SALT LAKE CITY, April 26 (AP) -- Mehmet Okur can expect to get something nice from teammate Deron Williams.
Okur bailed out Williams when he missed two free throws with 7.3 seconds left, then Okur made two from the line to seal an 86-82 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday that put the Jazz up 3-1 in the best-of-7 series.
"Memo saved my butt. I ought to give him something. I ought to buy him a car or something,'' Williams said.
Utah 90, Houston 84
HOUSTON, April 21 (AP) -- Tracy McGrady bent over in exhaustion as the final seconds ticked away of another playoff loss.
The seven-time All-Star had 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, but faltered again in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 90-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Deron Williams, who briefly left the game with an injury, finished with 22 points and Mehmet Okur added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who have won eight of the last 10 meetings with Houston.
WASHINGTON, April 24 (AP) - LeBron James was serenaded with chants of "over-rated!'' as he stood at the free throw line late in the third quarter, the latest humorous twist in an ongoing saga that had somehow snared - yes, believe it or not - one of his son's favorite rappers into a front-row seat near the basket.
James couldn't help but laugh. He was so distracted he missed the free throw. Didn't really matter. By then, the Cleveland Cavaliers were trailing by 28 points, a stunning reversal from Game 2 to Game 3 in their first-round series against the Washington Wizards.
Philadelphia 90, Detroit 86 (F)
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 20 (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons were hanging out at the scorer's table as if it was a preseason game, joking around with a former teammate as he enjoyed a drink and nachos in the front row.
The Sixers made them pay for it.
Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the 76ers stun Detroit 90-86 Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Cleveland 100, Washington 97
WASHINGTON, April 27 (AP) -- King James lost his crown.
All right, so it was his burgundy headband that went flying when LeBron James took a shot to the noggin from DeShawn Stevenson, their simmering feud nearly boiling over. James kept his cool, allowing the flagrant foul to spark him and his Cleveland Cavaliers.
At game's end, James was just as collected, drawing waves of Washington Wizards defenders before dishing to Delonte West for a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left. That shot, along with James' 34 points and 12 rebounds, led the Cavaliers to a 100-97 victory on Sunday and a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series.
New Orleans 127, Dallas 103
NEW ORLEANS, April 22 (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki skipped out to the perimeter, joining Jason Kidd as they attempted to trap Chris Paul.
Paul promptly let them know they were in for long night, knifing into the lane on the dribble and dropping in a pretty floater.
As brilliant as Paul was in his playoff debut last weekend, his encore was better.
Paul had 32 points and a franchise playoff-record 17 assists, leading New Orleans to a 127-103 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night that gave the Hornets a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
ATLANTA, April 15 (AP) -- Mike Woodson figures an occasion like this should be marked with an extreme gesture.
So, before the Atlanta Hawks take the court for their first playoff appearance since 1999, the coach plans to shave his head.
For Woodson, it's a belated payback on a promise he made a year ago, trying to prod his team to the postseason. The Hawks didn't make it then, but they wrapped up the final spot in the Eastern Conference with two games to spare.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 7 (AP) -- While his teammates practiced their free throws, LeBron James worked on a trick shot where he stands under the basket and heaves a ball off a nearby wall, trying to ricochet it back through the hoop.
He hasn't made one yet.
"I'm working on it,'' he said.
He's got time to.
James was held out of Cleveland's practice on Monday to rest his back, which has been tightening up and bothering the Cavaliers' All-Star forward for the past few weeks. His back spasms got so severe during a recent game against Chicago that James was unable to sit in a chair during timeouts.
New York 109, Charlotte 107
NEW YORK, April 9 (AP) -- Too late to save their season, and probably too late to save Isiah Thomas' job, the New York Knicks are playing their best basketball.
Fred Jones made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:47 left and scored 15 points, and the Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 109-107 on Wednesday night to match a season high with their third straight victory.
New York, which beat playoff-bound Orlando and Detroit in its previous two games, is assured of avoiding the first 60-loss season in franchise history.
INDIANAPOLIS, April 6 (AP) -- Milwaukee guard Mo Williams missed the Bucks' game Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers because of an abdominal injury.
Williams, averaging 17.2 points and 6.3 assists, missed five games in early March with the same injury.
Williams played in the Bucks' last game, a loss to the Pacers Friday night. He had two points and eight assists in 18 minutes.
Ramon Sessions, a rookie from Nevada, got his first career start in Williams' place.
Oh, did he get hot.
Bryant scored 19 points in a span of 4:19 of the fourth quarter Wednesday night, and the Lakers beat the Nuggets 122-107 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Games 3 and 4 will be in Denver on Saturday and Monday night.
Bryant finished with 49 points and 10 assists - one shy of his career playoff high in both categories.
"Tonight, the way he was going, we probably could have put 10 people on the court and probably wouldn't have been able to stop him,'' said Nuggets star Allen Iverson, who wasn't bad himself, getting 31 points and six assists.
"I didn't realize it,'' Bryant said when told about his scoring spree. "You just get into one of those rhythms. My teammates were looking for me, it just feels like the ball finds you.''
The Lakers led 89-79 entering the fourth quarter. The Nuggets drew within five points three times before a three-point play by Bryant with 6:41 remaining made it 101-93.
That was only the beginning.
Two free throws by Bryant in a span of two seconds after technical fouls against J.R. Smith and Iverson made it 105-94 with 5:37 left, and Bryant added a 3-pointer 18 seconds later to extend the Los Angeles lead to 14.
Game over.
"The 3-ball he made was the big play,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I thought that kind of ended the game from the standpoint of our spirit. In a lot of ways, a great player ran us out of gas. The majority of his jump shots that he made tonight are somewhat undefendable.''
Bryant kept it going before his hot spell ended with 2:22 left when he made a three-point play, giving the Lakers a 120-101 lead. He came out for good 20 seconds later to a loud ovation and chants of "MVP, MVP'' from the capacity crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center.
Bryant was replaced by Coby Karl, the son of the Denver coach. It was the first time in NBA playoff history that a father has coached against his son.
There was some trash talking between Bryant and Kenyon Martin, Denver's 6-foot-9 forward who had the assignment of guarding the Lakers' star in the first two games.
"He's one of those players that you don't really want to make mad,'' teammate Lamar Odom said. "He can make shots from anywhere with people on him. I was surprised (Martin was talking at him). You never want to wake a sleeping giant. He can hit shots on anybody, on a number of defenders anywhere on the floor.
"Talking to him is a surprise to me, but guys are competitors too, so sometimes you get caught up in it. Kobe was definitely coming out to prove a point.''
Bryant shot just 9-for-26 in scoring 32 points in Game 1. He went 18-for-27 in Game 2.
Pau Gasol added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Luke Walton scored 18 points for the Lakers. Odom, hampered by foul trouble throughout the second half, was held to four points, four rebounds and six assists, but in the end it didn't matter.
Carmelo Anthony added 23 points, Smith had a career playoff high 21 and Marcus Camby had 17 rebounds and four blocked shots for Denver. Martin, who fouled out with 5:47 remaining, scored 10 points.
