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(04/29/05 5:49am)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One of the luckiest bounces of Vince Carter's career -- five or six bounces, actually -- couldn't keep the New Jersey Nets from falling behind 3-0 to the Miami Heat.\nCarter forced double overtime with a shot that danced all around the backboard and rim before dropping through, but there was no more magic for the Nets after that in a 108-105 double-overtime loss to the Heat on Thursday night.\nNow, the problem confronting New Jersey is one that no NBA team has ever solved -- overcoming a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.\nMiami can complete a sweep Sunday, and it's highly unlikely that game will come close to matching the drama of this one.\nShaquille O'Neal had his best game of the series with 25 points, Udonis Haslem had the final go-ahead basket among his 14 points and 19 rebounds, Dwyane Wade had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Eddie Jones added 20 points for the Heat\nCarter scored 36, Richard Jefferson had 23 and Jason Kidd had a triple-double of 16 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds for the Nets, whose best chance to win came at the end of regulation when Kidd had an open shot from 3-point range.\nBut he couldn't connect, and Carter's crazy bounce only ended up prolonging the Nets' plight for another five minutes.\nHaslem's putback made it 104-102 with 1:26 left, and a missed 3 by Clifford Robinson and a blown layup by Jefferson helped seal New Jersey's defeat.\nThe Nets were hurt by their 3-for-13 shooting from 3-point range and nine missed free throws in 27 attempts.\nMiami went 10-for-22 on 3s to help overcome 16 missed foul shots in 38 attempts.\nCarter's 21-footer from the corner at the end of the first overtime rolled around the iron, bounced high off the glass, came down and bounced four more times on the rim before dropping through to tie the game at 99.\nThe play came after Eddie Jones, normally a solid foul shooter, missed two free throws with 11.5 seconds remaining to leave the Nets just two points behind.\nIn double overtime, Haslem went to the line with 20.6 seconds left and made the first of two free throws to make it 105-102. After he missed the second, Alonzo Mourning outfought Jason Collins for the rebound to allow the Heat the keep possession with a three-point lead.\nThe inbounds pass went to Wade, and the Heat sealed the victory from the line.\nIt was their sixth victory over New Jersey in as many tries this season, but this was the first time the Nets kept one of the games close.
(02/18/05 5:56am)
DENVER -- A mile above sea level, just a little to the left of America's midsection, the NBA All-Star game has arrived lacking a clear-cut theme.\nIt will be LeBron James' first appearance and Shaquille O'Neal's 12th in the league's showcase event, and in between those two on the frequency meter are 22 other well-deserving players of various shapes and sizes -- though there's nary a Nugget to represent the host team, and no compelling story line to reel in the casual fan.\n"Whoa, I have no idea. Better ask someone else," Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons said when asked to come up with a motif for this year's game.\n"I can't come up with something. I don't know," offered Tracy McGrady of the Rockets.\n"Kobe against Shaq," opined Yao Ming, who might have forgotten that the feuding superstars already had their first official on-court clash back on Christmas Day.\n"How about Yao vs. Shaq?" Yao was asked in return. After all, those two were teamed on the Western Conference squad the past two years before O'Neal was traded last summer to Miami. This time, O'Neal will be starting for the East and jumping center against Yao when the opening tip goes up shortly before 9 p.m. EST.\n"I won't be using all six of my fouls against him," Yao predicted.\nThis will be the league's 54th All-Star game and the first time in 21 years it's being held in Denver. It comes during a somewhat troubled year, the defining moment of the current season coming on the third Friday of November when Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson of the Pacers charged into the stands and pummeled Pistons fans as a wild brawl broke out in the final minute of an Indiana-Detroit game.\nTwo of the principal figures from that troubling night, Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and Detroit's Wallace, will be teammates on an East squad that will try to break the conference's three-game All-Star losing streak.\nBoth Jermaine O'Neal and Wallace already have served suspensions stemming from the melee, but both can certainly count on the topic being brought up ad nauseam over the course of the three-day All-Star weekend.