2 0 3
ROBERTS C 33 3-11 2-5 4 5 9 1 4 2 2 8
SEALY G 26 6-10 1-1 1 0 1 2 0 2 0 13
D MARTIN G 25 4-10 7-8 0 0 0 3 3 0 5 18
OUTLAW 20 3-4 2-2 1 3 4 0 2 1 3 8
DUCKWORTH 11 0-1 2-2 2 4 6 0 4 0 3 2
RICHARDSON 23 4-5 0-0 0 0 0 5 2 1 1 12
MURRAY 18 3-6 0-0 1 3 4 0 1 0 0 6
DEHERE 18 2-7 4-5 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 8
WRIGHT 4 0-1 2-4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
BARRY 4 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 3
TOTALS 240 32-74 22-31 12 24 36 17 26 10 17 94
(.432) (.710) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 18(23 PTS)
UTAH
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
RUSSELL F 32 4-8 2-3 0 1 1 3 4 2 0 12
MALONE F 32 6-9 7-8 1 3 4 5 1 2 3 19
OSTERTAG C 31 4-7 2-3 4 10 14 1 4 1 0 10
HORNACEK G 33 7-12 5-5 1 2 3 6 1 2 3 19
STOCKTON G 36 12-13 2-2 0 2 2 10 1 1 4 28
EISLEY 12 3-6 0-2 0 1 1 1 3 1 1 7
ANDERSON 7 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
CARR 18 2-5 2-2 3 4 7 1 4 0 3 6
MORRIS 22 1-9 2-2 1 3 4 0 3 0 0 4
KEEFE 12 0-1 4-4 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 4
FOSTER 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WATSON 2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
TOTALS 240 40-73 26-31 10 29 39 27 22 9 16 111
(.548) (.839) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 17(23 PTS)
LA CLIPPERS 24 25 20 25 - 94
UTAH 29 23 34 25 - 111
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA CLIPPERS - ROBERTS 2, SEALY 2, MURRAY. UTAH - OSTERTAG
5, CARR, KEEFE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA CLIPPERS 8-17 (.471), ROGERS 0-1, D MARTIN 3-6,
RICHARDSON 4-4, DEHERE 0-2, BARRY 1-4. UTAH 5-10 (.500), RUSSELL 2-2,
MALONE 0-1, HORNACEK 0-1, STOCKTON 2-2, EISLEY 1-1, MORRIS 0-3.
TECHNICALS: LA CLIPPERS - SEALY, UTAH - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 3.
OFFICIALS: PAUL MIHALAK, JOE BORGIA, GREG WILLARD.
A - 19,381. T - 2:08.
LA CLIPPERS (94) AT UTAH (111)
John Stockton had 28 points and 10 assists to propel the Utah
Jazz to their ninth straight victory, a 111-94 romp over the Los
Angeles Clippers.
Karl Malone and Jeff Hornacek added 19 points apiece as Utah
placed all five starters in double figures. Greg Ostertag
contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz, who have won
seven straight home games.
"I thought we were executing pretty well and obviously we were
making the open shots," said Utah said Jerry Sloan. "You know
you can execute all you want but if you don't make the open
shots, it doesn't look very good. We were able to make some
shots and that was the thing that was important to us."
Darrick Martin tied a season high with 18 points and Stanley
Roberts had eight points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles,
which suffered its fifth straight loss. The Clippers have been
held under 100 points in all but two of their 15 games this
season.
"Its the most points we've allowed all season, but I consider
them one of the better teams," said Clippers coach. "If you're
going to allow points, they're probably going to be one of the
ones to get them from you. Especially if you get into a running
game or into a faster-paced game."
Los Angeles kept it close throughout the first half and trailed
by only 52-49 at halftime.
"We were in good shape at half only down by three, but we knew
what they did to Denver the other night and knew we had to keep
our heads in the game," Clippers forward Loy Vaught said in
reference to Utah rallying from a 36-point first-half deficit to
record a 107-103 victory over the Nuggets on Wednesday.
But Stockton had seven points as Utah opened the third quarter
with a 15-2 run to make it 67-51 with 7:50 remaining in the
period.
The Jazz built their lead as high as 20 on a Chris Morris jumper
at 11:01 of the fourth. The Clippers answered with six straight
points on Pooh Richardson's three-pointer and Terry Dehere's
three-point play, but could get no closer than 14 the rest of
the way.
"We just came out a the beginning of the third and executed and
got on the boards because (Sloan) kind of got on us about the
offensive boards," said Ostertag. "He wanted us to crash the
boards a little harder in the second half."
Utah has beaten Los Angeles in 11 of their last 14 meetings.
nba.1804nba.news,
LA LAKERS (84) AT DETROIT (76)
LA LAKERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
JONES F 32 7-13 3-4 1 3 4 1 4 1 2 20
CAMPBELL F 40 6-10 2-2 3 9 12 1 6 1 2 14
ONEAL C 42 11-19 5-12 2 9 11 3 2 0 7 27
VAN EXEL G 37 3-11 0-1 0 3 3 10 0 1 0 8
ROBINSON G 14 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 0 2 0
KERSEY 34 4-6 0-0 1 6 7 2 5 2 2 9
FISHER 11 1-1 0-1 0 1 1 0 3 0 2 2
SCOTT 10 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
KNIGHT 8 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
BLOUNT 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
BRYANT 7 0-1 1-2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
ROOKS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 33-65 11-22 8 32 40 21 24 6 18 84
(.508) (.500) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 18(17 PTS)
DETROIT
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HILL F 45 6-15 8-8 2 5 7 7 3 3 5 20
THORPE F 38 4-9 6-10 4 8 12 3 5 2 2 14
MAHORN C 17 1-3 0-0 1 4 5 1 4 0 1 2
DUMARS G 40 5-16 2-2 1 2 3 1 1 3 1 16
HUNTER G 44 5-18 0-0 1 2 3 1 3 1 0 12
MILLS 19 1-6 0-0 4 0 4 2 2 0 3 3
CURRY 11 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 2
LONG 16 2-4 1-2 1 2 3 0 2 1 1 5
RATLIFF 8 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
REID 1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
WILLIAMS 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AUGMON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 25-73 19-24 15 23 38 15 23 10 14 76
(.342) (.792) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 14(13 PTS)
LA LAKERS 19 24 20 21 - 84
DETROIT 13 22 18 23 - 76
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - BRYANT. DETROIT - HILL, RATLIFF.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-17 (.412), JONES 3-5, ONEAL 0-1, VAN EXEL
2-6, ROBINSON 0-1, KERSEY 1-2, SCOTT 1-2. DETROIT 7-26 (.269), HILL 0-1,
DUMARS 4-8, HUNTER 2-12, MILLS 1-4, LONG 0-1.
TECHNICALS: DETROIT - MAHORN.
OFFICIALS: DAN CRAWFORD, JOE DEROSA, JIM KINSEY.
A - 21,454. T - 2:08.
LA LAKERS (84) AT DETROIT (76)
Shaquille O'Neal had 27 points and 11 rebounds and combined with
Eddie Jones to score all of the Lakers' points in the fourth
quarter as Los Angeles defeated the Detroit Pistons, 84-76.
Nick Van Exel and Jones nailed consecutive three-pointers as the
Lakers took the lead for good, 8-2, with 9:28 left in the first
quarter. Jones made 3-of-5 three-pointers, tying an NBA record
with at least two three-pointers in 22 straight games. He
finished with 20 points.
"I don't think about it at all, my teammates think about it,"
said Jones, who tied the mark held by Mitch Richmond and Cliff
Robinson. "Guys like Byron Scott, they're thinking if I'm going
to hit two threes the next game and they tease me during the
game, but I don't think about it. I just go out and play. If I
get an open three, I take it. It's not a big thing to me,
getting a win is a big thing to me."
The Lakers have split their last six games following a
three-game winning streak.
"We just wanted to come in and play well," O'Neal said. "We
read the paper this morning. I kind of like a challenge. They
said we're going to foul him, make him shoot jumpers, make him
go to his finesse hand, like I can't hit those shots. I just
wanted to play my game and I did that."
"This is the best defensive game we've had," Los Angeles coch
Del Harris said. I thought our point-guard play was good. We
sputtered a little down the wire. We weren't expecting a
fast-paced game, we know that they're a half-court team who
doesn't force the run. They play a lot of one-on-ones and pick
and rolls."
Grant Hill had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for
the Pistons, who lost for just the second time in their last
nine games. Joe Dumars added 16 points and Otis Thorpe had 14
points and 12 rebounds as Detroit dropped its fifth straight to
the Lakers. The Pistons shot 34 percent (25-for-73) from the
floor.
"We couldn't shoot well, couldn't make the shots tonight," said
Hill, who is bothered by a sprained right wrist. "They were
there, we just couldn't put them in the basket. Our defense was
excellent. We did a good job but we just couldn't match it up
on the offensive end.
"I don't want to make excuses. It's bothersome a little bit,"
he said of the wrist. "It feels better, it will just continue
to get better."
Grant Long made a free throw to pull Detroit within 79-74 with
1:03 left in the fourth quarter. But O'Neal made two of four
free throws and Jones shot 3-of-4 from the line in the final
minute.
The Pistons shot just 5-for-22 (23 percent) from the field in
the first quarter and fell behind, 19-13.
Teenage rookie Kobe Bryant made a free throw to cap a 7-0 burst
and give the Lakers a 33-22 lead with 3:22 left in the fourth.
Lindsey Hunter's 16-footer pulled the Pistons within 33-30 with
3:06 left in the second. But Van Exel made a driving layup with
3.9 seconds left, giving the Lakers a 43-35 halftime lead.
O'Neal scored four points as Los Angeles closed the third
quarter with a 10-4 burst for a 63-53 lead.
nba.1805nba.news,
MINNESOTA (108) AT DENVER (103)
MINNESOTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
K GARNETT F 36 2-11 2-2 4 4 8 2 3 3 2 6
GUGLIOTTA F 37 9-15 6-8 2 6 8 1 3 2 7 24
VRANKOVIC C 21 2-2 1-2 0 4 4 0 2 0 1 5
MARBURY G 32 10-18 8-13 2 2 4 11 3 0 0 30
WEST G 35 4-9 2-3 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 10
PORTER 15 4-6 0-1 0 2 2 2 0 0 3 8
PARKS 22 4-7 0-1 3 4 7 0 3 0 0 8
MITCHELL 26 2-4 8-9 2 1 3 0 3 0 2 12
CARR 14 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 5
HEAL 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ROBINSON 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D GARRETT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 39-77 27-39 13 25 38 18 23 6 16 108
(.506) (.692) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 16(14 PTS)
DENVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D ELLIS F 40 3-9 0-0 0 3 3 1 5 1 4 7
MCDYESS F 42 11-24 12-14 1 8 9 1 5 1 3 34
JOHNSON C 19 3-4 0-0 3 6 9 2 4 1 0 6
B THOMPSON G 31 4-10 4-6 1 0 1 13 4 2 4 14
STITH G 40 4-9 5-6 0 3 3 1 2 1 1 14
HAMMONDS 38 5-8 6-7 4 4 8 1 2 0 1 16
MCINNIS 18 4-7 0-0 1 0 1 5 4 0 4 10
MARCIULIONIS 8 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
HAM 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0
JACKSON DNP - SPRAINED LEFT ANKLE
L THOMPSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 35-75 27-33 10 24 34 24 29 7 19 103
(.467) (.818) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 20(29 PTS)
MINNESOTA 24 32 21 31 - 108
DENVER 22 27 24 30 - 103
BLOCKED SHOTS: MINNESOTA - GUGLIOTTA 3, K GARNETT, MITCHELL, CARR. DENVER
- JOHNSON 2, HAMMONDS 2, MCDYESS, MCINNIS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MINNESOTA 3-9 (.333), GUGLIOTTA 0-1, MARBURY 2-4, WEST
0-1, PORTER 0-1, CARR 1-2. DENVER 6-20 (.300), D ELLIS 1-5, MCDYESS 0-2, B
THOMPSON 2-6, STITH 1-3, MCINNIS 2-4.