Anthony scored seven straight points to trigger an 11-0 run, giving Denver a 68-67 lead midway through the third quarter. With Odom on the bench with four fouls, Los Angeles appeared to be in some trouble. But Walton scored 10 points during a 22-11 spurt to finish the quarter and give the Lakers a 10-point lead. Bryant had four assists during the run.
Linas Kleiza made just his 14th start of the season in place of Anthony Carter, giving Denver more firepower and additional size. The move paid off early as Kleiza and Anthony both scored six points to help the Nuggets take a 20-14 lead.
Then Bryant went to work, scoring 16 of his 20 first-quarter points in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the period as the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 19-12 for a 33-32 lead. Bryant shot 8-for-10 in the period, compared to his 9-for-26 effort in Game 1, when he scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes of the Lakers' 128-114 victory.
The Lakers outscored Denver 14-4 to start the second quarter for a 47-36 lead. Bryant had 25 points in the first half, which ended with Los Angeles on top 59-49. Gasol, who had 36 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in Game 1, had just four points, four rebounds and no assists at the midway point of this game.
Notes: Bryant's 20 first-quarter points were two shy of the Lakers' playoff record. Elgin Baylor scored 22 in a quarter on March 15, 1961, against Detroit. ... Backup forward/center Ronny Turiaf stayed home because on tonsillitis. Lakers spokesman John Black said the team expects Turiaf to make the trip to Denver on Friday. Turiaf, who has been sick for several days and played only three minutes in Game 1, averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 78 games during the regular season. ... Karl took Turiaf's place on the active roster. Father and son are very close. "I saw him last night, I think he wore every piece of Lakers gear he owns,'' the elder Karl said. ... Denver's Nene returned had two points and one rebound in seven first-half minutes. He missed seven games because of a strained right groin.
All those pointing at Tracy McGrady for the Rockets' failures in their playoff series against the Utah Jazz and his inability to get beyond the first round in six previous playoff appearances heard a surprising voice join their cause Wednesday.
McGrady blamed himself.
Sort of.
Mocking those who blame him, McGrady joined the chorus.
"It's my fault," McGrady said. "It's my fault we missed free throws. It's my fault we lost both games. Blame me. It's my fault we fouled to tie the game up. That's my fault. It's my fault they get easy layups. It's my fault we're not executing well on the offensive end. It's my fault a couple people in the stands ordered Heinekens and they got Budweiser. It's my fault. I'm sorry."
Told the beer reference might have revealed his straight-faced sarcasm, McGrady rolled on.
"I am serious," he said. "It's my fault. Everything is my fault. It's my fault. It's T-Mac's fault.
"Everybody's blaming me. The Suns (for being down 2-0 to the Spurs). I mean, everybody. That's what it seems like. It's my fault. I'm out there by myself."
McGrady carried the Rockets for three quarters on Monday, combining 22 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists. He had one point, three rebounds and no assists in the fourth quarter as the Rockets fell into a 2-0 hole going into Game 3 at Utah tonight.
In the first two games, McGrady is 0-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter, prompting more debate on his play in this and past postseasons.
"I'm in a tough position," McGrady said. "If I go out and try to be passive and we're not making shots, then we're in a hole. If I am aggressive and I have to stay that way, then fourth quarter, I'm worn out, don't have the lift I do in the first three quarters. It's a tough situation to be in.
"Story of my season or my playoff career."
This has become a greater issue in light of the Rockets' playing the first two games of the series without Yao Ming and Rafer Alston.
"That's another one of my faults: that Rafer got hurt and Yao got hurt," McGrady said. "It's my fault. I'm sorry.
"Even some of the guys can't even believe it. I was talking to one of the guys, and he was like, 'I would hate to be you. I really can't believe what some of the people say about you, especially after playing the game you played the other night.' They can't believe it."
Coach Rick Adelman also seemed surprised by the criticism but said he was not concerned that it would affect McGrady's approach or performance.
"He's got a lot on his shoulders right now, no matter what he does," Adelman said. "He almost got a triple-double, and it still wasn't good enough. He's going to be fine. He's pretty tough mentally. He'll get through it."
McGrady also said he will not change the way he plays. Though he made it clear he was extremely aware of the criticism, he said it doesn't bother him.
"I've got to keep on doing what I do," he said. "I can't even worry about that."
McGrady did acknowledge that if the Rockets win, he will be given excessive credit.
"You said it, man. That's it," McGrady said. "If we win that game (Monday) night — despite me scoring only one point in the fourth quarter — if we win that game, oh, I had an awesome game, an unbelievable game. If we win, I made my teammates better, I rebounded, I played defense. That would have been the story line. But because we lost ...
"I can't do nothing about it."
Told that his childhood hero, Magic Johnson, had praised him on the TNT broadcast, McGrady said that will do.
"If Magic Johnson liked my game," McGrady said, "then damn what everyone else says."
It's rush hour in Los Angeles. A new reason has emerged why the Lakers wouldn't mind making quick work of the Nuggets.
The Lakers have seen Utah go to Houston and take a 2-0 lead. With a quick series possible and the Jazz being the Lakers' next possible opponent, a drawn-out series against the Nuggets would not be considered ideal.
"Our potential opponent in the second round is already up 2-0, so we definitely need to take care of our opponent," guard Derek Fisher said.
Fisher, whose Lakers won Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series 128-114 on Sunday, knows very well the importance of tonight's Game 2 at the Staples Center. He needs only to look at the numbers.
In NBA history, teams having taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series are 191-13. That's a staggering winning percentage of .936.
"If you can win those first two games, it's tough for a team to think about, 'OK, now we have to win four of the next five games,' " Fisher said.
When it comes to facing a Phil Jackson team, it's so far been impossible. The Lakers coach is 17-0 after his team leads 2-0 in a best-of-seven series.
With that in mind, the Nuggets don't need much reminding about the urgency of tonight.
"This is a playoff game, a game that you don't mess around," Nuggets coach George Karl said.
Karl isn't. In order to get some more size, he's replacing 6-foot-2 Anthony Carter in the backcourt with 6-8 Linas Kleiza, who will play shooting guard while 6-foot Allen Iverson moves to the point.
"We want to start big and that's why I'm starting because we're having some problems down low," Kleiza said. "We have a size issue, and they do a great job using mismatches."
Sunday's biggest mismatch was Lakers center Pau Gasol breaking loose for 36 points. With Karl planning to stick with power forward Kenyon Martin on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, he's looking for Kleiza, who scored 23 points Sunday, to provide defense inside as well as more early offense.
But there are trade-offs. Fisher said the move hampers the Nuggets' scoring off the bench and Jackson said it affects their ballhandling.
"We'd probably go back to full-court pressure that we like to use, little things that we can do to disrupt their advance of the ball," Jackson said.
As much as strategy, though, Jackson has been stressing to his players they can't relax after the easy win. Jackson and Bryant said the pressure is on the Lakers to hold serve at home, with Bryant saying the Nuggets are "still comfortable" because they can reach their goal of getting a split in Los Angeles.