\n"There are a lot of positive things going on in this league. People want to take the negative things to write about," Jermaine O'Neal said last week. "We have good players in this league. We have players that take care of kids who need things in the community, that take care of families that need things, but you don't see that written."\nThe NBA is doing what it can to try to steer the focus away from the negative, and there's no shortage of feel-good events -- including the Read-to-Achieve Caravan, a Jr. NBA/WNBA Basketball and Books clinic, several hospital visits and the hugely popular Jam Session -- taking place throughout the week.\nThe city will be overrun with fans, sponsors, media, players and hangers-on, and the All-Star party scene typically goes strong into the wee hours. With the rookie game being held on Friday night for the second straight year, and the 3-point shootout and dunk contest taking place Saturday night, the event has morphed into a 72-hour conglomeration of activity.\nThe big event is the All-Star game itself, and it's wide open in terms of being there for the taking for someone who wants to stamp it with his own signature. Shaquille O'Neal did so last year in Los Angeles with just the right mix of playfulness -- grooming himself in the lens of a camera during a stoppage in play, running a fast break all by himself, dribbling upcourt and heading for the lane while daring anyone to step in his way and risk the wrath of a collision with his 360-pound frame.\n"Guys get to do stuff they're not supposed to do, and it's a show," Shaquille O'Neal said. "Last year I won the MVP on silliness alone."\nLast year's game had a clear theme, with then-teammates Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal playing in front of their home crowd in Los Angeles amid speculation over which of them might leave and which might stay.\nTwo years ago, the game in Atlanta was all about saying goodbye to Michael Jordan.\nIn Philadelphia the year before, the crowd provided the story by mercilessly booing Bryant in his hometown. At the 2000 game in Oakland, the buildup was justifiably tilted toward Vince Carter's dunking prowess.\nNot since the All-Stars went to Washington in 2001 has there been what could be considered a barometer game for the league. That was the year before Jordan made his comeback and the year before Yao arrived. The rosters in the nation's capital included the likes of Latrell Sprewell, Anthony Mason, Rasheed Wallace and Glenn Robinson -- four players whose résumés, at least in the eyes of the public, have been more about their missteps than their accomplishments.\nThis year's game will feature seven first-time All-Stars, including James, San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, Seattle's Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison of Washington, Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix and Miami's Dwyane Wade.\nAlmost all the newcomers represent teams that are playing a faster, higher-scoring brand of basketball than what's been seen around the league for the better part of a decade. Scoring has risen this season by an average of more than three points per game, and the race for the championship is generally considered to be the most wide open since 1999.\nBut the black eyes the NBA has endured over the past two years -- from the rape allegation against Bryant to the third-place finish by the U.S. Olympic team in Athens to the breakup of Shaq and Kobe and the brawl in Auburn Hills -- have provided casual fans with an excuse to turn away from a sport whose fans now skew toward the younger generation rather than those who came of age when Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Jordan were bringing the NBA to the height of its popularity.\n"It doesn't get old," Shaquille O'Neal said.\nBut will it be interesting? And will a theme emerge?\nLarry Brown figures those factors will take care of themselves -- just as they did 29 years ago when the ABA had its final All-Star game in this city, an event in which Brown's Denver Nuggets played against a team of ABA All-Stars. Included among them was Julius Erving, who gave that game -- and some would say that entire decade -- its signature professional basketball moment by defeating hometown favorite David Thompson in a slam dunk contest held at halftime.\n"That was a pretty amazing weekend," Brown said. "It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had."\nAny chance that this one will be remembered similarly won't be known until the All-Stars go their separate ways on Monday. In the meantime, there are 24 All-Stars with equal opportunities to make this year's game their own.