TECHNICALS: DENVER - JOHNSON.
OFFICIALS: BRUCE ALEXANDER, ED MIDDLETON, BLANE REICHELT.
A - 12,129. T - 2:18.
MINNESOTA (108) AT DENVER (103)
Sam Mitchell scored six of his 12 points in the final 90 seconds
and rookie Stephon Marbury had a career-high 30 points as the
Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a six-game road losing streak
with a 108-103 triumph over the Denver Nuggets.
The win was Minnesota's first in Denver since March 31st, 1992,
snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Nuggets.
The game was tied, 97-97, when Brooks Thompson was fouled by
Marbury while shooting a three-pointer. Thompson sank just one
of three free throws to give the Nuggets a 98-97 lead with 1:43
to play.
But Mitchell keyed an 11-5 run to end the game when he hit a
16-foot jumper and was 4-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Antonio McDyess scored a career-high 34 points for Denver, which
fell to 1-2 under new coach Dick Motta.
"The turnovers killed us. They had 29 points off of our
turnovers," Motta said. "It is a shame to waste such a good
game from Antonio."
Minnesota went on a 5-0 run to build an 89-80 lead with 7:53
remaining. Kevin Garnett, who shot just 2-for-11 from the
field, sank a jumper, Marbury hit one of two free throws and
Mitchell also scored a basket during the spurt.
Bryant Stith hit a pair of jumpers to cut the deficit to five
before Thompson was fouled by Marbury while shooting a
three-pointer. Thompson sank all three free-throws and followed
with a three-pointer to put Denver ahead, 90-89, with 5:45 to
go.
Marbury played 32 minutes, hit 10-of-18 from the field, 8-of-13
from the line, led the Timberwolves with 11 assists and did not
turn the ball over.
"Stephon Marbury was very good tonight," said Timberwolves coach
Flip Saunders. "What impressed me about him was that he had 11
assists and no turnovers. He has nerves of steel and is not
afraid to take some big shots."
Marbury also impressed Motta.
"Marbury is a lottery player and he is terrific," Motta said. "I
did not think he would have much trouble making the transition."
Tom Hammonds had 16 points while Thompson and Stith had 14
points apiece for the Nuggets.
nba.1806nba.news,
ORLANDO (91) AT PHILADELPHIA (100)
ORLANDO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
STRONG F 20 3-8 0-0 1 4 5 0 2 0 2 6
GRANT F 41 5-12 0-0 4 8 12 3 0 4 1 10
SEIKALY C 34 4-12 4-4 8 5 13 2 4 1 5 12
ANDERSON G 35 7-18 0-0 0 1 1 4 5 1 2 18
SHAW G 29 4-11 0-0 1 3 4 9 2 2 3 9
ARMSTRONG 27 4-14 1-1 0 1 1 4 1 2 3 12
VAUGHN 16 2-3 2-2 3 4 7 1 1 1 0 6
WILKINS 29 8-17 2-2 1 1 2 1 3 0 0 18
MCCASKILL 9 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
DEMPS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROZIER DNP - BRONCHITIS
SCHAYES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-96 9-9 18 28 46 25 19 11 16 91
(.385) (1.000) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 16(24 PTS)
PHILADELPHIA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WEATHERSPOON F 34 6-11 3-4 3 5 8 1 2 1 1 15
COLEMAN F 37 8-14 1-2 2 7 9 5 0 0 2 19
WILLIAMS C 24 4-10 0-0 4 5 9 0 2 3 0 8
STACKHOUSE G 44 6-20 4-6 2 2 4 1 2 1 5 16
IVERSON G 31 6-15 0-0 4 3 7 10 2 5 7 14
CAGE 16 0-0 1-2 0 5 5 2 2 0 0 1
WALTERS 4 1-1 1-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4
DAVIS 8 1-1 2-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4
OVERTON 17 3-4 2-2 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 9
BRADTKE 8 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
MACLEAN 17 3-4 4-6 0 3 3 1 0 1 1 10
HARRIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-80 18-25 15 32 47 25 12 11 16 100
(.475) (.720) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 17(21 PTS)
ORLANDO 26 24 18 23 - 91
PHILADELPHIA 33 25 16 26 - 100
BLOCKED SHOTS: ORLANDO - VAUGHN, WILKINS. PHILADELPHIA - STACKHOUSE 3,
WILLIAMS 2, WEATHERSPOON, DAVIS, MACLEAN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ORLANDO 8-27 (.296), ANDERSON 4-13, SHAW 1-1, ARMSTRONG
3-10, WILKINS 0-3. PHILADELPHIA 6-15 (.400), COLEMAN 2-3, STACKHOUSE 0-5,
IVERSON 2-5, WALTERS 1-1, OVERTON 1-1.
TECHNICALS: ORLANDO - HEAD COACH B HILL, PHILADELPHIA - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, GEORGE TOLIVER, JIM CLARK.
A - 15,489. T - 2:00.
ORLANDO (91) AT PHILADELPHIA (100)
Derrick Coleman scored 19 points and Jerry Stackhouse added 16
as the Philadelphia 76ers scored the first eight points of the
game and never trailed en route to a 100-91 triumph over the
Orlando Magic.
Clarence Weatherspoon had 15 points and rookie Allen Iverson
added 14 and a season-high 10 assists as the 76ers defeated the
Magic for just the second time in their last 14 meetings.
"This was a hard fought, well earned victory for us," said
Philadelphia coach Johnny Davis. "We did a lot of things right.
We did a few things that we still need to sure up on, but
overall it was a game that we pretty much played aggressively
the whole night with some good performances from a lot of
people. It was a total team effort in terms of securing the
win."
Nick Anderson and Gerald Wilkins each scored 18 points for the
Magic, who won all four meetings with the 76ers last season.
Orlando lost for the first time in three road games.
"This was our poorest performance so far this year," said
Orlando coach Brian Hill. "We gave up 31 fast-break points in
the first half. We weren't doing anything defensively. We were
standing around shooting shots from the perimeter in the first
half. If it wasn't for our second unit coming in to give us a
big lift, we wouldn't have been in the game. We have to put
this behind us and move on."
Rony Seikaly, who had 12 points and 13 rebounds, made a layup to
cap a 10-1 run and pull the Magic within 63-62 with 5:41 left in
the third quarter.
Philadelphia answered with an 11-0 spurt, capped by Coleman's
three-pointer that made it 74-62 with 3:05 to go in the period.
Iverson had five of his seven turnovers in the third quarter and
was benched in the fourth.
"It's all about team," he said. "I got benched, but we won, so
it was the right decision. He's the coach and I'm a player. If
we won every game I get benched in, I can't complain. I would
love to be in there. I felt I was playing well, but I made a
couple of mistakes, which I'm going to do until I find out how
this game goes. He just wanted to come in with a veteran point
guard and let him do his thing."
Darrell Armstrong made a three-pointer with 1:36 left in the
fourth to pull Orlando within 91-86. But Doug Overton sank a
pair of free throws to cap a 6-0 burst and give Philadelphia a
97-86 edge with 23.4 seconds left.
Horace Grant had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic, who
were held to 39 percent shoting (37-for-96) from the field.
"We couldn't get over the hump," Wilkins said. "We got close,
we had some wide-open looks. I haven't seen that much daylight
since the start of the season. We missed a lot of open shots."
nba.1807nba.news,
PHOENIX (92) AT SEATTLE (105)
PHOENIX
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
FINLEY F 22 3-12 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 7
GREEN F 25 5-6 0-0 3 5 8 1 2 0 0 10
WILLIAMS C 34 4-10 2-2 3 4 7 1 4 0 3 10
JOHNSON G 35 3-12 7-8 1 4 5 10 2 0 2 13
PERSON G 32 4-13 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 1 3 9
MANNING 27 8-13 2-2 5 10 15 3 6 1 2 18
HORRY 20 1-3 0-0 0 4 4 3 4 1 1 2
CHAPMAN 24 3-6 4-4 1 2 3 2 3 2 2 11
NASH 21 5-7 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 0 4 12
BROWN DNP - COACH'S DECISION
CASSELL DNP - NOT WITH TEAM
KLEINE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 36-82 15-16 13 33 46 24 25 5 18 92
(.439) (.938) TEAM REBS: 2 TOTAL TO: 19(25 PTS)
SEATTLE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
KEMP F 39 11-18 3-4 3 10 13 5 1 0 4 25
D SCHREMPF F 38 6-14 2-7 1 8 9 5 2 1 4 14
MCILVAINE C 12 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
HAWKINS G 36 3-6 0-0 0 3 3 5 5 2 2 8
PAYTON G 39 9-18 7-9 0 3 3 7 3 2 0 26
PERKINS 22 3-7 2-4 1 2 3 1 0 3 0 10
EHLO 20 5-11 0-0 2 1 3 2 1 0 3 12
STEWART 14 0-1 1-2 2 2 4 0 2 3 0 1
SNOW 18 1-3 1-2 0 2 2 4 2 2 0 3
WINGATE 1 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
GRAHAM 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HARVEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 40-80 18-30 9 31 40 29 16 13 13 105
(.500) (.600) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 14(21 PTS)
PHOENIX 19 28 19 26 - 92
SEATTLE 25 24 21 35 - 105
BLOCKED SHOTS: PHOENIX - WILLIAMS. SEATTLE - KEMP 2, MCILVAINE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: PHOENIX 5-16 (.313), FINLEY 1-4, JOHNSON 0-1, PERSON
1-5, HORRY 0-1, CHAPMAN 1-2, NASH 2-3. SEATTLE 7-22 (.318), D SCHREMPF
0-3, HAWKINS 2-5, PAYTON 1-6, PERKINS 2-4, EHLO 2-3, SNOW 0-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: RON GARRETSON, BOB DELANEY, KEVIN FEHR.
A - 17,072. T - 2:10.
PHOENIX (92) AT SEATTLE (105)
Gary Payton scored 26 points and Shawn Kemp added 25 as the
Seattle SuperSonics defeated the lowly Phoenix Suns, 105-92, for
their 13th win in 14 games.
Payton added seven assists, while Kemp grabbed 13 rebounds.
Detlef Schrempf had 14 points and nine rebounds and Craig Ehlo
scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth quarter for Seattle,
which defeated Phoenix for the seventh straight time.
"I thought my team played hard," Sonics coach George Karl said.
"(Phoenix) challenged us to make shots and we didn't do it very
well. We missed free throws, which saturated our confidence.
But defensively, we were alert and were always active. It was a
very workman-like type of win."
The SuperSonics have won two in a row since their 11-game
winning streak was snapped.
Danny Manning had 18 points and 15 rebounds in 27 minutes off
the bench before fouling out for Phoenix, which is 0-8 on the
road and 1-14 overall. Kevin Johnson added 13 points and Steve
Nash had 12.
"I don't think we played real well at all," Suns coach Danny
Ainge said. "I don't think we took care of the ball and I don't
think we played with a lot of confidence. They did a good job
of taking us out of what we wanted to do. And we did not
improvise well at all."
The SuperSonics took a 70-66 lead into the fourth quarter and
expanded on their advantage as Ehlo and Payton hit consecutive
three-pointers.
"We played well for 36 minutes (but) when you play a good team,
you have to play 48 minutes," Johnson admitted. "In the third
quarter, we broke down offensively and defensively. We got it
down to one quarter, but we were not able to finish it off."