"There's just a natural tendency to relax," Jackson said. "(The Lakers) have to come out and play hard and understand when they have the foot on the neck to keep it there."
If the Lakers can take a 2-0 lead, the sneaker on the Nuggets' neck will feel like a size 22.
"We're ready to go down there and try to get Game 2," Nuggets center Marcus Camby said. "It's all about trying to get some momentum, and, hopefully, it starts (tonight)."
For Karl, it starts with defense. He blamed everybody except the water boy for Game 1 lapses.
"There's no excuse for giving up over 120 points in a playoff game," Karl said. "That's the coaches' fault, that's players' fault, that's not-playing-hard-enough fault."
Sunday's loss brought out the worst in the Nuggets, who had four technicals. One was for a hard Carter foul on Bryant, with the Nuggets saying Bryant also should have been penalized for hitting Carter in the face.
The NBA didn't agree. A spokesman said there will be no further action.
Players on both teams, though, believe Game 2 will be clean. Lakers forward Lamar Odom is hoping fans won't continue to yell "DUI" at Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony because of his recent arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.
"That's tough," Odom said. "You don't like to see that."
What the Lakers want to see is a 2-0 lead, which historically has been the NBA's ultimate foot on the neck.
As the Philadelphia 76ers continue their National Basketball Association Playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons, the team is requesting that travelers in the Greater Philadelphia Region refer to the Schuylkill Expressway by its proper name (I-76) and add "ers" to the end. The team hopes this will spread and people will immediately begin calling the popularly traveled highway "I-76ers."
"It's playoff time and we want to get our fans revved up for the postseason," said Sixers Senior Vice President Lara Price. "As patrons utilize I-76ers every day to get to work, they’ll think of us and support our run in the playoffs."
I-76ers is 25.2 miles of highway that extends from the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Valley Forge through Downtown Philadelphia to the Walt Whitman Bridge.
The Sixers run through the playoffs is presented by the Revolution Card. Tickets for the first two home games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Sixers and Pistons are available at Sixers.com or by calling ComcastTIX at 1-800-298-4200.
Comcast-Spectacor (comcast-spectacor.com) is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the two arenas in which their teams play, the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, four Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and hockey rinks and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. In addition, Comcast-Spectacor is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field with more than 70 facilities throughout the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage service provider; New Era Tickets, a ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company; and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.
Boston — Joe Johnson's time in a Boston uniform was so brief — 49 games during his rookie season — that he barely remembers the particulars.
"I don't remember where I lived or really anything else about it," said Johnson, the 10th pick in the 2001 NBA draft. "It was a blur. It went so fast I don't remember a lot, other than them giving me a chance to play in the league. Other than that, it was a short stint."
If Johnson and his Hawks teammates aren't careful, their time in the playoffs will suffer the same fate. After being crushed by 23 points by the Celtics in Game 1 Sunday, the Hawks are back at TD Banknorth Garden Wednesday night for Game 2. That deer-in-the-headlights look that was so prevalent Sunday has to go away, the Hawks captain and All-Star said. And fast. "You can't take this opportunity for granted," Johnson said. "You don't know when you'll make it back to this point. I really think we need to cherish this. Especially in Game 2, we've got to come out with a lot more intensity from the jump. We can't let them come out and jump on us again. It's too hard to come back from that, you expend too much energy, especially in the playoffs." Johnson wasn't sure what was in his future when Boston traded him to Phoenix, which in hindsight turned out to be one of the best moves for his career, halfway through his rookie season. He was a starter early but fell out of favor with the coaching staff after the All-Star break. He was the final piece of a five-player deal that brought Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers to the Celtics, who would eventually play in the Eastern Conference finals. Johnson was one of three rookies the Celtics considered using in the deal (Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte were the others) and the only one of the three still in the league. "When you're young and just starting out in the league, you don't know what to expect," Johnson said. "I think I was at the rookie game [during All-Star Weekend] when I first heard there were rumors out there about me getting traded. So that shows you how crazy it can be." Crazy was still around the corner. Johnson played a vital role on a Suns team that made it to the Western Conference finals in the 2004-05 season, losing to San Antonio. Johnson came to the Hawks following that season in the now infamous sign-and-trade deal that triggered an ownership battle that continues today. So what looked like the first of many trips deep into the playoffs with a stacked Suns team quickly turned into Johnson being the center of a tumultuous rebuilding effort with the Hawks. It has been a franchise rehabilitation project that hasn't come together with a playoff berth until now. "It's precious, man," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "Precious. Anything can change, injuries, upheaval, players coming and going, or whatever, when you're talking about trying to build a team and making the playoffs. That's why I couldn't be happier for a group of guys that made a commitment in training camp and going through that and the regular season and holding tight to realize what they set out to do. "And it's tough, the way Joe went from a contender in Phoenix to our situation here. I know because I did the same thing, going from our championship season in Detroit to the challenge we had here. Not every coach or player in this league gets an opportunity to compete at this level. You can't treat it like an every-day thing because it can be snatched away at any time." Hawks point guard Mike Bibby is a member of the club, too, having experienced both sides of being traded to a good/bad situation. He was traded from an expansion team in Vancouver to a budding Western Conference power in Sacramento, where he helped lead the Kings deep into the playoffs, only to be traded again in February to a Hawks team starved for a postseason trip. "I know, just like Joe does, that you don't always get a second chance at doing this," Bibby said. "Game 1 is in the past. But Game 2 and everything beyond that is going to be what we make of it."
ORLANDO, Fla., April 20 (AP) -- Dwight Howard was in high school the last time the Orlando Magic won a playoff game. On Sunday afternoon, he made sure Orlando didn't have to wait any longer.
Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds and blocked five shots, and the Magic defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-100 in the opener of their first-round series. Jameer Nelson added 24 points for Orlando.
"It felt real good - it was an amazing feeling for me,'' Howard said. "Actually, I almost got some tears.''
Howard scored six straight points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed Orlando's first playoff win since 2003. He also blocked five shots and made 9 of 11 free throws.
Anthony Parker had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 21 and Rasho Nesterovic had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Jason Kapono scored 18 off the bench.
The Raptors, who trailed by 20 points after the first quarter, drew within five with 10:24 left in the fourth on two quick 3-pointers by Kapono and a Parker jumper. But Toronto went scoreless for the next 3:16 as Orlando pulled away.
"It is tough digging yourself a hole like that,'' Parker said. "Every time we did make a run, they made a play and put it back around 10 or 12. We just never got over that hump, and I believe if we had it would've been a tough ballgame for them. The first quarter was the difference.''
The Magic held Bosh mostly in check. Smothered by Rashard Lewis inside the paint and out, the All-Star power forward started 1-of-6 from the field and scored 13 of his 21 points from the free throw line (13-of-13). Bosh picked up four fouls in the third quarter - including two within 20 seconds during tussles with Howard - and played limited minutes in the fourth.
"(Lewis) fronted me the whole game,'' Bosh said. "He was up in my space. I should have done a better job expecting that. He did a good job; I'll be ready for it in game two.''
Lewis, who is known more for scoring than defense, said it took all he had to keep up with Bosh. The Magic forward scored 10 in the first quarter and just three points the rest of the way.
