nba.313stefan,
-> #312, wiper>Procitah u novinam nesto malo o Divcu kazu imao je cetvrti
>tripl dab . Moze li neko nesto vise da o tome.
Utakmica protiv Vankuvera ako se ne varam, po 10 skokova i poena i 13
asistencija. Eto, to je to :)
nba.314junior,
-> #310, stefan>> Vlade, ti si Bog.
> Divac ili Poznanović? ;)
Ma volim ja i Divca, ali zna se ko je zakon ovde ... ;))
nba.315dizel,
-> #313, stefan>> Procitah u novinam nesto malo o Divcu kazu imao je cetvrti
>> tripl dab . Moze li neko nesto vise da o tome.
>
> Utakmica protiv Vankuvera ako se ne varam, po 10 skokova i
> poena i 13 asistencija. Eto, to je to :)
Otkud njemu 13 asistencija?
Inace,Divac igra u sve boljoj formi,i nadam se da ce u jos boljoj formi
zaigrati u play-offu(On je tada uvek najbolji).
nba.316stefan,
-> #315, dizel> Otkud njemu 13 asistencija?
Pa prvo je došlo onih prvih 10 a zatim i ove poslednje 3.
ps. znam, znam, al' kakvo pitanje takav i odgovor ;>
nba.317dizel,
-> #316, stefan>> Otkud njemu 13 asistencija?
>
> Pa prvo je doslo onih prvih 10 a zatim i ove poslednje 3.
>
Odgovor je strasan!!!
Pitam otkud njemu 13 asistencija,jer je zna da je on centar(ukoliko od skora
nije poceo da igra play-a),a centri bas i nisu poznati po asistencijama.
13 asistencija u utakmici je uspeh i za Stocktona i Jasona Kida,...
pa zbog toga pitam!
nba.318vpoznanovic,
Ovaj aprilski rok mi je dobro poremetio ritam, pa iako ni sad nemam
dovoljno vremena, ipak nema smisla da vas napuštam sedam dana prije
kraja regularnog dijela sezone. :) U narednim porukama idu sve novosti
(u to spadaju i najave, komentari intervjui...) iz lige u posljednjih
desetak dana, pregledi i statistike utakmica odigranih u zadnja tri
dana i tablice. Novosti nisu poslate hronološkim redom, nadam se da to
neće mnogo smetati. Ako nekoga interesuje neka posebna utakmica iz
perioda dok ih nisam slao, neka kaže. Gledaću da sutra pošaljem i sve
one individualne i timske statistike, top liste najboljih po kategorijama
i ostalo što bude zanimljivo.
nba.319vpoznanovic,
SONICS ACTIVATE ASKEW, PLACE FORD ON IR
The Seattle SuperSonics got back one of their most valuable reserves
today when swingman Vincent Askew was activated from the injured list.
The 30-year-old Askew was placed on the injured list on March 15th and
missed the last nine games due to a strained left groin. He is
averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 60 contests this
season. The seventh-year veteran is in his third full season with
Seattle.
To make room for Askew, the Sonics placed forward Sherell Ford on the
injured list with chronic quadriceps tendinitis of the left leg. The
rookie has appeared in 27 games, averaging 3.2 points.
nba.320vpoznanovic,
WARRIORS SIGN CHURCHWELL FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON
The Golden State Warriors today signed swingman Robert Churchwell for
the remainder of the season.
The 6-foot-7 Churchwell has averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in
three games with the Warriors since signing the first of two 10-day
contracts on March 14th.
Prior to joining Golden State, the former Georgetown standout starred
for the Chicago Rockers of the Continental Basketball Association.
Churchwell averaged 12.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 52 games with the
Rockers this season. He was named to the CBA's All-Rookie Second Team
last year after averaging 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
nba.321vpoznanovic,
HEALTHY DREXLER, ELIE READY TO BOOST ROCKETS
HOUSTON -- Be warned, NBA. The Houston Rockets are healing just in
time for the playoffs.
On Friday, the injury-riddled Rockets activated Clyde Drexler and
Mario Elie.
Drexler had been on the injured list since undergoing arthroscopic
surgery on his right knee Feb. 26. Elie fractured a bone in his right
arm Jan. 17.
Houston placed guards Melvin Booker, who has a strained back muscle,
and Tracy Moore, who has back spasms, on the injured list to make room
for Elie and Drexler.
Sam Cassell remains on the injured list after elbow surgery. Hakeem
Olajuwon is still out with sore knees, and Robert Horry also has
missed games recently as the Rockets lost seven consecutive games.
nba.322vpoznanovic,
WARRIORS RE-SIGN GEERT HAMMINK TO SECOND 10-DAY CONTRACT
The Golden State Warriors today signed center Geert Hammink to a
second 10-day contract.
Hammink appeared in two games for the Warriors, playing three minutes
and scoring four points in those contests. He also appeared in three
games with the Orlando Magic.
The 7-foot Hammink played for the Omaha Racers in the Continental
Basketball Association where he averaged 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds
in 29 games.
Hammink played in one game each for the Magic in each of the previous
two seasons after being selected as the 26th overall pick in the 1993
draft by Orlando. Prior to joining the Magic, Hammink spent one year
in the Italian League with the Shampoo Clear Cantu club team.
nba.323vpoznanovic,
SPURS' BOB HILL NAMED NBA COACH OF THE MONTH
Bob Hill of the San Antonio Spurs today was named NBA Coach of the
Month for March.
The Spurs won all 16 of their games last month and extended their
winning streak to a franchise-record 17 games before a loss to Phoenix
Tuesday night. The Spurs joined the 1970-71 Los Angeles Lakers as the
only teams in NBA history to go undefeated in more than 15 games in a
month.
The Spurs averaged 107.4 points and yielded 95.6 points per game in
March.
Other candidates for the award were M.L. Carr of Boston, Doug Collins
of Detroit, Pat Riley of Miami, Flip Saunders of Minnesota, Jeff Van
Gundy of New York, Brian Hill of Orlando, Cotton Fitzsimmons of
Phoenix, P.J. Carlesimo of Portland and George Karl of Seattle.
nba.324vpoznanovic,
NBA: INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Down Pat
Pat Riley has never missed the playoffs as an NBA head coach. In fact,
this will be the first time he's finished with fewer than 50 wins in a
season. Here's a look at Riley's worst regular-season victory totals:
1981-82 Lakers 50-21*
1991-92 Knicks 51-31
1983-84 Lakers 54-28
1994-95 Knicks 55-27
*Came in during season
Consistent Pat
Patrick Ewing is closing in on another 20+ ppg. season for the Knicks.
It will mark his 11th straight season averaging at least 20 ppg. Let's
look at his past success:
'94-95 23.9
'93-94 24.5
'92-93 24.2
'91-92 24.0
'90-91 26.6
'89-90 28.6
'88-89 22.7
'87-88 20.2
'86-87 21.5
'85-86 20.0
Dennis the menace
Say what you want about Dennis Rodman, but he's about to join Moses
Malone as the only player in NBA history to lead the league in
rebounding five straight seasons. Malone led from 1980-85. Wilt
Chamberlain led the league for four consecutive campaigns from 1959-63
and 1965-69.
Milestones
Steve Kerr of the Bulls is trying to become the first player in NBA
history to lead in three-point field goal percentage in consecutive
seasons ... Gheorge Muresan is trying to become the first Bullet to
lead in field goal percentage since Wes Unseld in 1975-76 (56.1 pct.)
... Anthony Mason is on the verge of becoming the first player in
Knicks history to lead the league in minutes played.
nba.325vpoznanovic,
TIMBERWOLVES ACTIVATE LANG, WEST, PLACE MARTIN ON IL
The Minnesota Timberwolves placed guard Darrick Martin on the injured
list today and activated center Andrew Lang and guard Doug West.
The 5-11 Martin, who was acquired on January 12th from the Vancouver
Grizzlies for a 1996 second-round draft pick, has tendinitis in his
right shoulder. He is averaging 7.0 points and 3.7 assists per game
this season.
The 6-11 Lang missed 11 games with a slight tear of his left calf
muscle. He was acquired on February 22nd in the deal that sent
Christian Laettner to the Atlanta Hawks and is averaging 12.4 points
and 6.5 rebounds.
The 6-6 West is the last original member of the Timberwolves. He had
been sidelined since March 8th with a strained arch in his right foot.
West is averaging 6.6 points and 2.2 rebounds.
nba.326vpoznanovic,
NORTHEASTERN INVESTIGATION SHOWS NO EVIDENCE OF LEWIS DRUG USE
A Northeastern University investigative commission looking into
allegations that members of the school's basketball team were using
drugs during the 1987 season has reportedly concluded there is not
sufficient evidence to prove that the late Reggie Lewis was among
those players. The Boston Globe is reporting that the commission
determined one unidentified player used cocaine that year and that
there were players who smoked marijuana, but not Lewis.
The Globe says the commission, which has been together for almost a
year, will release its findings within a week or so.
The investigation is a followup to the allegations that surfaced after
Lewis, who had become the captain of the Boston Celtics, collapsed and
died at the age of 27 while shooting baskets in July 1993. An autopsy
gave an irregular heartbeat as the cause of death, but questions into
Lewis' death arose after two doctors were quoted in a Wall Street
Journal article that said scarring on his heart was "consistent" with
signs of a cocaine-damaged heart. There were also several reports
dealing with Lewis' supposed cocaine use while he was at Northeastern
and with the Celtics.
It was last spring that the Globe reported that Northeastern
University president John Curry said he was told by former Huskies'
athletic director Irwin Cohen that Lewis had tested positive for
cocaine several days before the Huskies played in a 1987 NCAA
Tournament game. Curry said Cohen told him he learned about the
positive test from former Northeastern University medical examiner Dr.
Job Fuchs. But Fuchs told the Globe last year he was "absolutely
positive, just 1,000 percent certain that Reggie did not test positive
for cocaine."
Because Fuchs had already destroyed his records of the drug test, the
Globe says the commission findings are based on interviews with former
players and team officials. Its sources say that Cohen's comments were
the only link between Lewis and drug use while he was at Northeastern.
Lewis' widow has maintained her husband never used drugs, and never
refused to take a drug test, as has been alleged, after he collapsed
during a playoff game a few months before he died. She has refused to
release the autopsy report.
A medical review directed by the Massachusetts state medical examiner
concluded last spring that Lewis did not die from cocaine use, but as
a result of several different problems that caused his heart to beat
irregularly.
nba.327vpoznanovic,
GRIZZLIES SIGN CUONZO MARTIN TO 10-DAY CONTRACT
The Vancouver Grizzlies today signed guard/forward Cuonzo Martin to a
10-day contract and placed center Eric Mobley on the injured list due
to tendinitis in his right ankle.
The 6-foot-4 Martin starred in the Continental Basketball Association
for the Grand Rapids Mackers this season. He finished 10th in the
league in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game.
Martin will be reunited with Grizzlies guard Lawrence Moten. The two
were teammates at New Hampton, a prep school in New Hampshire.
Martin, who played a school-record 127 games at Purdue and served as
the Boilermakers captain for three seasons, was selected in the second
round of the 1995 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but was cut during
the final week of training camp.
Mobley, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the year,
is averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 39 games this season.
nba.328vpoznanovic,
MIDWEST: MAVS UNDONE BY THE FOURTH J
Those feudin', fussin' Dallas Mavericks are at it again, and now we
know why.
A team that 15 months ago appeared to be on the brink of a
breakthrough to the elite level is lottery-bound for the sixth
consecutive season, and the total breakdown of team chemistry is
primarily to blame.
First, you might recall, Jamal Mashburn, one of the "Three J's" around
whom the Mavs are built, feuded with the other two J's, Jason Kidd and
Jimmy Jackson. Eventually, that friction was smoothed when Mashburn
went on the injured list. Then Jackson and Kidd began behaving like
junior high schoolers, mad at one another because they both had their
eye on the same cheerleader.
Turns out that in the case of Kidd and Jackson, jealousy is exactly
what drove a wedge between former friends. The Dallas Morning-News
reported Friday that a dispute over a woman both players were
interested in seeing on a road trip, all the way back in December,
poisoned their relationship. Things have gotten to the point where one
of them might have to be traded, for the good of the team.
The friction between the two definitely has gotten worse over the last
few weeks, and it's painfully obvious that the two don't talk to each
other at practice or in the locker room before games. In fact, after
Wednesday's victory over Houston, Kidd indicated he didn't know if the
two could co-exist.
"Yeah, there might need to be some changes," Kidd said.
Kidd shook his head when asked if the problem was personal.
"There's nothing personal," Kidd said. "Maybe jealousy. I don't try to
get involved in other people's problems. If they're jealous about
something I'm doing, that's their problem. They've got to work that
out themselves."
Mavericks coach Dick Motta declined comment but has admitted he is
concerned about the relationship between the two.
Jackson admitted he and Kidd are not as close as they were last season
or at the start of this season -- the two were considered best friends
-- but denied there is a problem.
"We still talk and communicate," Jackson said. "Now, maybe it's not as
much as last year, but Jason's under a lot of pressure to go out and
perform each and every night. I can understand that. I try to give him
his space and let Jason be Jason."
Forward George McCloud acknowledged the rift and said he didn't know
if the relationship could be repaired.
"It could be bad, but at the same time, maybe they can still work
things out," McCloud said. "I'm pretty sure they have to talk. They
have to get back to what they once had. Last year, they were pretty
much the best friends on the team."
Through all of this, Kidd did concede now was not the time to make a
determination about whether he or Jackson must go. Of course, in an
either-or situation, Jackson would be the one to go. A major hurdle,
however, would be that owner Donald Carter has said he doesn't want to
trade any of the Three J's.
"I don't know what the best thing is," Kidd said. "I've got to finish
out the season strong. We've got to stay on a winning note. We've been
hurt in so many different places, I can't let jealousy or anything get
in the way of me going out there to perform."
Have you noticed?
When the list of the NBA's most underrated players is compiled, make
sure Sean Elliott's name is near the top.
Elliott isn't the Spurs' best player. That distinction belongs to
David Robinson. And he certainly doesn't attract cameras and
controversy the way a certain tattooed time bomb of a power forward
did the previous two seasons.
But quietly, Elliott has fashioned the best season of his seven-year
pro career. He has averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and is just as
likely to find the ball in his hands at crunch time as Robinson. In
short, he might be the reason the Spurs have a good shot of advancing
all the way to The NBA Finals, something they fell two victories shy
of last spring.
"I guess, in a way, people think Sean is boring," Spurs executive vice
president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich said. "They think
he's not flamboyant. They think with Dennis (Rodman) gone, there's
nothing interesting to write about."
"He has really taken his game to another level," Robinson said of
Elliott. "He has stepped up and become more of a big-time scorer. He
takes it to the basket strong. I'm very proud of him."
This season, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Elliott has added another
dimension to his game, abetting the perimeter game and slashing style
that previously had been his strength.
"My post game is better," Elliott said. "They can go to the post and
get something from me. Even if people my size are guarding me in the
post, they're still going to get something. I'm quicker than a lot of
guys my size. I'm getting double-teamed now, or guys play off me.
That's a lot better than last year. As soon as I catch it, it seems
people are running at me in the post."
Spurs coach Bob Hill said Elliott is having a career year. He calls
him "a great kid" and added the only problem he has seen is that
Elliott tends to be too hard on himself.
Right now, it can be argued that Elliott and the Spurs are being too
hard on the opposition, since they entered Sunday's game against the
Lakers with a 16-game winning streak.
"What people continually miss is that he guards the toughest guy on
the other team and does one heck of a job," Popovich said. "He plays
both ends of the floor, every single night. He's one of the reasons
this team is doing well. He's just a dream, and nobody knows it."
Best CBA team? Try Houston
T-Wolves coach Flip Saunders cut his teeth in the CBA, coaching seven
years with Rapid City, La Crosse and Sioux Falls. Saunders is the
second winningest coach in CBA history with 253 victories.
That made him a qualified analyst to discuss the newest CBA franchise,
the one in Houston, where seven of the 12 active players on the
Rockets roster have a CBA pedigree.
"One thing the CBA always has is guys who can score and guys who play
extremely hard," Saunders said. "And that's what the Rockets have
done, surround Hakeem (Olajuwon) with guys who can score and compete
extremely hard. They've built their whole team around that system. And
why not, when you've got the best in the business at center?"
Saunders added that players rescued from the CBA have prospered not
only because of the Rockets' system, but because of who the players
are.
"When you have guys get injured like Houston has, you either find some
guy who has been sitting on his couch at home or you go to the CBA,"
he said. "And all the guys the Rockets have gotten out of that league
are good people. Guys in the CBA who make it to the NBA and stay are
the good guys. The bad guys never make it out of the CBA."
For those who don't know, the Rockets have former CBA players Tim
Breaux, Eldridge Recasner, Chucky Brown, Tracy Moore, Charles Jones,
Sam Mack and Melvin Booker on the roster. Mario Elie, the ultimate CBA
refugee-made-good, is on the injured list, which is full.
Sitting for good
We won't have Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to kick around for a while, maybe
even the rest of the season. The Nuggets put him on the injured list
with his bruised left foot and continuing problems with a sprained
right ankle.
They signed Greg Grant for the remainder of the season. He's 5-7, 29
and never has averaged more than 3.3 points in the NBA.
The latest on the Mahmoud flag flap was his first appearance at
McNichols Arena since his suspension for refusing to stand for the
national anthem. He did not suit up for Tuesday's game against the
Hornets, but showed up.
The Colorado chapter of the American Legion had shown up at McNichols
Area to pass out 15,000 American flags to attendees, asking them to
show their support of the flag by waving them at the conclusion of the
anthem, and also urging them not to boo Mahmoud when (and, it turned
out, if) he entered the game.
However, Mahmoud wimped out again, waiting out the anthem in a
hallway, then slinking out to take a seat at the end of the Nugs bench
for the game. He refused to speak to the media.
What you need to know is that the Nuggets are sick to death of the
whole thing, and putting Mahmoud on the injured list clearly is their
way of dealing with the distraction. After Abdul-Rauf took himself out
of last Thursday's game at Jersey after just six minutes, he was sent
back to Denver, ostensibly to get MRIs on both his ankles. The real
reason was to remove the distraction, and this latest move falls in
the same category.
While the club won't say Abdul-Rauf is out for the rest of the season,
Grant said he was told he was being signed for the remainder of the
season.
Draw your own conclusion.
Friendly foes
Has any elite team ever had an easier week than the Jazz did last
week?
Utah's three games were against Dallas, Milwaukee and Vancouver, three
teams that had lost a combined 42 straight.
Dallas entered the week with a 10-game losing streak and dropped its
11th straight to the Jazz. Milwaukee entered the week with a 12-game
losing streak, and dropped a club-record 13th in a row when it lost to
Utah. Vancouver had lost 20 in a row, and fell to the Jazz in Delta
Center, setting a new NBA record for a single-season losing streak.
The Grizzlies had turned Thursday's home game against Denver into
something of a must-win crusade, knowing a loss in that game would set
them up for the longest one-season losing streak in NBA history.
Denver eked out a 92-88 victory, though, and the Jazz applied the coup
de grace on Friday.
By the way, when the Grizzlies shoot at least 30 free throws, they are
11-5. Fewer than 30 free throws, 0-53.
We're not sure what that statistic means, but it's pretty amazing.
Griz coach Brian Winters no doubt believes it proves that an expansion
team can't get a break from the refs.
Mike Monroe, who covers the NBA for the Denver Post, writes a weekly
Midwest Division notebook for ESPNET SportsZone.
nba.329vpoznanovic,
NEW DENVER ARENA CLOSER TO REALITY AFTER LAND DEAL
DENVER -- Ascent Entertainment Group Inc. signed a $20 million
agreement Monday to purchase 49 acres of land from Southern Pacific as
a site for a new downtown basketball and hockey arena.
The deal is seen as a significant step toward groundbreaking for the
proposed $150 million Pepsi Center.
Besides the land purchase, Ascent, which owns both the NBA's Denver
Nuggets and NHL's Colorado Avalanche, acquired all of the arena
project assets belonging to The Anschutz Corp. for $6.6 million.
Ascent also will pay an additional $5 million and grant a paid-up
suite license, both linked to the construction and occupancy of the
proposed arena.
"We're committed to downtown Denver, and these agreements put the
Pepsi Center on a faster track toward the goal of a 1998 opening,''
said Charlie Lyons, president and chief executive officer of Ascent.
"We have other steps to clear before breaking ground, including
agreement with the city and county of Denver for the new arena and
release from our current leases at McNichols Arena. There's no doubt,
however, that we're closer today to achieving our goal of creating a
new anchor attraction for Denver's Central Platte Valley.''
nba.330vpoznanovic,
PARISH TIES KAREEM'S RECORD FOR CAREER NBA GAMES
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Hornets starting center Robert Parish
tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Friday night for the most regular-season
games played in the history of the NBA.
Abdul-Jabbar, who also is the NBA's all-time scoring leader, played in
1,560 career games over a legendary 20-year career. Parish, who is in
his 20th season, tied Abdul-Jabbar at the opening tipoff of the
Hornets' game against the Chicago Bulls.
Parish, 42, is scheduled to play career game No. 1,561 on Saturday at
Cleveland.
Parish, the oldest active player in the NBA, is 14th on the all-time
scoring list with 23,116 points and sixth on the all-time rebounding
list with 14,578.
Parish, Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon and Phoenix forward Charles
Barkley are the only active players with 20,000 points and 10,000
rebounds.
The 7-foot-2, 230-pound Parish was a first round pick of Golden State
and the eighth selection overall in the 1976 draft. He spent four
years with the Warriors before being traded to Boston in 1980.
Parish played 14 years with the Celtics and was the starting center on
championship teams in 1981, 1984 and 1986.
Parish signed with Charlotte as an unrestricted free agent in August,
1994.
nba.331vpoznanovic,
VIRUS SIDELINES ABDUL-RAUF
DENVER -- Denver Nuggets guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who was expected
to come off the injured list on Sunday, instead has been diagnosed
with a virus, team officials said.
The illness sent Abdul-Rauf to the hospital on Saturday. He was at
home in bed Sunday instead of with the Nuggets when they played the
Houston Rockets.
Abdul-Rauf missed five games while on the injured list because of a
sore foot.
The Nuggets, who are 2Ż games behind Sacramento for the Western
Conference's final playoff spot, beat the Rockets even without
Abdul-Rauf and their leading rebounder and shot blocker, Dikembe
Mutombo.
Mutombo has a hamstring injury he sustained in the first period Friday
against the Portland Trail Blazers.
nba.332vpoznanovic,
SPURS' DAVID ROBINSON NAMED NBA PLAYER OF MONTH FOR MARCH
David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs today was named National
Basketball Association Player of the Month for March.
Robinson, who played several games with stitches in his right middle
finger, helped the Spurs become just the second team in NBA history to
go undefeated in more than 15 games during a month. He averaged 25.3
points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots as the Spurs went 16-0 and
set a team record.
Other candidates for Player of the Month honors were David Wesley of
Boston, Grant Hill of Detroit, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning of
Miami, Shaquille O'Neal of Orlando, Kevin Johnson of Phoenix, Rod
Strickland of Portland, Gary Payton of Seattle and Tracy Murray of
Toronto.
nba.333vpoznanovic,
MIAMI NICE: RODMAN PROMISES TO BEHAVE TUESDAY
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman will
return Tuesday night after serving a six-game suspension for
head-butting a referee during March 16 game at New Jersey.
"I've been a bad boy," Rodman said Sunday during an interview on
Chicago's WMAQ-TV. "I'm sorry. I'll be a good boy."
The Bulls, who went 5-1 in Rodman's absence, will play at Miami on
Tuesday in the first half of a home-and-home series. The teams meet
again Thursday at Chicago.
While in Miami, the Bulls will look to avenge a 113-104 loss at Miami
Arena on Feb. 23, when the Heat had only eight players in uniform.
At Monday's practice, Rodman showed off his most recent hairdo:
bright red. "I think Dennis looks best as a blond," Bulls coach Phil
Jackson quipped.
Rodman was suspended six games and fined $20,000 for his wild
theatrics March 16.
He picked up a technical foul early in the first quarter for pounding
the ball on the court. He was called for a personal foul late in the
first quarter and, as Rodman argued the call with referee Paul
Mihalak, referee Ted Bernhardt then raced over and called Rodman for
his second technical.
Rodman proceeded to lightly head-butt Bernhardt above the left eye.
Rodman then had to be restrained by teammate Luc Longley, who got
Rodman to leave the court.
On his way to the locker room, Rodman ripped his jersey off, threw it
onto the court and knocked over a water cooler.
"Physical assaults on referees cannot and will not be tolerated under
any circumstances," NBA senior vice president Rod Thorn said after
issuing the suspension. "The suspension and fine reflect not only the
head-butting, but the totality of his actions on the court."
The Bulls (62-8) need to go 8-4 over their final 12 games to become
the first team in NBA history to win 70 games in a regular season.
nba.334vpoznanovic,
PORTLAND'S ARVYDAS SABONIS NAMED NBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis, who averaged 20.3
points and 9.5 rebounds in four wins last week, today was named the
National Basketball Association Player of the Week for the period
ending March 31st.
Sabonis also averaged 2.3 blocks and 2.0 assists in just 27.8 minutes
per contest. The 7-foot-3 rookie shot 65 percent (35-for-54) from the
field and 43 percent (3-of-7) from three-point range.
He began the week on Monday with 18 points and 15 boards in 26 minutes
against Philadelphia and then recorded 26 and 14 in 32 minutes versus
Golden State on Thursday.
Sabonis edged Miami center Alonzo Mourning, who averaged 31.7 points
and 12.7 rebounds and tallied a career-high 50 points against
Washington on Friday.
nba.335vpoznanovic,
SHAQ TO MISS GAME BECAUSE OF GRANDMOTHER'S DEATH
NEW YORK -- The Orlando Magic will be without All-Star center
Shaquille O'Neal when they visit the New York Knicks tonight.
O'Neal will miss the game because of the death of his grandmother and
could miss as many as three games. O'Neal had flown to New York on
Tuesday to take care of personal business when he learned of the
death.
O'Neal's maternal grandmother, Odessa Chambliss, died Tuesday night in
Newark, N.J., after a long illness, Magic spokesman Alex Martins said
Wednesday. Martins said he was told by the family that O'Neal was with
his grandmother when she died.
The funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
The Magic play Boston at home Thursday and Sunday against the Chicago
Bulls. Martins said O'Neal's status for the Bulls' game was uncertain.