The Suns didn't fade easily, however, as Manning made a layup to
pull them within 83-76 with 7:26 remaining. But they went
scoreless for the next 4:45 and Ehlo made a short jumper to
spark an 8-0 run that sealed the victory. Kemp followed with a
layup, Hersey Hawkins nailed a three-pointer and Schrempf made
one free throw to give Seattle a 91-76 bulge with 2:50
remaining.
"The first home game after a long road trip is very dangerous
for the home team, trying to guard against relaxing," Hawkins
observed. "It may not have been as decisive as we wanted, but
it was a win."
The Sonics took a 25-19 lead into the second quarter behind 10
points by Kemp, but the Suns pulled within 49-47 at the half.
"The guys you see out there are not the guys that lost all those
games for (the Suns)," Kemp said. "The guys out there now are
coming off of injuries."
Sam Perkins had 10 points and three steals for Seattle, which
shot 50 percent (40-for-80) from the field and outscored Phoenix
in the paint, 50-38.
Rex Chapman scored 11 points and A.C Green and John Williams
each added 10 for Phoenix, which shot 44 percent (36-of-82) from
the field and committed 19 turnovers that led to 25 Sonics'
points.
nba.1808nba.news,
VANCOUVER (94) AT INDIANA (104)
VANCOUVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ABDUR-RAHIM F 38 8-18 4-6 2 3 5 0 2 0 1 20
LYNCH F 33 5-10 3-4 3 8 11 3 2 2 1 14
MOBLEY C 13 0-2 0-0 2 0 2 2 3 0 1 0
ANTHONY G 32 5-9 5-7 0 4 4 7 3 2 3 18
MOTEN G 32 5-9 4-6 2 0 2 2 2 1 1 16
MAYBERRY 16 1-4 0-0 2 2 4 5 2 1 0 3
ROGERS 24 2-6 0-2 0 4 4 0 1 0 1 4
PEELER 26 4-13 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 9
B EDWARDS 8 0-3 0-0 1 2 3 1 2 0 1 0
MANNING 18 4-7 2-2 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 10
CHILCUTT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
REEVES DNP - LEFT KNEE TENDINITIS
TOTALS 240 34-81 18-27 12 24 36 22 22 6 10 94
(.420) (.667) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 10(7 PTS)
INDIANA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D DAVIS F 31 3-7 2-3 2 5 7 1 3 0 0 8
MCKEY F 24 2-5 0-0 2 2 4 1 5 0 3 5
DAMPIER C 18 3-7 2-4 2 5 7 1 2 1 5 8
BEST G 28 4-10 0-0 0 1 1 1 6 0 3 9
MILLER G 31 9-15 5-5 1 1 2 3 2 0 0 25
A DAVIS 26 4-6 2-2 2 9 11 1 2 0 0 10
ASKEW 20 2-5 2-2 0 3 3 2 0 0 1 6
FERRELL 32 7-11 0-0 2 5 7 3 2 0 3 14
ROSE 21 5-7 7-8 0 2 2 6 4 1 3 17
ALLEN 9 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2
HOIBERG DNP - COACH'S DECISION
JOHNSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 40-75 20-24 11 33 44 20 26 4 18 104
(.533) (.833) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 19(15 PTS)
VANCOUVER 24 18 30 22 - 94
INDIANA 26 24 28 26 - 104
BLOCKED SHOTS: VANCOUVER - ROGERS 3, MOBLEY, ABDUR-RAHIM. INDIANA -
DAMPIER 6, A DAVIS 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: VANCOUVER 8-19 (.421), LYNCH 1-2, ANTHONY 3-7, MOTEN
2-3, MAYBERRY 1-2, PEELER 1-4, B EDWARDS 0-1. INDIANA 4-9 (.444), MCKEY
1-1, BEST 1-2, MILLER 2-5, ASKEW 0-1.
TECHNICALS: VANCOUVER - B EDWARDS, ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: JACK NIES, NOLAN FINE, SCOTT FOSTER.
A - 15,488. T - 2:11.
VANCOUVER (94) AT INDIANA (104)
Reggie Miller scored 25 points and Jalen Rose added 17 as the
Indiana Pacers kept the Vancouver Grizzlies winless on the road
with a 104-94 victory.
Miller's driving layup with 2:28 left in the third quarter broke
a 66-66 tie and sparked a 10-6 run to end the period. Indiana
went on to its second straight home triumph and third win in as
many games with Vancouver.
"We got a streak going now and we have to build on it," said
Miller. "The guys have been looking for some continuity and
hopefully now, we are starting to get it."
Miller's coach would also like to see some consistency for his
team.
"I just hope we get better," said Pacers coach Larry Brown.
"We're 5-8, but we have only been out of one game. When you
consider who we don't have and with all of the new faces, we can
not panic. We just have to keep working harder."
Rookie Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 20 points to lead the Grizzlies,
who have dropped eight straight on the road to start their
second season.
Neither team could establish a significant lead until the Pacers
went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter to build a 42-28
cushion. Rose started the run with layup and Miller followed
with a layup and a pair of free throws to give Indiana a 36-28
edge.
"It was just one of those things. The ball did not bounce our
way," said Vancouver point guard Greg Anthony.
The Pacers continued to roll as Vincent Askew hit a layup and
Duane Ferrell and Travis Best added jumpers to open a 14-point
advantage with 4:38 to go before halftime.
The Pacers still led by 10 with 10:46 to play when Vancouver,
the lowest scoring team in the league (84.6 points per game),
went on their own 10-0 run.
Anthony nailed a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. George
Lynch, who finished with 14 points, had a dunk off a steal and
Abdur-Rahim capped the burst with a three-point play to tie the
game.
"I thought we played a good basketball game except in the third
quarter," said Vancouver coach Brian Winters. "If we made some
free throws or three in the end, then we are right in it."
Rookie Erick Dampier, playing in place of the injured Rik Smits,
had six blocks in 18 minutes for Indiana, which shot 55 percent
from the field (40-for-75).
nba.1809nba.news,
WASHINGTON (81) AT ATLANTA (110)
WASHINGTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HOWARD F 31 3-12 2-2 1 4 5 1 4 0 3 8
WEBBER F 31 7-15 0-0 4 4 8 2 4 2 5 14
MURESAN C 26 4-9 5-6 3 6 9 0 2 1 3 13
CHEANEY G 15 1-4 0-2 1 2 3 1 0 0 3 2
STRICKLAND G 27 3-10 1-1 0 0 0 6 0 2 1 7
GRANT 21 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 3
WHITNEY 29 4-8 2-2 1 1 2 2 2 2 4 11
JACKSON 25 5-11 0-0 1 2 3 3 0 1 2 13
MURRAY 24 2-3 2-2 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 7
AMAYA 6 1-3 1-2 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 3
WALLACE 5 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 0
FISH DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 31-79 13-17 13 23 36 15 17 9 24 81
(.392) (.765) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 24(26 PTS)
ATLANTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
CORBIN F 29 7-11 1-1 0 3 3 2 4 1 3 17
LAETTNER F 34 6-13 0-0 0 4 4 1 5 2 2 12
MUTOMBO C 34 10-17 5-6 6 9 15 0 0 2 1 25
BARRY G 39 4-8 0-1 2 3 5 5 0 3 1 10
BLAYLOCK G 30 8-14 2-2 0 3 3 7 3 2 3 25
NORMAN 23 1-6 0-0 1 3 4 2 0 1 2 2
RECASNER 19 2-5 0-0 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 5
NEWBILL 14 2-3 3-4 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 7
BURTON 10 1-3 1-2 1 3 4 1 4 1 2 3
BOYCE 8 1-2 2-2 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 4
SMITH DNP - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE
TOTALS 240 42-82 14-18 13 31 44 20 20 14 17 110
(.512) (.778) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 17(17 PTS)
WASHINGTON 18 27 15 21 - 81
ATLANTA 30 32 28 20 - 110
BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - WEBBER 2, HOWARD, MURESAN, GRANT, WALLACE.
ATLANTA - MUTOMBO 5, LAETTNER 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 6-16 (.375), HOWARD 0-1, WEBBER 0-1,
STRICKLAND 0-1, GRANT 1-1, WHITNEY 1-4, JACKSON 3-7, MURRAY 1-1. ATLANTA
12-22 (.545), CORBIN 2-3, LAETTNER 0-1, BARRY 2-3, BLAYLOCK 7-11, NORMAN
0-1, RECASNER 1-2, BURTON 0-1.
TECHNICALS: WASHINGTON - HOWARD.
OFFICIALS: MARK WUNDERLICH, BILL OAKES, DAVID JONES.
A - 12,457. T - 1:57.
WASHINGTON (81) AT ATLANTA (110)
Mookie Blaylock had 25 points and seven assists and Dikembe
Mutombo added a season-high 25 points and 15 rebounds as the
Atlanta Hawks snapped the Washington Bullets' three-game winning
streak with a 110-81 victory.
Tyrone Corbin had 17 points for Atlanta, which has won four of
its last five home games. The Hawks led virtually from the
opening tip after the game was tied, 2-2.
"I would say that this was one of our better games, considering
that Washington is playing very well right now," Mutombo said.
"I'm just glad we came out from the beginning and took them out
of the game."
Chris Webber scored 14 points and Gheorghe Muresan had 13 points
and nine rebounds for Washington, which had won four of its
previous five games.
"We pretty much got our butts kicked," said Bullets guard Rod
Strickland. "Mookie came out hot and he hit (his shots). We
probably should have trapped them, but we made a decision to go
up under the picks."
The Hawks led by as many as 34 on a Mutombo layup with 11:03
remaining. Atlanta pulled away in the third quarter when
Washington struggled from the field, hitting only 6-of-24 shots
(25 percent).
"I thought we had good execution," said Hawks coach Lenny
Wilkens. "We played very well. This isn't as good as we've
played. We had some good games, but tonight was really good."
The Bullets made their only major run in the second quarter.
Webber's layup with 4:34 to go in the half capped a 10-2 spurt
and lifted Washington within 47-39. But the Hawks answered as
Mutombo had eight points during a 15-6 run to close out the
half.
"I felt like every one was going in," said Blaylock. "When you
get that feeling, you go shoot."
The 29-point victory was Atlanta's most lopsided since a 124-91
rout of Orlando on November 4th, 1995.
nba.1810nba.news,
Raptors sign Magic Johnson all-star team player Long
TORONTO (Nov 29, 1996 - 17:12 EST) -- John Long, who has spent four
years playing exhibition basketball games with Magic Johnson's
all-star team, has joined the Toronto Raptors.
The 40-year-old, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA, signed a free-agent
contract Friday. Terms were not disclosed.
"I believe that experience was a missing ingredient on our team,"
general manager Isiah Thomas said. "John has the ability to help give
our team the perspective it needs to successfully make it through the
long NBA season."
Long, a graduate of the University of Detroit, played nine seasons
with the Detroit Pistons, three with the Indiana Pacers and one with
the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 13.9 points and was an 86 per cent
free-throw shooter.
"I want to bring in a veteran, not necessarily somebody to play, but
someone to be where the coach and the GM can't be in -- like the
locker room or on an airplane," Thomas told the Toronto Sun on
Thursday. "I want someone who, when you have a six-game losing streak
early in the season or late in the season, can tell players it's still
OK. I want someone who has been around."
Long was expected to be in uniform for Friday night's game at
Minnesota.
nba.1811nba.news,
Clippers G Brent Barry activated from injured list
Brent Barry, who enjoyed a solid rookie campaign and captured the NBA
Slam Dunk contest in February, returned to the Los Angeles Clippers
tonight after missing the first 14 games of the season with a sprained
left thumb.