(02/09/05 4:46am)
NEW YORK -- Miami's Dwyane Wade and San Antonio's Manu Ginobili were among six players picked as NBA All-Stars for the first time when reserves were announced Tuesday.\nGilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison of the Washington Wizards, Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns and Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics also gained their first All-Star selections in balloting by the NBA's 30 head coaches.\nCleveland's LeBron James, chosen as an Eastern Conference starter last week, is a first-time All-Star, too. The seven first-timers fell short of the record of 10 in 2002 and 1994.\nThe East's other reserves for the Feb. 20 game in Denver are centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas of Cleveland and Ben Wallace of Detroit, forward Jermaine O'Neal of Indiana, and guard Paul Pierce of Boston.\nGuards Steve Nash of Phoenix and Ray Allen of Seattle, and forwards Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and Shawn Marion of Phoenix were selected for the Western Conference team.\nAmong those left off the rosters were New Jersey's Jason Kidd, who had played in every All-Star game since 1998, and Orlando's Steve Francis, a three-time All-Star.\nA noteworthy absentee was Sacramento center Brad Miller, who apparently fell victim to Western Conference coaches filling in Stoudemire as a center. Coaches were required to select two guards, two forwards, one center and two other players regardless of position. They could not vote for their own players.\nThe Kings also have three other players with 11 combined previous All-Star appearances -- Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby -- who were left off this year's team. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, the starting backcourt for the defending NBA champions, also weren't chosen.\n"I was hopeful that all our guys would make it, but reality is that it doesn't work that way," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "There's no one going that doesn't deserve it -- Wade and Arenas are phenomenal players having tremendous seasons."\nThe East's starters are Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Miami's Shaquille O'Neal, New Jersey's Vince Carter, Orlando's Grant Hill and James.\nKobe Bryant of the Lakers, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming of Houston, Kevin Garnett of Minnesota and Tim Duncan of San Antonio will start for the West.\nBryant hasn't played since spraining his right ankle Jan. 13. If he is unable to play in the All-Star game, NBA commissioner David Stern will select his replacement.\nThe coaches are Gregg Popovich of the Spurs for the West and Stan Van Gundy of the Heat for the East.\nPhoenix (three) has the most All-Stars, while Washington, Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland, Seattle and Miami each have two.\nThe Wizards celebrated the selection of Arenas and Jamison by halting practice as owner Abe Pollin wheeled a huge cake onto the court. At nine games over .500, the Wizards are on pace for their best season in decades and their first playoff appearance since 1997.\nIncluded in the celebration was Larry Hughes, who leads the league in steals and would have been a strong candidate had he not broken his thumb Jan. 15.\n"This is a special year," Pollin said as the team gathered around him. "C'mon, Larry, you're a part of it. You three are special. You three are All-Stars."\nThe selections of Ilgauskas (Lithuania), Ginobili (Argentina), Nash (Canada), Nowitzki (Germany), Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) and Yao (China) gives the 2005 All-Star game six international players, the same as in 2003 and 2004.\nGinobili, a member of the Argentine national team that won a gold medal at the Athens Olympics, is averaging 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent for the Spurs, who have the league's best record (38-10).\nWade leads the Heat in scoring, averaging 23.5 points along with 7.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds.\nGarnett, 28, is making his eighth All-Star appearance, the most of any Western Conference player. Shaquille O'Neal will be making his 12th appearance, the most of anyone in this year's game. Bryant, Duncan and Hill are All-Stars for the seventh time each, and Carter and Iverson are now six-time All-Stars.\nNash and Nowitzki will be together on the same team for the first time after being split up last summer when Nash left the Mavericks as a free agent and signed with Phoenix. Nash has led the Suns to a 38-11 record by averaging an NBA-high 11.1 assists, while Nowitzki ranks third in the league in scoring for the 31-15 Mavericks.\n"Hopefully we'll be on the court together quite some time and it'll be a fun game," Nowitzki said. "It'll be nice to be on the same team as him again. He makes the game so much easier for everybody else"
(12/10/04 6:11am)
NEW YORK -- Ron Artest took the witness stand and described, in his words, one of the worst brawls in NBA history. Teammates Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal and Anthony Johnson did the same, and a union attorney and one of O'Neal's bodyguards also testified.\nIt went on for six hours, with none of the witnesses being cross-examined by anyone from the league office.\nOne of the strangest grievance hearings in NBA history unfolded Thursday at a Manhattan law office just three blocks from league headquarters, with arbitrator Roger Kaplan hearing arguments on the brawl-related suspensions issued by commissioner David Stern.\nThe NBA, contending the arbitrator had no jurisdiction, declined to participate. At least a half-dozen chairs sat vacant inside a wood-paneled conference room at a Manhattan law office as the hearing took place.\n"We (introduced) evidence that we would have put on had the NBA been here, it just means that the arbitrator got to hear our side and not any opposition or rebuttal that the NBA would care to introduce," union director Billy Hunter said.\nThe union asked for a "significant" reduction in each of the suspensions, though union officials would not specify what alternative penalties they suggested.\nKaplan indicated he would not issue a ruling for at least a week.\nStern, citing a clause in the collective bargaining agreement giving him authority to impose discipline for on-court behavior, suspended Artest for the remainder of the season, Jackson for 30 games, O'Neal for 25 games and Johnson for five -- penalties the union contends were excessive.\nEach of the players testified for at least a half-hour, and union attorneys submitted three lines of argument on the issue of jurisdiction, challenging the league's position that the players' only avenue of appeal is through the commissioner's office.