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Cavs and Sixers victorious at the NBA playoffs

2009-04-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

The powerful Cleveland Cavaliers pushed the Detroit Pistons to the brink of elimination in the National Basketball Association playoffs with a 79-68 victory in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

In fact, there were no surprises at this game, where Cleveland superstar LeBron James just missed a triple-double, scoring 25 points with 11 rebounds and nine assists Friday as Cleveland took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

We must notice that after Detroit's Antonio McDyess questioned his team's collective effort in losing the first two games of the series, the Pistons came out strong.

But King James neutralized their effort when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. He had an impressive slam dunk midway through the final period, part of an 18-2 scoring run that started after the score was tied for the sixth time in the game.

"We know, big-time players make plays, and that's what he did," Detroit coach Michael Curry admitted.

In Philadelphia, the 76ers stunned the world by winning the Orlando Magic 96-94 and taking a surprising 2-1 lead in their series.

Thaddeus Young's layup with two seconds to play lifted the Sixers to success.

In fact, Philadelphia had stumbled into the playoffs with six defeats in their last seven regular-season games, but are now two victories away from winning a playoff series for the first time since Allen Iverson led them to the NBA finals in 2001.

However, we saw Dwight Howard scoring 36 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic. Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 29 points while Andre Miller added 24.

As we said, Howard's two free throws with less than eight seconds to play knotted the score at 94-94.

Despite that, Young took a pass near the baseline and drove to the basket for the game-winner.

Chicago Bulls got an overtime win over Celtics

2009-04-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was certainly a great match. And the best part was that Derrick Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record with 36 points in his playoff debut and added 11 assists. In the end, Chicago Bulls earned a 105-103 overtime victory over the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first-round series.

"He's poised beyond his years," Bulls guard Ben Gordon expressed about the young Rose. "He already carries himself like a veteran out there."

We also saw that Tyrus Thomas scored 16 points — six of Chicago's eight points in overtime, including the winning jumper with 51 seconds left in overtime. Joakim Noah, who was also making his postseason debut, netted 11 points with 17 rebounds for the Bulls.

As for Rajon Rondo, he also scored 29 points with nine rebounds and seven assists for Boston, which was without the talented Garnett and didn't get what it needed from the rest of the Big Three. Paul Pierce's 23 points came on 8-of-21 shooting. However, he missed the potential winning free throw at the end of regulation, and saw a potential tying basket blocked with 3.7 seconds left in overtime.

Actually, Ray Allen netted four points on 1-of-12 shooting; he had a chance to send it into a second overtime but his jumper from the right side bounced off the rim. Not so good for him.

"Yes, it just looked like every player decided that they were going to be 'the guy' tonight. They were going to, you know, replace Kevin for whatever reason," Doc Rivers said to the press, expressing his surprise. "And then all of a sudden we got into a fight. And one thing I'd say about our guys, they join in. Despite that, at home, you're supposed to start it"he concluded.

Cavs show their potential to win NBA title with great win over Pistons

2009-04-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

Cleveland got a 102-84 triumph over a tough Detroit team. The popular LeBron James banked in a stunning three-pointer at the end of the first half and finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as Cleveland opened with a stunning victory over Detroit.

The Cavs proved to be serious candidates to win the title this time.

Actually, King James' 41-footer demoralized the entire Detroit city. He wound up making 13 of 20 shots and didn't commit a turnover. "It's tough when he is going like that," Detroit's Antonio McDyess said.

And for him, it was like making just an ad clip. "Uh, pretty much unlimited" said James.

Chris Webber's jersey is retired from Sacramento squad

2009-02-06T23:51:00.000-08:00

It’s funny to know that when Chris Webber was traded to the Sacramento Kings nearly 11 years ago, the former No. 1 draft pick initially had no intention of ever playing for that scruffy franchise out in some remote part of California.

The ex-NBA rookie of the year certainly never imagined the best times of his life would occur in drafty old Arco Arena with a patchwork collection of squadmates who somehow played sublime basketball together. The mere idea of seeing his No. 4 jersey in Arco's rafters some day would have been the most improbable thought of all.

Yet that's exactly where Webber ended up Friday night at the time the Kings retired their former power forward's number in recognition of his pivotal role in this long-struggling franchise's goodest years.

"I can say that I'm just happy, humbled, excited — having every emotion you can think of, including a stomach that's tied up in knots," expressed Webber, who didn't betray any of those nerves in his gray three-button suit and bright-red tie with encountering pocket square. "This was a really unexpected honor, one that I never expected to receive."

Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Scot Pollard and Mateen Cleaves were among the former squadmates who returned to Sacramento for Webber's ceremony. Gary Payton, Webber's partner in the former stars' promising new careers as television analysts, and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson also were in attendance.