Barry, who was placed on the injured list October 31st, played in just
three pre-season games. He averaged 10.1 points and nearly three
assists in 79 games last season, including 44 starts.
To make room for Barry, Los Angeles placed swingman Eric Piatkowski on
the injured list with the flu. Piatkowski, who has been ill over the
past week, is averaging 5.3 points per game in 12 contests.
nba.1812nba.news,
New Knicks still trying to fit in
After spending a ton of money to rebuild their roster, the New York
Knicks got off to an unimpressive 8-5 start.
Take a look at their production through the Knicks' first 13 games, in
comparison to their stats for all of last season.
(Note: Chris Childs missed the first 11 games because of a
nondisplaced fracture in his right leg).
Chris Childs
Min. Pts. Reb. Asst.
1995-96 30.8 12.8 3.1 7.0
1996-97 17.0 4.0 1.0 1.0
Allan Houston
Min. Pts. Reb. Asst.
1995-96 37.5 19.7 3.7 3.0
1996-97 29.8 12.4 2.4 2.5
Larry Johnson
Min. Pts. Reb. Asst.
1995-96 40.4 20.5 8.4 4.4
1996-97 32.1 12.2 4.5 2.7
Buck Williams
Min. Pts. Reb. Asst.
1995-96 23.8 7.3 5.8 0.6
1996-97 20.6 4.8 4.6 0.5
nba.1813nba.news,
Askew travels the league
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov 29, 1996 - 05:18 EST) -- Indiana Pacers swingman
Vincent Askew obviously is talented.
Few players have played for as many teams and still been able to move
into the playing rotation.
Askew has played with Philadelphia, Golden State, Sacramento, Seattle,
New Jersey and now Indiana in just six seasons. Throw in a CBA stint
with Atlanta and Askew puts the "J" in journeyman.
Askew played solid minutes last season for the Western Conference
champion Sonics, but fell into disfavor by complaining about playing
time and was quickly shipped to the Nets following Seattle's loss in
the NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls.
Sonics coach George Karl had coached Askew in the CBA and that was a
major factor in the trade with the Kings that brought him to Seattle.
Said Karl earlier this season: "I think I didn't need to coach Vinny
anymore and Vinny didn't need to play for me anymore."
Askew said the day he was traded to New Jersey, "was the saddest day
of my life. Then when I got traded from New Jersey, that was great."
Askew got a chance to see former CBA teammate Lloyd Daniels before the
game. They played together briefly in Albany, N.Y., under Karl.
"Sweet Pea" had a lot of game," Askew said. "Big game and I'm sure he
hasn't lost too much of it. We had a sweet team. Mario (Elie of
Houston) and Anthony Mason also were on that team, but he got into
something with George and was traded."
SAINT'S SCOUTS: Kings coach Garry St. Jean grew up in Chicapee, Mass.,
a town that borders Springfield, Mass,, home of the Basketball Hall of
Fame and Indiana point guard Travis Best.
"I've been hearing about him since he was in the fourth grade," St.
Jean said. "The boys back home go down real far when it comes to
scouting. CYO and Boys' Club."
ET CETERA: There was nothing close to a brawl in this one following
last season's trip here, but Askew did take down Polynice on a
flagrant foul in the second quarter. ... Tyus Edney has made just
seven of his last 31 field-goal attempts over the past six games. ...
The Kings now have scored 90 points or fewer in eight of their 15
games. ... The Kings were 11-4 last season after 15 games.
nba.1814junior,
-> #1801, nba.news> DJORDJEVIC 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
Fala Bogu :)
Čak je i 2 poena dao .. :))
nba.1815schef,
-> #1801, nba.news][ PORTLAND
][ DJORDJEVIC 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0
][ 0 0 0 2
ŽIVELI! ;) Prva dva poena u NBA ligi. :)
nba.1816vpoznanovic,
Saturday, November 30
Boston at Miami 77:78
Charlotte at Milwaukee 94:87
Chicago at San Antonio 97:88
Houston at Washington 103:99
New Jersey at L.A. Clippers 106:95
Orlando at Cleveland 86:82
Sacramento at New York 101:115
Toronto at Minnesota 70:79
Vancouver at Philadelphia 90:96
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
BOSTON 22 14 19 22 77
MIAMI 22 15 20 21 78 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: BOS - ERIC WILLIAMS 14, DINO RADJA 14, TWO PLAYERS WITH 12
MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 19, ALONZO MOURNING 17, SASHA DANILOVIC
16
HIGH REBOUND: BOS - DEE BROWN 9, DINO RADJA 8
MIA - ALONZO MOURNING 16, PJ BROWN 9
HIGH ASSISTS: BOS - DEE BROWN 4, DANA BARROS 4
MIA - TIM HARDAWAY 8, DAN MAJERLE 4
ATT: 15,112
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHARLOTTE 16 32 26 20 94
MILWAUKEE 28 17 21 21 87 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: CHA - GLEN RICE 23, DELL CURRY 22, ANTHONY MASON 18
MIL - GLENN ROBINSON 27, RAY ALLEN 15, JOHNNY NEWMAN 12
HIGH REBOUND: CHA - VLADE DIVAC 14, ANTHONY MASON 9
MIL - VIN BAKER 13, GLENN ROBINSON 5
HIGH ASSISTS: CHA - ANTHONY MASON 9, TYRONE BOGUES 9
MIL - SHERMAN DOUGLAS 7, RAY ALLEN 3
ATT: 16,327
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CHICAGO 23 21 27 26 97
SAN ANTONIO 26 19 19 24 88 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: CHI - MICHAEL JORDAN 35, SCOTTIE PIPPEN 20, BILL
WENNINGTON 18
SAS - DOMINIQUE WILKINS 25, AVERY JOHNSON 23, SEAN ELLIOTT
17
HIGH REBOUND: CHI - DENNIS RODMAN 14, MICHAEL JORDAN 9
SAS - WILL PERDUE 23, DOMINIQUE WILKINS 10
HIGH ASSISTS: CHI - SCOTTIE PIPPEN 8, TONI KUKOC 5
SAS - AVERY JOHNSON 6, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 37,058
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 25 25 27 26 103
WASHINGTON 26 28 25 20 99 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: HOU - HAKEEM OLAJUWON 34, CHARLES BARKLEY 27, CLYDE
DREXLER 13
WAS - CHRIS WEBBER 24, JUWAN HOWARD 17, GHEORGHE MURESAN 16
HIGH REBOUND: HOU - HAKEEM OLAJUWON 17, CHARLES BARKLEY 10
WAS - JUWAN HOWARD 9, GHEORGHE MURESAN 9
HIGH ASSISTS: HOU - CHARLES BARKLEY 6, MATT MALONEY 4
WAS - ROD STRICKLAND 11, CHRIS WEBBER 5
ATT: 18,756
NBA AT ANAHEIM CA
FINAL IN OT 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- --- -----
NEW JERSEY 13 19 25 24 25 106
LA CLIPPERS 17 20 19 25 14 95 FINAL IN 1ST OT
HIGH SCORERS: NJN - KENDALL GILL 29, JAYSON WILLIAMS 28, ROBERT PACK 24
LAC - MALIK SEALY 16, DARRICK MARTIN 12, RODNEY ROGERS 12
HIGH REBOUND: NJN - JAYSON WILLIAMS 24, TONY MASSENBURG 11
LAC - LOY VAUGHT 12, RODNEY ROGERS 8
HIGH ASSISTS: NJN - KENDALL GILL 4, ROBERT PACK 3
LAC - DARRICK MARTIN 5, POOH RICHARDSON 4
ATT: 11,519
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ORLANDO 29 21 15 21 86
CLEVELAND 20 17 25 20 82 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: ORL - HORACE GRANT 21, GERALD WILKINS 18, DEREK STRONG 15
CLE - TERRELL BRANDON 20, BOBBY PHILLS 19, CHRIS MILLS 17
HIGH REBOUND: ORL - HORACE GRANT 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 8
CLE - TYRONE HILL 11, CHRIS MILLS 8
HIGH ASSISTS: ORL - DARRELL ARMSTRONG 5, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
CLE - TERRELL BRANDON 11, BOBBY PHILLS 4
ATT: 19,351
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
SACRAMENTO 22 26 29 24 101
NEW YORK 26 27 21 41 115 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: SAC - MITCH RICHMOND 25, OLDEN POLYNICE 21, MAHMOUD
ABDUL-RAUF 17
NYK - PATRICK EWING 29, BUCK WILLIAMS 16, TWO PLAYERS WITH
13
HIGH REBOUND: SAC - OLDEN POLYNICE 8, MICHAEL SMITH 6
NYK - PATRICK EWING 14, CHARLES OAKLEY 10
HIGH ASSISTS: SAC - MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF 5, MITCH RICHMOND 5
NYK - CHRIS CHILDS 9, CHARLES OAKLEY 7
ATT: 19,763
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TORONTO 17 16 24 13 70
MINNESOTA 23 17 22 17 79 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 20, DOUG CHRISTIE 16, WALT WILLIAMS
11
MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 25, KEVIN GARNETT 15, DOUG WEST 12
HIGH REBOUND: TOR - POPEYE JONES 15, ACIE EARL 10
MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 9, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7
HIGH ASSISTS: TOR - DAMON STOUDAMIRE 4, DOUG CHRISTIE 4
MIN - TOM GUGLIOTTA 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 18,679
NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
VANCOUVER 18 18 30 24 90
PHILADELPHIA 27 27 21 21 96 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: VAN - ROY ROGERS 16, GREG ANTHONY 12, TWO PLAYERS WITH 11
PHI - JERRY STACKHOUSE 31, ALLEN IVERSON 23, DERRICK
COLEMAN 11
HIGH REBOUND: VAN - GEORGE LYNCH 7, GREG ANTHONY 6
PHI - CLARENCE WEATHERSPOON 11, TWO PLAYERS WITH 8
HIGH ASSISTS: VAN - ANTHONY PEELER 6, GEORGE LYNCH 5
PHI - ALLEN IVERSON 9, JERRY STACKHOUSE 4
ATT: 13,038
nba.1817nba.news,
BOSTON (77) AT MIAMI (78)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WALKER F 23 5-11 2-2 5 1 6 0 3 0 2 12
WILLIAMS F 30 4-8 6-7 2 5 7 2 3 2 1 14
RADJA C 34 6-16 2-4 2 6 8 1 4 0 1 14
FOX G 37 6-14 0-0 1 2 3 3 3 4 3 12
BARROS G 25 1-8 0-0 1 1 2 4 3 1 0 2
BROWN 29 4-13 1-1 1 8 9 4 0 1 0 11
CONLON 14 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0
MINOR 23 3-7 0-0 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 6
DAY 25 3-9 0-0 1 3 4 1 1 1 1 6
BRICKOWSKI DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SZABO DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WESLEY DNP - SORE RIGHT FOOT
TOTALS 240 32-87 11-14 16 27 43 15 20 9 8 77
(.368) (.786) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 9(10 PTS)
MIAMI
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MAJERLE F 44 2-7 2-2 0 8 8 4 0 1 3 8
BROWN F 28 2-4 0-0 3 6 9 1 3 0 1 4
MOURNING C 46 6-11 5-6 3 13 16 1 5 1 3 17
DANILOVIC G 38 6-13 3-4 1 2 3 2 3 0 5 16
HARDAWAY G 37 8-19 2-4 1 3 4 8 2 1 4 19
AUSTIN 21 3-7 2-2 1 6 7 1 3 1 3 8
ASKINS 15 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
GRANT 11 2-6 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6
LENARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
PINCKNEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SCOTT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
STRICKLAND DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 29-69 14-18 9 39 48 18 16 4 19 78
(.420) (.778) TEAM REBS: 5 TOTAL TO: 19(18 PTS)
BOSTON 22 14 19 22 - 77
MIAMI 22 15 20 21 - 78
BLOCKED SHOTS: BOSTON - RADJA, FOX, BROWN. MIAMI - MOURNING 4, BROWN 3,
DANILOVIC.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: BOSTON 2-9 (.222), BARROS 0-2, BROWN 2-6, MINOR 0-1.