\nThe union cited a 1995 modification to the collective bargaining agreement allowing for appeals in cases where the financial penalty to the disciplined players exceeds $25,000. The union also argued the definitions of what constitutes "reasonable" punishment and "on-court behavior."\n"If, for example, a player were to go and stand in the center of the court and moon the fans, as far as we're concerned, that's not on the court," Hunter said. "That has nothing to do with the game itself. That's kind of an off-the-court thing, because on the court actually means flow, the basketball game, the rules and regulations that control the tempo and how the game is played."\nThe arbitrator also reviewed videotape of the entire 12-minute brawl, in which Artest sprinted into the stands and confronted a fan he believed had thrown a drink at him. Jackson also went into the stands and exchanged punches with fans, while O'Neal and Johnson punched fans who came onto the court.\n"When you look at it all together, you see the bigger picture," union attorney Jeffrey Kessler said. "You can see the entire context."\nNone of the players commented as they left the hearing.\nKaplan must issue two rulings -- whether he had jurisdiction to hear a grievance, as well as the actual grievance itself. If he were to rule in favor of the union on both counts, the players likely would sue in federal court to have Kaplan's judgment enforced.\nThe NBA already has filed suit against the union and the four players in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, contending they are pursuing a grievance before an arbitrator who has no authority to intervene.\nThat lawsuit remains pending, with the league having decided earlier this week not to seek a temporary restraining order that might have prevented Thursday's hearing from going forward.\nKaplan said he would try to issue a ruling before the latter part of next week, though he cautioned that might not be possible.\nJohnson already has served his suspension, so the best he could hope for is the return of lost salary. Artest, Jackson and O'Neal were to serve the ninth game of their suspensions Friday night at Milwaukee.\nThe NBA issued no public comments Thursday regarding the hearing.
(11/22/04 4:30am)
NEW YORK -- Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday as the NBA came down hard on three members of the Indiana Pacers for fighting with fans as a game against the Detroit Pistons degenerated into a melee.\nNine players from the teams were banned for a combined 143 games, including some of the harshest penalties the league has ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game.\nPushing and shoving among players at Friday's game escalated into one of the worst fights in U.S. professional sports history when a fan threw a drink at Artest and he jumped into the stands, throwing punches. Nine people were treated for injuries, none serious.\n"The actions of the players involved wildly exceeded the professionalism and self-control that should fairly be expected from NBA players," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. He added that the league must not "allow our sport to be debased by what seem to be declining expectations."\nIndiana's Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal for 25. Detroit's Ben Wallace -- whose shove of Artest after a foul led to the five-minute fracas -- drew a six-game ban, while Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games.\nFour players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.\n"The message the league sent was so powerful to players that they'll never do that again," Pistons CEO Tom Wilson said.\nAll the suspensions are without pay.\nArtest, O'Neal and Jackson -- who all threw punches at fans in the stands or on the court at the end of the nationally televised game Friday night -- began serving their suspensions Saturday, when they and Wallace received indefinite suspensions. Indiana, limited to just six players because of the suspensions and injuries, dropped an 86-83 decision to Orlando.\n"I'm sick about that for Indiana. I'm devastated for them," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "And we lost our heart and soul."\nStern noted that fans -- who threw punches of their own and tossed drinks at players -- shared the blame for the brawl. He said the NBA must "redefine the bounds of acceptable conduct for fans attending our games and resolve to permanently exclude those who overstep those bounds."\nHe added that security procedures in all NBA arenas will be reviewed and rules need to be added to prevent a repeat of what happened Friday at Auburn Hills, Mich.\nFor Sunday night's home game against the Charlotte Bobcats -- Detroit's first outing since the melee -- the Pistons doubled the number of armed police in the arena to about 20 and increased other arena security personnel by about 25 percent.\nPolice were continuing to investigate the brawl, one of the NBA's most violent.\nArtest and Jackson bolted into the stands near center court and throwing punches at fans after debris was tossed at the players. Later, fans who came onto the court were punched in the face by Artest and O'Neal.\nWallace began the fracas by delivering a hard, two-handed shove to Artest after Wallace was fouled on a drive to the basket with 45.9 seconds remaining. Referees ultimately called off the rest of the game.\nThe initial skirmish wasn't all that bad, with Artest retreating to the scorer's table and lying atop it after Wallace sent him reeling backward. But when a fan tossed a cup at Artest, he stormed into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.\nJackson joined Artest and threw punches at fans, who punched back. Indiana players were pelted with drinks, popcorn and other items as they left the court; at one point, a chair was tossed into the fray.\nThe most recent example of an NBA player going into the stands and punching a fan came in 1995, when Vernon Maxwell of the Houston Rockets pummeled a spectator in Portland, Ore. The league suspended him for 10 games and fined him $20,000.\nAmong the harshest non-drug-related penalties in NBA history was a one-year suspension of Latrell Sprewell -- later reduced to 68 games -- for choking Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo at practice.\nArtest was benched for two games this month for asking Pacers coach Rick Carlisle for time off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a rap album.\nArtest was suspended twice by the NBA last season, once for leaving the bench during a fracas at a Pacers-Celtics playoff game; the other for elbowing Portland's Derek Anderson. During the 2002-03 season, Artest was suspended five times by the NBA and once by the Pacers for a total of 12 games.\nArtest also once grabbed a television camera and smashed it to the ground after a loss to the Knicks two years ago.