The All-Star center scored 32 points and had eight rebounds in the
Magic's 98-79 victory against New York on Sunday. O'Neal is averaging
26.4 points and 10.8 eight rebounds. He missed Orlando's first 22
games this season with a torn ligament in his thumb.
O'Neal has led Orlando in scoring for the past four games, averaging
32 points over that span.
The Magic clinched the Atlantic Division title and the second seed in
the Eastern Conference with a 98-79 win over the Knicks in Orlando
Sunday. O'Neal scored 32 points and Penny Hardaway added 20.
The Magic have won seven of their last eight games since consecutive
losses at Denver and Seattle.
Anthony Mason scored 23 points, including a layup with 21 seconds left
as the Knicks rebounded from the loss to Orlando with a 90-86 win over
the Indiana Pacers Tuesday.
The win moved the Knicks within one game of the Pacers in the race for
the third playoff slot in the conference. The teams are tied in the
loss column but New York has two games in hand. The Pacers are playing
the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.
The Knicks have won four straight home games and four of their last
six contests overall.
The Magic have won two of three games from the Knicks this season and
the all-time series is tied, 14-14. New York has won its last two home
games against Orlando.
nba.336vpoznanovic,
PHILADELPHIA'S JERRY STACKHOUSE NAMED NBA ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Jerry Stackhouse of the Philadephia 76ers today was named National
Basketball Association Rookie of the Month for March.
Ironically, Stackhouse is being honoring less than two weeks after the
league suspended him for two games and fined him $7,500 for punching
Utah's John Stockton in a March 21st game.
Stackhouse, the third overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft,
averaged 22.3 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2
steals over 15 games. The swingman from North Carolina broke the
club's rookie scoring mark of 1,280 points with a 26-point effort
against Boston on March 27th.
Other candidates for the award included Boston's Eric Williams, Bob
Sura of Cleveland, Antonio McDyess of Denver, Kurt Thomas of Miami,
Portland's Arvydas Sabonis and Vancouver's Bryant Reeves. Also under
consideration were Joe Smith of Golden State and Toronto's Damon
Stoudamire, who have split the previous four awards.
nba.337vpoznanovic,
GIVE HIM THE THUMB: STACKHOUSE OUT FOR YEAR
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jerry Stackhouse will miss
the last eight games of the season due to a fractured right thumb.
The 76ers' rookie star suffered the injury in Friday night's 108-87
loss to Detroit.
The thumb on his shooting hand is in a cast and Stackhouse is expected
to need six to eight weeks to recover, the team said Saturday.
Soon after he was injured, doctors believed Stackhouse had a strained
ligament and expected him to miss one game. But a stress test and
X-rays on Saturday revealed the break and doctors recommended he sit
out the rest of the season.
Stackhouse was the NBA rookie of the month for March when he averaged
of 22.3 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He also averaged 1.3
blocks and 1.2 steals in 15 games during March.
nba.338vpoznanovic,
STOUDAMIRE TO MISS ABOUT ANOTHER WEEK
Toronto Raptors rookie guard Damon Stoudamire is expected to miss
about another week of action because of tendinitis in his left knee.
Stoudamire, a leading contender for Rookie of the Year honors, missed
Thursday's game against Cleveland and underwent an MRI later in the
night. It revealed some acute patella tendinitis in the knee.
Doctors have prescribed a week of rest, which means Stoudamire will
likely miss three or four more games. Following his rest, Stoudamire
will go on a strengthening program.
The most likely cause for the tendinitis is a lot of playing time, as
he has averaged more than 40 minutes per game through the first 70
contests. Stoudamire leads the team with 19 points and 9.3 assists per
game.
nba.339vpoznanovic,
STRICKLAND PLEADS GUILTY TO STRIKING HIS GIRLFRIEND
NEW YORK -- Rod Strickland, the point guard for the Portland Trail
Blazers, pleaded guilty Monday to hitting his girlfriend.
Criminal Court Judge Lettiteia Martin ordered Strickland to attend a
therapy program for batterers. He faces up to a year in jail if he
fails to attend.
His lawyer, Ira London, refused to comment on the case.
Strickland was arrested in November on charges of assault, menacing
and harassment for allegedly hitting the mother of his 5-year-old son.
Judith Cruz, 31, of New York, said in court papers that Strickland had
"punched her in the eye two or three times, pushing her into a wall,
where she struck her head, then knocked her to the ground -- causing
serious physical injury.''
Prosecutors said the dispute began in a Manhattan nightclub and ended
in the first-floor hallway outside Cruz's apartment. The two were
arguing about their son, Brandon. Cruz said Strickland doesn't spend
enough time with the boy.
"It's been pretty tough, but I'm pretty tough,'' Strickland said in
November. "The most important thing is my family. This doesn't affect
me as much as it affects them. I've been through this before. They
haven't.''
Strickland, 29, was born in the Bronx and played for the New York
Knicks during his first season-and-a-half in the NBA.
He was acquitted along with current teammate Clifford Robinson last
year of misdemeanor battery charges stemming from an argument outside
a McDonald's restaurant in Chicago.
During the 1990-91 season, while playing with the San Antonio Spurs,
Strickland broke his hand in a fight outside a San Antonio night club.
Strickland, 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, is averaging 18.9 points, 9.8
assists and 4.4 rebounds a game.
nba.340vpoznanovic,
VAN GUNDY HAS TWO-YEAR DEAL ... IF KNICKS KEEP HIM
NEW YORK -- Jeff Van Gundy reportedly signed a nonguaranteed, two-year
contract extension just days after replacing Don Nelson as coach of
the New York Knicks.
The New York Times, citing an unidentified team official, reported in
Sunday's editions that Van Gundy signed a deal that would pay him $1
million per year over the next two seasons -- if the Knicks pick up
the option.
According to the report, the contract hinges on whether the team
decides to renew it around July 1, the beginning of the free-agent
signing period. The agreement is entirely at the club's option.
Van Gundy, 34, told the Times on Saturday that he signed the deal
about 10 days after he was hired, but he would not divulge details or
his coaching future. When Van Gundy was hired, Knicks general manager
Ernie Grunfield refused to call him an "interim" coach.
Van Gundy, a Knicks assistant under Nelson, Pat Riley, John MacLeod
and Stu Jackson, is 9-5 since taking over for Nelson, who was fired
March 8.
The Knicks are 44-30 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, 1Ż
games behind the Indiana Pacers.
nba.341vpoznanovic,
COACH OF YEAR CANDIDATES INCLUDE SOME SLEEPERS
Poll: Who deserve to be NBA coach of the year?
There are a number of exciting races as the NBA regular season heads
down the home stretch. Will Pat Riley finally miss out on the
playoffs? Does anyone deserve the eighth spot in the Western
Conference?
Who is the Coach of the Year?
Most people haven't given that one much thought, but the list of
viable and deserving candidates is a lot longer than you might think.
The candidates:
Phil Jackson, Chicago. Any coach who can approach 70 wins deserves
recognition, even if he has Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis
Rodman. Lost in the shuffle is last season's 47-35 record (minus
Jordan for most of the campaign). The Bulls are the prohibitive
favorite to win the NBA championship, and the last coach to win both
Coach of the Year and the Finals was Bill Sharman with the 1971-72
Lakers.
George Karl, Seattle. Give the man credit for another 60-win
season, accomplished with a new shooting guard (Hersey Hawkins) and a
cast of characters like Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Keeping that duo
happy is a challenge. Of course, his real prize will come if his team
advances past the first round of the playoffs.
Bob Hill, San Antonio. The Spurs could win a division title AR
(after Rodman). Hill has allowed Sean Elliott to flourish into a
superstar while Avery Johnson and Vinny Del Negro have been allowed to
excel as a backcourt. It helps having another coach on the floor and
in the locker room in Doc Rivers. Hill has quietly done a nice job.
Brian Hill, Orlando. Consider the injuries and realize the solid
performance of this veteran coach. This is another situation where the
juggling of egos is as important as the x's and o's. He handled the
Shaquille O'Neal situation relatively well last weekend; imagine if he
didn't put him in the game against the Bulls.
Doug Collins, Detroit. He inherited a team which won a total of
48 games over the past two seasons. His leadership has made a
difference as the Pistons are playoff bound for the first time since
1992. Collins didn't receive enough credit in his three-year stint in
Chicago; perhaps that will change this time around.
Mike Fratello, Cleveland. Brad Daugherty never moved from the bench
... Mark Price never put on a Cavs uniform this season either (dealt
to Washington). This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for
Cleveland. Fratello has sold this club on tremendous defense and
Terrell Brandon and company have come through. It's another playoff
run for the Cavs, thanks to the Czar of the Telestrator.
Bill Fitch, L.A. Clippers. Stop laughing at this one. The Clips won
17 games last season and did little to improve the franchise. He has
done a respectable job with limited resources. He won't win the award,
but he deserves some respect.
Seven outstanding performances, but only one trophy. It will be fun
to watch the results in this category following the season.
nba.342vpoznanovic,
DREXLER: LET THE FUN BEGIN
Drexler answers questions about the Rockets' chances in the playoffs,
his team's injuries and whom he thinks is the best in the West.
Q: Do you feel that the Rockets will have enough time to gel together
before the playoffs start because of all the injuries?
Drexler: Last year we had about four days once we got everyone
healthy. We got together and had a mini-camp and it worked out pretty
well for us. This year everybody is healthy and we have about 10 days
before the end of the season. We actually have more time then last
year.
Q: What are your thoughts on some of the guys who have come up from
the CBA? Is there anybody who can help the Rockets in their quest for
a third title?
Drexler: Yes, we have a couple of guys that we brought up that are
pretty good. Sam Mack has made a big impression on the members of this
team. He has shown that he can play at this level and has come in and
contributed.
Q: Because of being together another year and having some new players
come up, do you feel as though the team is better than last year?
Drexler: For the most part I think we are the same team. We've got
the same players and we are looking forward to having the same
results. The question is whether or not we can stay healthy.
Q: Should the Rockets be favored to come out of the West this year?
If not, who do you feel is the team to beat in the West this year?
Drexler: There are about five teams that could come out of the West
this year. We are certainly in the middle of the pack. It's going to
be very interesting this year. There are no mirrors or gimmicks. I
think the team that plays the best is the team that comes out of the
West. Let the fun begin.
Q: It looks as though the Rockets will be paired with the Lakers in
the first round. Obviously your team had some injuries, but now the
Lakers have Nick Van Exel missing the remainder of the regular season
and Cedric Ceballos has some knee problems. Going into the first
round, do you feel that the Lakers are a little off-balance and it
sort of equalizes things with your injuries?
Drexler: I agree, it gives them some instability as well. They have
had to make some adjustments. We certainly have had to make a lot of
them. Both teams will be trying to get things together as we get ready
for our playoff run. It's going to make for a very interesting series.
Q: At the start of the season, the Rockets were doing well -- until
the injuries. Could you assess where you are personally and how you
feel going into the playoffs?
Drexler: Personally, I feel pretty good. I'm starting to feel like
I'm 100 percent healthy; both physically and mentally. It's been a
great year in terms of everything else. The injury bug is the part of
the game that you have to deal with appropriately. I think the team's
frame of mind is most important. There is no one here who doesn't
believe we can't do the same thing we did last year.
Q: Were you shocked at all that the Spurs just got hot all of sudden
and won all 16 games in March?
Drexler: No, not really. They have a really talented team. I'm
shocked they haven't had a better year. For the most part they have a
lot of good players with a lot of good results, just like last season.
It's going to be interesting in the playoffs.
Q: Of course, David Robinson is the leader of the Spurs and
deservedly so. How much do you think Avery Johnson has to do with
them doing so well and how much of a leader do you think he is on the
court?
Drexler: Avery is a very good point guard. I think he is underrated.
The only thing lacking in his overall game is his ability to make open
jump shots. If he could do that, he'd be first team All-NBA. His
penetration, his ability to push the ball up and down the court and
make great passes, I don't think there is anybody in the league that
is any better than him. Avery has become a very capable guard.
Q: You guys have been able to maximize this factor of being the
underdog, the ignored team. Do you think that is still going to be
there this year? Again, people are talking about just about every
team except yours coming out of the West.
Drexler: That is the case every year. For the most part this team
has been able to stick together and come out and do what we can do. We
don't really think much about what everyone says about the other
teams. We know there are good teams out there. If someone overlooks
us, it's not our problem. Our problem is this team. We have to take
care of our own business. We try to do that.
Q: The one injured party on your team that there is some doubt about
is Sam Cassell. What is going on with Sam? Has he been working out
with you guys at all? Do you think he is going to be ready?
Drexel: Sam has been practicing with the team for the last week and
he looks pretty decent. It will probably be about another four or five
days and I think Sam will be back in the line-up. We are looking
forward to having him back. Hopefully we can keep everyone else
healthy in the interim.
Q: I was wondering who you think should be MVP of the league this
year?
Drexler: There are a lot of good candidates. You have to look at
Michael (Jordan), David (Robinson) and even Karl Malone. There are a
lot of good players, you really can't go wrong.
Q: Along the same vein, who do you see as Rookie of the Year?
Drexler: I like (Damon) Stoudamire for Rookie of the Year. I think
he has done an excellent job. He has come in and produced right away,
night after night. You can't argue with that.
Q: If the Rockets could just flip a switch and be a championship team
like they were last year, do you think that's a dangerous thing to
think?
Drexler: I don't think we think that. We are trying to have a great
record this year so we could have the home court advantage throughout
(the playoffs). It was going along pretty well until the injury bug
hit. Once that bug hit, we need to try and survive and live with our
position. It's not a question of turning it on or turning it off. I
think there are legitimate injuries we are trying to get over the best
we can.
Q: The Rockets are two-time Champions, not something that happens
very often in the league. Yet, you seem to be more ignored than teams
who have not won at all. You won once and nobody seems to give you
credit and then you won again and the (respect) still seems to be
lacking. Does the team find that insulting at all?
Drexler: I don't think it's lacking on this end. People in this part
of the country give us a lot of credit. I just think it's people on
the East and West coast who still think their good teams are superior.
They don't look at the end result. Our record speaks for itself.
Q: One of your teammates, Robert Horry had a really big start. He had
a 40-point game and people were projecting all sorts of great things
for Robert. He seems to have flattened out a bit. Could you comment
on the way he has played this season?
Drexler: Robert has been up and down. But for the most part he is
there defensively every night. His offense is a little off, but
defensively his is very good player. He fits in very well with this
team and he's a good guy.
nba.343vpoznanovic,
NBA NICKS VAN EXEL FOR SEVEN GAMES, $25,000
NEW YORK -- In less time than it took the NBA to suspend Dennis Rodman
six games for head-butting a referee, the league slapped Los Angeles
Lakers guard Nick Van Exel with a seven-game suspension and an
NBA-record $25,000 fine on Wednesday for shoving a referee during
Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets.
The suspension means Van Exel will miss the remainder of the regular
season, starting with the Lakers' 111-90 victory at Minnesota on
Wednesday.
Van Exel is scheduled to address the media regarding his suspension on
Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Rod Thorn, the NBA's senior vice president of operations, announced
the suspension and fined Wednesday.
"I think everybody understands that if this happens again, the penalty
will be even more severe," Thorn said.
Van Exel shoved referee Ron Garretson onto the scorer's table
following Van Exel's second technical during the Lakers' 98-91 loss to
Denver. The ejection carries an additional, automatic fine of $1,000.
"We agree with and support the league's decision 100 percent," Lakers
executive Jerry West said in a statement. "I've dedicated 35 years --
my entire adult life -- to this game and this league, and I think it
is imperative that the NBA address the incredible number of incidents
that are undermining the professionalism of this league.
"Personally, I am embarrassed and apologize to our fans."
Lakers veteran Magic Johnson was frustrated with Van Exel's outburst.
"It's inexcusable," Johnson said. "You just don't do that. Now he's
going to have to sit the rest of the season. Just when I thought we
were smart, and then wham!"
Thorn suspended Chicago Bulls forward Rodman for six games and fined
him $20,000 for lightly head-butting referee Ted Bernhardt in a game
last month.
"It was more than Rodman did," Thorn said of Van Exel's actions.
"Therefore, the fine was $5,000 more and one more game. I think we got
Mr. Van Exel's attention."
Van Exel was arguing a call with Garretson during a timeout and
received a technical foul with 3:23 left in the game. Van Exel argued
briefly near the scorer's table and was slapped with a second
technical, calling for an automatic ejection.
Van Exel began to walk away from Garretson, but then suddenly turned
back and pushed the referee onto the scorer's table. Johnson stepped
between the two and held Garretson while Van Exel was restrained by a
team official.
Garretson, who is the son of long-time referee and supervisor of
officials Darell Garretson, said he will reveal what Van Exel said to
him in a full report to his superiors.
"During a timeout, something was said unsportsmanlike by Van Exel to
me," Garretson said after Tuesday's game.
"Nick didn't know he had a technical foul and he tried to find out
why," Johnson said. "He asked about three times but I didn't hear
Ron's response.
"It surprised me. I never in my wildest dreams thought he would push
him. No matter how mad or frustrated you get, you don't do it. He will
hurt himself and hurt the team."
Van Exel, who had 10 points Tuesday, is averaging 14.9 points per game
and leads the Lakers in assists.
"I've seen more of this in one year in this league than in my other 12
years combined with all my other Laker teams," Johnson said of fines
and suspensions. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back."
Johnson returned to the NBA this year after a 4Ż-year retirement.
The Lakers are headed for the playoffs with a 48-28 record. They are
fourth the Western Conference, three games behind Utah and five games
ahead of Houston.
Just three weeks ago, Van Exel had been among the Lakers most critical
of teammate Cedric Ceballos for leaving the team unannounced for four
days.
"He abandoned us," Van Exel said at the time. "At a time like this, at
a time we have to stick together. It's going to be hard."
nba.344vpoznanovic,
VAN EXEL SORRY ABOUT HIS 'BIG MISTAKE'
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Van Exel apologized
Thursday for shoving referee Ron Garretson during Tuesday night's
game at Denver.
"First of all, I'd like to apologize to everyone in the organization,
starting with Jerry Buss down to Jerry West, Mitch Kupchak, everyone
who works with the Lakers," Van Exel said.
Van Exel, who made his first public comments about the incident at a
press conference Thursday, was suspended without pay for the team's
final seven games of the regular season and fined $25,000 for pushing
Garretson onto the scorer's table. Garretson had just issued Van Exel
his second technical and an automatic ejection with 3:23 remaining in
the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 98-91 loss to Denver. The ejection
carries an additional automatic $1,000 fine.
"I have already apologized to my teammates so I apologize to them
again also. But we are human and sometimes we do make mistakes, and I
did make a big mistake. I'm paying for it and I regret it right now,"
Van Exel said.
The suspension, the third-longest for an on-court incident, was
announced Wednesday by NBA senior vice president of operations Rod
Thorn.
Kermit Washington was suspended 26 games in 1977 for punching Rudy
Tomjanovich during a game, and Vernon Maxwell received a 10-game
suspension last year for hitting a fan in the stands.
Thorn suspended Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman for six games and
fined him $20,000 for head-butting referee Ted Bernhardt in a game
last month.
"Behind the scenes me and him have been going at it for three years,
but I could have just walked away, but I didn't," said Van Exel. "I
let my emotions get the best of me and I'm paying for it."
Van Exel was arguing a call with Garretson during a timeout and
received a technical foul with 3:23 left in the game. Van Exel argued
briefly near the scorer's table and was slapped with a second
technical, calling for an automatic ejection.
Van Exel began to walk away from Garretson, but then suddenly turned
back and pushed the referee onto the scorer's table. Magic Johnson
stepped between the two and held Garretson while Van Exel was
restrained by a team official.
"I didn't go back to hit him, I didn't even go back to touch him," Van
Exel said. "I wanted to just go back and yell at him. As I pulled away
from Rudy he was very close to my arm. I can't see myself hitting him
that hard to where he lands or jumps on the table."
Garretson, who is the son of longtime referee and supervisor of
officials Darell Garretson, said he will reveal what Van Exel said to
him in a full report to his superiors.
The Lakers won their first game without Van Exel, defeating the
Minnesota Timberwolves 111-90 Wednesday night. Sedale Threatt, who
started in place of Van Exel, had 20 points and eight assists. Threatt
shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range.
Van Exel, who had 10 points in Tuesday's 98-91 loss, is averaging 14.9
points per game and leads the Lakers in assists.
The Lakers are headed for the playoffs with a 48-28 record.
nba.345vpoznanovic,
LAKERS STUDYING MAGIC OF PSYCHOLOGY
He is a coach on the floor, an extension of head man Del Harris and
Bill Bertka, Harris' astute top assistant.
Magic Johnson is unlike any player in the National Basketball
Association. He is so cerebral about the game, and now that the
playoffs are near, Magic is getting into his teammates' heads,
transmitting messages from the coaching staff.
"I'm working on them," Magic said with his ever-present smile and
glowing countenance. "I'm still getting to know this team, still
getting into their heads, but I have a great feeling about this team."
He is a voice of reason, a voice of influence, and Harris is counting
on Johnson to help bring this team together for the postseason and
make a serious run at the Western Conference title.
The psychological games have begun, and the teacher is Magic Johnson.
Various games the last couple weeks have been huge in Magic's feel for
this team, particularly a recent road trip that resulted in monstrous
victories at Orlando and Miami, and then a key Western Conference
showdown with the San Antonio Spurs at the Forum on Sunday, which the
Lakers also won.
"What a lot of people don't realize is that these guys here have never
been in big regular-season games," said Johnson, a five-time NBA
champion who was missed four seasons before un-retiring in January.
"Everybody forgets that about this team.
"It's funny, but when we were on the road (for a six-game, nine-day
road trip last week), there were a lot of people wearing Lakers
shirts," Magic said. "These guys have never seen that before. So,
they're coming to me saying, 'Buck -- now they call me Uncle Buck
(because of his age) -- is this how it used to be?' I said, 'All the
time. There's Laker fans everywhere.'
"Now these guys are lovin' it. People don't understand that this team
is going through something they've never gone through before, and
they're really enjoying it."
They're thriving on it, in fact, and Magic's experience and knowledge
is the thread connecting the coaching staff to the players.
"We're relying on Magic to help bring these guys along, to take their
hands and show them the way and how to prepare for an experience like
this," Harris says. "His experience, knowledge and the way he deals
with people is priceless for us as coaches."
The treacherous road trip did what Magic hoped: it sealed team
chemistry in light of Cedric Ceballos' controversial defection that
nearly shattered team spirit.
"We really came together on the trip," Johnson said. "This team played
basketball the way basketball should be played -- inside, outside,
defense, offense. It all came together. Guys are settling into their
roles, knowing what they're doing and what's expected."
The key component is focus, and the trip allowed the Lakers to do just
that.
"When a team is focused, it means everything," he said. "You can have
talent, but if you aren't focused you'll lose."
Part of Magic's job these next few weeks as the coach on the floor
will be to make sure the Lakers are focused, ready and prepared.
nba.346vpoznanovic,
KEVIN JOHNSON OF PHOENIX NAMED NBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Phoenix Suns point guard Kevin Johnson today was named the National
Basketball Association Player of the Week for the period ending April
7th.
Johnson averaged 21.5 points and 11 assists per game in leading
Phoenix to a 3-1 record for the week. He led the team in scoring in
wins over Utah and Vancouver, and dished out 12 assists as the Suns
snapped the San Antonio Spurs' 17-game winning streak last week.
Johnson also had 15 assists in the team's 130-121 double-overtime loss
to Seattle on Friday.
In 21 games since the All-Star break, Johnson has picked up the pace,
averaging 21.5 points, 9.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Johnson earned the award over teammate Wesley Person, Orlando's Horace
Grant and Toni Kukoc of Chicago.
nba.347vpoznanovic,
WILLIAMS REBOUNDS FROM THE PAIN
The first thing you notice is his infectious laugh. But it doesn't
take long to realize Jayson Williams' laughter hides the pain. The
great pain.
Williams is only 28, but he's already done too much living. He grew up
on the lower East Side of Manhattan in a neighborhood that would exact
a terrible price on the family before letting it go. Only now, after
Williams dedicated himself to healthy living and becoming the best
rebounder you've probably never heard of, can he and his family think
about the future without wallowing in the past.
"You sing that song, 'I was always smiling on the outside, tracking my
tears,'" Williams said. "I guess that's what I have to do to escape
this kind of stuff."
Tragedy strikes
There is the particularly poignant memory of one day in the early
1980s when, as a teenager, he entered the building where he lived.
"I saw some blood in the elevator and said, 'Wow, somebody must have
gotten hurt,'" Williams said. "Then I came out and I saw the blood in
the hallway and I saw the blood all the way to the door. I opened the
door and saw my sister lying on the floor. She was stabbed 17 times
and a hammer was broken over her head. The guy robbed her for two
dollars.
"She had to be rushed to the hospital in order to get a blood
transfusion. She wound up catching the AIDS virus."
When Linda Williams was diagnosed with AIDS in 1982, AIDS wasn't even
called AIDS. It was believed to be a disease acquired by gay men or
people of Haitian decent. Because people knew so little about the
disease, Linda was treated like a pariah. She was denied dental work
for teeth that her mother had to pull. She was forced to use the
hospital garbage elevator when visiting for treatment.
"While she was in the hospital it was like a scene from the movie
'Outbreak'," Williams recalled. "They had to wear all this stuff -- a
mask, these gowns and stuff over their shoes to go and see her. I
refused to do that; this is my sister."
Even after she died, Linda Williams could not escape humiliation; a
funeral home rejected her remains. Eventually, she received refuge
from a catholic church. She entered the books as one of the first AIDS
casualties in New York City.
But before her AIDS was diagnosed, Linda, while coping with the
assault, turned -- along with her sister Laura -- to intravenous drug
use.
"She could never live with her face being beaten up like that,"
Williams said. "She started doing stuff she shouldn't be doing. And
unfortunately my second sister caught the virus also -- from my first
sister. I guess that's the way she caught it; that's the way we
perceived it. I lost both my sisters who were my best friends."
Mrs. Williams noticed her son's pain.
"It was very hard on him," she remembered, "because he was hurt. He
was angry and the people on the lower East Side weren't used to women
having AIDS. So he stood out."
Laura Williams died in 1986.
Jayson's play suffers
Jayson says the deaths of his sisters had nothing to do with how he
behaved. But the loss of his sisters -- and one of their husbands --
to AIDS coincided with near-destructive behavior in Jayson's own life.
While at St. John's, he struck a fan with a chair during a game at
Providence College -- allegedly because the fan spat at him. During
two unproductive seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, he owned a bar
and partied hard.