MIAMI 6-21 (.286), MAJERLE 2-5, DANILOVIC 1-4, HARDAWAY 1-6, ASKINS 0-2,
GRANT 2-4.
TECHNICALS: BOSTON - FOX, ILLEGAL DEFENSE, MIAMI - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: BILL OAKES, DAVID JONES, SEAN CORBIN.
A - 15,112. T - 2:04.
BOSTON (77) AT MIAMI (78)
Alonzo Mourning's dunk with 1:41 remaining capped a 9-0 run as
the Miami Heat held on to defeat the Boston Celtics, 78-77, for
their seventh straight victory.
The seven consecutive wins tie a franchise record set from
February 21th-March 5th, 1994.
Tim Hardaway scored 19 points and Mourning had 17 points, 16
rebounds and four blocks for Miami, which improved to 4-2 at
home. The Heat led by one at halftime and were up 57-55 after
three quarters.
"I don't like to look past teams because every dog has its day,"
said Mourning. "The big picture is, you establish a great
foundation so you're in a good position late in the year for a
high playoff spot."
Miami commited 19 turnovers, with five coming in the final
quarter. In contrast, the Celtics turned the ball over just
eight times in the entire game. Boston has yet to win on the
road or against a division foe, going 0-4 away fron home and 0-3
against Atlantic Division opponents.
Dino Radja and Eric Williams each scored 14 points to lead five
players in double figures for the Celtics, who outscored the
Heat 9-1 over the final 1:41. Dana Barros' 19-foot jumper with
47.9 seconds left cut the lead to 78-77, his only basket of the
game.
Dan Majerle missed a three-point shot with 18 seconds left and
was rebounded by Boston. After a timeout, Dee Brown's forced up
a possible game-winning shot with three seconds left over Sasha
Danilovic which bounced off the rim and was rebounded by Todd
Day. Day followed with a putback attempt which did not fall as
time ran out.
"I got a good look at the basket, the ball just didn't go in,"
said Brown. "The play worked the way we set it up in the huddle,
but Todd (Day) missed the rebound (shot). This is just my third
game back and I'm sure this is tough for everybody. We've got a
lot of guys hurt and we're playing a makeshift lineup and guys
are trying to fill the gaps. We haven't won on the road, but
we'll get one soon."
"It was simply a gut win," said Miami coach Pat Riley. "We were
playing heavy and you could see the lethargy with the team
throughout the game. You're ahead by nine with 1:12 to go and
you think you've got in your pocket -- before you know it, a
couple of threes and you could lose it. We made a decent stop
at the end, and fortunately we got it. Sometimes things go your
way."
Brown, who finished with 11 points and nine boards, had tied the
game at 68 on a three-pointer with 5:01 remaining.
"Obviously, we missed a couple of big shots and we had a couple
of turnovers too," said Celtics coach M.L. Carr. "We don't want
to be in a 70 or 80-point ballgames, that's not our style. It
was a defensive battle, Pat's (Riley) team is going to do that."
Rookie Antoine Walker scored half of his 12 points in the
opening quarter and Rick Fox also had 12 for Boston, which was
outrebounded 48-43.
David Wesley, who is averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 assists a
game for the Celtics, sat out the game with a sore right foot.
nba.1818nba.news,
CHARLOTTE (94) AT MILWAUKEE (87)
CHARLOTTE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MASON F 43 6-12 6-6 1 8 9 9 2 3 4 18
RICE F 42 9-19 3-4 0 2 2 0 3 0 5 23
DIVAC C 38 3-8 0-0 5 9 14 2 2 1 2 6
BOGUES G 38 5-12 0-0 1 0 1 9 1 1 2 10
CURRY G 36 9-13 0-0 1 2 3 0 3 0 1 22
GEIGER 15 0-2 2-2 0 3 3 1 4 0 1 2
BURRELL 18 3-6 1-1 0 3 3 0 3 1 0 8
GOLDWIRE 10 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 5
DELK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROSE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SMITH DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ZIDEK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-74 12-13 8 27 35 25 18 7 16 94
(.500) (.923) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 16(23 PTS)
MILWAUKEE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BAKER F 42 5-12 1-2 4 9 13 2 4 1 3 11
ROBINSON F 44 9-18 6-8 0 5 5 1 4 1 3 27
LANG C 31 3-7 2-2 2 1 3 1 1 2 3 8
ALLEN G 28 5-7 3-3 0 2 2 3 1 0 2 15
DOUGLAS G 35 4-8 0-2 0 4 4 7 2 2 3 8
GILLIAM 23 1-4 4-4 0 4 4 1 3 0 3 6
NEWMAN 26 5-8 1-1 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 12
PERRY 11 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
HANCOCK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
RESPERT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WOLF DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WOOD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 32-66 17-22 6 25 31 17 18 7 18 87
(.485) (.773) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 18(27 PTS)
CHARLOTTE 16 32 26 20 - 94
MILWAUKEE 28 17 21 21 - 87
BLOCKED SHOTS: CHARLOTTE - RICE, DIVAC, CURRY. MILWAUKEE - DOUGLAS 2,
ROBINSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CHARLOTTE 8-13 (.615), RICE 2-4, BOGUES 0-1, CURRY 4-4,
BURRELL 1-3, GOLDWIRE 1-1. MILWAUKEE 6-9 (.667), ROBINSON 3-4, ALLEN 2-2,
DOUGLAS 0-2, NEWMAN 1-1.
TECHNICALS: CHARLOTTE - MASON.
OFFICIALS: KEN MAUER, RONNIE NUNN, HANK ARMSTRONG.
A - 16,327. T - 2:00.
CHARLOTTE (94) AT MILWAUKEE (87)
Glen Rice scored 23 points, including seven during a key
fourth-quarter run, and Anthony Mason just missed another
triple-double as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Milwaukee
Bucks, 94-87.
Rice, who has scored 76 points in his last three games, sparked
a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter after Milwaukee drew
within 78-75.
Dell Curry also was hot from the outside for Charlotte, making
9-of-13 shots, including 4-for-4 from beyond the three-point
arc.
After the Bucks pulled within 78-75 with 8:04 to play in
regulation, the Hornets went on a 9-0 run with Rice scoring
seven.
"We had one directive -- don't leave Dell Curry or Glen Rice
alone at the perimeter," Bucks coach Chris Ford said. "That's
what killed us. We need to concentrate on doing things we have
to do in order to win."
Mason, who shut down All-Star forward Vin Baker, had 18 points,
nine rebounds and nine assists. He was 6-of-6 from the line and
added three steals for the Hornets, who have won five of their
last six.
"We just rode Anthony Mason's coattails," said Hornets coach
Dave Cowens. "I think the defense is really what did it for us
tonight. We contained them inside and gave them only one shot
while keeping them off the boards. Mason did a good job on
Baker."
"Just to get back on the winning track is the most important
thing for us right now," Mason said. "Not to take anything away
from Toronto, but that was a game we should we have won
(Wednesday)."
Glenn Robinson scored 27 points and rookie Ray Allen added 15
for the Bucks, who have lost six of their last nine games.
Mason held Baker to 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
"I think that I was out of sync," said Baker, who committed
three turnovers. "In fact, I definitely was. I never had the
rhythm. Touching the ball every other play is not enough."
The Bucks raced to a 21-8 lead and led 35-19 before Charlotte
went on a 17-1 run to knot the score. Robinson had 12 points in
the first quarter, but managed just two in the second.
After Milwaukee forged ahead, 59-52, with 7:13 left in the third
quarter, the Hornets went on a 17-2 run, highlighted by a pair
of Curry three-pointers.
Both teams shortened their benches, using just eight players.
nba.1819nba.news,
CHICAGO (97) AT SAN ANTONIO (88)
CHICAGO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
PIPPEN F 42 8-18 2-4 1 3 4 8 3 4 3 20
RODMAN F 36 2-4 3-4 5 9 14 2 4 1 1 7
WENNINGTON C 32 8-11 2-2 2 0 2 4 2 1 1 18
JORDAN G 38 14-35 5-5 0 9 9 3 0 0 1 35
HARPER G 34 2-4 0-0 0 4 4 4 1 1 1 5
KERR 25 2-4 1-1 0 2 2 3 2 1 0 6
KUKOC 22 2-8 0-0 3 3 6 5 2 0 0 5
BUECHLER 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CAFFEY 8 0-0 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 1
BROWN 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
LONGLEY DNP - LEFT SHOULDER
SIMPKINS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 38-85 14-20 11 30 41 29 17 8 10 97
(.447) (.700) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 10(8 PTS)
SAN ANTONIO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ELLIOTT F 43 7-19 1-1 1 1 2 3 4 1 3 17
D WILKINS F 42 8-20 6-6 3 7 10 3 1 0 4 25
W PERDUE C 34 4-6 1-2 7 16 23 0 5 1 2 9
DEL NEGRO G 23 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 0 2 2
JOHNSON G 41 8-17 7-7 1 0 1 6 3 1 3 23
MAXWELL 32 3-13 0-1 0 2 2 0 2 1 2 6
HERRERA 9 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0
ANDERSON 11 0-0 2-2 0 2 2 0 3 1 0 2
M WILLIAMS 5 2-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 4
ALEXANDER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
KEMPTON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SMITH DNP - RIGHT KNEE
TOTALS 240 33-82 17-19 14 31 45 15 20 6 16 88
(.402) (.895) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 17(20 PTS)
CHICAGO 23 21 27 26 - 97
SAN ANTONIO 26 19 19 24 - 88
BLOCKED SHOTS: CHICAGO - PIPPEN, RODMAN, WENNINGTON, HARPER. SAN ANTONIO
- D WILKINS 2, MAXWELL.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CHICAGO 7-13 (.538), PIPPEN 2-5, JORDAN 2-5, HARPER
1-1, KERR 1-1, KUKOC 1-1. SAN ANTONIO 5-20 (.250), ELLIOTT 2-4, D WILKINS
3-9, DEL NEGRO 0-2, JOHNSON 0-1, MAXWELL 0-4.
TECHNICALS: CHICAGO - RODMAN, SAN ANTONIO - M WILLIAMS, JOHNSON.
OFFICIALS: ED MIDDLETON, ED F RUSH, BLANE REICHELT.
A - 37,058. T - 1:59.
CHICAGO (97) AT SAN ANTONIO (88)
Michael Jordan scored 35 points to become the second-fastest
player in NBA history to reach 25,000 as the Chicago Bulls
defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 97-88.
Jordan, who needed 35 points to reach the 25,000 plateau, hit an
18-footer from the right baseline with 29.4 seconds left in the
fourth quarter to play to attain the milestone. He had missed
his three previous shots -- two jumpers from the right side and
a 19-footer from just to the left of the top of the key. Jordan
reached the mark in 782 games, 91 more than it took Wilt
Chamberlain to accomplish the feat.
"It feels pretty good," Jordan said. "I kind of hoped I would
do it in Milwaukee so my wife could see it. But I'll take it."
Other than that, it was business as usual for the Bulls, who
finished the West Coast portion of their seven-game road trip
with five wins. Chicago is at Milwaukee Wednesday before
hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on December 5th. At 15-1, the
Bulls are ahead of last season's 72-win pace by one game.
"It's a road game. The way you win matters less than just
winning," said forward Scottie Pippen.
Chicago improved to 9-1 on the road, putting it away with a 13-4
run bridging the third and fourth quarters.