"Those memories of mine, the best moments that I've had in my life, they were here," expressed Webber, who made four All-Popular player squads and led the Kings to within an overtime clash 7 loss of the NBA finals in 2002.

Webber got a two-minute standing ovation and raucous chants of "C-Webb! C-Webb!" at the time he stepped to center court under a spotlight at halftime. The current Kings, including former Webber squadmates Brad Miller and Bobby Jackson, sneaked onto the court to watch the ceremony during the 23-minute halftime, with Kevin Martin lounging across the scorers' table.

"Indeed, when I came here at the beginning, I really didn't know what to expect," Webber told the crowd. "It was because of you guys that this worked. ... I'm thankful that God brought me to Sacramento and let me be a King. You guys stood by me at the time the world left me for dead. I will always remember that."

After Kings owner Gavin Maloof asked Webber to represent the woeful Kings at the draft lottery in three months, Webber hugged and rubbed the banner bearing his jersey's likeness before it was raised to the rafters.

"You made me a better player," expressed Divac, whose No. 21 will be hung alongside Webber's jersey next month. "You made all of us a better player. I played basketball for 20-plus years. My six years with the Kings and with you were the best."

Guard Mitch Richmond, who was traded to Washington in that 1998 deal for Webber, is the only other player from the franchise's Sacramento era whose jersey hangs alongside the numbers of Oscar Robertson, Nate Archibald and four others in a club history that dates back to the Rochester Royals, one of the NBA's original squads.

With his versatile direct style, exceptional passing and charismatic leadership, Webber was at the center of the franchise's longest sustained run of success during his 6 1/2 seasons. Sacramento had eight straight winning seasons overall, including a club-record 61 triumphs in 2001-02 and back-to-back Pacific Division championships — still the only title banners hanging across from those retired numbers in the Arco Arena rafters.

"Now, I'm officially a part of the family forever," the basketballer expressed. "If there's anything I'm proud of, I'm glad that I helped put Sacramento on the map."

Webber's initial reluctance to join the Kings was erased by a talk with his father, who also attended Friday's ceremony along with almost every member of Webber's extended family. Webber still wasn't sure about Sacramento until his first practice, at the time point guard Jason Williams whipped a sublime behind-the-back pass to him for a dunk.

Once Webber realized the possibilities of playing for coach Rick Adelman with a roster of young talent assembled by executive Geoff Petrie, he immediately grew to appreciate the chance he'd been handed early in an NBA career that wasn't really going anywhere.

Although the Kings traded Webber in 2005 to get out from under the onerous contract he signed four years earlier, Webber is long past the "hurt and pain" of Petrie's decision — particularly given the $123 million he made from the deal.

"The day we traded Chris, I expressed that the memories remain the property of the Sacramento Kings," expressed Petrie, the executive who built and dismantled the Kings' best squads. "That's especially true today."

Although he's just 35, an age at the time many NBA stars are still going strong, his perpetually unsound right knee finished off his career last year after a halfhearted comeback attempt with the Golden State Warriors. Webber still has a residence and a popular restaurant in Sacramento, and he visits the central Valley regularly.

Although Webber seems happy with his new career as a provocative television analyst, he acknowledges he'll never be fully satisfied with his playing exploits, even with his name hanging forever in Arco's rafters.

When asked to rank the importance of his jersey retirement, Webber expressed: "I wish I could say second to a championship. It's definitely the biggest honor that I've received in my basketball career. ... I can't lie and say that the lack of titles isn't something that I think about. It's something that I always will want, and I'm disappointed we couldn't give it to the people."

Los Angeles ready to host Cleveland King and his court

2009-02-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

The Lakers certainly had a better Friday than the Boston Celtics, mainly because the "Gloom and Broom" headline in the Boston Globe wasn't meant for them.

In fact, the regular-season series was indeed swept by the Lakers, Thursday's 110-109 overtime victory making it official, though the winning squad wasn't far into recovery mode at the time it assembled early Friday afternoon for a light practice at a swank private health club in downtown Boston.

Spaniard Pau Gasol sat and watched from the sidelines. Derek Fisher did too. Kobe Bryant spoke to reporters with the black hood of his sweat shirt pulled up over his head, as if he still needed more time to sleep because the Lakers hadn't left TD Banknorth Garden until after midnight.

About the only sign of liveliness came from a dues-paying club member, who, goggles still in place and without breaking stride on the way back to the squash courts, patted the team coach on the shoulder and cheerfully told him, "You're my idol. I always thought you were the best!"

The passer-by happened to be wearing a green T-shirt, making him probably the only one in town wearing such a color with a rosy opinion of Jackson and the Lakers.