"I just tried my best to keep the ball out of his hands, and when he did get the ball, try to take away his airspace and clog him as much as possible,'' Lewis said.
All five Orlando starters scored in double figures. Hedo Turkoglu scored 21, Maurice Evans had 14 and Lewis added 13. Reserve Keyon Dooling scored 10, and Nelson had seven assists.
Orlando looked unbeatable at the start, hitting its first seven shots and going 9-of-11 on 3-pointers in the first quarter. Evans scored 11 in the period as Orlando opened a 43-23 lead.
The 43 points were third highest in a first quarter for the playoffs, and Orlando's nine 3-pointers tied Boston's record for most in a playoff quarter. Howard blocked three shots in the period and altered several others.
"The thing we have to try to do a better job of is keeping (Howard) off the glass,'' Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "It's easy for me to sit here and say it, but I don't have to do it.''
The Magic shot 53 percent in the game, including 13-of-29 from 3-point range, compared with 38 percent and 9-of-20 for Toronto.
Howard had eight games in the regular season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He had seven points and nine rebounds at halftime, but turned it up in the second half when Orlando's torrid shooting pace dipped.
"He obviously came to play tonight,'' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Now I think the lesson for our guys is it's one game. In the playoffs you've got to rise to the occasion in each series at least four times, and really more than that, because sometimes you can rise to the occasion and still get beat.''
Notes: Howard had an NBA-leading 69 double-doubles during the regular season, including eight games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. ... Game two is Tuesday. ... The Magic turned the arena white and blue by giving fans T-shirts. It was the first time Orlando hosted a playoff series opener since 1999. ... Masters champion Trevor Immelman watched from courtside.
CLEVELAND, April 20 (AP) -- LeBron James isn't complaining, but those hard shoves, well-placed elbows and rougher-than-normal fouls that the Washington Wizards inflicted on him in Game 1 had an effect.
One day later, James wasn't sore. But the 6-foot-8, 250-pounder said he was a lot shorter and lighter.
"I'm about 6-4, 215 today,'' he joked.
James endured a physical pounding in Cleveland's 93-86 win in the series opener, an intense game that at times resembled a rugged version of backyard touch football. Beginning with a shot across the face from Andray Blatche -- a blow he later retaliated by throwing an elbow into the forward's chin -- James was a marked man.
The Wizards hacked and whacked him.
The NBA's scoring champion still managed to score 32 points, and made the game's two biggest baskets in the final 1:37 as the Cavaliers won their seventh straight postseason game over the Wizards, their first-round opponent for three years running.
James expected the Wizards to come after him, and he knows they're not about to stop.
"I have no problem getting hit,'' said James, who went to the free-throw line 14 times. "But there's a difference between a foul and a LeBron foul. If that's what their game plan is, I have to be able to get back up and continue to let my game speak for itself.''
Sunday was spent working on adjustments as the teams prepared for Monday's Game 2.
Before hitting the practice floor, the Wizards lamented missing open shots down the stretch. They carried a four-point lead into the fourth quarter, but then went 4-of-20 in the period and misfired on 10 straight shots in the final 4:38.
"We had our fair share of opportunities,'' Caron Butler said. "We just didn't capitalize on them. You've got to finish a team like that when you've got them down because they have a superstar who in the fourth quarter can really score some points.''
Despite losing their eighth straight Game 1, the Wizards, who came in talking a big game, were encouraged by their performance. Gilbert Arenas scored 24 points and showed signs of becoming the pre-knee surgery "Agent Zero"; they controlled the tempo for much of the game, and the Wizards were still leading 84-82 before lapsing into an offensive drought.
Antawn Jamison went 0-for-5 in the fourth and missed three straight shots -- two of them 3s -- that could have changed the outcome.
"I had some open shots,'' he said. "I took four or five that I should have thought about, and a couple of 3s where I could have drove and created shots for other people. But I got some decent shots out there. I'm not beating myself upside the head for taking them.''
Arenas didn't practice Sunday because of a sprained right wrist, but he's expected to play in Game 2.
Besides the untimely shooting woes, the Wizards' biggest mistake may have been giving James the chance to put them away.
He always has.
First, he made two free throws to tie it 84-all before driving through traffic for a go-ahead layup. Then he blasted past nemesis DeShawn Stevenson, who called him "overrated'' a few weeks back, and dropped a runner to put the Cavs in control.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, who called James "the best player this side of the Rocky Mountains,'' was pleased with the way his players handled No. 23. He wants them to make James earn everything he gets, even if that means they have to bang him around.
"I was happy that we gave solid, hard contests in the paint,'' he said. "They weren't flagrant, but they were meant to protect the rim. And as long as they're not flagrant, I think they are professional plays.''
Jordan knows he can't allow James to get into a rhythm. As he showed in last year's conference finals against Detroit, James single-handedly can win a series.
"How many times have you seen LeBron get charges?'' Jordan said. "He's so good with the body control. He's so good at avoiding charges that flat-out right now we are not taking charges on LeBron. Maybe Delonte West. Maybe Damon Jones.
"But we ain't taking charges on LeBron James. So it's out there and it's done, and so be it.''
After watching his star player get bounced around Saturday, Cavs coach Mike Brown half-joked that James "could have played for the Browns.''
Brown is accustomed to seeing James take hard hits, but wonders why his star doesn't get more calls.
"If you watch him on drives, he's trying to avoid guys to the point where we tell him, 'Stay strong,'" Brown said. "He knows he's going to get hit, and unless he gets absolutely clobbered, they're not going to call the foul.''
James understands that calls won't always go his way. He knows what's coming in Game 2, and Game 3 and Game 4, and as long as the series lasts -- more punishment.
"I'm not going to try and retaliate if something happens,'' he said. "I don't think anybody is trying to hurt me. They do want to commit hard fouls. I see that. But I've got to protect myself.''
“The support for the NBA demonstrated by the fans, government leaders and business community of Oklahoma City over the last three years has been extraordinary,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “The Board of Governors is confident that that level of local support will result in success for the Sonics franchise in Oklahoma."
Often in sports, the most intriguing matchups are when the favorite takes on the underdog, pitting David vs. Goliath. But an argument could be made that that the showdown of Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan is just as compelling, albeit a basketball version of Goliath vs. Goliath.
The two big men have dominated the league over the past decade, with the two players having a hand in every NBA Finals dating back to 1999. One would have to break out a video of Utah’s Bryon Russell getting crossed over by the Bulls’ Michael Jordan in 1998 to see a Finals contest without O’Neal or Duncan. They have battled in the playoffs five times, fueling both a respect and rivalry between the two giants.
Now the two will do battle once again as the Suns and Spurs square off in the first round of the playoffs. It almost seems predestined that the top two post players of a generation will face each other within the most heated rivalry in the league. Phoenix, knowing that its first NBA championship would have to go through San Antonio, enlisted the help of O'Neal for this very type of circumstance,
"If anybody knows what Tim's going to do with the ball, I think it's me," O'Neal stated. "We've had our battles."