Dominique Wilkins scored 25 points and Avery Johnson added 23
for the Spurs, who have lost eight straight games and fell to
1-7 at home, despite an Alamodome record crowd of 37,058.
Johnson pulled San Antonio within 64-62 with 3:30 left in the
third quarter before the Bulls pulled away. Steve Kerr started
the run with a three-pointer, but Johnson answered with a layup.
Bill Wennington hit a 12-foot jumper and Ron Harper added a
basket to make it 71-64 after three quarters.
Scottie Pippen finished an alley-oop pass from Jordan to make it
73-66 with 10:24 to play. Former Bull Will Perdue hit two free
throws, but Wennington and Jordan each made a pair of foul shots
to give Chicago a 77-66 lead with 8:53 to play.
"Phil wanted to give me six quick minutes and they (the bench)
got it going a little bit without me," Jordan added. "It's good
to see them settling into a little bit of a rhythm."
Pippen finished with 20 points and Wennington 18 for Chicago,
which shot 45 percent (38-of-85) from the floor, including
7-of-13 from three-point range.
"I knew I was going to play a lot more with Luc (Longley) gone,"
said Wennington, who was 8-of-11 from the field in 32 minutes.
"I don't think I've played this many minutes in three years.
Anyway, I've got to do what I have to do to help this team win."
"We wanted to get Bill involved because we knew what Will Perdue
can do," said Bulls coach Phil Jackson.
Sean Elliott had 17 points and Perdue grabbed a career-high 23
rebounds for San Antonio, which shot 40 percent (33-of-82) from
the field and committed 20 turnovers leading to 17 points.
"We've been right in nine of the last 12 losses," said Perdue.
"It's not like we're coming in there and stinking up the joint.
We need a win. It would've been a nice little kick-start to
December."
nba.1820nba.news,
HOUSTON (103) AT WASHINGTON (99)
HOUSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ELIE F 38 4-4 0-0 0 3 3 3 3 2 5 9
BARKLEY F 42 9-16 8-9 1 9 10 6 2 3 3 27
OLAJUWON C 39 15-25 4-5 4 13 17 2 4 1 4 34
DREXLER G 31 6-12 0-0 0 2 2 3 3 0 1 13
MALONEY G 37 1-7 0-0 0 3 3 4 1 2 1 2
MOORE 8 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4
BULLARD 20 3-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 8
LIVINGSTON 11 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0
WILLIS 14 3-4 0-0 0 4 4 0 1 0 1 6
HARRINGTON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
BENNETT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
MACK DNP - SORE LEFT FOOT
TOTALS 240 43-75 12-14 5 34 39 22 16 8 17 103
(.573) (.857) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 19(24 PTS)
WASHINGTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HOWARD F 39 7-13 3-4 1 8 9 4 3 4 3 17
WEBBER F 40 11-12 0-2 0 4 4 5 5 0 4 24
MURESAN C 34 7-12 2-3 3 6 9 1 2 1 1 16
STRICKLAND G 39 5-16 1-2 0 0 0 11 1 0 1 11
CHEANEY G 32 6-11 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 12
GRANT 17 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 4
JACKSON 15 1-4 1-1 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 4
WHITNEY 9 1-5 1-1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4
MURRAY 15 3-7 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 7
AMAYA DNP - COACH'S DECISION
WALLACE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
FISH DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 43-84 8-13 5 23 28 25 14 6 9 99
(.512) (.615) TEAM REBS: 6 TOTAL TO: 9(19 PTS)
HOUSTON 25 25 27 26 - 103
WASHINGTON 26 28 25 20 - 99
BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - LIVINGSTON. WASHINGTON - GRANT, HOWARD, WEBBER,
MURESAN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 5-16 (.313), ELIE 1-1, BARKLEY 1-5, DREXLER
1-3, MALONEY 0-4, BULLARD 2-3. WASHINGTON 5-18 (.278), WEBBER 2-3,
STRICKLAND 0-2, CHEANEY 0-2, GRANT 0-1, JACKSON 1-4, WHITNEY 1-3, MURRAY
1-3.
TECHNICALS: HOUSTON - DREXLER 3 (EJECTED).
OFFICIALS: LUIS GRILLO, GEORGE TOLIVER, JOE CRAWFORD.
A - 18,756. T - 2:00.
HOUSTON (103) AT WASHINGTON (99)
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 34 points and grabbed a season-high 17
rebounds as the Houston Rockets used a big fourth-quarter run to
post their ninth straight win, a 103-99 victory over the
Washington Bullets.
Charles Barkley added 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for
Houston (15-1), which matched the 1993-94 team for the best
start in franchise history. The Rockets are the only undefeated
road team in the NBA with an 8-0 record.
"I looked into their eyes and never saw that they were going to
give up," said Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich about his team.
"They playe extremely hard and it showed. The guys really dug
deep in the fourth to pull this out. I don't think it was one
guy in general, this win was a team effort today."
Chris Webber scored 24 points and Juwan Howard added 17 points
and nine rebounds for the Bullets, who have lost consecutive
games following a three-game winning streak.
Houston, which has won four of the last five meetings with
Washington, has used fourth-quarter rallies in nine of its 15
wins this season. Rockets guard Clyde Drexler, who had 13
points, was ejected after receiving his second technical foul
from referee Joe Crawford with 9:33 left in the fourth.
"I didn't say anything to him, either time," said Drexler. I
was more shocked than anything with the second one. I didn't
get to see a lot of it but Charles is our main guy and that's
who we went to. Him and Hakeem are our leaders."
Jaren Jackson made a three-pointer just 28 seconds later to cap
a 10-2 burst and give the Bullets an 89-79 lead.
Olajuwon hit a layup as the Rockets answered with a 15-4 run
that put them ahead, 94-93, with 3:37 remaining.
Rod Strickland, who had 11 points and a season-high 11 assists,
nailed a jumper to give the Bullets their final lead, 99-98,
with 1:43 to go. But Olajuwon made a layup to give the Rockets
a 100-99 edge with 1:22 left.
Howard missed a jumper with just over a minute remaining, but
the Bullets got the ball back after rookie Matt Maloney missed a
shot with 41.6 seconds remaining.
The Bullets had a chance to regain the lead, but Barkley swatted
the ball away from Webber after taking an inbounds pass from
Howard. Maloney made a diving save and passed to Barkley, who
called timeout before falling out of bounds.
"We knew they were going to be pumped because of last night,"
said Barkley referring to Washington's 29-point loss at Atlanta
Friday. "This was a big win tonight, we were playing well from
beginning to end. Mostly just the end tonight. They snuck up
on us in the first (half) but I do what I have to do to be one
of the leaders. I don't like to lose."
After the timeout, Barkley was fouled by Howard and hit a pair
of free throws to give the Rockets a 102-99 lead with 82 seconds
left.
Tracy Murray missed a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds to play and
Olajuwon made a free throw for the final margin after grabbing
the rebound.
"Turnovers in the second half was definiteley a factor," said
Bullets coach Jim Lynam. "They got too many points in
transition. Murray was our first look and he got a real good
one, it just didn't fall for us when we needed it."
nba.1821nba.news,
NEW JERSEY (106) AT LA CLIPPERS (95) - FINAL IN OT
NEW JERSEY
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GILL F 44 5-19 18-22 2 4 6 4 0 2 2 29
J WILLIAMS F 44 9-12 10-14 7 17 24 2 4 1 3 28
BRADLEY C 22 2-7 1-1 0 7 7 0 2 0 4 5
PACK G 47 6-15 12-13 1 1 2 3 3 2 5 24
KITTLES G 37 2-12 3-4 1 1 2 0 2 2 4 8
OBANNON 7 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
CALDWELL 4 0-2 0-0 2 0 2 0 4 0 1 0
REEVES 6 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
MASSENBURG 36 1-4 5-6 1 10 11 0 4 3 4 7
R WILLIAMS 18 2-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 5 1 4 5
DARE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 265 27-77 49-60 15 41 56 10 24 12 28 106
(.351) (.817) TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 30(29 PTS)
LA CLIPPERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
VAUGHT F 33 3-14 0-0 4 8 12 0 6 1 3 6
ROGERS F 33 5-11 1-4 3 5 8 2 6 2 4 12
ROBERTS C 16 2-8 3-3 2 3 5 0 3 0 0 7
D MARTIN G 21 6-10 0-0 0 2 2 5 3 1 1 12
SEALY G 40 5-13 5-5 1 1 2 0 6 1 5 16
DUCKWORTH 8 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 0
RICHARDSON 27 4-11 1-2 1 3 4 4 3 1 4 10
WRIGHT 9 1-5 0-0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 2
DEHERE 14 3-7 2-3 1 1 2 3 3 1 0 8
MURRAY 22 2-7 0-0 0 3 3 0 3 3 3 4
OUTLAW 26 3-5 3-6 3 4 7 1 3 0 3 9
BARRY 16 4-9 1-2 0 2 2 2 3 3 0 9
TOTALS 265 38-101 16-25 18 32 50 17 43 13 25 95
(.376) (.640) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 25(18 PTS)
NEW JERSEY 13 19 25 24 25 - 106
LA CLIPPERS 17 20 19 25 14 - 95
BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - GILL 3, MASSENBURG 2, BRADLEY. LA CLIPPERS -
ROBERTS 3, OUTLAW 3, WRIGHT 2, SEALY, DUCKWORTH.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 3-15 (.200), GILL 1-1, BRADLEY 0-1, PACK
0-4, KITTLES 1-5, OBANNON 0-1, REEVES 0-1, R WILLIAMS 1-2. LA CLIPPERS
3-15 (.200), ROGERS 1-2, SEALY 1-2, RICHARDSON 1-6, DEHERE 0-1, MURRAY
0-1, BARRY 0-3.
TECHNICALS: NEW JERSEY - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2.
OFFICIALS: BOB DELANEY, DERRICK STAFFORD, TIM DONAGHY.
A - 11,519. T - 3:04.
NEW JERSEY (106) AT LA CLIPPERS (95) - FINAL IN OT
Robert Pack scored 11 of his 24 points in overtime and Jayson
Williams had 28 points and 24 rebounds as the New Jersey Nets
held on for their first road win of the season, a 106-95 victory
over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kendall Gill scored 29 points to lead New Jersey, which scored
an NBA record 25 points in overtime to snap a three-game losing
streak. The Nets won on the road for the first time since March
24th at Milwaukee, a span of 10 straight losses away from home.
"Kendall Gill's hustle on the ball got us into the overtime,"
Nets coach John Calipari said. "Diving for the ball takes no
skill, just hustle. How we got to 100 points, I'll never know.
But after the first half, I told them that we had a chance to
win this ball game. We were in it."
"It was a tough game," Gill said. "I'm glad we won it tonight.
We've been playing well. "We've been playing well and working
hard. We were running with a three-guard rotation, sort of like
Chicago. We don't have a small forward. I'm very comfortable in
this offense."
Malik Sealy scored 16 points and Rodney Rogers and Darrick
Martin added 12 apiece for Los Angeles, which suffered its sixth
straight loss and fell to 2-6 at home.
"I quit counting the losses," said Clippers' coach Bill Fitch,
who lost for the 1,005th time. "The next win will be the best
win of the season. Both teams tonight were struggling. Both
teams were slipping and sliding. We will find a way out of
this. Things have to get better."
The Nets, who set team records with 49 free throws made and 60
attempted, concluded a 1-3 road trip that included embarrassing
losses at Phoenix and Golden State.
"We needed this win," said Williams, who fell one rebound shy of
his single game-high. "It makes a trip home easier. We were a
little flat in the first half. We knew at the half that they
were flat. They were so flat that it gave us the lift that we
needed."