"Playing your rookie season with Charles Barkley, you go out every
night and he goes on two hours of sleep." Williams said. "I'm a guy
that needs eight hours of sleep. So going out with Charles Barkley, he
just ruined me for two years. It took my liver two years to recover
after hanging out with Charles Barkley. So I miss Charles Barkley like
a diaper rash."
Two years ago, as a member of the New Jersey Nets, Williams realized
he had to slow down his off-the-court activities.
"There just comes a time in a man's life where he says 'Boom, I've got
to quit acting like a kid. I've got to grow up,'" he explained.
Williams lost weight (25 pounds), shed the bar and stopped drinking
alcohol during the regular season. These efforts have not gone
unnoticed by his mother.
"At 28," she said, "I have seen him start to change and start to be
more mature. He knows that if he is going to stay in this business of
the NBA, he needs to change his ways."
Williams' teammates have also noticed his transformation.
"I think he's more grounded now," Nets forward Armon Gilliam said.
"Now I think he'll try to do the right things. He's a guy that's
concerned about going to chapel now. He's trying to get himself on the
right track."
With his personal life under better control, Williams next needed to
worry about his professional life. Considered one of the strongest
players in the league, but not a consistent scorer, Williams has
turned to a role that defines him off the court -- rebounder.
"I tried it for one night and pulled down like 16 rebounds in 18
minutes and I said, 'Man, I could make a living out of this,'" he
explained.
Finally ... home sweet home
Off the court, Williams is fulfilling his dream -- a dream house.
Twenty years ago, he worked with his father in construction. Now, they
work together building a home in New Jersey where everyone will live.
Everyone. That includes a child of each of his late sisters and infant
Alex Jayson -- born to Monique, daughter of Laura. And it also
includes reserving a spot for each of his sisters.
"I have two bedrooms and nobody ever sleeps in them, that's why I need
16 bedrooms," Williams said. "One is for Linda and one is for Laura.
I'll dress it up and decorate it just the way I think they would like
it. I'll go in there and say, 'Here it is, we finally got it. We
finally made it right here and we are going to have a good time. This
is your house.'
"They will always be with me -- They are with me all the time."
nba.348vpoznanovic,
BULLETS LOSE MURESAN FOR REST OF SEASON
LANDOVER, Md. -- Washington Bullets center Gheorghe Muresan will miss
the remainder of the season after injuring his right knee in a game
against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
A magnetic resonance imaging exam taken Thursday revealed a torn
medial collateral ligament and a partial tear of the medial meniscus
cartilage in the right knee. The injury will not require surgery.
Muresan suffered the injury 3:27 into the game when Boston's David
Wesley drove the lane and accidentally kicked the outside of Muresan's
right leg as he fell.
A candidate for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, Muresan is
leading the club with 9.6 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks while
averaging 14.5 points per outing. He was the lone Bullet to start all
76 games this season and was leading the league in field goal
percentage (58.3).
"He's a big inside scorer and his a big defensive stopper," Bullets
forward Juwan Howard said. "Without Gheorghe, it is not going to be
easy. But we're not done yet. We've overcome every injury thus far and
we truly believe we can still make the playoffs this season."
The Bullets are also without forwards Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace
and guard Mark Price for the rest of the season. The team currently
stands 1Ż games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth and last
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
nba.349vpoznanovic,
DREAMING AGAIN: ROCKETS GET OLAJUWON BACK TONIGHT
HOUSTON -- The reeling Houston Rockets get a chance to right
themselves against the lowly Vancouver Grizzlies when the two Midwest
Division teams meet tonight at 8:30 ET.
Houston, which has lost three straight and nine of its past 10 games,
is expected to enjoy the return of center Hakeem Olajuwon, who has
missed the past seven games with tendinitis in both knees. The Rockets
lost six of those games and were 1-4 on the road during the stretch.
On Sunday, the Rockets lost 111-105 at Denver. Mark Bryant had 27
points and eight rebounds for the undermanned Rockets, who trail the
Los Angeles Lakers by 3Ż games for the fourth spot in the Western
Conference playoff race. The Rockets, who have clinched a playoff
berth, lead the Portland Trail Blazers by 3Ż games for the fifth spot
in the West.
Houston has lost six consecutive home games entering tonight's
contest. It is the longest losing streak since a franchise-record
11-game skid in the 1982-83 season.
Vancouver continues to play for pride in its inaugural NBA season. The
Grizzlies have lost consecutive games since snapping their 23-game
losing streak and have lost 31 of their past 33 games.
The Grizzlies were drilled 112-92 at home by Phoenix on Sunday. Bryant
Reeves scored 13 points for Vancouver, which enters tonight's game
with a 17-game losing streak on the road.
Vancouver is 3-34 on the road and 2-17 against Midwest Division
opponents.
Houston has won the three games between the teams by a combined 33
points. The Rockets posted a 95-89 victory at Vancouver on March 10,
behind 42 points and 18 rebounds from Olajuwon. Chris King scored 17
points for Vancouver, which has not allowed more than 100 points in
any of the three games.
nba.350vpoznanovic,
HILL INVOKES BIRD-LIKE COMPARISONS
He tops the Pistons in nearly every major statistical category, but
more importantly the team's results have been positive, too. Grant
Hill and his teammates are on the brink of their first playoff
appearance since the 1991-92 edition of the Bad Boys.
But instead of Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas, this
Detroit edition is led by the soft-spoken forward from Duke, whose
star has risen beyond the flashy commercials and last year's rookie
honors.
"We've put the ball in Grant's hands and asked him to lead our team,"
said head coach Doug Collins.
"I enjoy having the ball in my hands," Hill said. "Hopefully my
teammates enjoy it as well."
Hill averaged 20.9 points and 9.8 rebounds through Detroit's first 73
games, in this just his second season in the league. Still learning
the game at 23 years of age, his potential is limitless.
"I think he's learned from year one to year two how to control a
game," said veteran teammate Joe Dumars. "Last year he did it strictly
on ability. This year he's thinking and controling the games."
"I've gotten stronger and am playing a lot more minutes now," Hill
said. "I'm able to play without being tired. I have a ball in my hands
a lot more so I have to make more decisions."
Improvement away from the ball
But Hill's biggest impact may be without the ball.
"I think what I've seen in his development is his concentration,"
Collins said. "We want him to feel like he's having an effect in every
minute that he plays. So, you know the numbers this year don't really
jump out as improvement.
"The big change is we're winning and I think our defensive numbers
are way down so his impact on the game is much greater this year than
last year."
This season's numbers for Hill are similar to another great player
who wore uniform No. 33. In his second NBA season, Larry Bird averaged
21 points, nearly 11 boards and about six assists.
So is there a natural comparison?
"You can't say that," Hill said. "Larry Bird was arguably the best
player ever to play the game. I'm just in my second season. Scoring,
rebounding, leadership -- whatever it took to win, he did it."
"The thing I don't like to do is compare players," Collins said. "I
think players are unique in their own way.
"If you want to make a comparison of his impact on our team and the
fact that when the game is on the line we want the ball in his hands
for himself or for someone else, then I would say that's a fair
comparison."
As much as Hill wants to play down such comparisons, the similarities
go well beyond just the stat sheet.
"They have the ability to make the other guys around them better,"
said Celtics head coach and former Bird teammate M.L. Carr. "They look
to them.
"He's getting other guys involved. Larry did the same thing. If Larry
wanted to score 35 points a game he could have done that. Grant has
the ability to do that, but they are total team players. Those
qualities stand out."
Hill and Dr. J?
Not everybody agrees with Carr, especially another former Bird
teammate.
"No!" said former Celtic Cedric Maxwell. "They are two completely
different players. I think Grant Hill physically just has so much more
talent getting up and down the court. I just think that Larry Bird was
just a basketball player per se.
"I would compare him with someone like Julius Erving."
"You're trying to compare a guy who's in his second season to a guy
who's trying to enter the Hall of Fame," points out Dennis Johnson,
who also played with Bird in Boston. "I see no comparisons at all."
The two players may have the similar effects on their respective
teams, but as former Celtic great Tommy Heinsohn points out, they do
it in very different ways.
"Larry Bird was a great three-point shooter," Heinsohn said. "That
set up the rest of his game. I don't think that's the biggest thing
that Grant Hill does. Hill is a take it to the basket guy with power.
The strength of their games is completely different.
"The underlying thing for me is the competitiveness. They'll go out
and know that they will have to continue to improve, expand their game
as the defenses start to learn their moves."
As much as Hill is flattered by the comparisons, he remembers a time
when being compared with Bird was unacceptable to him.
"I think it's interesting cause growing up I was always a Lakers fan
and I really use to dislike the Celts and dislike Larry Bird," Hill
recalls. "But as I got older and got to understand the game a lot
more, I really appreciate what he did.
"I've got almost all the tapes of when Boston played the Pistons and
I've been able to watch him and it's beautiful to watch. He wasn't the
most athletic guy but he was so smart and he knew how to maximize what
he had."
If Hill can maximize what he has, the results may be frightening.
nba.351vpoznanovic,
NBA BEAT: SONICS FOCUS ... FINALLY
Shawn Kemp apologized to his teammates this week for missing a team
flight to Portland last Saturday. He probably wouldn't have apologized
in the past. Maybe the Sonics are finally putting their knucklehead
days behind them.
Veteran guard Nate McMillan thinks Kemp and Gary Payton may have
finally turned the maturity corner.
"The best thing to do is take it out on the floor, take it out on the
other team, not on your teammates," McMillan said. "We've gotten a
little smarter."
Staying in Beantown?
Pervis Ellison has made what seemed a like a no-brainer into an
interesting call for the Celtics. They'll have 15 days after the
season ends to decide whether to pick up the remaining four years of
Ellison's $12 million contract.
Boston could use the room. Right now, the Celtics will have $10
million fewer than the Heat this off-season, $8 million fewer than the
Knicks and $5 million fewer than the Bullets -- all division rivals.
But lately, Ellison has been playing like the 20-point, 10-rebound guy
he was three years ago. And this will be the first time in five years
that his knees will be healthy enough to allow him to play over the
summer.
The envelope please ...
If it's April, it's time to hand out honors for the best of the NBA
this season:
Most valuable player: Michael Jordan. The best player on the best
team -- a team that's going to win 70 games. Enough said.
Coach of the year: Phil Jackson. With apologies to Mike Fratello,
Doug Collins and Bob Hill, Jackson is the head coach of the team
that's going to win 70 games. Enough said.
Rookie of the year: Damon Stoudamire. Yes, he has played a ton of
minutes, shot 42 percent and played for an expansion team that gives
him free reign, but he still has been terrific and a true leader.
Defensive player of the year: Gary Payton. He has been the leader on
a defense that's held opponents to 43 percent shooting, and will lead
the league in steals.
Best sixth man: Jayson Williams. He is averaging 10.3 rebounds in
exactly 23 minutes of play a night. There's a reason he doesn't play
more. Right?
Most improved player: Elden Campbell. His shooting has gone from 45
to 50 percent over last year; he has blocked 60 more shots; he has 60
more assists, grabbed 140 more rebounds and increased his steals.
That's not all due to Magic's return.
Executive of the year: Pat Riley. Despite the constraints of the
cap, Riley acquired a top-five center, a top-shelf point guard and
veterans entering the prime of their career -- all while clearing $13
million in cap room for next season.
All-NBA first team: Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Anfernee Hardaway,
Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill.
Biggest surprise: Cleveland.
Biggest disappointment: Denver. The Nuggets have squandered talent a
dozen other teams would love to have. They still have an outside shot
at the playoffs, but as one member of the organization put it, they
don't deserve to go.
nba.352vpoznanovic,
NETS MUST FINISH SEASON WITHOUT GILL
New Jersey Nets guard Kendall Gill, who has been on the injured list
since suffering a fractured left hand on Feb. 14, will miss the
remainder of the season.
Gill was examined Monday by Doctor Charles Melone, who determined that
Gill's strength is not 100 percent. The hand is not fully functional
and if he played, it could cause damage to the healing process.
"We are disappointed, especially for Kendall that he will not be able
to play before the season ends," Nets general manager Willis Reed
said. "But we feel this is a proper decision. Kendall has an excellent
prognosis for full recovery and the risks to his career are too great
to have him suffer any setbacks."
Gill suffered an unstable fracture of the left index metacarpal bone
in a game against Indiana when the elbow of Pacers guard Reggie Miller
landed on Gill's hand. He had surgery on Feb. 16.
Gill's season ends with him averaging 14 points per game. He had
provided an offensive boost since coming over in the trade that sent
Kenny Anderson to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 19, averaging 17.5
points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 11 games with New Jersey.
The Nets acquired Gill and guard Khalid Reeves from the Hornets for
point guard Anderson and swingman Gerald Glass. The 27-year-old Gill
is in his sixth season in the NBA. He had two stints with Charlotte
and also played for the Seattle SuperSonics.
nba.353vpoznanovic,
KNICKS' OAKLEY TO MISS ONE WEEK WITH EYE INJURY
NEW YORK -- New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley is expected to miss
at least one week with a displaced fracture near his right eye socket.
Oakley suffered the injury when he was hit with an inadvertent elbow
by teammate Patrick Ewing in Tuesday's game against Boston. He needed
six stitches to close a gash under the eye and missed Thursday's game
against Cleveland.
The injury is expected to take approximately a week for the swelling
to subside. He will then be re-examined by Knicks team physician
Norman Scott. Depending on the severity of the injury, the Knicks will
then determine if Oakley will be able to play with or without a
protective mask.
Oakley is expected to miss Saturday afternoon's game at Miami and
Monday's game against Toronto. J.R. Reid started for the injured
Oakley in Thursday's 101-97 loss to Cleveland.
The Knicks (45-32) are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, 2Ż
games behind Indiana and one game in front of Cleveland in the playoff
race.
Oakley was activated from the injured list on March 26 after missing
19 games with a fractured right thumb. In 10 games since his return,
Oakley averaged 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. Oakley has missed 23
games this season due to injuries.
Oakley is averaging 11.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 53 games this
season.
nba.354vpoznanovic,
NBA TICKER ... GRANT: 1 GAME SUSPENSION, $5,000 FINE ...
NEW YORK -- The NBA on Thursday suspended Orlando Magic forward Horace
Grant one game and fined him $5,000 for punching Cleveland Cavaliers
forward Danny Ferry in a game at Orlando Wednesday night.
Grant threw at punch at Ferry with 2:53 remaining in the third
quarter of Orlando's 116-104 win. He was ejected following the
incident, which is an additional automatic $1,000 fine.
Grant will miss Friday's game at home against the Indiana Pacers.
nba.355vpoznanovic,
'DO THE RIGHT THING: RODMAN CHANGES COLOR FOR A CAUSE
CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman's shocking pink hair
was chosen for a reason other than shock value.
The tempestuous rebounding specialist has gone through red, blond,
rust, green and other dye jobs. But Rodman says he will keep his pink
hairdo until Mother's Day to show support for women with breast
cancer.
The Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization asked Rodman to use his
head to advertise their May "Paint the Town Pink" week, which raises
money for its breast cancer support hotline and other services.
"I don't normally dye my hair for a cause, but this one hits close to
home," Rodman said Friday in a statement. "My aunt is a breast cancer
survivor, and I wanted to do it."
nba.356vpoznanovic,
SEVERAL SOURCES SAY BARKLEY, RICHMOND ARE FINAL OLYMPIC HOOP INVITES
NEW YORK -- So whose sources are right?
According to a Thursday report by KHTK Radio in Sacramento, Kings
guard Mitch Richmond and Seattle SuperSonics forward Shawn Kemp were
asked to fill the final two roster spots on the U.S. men's Olympic
basketball team. The radio report cited several NBA sources, including
Kings play-by-play man Grant Napear.
However, several sources told The Associated Press that Richmond and
Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley got the call to join the team at
the Olympics in Atlanta this summer. ESPN's David Aldridge and the
Dallas Morning News reported the same on Friday.
DREAM TEAM
Anfernee Hardaway
Grant Hill
Karl Malone
Reggie Miller
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Scottie Pippen
David Robinson
Glenn Robinson
John Stockton
On Friday, Richmond and Barkley declined to confirm the reported
invitations.
The Associated Press said its sources were close to the selection
committee but had asked not to be identified. If the selected players
-- whoever they are -- decide to accept the invitations, their
selections will be announced Saturday on NBC.
Richmond, who is averaging 23.3 points per game for Sacramento, is
among the most respected players in the game. Some of the league's
most visible performers, most notably Michael Jordan, have openly
pushed for Richmond to be selected.
Richmond is on pace to become just the seventh player in NBA history
to average 21 or more points per game in each of his first eight
seasons.
Kemp was a member of Dream Team II, which won the gold medal at the
world championships in Toronto during the summer of 1994. He was
chastised for grabbing his crotch after dunks during the world
championships, and members of the media speculated that might damage
his chances of making the '96 Olympic team.
Barkley wasn't exactly a monument to diplomacy during the 1992
Olympics, when the first Dream Team won the gold medal. During the
opening game, Barkley delivered an elbow to the chest of an Angolan
player as they ran down the court, prompting criticism from the media
and Barkley's U.S. teammates.
Kemp is averaging 20 points and 11.6 rebounds per game this season and
has led the Seattle SuperSonics to the best record in the Western
Conference. Barkley is averaging 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds.
Barkley was the leading scorer on the first Dream Team, which also
included Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The team also included
David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone and John Stockton, all
members of the '96 Olympic team.
nba.357vpoznanovic,
Chicago (113) At New Jersey (100)
Chicago
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Pippen F 28 5-15 3-4 3 2 5 3 0 0 2 15
Kukoc F 33 5-11 2-4 3 3 6 6 0 0 2 14
Rodman C 30 3-3 0-1 4 8 12 1 3 2 1 6
Harper G 26 5-9 4-6 3 0 3 4 2 0 2 14
Jordan G 26 8-18 1-4 3 4 7 3 0 3 3 17
Wennington 16 5-7 1-1 2 1 3 1 4 1 1 11
Kerr 24 4-8 3-3 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 12
Edwards 11 2-5 2-2 2 1 3 0 4 0 2 6
Brown 11 4-6 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 9
Caffey 16 0-3 3-6 4 3 7 0 2 0 2 3
Buechler 14 1-3 4-4 2 1 3 1 1 0 0 6
Simpkins 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 240 42-89 23-35 26 26 52 23 18 8 17 113
(.472) (.657) Team Rebs: 14 Total To: 18(25 Pts)
New Jersey
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Brown F 31 4-9 1-3 2 1 3 1 3 0 1 9
A Gilliam F 28 5-11 1-2 4 3 7 0 4 2 4 11
Williams C 21 4-5 0-0 2 5 7 0 2 0 2 8
Childs G 45 10-18 1-1 2 2 4 8 4 2 2 23
Reeves G 23 6-8 0-0 0 1 1 2 6 3 3 14
Bradley 26 4-9 1-4 1 1 2 1 5 0 2 9
Fleming 34 7-12 1-2 0 1 1 2 0 1 3 15
Graham 10 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0
Mahorn 16 3-3 5-6 2 3 5 0 5 0 1 11
Werdann 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Dare Dnp - Sprained Right Ankle
Obannon Dnp - Sore Left Hamstring
Totals 240 43-77 10-18 13 18 31 16 30 8 18 100
(.558) (.556) Team Rebs: 4 Total To: 20(29 Pts)
Chicago 29 25 31 28 - 113
New Jersey 20 18 34 28 - 100
Blocked Shots: Chicago - Rodman 2, Harper, Simpkins. New Jersey -
Bradley 2, A Gilliam.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Chicago 6-18 (.333), Pippen 2-6, Kukoc 2-4, Harper 0-1,
Jordan 0-1, Kerr 1-4, Brown 1-1, Buechler 0-1. New Jersey 4-10 (.400),
Childs 2-6, Reeves 2-3, Graham 0-1.
Technicals: Chicago - Rodman, New Jersey - Assistant Coach Ray, Bradley.
Officials: Hugh Evans, Nolan Fine, Jim Capers.
A - 20,049. T - 2:02.
nba.358vpoznanovic,
BULLS TIE FRANCHISE RECORD BY CUTTING DOWN NETS
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The last time the Chicago Bulls visited New
Jersey, Scottie Pippen stayed in Illinois because of injuries and
Dennis Rodman was ejected for head-butting a referee. The Bulls still
won.
Chicago was operating at full speed this time, and Michael Jordan
scored 17 points to lead six Bulls in double-figures as Chicago tied a
franchise record with its 67th victory of the season, 113-100 over the
Nets on Thursday.
"They play on a different level than we do," New Jersey coach Butch
Beard said. "This is like a scrimmage for them."
Chicago tied the franchise record set by the 1991-92 Bulls, who went
67-15 en route to the second of their three consecutive NBA titles.
Pippen scored 15 points Thursday and Toni Kukoc and Ron Harper had 14
apiece for the Bulls (67-9), who clinched home-court advantage
throughout the playoffs.
"From now on, none of the games are important because we clinched home
court," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "I don't want to run anyone
into the ground. At the same time, I want to give everyone enough time
so they don't lose their rhythm."
Chicago needs to go just 3-3 in its final six games to become the
first team in NBA history to post 70 victories in a regular season.
"If we can't go 3-3 in the last six games, something's wrong," said
Chicago guard Steve Kerr, who scored 12 points against New Jersey.
Bill Wennington had 11 points in only 16 minutes and Rodman, making a
rare start at center, grabbed 12 rebounds.
Chris Childs scored 23 points and Vern Fleming had 15 for New Jersey,
which has lost five in a row.
After leading 29-20 after a quarter, the Bulls broke the game open
with a 14-2 spree to start the second period. Kerr and New Jersey's
Jayson Williams traded baskets to make it 31-22 before Chicago scored
the next 10 points.
Wennington and Kerr hit jumpers before Rodman had a tip-in for a 37-22
lead with 9:14 left in the second period. Harper scored consecutive
baskets and James Edwards capped the run with a 13-footer to give the
Bulls a 43-22 lead with 7:24 remaining.
Jordan gave Chicago its largest lead of the game at 80-54 with 3:28
remaining in the third quarter with a dunk. New Jersey came no closer
than nine points thereafter.
"Sometimes it's tough to get motivated in certain situations," said
Jordan, who played just 26 minutes. "Phil utilized the situation to
rest some of us."
Chicago shot 47 percent (42 for 89) from the field and outrebounded
the Nets 52-31.
"You only have to win games. It's not the process -- it's whether you
win," Jackson said of his liberal substitutions in the game. "I was
more pleased with my bench than my starters. The first unit was
lackadaisical. I was more pleased with my bench in the second and
fourth quarters."
Eleven Chicago players saw at least 11 minutes of action and no
starter played more than 33 minutes.
New Jersey shot a season-high 56 percent (43 for 77) from the field.
Khalid Reeves scored 14 points and Armon Gilliam and Rick Mahorn had
11 apiece.
nba.359vpoznanovic,
Cleveland (101) At New York (97)
Cleveland
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mills F 36 1-6 4-4 1 1 2 4 3 1 2 6
Ferry F 36 11-13 5-6 0 2 2 0 5 1 0 32
Cage C 22 2-2 2-2 1 1 2 0 3 0 1 6
Phills G 42 5-10 2-4 1 3 4 4 4 0 2 14
Brandon G 38 7-12 4-5 0 1 1 7 0 2 4 18
Hill 27 5-7 4-6 3 5 8 1 5 1 2 14
Majerle 29 3-10 3-3 0 0 0 4 3 2 1 11
Sura 10 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 3 0 2 0
Crotty Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Johnson Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Lang Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Marshall Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 34-60 24-30 6 15 21 20 26 7 14 101
(.567) (.800) Team Rebs: 10 Total To: 16(16 Pts)
New York
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mason F 45 4-8 9-11 5 2 7 6 4 0 2 17
Reid F 23 3-6 0-0 2 2 4 0 2 1 1 6
Ewing C 41 11-18 7-9 5 6 11 2 5 1 6 29
Starks G 34 4-11 3-3 1 1 2 8 5 1 1 14
Harper G 41 5-10 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 3 8 12
Davis 32 5-9 2-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
Anderson 17 1-3 0-0 0 4 4 2 3 1 0 2
Williams 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0
Gary Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Lohaus Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Oakley Dnp - Not With Team
Ward Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 33-65 21-25 13 18 31 22 21 7 18 97
(.508) (.840) Team Rebs: 6 Total To: 18(16 Pts)
Cleveland 20 22 34 25 - 101
New York 18 27 31 21 - 97
Blocked Shots: Cleveland - Mills. New York - Williams.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Cleveland 9-20 (.450), Mills 0-2, Ferry 5-5, Phills
2-4, Brandon 0-2, Majerle 2-7. New York 10-18 (.556), Starks 3-5, Harper
2-5, Davis 5-7, Anderson 0-1.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Mike Mathis, Woody Mayfield, Greg Willard.
A - 19,763. T - 2:23.
nba.360vpoznanovic,
Cleveland 101, New York 97
Danny Ferry scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the second half
and Terrell Brandon's layup with 3:16 to play snapped a tie as the
Cleveland Cavaliers moved closer to clinching a playoff berth with a
101-97 victory over the New York Knicks.
Brandon added 18 points for Cleveland (44-33), which also pulled
within one game of the Knicks for the fourth spot in the Eastern
Conference. A Cavaliers' victory or a loss by Miami or Charlotte will
clinch a playoff berth for Cleveland.
Patrick Ewing scored 29 points and Hubert Davis added 17 for the
Knicks (45-34), who have lost four consecutive home games to
Cleveland.
The Cavs are 17-4 when scoring 100 points or more. The road team has
won the last seven games in the series.
Derek Harper tied the game at 87-87 with a baseline jumper with 4:12
remaining. The Knicks had a chance to take the lead, but John Starks
missed a three-pointer from the top of the key.
Brandon then triggered a 7-0 spurt with a driving layup to give
Cleveland an 89-87 lead with 3:16 to play. Harper missed a
three-pointer and Ferry buried his fifth three-pointer of the game to
push the lead to 92-87. Bobby Phills capped the run with a layup to
make it 94-87 with 2:15 to go.
The Knicks made things interesting in the final minute. Anthony Mason
hit the first of two free throws to make it 96-93. He missed the
second, but Ewing was able to grab the offensive rebound. He was
fouled putting up a shot that rolled off the rim. Ewing, however,
missed the first foul shot with 23.5 seconds left and made the second
to pull New York within 96-94.
Ferry and Chris Mills each sank two free throws to ice the game.
Ferry, whose previous career high was 31 against Charlotte on February
13th, was 11-of-13 from the field and made all five of his three-point
shots.