When asked about his familiarity with Duncan, the Big Aristotle responded, “It’s not so much an advantage as that you want to become great when you play against greatness.
“He knows what I’m going to do, I know what he’s going to do. You’re not really going to stop him, you just have to try to stay in front of him and try to make him work.”
Shaq has followed his own advice this season. In the Suns' two games with O’Neal against the Spurs, he has held Duncan to 15-of-40 shooting in two Phoenix victories. Without O’Neal, the Suns split with the Spurs and Duncan shot 22-of-41 from the field.
“The biggest change (Shaq) makes is defensively," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "Now there is a big guy there to collapse in the paint and guard Tim during some parts of the game.
"So when you go by your man, his presence is difficult. (With Shaq,) they gain a lot in one respect and lose some things in the other. But Shaq is Shaq so you always have to respect him. ”
The two big men first clashed on an epic level during the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals. The Spurs boasted the “Twin Towers” combination of David Robinson and Duncan, while O’Neal was playing with the emerging Kobe Bryant. Duncan would strike first in their rivalry, powering the Spurs to a 4-0 sweep of the Lakers.
O’Neal fared well in the series, compiling 23.8 points, 13 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, but was constantly hampered by the defensive duo of Robinson and Duncan. Meanwhile, Duncan had a field day with the Lakers’ power forward, J.R. Reid, erupting for 29.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and two blocks a game.
After the series, O’Neal declared, "It's very embarrassing. I hate saying, 'Well, we played hard.' No, now it's over."
Looking back, it might have been the turning point of Shaq’s career. The franchise went out and hired Zen Master Phil Jackson. Jackson implemented the triangle offense, brought in championship-level credibility and melded a supporting cast around O’Neal to claim the title in 2000.
The Spurs, on the other hand, were eliminated in the first round by the Jason Kidd-Shawn Marion-powered Suns. San Antonio, who was playing without an injured Duncan, didn’t have enough firepower to combat the Suns. So even though the Lakers had finally broken through, there was a slight asterisk next to their title, because the Spurs weren’t at full strength.
The true measure of how dominant the Lakers had become would be tested in the 2001 Western Conference Finals. With no excuses to fall back on, the Spurs were swept 4-0 by the Lakers. O’Neal averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while Duncan countered with 23 points, 12.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocks for the series. After eliminating San Antonio, L.A. marched to their second consecutive championship, rolling over the Sixers 4-1.
The Lakers would tame the Spurs once again in 2002, dominating them in the Western Conference Semifinals by securing a 4-1 series victory. O’Neal posted 21.4 points, 12.2 boards and three blocks a game, while Duncan exploded for 29 points, 17.2 caroms and 3.2 blocks for the series. The Lakers stormed through The Finals by defeating the Nets and earned their third straight title. It would be the last title that L.A. would win, as the balance of power in the West would begin to switch over to San Antonio.
The Lakers’ role players began to age and provide less support for their two stars, causing L.A. to drop to a No. 5 seed in the West. Although O’Neal performed admirably in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals by averaging 25.3 points, 14.3 boards and 2.8 rejections, it wasn’t enough, as a gritty Spurs club eliminated the Lakers, 4-2. Duncan, meanwhile, racked up 28 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for the series, giving San Antonio the punch necessary to finally overcome the Lakers and advance to The Finals. They would eventually roll to a 4-2 Finals victory over the Nets.
The Lakers would re-tool their team by acquiring free agents Gary Payton and Karl Malone, setting up a 2004 Western Conference Semifinals battle with the Spurs. Although San Antonio sprinted to a 2-0 series advantage, the Lakers stormed back to clinch the series 4-2.
It was only the eighth time in NBA history that a team down 0-2 came back to clinch the series. O’Neal and Duncan went to war again, with “The Diesel” averaging 22.5 points, 14.5 boards and 4.3 blocks, while Duncan posted 20.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks for the series.
L.A. would go on to dismantle Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals before falling apart to a savvy Pistons squad in The Finals. The defeat led to the deconstruction of the Lakers, who shipped Shaq to Miami for Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. San Antonio would become the heir apparent in the West, rebounding to win the 2005 Finals over the Pistons.
O’Neal broke through to bring the title home to Miami in 2006, while San Antonio reclaimed the O’Brien trophy in 2007. As the two most dominant players of the last decade, it is difficult to determine who has been more valuable to their team during the postseason.
For his playoff career, O’Neal has averaged 25.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on 57-percent shooting from the floor, while Duncan has posted averages of 23.8 points, 12.5 caroms and 2.8 blocks on 51-percent shooting. Head-to-head, O’Neal has racked up 23.9 points, 14 rebounds and 2.8 blocks against Duncan, while Duncan has responded with 25.9 points, 12.5 boards and 2.7 blocks. Shaq is 3-2 in playoff series against Duncan, while both of them own four championship rings apiece.
It's no wonder that Suns saw O’Neal as perhaps the lone remedy for containing Duncan and hurdling past San Antonio in the playoffs. Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni believes that his center could be the deciding factor in the series.
“There is a 325-pound beast down low that we have to get the ball to,” D’Antoni said. “On defense, Shaq will be isolated on Duncan because we don’t want to double, and he defended him well the last two games.”
When O’Neal arrived in Phoenix, he was frustrated by naysayers who criticized he didn’t have enough “gas left in his tank” to help Phoenix get over the hump. He was so aggravated that in his introductory press conference he declared, “When I’m upset I’m known to do certain things; like win championships."
Hopefully that desire within him still runs deep, because if he can frustrate Duncan and the Suns can knock off the defending champions, Phoenix will have taken a giant leap forward to achieving that goal.
“I’ll rely on these two strong leaders on a day-to-day basis,” Simon said, adding that both will report directly to him.
Additionally, Rick Fuson has been elevated to Chief Operating Officer of PS&E. “We have a strong management team in place, and we look forward to the future,” concluded Simon.
The 6-8, 205-pound Johnson returns to Phoenix after signing two separate 10-day contracts on Feb. 22 and March 3 earlier this season. Johnson appeared in six games in his first stint with Phoenix, averaging 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.8 minutes. The 27-year old also signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on March 27, 2008 and appeared in two games, totaling six points in 10 minutes.
In 141 career games (27 starts), Johnson owns averages of 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. The four-year NBA veteran enjoyed his best career season in 2005-06 with the Hornets, posting averages of 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 18.1 minutes in 27 games. Johnson signed his first NBA contract with the Bulls on Sept. 29, 2003.
The Suns roster now stands at 14. An updated roster is attached.
The Phoenix Suns (54-27) play their regular season finale tonight at US Airways Center, hosting the Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) at 7 p.m. All the action can be seen on FSN Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.
The incident occurred with 10:48 remaining in the second period of the Bucks’151-135 loss to the Bulls on Monday, April 14 at the Bradley Center.
Ivey will serve the first game of his suspension tonight when the Bucks visit the Minnesota Timberwolves. The remainder of his suspension will be served during the first two regular season games he is eligible to play next season.
He is in the mix and one of his best friends in the league, Chris Paul, has an excellent chance of winning it in what is expected to be a very close race. Yet James, as he has done numerous times in his career, is deferring to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He didn't take long to think about it, either.