(05/24/04 2:33am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Reggie Miller did what Reggie Miller does.\nAfter missing his first six shots, Miller drilled a 3-pointer with 31.7 seconds left to break the game's final tie and lead Indiana past Detroit 78-74 Saturday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.\n"You knew it was coming," Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal said. "He's going to make one big-time shot, and he thrives on the biggest shot."\nMiller's 13-year career has been marked by his clutch shooting, particularly in the playoffs and often from three-point range.\nFans of the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets have seen him make several devastating three's and now the folks in Detroit have experienced that same sickening Miller Time feeling.\n"When he shot it, I pretty much knew he was going to make it," said Detroit's Richard Hamilton, who was defending Miller on the play. "The guy's been making those shots all his career."\nWith the score tied at 74, Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal missed a difficult turnaround jumper from the left baseline. Jeff Foster tipped the rebound to a teammate and the Pacers had another chance.\nMiller popped free off a screen set by Foster, took a pass from Jamaal Tinsley and buried his three to make it 77-74.\n"All I need is to have a half-second of daylight," Miller said. "Law of averages. You're either a hero or goat. It's a 50-50 shot and I'll take my chances. I practice that shot every day."\nHamilton missed a three-pointer for Detroit and O'Neal was fouled on the rebound with 19.8 seconds left, but he missed both foul shots to give the Pistons another chance.\nChauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace both airballed 3-point attempts and Miller made the second of two free throws with 6.6 seconds left to seal Indiana's 14th consecutive home victory.\nMiller helped the Pacers overcome a fourth-quarter offensive drought in which they were held scoreless for a stretch of nearly four minutes by Detroit's intense defense.\nO'Neal led Indiana with 21 points and 14 rebounds, Ron Artest scored 17, Al Harrington had 14 and Tinsley 13.\nHamilton scored 23, Billups had 18 and Ben Wallace added 11 points and 22 rebounds for the Pistons, who got little (four points, five fouls, three turnovers) from Rasheed Wallace, whose only postgame comment was to guarantee a Game 2 victory.\nIndiana won despite shooting 33 percent, getting outrebounded 47-41 and being held to 30 second-half points --13 in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth.\n"That's pretty much what I was expecting," O'Neal said. "There weren't any surprises out there tonight."\nThe Pacers were ahead 48-41 at halftime behind 14 points from Harrington and 13 from O'Neal. Billups and Hamilton accounted for 10 of Detroit's 17 first-half field goals, with Rasheed Wallace going just 1-for-2 and grabbing only one rebound.\nRasheed Wallace increased his foul and turnover totals in the third quarter without scoring a single point, but Detroit was able to reduce its deficit from seven to three over the course of the period despite getting just one basket from anyone other than Hamilton or Billups.\nHamilton scored the first four points of the fourth quarter as part of an 11-0 run that gave the Pistons a 64-61 lead. Indiana responded with an 11-4 run, including six points from O'Neal, to go ahead 72-68 with 5:19 left, but the Pacers then went nearly four minutes without a point.\nIn the end, though, Miller rendered that drought insignificant.