The Nets scored 14 of the first 16 points in overtime. After
Pack and the Clippers' Charles Outlaw exchanged a pair of points
at the outset of the extra session, Pack converted a three-point
play to ignite a 12-0 run. Kerry Kittles followed with a
three-pointer, and Pack, Gill and Tony Massenburg each sank a
pair from the line for a 95-83 lead with 1:20.
"We didn't give up tonight even with the poor start," Pack said.
"It's been difficult coming off an injury to adjust to a
coaches' offense. I took a step back and it took me a while to
get here, learn his system and to grow and be patient."
The Nets had a chance to put the game away in the fourth
quarter. After Williams dunked to put New Jersey ahead, 79-71,
with three minutes left, Sealy drilled a three-pointer to spark
a 10-0 run. Outlaw added one free throw, Brent Barry dunked
after a steal and Sealy hit two free throws before Pooh
Richardson and Barry each hit one for an 81-79 lead with 14
seconds left.
Williams made a layup six seconds later, tying the game at
81-81. The Clippers had a chance to win in regulation, but
Sealy's jumper with two seconds left rattled in and out.
Massenburg grabbed 11 rebounds and Gill blocked three shots for
New Jersey, which won despite committing 30 turnovers and
shooting 35 percent (27-of-77) from the field.
Richardson ended with 10 points and Loy Vaught, who grabbed 12
rebounds, was held to six points on 3-of-14 shooting for the
Clippers, who shot 38 percent (38-of-101).
nba.1822nba.news,
ORLANDO (86) AT CLEVELAND (82)
ORLANDO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ANDERSON F 38 5-11 0-0 0 2 2 4 1 2 5 12
GRANT F 44 10-13 1-1 2 7 9 2 1 1 1 21
SEIKALY C 19 0-3 0-0 0 4 4 2 5 0 5 0
SHAW G 31 2-8 4-5 1 1 2 2 2 0 3 8
WILKINS G 35 6-11 3-4 0 3 3 4 4 0 4 18
STRONG 27 4-6 7-8 1 7 8 1 1 2 2 15
ARMSTRONG 24 2-5 6-6 1 0 1 5 2 4 4 10
VAUGHN 20 1-3 0-0 3 5 8 1 4 0 1 2
MCCASKILL 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DEMPS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SCHAYES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROZIER DNP - BRONCHITIS
TOTALS 240 30-61 21-24 8 29 37 21 20 9 26 86
(.492) (.875) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 26(22 PTS)
CLEVELAND
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MILLS F 40 7-11 2-4 4 4 8 2 3 0 1 17
HILL F 41 4-8 3-9 5 6 11 0 4 4 2 11
WEST C 17 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0
BRANDON G 39 9-23 0-0 1 1 2 11 4 3 4 20
PHILLS G 40 8-15 1-2 0 2 2 4 3 3 3 19
FERRY 30 4-10 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 2 4 9
SURA 7 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
LANG 15 2-2 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 4
POTAPENKO 8 0-1 2-2 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 2
GEARY 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
MARSHALL DNP - COACH'S DECISION
THOMAS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 34-75 8-17 11 19 30 19 21 14 16 82
(.453) (.471) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 16(18 PTS)
ORLANDO 29 21 15 21 - 86
CLEVELAND 20 17 25 20 - 82
BLOCKED SHOTS: ORLANDO - SEIKALY 3, GRANT 2, WILKINS, STRONG, VAUGHN.
CLEVELAND - HILL 3, LANG.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ORLANDO 5-16 (.313), ANDERSON 2-7, SHAW 0-3, WILKINS
3-5, ARMSTRONG 0-1. CLEVELAND 6-17 (.353), MILLS 1-2, BRANDON 2-5, PHILLS
2-5, FERRY 1-5.
TECHNICALS: CLEVELAND - HEAD COACH FRATELLO 2 (EJECTED), SURA 3 (EJECTED).
OFFICIALS: JIM CAPERS, STEVE JAVIE, TERRY DURHAM.
A - 19,351. T - 2:05.
ORLANDO (86) AT CLEVELAND (82)
Former Cavalier Gerald Wilkins scored 18 points, including a
crucial three-pointer with 3:25 left in regulation, as the
Orlando Magic held on for an 86-82 victory over Cleveland.
After the Cavs drew within 75-70 with 5:36 to play, Nick
Anderson and Wilkins hit bacvk-to-back three-pointers. The
baskets extended the Magic's lead to 11 and Orlando held off a
late Cleveland rally by hitting five of six free throws in the
final 90 seconds.
"I thought Gerald gave us a big lift early. Maybe coming back
to Cleveland he was a little bit pumped up," said Magic coach
Brian Hill.
"It's always a little extra when you come back and play in a
town that you felt that maybe you should have been here and
maybe not," said Wilkins, who was 6-for-11 from the field and
hit three three-pointers. "It's like playing against the
Knicks."
Derek Strong had nine of his 15 points in the final period,
including three of four in the final 19 seconds, as Orlando went
21-for-24 from the line in the game.
"Basically, I got my hands on the ball, deflections, a few
steals, the main thing I wanted to do was disrupt their offense
and rebound for the team," he said.
Terrell Brandon led Cleveland with 20 points and Bobby Phills
added 19. Cavs coach Mike Fratello and guard Bobby Sura were
ejected in the opening three minutes of the second period. The
four technical fouls picked up by Fratello and Sura were one
more than the entire team had been assessed this season for
infractions other than illegal defense.
"I apologize to my team for not fulfilling my responsibility,"
said Fratello, who was ejected for the first time since 1985-86
when he coached Atlanta. "I was not trying to get thrown out of
the game, I don't like to do that."
Fratello remained livid over referee Terry Durham's call.
"He was wrong and he knows that. There was nothing said that
was out of line to deserve the second technical foul. The
league should step in and do something about that."
The Magic won despite grabbing just eight offensive rebounds,
scoring 36 points in the second half and committing 26
turnovers. Starting center Rony Seikaly was held scoreless and
committed five fouls in 19 minutes as Orlando won for the third
time in four games against Cleveland.
Cleveland lost for just the second time in nine meetings against
non-Central Division opponents this season.
nba.1823nba.news,
SACRAMENTO (101) AT NEW YORK (115)
SACRAMENTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
OWENS F 34 2-8 2-2 0 5 5 4 1 0 4 6
C WILLIAMSON F 26 5-8 2-4 1 3 4 1 3 1 0 12
POLYNICE C 41 9-13 3-8 1 7 8 2 5 0 1 21
RICHMOND G 40 10-20 4-5 1 1 2 5 1 1 3 25
ABDUL-RAUF G 37 6-13 3-3 0 4 4 5 2 1 2 17
SMITH 19 1-1 0-0 3 3 6 4 3 0 1 2
EDNEY 18 4-4 1-2 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 10
CAUSWELL 9 2-3 2-3 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 6
SIMMONS 14 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 2
DANIELS 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
HURLEY 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
GAMBLE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 40-73 17-27 6 26 32 25 20 3 13 101
(.548) (.630) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 13(21 PTS)
NEW YORK
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
JOHNSON F 30 5-7 2-5 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 12
OAKLEY F 40 4-10 5-5 2 8 10 7 3 0 2 13
EWING C 32 12-20 5-7 2 12 14 2 3 2 0 29
HOUSTON G 29 4-10 0-0 0 2 2 5 2 0 0 9
WARD G 21 2-6 0-1 1 0 1 5 2 2 0 4
B WILLIAMS 24 7-8 2-3 6 2 8 2 0 0 1 16
CHILDS 27 3-5 2-2 0 1 1 9 3 0 3 10
WALLACE 18 4-7 1-1 1 1 2 0 3 4 0 9
STARKS 19 5-13 0-0 1 0 1 2 2 0 2 13
BROOKS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
MCCARTY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
H WILLIAMS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 46-86 17-24 13 26 39 32 21 8 9 115
(.535) (.708) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 10(11 PTS)
SACRAMENTO 22 26 29 24 - 101
NEW YORK 26 27 21 41 - 115
BLOCKED SHOTS: SACRAMENTO - CAUSWELL. NEW YORK - OAKLEY 2, WARD, B
WILLIAMS, WALLACE.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SACRAMENTO 4-12 (.333), OWENS 0-1, RICHMOND 1-5,
ABDUL-RAUF 2-5, EDNEY 1-1. NEW YORK 6-14 (.429), JOHNSON 0-1, OAKLEY 0-1,
HOUSTON 1-4, WARD 0-1, CHILDS 2-2, STARKS 3-5.
TECHNICALS: NEW YORK - ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: JESS KERSEY, BERNIE FRYER, BENNIE ADAMS.
A - 19,763. T - 2:10.
SACRAMENTO (101) AT NEW YORK (115)
Patrick Ewing recorded 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and
John Starks scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter as
the New York Knicks snapped a three-game skid with a 115-101
victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Buck Williams contributed a season-high 16 points and eight
rebounds off the bench, while Charles Oakley had 13, 10 and
seven assists for New York, which posted a season high in points
scored. Despite being swept by Sacramento last season, the
Knicks have won 12 of the last 15 meetings and 14 of 15 at home.
"We were a little more focused in this game and got back to
fundamentals," said Williams. "If we get a little bit of time,
a lot of good things could happen to this basketball team."
Mitch Richmond led the Kings with 25 points and has exactly
14,000 in his career. Olden Polynice added 21 points and eight
boards and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had 17, as the Kings have dropped
five of their last six contests.
"They (Knicks) turned their defense up in the fourth quarter and
we didn't do what we wanted to run," said Kings coach Garry St.
Jean.
Ewing's 17 points led New York to a 53-48 halftime advantage,
and the margin remained at 71-66 before Sacramento rallied late
in the third quarter. Abdul-Rauf tallied five points and
Richmond had four in an 11-3 run to close the period and assume
a 77-74 lead.
The Knicks responded with a 7-1 spurt to open the fourth
quarter, including a jumper by Oakley that made it 81-78 with
9:57 to play. A hook shot by Billy Owens with 8:38 left gave
the Kings an 82-81 advantage before Starks poured in eight
points in a 14-2 burst, which was capped by Chris Childs' banker
with 5:38 remaining.
A jumper by Tyus Edney and Richmond's three-point play with 4:38
to go cut the deficit to 95-89, but rookie John Wallace had a
dunk, Starks hit a three and Wallace converted a three-point
play with 3:07 left to up the lead to 103-89.
"Buck Williams was terrific the whole game," said Knicks coach
Jeff Van Gundy. "He scores better than people give him credit
for. He's a very efficient scorer. I thought our guys did a
good job finding a way to win after being down after three
quarters."
Childs totaled 10 points and nine assists off the bench for New
York, which was playing for the first time since Sunday. The
team shot 54 percent (46-of-86) from the floor and committed
just nine turnovers, including none in the final 12 minutes.