''I'd give it to Kobe,'' James said. ''What he's done this whole year, to carry that team to the No. 1 team in the West right now. He's playing his best basketball all around. I've watched him the whole year. I saw it last summer when I played with him with USA Basketball and the sacrifices he's made for the team and he's done that with the Lakers.''
Various polls done around the country have Bryant and Paul in a dead heat for the award with James coming in third or fourth. Two years ago, James finished second in the voting. Last year, he finished fifth. Bryant hasn't won the award in his 12 years in the league, but this appears to be his best shot.
''I've been quoted millions of times saying Kobe is the best player in our league for the last five years,'' James said. ''He hasn't received the MVP. This is his year I think.''
James is completing the best regular season of his career. He has a chance to become just the third player in history to average 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a season. The other two, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, won MVPs in those seasons. But the Cavs are on pace to win their fewest games in three seasons and that plays a role.
''For me as an individual, if you look at the numbers, this is the best I've played in my career and this is the best I've felt,'' James said. ''Team success plays a big part in what the MVP is all about, so there it is.''
Dribbles
• In recent games, there has been a little increase in squabbling between Cavs players both on the court and in the huddle, including a rather intense exchange between James and Anderson Varejao in the second half against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Not to mention other players who have been frustrated with constantly changing levels of playing time.
Cavs coach Mike Brown said he is concerned a bit about the team chemistry.
''You always worry about that,'' Brown said. ''It's tough when you have so many new bodies. Chemistry you can't force, it has to come. Hopefully it clicks sooner than later.''
• Successful St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli was in the locker-room area before the game to see former players Delonte West and Dwayne Jones, who starred for the Hawks. It was the Cavs' first and only visit to the Wachovia Center this season.
LeBron James' pull
WKYC (Channel 3) reporter Chris Tye gave his audience a unique story about the allure of LeBron James on Sunday's newscasts.
Tye told the story of a group of high school seniors from the tiny village of Natulo, Alaska, who came to Cleveland on their senior trip just to see LeBron James and the Cavaliers play.
Pavlovic injured his left ankle in the third quarter of Monday night's 91-90 win at Philadelphia. He's expected to miss two to three weeks.
It's been a lost year for Pavlovic, who started the season with a contract holdout, missed 23 games with a sprained left foot, was benched recently and had just returned to the starting lineup in place of the struggling Wally Szczerbiak.
Pavlovic averaged 7.4 points and shot 36 percent from the floor in 51 games, including 45 starts.
Chandler was hurt Monday night after an awkward landing while going for a rebound in the third quarter of the Knicks' 99-93 loss to the Boston Celtics. An MRI on Tuesday revealed a bone bruise, and the forward from DePaul is expected to be on crutches for two weeks.
Chandler, Isiah Thomas' last draft pick while running the Knicks, had averaged 18 points and 7.8 rebounds in his previous four games before being limited to six points Monday.
New York closes the season Wednesday at Indiana.
Kirk Snyder had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Al Jefferson added 21 points and 10 boards, and the Timberwolves beat the Grizzlies 114-105 on Saturday night.
"You've got to find that energy," Snyder said, adding that professionals need to set an example for younger players. "You've got to be able to hold true to some of the things you say to them. Do the right thing and play as hard as you can and leave it all out there."
Ryan Gomes was the third Minnesota player with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rashad McCants led Minnesota with 23 points and Randy Foye scored 16. Snyder's points, on 9-of-11 shooting, were a season high and the rebounding total was the best of his career.
"I think Kirk was huge for us," Minnesota coach Randy Wittman said. "He got out in the lanes and [Foye] threw the ball ahead. We scored quickly at the start of the game, and it kind of gets you going then."
Mike Conley led Memphis with a career-high 25 points, while Rudy Gay finished with 22. Hakim Warrick scored 16 points, and Andre Brown added career highs of 13 points and 18 rebounds.
With Seattle owning the only worse record than these teams in the Western Conference, this game was mostly about lottery positioning.
The Timberwolves built the lead to as many as 18 early in the game and really were never threatened after a third-quarter rally rebuilt the lead to double digits. Part of the reason was Minnesota's dominance in the middle, as the Timberwolves outrebounded Memphis 62-45 and held a 60-44 advantage in the paint.
The 62 rebounds were a season high for the Timberwolves and the most by a Memphis opponent this season.
"We had some guys out, but I thought the guys who took their place played hard," Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "[The Timberwolves] were just better than us. They shot the ball well. They rebounded and dominated us inside physically."
Memphis, playing its last home game of the season, went deep into its bench early. In the first quarter, little-used players such as Kwame Brown, Brian Cardinal and Casey Jacobsen already had made an appearance, and Brown started his first game of the season.
The result: The Timberwolves shot 63 percent and built a 43-25 lead, the most first-quarter points ever by Minnesota. The Wolves were getting to the basket because Memphis players weren't getting in the way.
"We were moving the ball well," Foye said. "It's fun to play like that. You push the ball up, swing, swing, dunk. That's so fun, man. I love playing like that."
Memphis whittled away at the lead and trailed 62-55 at halftime.
The Timberwolves regained the double-digit lead after halftime and held it through most of the third before taking an 89-77 advantage into the fourth.
"They had a lot of big guys down low," Conley said. "Al Jefferson's a great player, and he did a great job of getting to the basket and putting his misses back in."
Snyder said the Timberwolves, who won 102-101 at Orlando on Friday night, now need to build on the confidence of back-to-back road wins.
"We have a couple of games left, and we're young," Snyder said. "Guys are going to probably pick up a basketball as soon as we stop playing anyway, so leave it all out there. Go with reckless abandonment and see what you can get out of it. See if you can win some games."
Notes: Before the game, three people were injured when a section of the FedExForum stands collapsed. Fans were standing at the rail of the section leaning over asking for autographs from Memphis players as they left the floor following their pregame shooting routines. One man was taken out on a stretcher and medical personnel attended to at least two others. All three went to the hospital but were conscious and alert. ... Memphis G Mike Miller missed his second straight game with back spasms. ... Brown's start was his first in 69 career games. His previous rebounding mark was set Friday night with 11 at Miami, and his 18 rebounds Saturday night matched the Memphis high for a game this season. ... Jefferson's double-double was his 54th of the season, second in the league to Dwight Howard's 68.
Five of their friends, who hang out just beyond the out-of-bounds sideline, share conversation and laughter. They patiently wait to play next.
The two on the court, meanwhile, glow with fervor. They each want to impress their buddies. They want the discussion in homeroom tomorrow to be about how they excelled on the court.
It’s exactly how Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian felt on Nov. 9 and Feb. 2 of this season – except with even more pressure and with certainly more spectators.
Unlike the children at the park, Yao and Yi attempted to astound an entire country. Chinese natives flocked to television sets like Americans did for the final episode of The Sopranos last year to watch something just as exhilarating and suspenseful.