Phills and Tyrone Hill added 14 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who
shot 57 percent (34-of-60) from the field. Dan Majerle scored 11 off
the bench.
Mason also scored 17 points for New York, which shot 51 percent
(33-of-65) from the field and 10-of-18 three-point shots. Harper and
Starks combined for 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting.
nba.361vpoznanovic,
Dallas (99) At Portland (114)
Dallas
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mccloud F 39 6-23 2-4 3 3 6 2 2 1 2 17
Jones F 35 5-9 1-2 1 8 9 3 3 0 1 11
Williams C 27 1-2 0-0 4 3 7 1 2 1 1 2
Jackson G 32 9-22 4-4 1 4 5 6 4 0 0 23
Kidd G 39 7-16 1-2 3 7 10 10 3 2 4 19
Dumas 16 1-7 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 2 1 2
Parks 8 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Harris 9 1-6 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3
Meyer 21 2-8 3-5 4 1 5 1 4 0 0 7
Wood 14 3-4 4-4 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 11
Brooks Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Davis Dnp - Left Knee Surgery
Totals 240 37-101 15-21 16 29 45 26 20 8 9 99
(.366) (.714) Team Rebs: 7 Total To: 9(8 Pts)
Portland
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Grant F 27 4-10 0-2 1 7 8 0 0 1 2 8
C Robinson F 30 3-9 4-8 2 3 5 4 3 0 0 11
Sabonis C 23 6-9 8-8 6 9 15 1 2 0 2 21
Mckie G 17 1-7 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 1 0 2
Strickland G 34 7-12 2-2 0 2 2 8 0 1 2 17
Dudley 21 2-5 1-2 0 9 9 0 2 2 2 5
Wingfield 18 4-7 2-2 2 3 5 1 6 1 0 11
J Robinson 22 5-9 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 2 10
Williams 24 8-11 1-2 2 5 7 2 1 0 0 18
R Robinson 14 3-5 1-2 0 2 2 6 2 2 1 7
Trent 6 1-4 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 2
Spencer 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
Totals 240 45-89 19-28 13 46 59 24 19 8 12 114
(.506) (.679) Team Rebs: 12 Total To: 12(16 Pts)
Dallas 17 24 27 31 - 99
Portland 20 36 29 29 - 114
Blocked Shots: Dallas - Jones 2, Williams, Meyer. Portland - C Robinson,
Dudley, J Robinson.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Dallas 10-40 (.250), Mccloud 3-12, Jones 0-2, Jackson
1-7, Kidd 4-9, Dumas 0-2, Parks 0-2, Harris 1-4, Wood 1-2. Portland 5-15
(.333), C Robinson 1-3, Sabonis 1-2, Mckie 0-2, Strickland 1-2, Wingfield
1-2, J Robinson 0-2, Williams 1-1, R Robinson 0-1.
Technicals: Portland - J Robinson.
Officials: Ron Garretson, David Jones, Jim Kinsey.
A - 20,436. T - 1:52.
nba.362vpoznanovic,
Portland 114, Dallas 99
Buck Williams and Arvydas Sabonis combined for 16 points in a
second-quarter run as the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers rolled to a
114-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Sabonis finished with 21 points and Williams 18 for Portland, which
opened up a two-game lead over the Phoenix Suns for sixth place in the
Western Conference. The Trail Blazers won for the 14th time in their
last 16 games and swept the season series.
Jim Jackson scored 23 points and Jason Kidd added 19 for Dallas, which
has lost 16 of its last 20 games. The Mavericks have lost 24 of the
last 29 games between the teams.
Portland used a 27-12 run in the second quarter to take a 56-41 lead
at halftime. The run was highlighted by an 8-3 spurt early on as
Rumeal Robinson, Horace Grant and Williams scored to give the Blazers
a 36-25 lead. After a three-pointer by Kidd, Sabonis had a basket to
push the lead to 38-28.
The Blazers took their largest lead of the game at 100-79 on a
three-pointer by Dontonio Wingfield with 6:20 to play.
Rod Strickland had 17 points and eight assists for Portland, which
shot 51 percent (45-of-89) from the field. Wingfield and Clifford
Robinson added 11 apiece and James Robinson netted 10.
Portland outrebounded the Mavericks, 59-45.
Popeye Jones and David Wood added 11 points apiece for Dallas, which
shot just 37 percent (36-of-101) from the field and 10-of-40 from
three-point range. The Mavericks never led in the game.
nba.363vpoznanovic,
Denver (109) At Houston (113)
Denver
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D Ellis F 40 7-18 3-4 0 5 5 1 3 1 1 19
L Ellis F 28 5-7 1-2 3 5 8 4 5 2 2 11
Mcdyess C 32 10-17 3-5 7 4 11 0 4 0 3 23
Stith G 23 3-7 1-2 3 3 6 2 1 0 2 7
Rose G 38 6-12 3-6 2 4 6 10 3 1 3 15
Hammonds 23 4-8 6-6 1 4 5 0 1 0 1 14
Maclean 36 8-17 2-4 2 10 12 5 2 0 3 18
Fish 9 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 2
Overton 11 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 4 1 0 0 0
Grant Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Williams Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Mutombo Dnp - Left Hamstring Injury
Totals 240 44-89 19-29 18 36 54 28 21 4 15 109
(.494) (.655) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 15(21 Pts)
Houston
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Horry F 24 2-4 0-0 0 2 2 6 4 2 0 6
Brown F 27 6-10 1-3 2 5 7 0 1 0 1 13
Olajuwon C 36 14-22 9-12 1 9 10 0 4 2 2 37
Drexler G 39 7-20 3-4 3 7 10 8 5 2 3 18
Smith G 24 4-7 0-0 1 1 2 8 2 1 0 9
Elie 28 5-8 3-5 2 1 3 4 2 2 1 13
Bryant 18 4-7 0-0 0 1 1 0 4 0 1 8
Recasner 24 2-5 2-2 0 0 0 7 2 1 0 6
Chilcutt 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0
Mack 14 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 3
Breaux Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Jones Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 45-85 18-26 9 26 35 36 27 11 8 113
(.529) (.692) Team Rebs: 3 Total To: 9(5 Pts)
Denver 27 33 28 21 - 109
Houston 31 29 28 25 - 113
Blocked Shots: Denver - Mcdyess 3, L Ellis, Maclean. Houston - Olajuwon
4, Horry 2, Brown, Drexler.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Denver 2-8 (.250), D Ellis 2-5, Stith 0-1, Rose 0-2.
Houston 5-12 (.417), Horry 2-3, Drexler 1-3, Smith 1-2, Elie 0-1, Recasner
0-2, Mack 1-1.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Ken Mauer, Joe Borgia.
A - 16,285. T - 2:14.
nba.364vpoznanovic,
Houston 113, Denver 109
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 14 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as
the Houston Rockets dealt the Denver Nuggets' playoff hopes a severe
blow with a 113-109 victory.
Clyde Drexler added 18 points for Houston (45-32), which moved within
3 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth spot in the
Western Conference. Olajuwon, who had missed the previous seven games
before returning Tuesday night, has 57 points in two games since
coming back.
"Denver played good enough to win," said Olajuwon. "I like this type
of game where it stays close and it is not a blowout. Tonight I got my
points in the flow of the game without thinking."
"I thought it was a great win, considering what we've gone through
against a team that had to win," said Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich.
"So many young guys, what a future (on Denver). We couldn't handle
them on the boards. Their energy and youth kept them in the game. It
came down to executing in crunch time. Mario had two great hustle
plays and Robert Horry with a three and a great back-door pass to
Clyde. I'd like to not have games like this, but the plus side is we
are being forced to win close ones."
Antonio McDyess scored 23 points and Dale Ellis added 19 for Denver
(33-44), which fell 2 1/2 games behind Sacramento for the eighth and
final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have been
the eighth seed the past two seasons.
"McDyess played Hakeem well I thought, he made him earn his shots, you
can't ask any more than that," said Denver coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
"Our guys did a hell of a job and I was proud of them. I'm not trying
to con anyone here, it's tough. We didn't come in talking about the
playoffs, we just talked about how well we've been playing and how we
wanted to finish strong. I have no gripes with anybody on the last
shot. Fonz had some concerns, though, he thought maybe he should have
taken the shot, but I can't fault him, he tried to make the unselfish
play."
Don MacLean gave Denver its final lead at 99-98 with 6:10 to play, but
Robert Horry hit a three-pointer to make it 101-99. Olajuwon followed
with a dunk to for a 103-99 edge with 5:09 left.
The teams traded baskets until LaPhonso Ellis made a free throw to
pull Denver within 107-104 with 1:40 to play. Drexler had a jumper and
dunk around a putback by LaPhonso Ellis to push Houston's lead to
111-106 at the 1:06 mark.
Dale Ellis pulled the Nuggets within 111-109 with a three-pointer with
44 seconds remaining. Denver forced a Rockets miss and got the ball
back. MacLean drove into the lane with 10 seconds to play, but was
forced into a turnover by Olajuwon, who hit two free throws to
preserve the victory.
Chucky Brown and Mario Elie added 13 points apiece for Houston, which
shot 53 percent (43-of-83) from the field. Olajuwon and Drexler pulled
down 20 of the Rockets' 35 rebounds.
MacLean finished with 18 points and Jalen Rose added 15 points and 10
assists for the Nuggets, who shot 49 percent (44-of-89) from the
floor. Denver, which played without center Dikembe Mutombo,
outrebounded Houston, 54-35.
There were 37 lead changes and 14 ties in the game.
nba.365vpoznanovic,
Golden State (111) At LA Clippers (101)
Golden State
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Kersey F 26 6-9 2-2 1 3 4 1 4 0 0 14
Smith F 42 5-12 1-2 4 5 9 0 1 1 2 11
Willis C 33 11-20 2-2 2 4 6 0 0 0 4 24
Armstrong G 26 5-8 1-2 0 4 4 12 1 1 4 13
Sprewell G 44 11-21 4-6 0 5 5 5 1 2 3 28
Coles 27 4-5 2-2 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 14
Declercq 18 2-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 4
Marshall 24 1-3 0-0 1 4 5 3 3 1 0 3
Barry Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Churchwell Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Hammink Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Rozier Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 45-80 12-16 9 26 35 23 14 6 14 111
(.563) (.750) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 15(20 Pts)
LA Clippers
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Rogers F 36 10-16 1-2 1 2 3 4 2 0 1 21
Vaught F 34 7-18 2-4 5 5 10 2 0 2 2 16
Roberts C 26 0-6 0-0 1 3 4 2 3 0 2 0
Richardson G 19 2-7 0-0 0 3 3 7 1 0 0 5
Barry G 31 6-14 2-2 3 1 4 3 1 1 1 15
Harvey 17 2-5 0-0 4 0 4 1 0 1 0 4
Dehere 29 5-13 2-4 1 4 5 4 1 0 2 16
Outlaw 14 2-2 2-4 2 1 3 3 1 1 0 6
Sealy 17 4-8 2-2 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 10
Murray 15 3-6 2-4 4 2 6 0 2 0 0 8
Piatkowski 2 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0
Williams Dnp - Tendonitis
Totals 240 41-96 13-22 23 22 45 28 15 6 10 101
(.427) (.591) Team Rebs: 14 Total To: 11(16 Pts)
Golden State 34 27 28 22 - 111
LA Clippers 26 21 20 34 - 101
Blocked Shots: Golden State - Smith 3, Marshall 2, Kersey, Willis. LA
Clippers - Harvey 3, Outlaw 2, Roberts, Barry, Murray.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Golden State 9-13 (.692), Smith 0-1, Armstrong 2-3,
Sprewell 2-4, Coles 4-4, Marshall 1-1. LA Clippers 6-23 (.261), Rogers
0-3, Richardson 1-4, Barry 1-5, Dehere 4-8, Sealy 0-1, Murray 0-1,
Piatkowski 0-1.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Joe Crawford, Ed F Rush, Pat Adams.
A - 13,247. T - 1:56.
nba.366vpoznanovic,
Golden State 111, LA Clippers 101
Latrell Sprewell scored 28 points and Kevin Willis added 24 as the
Golden State Warriors remained in playoff contention with a 111-101
triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Pond in Anaheim,
California.
B.J. Armstrong added 13 points and 12 assists as the Warriors moved
within 1 1/2 games of the Sacramento Kings for the final playoff berth
in the Western Conference. Golden State won for just the second time
in its last 11 road games.
Sprewell was 11-of-21 from the field and Willis connected on 11-of-20
shots as Golden State shot 56 percent (45-for-80) from the floor.
"You never know when you're going to shoot well," Sprewell said. "Just
play hard and hope for the best. I hope we can get into the playoffs.
We have been playing well."
"I've been in this league for 12 years. I've seen teams blow leads
like this, but I knew that we had the personnel to pull out the win,"
Willis said.
The Warriors have five games left and the Kings have six games to go.
They face each other in Sacramento on April 21st in the season finale
for both teams.
Rodney Rogers scored 21 points for the Clippers, who have lost four of
their last five games. Loy Vaught had 16 points and 10 rebounds and
Terry Dehere added 16 points as the Clippers lost for the third
straight time against the Warriors.
"They shot the ball very well and we didn't do as well defensively as
we had to," Clippers coach Bill Fitch said. "Terry Dehere had an
outstanding night and so did Rodney Rogers. It'll be interesting to
see how Golden State shoots tomorrow night. They had the best outside
shooting tonight that I'd seen in a long time."
Dehere's three-pointer closed a 13-0 spurt and pulled the Clippers
within 104-98 with 1:45 left in the game. Jerome Kersey, who had 14
points, made a dunk to give the Warriors a 106-98 lead with 1:19 left.
"I could see it coming, we relaxed and just let them back in the
game," Golden State coach Rick Adelman said. "You can't do that in
this league with anybody, but we'll take the win. Sprewell was
unbelievable, he's been playing so well. They had a hard time guarding
him, he's was playing with so much energy."
Charles Outlaw and Armstrong traded free throws that left the Clippers
with a 107-99 lead with 34 seconds left. Outlaw's dunk capped the
scoring for the Clippers and Kersey and Bimbo Coles each made a pair
of free throws for the Warriors.
Armstrong's three-pointer capped a 19-9 run and gave the Warriors the
lead for good, 29-19, with 3:03 left in the first quarter.
Donyell Marshall's three-pointer -- his only points -- gave the
Warriors a 59-43 lead with 2:19 left in the second. Willis made a hook
shot and layup in a 5-0 spurt that gave Golden State its biggest lead
of the game, 85-60, with 3:19 left. Coles made a three-pointer to give
the Warriors a 104-85 cushion with 4:40 left in the fourth.
nba.367vpoznanovic,
Milwaukee (105) At Miami (115)
Milwaukee
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Robinson F 44 8-16 11-11 1 11 12 6 3 0 5 27
Cummings F 23 4-7 3-4 1 5 6 4 5 2 1 11
Baker C 44 12-20 5-6 2 2 4 2 4 0 4 29
Douglas G 39 6-11 7-8 1 1 2 12 2 0 4 19
Newman G 38 3-5 5-7 1 2 3 3 3 1 2 11
Benjamin 15 0-1 0-0 0 4 4 0 4 1 1 0
Respert 13 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3
Mayberry 10 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Conlon 7 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
Keys 7 1-1 2-2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5
Duckworth Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Peplowski Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 35-65 33-38 6 25 31 29 23 5 20 105
(.538) (.868) Team Rebs: 4 Total To: 20(22 Pts)
Miami
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Thomas F 32 5-8 0-0 2 6 8 1 4 3 0 10
Williams F 35 6-12 1-2 0 4 4 4 5 1 6 15
Mourning C 43 12-20 7-9 3 6 9 4 6 3 3 32
Chapman G 38 7-13 2-4 0 4 4 1 3 0 1 18
Hardaway G 32 6-11 6-7 1 1 2 12 5 1 3 19
Smith 23 4-8 0-0 0 1 1 6 1 2 1 9
Gatling 10 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Askins 9 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 3 0 0 0
Corbin 16 4-5 4-4 1 3 4 3 1 0 0 12
King 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Lenard Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Schayes Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 44-80 20-26 7 27 34 32 30 10 14 115
(.550) (.769) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 14(13 Pts)
Milwaukee 27 16 30 32 - 105
Miami 27 29 26 33 - 115
Blocked Shots: Milwaukee - Robinson, Cummings, Baker, Conlon. Miami -
Williams, Thomas, Smith.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Milwaukee 2-8 (.250), Robinson 0-2, Douglas 0-2, Newman
0-1, Respert 1-1, Mayberry 0-1, Keys 1-1. Miami 7-19 (.368), Williams 2-6,
Mourning 1-1, Chapman 2-4, Hardaway 1-2, Smith 1-5, Askins 0-1.
Technicals: Milwaukee - Newman, Miami - Williams.
Officials: Ed Middleton, Luis Grillo, Blane Reichelt.
A - 15,090. T - 2:10.
nba.368vpoznanovic,
HEAT REGAINS EAST'S FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT ... FOR NOW
MIAMI -- Alonzo Mourning scored 32 points and Tim Hardaway had 19
points and 12 assists to lead the playoff-hungry Miami Heat to a
115-105 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Rex Chapman chipped in with 18 points for Miami, which climbed into a
tie with the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth and final playoff spot
in the Eastern Conference.
"If we play this way every night, we will win the last five games,"
Hardaway said. "The team's confidence is way up right now."
Vin Baker tallied 29 points and Glenn Robinson had 27 points and 12
boards for Milwaukee, which has dropped 18 of its past 20 games
overall and 12 of 13 on the road.
"This team is fighting for a playoff spot, so every possession is
important to them," Baker said of Miami. "We turned the ball over in
the first half and that was the difference in the game. They were
valuing the ball as if they were in the playoffs."
Miami led 56-43 at the half and used a 12-4 surge to take its biggest
lead of the game. Tony Smith's 3-pointer capped the run to make it
68-49 with 7:54 left in the third quarter.
The Bucks then scored the next 12 points, including two free throws
from Johnny Newman that cut the difference to 68-61 with 5:07 left.
Miami's Kurt Thomas countered with the next four points and Walt
Williams nailed a 3-pointer to bump the lead back to 75-61 with 3:46
to go in the period. The Bucks trailed 82-73 after three quarters and
didn't come any closer in the fourth.
Williams netted 15 points and Tyrone Corbin had 12 off the bench for
Miami, which shot 55 percent (44 for 80) from the floor. The Heat
began a three-game homestand, which also includes meetings with New
Jersey and New York.
"I hate back-to-backs, I can't stand them," said Mourning, whose team
also won at Charlotte on Wednesday night. "It's hard to come back with
the same effort. But when you do, that separates the mediocre from the
great teams."
Sherman Douglas recorded 19 points and 12 assists and Terry Cummings
and Newman each scored 11 for the Bucks, who shot 54 percent (35 for
65) from the floor and 87 percent (33 for 38) from the foul line.
nba.369vpoznanovic,
Golden State (81) At LA Lakers (94)
Golden State
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Smith F 38 6-19 0-0 3 5 8 0 3 1 2 12
Sprewell F 40 4-14 5-6 2 7 9 2 0 1 5 14
Willis C 34 5-11 5-5 3 6 9 0 3 1 1 15
Armstrong G 30 7-10 3-3 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 20
Coles G 37 6-12 0-0 2 1 3 9 3 1 5 12
Kersey 27 2-9 2-2 4 5 9 4 4 1 0 6
Declercq 11 0-2 0-0 2 1 3 0 2 0 0 0
Barry 16 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
Marshall 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0
Churchwell Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Hammink Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Rozier Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 31-79 15-16 16 26 42 17 19 6 15 81
(.392) (.938) Team Rebs: 4 Total To: 16(15 Pts)
LA Lakers
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Campbell F 37 7-14 2-2 4 2 6 4 4 0 1 16
Ceballos F 28 7-14 0-0 1 4 5 1 2 0 2 15
Divac C 37 12-16 2-4 3 7 10 0 3 1 2 26
Jones G 32 4-12 0-0 1 3 4 8 0 3 3 9
Threatt G 36 0-5 0-0 1 3 4 5 2 2 2 0
Johnson 26 4-7 2-2 1 1 2 9 0 0 2 10
Peeler 29 7-14 0-0 2 3 5 3 1 0 0 16
Lynch 15 1-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 2
Blount Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Miller Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Strong Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Van Exel Dnp - Suspended By League
Totals 240 42-84 6-8 14 24 38 30 13 6 12 94
(.500) (.750) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 13(14 Pts)
Golden State 26 23 19 13 - 81
LA Lakers 26 17 25 26 - 94
Blocked Shots: Golden State - Smith 2, Kersey 2, Sprewell. LA Lakers -
Campbell 4, Jones 3, Divac.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Golden State 4-13 (.308), Smith 0-1, Sprewell 1-5,
Willis 0-1, Armstrong 3-3, Coles 0-3. LA Lakers 4-16 (.250), Campbell 0-1,
Ceballos 1-1, Jones 1-4, Threatt 0-1, Johnson 0-2, Peeler 2-7.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Ed T Rush, Ron Olesiak, Bob Delaney.
A - 17,505. T - 1:58.
nba.370vpoznanovic,
L.A. Lakers 94, Golden State 81
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Anthony Peeler scored 12 of his 16 points in the
fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away for a 94-81
victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
Golden State (34-44) missed a chance to pull within a half-game of
Sacramento Kings for the final playoff berth in the Western
Conference. The Kings lost at Vancouver and Golden State remained 1Ż
games in back of Sacramento.
Vlade Divac scored 26 points and Elden Campbell added 16 for Los
Angeles (49-28).
"I thought we played a tremendous second half," Los Angeles coach Del
Harris said. "You have to give Golden State credit. They were on top
of their game and were fighting for their position.
"We really extended to win this ball game by playing outstanding
defense in the second half. We are obviously one of the best defensive
teams in the league."
B.J. Armstrong scored 20 points and Kevin Willis added 15 for Golden
State, which went the final 6:54 without a basket.
Bimbo Coles pulled the Warriors within 79-77 on a basket with 6:54
remaining before Divac and Magic Johnson converted three-point plays
to push the Lakers' lead to 85-77 with 4:13 remaining.
Latrell Sprewell hit two free throws to make it 85-79 at the
four-minute mark, but Peeler responded with a layup and a dunk before
putting the game out of reach with a 3-pointer for a 92-79 advantage
with 2:24 remaining.
"Our confidence in the fourth quarter in holding people down is
growing every single game," Peeler said. "We really are playing much
better in the second half."
Golden State had taken a 44-36 lead with a 10-0 run in the second
quarter, six coming from Joe Smith. Golden State had led by 10 points
early in the second half, but the Lakers eventually pulled even at the
end of three quarters, 68-68.
Cedric Ceballos added 15 points for Los Angeles, which shot 50 percent
(42 for 84) from the field and outscored the Warriors 66-24 in the
paint. Johnson finished with 10 points and nine assists.
"We played hard, but just couldn't get it done offensively," Golden
State coach Rick Adelman said. "We had good opportunities in the first
half, but they took control of the tempo in the second half. They were
posting up Magic, and we just had too many breakdowns in the second
half."
Sprewell scored 14 points and Smith and Coles added 12 points apiece
for the Warriors, who shot 39 percent (31 for 79) from the field and
received only eight points from the bench.
nba.371vpoznanovic,
Indiana (111) At Orlando (101)
Indiana
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mckey F 34 1-5 1-2 1 3 4 5 3 1 0 3
D Davis F 36 7-10 2-4 9 11 20 3 2 0 2 16
Smits C 32 10-22 4-5 3 3 6 1 3 0 3 24
Miller G 38 10-21 3-3 1 3 4 2 1 3 2 29
Jackson G 31 2-6 2-2 1 3 4 8 3 0 4 7
A Davis 18 3-8 2-4 7 0 7 1 1 0 1 8
Ferrell 16 4-6 3-3 1 2 3 2 5 1 0 11
Workman 17 3-5 3-4 1 2 3 5 2 0 1 9
Pierce 12 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4
Johnson 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Best 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Caldwell Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 42-86 20-27 24 27 51 27 22 5 14 111
(.488) (.741) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 15(19 Pts)
Orlando
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Scott F 37 6-11 3-3 1 0 1 4 2 0 0 19
Royal F 22 1-2 2-5 0 1 1 1 3 2 1 4
Oneal C 32 16-28 1-5 7 4 11 3 5 1 2 33
Anderson G 43 4-14 5-6 3 6 9 1 4 1 2 13
Hardaway G 39 5-11 2-2 0 2 2 5 2 3 1 13
Vaughn 26 4-4 2-2 3 3 6 1 3 0 1 10
Shaw 18 1-3 1-2 0 0 0 3 1 1 5 4
Wolf 14 2-5 1-2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 5
Bowie 9 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grant Dnp - Suspended By League
Thompson Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 39-79 17-27 15 17 32 18 20 8 12 101
(.494) (.630) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 12(17 Pts)
Indiana 24 31 32 24 - 111
Orlando 27 20 26 28 - 101
Blocked Shots: Indiana - Smits 2, A Davis. Orlando - Vaughn 3, Anderson
2, Oneal 2, Royal, Wolf.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Indiana 7-15 (.467), Miller 6-11, Jackson 1-3, Ferrell
0-1. Orlando 6-18 (.333), Scott 4-9, Anderson 0-4, Hardaway 1-3, Shaw 1-2.
Technicals: Indiana - Illegal Defense, Orlando - Oneal, Head Coach Hill.
Officials: Mike Mathis, Tommy Nunez, Tommie Wood.
A - 17,248. T - 2:19.
nba.372vpoznanovic,
PACERS MAKE THEMSELVES RIGHT AT HOME IN ORLANDO
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Reggie Miller scored 15 of his 29 points in the third
quarter as the Indiana Pacers won their fourth game in a row, 111-101
over the slumping Orlando Magic 111-101 on Friday.
Rik Smits added 24 points and Dale Davis had 16 points and 20 rebounds
for Indiana (48-29), which leads New York by three games in the race
for third place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana and New York each
have five games left in the regular season.
Shaquille O'Neal scored 33 points Friday and Dennis Scott added 19 for
the Magic, which has lost four of its past six home games after
starting the season with a 33-game home winning streak.
Orlando and Indiana, who have developed a rivalry over the past three
years, split four games this season.
"We're happy. We haven't experienced a win down here in a long time,"
Pacers coach Larry Brown said. "I thought we played well. You've gotta
play well here to beat this team, especially at the level Shaq's
playing."
Orlando was playing without starting forward Horace Grant, who was
serving a one-game suspension for punching Cleveland's Danny Ferry.