(02/13/04 6:04am)
LOS ANGELES -- The NBA All-Star Game in past years has revolved in some way around Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal.\nIn Atlanta last February, Bryant's foul shots forced overtime and prevented a storybook ending for Michael Jordan.\nIn Philadelphia two years ago, Bryant was booed unmercifully in his hometown.\nIn 1996, fans in San Antonio booed Jordan's MVP selection as a tribute to O'Neal. In 1998, Bryant waved off a pick from Karl Malone at Madison Square Garden, prompting a tirade on generational respect from the Mailman.\nThe two superstars will play on their home turf in Sunday night's game, and chances are, one of them will seize the spotlight again.\n"If I'm feeling it, I'm going to try to take it," O'Neal said. "But if I'm not feeling it, I'm not going to try to force the issue."\nThe league's showcase event has gone Hollywood this year, with the Staples Center -- home of the Lakers and Clippers -- playing host to the event. Jack Nicholson, Magic Johnson and Dyan Cannon will be courtside, the lower bowl will be liberally sprinkled with Academy Award winners, Grammy nominees, hip-hop impresarios and other varieties of the beautiful people that make this city a perfect place for such a spectacle.\nAside from O'Neal and Bryant, there are other All-Stars in this year's game with ties to Los Angeles -- Paul Pierce grew up there, and Baron Davis was a star at UCLA.\nBut will anybody care about those story lines when the ball goes up for the opening tip-off at 5:52 p.m. Sunday? Or will all eyes turn to the two Lakers whose uneasy relationship has lent a plot-twisting undertone to the team's continually-evolving story.\nO'Neal remains an icon in Los Angeles, a larger-than-life figure beloved for bringing three championships in the past four years.\nBryant's stature is not what it once was, the rape allegation against him in Colorado tarnishing the image of a player once thought to be the perfect face of the NBA for its transition into the post-Jordan era.\n"I don't know if he (Bryant) is into it as much as he would have been," said Elton Brand of the Clippers. "I think Shaq, especially because he's been pretty vocal, he's been upset at the refs, he'll want to shine. And it's in his city."\nO'Neal will come off the bench for the second straight year behind Yao Ming of Houston, who outpolled him in fan balloting.
(08/27/03 6:53am)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Argentina couldn't pull off the same type of shocker it did a year ago.\nWith an improved United States team showing greater degrees of poise and talent down the stretch, the Americans avenged a groundbreaking defeat of a year ago by defeating Argentina 94-86 Tuesday in the second round of the Tournament of the Americas.\nFittingly for the U.S. team, the star of the game was Jermaine O'Neal -- one of only two U.S. players held over from last summer's team that finished a disappointing sixth at the World Championships.\nO'Neal scored 22 points and made one of the biggest plays of the game at the defensive end, blocking a shot by Fabricio Oberto with 1:13 left -- a play that led to a fast-break dunk by Vince Carter off a pass from Allen Iverson for an 89-83 lead. It was the only missed shot for Oberto, who finished 8-for-9.\nAndres Nocioni then missed a three-pointer, and Iverson went to the line with 1:07 left and made one of two. Another missed three by Nocioni from the same spot was followed by two made free throws by Tim Duncan to make it 92-83, and Argentina got no closer than six the rest of the way.\nThe United States remained undefeated in this Olympic qualifying tournament and improved to 22-0 in qualifiers. The Americans are 64-3 when using professional players in international tournaments, all three of the losses coming last summer.\nWith a contingent of Argentinian fans singing "Don't forget what happened last time," the teams played an intense four quarters. The game was tied 74-74 with six and a half minutes left before the U.S. team closed the game by scoring 20 of the final 32 points.\nTim Duncan scored 19 points, playing most of the fourth quarter with four fouls, Iverson had 13, and Carter and Mike Bibby scored 11 apiece. O'Neal had a team-high 10 rebounds.\nOberto had 17 points, and Manu Ginobili and Andres Nocioni added 16 each for Argentina.\nDuncan picked up his fourth foul with 8:54 left and went to the bench for the next two minutes, nearly picking up his fifth shortly after he returned. But no call was made after Duncan defended a shot by Luis Scola, and he raced downcourt and fed O'Neal for an alley-oop dunk and a 78-74 lead.\nIt was 81-77 when Iverson stole the ball and raced in uncontested. But he missed a layup, which Ginobili then reciprocated at the other end by missing a reverse.\nA three-pointer by Iverson late in the shot clock gave the Americans an 85-79 lead, and a missed three by Ginobili was followed by two foul shots from O'Neal with 3:11 left.\nThere were 12 lead changes in the first quarter, which ended with the Americans ahead 27-23. The U.S. team had a 7-0 run to open the second quarter, holding Argentina scoreless for the first four and a half minutes to take a 34-23 lead.\nNocioni, playing with three fouls, hit a three-pointer to begin a 7-2 run, and Lucas Victoriano and Ruben Wolkowyski hit three's in an 8-0 run that pulled Argentina to 41-40 with 26 seconds left before halftime.\nO'Neal had a three-point play to give the Americans a 44-40 halftime lead. O'Neal had 13 points at the break, while Argentina was 7-for-11 from 3-point range.\nGinobili drove into traffic and hit a layup with 5:34 left in the third quarter to give Argentina a 53-52 lead -- its first lead since 21-19 late in the first quarter.\nDuncan had a tip-in and a dunk before assisting on a three-pointer by Allen to give the U.S. team a 62-58 lead, and Allen banked in a 14-footer at the buzzer following an Argentina turnover to give the Americans a 70-65 lead entering the fourth quarter.