In fact, on each occasion when Yao faced off against Yi, an estimated total of nearly 200 million people in China tuned in. The 2008 NFL Super Bowl, by comparison, attracted nearly 98 million viewers in the United States. Each Bucks-Rockets meeting this season, as a result, set NBA broadcast television records.
Although it wasn’t the first time two Chinese natives squared off on the NBA hardwood, it was, by and large, the most anticipated. Yao and Yi are as popular in their country as David Beckham is in England or Ronaldinho in Brazil.
For each game, the first played in Houston, the second in Milwaukee, Chinese nationals celebrated with their families and friends. People partied like it was their first night spent at college – all rejoicing with dignity and pride. Some watched from nearby restaurants, others from the privacy of their own homes.
Yao’s stellar 28-point, 10-rebound performance in the initial meeting stole the show as the Rockets trounced the Bucks. Yi’s effort, nonetheless, in just his fourth game of his young NBA career, was extremely impressive. The 20-year-old, who won three straight Chinese Basketball Association championships with the Guangdong Southern Tigers, recorded 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and added nine rebounds.
After the game ended, Yao praised his Chinese counterpart and national teammate.
“His talent is unbelievable,'' he said. You ask me how good he can be? I can't say that. But I think he'll be better than me.''
While the first head-to-head matchup lived up to the hype, the second didn’t quite do the same. Plagued by early foul trouble and a tweaked ankle, Yao finished with just 12 points but did manage to tally 12 boards and three blocks. Yi, on the other hand, injured his shoulder early in the game and posted just six points on 1-for-10 shooting. Houston came away with the victory again.
Irrespective of their game performances, Yao and Yi offer a unique constituent to the NBA. Their personalities are alluring to fans across the globe like derivatives are for aspiring mathematicians. They are significant for the growth of the NBA and may ultimately be the motivation behind worldwide expansion.
In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage games in China. Subsequently, fans got the opportunity to watch LeBron James and Dwight Howard during the preseason when they participated in NBA China Games 2007.
NBA Commissioner David Stern addressed during the All-Star break in New Orleans that he hoped eventually the league would expand outside the U.S., specifically citing Europe as a possible destination. You could expect China to be next on the list.
Nevertheless, like the students at the park who entertained their classmates, the two international superstars offered the world a pair of memorable moments during the 2007-08 season. But let's just say, the NBA is definitely 'Where Chinese Super Bowls Happen'.
The former University of Cincinnati Bearcat was first signed by San Antonio on 12/29. He appeared in three games for Spurs where he averaged 4.0 points on .556 (5-9) shooting. Johnson was waived by the Spurs on 1/7.
The 27-year-old Johnson has spent the majority 2007-08 season with the Austin Toros, the Spurs affiliate in the NBA Development League. In 43 games with the Toros, Johnson averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while earning All-NBA D-League Honorable mention accolades.
San Antonio is the fourth team the 6-9 Johnson has played for in the NBA. He has also made stops in Atlanta, New York and Denver during his seven-year NBA career. He was originally selected by Atlanta in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft, with the sixth overall pick. In his career he has appeared in 342 regular season NBA games, averaging 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 17.3 minutes.
Instead, the 7-foot 20-year-old, who was drafted ahead of leading Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin Durant, brought painful memories of Sam Bowie back to Portland as news surfaced weeks before training camp that he would miss his entire rookie year after having microfracture surgery on his right knee.
Bowie, mostly known as the player selected ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft, had five major leg surgeries in five seasons with Portland. However, while we still don’t know how the injury will affect Oden’s career, Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard is confident that he made the right decision by selecting the former Ohio State star with the first overall pick in the 2007 Draft.
"We picked the right kid, he cares about his organization. And I can't (overemphasize) how bad he felt, and not because he had to go through the rehab and all that, but because he felt like he let us down,'' Pritchard said, "and he hasn't let us down at all.''
Oden’s injury was a setback, especially for a team looking for its first winning season in five years, but the Blazers appeared headed in the right direction even before beating the 5.3 percent odds and winning the 2007 draft lottery.
With reigning Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy and former No. 2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge as the cornerstones of the franchise, the Blazers were in position to move leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph to the Knicks in a six-player draft-day deal for reserve forward Channing Frye, Steve Francis’ contract and a 2008 second-round pick. They also inked starting point guard Steve Blake and re-signed swingman Martell Webster to complete the league’s youngest roster, which has an average age of 24.
Portland, which finished with 32 wins in 2006-07, opened the season 5-12 with the thought of Oden in everyone’s mind after each loss.
"We were definitely looking forward to having Greg,'' said Webster after a defeat in San Antonio on opening day. "That doesn't stop our journey. Our journey is to get to the playoffs. ... Can't say anything about championships. Mostly, we want to take this one game at a time.''
And that’s exactly what the Blazers did, turning their poor start into a 13-game winning streak – the second longest in franchise history - and moving into first place in the Northwest Division. Their run at the top didn’t last long, but it did bring a playoff-like atmosphere to a city that hasn’t hosted a postseason game since the 2002-03 season.
“This has been a spectacular turnaround season for the Blazers,” NBA Commissioner David Stern told The Oregonian during a visit to Portland on March 4. “The 23 sellouts, the extraordinary ratings, the promise of the future, but most important, the way that people have said to me, 'We're proud of the team again. We're glad that they represent us. They're doing everything good and well on and off the court.' That's music to a commissioner's ear and we're really very happy about it.”
The Blazers would fall short of a berth but can hold their heads high after coming together as a team and remaining in an extremely competitive Western Conference playoff race until the final month of the season. According to STATS LLC.,, the face of the franchise joined David Thompson and David Robinson as the only No. 1 picks since 1960 to not play in the NBA the year they were drafted, but fans still have plenty of reasons to be excited for the future.
Roy continued his rise to superstar status by averaging 19.3 points and 5.7 assists while earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors twice and becoming the first Blazer since Rasheed Wallace in 2001 to be selected to the NBA All-Star Game. Aldridge, meanwhile, pushed his scoring average up from 9.0 points per game to 17.7 in just his second season. But confident team play was the ultimate reason for the Blazers’ success.
"This isn't about one person, never has been, never will be,'' Pritchard said. "This is about a team, about 15 guys going out there with a single vision, a single purpose.'
Four others round out the Hall’s class of 2008, which was announced on Monday: Adrian Dantley, a dominant scorer for seven N.B.A. teams; the Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson; the television announcer Dick Vitale; and Cathy Rush, a former coach and a force for women’s basketball in the 1970s.
Ewing played for the Knicks from 1985 through 2000 and remains the franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots, steals and field goals. He scored 24,815 points in 17 seasons, ranking him 15th in N.B.A. history.
In a poetic twist, Ewing — now an Orlando Magic assistant coach — was at Madison Square Garden on the day before the Hall’s announcement. He drew a standing ovation after a video tribute played on the scoreboard Sunday.
“I’ve been to the Hall of Fame many times, in grade school and high school,” said Ewing, who grew up in Cambridge, Mass., less than two hours from the Hall’s home in Springfield. “I had field trips to the Hall of Fame and taking tours of it. I just never thought about that one day I possibly might be in it. I think it’d be great.”