Without Grant, Orlando was outrebounded 51-32 against Indiana,
including 24-15 on the offensive glass.
"We have a tough time rebounding against this team when we're at full
strength," Orlando coach Brian Hill said. "I thought our guys played
as hard as we possibly could, but the rebounding and second-chance
points got away from us in the second half."
Miller has averaged 29 points per game during Indiana's winning
streak, and his four 3-pointers in the third quarter helped push the
Pacers to a 79-72 lead over Orlando with two minutes left in the third
quarter.
The Pacers scored the next eight points of the game as Duane Ferrell
made a jumper, Antonio Davis and Dale Davis hit jumpers to push the
lead to 85-72 and Haywoode Workman added a basket to make it 87-72
with 38 seconds to play.
Indiana took its largest lead of the game at 102-85 with 5:51 to play.
The Magic came as close as 105-99 on a 3-pointer by Scott with 1:21 to
play, but Indiana hit its next six free throws to put the game away.
Nick Anderson and Anfernee Hardaway scored 13 points apiece for
Orlando, which shot 49 percent (39 for 79) from the field. Rookie
David Vaughn added a season-high 10 points.
nba.373vpoznanovic,
Milwaukee (97) At Atlanta (104)
Milwaukee
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Robinson F 41 5-18 0-0 0 3 3 5 3 0 2 11
Baker F 42 10-14 6-8 6 4 10 2 4 2 2 26
Benjamin C 9 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0
Newman G 39 10-17 2-2 1 2 3 0 4 5 1 24
Douglas G 38 9-13 2-4 1 1 2 6 2 0 2 21
Cummings 18 2-4 1-1 1 2 3 1 5 0 2 5
Keys 8 1-4 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2
Respert 10 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
Mayberry 9 0-3 0-0 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 0
Conlon 26 3-7 2-2 3 4 7 0 5 1 5 8
Duckworth Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Peplowski Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 40-85 13-17 13 21 34 16 26 8 16 97
(.471) (.765) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 16(30 Pts)
Atlanta
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Augmon F 44 6-13 5-5 2 4 6 4 4 4 2 17
Long F 44 7-15 3-4 2 10 12 3 3 1 2 18
Henderson C 23 7-8 1-2 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 15
Blaylock G 42 9-16 5-7 3 4 7 6 1 1 1 25
Smith G 27 1-10 2-2 1 1 2 2 2 0 3 4
Laettner 29 3-6 10-10 5 7 12 2 4 0 2 16
Ehlo 25 2-8 4-4 0 3 3 1 0 1 1 9
Jordan 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0
Boyce Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Bullard Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Norman Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Rooks Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 35-77 30-34 15 31 46 21 16 8 13 104
(.455) (.882) Team Rebs: 6 Total To: 15(27 Pts)
Milwaukee 23 22 33 19 - 97
Atlanta 28 31 15 30 - 104
Blocked Shots: Milwaukee - Robinson, Newman, Cummings, Keys, Mayberry.
Atlanta - Laettner 2, Blaylock, Augmon.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Milwaukee 4-13 (.308), Robinson 1-4, Baker 0-1, Newman
2-3, Douglas 1-1, Keys 0-2, Respert 0-1, Mayberry 0-1. Atlanta 4-15
(.267), Long 1-2, Blaylock 2-5, Smith 0-4, Ehlo 1-4.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Jess Kersey, Lee Jones, Mark Wunderlich.
A - 16,129. T - 2:10.
nba.374vpoznanovic,
Atlanta 104, Milwaukee 97
ATLANTA -- Christian Laettner scored six of his 16 points during a
fourth-quarter spurt as the Atlanta Hawks moved closer to clinching a
playoff berth with a 104-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on
Friday.
Mookie Blaylock scored 25 points and Grant Long added 18 for Atlanta
(43-34), which moved into a tie with the idle Detroit Pistons for
fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
"It's a big win for us because we can't afford a lot of losses,"
Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens said. "We've got to build momentum."
Vin Baker scored 26 points and Johnny Newman added 24 for the Bucks,
who lost for the 18th time in the past 20 games.
The Hawks led 59-45 at halftime, but Milwaukee stormed back in the
third quarter on the strength of a 31-8 run to take a 76-67 lead with
3:23 left in the period.
"In the third quarter, we weren't in it," said Blaylock. "Our defense
fell asleep and they got easy baskets."
"We lost a little intensity on defense in the third quarter," Wilkens
said. "When you lose that intensity, guys get shots and make shots and
you can't let that happen. Finally, we got the intensity back and
moved the ball and made our shots. We have to learn from that."
The Hawks closed within 78-74 at the end of three quarters and took
the lead for good on Laettner's 18-footer with 8:23 to play for an
83-82 advantage. Laettner added a 10-footer and a pair of free throws
to push the lead to 87-82 with 6:55 remaining.
Milwaukee closed within 90-88 with 3:09 to play after a basket by
Newman, but the Hawks scored the next seven points of the game. Long
hit a 15-footer and two free throws before Craig Ehlo drilled a
3-pointer with 1:22 remaining for a 97-88 advantage.
Stacey Augmon scored 17 points and Alan Henderson had 15 for Atlanta,
which shot 46 percent (35 fir 77) from the field and outscored the
Bucks from the foul line, 30-13.
The Hawks outrebounded Milwaukee 46-34.
Sherman Douglas added 21 points and six assists for Milwaukee, which
shot 47 percent (40 for 85). The Bucks committed 16 turnovers, leading
to 30 points for Atlanta.
"I think we really made a great run in the third quarter," Baker said.
"They turned it up in the fourth. Even though we made the run, it was
very tough to come back after giving up 60 in the first half."
nba.375vpoznanovic,
Minnesota (106) At Washington (116)
Minnesota
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Garnett F 39 7-12 2-4 3 11 14 5 4 1 1 16
Gugliotta F 8 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 0 3 0 2 0
Lang C 35 10-15 1-2 4 4 8 0 4 0 2 21
West G 35 5-13 1-2 1 1 2 2 3 0 3 11
Webb G 27 3-11 0-0 0 1 1 6 3 0 2 7
Mitchell 32 7-12 1-1 3 3 6 1 2 0 3 15
Porter 24 6-11 4-4 1 2 3 3 2 3 1 17
Davis 21 1-5 6-6 3 2 5 4 2 1 1 8
Bragg 7 2-5 0-2 3 0 3 0 1 0 1 4
Riley 8 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2
Allen 4 2-2 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5
Rider Dnp - Sprained Right Ankle
Totals 240 44-88 16-23 18 28 46 21 25 7 16 106
(.500) (.696) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 17(28 Pts)
Washington
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Cheaney F 31 6-14 1-2 0 2 2 1 3 5 0 13
Howard F 38 9-19 8-10 4 6 10 5 3 1 0 26
Mcilvaine C 35 5-6 2-3 0 8 8 0 2 0 2 12
Eackles G 36 5-12 4-4 0 2 2 3 2 0 2 16
B Price G 32 7-8 4-4 0 2 2 5 3 3 3 22
Legler 29 6-9 4-4 0 1 1 5 1 0 1 19
Thornton 7 0-1 1-2 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 1
Mccann 16 0-2 0-0 0 3 3 0 4 1 1 0
Whitney 16 3-4 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 0 3 7
Butler Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Pack Dnp - Damaged Nerve -- Right Leg
Muresan Dnp - Injured Right Knee
Totals 240 41-75 24-29 6 25 31 21 22 10 13 116
(.547) (.828) Team Rebs: 5 Total To: 13(18 Pts)
Minnesota 24 28 22 32 - 106
Washington 38 25 22 31 - 116
Blocked Shots: Minnesota - Lang 2, Garnett. Washington - Mcilvaine 5,
Legler.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Minnesota 2-7 (.286), West 0-1, Webb 1-3, Porter 1-3.
Washington 10-16 (.625), Cheaney 0-1, Eackles 2-5, B Price 4-5, Legler
3-4, Whitney 1-1.
Technicals: Minnesota - Illegal Defense, Lang, Washington - Illegal
Defense.
Officials: Dan Crawford, Mike Callahan, Tim Donaghy.
A - 18,756. T - 2:05.
nba.376vpoznanovic,
BULLETS GAIN GROUND ON HEAT, HORNETS
LANDOVER, Md. -- Brent Price scored 10 of his 22 points in the first
quarter as the Washington Bullets continued their late push for the
playoffs with a 116-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on
Friday.
Juwan Howard scored 26 points for the Bullets (38-39), who are one
game behind Miami and Charlotte for the eighth and final playoff berth
in the Eastern Conference.
Washington has won six in a row, its longest losing streak since a
seven-game spurt from Feb. 25 to March 9, 1988. The 1987-88 season
also was the last time Washington made the playoffs.
"We were very aggressive going to the basket tonight," Washington
coach Jim Lynam said Friday. "This was the kind of game that got your
adrenaline flowing. Jim McIlvaine gave us a huge boost."
McIlvaine started in place of center Gheorghe Muresan, who was injured
Wednesday in Boston and will miss the rest of the season because of a
strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
McIlvaine finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and five blocked
shots. Tim Legler came off the bench to score 19 points, and starters
Ledell Eackles and Calbert Cheaney had 16 and 13 points, respectively.
"They've got three players starting for them that were almost out of
the league a year ago, and are playing great basketball now,"
Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said of Price, Eackles and McIlvaine.
"I wish it was some other situation than this," McIlvaine said about
making his first career start because of Muresan's injury.
Andrew Lang scored 21 points and Terry Porter added 17 for Minnesota,
which was missing guard Isaiah Rider, who stayed in Minnesota after
spraining his right ankle in practice on Thursday.
The Timberwolves finished without forward Tom Gugliotta, who left the
game in the second quarter after taking an elbow to the ribs. X-rays
were negative and Gugliotta's injury was diagnosed as a bruised chest
wall.
"When you take your top scorers out of the game, it hurts," Saunders
said.
The Bullets took control of the game with an 18-8 run in the final
4:10 of the first quarter. Doug West pulled the Timberwolves within
20-16 with a jumper, but Price retaliated with a 3-pointer and Howard
made two free throws to extend Washington's lead to 25-16.
Spud Webb cut the deficit to 29-22 with 1:53 left in the opening
quarter before Washington closed the period out with a 9-2 tear.
Cheaney made a pair of jumpers before Lang hit a jumper to pull the
Wolves within 33-24 with 43 seconds to play.
Price hit two of four foul shots and closed the quarter with a
3-pointer to make it 38-24.
Washington shot 55 percent (41 for 75) from the field and 10 for 16
from 3-point range.
"Everyone is staying focused right now," McIlvaine said. "We're going
to keep this win streak going."
Sam Mitchell scored 15 points and West added 11 for Minnesota, which
shot 50 percent (44 for 88) from the field. The Wolves committed 17
turnovers, leading to 28 Washington points.
nba.377vpoznanovic,
Philadelphia (82) At Chicago (112)
Philadelphia
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Alston F 31 6-11 3-4 3 1 4 0 5 0 0 15
Weatherspoon F 39 7-14 1-2 2 6 8 3 2 1 4 15
Pinckney C 28 2-3 0-0 3 1 4 1 0 0 1 4
Maxwell G 40 7-17 3-7 1 3 4 6 3 3 4 18
Walters G 35 3-9 3-3 1 1 2 4 0 0 0 9
Ruffin 24 3-8 2-2 0 1 1 2 0 1 5 9
Massenburg 33 4-9 4-5 1 3 4 1 2 0 1 12
Thompson 10 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 0 2 0 0 0
Dumas Dnp - Fractured Right Foot
Higgins Dnp - Bursitisin Elbow
Stackhouse Dnp - Fractured Right Thumb
Sutton Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 32-71 16-23 12 19 31 17 14 5 15 82
(.451) (.696) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 17(33 Pts)
Chicago
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Pippen F 33 5-17 0-0 2 4 6 6 3 1 1 10
Kukoc F 36 8-15 3-3 2 0 2 5 4 0 3 22
Rodman C 37 4-7 2-2 6 10 16 4 2 0 2 10
Harper G 24 2-2 2-2 0 0 0 5 2 3 1 6
Jordan G 29 10-16 1-1 2 1 3 0 2 4 2 23
Wennington 14 1-2 2-2 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 4
Kerr 26 6-8 1-1 0 1 1 3 1 1 1 16
Caffey 10 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 2
Buechler 7 2-4 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 2 1 5
Edwards 8 2-5 0-1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 4
Brown 12 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 3 3 0 0 4
Simpkins 4 2-3 2-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6
Totals 240 45-83 13-14 14 24 38 28 22 11 12 112
(.542) (.929) Team Rebs: 5 Total To: 12(9 Pts)
Philadelphia 21 16 22 23 - 82
Chicago 20 29 35 28 - 112
Blocked Shots: Philadelphia - Weatherspoon. Chicago - Pippen, Rodman,
Jordan, Edwards, Brown.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Philadelphia 2-17 (.118), Maxwell 1-8, Walters 0-4,
Ruffin 1-5. Chicago 9-25 (.360), Pippen 0-5, Kukoc 3-6, Rodman 0-2, Jordan
2-4, Kerr 3-5, Buechler 1-2, Brown 0-1.
Technicals: Philadelphia - Illegal Defense 2.
Officials: Bennett Salvatore, Terry Durham, Tony Brothers.
A - 23,633. T - 1:59.
nba.378vpoznanovic,
BULLS ONE WIN AWAY FROM TYING LAKERS' RECORD
CHICAGO -- Michael Jordan scored 23 points as the Chicago Bulls set a
franchise record for wins in a season with a 112-82 rout of the
Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Toni Kukoc added 22 points for the Bulls (68-9), who broke the club
record of 67 wins set during the 1991-92 season, the second of
Chicago's three consecutive NBA titles.
Chicago needs to win just two of its final five games to become the
first team in league history to win 70 games. The NBA record for
single-season victories is 69, set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
"We are motoring along. We have 68 wins with five to go," Jordan said.
"We've got a chance to get 70, but we know we have a tough battle on
Sunday. Cleveland's a team we may have to face in the playoffs, so
it's not going to be as easy as it was tonight."
"They may be the best group of five players I've seen in my 20 years
in the NBA," Sixers coach John Lucas said of the Bulls. "It's a joy to
see that group go out there and play their positions. They're going to
win 70 games, it's quite an acheivement."
Vernon Maxwell scored 18 points and Derrick Alston added 15 for
Philadelphia, which has lost 11 consecutive games to the Bulls and its
last seven at Chicago.
Alston tied the score 27-27 with two free throws with 9:03 left in the
second quarter before the Bulls took control of the game with a 17-4
tear.
Dennis Rodman started the run with two free throws and added a jumper
before Trevor Ruffin hit a jumper to pull Philadelphia within 31-29.
Steve Kerr nailed a 3-pointer and Ron Harper added a layup to push the
Chicago lead to 36-29 with 4:51 remaining.
Clarence Weatherspoon countered with a hook to make it 36-31 before
Kerr hit a pair of 3-pointers around a layup by Jordan for a 44-31
lead with 2:40 to go in the first half.
Chicago sealed the victory with a 22-7 run in the third quarter to
make it 71-46 with 4:10 remaining in the third quarter. Jordan had 12
points during the run.
"They came out really fast, and some of guys didn't shoot well early,"
Jordan said. "But in the second half, we were able to turn it on a
little bit. I got hot and we put some good defensive pressure on
them."
The Bulls' largest lead was at 30 points, the last time at the final
margin. Kerr finished with 16 points and Rodman and Pippen added 10
apiece for Chicago, which shot 54 percent (45 for 83) from the field
and scored 33 points off 17 Philadelphia turnovers.
Rodman also yanked down 16 rebounds. All 12 of Chicago's players
scored and nine players saw at least 10 minutes of action.
Weatherspoon scored 15 points, Tony Massenburg added 12 and Ruffin and
Rex Walters had nine apiece for the Sixers, who shot 45 percent (32
for 71) and made only two of 17 3-point shots.
nba.379vpoznanovic,
Sacramento (98) At Vancouver (99)
Sacramento
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Grant F 37 8-14 3-5 0 7 7 2 4 4 5 19
Polynice F 30 5-8 3-3 3 6 9 2 2 1 2 13
Causwell C 19 1-5 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 0 0 2
Richmond G 27 4-11 2-4 2 2 4 2 5 1 3 12
Edney G 35 5-12 1-1 0 1 1 6 1 3 2 12
Hurley 9 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
Owens 29 5-11 2-2 5 1 6 5 1 3 1 12
Smith 14 2-3 0-2 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 4
Marciulionis 29 9-13 3-3 1 2 3 3 3 3 4 22
Simmons 11 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 2
Gamble Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Wil Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 40-81 14-20 11 23 34 25 21 16 19 98
(.494) (.700) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 19(26 Pts)
Vancouver
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
King F 27 5-8 2-6 1 2 3 2 3 2 2 12
Amaya F 31 3-6 1-2 3 10 13 0 2 1 1 7
Reeves C 38 9-15 2-3 2 6 8 3 3 0 2 20
B Edwards G 28 5-12 2-3 1 2 3 3 4 3 4 13
Anthony G 28 3-7 4-4 0 1 1 7 0 3 2 12
Avent 23 4-5 0-0 1 4 5 2 5 1 4 8
Murdock 20 6-8 1-2 0 2 2 8 0 3 1 13
Wilkins 21 3-5 2-2 1 0 1 1 1 0 4 9
Scott 24 2-6 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 5
Manning Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Martin Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Moten Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 40-72 14-22 9 28 37 27 19 14 22 99
(.556) (.636) Team Rebs: 5 Total To: 22(25 Pts)
Sacramento 26 25 22 25 - 98
Vancouver 21 32 27 19 - 99
Blocked Shots: Sacramento - Causwell 2, Smith. Vancouver - Reeves 7,
Amaya, King, Scott.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Sacramento 4-11 (.364), Richmond 2-5, Edney 1-1, Owens
0-1, Marciulionis 1-4. Vancouver 5-11 (.455), King 0-1, B Edwards 1-2,
Anthony 2-4, Wilkins 1-2, Scott 1-2.
Technicals: Sacramento - Causwell, Marciulionis, Edney, Vancouver - Amaya.
Officials: Joe Crawford, Ed F Rush, Pat Adams.
A - 18,619. T - 2:08.
nba.380vpoznanovic,
BREAK UP THE GRIZ! VANCOUVER UPSETS KINGS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Blue Edwards' 10-footer with 43 seconds
to play capped a 9-0 run as the Vancouver Grizzlies won for just the
third time in the past 36 games with an improbable 99-98 triumph over
the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The last time the Grizzlies won, Edwards hit a 16-foot jumper with
eight-tenths of a second remaining for a 105-103 victory over the
Minnesota Timberwolves on April 3.
Vancouver rookie Bryant Reeves had 20 points, eight rebounds and seven
blocks against Sacramento, which maintained its 1Ż-game lead over
Golden State for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The
Warriors lost 94-81 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
"We just weren't very sharp tonight, and they played a heck of a
game," Sacramento coach Garry St. Jean said. "They shot the heck out
of the ball in the second period. We got back in there in the third
and made shots in the fourth, and we didn't take care of the ball down
the stretch."
Sarunas Marciulionis scored 22 points and Brian Grant added 19 for
Sacramento. The Kings had a chance to win the game, but Mitch
Richmond's 24-footer in the closing seconds clanged off the rim.
Gerald Wilkins had given Vancouver a 90-87 lead with 6:05 to play, but
the Kings reeled off the next 11 points. Billy Owens made a layup and
Marciulionis hit a 16-footer to give Sacramento a 91-90 lead with 4:22
to play.
Tyus Edney converted a three-point play and Marciulionis capped the
run with two baskets, including a layup for a 98-90 Kings lead with
2:23 remaining.
Byron Scott started the Vancouver comeback with a 3-pointer with 1:51
to play. Reeves made a layup to pull the Grizzlies within 98-95 with
1:32 remaining. Chris King made a layup 12 seconds later before
Edwards netted the winning points.
"Two minutes is an eternity," Vancouver coach Brian Winters said.
"That's three possessions."
On the ensuing possession, King drew an offensive foul on Grant, but
missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds to play before Richmond missed
his 3-pointer.
"Down the stretch we were able to defend," Edwards said. "We made them
shoot over us. You can never say enough about how much the fans bring
to the game. In the last couple of minutes they got loud and kind of
helped us get the other team rattled."
Edwards and Eric Murdock scored 13 points apiece and King and Greg
Anthony added 12 each for Vancouver, which shot 56 percent (40 for 72)
from the field and set a team record for field-goal percentage in a
quarter when it made 14 of 16 shots (88 percent) in the second period.
Olden Polynice scored 13 points and Richmond, Edney and Owens had 12
apiece for Sacramento, which shot 49 percent (40 for 81) from the
floor. The Kings committed 19 turnovers, leading to 26 Vancouver
points.
nba.381vpoznanovic,
Toronto (108) At Boston (136)
TORONTO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
Miller F 22 2-4 0-0 2 3 5 5 2 0 4 4
Murray F 41 8-16 6-9 3 5 8 2 1 2 0 22
Earl C 44 13-23 14-19 4 8 12 3 3 0 6 40
Robertson G 27 1-3 0-0 0 4 4 3 2 2 4 2
Christie G 25 5-11 2-4 0 2 2 1 3 2 3 13
Lewis 22 3-7 1-1 3 0 3 1 3 1 2 8
O'Sullivan 10 2-5 1-2 3 2 5 1 2 0 0 5
King 28 7-11 0-0 3 3 6 6 4 1 3 14
Esposito 21 0-6 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 3 0
Stoudamire DNP - Left knee tendinitis
Tabak DNP - Strained left groin
Whitfield DNP - Left knee inflamation
TOTALS 240 41-86 24-35 18 28 46 23 22 8 25 108
(.477) (.686) Team rebs: 12 Total TO: 25 (30 pts)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
Ellison F 25 2-6 2-2 3 3 6 0 4 0 3 6
Fox F 32 8-13 3-4 1 4 5 5 4 4 0 22
Lister C 10 2-5 0-0 4 4 8 0 3 0 0 4
Brown G 31 7-13 1-2 0 2 2 5 0 2 0 18
Minor G 35 7-13 7-9 3 1 4 1 4 2 0 21
Wesley 34 5-10 6-6 0 5 5 11 2 6 6 16
Day 24 6-15 4-4 3 4 7 2 1 0 1 17
Barros 28 8-16 2-2 2 3 5 3 3 0 2 24
Hamilton 6 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 4 0 1 0
Burrough 10 3-3 2-2 0 3 3 0 1 1 1 8
Mundt 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Williams Dnp - Sore Left Knee
Totals 240 48-97 27-31 17 29 46 28 26 16 14 136
(.495) (.871) Team rebs: 5 Total TO: 14 (17 pts)
Toronto 26 27 26 29 -- 108
Boston 33 30 35 38 -- 136
Blocked Shots: Toronto -- Earl 2, Miller, Robertson;
Boston -- Ellison 2, Fox, Lister, Minor, Day, Hamilton, Burrough.
3-pt. field goals: Toronto 2-10 (.200) -- Murray 0-1, Earl 0-1,
Robertson 0-1, Christie 1-2, Lewis 1-1, Esposito 0-4;
Boston 13-30 (.433) -- Fox 3-5, Brown 3-9, Wesley 0-2, Day 1-5,
Barros 6-9.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Ronnie Nunn, Ted Bernhardt, Hank Armstrong.
Att.: 17,930. Time: 2:04.
nba.382vpoznanovic,
Castle Infinity
_________________________________________________________________
ESPNET SportsZone | NBA | Scores
CELTS ROUT RAPTORS, DESPITE ACIE EARL EXPLOSION
_________________________________________________________________
Box score | [IMAGE] Game flow
_________________________________________________________________
BOSTON -- When Boston drafted Acie Earl three years ago, the Celtics
hoped he would have games like this.
Of course, they hoped he'd have games like this while wearing Celtics
green, not the purple hue of the expansion Toronto Raptors.
Rick Fox scored eight of his 22 points during a third-quarter run as
the Celtics routed the Raptors 128-103 on Friday, despite a 40-point,
12-rebound performance by Earl.
Dana Barros scored 24 points for Boston, which needs to split its
final four games of the season to avoid having its worst record since
the pre-Larry Bird era, when the Celtics went 29-53 in the 1978-79
season.
Earl shot 13 for 23 from the field, 14 for 19 from the foul line and
blocked two shots. The only blemished on Earl's evening -- besides the
loss -- were his six turnovers.
"It was just a blessing I guess to come in and do well against the
Celtics," Earl said. "I knew I would have a big role tonight."
As a rookie with Boston during the 1993-94 season, Earl averaged 5.5
points and 3.3 rebounds in 74 games. Last year he only scored 66
points in 30 games and was left unprotected for the expansion draft.
His previous single-game career-high was 15 points. He had been
averaging 4.9 points and 11.1 minutes per game for Toronto; he
played 44 minutes Friday.
The Celtics broke the game open with an 19-2 run in the third quarter.
Earl pulled Toronto within 67-58, but Fox responded with a 3-pointer
and a layup to give Boston a 72-58 lead with 8:17 left.
David Wesley and Doug Christie traded baskets before Fox nailed
another 3-pointer and Wesley added a layup and two free throws to push
Boston's advantage to 81-60 at the 6:31 mark.
Greg Minor, who scored 21 points, netted the final five points of the
spurt, capping it with a three-point play with 5:35 remaining to give
Boston its largest lead at 86-60.
Dee Brown scored 18 points, Todd Day had 17 and Wesley 16 points and
11 assists for Boston, which shot 50 percent (48 for 97) from the
field, hit 13 of 30 3-point shots and scored 30 points off 25 Toronto
turnovers.
"We didn't play any defense at all. It was a horrible game," Toronto
coach Brendan Malone said.
Tracy Murray scored 22 points for the Raptors, who shot 48 percent (41
for 86) from the field.
_________________________________________________________________
ESPNET SportsZone | NBA | Scores
Contact ESPNET SportsZone
Copyright 1996 Starwave Corporation and ESPN Inc. All rights reserved.
Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.
nba.383vpoznanovic,
Dallas (111) At Houston (112)
Dallas
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mccloud F 48 11-22 3-4 4 3 7 6 3 4 2 29
Jones F 38 3-10 2-6 3 12 15 1 4 2 1 8
Williams C 13 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 0
Jackson G 36 10-18 11-11 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 33
Kidd G 44 7-21 3-4 4 5 9 15 3 3 4 18
Meyer 28 5-8 3-4 6 4 10 1 6 2 1 13
Parks 15 2-3 0-1 2 1 3 1 2 0 2 4
Dumas 9 2-7 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4
Harris 7 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2
Wood 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Brooks Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Davis Dnp - Knee Surgery
Totals 240 41-94 22-30 20 28 48 26 22 15 15 111
(.436) (.733) Team Rebs: 7 Total To: 16(22 Pts)
Houston
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Horry F 31 3-8 1-2 0 3 3 5 2 2 5 8
Brown F 31 6-10 3-3 2 6 8 1 0 0 2 15
Olajuwon C 32 13-21 5-6 3 10 13 6 5 0 5 31
Drexler G 26 4-10 3-5 2 4 6 5 4 1 4 13
Smith G 23 5-7 1-1 0 1 1 9 2 1 1 15
Bryant 26 4-8 3-4 6 6 12 2 3 2 2 11
Elie 24 3-6 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 6
Cassell 20 3-8 3-3 1 1 2 4 1 3 1 9
Mack 16 1-6 0-0 1 2 3 0 2 0 0 2
Chilcutt 6 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
Recasner 5 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Jones Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 43-88 19-24 16 34 50 34 21 11 22 112
(.489) (.792) Team Rebs: 6 Total To: 23(31 Pts)
Dallas 21 26 35 29 - 111
Houston 35 27 24 26 - 112
Blocked Shots: Dallas - Williams, Kidd. Houston - Olajuwon 10, Horry.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Dallas 7-22 (.318), Mccloud 4-9, Jones 0-2, Jackson
2-4, Kidd 1-5, Parks 0-1, Dumas 0-1. Houston 7-17 (.412), Horry 1-4,
Drexler 2-2, Smith 4-5, Elie 0-2, Mack 0-2, Chilcutt 0-1, Recasner 0-1.
Technicals: Houston - Elie 2 (Ejected), Drexler 2 (Ejected), Illegal
Defense.
Officials: Jack Nies, Don Vaden, Jim Capers.
A - 16,285. T - 2:10.
nba.384vpoznanovic,
ROCKETS, BACK AT FULL STRENGTH, BEAT MAVS IN THRILLER
HOUSTON -- Hakeem Olajuwon had a triple-double and hit an off-balance
jumper at the buzzer as Houston edged the Dallas Mavericks 112-111 on
Saturday for the Rockets' third win in a row.
Houston point guard Sam Cassell played his first game since undergoing
elbow surgery, meaning that for the first time since Jan. 17 -- when
Mario Elie sustained a fractured bone in his right forearm -- the
two-time defending NBA champs were at full strength.
All-Star guard Clyde Drexler missed six weeks after arthroscopic knee
surgery and Olajuwon missed 10 games with tendinitis in both knees.
Drexler and Elie returned to action April 5, Olajuwon came back
Tuesday and Cassell returned against Dallas with nine points and four
assists in 20 minutes.
The Rockets trailed 111-110 on Saturday when Sam Mack missed a jumper,
but the ball went out of bounds off Dallas' Popeye Jones with
four-tenths of a second left. Olajuwon took an inbounds lob from
Robert Horry and sank a shot from just inside the free-throw line.
"Believe it or not, that's the first time we've run that play,"
Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "They called timeout, so they
knew it was coming. But Robert Horry put it in play perfectly. It's
the little things like that that win games."
Olajuwon finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds, 10 blocks and six
assists.
Houston squandered an 18-point first-quarter lead, but rallied with an
8-1 run in the last 3:15 without Elie and Drexler, both of whom were
ejected with less than four minutes left.
Jim Jackson had 33 points, including the final 13 for the Mavericks,
who have lost three in a row. Jason Kidd narrowly missed his second
consecutive triple-double, finishing with 18 points, 15 assists and
nine rebounds.
"I really felt sorry for the kids after this one," Mavs coach Dick
Motta said. "We got beat tonight by a great play made by a better
team. We just can't play any better than we did tonight."
The Rockets trailed 104-102 with 3:50 remaining when Elie made an
apparent 3-pointer, but referee Jack Nies ruled that Elie's foot was
on the line.
Eleven seconds later, Nies whistled Elie for a personal foul on
Jackson. Elie jumped into the official's face and was hit with two
technicals, an automatic ejection.
"I just want stuff called both ways. It's not about Jackson -- he
played great," Ellie said. "He was having his way with me. But he was
being physical and I wasn't allowed to be."
Jackson went to the line and hit four free throws to put the Mavs
ahead 108-104. Then, with 3:28 to go, Nies called Drexler for a foul
on Jackson and Drexler responded. Nies gave him two quick technicals
and Jackson's free throws gave Dallas a six-point advantage.
"It was great, a great win, considering the forces against us,"
Drexler said. "We won't discuss those or we'll get fined. This was one
of the best games I ever had the pleasure of watching."
Olajuwon scored the next five points to cut the deficit to 110-109
with 2:10 left, but Jackson and Houston's Mark Bryant traded free
throws to make the score 111-100 with 80 seconds to play.
"We were up 15 points at halftime. There was no excuse for almost
losing this game," Olajuwon said. "It was a real character builder."
George McCloud had 29 points and seven rebounds for Dallas, which lost
to the Rockets for the third time in four meeting this season.
Chucky Brown and Kenny Smith scored 15 points apiece for Houston,
which shot 49 percent (43 for 88) from the field and outrebounded the
Mavericks 50-48.
Houston raced out to a 22-4 lead in the first quarter. Olajuwon, Brown
and Smith had six points apiece in the spurt as the Rockets took a
35-21 advantage into the second.
The Mavs used a 13-2 burst in the third quarter to get within 86-82
after three. Loren Meyer scored seven points during the burst and
finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
nba.385vpoznanovic,
Detroit (86) At Indiana (91)
Detroit
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Hill F 43 8-16 4-5 1 7 8 6 4 1 3 20
Thorpe F 33 4-6 2-2 3 6 9 1 4 0 1 10
West C 33 3-7 2-2 4 5 9 1 5 1 2 8
Houston G 36 3-16 5-6 0 2 2 1 1 0 2 13
Dumars G 38 6-13 0-0 1 4 5 3 1 0 1 13
Curry 14 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0
Mills 21 7-12 0-0 0 4 4 1 5 1 1 20
Hunter 21 1-3 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 2
Roe 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Leckner Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Ratliff Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Reid Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 32-73 13-15 10 29 39 15 23 4 10 86
(.438) (.867) Team Rebs: 4 Total To: 11(12 Pts)
Indiana
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mckey F 40 8-19 3-6 4 7 11 1 1 3 2 20
D Davis F 29 2-6 0-0 1 8 9 2 2 0 2 4
Smits C 31 2-11 4-5 1 4 5 4 2 0 1 8
Miller G 11 5-7 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 12
Jackson G 38 6-7 0-0 0 1 1 9 2 0 1 12
A Davis 26 1-3 3-3 2 3 5 0 4 0 1 5
Workman 15 2-4 2-2 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 8
Ferrell 12 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 2
Best 9 0-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pierce 23 6-10 2-2 0 2 2 3 2 1 0 14
Johnson 6 2-3 2-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 6
Caldwell Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 35-76 16-20 8 29 37 23 17 6 8 91
(.461) (.800) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 8(10 Pts)
Detroit 19 29 22 16 - 86
Indiana 28 12 18 33 - 91
Blocked Shots: Detroit - West 3, Hill, Thorpe, Hunter. Indiana - A
Davis, Mckey.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Detroit 9-20 (.450), Houston 2-7, Dumars 1-3, Mills
6-8, Hunter 0-2. Indiana 5-11 (.455), Mckey 1-4, Miller 2-3, Workman 2-2,
Best 0-1, Pierce 0-1.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Dan Crawford, David Jones, Sean Corbin.
A - 16,760. T - 2:09.
nba.386vpoznanovic,
PACERS RALLY TO WIN AFTER CONCUSSION STOPS MILLER
INDIANAPOLIS -- Derrick McKey scored 20 points as the Indiana Pacers
overcame the loss of All-Star guard Reggie Miller and a 12-point
deficit in the final 7:46 to defeat the Detroit Pistons 91-86 on
Saturday.
Miller was hospitalized after sustaining a concussion and possible
neck sprain late in the first quarter.
"When we lost Reggie, we knew that everybody had to step up," said
Pacers guard Ricky Pierce, who scored 14 points. "Late in the fourth
quarter, we really picked our defense up and came up with a lot of
good stops. We are at a point in the season when you have to be ready
to come out and produce."
The Pacers (49-29) have won five consecutive games and eight of their
last 10. Indiana leads the New York Knicks by 3Ż games for the third
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with four games to play.
"This was about as much fun as any win I've been associated with --
college or pro -- because we tried hard and we were short-handed,"
Pacers coach Larry Brown said. "These wins are great, not only because
how we won, but because so many guys stepped up."
Miller had 12 points on five-for-seven shooting before his concussion.
He was stealing a pass from Mark West when Miller was sandwiched
between Detroit Otis Thorpe and Allan Houston.
Thorpe's knee struck Miller above his eye and the impact snapped
Miller's neck backward. He fell to the floor, where he stayed for
several moments, kicking his right leg up and down in obvious pain as
medical personnel evaluated him.
Dr. Sanford Kunkel, the Pacers' team physician, said Miller would be
kept overnight at St. Vincent Hospital for further neurological tests.
"The next few days he may not feel like himself,'' Kunkel said. "The
next 24 hours will tell.
"It's the same eye we sewed up 10 days ago,'' Kunkel said. "The long
time prognosis is fine. He was a little nauseous, a little sleepy.
That's pretty normal.''
Kunkel said Miller's availability for Monday's game with Charlotte was
questionable.
Terry Mills and Grant Hill scored 20 points apiece for Detroit
(43-34), which fell into a tie for sixth place in the East with the
Atlanta Hawks.
"You watched the last few minutes of the game, you make your own
judgment," Detroit coach Doug Collins snapped during a postgame
interview. "We had control of the game, but we lost control."
Hill made two free throws to give Detroit a 76-64 lead before the
Pacers went on a 17-4 tear. Antonio Davis started the run with a
three-point play and Hill made a foul shot to make it 77-67.
McKey and Pierce scored baskets to cut the deficit to 77-71 with 5:34
to play. Mark Jackson had a layup and McKey added another jumper to
pull Indiana within 77-75. Davis made a foul shot before Hill
converted a three-point play to give Detroit an 80-76 edge with 3:28
left.
Pierce made a 3-pointer before Eddie Johnson scored a basket to give
Indiana an 81-80 lead with 2:25 remaining. Hill countered with two
free throws, but Johnson responded with a 16-footer to give the Pacers
the lead for good at 83-82 with 1:51 to go.
Jackson scored on a circus shot with 37 seconds remaining and, after
Hill turned the ball over, McKey made two free throws with 10 seconds
remaining to seal the victory.
Jackson finished with 12 points and nine assists for Indiana, which
shot 46 percent (35 for 76) from the field.
Joe Dumars and Houston added 13 points apiece and Thorpe scored 10 for
Detroit, which shot 32 for 73 (44 percent).
The teams combined for only 19 turnovers and Detroit outrebounded the
Pacers 39-37.
nba.387vpoznanovic,
New York (95) At Miami (103)
New York
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mason F 46 11-19 4-7 3 6 9 5 3 3 0 26
Reid F 21 3-9 0-0 2 1 3 0 4 0 1 6
Ewing C 42 9-21 6-8 2 16 18 3 5 0 3 24
Davis G 27 2-8 1-1 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 6
Harper G 38 7-11 0-0 0 2 2 4 3 2 1 17
Williams 8 0-1 0-0 0 4 4 1 3 0 0 0
Ward 11 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 2
Starks 29 3-9 3-3 0 1 1 3 6 1 3 10
Anderson 18 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 4
Grant Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Lohaus Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Oakley Dnp - Eye Injury
Totals 240 38-83 14-19 7 32 39 23 29 7 9 95
(.458) (.737) Team Rebs: 5 Total To: 9(6 Pts)
Miami
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Thomas F 36 6-13 1-6 5 7 12 1 3 2 2 15
Williams F 36 5-8 5-8 0 8 8 2 3 0 1 15
Mourning C 43 8-13 9-10 2 12 14 2 4 1 2 25
Chapman G 42 4-10 6-7 0 2 2 1 2 0 1 18
Hardaway G 41 3-16 7-7 0 4 4 10 2 2 3 14
Smith 13 1-3 1-2 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 3
Gatling 16 5-9 1-1 2 1 3 0 4 0 0 11
Askins 13 1-2 0-0 2 4 6 2 1 0 0 2
Corbin Dnp - Coach'S Decision
King Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Lenard Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Schayes Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 33-74 30-41 11 39 50 20 19 5 10 103
(.446) (.732) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 11(11 Pts)
New York 21 26 22 26 - 95
Miami 19 30 30 24 - 103
Blocked Shots: New York - Ewing 3, Davis 2. Miami - Mourning 3, Thomas,
Hardaway, Smith, Gatling.
3-Pt. Field Goals: New York 5-12 (.417), Davis 1-3, Harper 3-4, Ward 0-2,
Starks 1-3. Miami 7-19 (.368), Thomas 2-4, Chapman 4-8, Hardaway 1-7.
Technicals: New York - Illegal Defense, Reid, Miami - Illegal Defense.
Officials: Bill Oakes, Tom Washington, Derrick Stafford.
A - 15,200. T - 2:28.
nba.388vpoznanovic,
RILEY BEATS NEW YORK, JUST IN THE KNICK OF TIME
MIAMI -- Walt Williams capped a third-quarter run with a pair of
3-pointers and Alonzo Mourning had 25 points and 14 rebounds as the
Miami Heat bolstered its playoff hopes with a 103-95 victory over the
New York Knicks on Saturday.
Miami coach Pat Riley got his first win over the Knicks since leaving
them as head coach after last season. Riley and the Heat lost their
first three meetings with the Knicks this season.
"It was a very exciting day from the standpoint of having a full house
and being on national television and getting a win that we desperately
needed," Riley said. "We won a game that we needed here against a
quality team. We haven't been able to deliver that punch here.
"We just don't want a letdown. That's all I am thinking about."
The Heat (40-38), which has won three in a row, grabbed sole
possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern
Conference, inching a half-game ahead of the Charlotte Hornets and 1Ż
games ahead of Washington.
"It's just another game under our belts -- we have four more to go,"
Mourning said. "We can't play well in the game tonight and then not be
focused for the Nets on Monday night. They are not playing for
anything. We don't want them to be the spoiler, so we really have to
capture that one."
Anthony Mason scored 26 points and Patrick Ewing had 24 points and 18
rebounds for the Knicks, who remain in fourth place in the East but
are just a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Heat held a 51-49 lead early in the second half when Tim Hardaway
hit a shot, Rex Chapman hit a 3-pointer and Williams followed with a
pair from long range. The run, which was interrupted only by a
3-pointer from New York's Derek Harper, increased Miami's cushion to
60-52 midway through the period.
"We wanted to keep running them," Chapman said. "We didn't want to get
into a slowdown, halfcourt game with them. They are a veteran team.
They have Patrick down there and if you let him face his back to the
basket, they're going to beat you."
New York got within 70-67 with 2:51 left in the third after a 6-0 run
but and could not get closer than five in the final quarter.
Hardaway, who finished with 14 points and 10 assists, hit a 3-pointer
to cap a quarter-ending 9-2 spurt as the Heat grabbed a 79-69 lead.
Miami maintained a 91-79 advantage before the Knicks used a 7-0 burst,
keyed by John Starks' three-point play, to get within 91-86 with 5:56
left.
"We do a lot of the same things, just like we're going up against one
another in practice," Ewing said. "They just outplayed us. All games
are key for us. We have to win all of our remaining games. I don't
think there will be a letdown against Toronto (on Monday)."
The Heat shot 45 percent (33 for 74) from the field, just shy of New
York's 46 percent (38 for 83). Miami made the difference at the foul
line, going 30 for 41 to New York's 14 for 19.
Miami played only eight players, but six of them scored in double
figures. Chapman had 18 points -- including 12 on 3-pointers --
Williams finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Kurt Thomas had 15
points and Chris Gatling added 11 off the bench.
Miami held a 50-39 rebounding edge as Keith Askins grabbed six in 13
minutes off the bench and Thomas finished with eight. Mason had nine
rebounds for the Knicks.
"We reverted back a little bit rebounding and we didn't get to the
free-throw line," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Those were two
differences in the game.
"We have to stop the bleeding. It's not going to stop against Toronto
on Monday. They're an expansion team and we're going to have to play
better."
nba.389vpoznanovic,
Seattle (81) At San Antonio (84)
Seattle
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
D Schrempf F 38 7-14 4-6 1 5 6 4 3 0 6 20
Kemp F 29 5-14 3-6 5 9 14 1 4 1 3 13
Johnson C 14 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 2 4 0 1 4
Hawkins G 30 1-5 0-0 0 1 1 5 0 2 3 2
Payton G 40 5-15 5-6 1 4 5 4 1 3 4 15
Perkins 30 4-16 6-7 1 5 6 0 3 0 0 15
Askew 13 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 4
Brickowski 15 2-3 0-0 0 3 3 0 3 0 3 6
Mcmillan 24 0-2 0-0 1 4 5 2 2 1 0 0
Wingate 7 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 2
S Scheffler Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Snow Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 28-76 20-27 9 35 44 18 24 7 20 81
(.368) (.741) Team Rebs: 10 Total To: 20(25 Pts)
San Antonio
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Elliott F 17 2-4 2-4 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 6
Smith F 28 2-8 1-2 2 4 6 3 4 0 2 5
Robinson C 43 8-16 8-11 4 12 16 3 5 1 4 24
Del Negro G 43 7-14 2-4 0 2 2 5 2 3 1 16
Johnson G 38 3-7 2-2 0 2 2 13 3 2 6 8
C Person 36 6-13 0-2 2 5 7 2 4 2 3 15
Rivers 16 2-6 0-0 0 2 2 0 3 1 1 5
Williams 8 1-2 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 2
W Perdue 11 1-2 1-4 0 3 3 0 4 0 1 3
Alexander Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Anderson Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Herrera Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 32-72 16-29 10 33 43 26 26 10 20 84
(.444) (.552) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 20(20 Pts)
Seattle 26 19 24 12 - 81
San Antonio 24 26 20 14 - 84
Blocked Shots: Seattle - Kemp 3, Perkins 3, Johnson, Hawkins. San Antonio
- Smith 2, Robinson 2.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Seattle 5-29 (.172), D Schrempf 2-7, Kemp 0-2, Hawkins
0-3, Payton 0-3, Perkins 1-10, Askew 0-1, Brickowski 2-2, Mcmillan 0-1.
San Antonio 4-15 (.267), Del Negro 0-2, C Person 3-10, Rivers 1-3.
Technicals: Seattle - Askew 2 (Ejected), San Antonio - W Perdue.
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Joe Borgia, Greg Willard.
A - 31,710. T - 2:35.
nba.390vpoznanovic,
SPURS EDGE SONICS IN BATTLE OF WEST'S BEST
SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs clinched their second consecutive
Midwest Division title by defeating Seattle 84-81 on Saturday,
delaying the SuperSonics' march to the Western Conference title.
David Robinson scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the
Spurs (57-21), who have the Midwest tiebreaker advantage over
second-place Utah (52-25) by virtue of winning the season series 3-1.
"We are looking at the big picture, and that is to win it all," said
San Antonio forward Charles Smith, downplaying the division crown.
San Antonio is 21-3 since Feb. 29.
"We're locked into the second spot for the Western playoffs and we can
play the last four games however we want," San Antonio coach bob Hill
said. "If we end up playing Seattle again, it'd be a great series. We
match up pretty well. Both teams won on each other's home court. We've
beat them the last two times we've played them."
The loss was only the third in 17 games for the Sonics (61-17), who
need just one more victory to wrap up the top seed in the West.
Detlef Schrempf scored 20 points to pace the Sonics, who shot just 37
percent from the field, including five for 29 from 3-point range.
"When you shoot 37 percent, you're not going to win," Seattle coach
George Karl said.
San Antonio built a 60-50 third-quarter lead. Seattle outscored the
Spurs 19-10 over the last 7:43 of the third quarter to pull within
70-69. Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp combined for 13 points during the
run.
"It was a hard game, not physical," Schrempf said.
Spurs point guard Avery Johnson, who had 13 assists, saw the game
differently.
"This was our most physical game of the season," Johnson said.
San Antonio never relinquished the lead in the fourth quarter. A
jumper by Hersey Hawkins with 2:55 left pulled the Sonics within
81-79. Vinny Del Negro, who finished with 16 points, answered with a
jumper to increase San Antonio's lead to 83-79.
"We had control in the second half," Hill said. "We had a plan, but we
froze. They did us a favor by pressing us after the timeout. Vinny
scored and it was huge."
Kemp converted one of two free throws with 2:05 left, but Robinson hit
one of two from the foul line to restore San Antonio's four-point
lead.
Sam Perkins hit a free throw with 15 seconds left and, after Chuck
Person missed two free throws for San Antonio with 10 seconds left,
the Sonics had a chance to tie the score. But Kemp missed two jumpers
in the final seconds.
"We've run the play before," Kemp said. "You've got to shoot when
you're that wide open. Avery Johnson dropped off me and, after the
first one, it came right back to me and I bricked it again. As bad as
we played, we had our chances and that means a lot to us."
Person finished with 15 points and played 36 minutes. Starting forward
Sean Elliott was limited to just 17 minutes and six points after
taking a hard fall.
"We've played without Sean before, so now is not the time for him to
be a hero," Robinson said. "We need Sean in the playoffs, so if he
needs to rest, then that is what he needs to do."
Payton and Perkins scored 15 points apiece for Seattle. But Payton was
five for 15 from the field and Perkins hit only four of 16 shots.
The teams split the season series 2-2.
nba.391vpoznanovic,
Utah (81) At LA Clippers (91)
Utah
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Malone F 43 11-26 10-11 5 9 14 4 3 1 4 32
Benoit F 27 2-6 1-1 1 4 5 1 1 1 1 5
Spencer C 15 1-2 0-0 0 3 3 0 4 0 0 2
Stockton G 38 7-11 1-4 3 3 6 6 4 1 3 16
Hornacek G 34 5-15 0-1 0 4 4 4 2 0 2 12
Eisley 10 0-2 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1
Carr 25 2-7 1-2 0 1 1 0 4 1 0 5
Keefe 21 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 1 1 4
Morris 15 1-7 0-0 2 0 2 0 3 0 1 2
Ostertag 12 1-4 0-0 2 2 4 0 1 0 0 2
Foster Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Russell Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 32-83 14-21 13 29 42 15 24 6 13 81
(.386) (.667) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 13(14 Pts)
LA Clippers
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Vaught F 38 6-15 0-2 2 6 8 1 1 1 2 12
Rogers F 34 3-10 2-2 0 4 4 4 4 0 3 9
Harvey C 23 1-5 0-0 3 5 8 1 2 1 0 2
Barry G 28 4-8 1-1 0 2 2 3 1 2 3 11
Richardson G 29 7-16 2-2 0 2 2 5 2 2 1 18
Murray 24 2-3 2-2 2 4 6 0 3 0 1 7
Sealy 20 1-4 8-8 0 2 2 0 2 1 1 10
Outlaw 24 2-5 1-2 3 5 8 0 5 0 0 5
Dehere 20 6-11 3-5 1 3 4 3 4 1 3 17
Piatkowski Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Tower Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Roberts Dnp - Sprained Left Ankle
Totals 240 32-77 19-24 11 33 44 17 24 8 14 91
(.416) (.792) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 17(20 Pts)
Utah 20 17 24 20 - 81
LA Clippers 26 22 20 23 - 91
Blocked Shots: Utah - Ostertag 2, Carr, Stockton, Spencer, Benoit. LA
Clippers - Rogers 5, Outlaw 3, Barry.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Utah 3-12 (.250), Malone 0-1, Benoit 0-1, Stockton 1-4,
Hornacek 2-5, Morris 0-1. LA Clippers 8-19 (.421), Rogers 1-3, Barry 2-3,
Richardson 2-6, Murray 1-1, Sealy 0-1, Dehere 2-5.
Technicals: Utah - Malone.
Officials: Ed T Rush, Bob Delaney, Jim Kinsey.
A - 16,021. T - 2:16.
nba.392vpoznanovic,
L.A. Clippers 91, Utah 81
LOS ANGELES -- Pooh Rochardson scored 18 points and Terry Dehere added
10 of his 17 in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers upset
the Utah Jazz 91-81 on Saturday.
Loy Vaught added 12 points for the Clippers, who have won 11 of their
past 17 home games against Utah.
"They were live and quick to the ball," Utah coach Jerry Sloan. "We
haven't finished games off -- I'm concerned about our intensity.
"As soon as they got back in the game, they knew they could play with
us. We can't win with one or two guys playing a little bit. We have to
play as a team."
The Clippers played without centers Brian Williams and Stanley
Roberts. Williams was placed on the injured list with tendinitis in
his right knee and Roberts has a sprained left ankle.
Karl Malone had 32 points and 14 rebounds and John Stockton scored 16
points for Utah. Malone reached 2,000 points in a season for the ninth
consecutive year, an NBA record.
"I just think when you look at the great players, it's something you
think about," Malone said about his milestone. "When I look at my
career, I've been lucky. I've been fortunate to play on a team that
has given me a lot of opportunities.
"You can't miss 10 or 12 games a season," said Malone, who has missed
four games in 11 years. "If you do, you take a big hit (on scoring
2,000)."
Utah used a 9-2 spurt to start the fourth quarter, tying the score at
70-70 with 7:39 to play after a layup by Stockton.
Dehere converted a three-point play with 6:59 left and added a free
throw to make it 74-70 with 5:51 to go. Stockton made a free throw
before Dehere canned a 3-pointer with 5:22 to play for a 77-71
Clippers' lead.
"Terry came off the bench and really gave us a boost," Vaught said.
"That's exactly what we needed him to do for us."
Utah pulled within 79-78 on a jumper by Adam Keefe with 3:29
remaining, but Dehere converted a three-point play to make it 82-78.
Lamond Murray sank two free throws and Bo Outlaw hit a foul shot to
push the lead to 85-78.
The Jazz came no closer than four points down the stretch.
Utah, which came into the game shooting 49 percent from the field,
made just 39 percent of its shots (38 for 83). Malone made 11 of 26
shots and Jeff Hornacek added 12 points.
Los Angeles shot 42 percent (32 for 77) from the floor.
"They won't be Tuesday night," Richardson said when asked if Utah was
out of sync. "They'll be looking to get this win back."