(04/17/03 5:24am)
PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Jordan's final shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good.\nJordan played the last game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, receiving a lengthy standing ovation from nearly everyone in the arena -- including the coaches and the other players.\nJordan soaked it all up with a wide smile and a wave to the crowd after exiting the game for good with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.\nJordan finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes -- drawing several adoring ovations from the last sellout crowd that will ever watch him play.\nHis final points almost looked scripted, with Eric Snow of the 76ers fouling Jordan in the backcourt, for no apparent reason except to send him to the line.\nBoth foul shots went in, and the Wizards committed a foul one second later so that Jordan could be removed from the game and receive the proper send-off. In a rare scene, the 10 players who remained on the court turned to Jordan and applauded, too.\nIt wasn't the kind of ending Jordan would have preferred: a game that was meaningful only to the opposing team. But it was a stirring night nonetheless, the last time the basketball public was treated to the sight of one of the greatest athletes in history playing the game one last time.\nWith the Sixers ahead by 21 points with 9 1/2 minutes remaining, the crowd began chanting "We want Mike." The chant grew louder as the period progressed with Jordan remaining seated, and fans ignored the game to stand and stare at the Wizards' bench, wondering why Jordan wasn't playing.\nEventually, this being Philadelphia, they booed.\nJordan finally pulled his warmups off and re-entered the game with 2:35 left for his brief final appearance.\nEarlier in the game, he wasn't all that spectacular. There was a play in the first quarter when Jordan looked like the Jordan of old -- except for the result. Starting near the foul line, Jordan ducked his shoulder, lowered his head, stuck out his tongue and drove to his right, the ball rolling off his fingers ever so softly as it arched toward the net.\nRather than going in, though, the ball hit the front rim and missed -- one of several of his shots that came up a few inches short.\nOne of the exceptions was Jordan's final shot of the first half -- a one-handed dunk that came after he received a nice pass under the basket from Bobby Simmons.\nJordan hit his first two shots of the third quarter but didn't do much else positive in the period. On an alley-oop pass from Tyronn Lue, the ball hit him in the fingertips and bounced harmlessly away. A lazy crosscourt pass was picked off by Aaron McKie, leading to one of Philadelphia's 31 fast-break points, and Jordan's final field-goal attempt was a missed layup with 8:13 remaining.\nAllen Iverson scored 35 points as the Sixers clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.\nMany people in the sellout crowd wore Jordan replica jerseys, including one small boy in an oversized black Bulls jersey who wasn't looking when Jordan tussled his hair as the boy walked along the sideline. When the child turned around, he was stunned.\nThe 76ers had a couple of pregame surprises for Jordan, presenting him with a golf cart that was driven onto the court by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, then having longtime Chicago Bulls public address announcer Ray Clay introduce Jordan with his familiar inflection of "From North Carolina ..."\nThe standing ovation that Jordan received lasted about three minutes, with Jordan smiling, nodding and chewing gum throughout. The group Boyz II Men sang "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye" between the first and second quarters as a montage of Jordan's career highlights was shown on the scoreboard.