Corliss Williamson netted 12 points and Edney had 10 for
Sacramento, which shot 55 percent (40-for-73) from the field,
but was outrebounded, 39-32, and recorded just three steals and
one blocked shot.
nba.1824nba.news,
TORONTO (70) AT MINNESOTA (79)
TORONTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WILLIAMS F 39 4-10 1-2 0 3 3 1 6 1 4 11
JONES F 43 4-6 0-0 6 9 15 1 5 0 3 8
WRIGHT C 21 1-4 0-0 1 0 1 0 2 1 4 2
CHRISTIE G 46 5-12 6-10 2 1 3 4 1 2 1 16
STOUDAMIRE G 43 6-23 6-6 2 7 9 4 2 2 3 20
TABAK 10 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0
WHITESIDE 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
DAVIS 11 2-4 0-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4
LOHAUS 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
EARL 18 3-7 3-4 3 7 10 0 2 1 3 9
LONG 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CAMBY DNP - BACK INJURY
TOTALS 240 25-69 16-23 14 29 43 11 21 7 19 70
(.362) (.696) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 20(14 PTS)
MINNESOTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
K GARNETT F 41 6-8 3-4 0 9 9 2 3 1 4 15
GUGLIOTTA F 41 7-17 10-10 1 4 5 4 3 0 3 25
VRANKOVIC C 19 1-2 1-2 2 3 5 0 0 0 1 3
WEST G 33 6-11 0-0 0 1 1 0 5 0 1 12
MARBURY G 30 3-11 1-2 4 3 7 3 5 0 4 8
PORTER 12 0-3 2-2 0 2 2 3 1 1 0 2
MITCHELL 23 2-8 4-5 1 3 4 1 2 1 3 8
PARKS 20 2-6 0-3 3 4 7 1 2 2 1 4
CARR 15 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 0 0 0
HEAL 6 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2
D GARRETT DNP - COACH'S DECISION
ROBINSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 28-70 21-28 11 31 42 17 24 5 18 79
(.400) (.750) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 19(16 PTS)
TORONTO 17 16 24 13 - 70
MINNESOTA 23 17 22 17 - 79
BLOCKED SHOTS: TORONTO - WILLIAMS 2, EARL 2, STOUDAMIRE, WRIGHT.
MINNESOTA - K GARNETT, GUGLIOTTA, VRANKOVIC, WEST, MARBURY, PORTER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: TORONTO 4-12 (.333), WILLIAMS 2-3, CHRISTIE 0-2,
STOUDAMIRE 2-4, WHITESIDE 0-1, DAVIS 0-1, LONG 0-1. MINNESOTA 2-7 (.286),
GUGLIOTTA 1-2, WEST 0-2, MARBURY 1-2, PORTER 0-1.
TECHNICALS: TORONTO - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 3, JONES.
OFFICIALS: JACK NIES, RON OLESIAK, MIKE SMITH.
A - 18,679. T - 2:10.
TORONTO (70) AT MINNESOTA (79)
Tom Gugliotta scored 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves set
a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a 79-70 victory
over the Toronto Raptors.
Kevin Garnett added 15 points for the Timberwolves, who bettered
their mark of 71, set against Dallas on January 22nd, 1993. At
7-8, this is the deepest point into the season at which
Minnesota is only one game under .500.
Damon Stoudamire scored 20 points and Doug Christie added 16 for
the Raptors, who were held to a franchise-low in scoring. The
previous low was 75 in a loss at Sacramento last January 3rd.
"The one thing that can be consistent is defense," said
Gugliotta. "It's something we focus on. Tonight is an example
of not being that good offensively but still being able to win."
Toronto pulled within 62-61 with 10:12 to play after Stoudamire
hit a jumper and a pair of free throws. But the Wolves scored
the next five points as Sam Mitchell made a free throw, Stephon
Marbury converted a layup and Gugliotta sank two foul shots to
give Minnesota a 67-61 bulge at the 5:36 mark.
Minnesota took control in the first half with an 11-2 burst.
Hubert Davis pulled the Raptors within 23-21 with 10:03 to play
in the first half, but Garnett nailed a 15-footer and Marbury
knocked down a three-pointer to extend the lead to 28-21 with
just over eight minutes to go.
Shane Heal nailed a running 17-footer before Stoudamire made a
jumper for a 30-23 lead. Garnett and Cherokee Parks converted
layups to extend the Wolves' advantage to 34-23 with 5:26 to go
in the second quarter.
The Wolves shot 40 percent (28-of-70) from the floor and held
Toronto under 20 points in the first, second and fourth
quarters. Doug West was the only other Minnesota player in
double figures with 12.
"Those are the kind of games that you need to find a way to
win," said Wolves coach Flip Saunders. "It wasn't a pretty
game. In the past, we found a way to lose, but tonight, we
kept our poise and made the plays down the stretch. Gugliotta
was big for us."
Toronto shot only 36 percent (25-of-69) from the field.
Stoudamire and Doug Christie combined to go 11-for-35 from the
field. A.C. Earl added nine points and 10 rebounds off the
bench for the Raptors.
nba.1825nba.news,
VANCOUVER (90) AT PHILADELPHIA (96)
VANCOUVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
LYNCH F 34 4-9 2-4 4 3 7 5 4 4 3 11
ABDUR-RAHIM F 31 3-9 4-6 2 3 5 1 1 2 1 10
MOBLEY C 16 1-5 1-2 0 3 3 1 4 0 1 3
MOTEN G 25 5-12 0-2 1 0 1 3 2 1 2 11
ANTHONY G 34 4-14 1-2 2 4 6 3 1 3 4 12
MANNING 12 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 1 0 2
ROGERS 29 8-11 0-0 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 16
PEELER 27 5-10 0-0 1 3 4 6 3 0 2 10
ROBINSON 21 2-5 3-4 2 3 5 1 6 2 4 9
CHILCUTT 11 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 6
MAYBERRY DNP - NOT WITH TEAM - FEVER
REEVES DNP - STRAINED LEFT PATELLA
TOTALS 240 35-82 11-20 14 21 35 23 22 14 18 90
(.427) (.550) TEAM REBS: 15 TOTAL TO: 22(24 PTS)
PHILADELPHIA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
WEATHERSPOON F 39 3-7 0-0 3 8 11 3 1 3 3 6
COLEMAN F 40 5-11 1-3 1 7 8 3 1 0 1 11
WILLIAMS C 34 2-4 1-2 1 7 8 0 4 2 3 5
STACKHOUSE G 39 10-18 9-10 1 3 4 4 5 1 3 31
IVERSON G 39 8-14 6-7 1 1 2 9 2 6 10 23
WALTERS 9 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3
CAGE 14 0-2 0-0 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 0
MACLEAN 10 4-10 1-2 2 1 3 1 2 0 3 9
OVERTON 9 2-4 0-0 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 4
DAVIS 7 2-5 0-0 1 1 2 0 3 0 0 4
BRADTKE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HARRIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-76 18-24 13 31 44 23 20 13 24 96
(.487) (.750) TEAM REBS: 17 TOTAL TO: 25(29 PTS)
VANCOUVER 18 18 30 24 - 90
PHILADELPHIA 27 27 21 21 - 96
BLOCKED SHOTS: VANCOUVER - ROGERS 3, MOBLEY, MOTEN. PHILADELPHIA -
STACKHOUSE 3, WILLIAMS, COLEMAN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: VANCOUVER 9-25 (.360), LYNCH 1-2, MOTEN 1-4, ANTHONY
3-11, MANNING 0-1, PEELER 0-2, ROBINSON 2-3, CHILCUTT 2-2. PHILADELPHIA
4-17 (.235), COLEMAN 0-3, STACKHOUSE 2-4, IVERSON 1-5, WALTERS 1-1,
OVERTON 0-1, DAVIS 0-3.
TECHNICALS: VANCOUVER - HEAD COACH B WINTERS, PEELER.
OFFICIALS: MONTY MCCUTCHEN, DEREK RICHARDSON, JOE FORTE.
A - 13,038. T - 2:05.
VANCOUVER (90) AT PHILADELPHIA (96)
Allen Iverson scored five of his 23 points in a fourth-quarter
run and Jerry Stackhouse had 31 points as the Philadelphia 76ers
turned back the Vancouver Grizzlies, 96-90.
Iverson also had nine assists for Philadelphia, which has won
three of its last four games. The 76ers used a 21-4 run in the
second quarter to open a 23-point lead, but Vancouver was able
to close within one before Philadelphia regained control.
"This was a game in which we played well in the first half and
in the second half, we allowed them to make a ballgame out of
it," said Sixers coach Johnny Davis. "We had them on the ropes
and we let them off. Down the stretch, we have to be smarter
and execute with more purpose."
Roy Rogers scored 16 points and Greg Anthony added 12 for
Vancouver, which fell to 0-9 on the road. The Grizzlies are
5-45 all-time on the road.
"We were totally dead-legged in the first half," said Rogers.
"We had no intensity, no enthusiasm, we were just out there. We
came in at halftime, coach (Winters) was pretty upset. We were
upset at ourselves. We knew we could play bettwe in the second
half."
Vancouver pulled within 84-83 with 4:58 to play on Shareef
Abdur-Rahim's 15-footer, but the Sixers put the game out of
reach with a 7-0 burst. Iverson hit one of two free throws and
Stackhouse made a layup to push the lead to 87-83 with 4:01
remaining.
Iverson knocked down a pair of 17-footers to give Philadelphia a
91-83 bulge with 2:35 remaining. He fell one assist short of
recording his third consecutive double-double.
"We didn't do a lot of talking out there," Iverson said. "We
shouted at each other like, 'Let's get a good basket.' At that
point, that's all we were concentrating on."
"I felt we had this team from the beginning and it was our game
to win," Iverson said. "I feel real good about this team. A
lot of people didn't expect us to be doing this well, but I knew
it all along."
The Sixers, who used a 14-5 run to take a 27-18 lead after one
quarter, exploded behind Derrick Coleman in the second.
Stackhouse started the run with a three-pointer to give
Philadelphia a 34-25 lead.
Coleman threw down a dunk and Rogers hit a nine-foot hook shot
for Vancouver. The Sixers reeled off nine straight points as
Mark Davis and Doug Overton hit layups, Coleman made a free
throw, Iverson had a dunk and Stackhouse made two foul shots to
push the lead to 45-27 at the 3:56 mark.
"Teams are going to make runs," Stackhouse said. "I think we
established the tone of the game from the get-go, but we lost a
little focus in the second half, they made their run. I told
guys, 'We've been here before, and we know what to do.' When
the game goes down to five or 10 points, the game is anyone's
ballgame in this league."
When a team makes a run like that you regain your focus. We had
to play, we came to the call."
Abdur-Rahim made a 12-footer, but Coleman answered with a
transition layup and fast-break dunk before Stackhouse capped
the run with a three-point play to give Philadelphia a 52-29
lead with 2:08 in the first half.
Vancouver had six players in double figures. The Grizzlies
again played without starting center Bryant Reeves, who is
day-to-day with a sprained right knee.
"This is probably the best and the worst we've played all
season," noted Grizzlies coach Brian Winters. "The first half,
we came out lethargic. The fourth game in five nights -- we
were sluggish. I didn't like what I saw. I went with the guys
who finished the second quarter and started them in the third,
they picked us up a bit and that got the attention of the other
guys, so we played a much better second half."
nba.1826nba.news,
Grizzlies put Edwards on injured list
Vancouver Grizzlies guard Blue Edwards has gone on the injured
list. He has tendinitis in his right knee.
Edwards has started 10 of his 14 games this season, and is second
on the team with 12.5 points a game, as well as 3.8 rebounds and
two assists.
The Grizzlies filled the roster spot by activating rookie guard
Chris Robinson off the injured list. The second-round draft choice
out of Western Kentucky had not played this season because of
hamstring tendinitis.
nba.1827nba.news,
All-Time Fastest To 25,000 Points
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls scored 35 points tonight to
become the second-fastest player to reach 25,000 career points.
The following is a list of the fastest nine:
PLAYER GAMES DATE
------ ----- --------
Wilt Chamberlain 691 February 2nd, 1968
MICHAEL JORDAN 782 November 30th, 1996
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 889 December 21st, 1980
Oscar Robertson 917 December 1st, 1972
Jerry West 920 December 4th, 1973
Dominique Wilkins 960 March 8th, 1995
Elvin Hayes 1093 January 10th, 1982
Moses Malone 1093 November 21st, 1990
Alex English 1133 December 14th, 1990
John Havlicek 1185 April 6th, 1977