The teams play again at Utah on Tuesday.
nba.393vpoznanovic,
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION - 1995/96
(Saturday, April 13 - 155 days, 1123 games)
WESTERN CONFERENCE - PACIFIC DIVISION
TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
Seattle Supersonics 78 61 17 36 3 25 14 104.9 96.8 78.2 - L 1
Los Angeles Lakers 77 49 28 28 11 21 17 102.7 98.6 63.6 11.5 W 2
Portland Trail Blazers 77 41 36 25 14 16 22 99.6 97.4 53.2 19.5 W 2
Phoenix Suns 77 39 38 23 16 16 22 103.8 103.7 50.6 21.5 L 2
Sacramento Kings 77 35 42 23 15 12 27 99.6 102.6 45.5 25.5 L 2
Golden State Warriors 78 34 44 22 17 12 27 101.9 103.4 43.6 27.0 L 1
Los Angeles Clippers 78 29 49 19 21 10 28 99.5 102.8 37.2 32.0 W 1
WESTERN CONFERENCE - MIDWEST DIVISION
TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
San Antonio Spurs 78 57 21 32 7 25 14 103.6 96.8 73.1 - W 3
Utah Jazz 78 52 26 32 7 20 19 102.8 96.3 66.7 5.0 L 1
Houston Rockets 78 46 32 25 13 21 19 102.1 100.3 59.0 11.0 W 3
Denver Nuggets 77 33 44 23 15 10 29 98.1 100.5 42.9 23.5 L 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 78 26 52 17 22 9 30 98.2 103.3 33.3 31.0 L 2
Dallas Mavericks 78 24 54 15 24 9 30 102.3 107.4 30.8 33.0 L 3
Vancouver Grizzlies 77 13 64 10 28 3 36 89.8 100.4 16.9 43.5 W 1
EASTERN CONFERENCE - ATLANTIC DIVISION
TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
Orlando Magic 77 56 21 35 4 21 17 104.2 98.8 72.7 - L 1
New York Knicks 78 45 33 25 14 20 19 96.7 94.7 57.7 11.5 L 2
Miami Heat 78 40 38 25 14 15 24 96.3 95.0 51.3 16.5 W 3
Washington Bullets 77 38 39 24 14 14 25 102.6 101.0 49.4 18.0 W 6
Boston Celtics 78 31 47 18 22 13 25 103.3 106.9 39.7 25.5 W 1
New Jersey Nets 77 29 48 19 19 10 29 93.4 97.3 37.7 27.0 L 5
Philadelphia 76ers 78 16 62 10 28 6 34 94.6 104.7 20.5 40.5 L 2
EASTERN CONFERENCE - CENTRAL DIVISION
TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
Chicago Bulls 77 68 9 38 1 30 8 105.6 93.5 88.3 - W 2
Indiana Pacers 78 49 29 30 9 19 20 99.6 96.2 62.8 19.5 W 5
Cleveland Cavaliers 77 44 33 24 14 20 19 91.8 88.9 57.1 24.0 W 1
Detroit Pistons 77 43 34 27 11 16 23 95.5 92.9 55.8 25.0 L 1
Atlanta Hawks 77 43 34 25 14 18 20 98.1 97.1 55.8 25.0 W 1
Charlotte Hornets 77 39 38 25 14 14 24 103.0 103.7 50.6 29.0 L 1
Milwaukee Bucks 77 23 54 13 25 10 29 95.3 100.9 29.9 45.0 L 3
Toronto Raptors 77 20 57 14 25 6 32 97.5 104.6 26.0 48.0 L 1
WESTERN CONFERENCE
# TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
1. Seattle Supersonics 78 61 17 36 3 25 14 104.9 96.8 78.2 - L 1 *
2. San Antonio Spurs 78 57 21 32 7 25 14 103.6 96.8 73.1 4.0 W 3 *
3. Utah Jazz 78 52 26 32 7 20 19 102.8 96.3 66.7 9.0 L 1 *
4. Los Angeles Lakers 77 49 28 28 11 21 17 102.7 98.6 63.6 11.5 W 2 *
5. Houston Rockets 78 46 32 25 13 21 19 102.1 100.3 59.0 15.0 W 3 *
6. Portland Trail Blazers 77 41 36 25 14 16 22 99.6 97.4 53.2 19.5 W 2 *
7. Phoenix Suns 77 39 38 23 16 16 22 103.8 103.7 50.6 21.5 L 2 *
8. Sacramento Kings 77 35 42 23 15 12 27 99.6 102.6 45.5 25.5 L 2
9. Golden State Warriors 78 34 44 22 17 12 27 101.9 103.4 43.6 27.0 L 1
10. Denver Nuggets 77 33 44 23 15 10 29 98.1 100.5 42.9 27.5 L 1
11. Los Angeles Clippers 78 29 49 19 21 10 28 99.5 102.8 37.2 32.0 W 1
12. Minnesota Timberwolves 78 26 52 17 22 9 30 98.2 103.3 33.3 35.0 L 2
13. Dallas Mavericks 78 24 54 15 24 9 30 102.3 107.4 30.8 37.0 L 3
14. Vancouver Grizzlies 77 13 64 10 28 3 36 89.8 100.4 16.9 47.5 W 1
EASTERN CONFERENCE
# TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
1. Chicago Bulls 77 68 9 38 1 30 8 105.6 93.5 88.3 - W 2 *
2. Orlando Magic 77 56 21 35 4 21 17 104.2 98.8 72.7 12.0 L 1 *
3. Indiana Pacers 78 49 29 30 9 19 20 99.6 96.2 62.8 19.5 W 5 *
4. New York Knicks 78 45 33 25 14 20 19 96.7 94.7 57.7 23.5 L 2 *
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 77 44 33 24 14 20 19 91.8 88.9 57.1 24.0 W 1
6. Detroit Pistons 77 43 34 27 11 16 23 95.5 92.9 55.8 25.0 L 1
7. Atlanta Hawks 77 43 34 25 14 18 20 98.1 97.1 55.8 25.0 W 1
8. Miami Heat 78 40 38 25 14 15 24 96.3 95.0 51.3 28.5 W 3
9. Charlotte Hornets 77 39 38 25 14 14 24 103.0 103.7 50.6 29.0 L 1
10. Washington Bullets 77 38 39 24 14 14 25 102.6 101.0 49.4 30.0 W 6
11. Boston Celtics 78 31 47 18 22 13 25 103.3 106.9 39.7 37.5 W 1
12. New Jersey Nets 77 29 48 19 19 10 29 93.4 97.3 37.7 39.0 L 5
13. Milwaukee Bucks 77 23 54 13 25 10 29 95.3 100.9 29.9 45.0 L 3
14. Toronto Raptors 77 20 57 14 25 6 32 97.5 104.6 26.0 48.0 L 1
15. Philadelphia 76ers 78 16 62 10 28 6 34 94.6 104.7 20.5 52.5 L 2
IF THE PLAYOFFS START NOW...
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Seattle Supersonics Sacramento Kings
Los Angeles Lakers Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz Portland Trail Blazers
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Chicago Bulls Miami Heat
New York Knicks Cleveland Cavaliers
Orlando Magic Atlanta Hawks
Indiana Pacers Detroit Pistons
TOTAL STANDINGS
# TEAM TG TW TL HW HL AW AL TPA OPA % GB Str
1. Chicago Bulls 77 68 9 38 1 30 8 105.6 93.5 88.3 - W 2
2. Seattle Supersonics 78 61 17 36 3 25 14 104.9 96.8 78.2 7.5 L 1
3. San Antonio Spurs 78 57 21 32 7 25 14 103.6 96.8 73.1 11.5 W 3
4. Orlando Magic 77 56 21 35 4 21 17 104.2 98.8 72.7 12.0 L 1
5. Utah Jazz 78 52 26 32 7 20 19 102.8 96.3 66.7 16.5 L 1
6. Los Angeles Lakers 77 49 28 28 11 21 17 102.7 98.6 63.6 19.0 W 2
7. Indiana Pacers 78 49 29 30 9 19 20 99.6 96.2 62.8 19.5 W 5
8. Houston Rockets 78 46 32 25 13 21 19 102.1 100.3 59.0 22.5 W 3
9. New York Knicks 78 45 33 25 14 20 19 96.7 94.7 57.7 23.5 L 2
10. Cleveland Cavaliers 77 44 33 24 14 20 19 91.8 88.9 57.1 24.0 W 1
11. Detroit Pistons 77 43 34 27 11 16 23 95.5 92.9 55.8 25.0 L 1
12. Atlanta Hawks 77 43 34 25 14 18 20 98.1 97.1 55.8 25.0 W 1
13. Portland Trail Blazers 77 41 36 25 14 16 22 99.6 97.4 53.2 27.0 W 2
14. Miami Heat 78 40 38 25 14 15 24 96.3 95.0 51.3 28.5 W 3
15. Phoenix Suns 77 39 38 23 16 16 22 103.8 103.7 50.6 29.0 L 2
16. Charlotte Hornets 77 39 38 25 14 14 24 103.0 103.7 50.6 29.0 L 1
17. Washington Bullets 77 38 39 24 14 14 25 102.6 101.0 49.4 30.0 W 6
18. Sacramento Kings 77 35 42 23 15 12 27 99.6 102.6 45.5 33.0 L 2
19. Golden State Warriors 78 34 44 22 17 12 27 101.9 103.4 43.6 34.5 L 1
20. Denver Nuggets 77 33 44 23 15 10 29 98.1 100.5 42.9 35.0 L 1
21. Boston Celtics 78 31 47 18 22 13 25 103.3 106.9 39.7 37.5 W 1
22. New Jersey Nets 77 29 48 19 19 10 29 93.4 97.3 37.7 39.0 L 5
23. Los Angeles Clippers 78 29 49 19 21 10 28 99.5 102.8 37.2 39.5 W 1
24. Minnesota Timberwolves 78 26 52 17 22 9 30 98.2 103.3 33.3 42.5 L 2
25. Dallas Mavericks 78 24 54 15 24 9 30 102.3 107.4 30.8 44.5 L 3
26. Milwaukee Bucks 77 23 54 13 25 10 29 95.3 100.9 29.9 45.0 L 3
27. Toronto Raptors 77 20 57 14 25 6 32 97.5 104.6 26.0 48.0 L 1
28. Philadelphia 76ers 78 16 62 10 28 6 34 94.6 104.7 20.5 52.5 L 2
29. Vancouver Grizzlies 77 13 64 10 28 3 36 89.8 100.4 16.9 55.0 W 1
--------
TG - ukupan broj odigranih utakmica
TW - ukupan broj pobeda
TL - ukupan broj poraza
HW - broj pobeda na domaćem terenu
HL - broj poraza na domaćem terenu
AW - broj pobeda na gostujućem terenu
AL - broj poraza na gostujućem terenu
TPA - prosek postignutih koševa
OPA - prosek primljenih koševa
% - procenat pobeda
GB - broj zaostalih utakmica
Str - poslednja serija pobeda (W) ili poraza (L)
* - ekipa je već osigurala učešće u playoff-u
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) 1996 Vladimir Poznanović <vpoznanovic@sezam.co.yu>
nba.394vpoznanovic,
BULLS ACTIVATE LONGLEY ON INJURED LIST
The Chicago Bulls today activated starting center Luc Longley from the
injured list and he scored six points in 19 minutes in a 98-72 win
over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Longley was placed on the injured list for the second time this season
on March 28th with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. He missed
nine games in February with a left knee medial collateral ligament
sprain.
To make room for Longley, the Bulls placed forward Jason Caffey on the
injured list with a left knee strain.
The Bulls visit the Cleveland Cavaliers this afternoon.
nba.395vpoznanovic,
CLIPPERS FC WILLIAMS PLACED ON INJURED LIST
Los Angeles Clippers forward-center Brian Williams, who has not played
this month, was placed on the injured list today with tendinitis in
his right knee, ending his season.
The 6-11 Williams has not played since March 30th, when he had eight
points and 10 rebounds in a 106-85 loss at Chicago. He missed six
games, including four losses, before the team made the move.
A player who goes on the injured list must miss at least five games.
The Clippers (28-49) have five games left this season, including
tonight's home contest against the Utah Jazz.
"Even if the tendinitis subsided by the middle of next week, it should
be unlikely that Brian would be able to regain enough conditioning in
time to do very much this late in the season," Clippers general
manager Elgin Baylor said.
The 27-year-old Williams averaged career highs of 15.8 points and 7.6
rebounds in 65 games this season. He is eighth in the league in
field-goal shooting at 54.3 percent.
Williams was acquired from the Denver Nuggets last September for
center Elmore Spencer. He spent two seasons with the Orlando Magic
before he was traded to Denver on August 19th, 1993.
To replace Williams on the roster, the Clippers re-activated center
Keith Tower from the injured list. Tower, sidelined since March 5th
with a strained lower back, is averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds
per game.
nba.396vpoznanovic,
PACERS' MILLER TO MISS THREE WEEKS AFTER SURGERY
INDIANAPOLIS -- Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers' top scorer, will be
out at least three weeks after undergoing surgery Sunday night to
repair a fractured eye socket.
Dr. Sanford Kunkel, the Pacers' team physician, said Miller will be
out of action for at least three weeks. The NBA playoffs begin in less
than two weeks.
"Everything went absolutely perfect," Kunkel said of the 30-minute
reconstructive surgery of Miller's right orbit. "There were no
complications, nothing out of the ordinary."
Miller was injured Saturday night during the first quarter of a
victory over the Detroit Pistons. After stealing a pass from Mark
West, Miller collided with Detroit's Otis Thorpe and was sandwiched
between Thorpe and Allan Houston.
The force of the collision with Thorpe caused Miller's head to snap
backward, and he left the game with a concussion. He spent the night
at St. Vincent's Hospital, where doctors discovered his eye socket had
been fractured.
Kunkel called it a "pretty significant injury"' which has left Miller
suffering from double vision.
"When an eye's hit with some degree of force, something's got to
give," said Dr. Michael Welsh, who performed the surgery and inserted
a plastic plate about the size of a quarter in place of the shattered
bone.
"We hope he's back in three weeks with protective eyewear," Kunkel
said.
Miller, a member of the 1996 United States Olympic basketball team, is
averaging 21.1 points per game for the Pacers. Miller averaged 29
points during the first four games of Indiana's current five-game
winning streak.
nba.397vpoznanovic,
USA BASKETBALL NAMES BARKLEY AND RICHMOND TO DREAM TEAM III
Forward Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns and guard Mitch Richmond
of the Sacramento Kings today were officially named as the final two
members to the 1996 Olympic Basketball team.
USA Basketball Executive Committee President C.M. Newton made the
official announcement this afternoon. The player selections were made
by USA Basketball's Senior National Team Committee, which is chaired
by NBA Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn.
"The selection of Barkley and Richmond completes what we believe will
be another historic Dream Team," said Newton. "The Senior National
Team Committee did an outstanding job of assembling what is obviously
a very talented team, but also a team that I know will represent the
United States in a very positive way."
Barkley and Richmond will join 10 other NBA stars previously named in
Atlanta this summer on "Dream Team III."
Barkley is the fifth member of the original "Dream Team," which won
the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, invited to play in
Atlanta. Richmond was a member of the 1988 Olympic team that won a
bronze medal.
Barkley, who is averaging 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds for Phoenix
this season, won the league's Most Valuable Player of the Year Award
in 1992-93. Barkley is one of just nine players in NBA history with
20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.
"This is an honor," said Barkley. "I was surprised to be asked to
play, but this is something that is just too great to turn down. I
consider it a privilege anytime you get a chance to represent your
country."
Richmond, who is averaging 23.2 points per game for Sacramento, was
the Most Valuable Player of the 1995 NBA All-Star Game and his
selection was supported by many of the league's top performers, most
notably Michael Jordan.
"I'm very happy and excited about getting another opportunity to
return to the Olympics and play for a gold medal," said Richmond.
"It's a great honor for me, my family and the entire Kings
organization."
Richmond is on pace to become just the seventh player in NBA history
to average 21 or more points per contest in each of his first eight
seasons.
The USA Committee passed over Seattle SuperSonic stars Shawn Kemp and
Gary Payton in favor of Barkley and Richmond.
"I feel bad for them, they deserved the opportunity," said Seattle
coach George Karl. "Look at our record. Those guys are the main
reasons."
The 10 players previously named to the Olympic team were centers
Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson, forwards Karl
Malone, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill and David Robinson and guards Penny
Hardaway, Reggie Miller and John Stockton.
Lenny Wilkens of Atlanta, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, will
serve as Olympic coach.
"I am very pleased with the team the Selection Committee has chosen to
represent the United States in this summer's Olympic Games," said
Wilkens. "I am confident that we can achieve the ultimate goal and
that is to bring home the gold medal. Charles and Mitch round out a
team that all of us on the Selection Committee believe gives us a
formidable array of talent to go into the Olympics with."
Robinson, Malone, Pippen and Stockton played for the original 1992
Dream Team.
The 1996 Summer Olympic Games will be held July 19-August 4 in
Atlanta. The men's basketball competition is scheduled for July
20-August 3 at the Georgia Dome and Morehouse College.
nba.398vpoznanovic,
MAGIC (YES, MAGIC) TOSSED FOR BUMPING REF
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Wild, wild West indeed:
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson, who earlier this week
admonished a teammate for pushing an referee, bumped one himself
Sunday and was ejected from a game against the Phoenix Suns;
Phoenix center Joe Kleine collapsed during the national anthem and was
taken to a hospital for overnight evaluation;
Phoenix All-Star Charles Barkley sat out the final 18 minutes with an
apparent injury to his right calf ("I'm struggling right now," Barkley
said after the game. "My legs are gone.") ;
Oh, and by the way, the Lakers held on for a 118-114 victory and their
first 50-win season since 1990-91, Johnson's final season before his
4Ż-year retirement.
Johnson was ejected with 4:13 left in the second quarter. He felt he
was fouled on a driving layup attempt and began arguing while walking
toward referee Scott Foster, drawing a technical foul.
Foster continued walking in a straight line, and Johnson appeared to
step into him, bumping his chest into Foster's right shoulder. Foster
immediately signaled for Johnson's ejection.
"He turned and walked into me," Johnson told NBC during the game. "I
didn't go over to bump into him. We bumped into each other. That's all
that happened."
Later on, Johnson said he was wrong.
"After looking at the replay, I realize it was my fault, I got in his
way," he said. "Although it wasn't intentional, I should have gotten
kicked out.
"I consider myself an ambassador in this league. With my reputation
and history, I can't imagine getting more than a one- or two-game
suspension. I have to accept the responsibility for what I did."
Foster spoke briefly to a pool reporter after the game.
"Intentional or accidental, it doesn't matter," he said. "He bumped me
and there's no question about whether he's ejected or not."
Lakers coach Del Harris defended Johnson, even though replays
indicated Johnson initiated the contact with Foster.
"Earvin, as a captain, went to him to say what a captain might say to
get the ref's attention," Harris said. "And it looked to me like the
referee came up and bumped him. I think the referee initiated the
contact.
"Two technicals on Earvin, given his history, is unnecessary."
Lakers guard Nick Van Exel drew a seven-game suspension for pushing
referee Ron Garretson during a loss at Denver on Tuesday. After the
game, Johnson said, "No matter how mad or frustrated you get, you
don't do it. He will hurt himself and hurt the team."
Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman was suspended for six games in
March for head-butting a referee.
"With Nick being kicked out and Rodman butting heads -- things like
that shouldn't happen," Johnson said after his ejection Sunday. "I was
wrong, and so was the referee for not talking to me."
nba.399vpoznanovic,
SUNS' KLEINE COLLAPSES DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Phoenix Suns center Joe Kleine will be
hospitalized overnight after collapsing during the national anthem
Sunday before the Suns' 118-114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kleine is undergoing tests at Centinela Medical Center. Doctors and
team officials said it was not the first time he had fainted this
season. Joe Kleine Kleine
"The report I got is that Joe Kleine is doing fine," Suns coach Cotton
Fitzsimmons said. "They're keeping him for observation. That's the
last report I got, and that's good news for me."
Kleine was standing for the anthem when he lost consciousness and fell
backward. Trumpeter Jesse McGuire stopped when people noticed Kleine
on the floor. He remained on the floor for five minutes before being
removed on a stretcher by Forum personnel.
"I don't think anyone saw it -- we heard it," said Phoenix forward
Charles Barkley, a close friend of Kleine.
As he was wheeled past members of the media, Kleine responded to a
question by nodding that he was OK.
Kleine suffered no obvious injuries and was taken for tests at
Centinela, according to Suns media relations director Julie Fie.
"The biggest concern in a situation like this obviously is his cardiac
status," Lakers team physician Dr. Steve Lombardo said. "He's
undergoing some tests on his heart, lungs and mental status."
Fie said Kleine suffered a similar bout of dizziness earlier Sunday
and after a workout earlier this season. Lombardo confirmed that after
he spoke with Kleine.
"He had a fainting episode during warmups, which was similar to
something that occurred two weeks ago," Lombardo said.
After the incident, the anthem was performed again by McGuire.
A.C. Green replaced Kleine in the starting lineup and finished with 18
points and 14 rebounds.
Kleine, 34, is in his 10th season in the NBA and third with the Suns.
He was a member of the 1984 United States Olympic team.
He also has played for Sacramento and Boston in the NBA.
nba.400vpoznanovic,
Atlanta (99) At New Jersey (90)
Atlanta
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Augmon F 38 8-10 5-5 1 2 3 4 3 1 1 21
Long F 43 7-14 6-7 1 13 14 1 3 1 1 23
Laettner C 33 5-10 6-9 2 9 11 4 6 2 5 16
Smith G 38 2-9 5-5 2 2 4 2 3 0 2 11
Blaylock G 43 6-13 6-6 3 4 7 3 1 2 2 21
Henderson 17 1-5 0-2 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 2
Ehlo 23 1-2 3-5 0 3 3 3 3 1 3 5
Jordan 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Boyce Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Bullard Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Norman Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Rooks Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 30-64 31-39 10 33 43 17 26 7 15 99
(.469) (.795) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 16(17 Pts)
New Jersey
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Brown F 39 7-13 0-0 3 7 10 2 5 1 0 14
A Gilliam F 37 8-21 3-3 7 2 9 1 2 0 3 19
Bradley C 25 7-17 3-4 7 2 9 1 6 0 1 17
Reeves G 33 1-6 2-2 0 3 3 1 3 2 0 5
Childs G 41 5-14 2-2 1 1 2 8 4 1 5 14
Williams 15 1-5 5-7 8 3 11 0 5 1 1 7
Fleming 34 4-9 5-9 0 2 2 2 3 1 2 13
Mahorn 16 0-3 1-2 0 4 4 1 2 0 0 1
Dare Dnp - Sprained Right Ankle
Obannon Dnp - Sore Left Hand
Graham Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Werdann Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 33-88 21-29 26 24 50 16 30 6 12 90
(.375) (.724) Team Rebs: 3 Total To: 12(8 Pts)
Atlanta 30 23 23 23 - 99
New Jersey 15 26 22 27 - 90
Blocked Shots: Atlanta - Blaylock 2, Long, Laettner, Henderson. New
Jersey - Brown 2, Bradley.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Atlanta 8-22 (.364), Long 3-5, Smith 2-7, Blaylock 3-9,
Ehlo 0-1. New Jersey 3-11 (.273), Reeves 1-4, Childs 2-6, Fleming 0-1.
Technicals: Atlanta - Delay, New Jersey - Illegal Defense.
Officials: Ron Garretson, Joe Derosa, Kevin Fehr.
A - 17,762. T - 2:16.
nba.401vpoznanovic,
Atlanta 99, New Jersey 90
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Grant Long had 23 points and 14 rebounds to
lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 99-90 victory over the New Jersey Nets on
Sunday.
Stacey Augmon and Mookie Blaylock scored 21 points apiece and
Christian Laettner had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks
(44-34), who are tied with Detroit and Cleveland for the fifth spot in
the Eastern Conference playoff race.
"We're playing pretty well right now," Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens said.
"We moved the ball well and were able to get a flow going."
Cleveland lost to Chicago on Sunday and Detroit beat Boston in
overtime. Detroit, Atlanta and Cleveland are within one game of
fourth-place New York in the East.
"Getting off to a fast start was a big key for us," said Blaylock, who
started his career with the Nets. "Playing the way we are playing now,
we definitely have a shot for the fourth spot."
Armon Gilliam scored 19 points and Shawn Bradley had 17 for the Nets.
Augmon scored 11 of his points in the first quarter when the Hawks
raced to a 30-15 lead. Atlanta hit 12 of 20 shots in the quarter and
the Nets were seven for 28 from the field. The Hawks scored the last
eight points of the quarter on a jumper and a three-point play by
Augmon and a 3-pointer by Blaylock.
"He's a key factor for us, especially down low," Wilkens said of
Augmon, a versatile guard-forward. "We can post him up. He's a key for
this team."
The Hawks led by as many as 20 points, 39-19, early in the second
quarter. But Bradley scored 13 points as the Nets closed the quarter
with a 22-14 run to pull within 53-41 at the half.
The Nets cut Atlanta's lead to six, 69-63, with two minutes left in
the third quarter, but Blaylock had a pair of free throws and a tip-in
and Long converted a three-point play to increase Atlanta's lead to
76-63.
A pair of free throws by Jayson Williams pulled the Nets within 91-86
with 1:32 left, but Long hit a layup and the Hawks converted 6-of-6
free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
P.J. Brown and Chris Childs each had 14 points for New Jersey.
Williams grabbed 11 rebounds, Brown 10 and Gilliam and Bradley had
nine apiece.