(04/11/03 5:33am)
Allen Iverson and Jermaine O'Neal will be asked to join the 2004 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday.\nThe decision was made in a conference call among members of the USA Basketball selection committee, a basketball source with knowledge of the selections said on condition of anonymity.\nThe choices of Iverson and O'Neal bring to nine the number of players who have been either selected or officially named to the team.\nUSAB only has said publicly that Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd and Tracy McGrady are on the team. Further announcements will be made to include the additions of Iverson, O'Neal, Mike Bibby, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant.\nIverson's selection fulfills one of his wishes and sets him up to play for his Philadelphia 76ers coach, Larry Brown, on the national team.\nO'Neal, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, will become the first member of the U.S. team that finished sixth last summer at the World Championships to be invited back to play for Team USA.\nThe U.S. team now has plenty of backcourt scorers and three power forwards, but still no center.\nIf the selection committee does not select a true center when it fills out the final three roster spots, O'Neal and Duncan would presumably play out of position and fill that role.\nPreviously, USA Basketball said the final two or three spots on the roster would go to collegians or people playing overseas.\nThe team will play in a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico in August, attempting to gain one of three Olympic berths available to the FIBA-Americas region for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
(03/10/03 6:08am)
NEW YORK -- Even though he didn't beat them, Michael Jordan proved he can still rattle the New York Knicks.\nJordan finished one point shy of 40 in what was likely his final game at Madison Square Garden as New York blew all but one point of a late 15-point lead and came away with a 97-96 victory Sunday.\n"We were throwing the ball all over the place. We weren't executing the trap," Latrell Sprewell said. "When you're up, you have a tendency to not be as focused. That was the case with us."\nThe sight of a certain player wearing No. 23 probably had something to do with it, too.\nRecent Knicks history is littered with examples of them falling short of their goals every time Jordan got in their way. There were the five playoff defeats at the hands of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, the famous double-nickel game when Jordan returned from his first retirement in 1995 and scored 55, along with many other instances in which Jordan got the best of New York.\nA compelling final chapter would have been added if the Wizards could have pulled this one out.\n"I didn't know how that would transpire," Jordan said. "Perfect endings happen if you play hard and do all the necessary things you need to do, but I wasn't trying to come up with something that would be a perfect ending."\nJordan was brilliant in the first half, scoring 26, and quiet for most of the second half until the game went down to the final minute.\nThat's when the Knicks nearly had a complete collapse, with the NBA's leading free-throw shooter, Allan Houston, missing a pair from the line with 18.8 seconds left and Shandon Anderson making only one of two with 5.4 seconds remaining.\nThat left Washington trailing 97-94, but the Knicks wouldn't let Jordan go for the tie. Sprewell fouled Jordan immediately after he received the inbounds pass, forcing him to shoot two from the line.\nJordan made both with 4.2 seconds remaining, and the Knicks were able to run out the clock with some quick passing off the inbounds play.\nJordan shot 13-for-22, with a dozen of his field goals coming from outside, and 13-for-15 from the line for 39 points. He got little help, however, as Larry Hughes and Juan Dixon scored 13 each and Jerry Stackhouse was held to five.\nThe victory pulled New York within two games of ninth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Knicks are 3 1/2 games behind eighth-place Milwaukee.\n"It's very disappointing when a 40-year-man has more desire than a 24-, 25-, or 23-year old, diving for loose balls, busting his chin and doing everything he can to get his team into the playoffs, and it's not reciprocated from the other players on the team," Jordan said. "Until guys let go of that macho, cool attitude and do the necessary things that it takes to play the game of basketball, it's going to be tough for Washington to make anything."\nHouston scored 28, Sprewell 20 and Anderson 17 for the Knicks.\nJordan re-entered the game with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter and Washington trailing by eight. Just 25 seconds and two jump shots later, Jordan had the crowd cheering for him and the deficit down to four.\nBut Anderson scored the next five points to start a 13-2 run that put the Knicks ahead 95-80 with 5:19 left. They didn't score again until 30 seconds remained, and many in the crowd cheered for Washington during the comeback.\n"It was really bizarre, a strange feeling," Houston said. "You're fighting so hard for the playoffs and it's almost like you're on the road. But you know what? It's Michael."\nUnlike the last time he played his "last game" at the Garden, Jordan did not dig deep into his closet for a pair of original Air Jordans. Instead, he wore the updated gray version of his signature shoes and let his game, rather than his footwear, be the focus.\nAfter missing his first two shots, Jordan sank seven of his next eight -- all jumpers -- while the expression on his face turned from annoyed to animated. Jordan exchanged barbs with Anderson as the Knicks' small forward tried unsuccessfully to stop him.\n"I didn't want to try to do too much, just work my way into a rhythm," Jordan said. "That's kind of what happened until Shandon Anderson and I had a conversation about back in the Utah days and kind of kicked it up a notch, then we were in a battle."\nIt was Jordan's 43rd appearance at the arena where he scored 30 or more points 25 times. Barring a meeting of the teams in the playoffs, which is highly unlikely, it also was his last.