Ewing called Riley, his coach from 1991 to 1995, “one of my best coaches” and said, “It would be an honor to go in with him.” Ewing and Riley led the Knicks to the 1994 finals, where they lost to Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets. The Knicks returned to the finals in 1999 and lost to the San Antonio Spurs (Ewing missed that series with an injury).
Olajuwon, Riley and Ewing were elected in their first year of consideration.
Riley has won five N.B.A. championships as a coach, four with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s and one with the Miami Heat in 2006. He ranks third, behind Lenny Wilkins and Don Nelson, in career victories.
Olajuwon led the Rockets to championships in 1994 and 1995, after helping the University of Houston to three straight Final Four appearances, from 1982 to 1984. He holds the N.B.A. career record for blocked shots with 3,830, and ranks seventh on the career scoring list with 26,946 points in 18 seasons.
Dantley, a Hall finalist on six previous occasions, was elected 17 years after playing his last N.B.A. game. He averaged 24.3 points in 15 N.B.A. seasons, including seven with the Utah Jazz. Dantley averaged more than 30 points for four straight seasons with the Jazz, from 1980 to 1984. He was also the leading scorer for the 1976 United States Olympic team.
Rush, considered a pioneer in women’s basketball, was a finalist for the sixth time. She led Immaculata University to three straight A.I.A.W. titles, from 1972 to 1974, and posted a record of 149-15 in seven seasons. In 1975, Rush’s team played Maryland in the first nationally televised women’s game.
"I'll get one of the two," Dantley, 53, told the Deseret Morning News by phone early Monday morning before officially being announced as one of the seven 2008 inductees at a Monday morning Hall of Famers breakfast in San Antonio.
He was also presented — along with fellow inductees Pat Riley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, broadcaster Dick Vitale, Immaculata University coach Cathy Rush and Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson — at halftime at NCAA championship game between Memphis and Kansas Monday night.
"Hopefully it won't take as long as these other two," Dantley joked about his coaching/GM aspirations. The reference was to his finally making it to the Hall of Fame after eight years and the retirement of his jersey by the Utah Jazz in EnergySolutions Arena last April — more than 20 years after he'd played his last game as a Jazzman.
As for finally making the Hall — he will be formally enshrined with his family in attendance Sept. 4-6 in Springfield, Mass. — Dantley said it was a relief."I never thought it (the delay) was about basketball," he said. "I don't know. Who knows?
"A lot of things could have happened where it may have been different," he added. "I probably would have ended my career in Utah — if I hadn't had the little ruckus with Frank Layden. I might have been in there quicker."
He might have made it more quickly if his career had ended with a championship in Detroit, he said, but he was traded away before the title. "Had I not gotten traded, won a championship, I might have gotten in quicker. Who knows?"
The "ruckus" with Layden, who was Jazz coach and GM, started in Phoenix in the Jazz locker room during Karl Malone's rookie year. Layden was getting on Malone for his play, and Dantley stuck up for his eventual successor at power forward. Layden sent Dantley home from the road trip and fined him 30 pieces of silver for traitorous behavior.
Layden has since said publicly he wishes he hadn't done that, and he and Dantley long ago made up, but it took a long time for Jazz owner Larry H. Miller to OK Dantley's number retirement, which may have slowed his Hall of Fame progress.
"Yeah, I guess, when you think about it," said Dantley, "I'm looking at this list of all these people in the Hall of Fame; there's not one person on this list" who is in the Hall of Fame who doesn't have his jersey retired.
Miller said at the number retirement that he wished he hadn't done so much "foot-dragging" on getting it done.
But on Monday morning in San Antonio, Dantley could finally say, "Finally got in. Feel pretty good. "
Dantley is an assistant coach for the NBA Denver Nuggets. He has also coached collegiately.
"Oh yeah, I like it. I like college," he said of coaching. "The only thing about college, I don't know if I could chase kids (recruit).
"I like the NBA. I really have an eye for talent. I like that aspect of it, but I like the coaching, too."
So now he awaits an opportunity to lead an NBA team as head coach or GM. "I always said it's all a matter of being around and somebody say(ing), 'Hey, I want to try this guy out."'
At his number retirement ceremony just about a year ago in Salt Lake, he publicly told Miller that when Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and assistant Phil Johnson are done with coaching, he'd at least like to get an interview for the job.
He hasn't made one yet.
"I'm working on it,'' he said.
He's got time to.
James was held out of Cleveland's practice on Monday to rest his back, which has been tightening up and bothering the Cavaliers' All-Star forward for the past few weeks. His back spasms got so severe during a recent game against Chicago that James was unable to sit in a chair during timeouts.
James' injury - the latest back issue for a Cleveland player - has worsened at an inopportune time for the Cavs, who are still trying to lock down the No. 4 seed in the NBA playoffs and home-court advantage in the first round. With five games remaining, Cleveland, which has dropped five of seven, enters the week with a two-game lead over Washington and a three-game cushion over Philadelphia for the fourth spot.
The Cavaliers, who don't play again until Wednesday against New Jersey, are hoping the rest will help James for the stretch run.
As coach Mike Brown put his team through a workout, James received treatment on his back. Later, though, he came out on the floor and practiced a few shots.
"I told him just to watch TV,'' Brown said, looking in the direction of his superstar.
James was asked if back spasms were his only problem.
"That,'' he said, "and tightness and some stuff that shouldn't be going on right now.''
Although it had been troubling him for a few weeks, James didn't reveal the extent of his injury until following last Thursday's home loss to the Bulls. The Cavaliers blew a 17-point lead in the second half, and with James unable to slash to the basket the way he can when healthy, Cleveland couldn't come back. James, who leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, missed all five field-goal tries in the final period.
Then, in another loss on Saturday against Orlando, he didn't drive to the basket in the fourth quarter and said afterward that his back was locking up again.
James doesn't want to miss any games and is counting on the rest to get him up to speed.
"One day helps,'' he said. "But it's something where you need a little more than one day.''
Bad backs have been an ongoing problem for the defending Eastern Conference champions. Centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace have both missed time due to back trouble this season.
Those injuries combined with contract holdouts by Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic as well as a colossal trade that hasn't exactly fixed things for Cleveland, has made it seem like this season wasn't meant to be for the Cavs.
"I know every team has injuries, but no team has had the injuries that we've had this year,'' James said. "We don't want to be an excuse team, because we've never been that.''
James feels it's important for the Cavaliers to finish strong. There's still enough time for them to get on a roll before the playoffs.
" We can play better basketball,'' he said. "We have to. We need some kind of momentum going into the postseason. Last year, we won four straight games that we needed to win going into the postseason. You have to have some kind of confidence going into the postseason.''
On a far lighter note, James laughed when he was asked if he got a toaster for good friend, rap mogul Jay-Z, who reportedly married pop superstar Beyonce last week.
"No,'' James said. "I'll wait until I see him in person and then I'll give him what I got for him.''
As James left the floor at the Cavs' training facility, a production crew hauled in cameras and other gear to film a commercial with him.
In such a fragile state, it's safe to assume his body double was needed more than ever.