"We played hard, we just started out slow," Brown said. "We have to
play a good game throughout."
nba.402vpoznanovic,
Boston (96) At Detroit (105) - Final In Ot
Boston
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Ellison F 45 3-10 2-4 6 12 18 0 4 0 4 8
Fox F 25 2-10 0-2 1 1 2 3 6 0 1 4
Lister C 15 0-1 2-2 0 6 6 0 3 0 0 2
Wesley G 48 10-19 0-1 3 2 5 3 5 1 2 24
Minor G 33 4-10 1-2 2 6 8 2 3 2 1 9
Brown 33 4-12 0-0 0 0 0 3 5 2 0 10
Day 37 5-14 4-4 1 6 7 0 3 1 1 15
Barros 27 9-16 1-1 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 22
Burrough 2 0-1 2-2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2
Williams Dnp - Sore Left Knee
Hamilton Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Mundt Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 265 37-93 12-18 16 33 49 13 29 7 10 96
(.398) (.667) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 12(9 Pts)
Detroit
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Hill F 46 6-20 4-5 3 9 12 10 3 2 4 16
Thorpe F 31 7-11 6-10 5 12 17 0 5 0 2 20
West C 15 1-7 2-2 2 0 2 0 3 0 2 4
Houston G 49 11-21 3-5 0 11 11 2 2 1 2 27
Dumars G 43 8-15 5-7 1 2 3 4 3 0 1 23
Mills 8 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
Reid 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hunter 20 2-3 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 4
Curry 30 3-6 0-0 0 3 3 1 4 0 1 8
Ratliff 21 1-2 1-2 1 3 4 0 0 0 0 3
Leckner Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Roe Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 265 39-87 21-31 13 41 54 17 24 3 12 105
(.448) (.677) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 13(15 Pts)
Boston 22 27 14 28 5 - 96
Detroit 22 22 21 26 14 - 105
Blocked Shots: Boston - Ellison 3. Detroit - Ratliff 4, Hill, Thorpe.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Boston 10-23 (.435), Fox 0-2, Wesley 4-5, Brown 2-6,
Day 1-3, Barros 3-7. Detroit 6-13 (.462), Houston 2-4, Dumars 2-3, Mills
0-1, Curry 2-5.
Technicals: Boston - Illegal Defense.
Officials: Bennett Salvatore, Jim Clark, Tony Brothers.
A - 16,522. T - 2:24.
nba.403vpoznanovic,
Detroit 105, Boston 96 (OT)
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Grant Hill recorded his league-leading 10th
triple-double of the season as the Detroit Pistons clinched their
first playoff berth in four years with a 105-96 overtime victory over
the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Hill finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He only had
one triple-double during his rookie season.
Otis Thorpe scored all 20 of his points in the second half and Joe
Dumars took control in the fourth quarter for Detroit (44-34), which
moved into a three-way tie with Cleveland and Atlanta for fifth place
in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit, Cleveland and Atlanta are only one game behind fourth-place
New York. Cleveland lost to Chicago on Sunday and Atlanta won in New
Jersey.
The Pistons closed Sunday's game with a 10-2 run, including a
3-pointer by Michael Curry around baskets by Dumars and Allan Houston.
"It was a tremendous win to get us into the playoffs," Detroit coach
Doug Collins said. "I told them in the huddle, 'Our first win was in
overtime, and overtime will get us into the playoffs.'"
David Wesley scored 24 points and Dana Barros added 22 for Boston,
which lost for the fifth time in eight games overall and to Detroit
for the first time in three games this season.
The Celtics made up a nine-point deficit in the final 2:05 of
regulation to force overtime.
Dumars had given Detroit a seemingly safe 89-80 lead after hitting two
free throws, but the Celtics scored 11 of the final 13 points of
regulation.
Todd Day hit a 3-pointer and Barros added a layup to make it 89-85
with 1:05 left. Wesley cut the deficit to 89-88 on a 3-pointer, but
Dumars hit two free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining to make it
91-88.
Dee Brown forced overtime three seconds later when he hit a 3-pointer
from the left baseline with 1.4 seconds to go.
Houston and Hill scored baskets to start overtime but Brown pulled the
Celtics within 95-94 before Detroit started its closing run.
Houston had 27 points and a career-high 11 rebounds and Dumars
finished with 23 points, including 12 of Detroit's final 15 points in
the fourth quarter.
"Joe was absolutely phenomenal tonight," Collins said. "That was
vintage Joe Dumars. He wanted the ball and hit the big shot.
"There was a point when he had detached himself from this team because
he didn't believe anymore. He was a tennis player. But look at him
now. He's exhausted, but he's proud to be a basketball player again."
"The old pro stepped up at crunch time," Boston coach M.L. Carr said
of Dumars. "You like to see something like that even though it was
against us.
"Our guys worked real hard to come back and get it 91-91. We've been
able to have some success when we've gone small, but he made some real
quick moves to the baskets."
Thorpe also grabbed 17 rebounds, 14 in the second half and overtime.
Detroit shot 45 percent (39 for 87) from the field and outrebounded
the Celtics, 54-49.
nba.404vpoznanovic,
Charlotte (94) At Philadelphia (78)
Charlotte
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
L Johnson F 36 7-13 3-3 1 3 4 2 1 1 0 18
Geiger F 41 4-6 2-2 1 8 9 1 3 0 2 10
Parish C 20 2-3 2-4 2 4 6 1 0 0 1 6
Anderson G 31 5-14 1-1 2 1 3 6 2 2 0 14
Rice G 38 7-16 2-2 2 4 6 4 4 1 3 19
Curry 30 5-15 0-0 2 9 11 5 0 1 0 10
Addison 22 4-7 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 0 0 8
Goldwire 18 4-7 0-0 0 1 1 4 2 1 0 9
Myers 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
Adams Dnp - Strained Right Groin
Hancock Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Zidek Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 38-81 10-12 10 32 42 25 14 6 7 94
(.469) (.833) Team Rebs: 5 Total To: 8(8 Pts)
Philadelphia
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Weatherspoon F 40 8-18 4-4 1 10 11 1 1 2 0 20
Alston F 39 6-11 2-4 0 2 2 2 4 0 3 14
Pinckney C 33 2-5 2-2 5 9 14 1 0 0 2 6
Maxwell G 47 4-19 0-0 1 2 3 6 3 1 4 10
Walters G 34 4-4 2-2 1 0 1 8 5 1 1 11
Ruffin 26 4-12 0-0 0 2 2 4 3 0 3 9
Massenburg 21 4-6 0-0 1 5 6 1 0 0 1 8
Dumas Dnp - Fractured Right Foot
Higgins Dnp - Bursitis Right Elbow
Stackhouse Dnp - Fractured Right Thumb
Sutton Dnp - Injured Big Toe
Thompson Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 32-75 10-12 9 30 39 23 16 4 14 78
(.427) (.833) Team Rebs: 4 Total To: 15(12 Pts)
Charlotte 27 25 18 24 - 94
Philadelphia 27 16 21 14 - 78
Blocked Shots: Charlotte - L Johnson 2, Parish 2. Philadelphia - Alston
2, Pinckney.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Charlotte 8-24 (.333), L Johnson 1-2, Anderson 3-8,
Rice 3-5, Curry 0-6, Goldwire 1-3. Philadelphia 4-15 (.267), Maxwell 2-9,
Walters 1-1, Ruffin 1-5.
Technicals: Charlotte - Anderson, Philadelphia - Head Coach Lucas.
Officials: Bill Oakes, Mike Callahan, Tim Donaghy.
A - 10,079. T - 1:52.
nba.405vpoznanovic,
HORNETS KEEPS BUZZING TOWARD PLAYOFF SPOT
PHILADELPHIA -- Glen Rice scored 19 points and Larry Johnson added 18
as the Charlotte Hornets moved into a tie for the final playoff spot
in the Eastern Conference with a 94-78 victory Sunday over the anemic
Philadelphia 76ers.
Johnson and Dell Curry scored six points apiece in the fourth quarter,
when Charlotte held Philadelphia to 14 points and pulled away for its
sixth win in its last nine road games. The Hornets (40-38) are tied
with the Miami Heat for eighth place in the East.
"We got a spark off our bench," Hornets coach Allan Bristow said. "We
got Dell Curry working well off the screens and Glen Rice started to
heat up a bit. It was just a matter of where our defense was starting
to stop them consistently at the end."
Clarence Weatherspoon had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers
(16-63), who are assured of the second-worst campaign in franchise
history.
Philadelphia used just seven players and was held to 82 points or less
for the fourth consecutive game.
"We're playing seven guys, and we don't have enough options to go to,"
Sixers coach John Lucas said. "They went up to another level in the
fourth quarter. And around that same time we couldn't score."
The score was tied 27-27 after one quarter but Charlotte began the
second period with a 13-4 run. Rafael Addison scored four points and
Kenny Anderson capped it with a three-point play that gave the Hornets
a 40-31 lead with 4:32 left. Charlotte settled for a 52-43 halftime
lead.
Trevor Ruffin scored seven points in the third quarter as the Sixers
battled back to tie it at 61-61, but the Hornets closed the period
with a 9-3 burst for a 70-64 advantage entering the final 12 minutes.
Anderson scored 14 points and Curry had 10 and a career-high 11
rebounds for the Hornets, who shot 47 percent (38 for 81) from the
field and committed just eight turnovers.
"Defensively, we picked it up a little more," Rice said. "We tried to
be more aggressive and that got us going at the defensive end."
Derrick Alston scored 14 points, and Ed Pinckney had 14 rebounds for
the Sixers, who shot 43 percent (32 for 75) and were beaten 42-39 on
the boards.
"I look at all these games as must wins," Bristow said. "We can't
afford a slip."
nba.406vpoznanovic,
Chicago (98) At Cleveland (72)
Chicago
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Pippen F 41 5-11 3-4 2 6 8 4 2 3 2 13
Kukoc F 31 2-8 0-0 1 1 2 5 3 2 2 6
Longley C 19 2-4 2-4 1 1 2 2 1 0 0 6
Harper G 31 5-9 3-4 2 3 5 3 1 3 1 15
Jordan G 35 11-18 6-6 3 9 12 3 0 1 3 32
Rodman 26 0-1 3-4 2 4 6 2 3 0 2 3
Kerr 23 4-8 0-0 0 1 1 3 2 2 0 10
Buechler 16 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 4 1 2 0 3
Wennington 8 2-4 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 0 4
Brown 6 1-3 2-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 4
Simpkins 4 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
Edwards Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 34-70 19-24 12 30 42 26 14 13 10 98
(.486) (.792) Team Rebs: 3 Total To: 10(12 Pts)
Cleveland
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Mills F 37 7-13 0-0 0 5 5 2 2 2 2 16
Ferry F 26 2-9 1-2 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 5
Cage C 18 1-1 0-0 5 3 8 0 1 0 0 2
Phills G 34 4-11 0-0 0 2 2 3 2 1 2 9
Brandon G 36 9-19 3-4 1 2 3 5 3 2 2 21
Hill 25 1-5 1-2 3 3 6 1 4 0 1 3
Majerle 28 4-8 1-2 0 3 3 4 1 1 4 11
Sura 21 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 5 0 1 3 0
Crotty 4 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3
Lang 4 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Marshall 4 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Johnson 3 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Totals 240 30-75 6-10 11 22 33 20 15 7 16 72
(.400) (.600) Team Rebs: 12 Total To: 17(19 Pts)
Chicago 24 22 25 27 - 98
Cleveland 17 18 14 23 - 72
Blocked Shots: Chicago - Pippen, Brown. Cleveland - Majerle 2, Mills.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Chicago 11-20 (.550), Pippen 0-1, Kukoc 2-3, Harper
2-4, Jordan 4-7, Kerr 2-2, Buechler 1-3. Cleveland 6-16 (.375), Mills 2-4,
Phills 1-4, Brandon 0-2, Majerle 2-4, Crotty 1-1, Marshall 0-1.
Technicals: Chicago - Rodman.
Officials: Steve Javie, Blane Reichelt, Ed F Rush.
A - 20,562. T - 2:04.
nba.407vpoznanovic,
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: BULLS REACH 69
CLEVELAND -- Could it be any other way?
The Chicago Bulls reached the record books with their 69th
regular-season victory Sunday, and as usual it was Michael Jordan
leading the way.
Jordan had 32 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls tied the NBA
single-season record for wins with a 98-72 thrashing of the Cleveland
Cavaliers. The victory pulls the Bulls even with the 1971-72 Los
Angeles Lakers, who went 69-13 that season.
The Bulls (69-9) have four chances to become the first team in NBA
history to reach the 70-win plateau. Their first shot at 70 will come
Tuesday at Milwaukee against one of the NBA's doormats. Should they
fails there, the Bulls host Detroit on Thursday and Indiana on
Saturday before finishing the regular season Sunday at Washington.
"We do want to win 70 games and the players are trying to push for it
as quickly as possible," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "I think this
game today was indicative of the type of play this team has been able
to put together over the course of the year. I thought we made the
extra pass today and didn't rush anything."
Terrell Brandon had 21 points for the Cavaliers, who were swept in
four games this season by the Bulls in convincing fashion. Chicago won
all four games by an average margin of 22.3 points.
"We are not happy about it," Brandon said of the loss. "You can say
that they're a great team, but to lose like that, it's real
embarrassing. We didn't shoot the ball well and that was the problem.
It wasn't a fun game to play."
The loss -- coupled with Atlanta's win over New Jersey on Sunday and
Detroit's overtime victory over Boston -- dropped the Cavaliers
(44-34) into a tie with the Pistons and Hawks for the fifth playoff
spot in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit, Atlanta and Cleveland trail fourth-place New York by one
game.
Jordan scored nine points in the first quarter to help the Bulls take
a 24-17 lead. A dunk by Dan Majerle pulled Cleveland within 26-22
early in the second quarter, but the Bulls scored the next six points
on a free throw and a jumper by Ron Harper and a 3-pointer by Steve
Kerr. Chicago held a 46-35 halftime advantage.
The Bulls increased the lead to 61-45 and then closed the third
quarter with a 10-4 run to open a 71-49 bulge. Jordan scored seven
points and Harper hit a 3-pointer in the run.
Jordan sat out most of the fourth quarter.
Harper finished with 15 points and Scottie Pippen added 13 for the
Bulls. Chris Mills scored 16 points for the Cavaliers.
"Our congratulations to Chicago for tying the record, but I'm sorry it
came against us," Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello said. "They were
superb defensively and we had a hard time getting a good look at the
basket."
The Bulls served notice that this could be a record-breaking campaign
when they stampeded to a 41-3 record. Chicago's remarkable season has
featured winning streaks of 18 and 13 games. The Bulls were 12-2 in
November, 13-1 in December, 14-0 in January, 11-3 in February and 12-2
in March. They are 7-1 in April.
The pursuit of the record has been made easier by Chicago's stunning
38-1 home record, which included wins in its first 37 games at The
United Center this season.
The 1971-72 Lakers had an NBA-record 33-game winning streak during
their historic 69-13 season, which draws some interesting parallels to
Chicago's campaign.
Both teams benefited from expansion. The Cavaliers, Buffalo Braves and
Portland Trail Blazers all entered the NBA the year the Lakers set the
record. The Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies joined the league
this season.
"Expansion takes a little away from the record, but you can't take
away the fact this is a helluva season," Jordan said. "Seventy wins is
a motivating factor for me to get this team to win a title. At the
beginning of the season I never thought of 70 wins, but after a while
I thought we could win 70."
The 1971-72 Lakers hold the record for the best road winning
percentage in NBA history at .816 (31-7). The Bulls can tie the
1985-86 Boston Celtics for the best home record in league history at
40-1.
Both the Lakers and Bulls feature a three-pronged attack with two
terrific scorers and the league's leading rebounder. The Lakers had
the guard tandem of Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, who combined for
better than 51 points per game, and center Wilt Chamberlain, who
averaged 19.2 rebounds.
The Bulls have the league's leading scorer in Jordan, who combines
with Pippen for more than 50 points per game. Forward Dennis Rodman
averages 15 rebounds per game to lead the league.
There one personal tie between the teams is Bulls assistant coach Jim
Cleamons, who played for the 1971-72 Lakers, averaging 2.6 points per
game.
nba.408vpoznanovic,
Denver (98) At Minnesota (91)
Denver
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
L Ellis F 19 2-5 1-4 1 3 4 0 4 2 0 5
Mcdyess F 41 9-18 3-4 5 7 12 1 5 0 2 21
Hammonds C 31 5-7 2-4 1 3 4 0 4 1 1 12
Stith G 36 4-9 4-5 0 8 8 7 2 2 3 12
Rose G 38 5-11 5-6 0 3 3 16 5 1 7 15
D Ellis 32 7-13 0-0 0 2 2 1 4 0 4 15
Maclean 24 5-10 6-8 1 3 4 3 2 0 1 16
Fish 8 1-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 2
Overton 5 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Grant 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mutombo Dnp - Strained Left Hamstring
Williams Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 38-76 21-31 8 30 38 29 27 6 19 98
(.500) (.677) Team Rebs: 15 Total To: 20(16 Pts)
Minnesota
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Garnett F 40 6-12 5-6 2 3 5 2 2 2 1 17
Mitchell F 38 7-10 3-4 1 2 3 0 6 0 2 17
Lang C 38 4-12 2-2 3 5 8 0 4 0 2 10
West G 24 0-6 2-2 0 1 1 2 5 0 1 2
Webb G 30 3-11 4-4 0 2 2 4 1 1 3 11
Porter 35 7-15 7-10 1 6 7 9 5 0 4 23
Allen 10 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 5
Riley 5 1-3 2-2 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 4
Davis 20 1-3 0-0 2 4 6 3 3 2 1 2
Bragg Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Gugliotta Dnp - Bruised Chest Wall
Rider Dnp - Sprained Right Ankle
Totals 240 31-76 25-30 10 26 36 21 27 5 15 91
(.408) (.833) Team Rebs: 9 Total To: 16(15 Pts)
Denver 27 14 32 25 - 98
Minnesota 26 20 20 25 - 91
Blocked Shots: Denver - Mcdyess 2, L Ellis, Hammonds. Minnesota -
Garnett 3, Lang 3, Davis 2.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Denver 1-5 (.200), Stith 0-1, D Ellis 1-4. Minnesota
4-10 (.400), Mitchell 0-1, West 0-1, Webb 1-1, Porter 2-6, Allen 1-1.
Technicals: Minnesota - Head Coach Saunders.
Officials: Bernie Fryer, Joe Forte, Monty Mccutchen.
A - 18,717. T - 2:12.
nba.409vpoznanovic,
Denver 98, Minnesota 91
MINNEAPOLIS -- Antonio McDyess scored nine of his 21 points during a
17-6 third-quarter spurt to help the Denver Nuggets to a 98-91 victory
over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Jalen Rose added 15 points and a career-high 16 assists for the
Nuggets, who played their second consecutive game without center
Dikembe Mutombo, who has a strained hamstring.
The victory moved the Nuggets within 1Ż games of Sacramento for the
final Western Conference playoff berth.
"We've still got a chance to make the playoffs, so today was a big
game," Rose said. "It feels good to win, especially without our
staring center. I was able to get 16 assists today because our guys
did a good job of moving when I had the ball."
The Wolves scored the first basket of the second half to take a 48-41
lead. McDyess followed with a three-point play to begin the
third-quarter spurt that gave the Nuggets a 58-54 advantage with 6:56
remaining in the period.
Denver led the rest of way, although its lead was cut to two on
various occasions. A basket by Kevin Garnett sliced the margin to
90-87 with 3:53 left, but Dale Ellis scored back-to-back baskets for
Denver to seal the victory.
Nuggets head coach Bernie Bickerstaff was not pleased with his team,
however.
"We did not play as well down the stretch as we should have," he said.
"That's one of the reasons we're in this hole."
Don MacLean scored 16 points and Tom Hammonds and Bryant Stith each
had 12 for the Nuggets.
Terry Porter scored a season-high 23 points for the Timberwolves, who
lost for the seventh time in nine games. Garnett and Sam Mitchell
added 17 points apiece for Minnesota, which has dropped 12 in a row to
the Nuggets.
"When things go bad, it's tough for the guys to go on," Minnesota
coach Flip Saunders said. "They have continued to play very hard."
nba.410vpoznanovic,
LA Clippers (96) At Sacramento (101)
LA Clippers
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Rogers F 38 7-15 1-2 1 2 3 2 2 4 3 16
Vaught F 36 8-14 2-2 2 8 10 1 1 0 4 18
Harvey C 26 1-4 0-3 2 2 4 1 2 0 3 2
Barry G 27 4-8 8-10 1 2 3 3 5 0 2 17
Richardson G 24 3-8 0-1 1 3 4 0 1 2 1 6
Murray 22 4-6 0-0 0 2 2 1 5 1 3 10
Sealy 21 3-8 2-3 2 2 4 3 6 1 1 9
Dehere 24 5-8 6-9 1 2 3 8 3 1 4 16
Outlaw 22 1-1 0-0 1 2 3 0 4 0 1 2
Piatkowski Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Roberts Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Tower Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 36-72 19-30 11 25 36 19 29 9 22 96
(.500) (.633) Team Rebs: 8 Total To: 23(25 Pts)
Sacramento
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Grant F 36 5-13 3-4 2 4 6 1 1 0 2 13
Polynice F 37 7-14 4-6 8 10 18 1 4 0 2 18
Causwell C 29 3-5 0-0 4 7 11 0 6 1 2 6
Richmond G 32 9-19 9-11 1 1 2 6 5 3 4 30
Edney G 33 5-10 2-2 1 2 3 10 6 2 1 12
Owens 19 1-4 2-2 2 0 2 1 3 1 2 4
Smith 8 1-2 2-4 2 0 2 0 0 0 3 4
Marciulionis 14 2-5 1-2 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
C Williamson 5 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 2
Hurley 9 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0
Simmons 18 0-3 6-10 1 2 3 2 2 0 2 6
Gamble Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 34-79 29-41 21 28 49 22 30 9 20 101
(.430) (.707) Team Rebs: 11 Total To: 20(25 Pts)
LA Clippers 16 32 19 29 - 96
Sacramento 21 19 32 29 - 101
Blocked Shots: LA Clippers - Outlaw 3, Harvey 2, Vaught. Sacramento -
Grant 2, Polynice, Causwell, Owens.
3-Pt. Field Goals: LA Clippers 5-10 (.500), Rogers 1-3, Barry 1-2, Murray
2-2, Sealy 1-2, Dehere 0-1. Sacramento 4-12 (.333), Richmond 3-9, Edney
0-1, Marciulionis 1-2.
Technicals: LA Clippers - Dehere, Sacramento - Smith, Illegal Defense,
Causwell.
Officials: Bruce Alexander, Ed Middleton, Gary Benson.
A - 17,317. T - 2:24.
nba.411vpoznanovic,
Sacramento 101, L.A. Clippers 96
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Mitch Richmond scored six of his 30 points in
the final 2:21 as the Sacramento Kings continued their quest for their
first playoff berth in 10 years with a 101-96 victory over the Los
Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Olden Polynice had 18 points and 18 rebounds, Brian Grant scored 13
points and Tyus Edney had 12 points and 10 assists for Sacramento,
which remained 1Ż games ahead of the Golden State Warriors in the race
for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
"We were definitely lacking in intensity pretty much the entire first
half," Polynice said. "They had shot 58 percent and we shot 35
percent. When you are trying to make the playoffs, that's not how you
win games.
"At halftime, everybody just said what they had to do."
The Kings, who won for just the third time in the past seven games,
have a pivotal game at Denver on Monday. The Nuggets are two games
behind Sacramento in the West.
Loy Vaught had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Brent Barry scored 17 and
Rodney Rogers added 16 for Los Angeles (29-50), which is still trying
for its first 30-win season since a 41-41 record in the 1992-93
season.
"It was a critical game for the Kings and they played like it down the
stretch," Clippers coach Bill Fitch said. "Richmond made three shots
that I'm going to have to look at the tape to see if they went in, but
that's why he's the player he is."
Richmond's technical free throw tied the score at 90-90 and his two
ensuing foul shots and 18-footer gave the Kings a 94-90 advantage with
1:51 left in the game.
"I think the first half was the ugliest basketball we ever played,"
Richmond said. "The Clippers dictated what we were able to do and they
got a lot of turnovers. But I think in the second half, we regrouped.
We came back aggressive and that's what got the win for us tonight."
The Clippers overcame a 21-16 deficit after one quarter by outscoring
the Kings 32-19 in the second quarter. Los Angeles held a 48-40 lead
at the half.
The Kings regained the lead at 72-67 entering the fourth quarter
behind Richmond's 21 points.
Barry made two free throws to pull the Clippers within 94-92 with 1:36
to go. Billy Owens sank a pair of free throws and Lionel Simmons made
four in a row to seal the game at 100-92 with 18 seconds remaining.
The Kings, who held a 49-36 rebounding edge, won despite shooting 43
percent (34 for 79) from the field and committing 20 turnovers.
Terry Dehere had 16 points and eight assists for the Clippers, who
shot 50 percent (36 for 72), but committed 23 turnovers that led to 25
points for the Kings.
nba.412vpoznanovic,
Orlando (101) At Milwaukee (114)
Orlando
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Grant F 42 10-19 0-0 4 8 12 4 3 0 1 21
Scott F 39 2-7 0-0 0 0 0 6 2 1 1 6
Oneal C 40 14-23 9-17 5 11 16 3 3 1 2 37
Anderson G 36 5-15 3-6 3 2 5 4 3 0 0 16
Hardaway G 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Shaw 29 5-11 1-2 0 3 3 3 4 0 2 13
Vaughn 5 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0
Royal 13 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
Bowie 16 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 2 3 0 2 4
Thompson 17 2-7 0-0 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 4
Wolf Dnp - Concussion
Totals 240 40-89 13-25 13 28 41 25 25 2 10 101
(.449) (.520) Team Rebs: 15 Total To: 10(14 Pts)
Milwaukee
Rebounds
Player Pos Min Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta Off-Def-Tot Ast Pf St To Pts
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
Baker F 41 10-19 7-11 1 7 8 3 2 0 0 27
Robinson F 39 6-13 2-2 1 1 2 5 2 1 1 15
Benjamin C 28 6-9 2-4 3 8 11 0 4 1 2 14
Douglas G 35 6-11 2-2 0 4 4 10 3 0 2 17
Newman G 44 10-14 4-5 3 1 4 1 4 2 2 25
Cummings 18 3-6 3-4 0 5 5 0 4 1 0 9
Conlon 1 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Keys 17 2-2 0-0 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 4
Mayberry 13 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 5 0 0 0 2
Duckworth 4 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0
Peplowski Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Respert Dnp - Coach'S Decision
Totals 240 44-78 21-30 8 28 36 28 23 5 8 114
(.564) (.700) Team Rebs: 12 Total To: 8(8 Pts)
Orlando 28 24 30 19 - 101
Milwaukee 32 32 22 28 - 114
Blocked Shots: Orlando - Oneal. Milwaukee - Baker 2, Robinson, Newman,
Mayberry.
3-Pt. Field Goals: Orlando 8-24 (.333), Grant 1-1, Scott 2-5, Anderson
3-7, Hardaway 0-1, Shaw 2-5, Vaughn 0-1, Bowie 0-1, Thompson 0-3.
Milwaukee 5-10 (.500), Baker 0-1, Robinson 1-2, Douglas 3-5, Newman 1-1,
Mayberry 0-1.
Technicals: None.
Officials: Woody Mayfield, Paul Mihalak, Ted Bernhardt.
A - 17,502. T - 2:10.