The Lakers, meanwhile, spoke of their victory as if it were a cathartic event, almost in reverential tones.

"It was as intense a regular-season clash as I've been in in a long time," expressed Fisher, more than halfway through his 13th NBA season. "It's been a while since I could feel like through 48 minutes and through an overtime, every possession, every loose ball, every rebound, everything was just contested. It was just a fun clash to be a part of."

The clash itself got good reviews across the country, receiving a 2.7 TV rating, making it the most-watched NBA clash on cable this season (about 4.3 million viewers) and the most-watched NBA clash on TNT since Chicago played the Lakers in February 1996.

The talented Kobe also continued to provide favorable reviews, saying he approved of the Lakers' not backing down against the physically challenging Celtics. "There were a couple possessions, a couple plays, missed calls and stuff like that, that probably would have affected us last year that didn't affect us too much this year," Bryant expressed.

The Lakers (40-9) improved to 5-0 on their six-game trip, but moving to 6-0 could be just as difficult as getting to 5-0.

The Lakers play Cleveland on Sunday, visiting perhaps the only home court more difficult than Boston's this season.

The Cavaliers (39-9) are 23-0 at Quicken Loans Arena, where their average margin of victory has been 15.7 points. They haven't lost at home since April 30, in a first-round playoff clash against Washington last season.

They have also been building up a "no respect" mantra, the latest perceived slight arriving at the time Cleveland point guard Mo Williams was not selected to take the place of injured Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson on the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

"That's how they always treat us," LeBron James told reporters in Cleveland. "They wouldn't take me [as an All-Star] if they didn't have to."

The King keeps rolling along statistically, appearing at Madison Square Garden two nights after Bryant's 61-point eruption there and compiling 52 points and 11 assists on his own, a pretty good first half for some squads these days. (James initially had a triple-double, but the NBA issued a stat correction Friday, saying he was erroneously credited for a late rebound that should have gone to Ben Wallace, knocking him down to nine rebounds against the Knicks.)

The Cavaliers haven't played since Wednesday, a hiccup in the schedule that means they'll be well-rested in addition to being at home.

"They're awful good on their home court," Jackson expressed. "All their people wear a crown and they all wear No. 23 and help him throw that [chalk dust] up in the air at the time he's at the scorer's desk. He gets away with murder, on top of it, on his home court."

Jackson was, of course, speaking about exuberant fans and other matters concerning referees and non-calls, but the Lakers might also take a look at No. 24 instead of No. 23.

As in, trying to keep the Cavaliers from getting their 24th consecutive home victory this season.

"We'll use that if there's a moment in the clash where we're tired or something like that," Bryant expressed. "Those are the type of things that you can call upon to kind of keep yourself from getting tired, and you use it as motivation and push through it a little bit."

Pau has been on a tear, averaging 28.7 points and 14.3 rebounds in three clashs since Andrew Bynum went down, but Jackson acknowledged being concerned about Gasol's sharp increase in playing time.

Gasol played 46 minutes against Boston after playing 45 against Toronto and 41 against New York. He had been averaging 35.6 minutes a clash before Bynum was injured.

"I was just talking to my staff about how to manage the bench a little bit better so that we can get him rest," Jackson expressed. " Chris [Mihm] has some experience against Ilgauskas, but we'll see how that manages to work out in the course of the clash."

Tired or not, the Spanish basketballer has helped the Lakers avoid a letdown without Bynum.

"He was playing good before 'Drew went down," Bryant expressed. "That's why he's an All-Star."

Yao Ming to miss the rest of the NBA season

2008-02-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

In a sad annoucement for Houston fans, the Rockets said on Tuesday afternoon that center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.

"It's a very difficult day for the organization and our fans," admitted Houston general manager Daryl Morey. "We've been playing exceptional basketball, and Yao's been a huge part of that."

In fact, the Rockets entered Tuesday's game against Washington riding a 12-game winning streak.

As we know, this injury was originally believed to be an ankle sprain aggravated by bone spurs around the ankle, team physician Dr. Tom Clanton said. Yao was examined after practice on Monday, and Clanton said that tests showed excessive fluid in one of the bones around Yao's left foot. A CT-scan revealed the stress fracture.

"I think this is not an injury that we feel he can play with," said Clanton, who recommended surgery on the foot. Clanton did say that the team urged Yao to seek other opinions, and that the 7-foot-6 center had not yet decided whether he would have surgery.

The talented Yao is averaging 22 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this season. He sat out a Rockets loss to Utah on January 27 with an upper-respiratory infection, but returned two days later. And Houston has not lost since, the last win a 110-97 win over the Bulls on Sunday.

"Yes, it's a pretty big swing from a high to a low, how we were playing," added Morey. "After that emotional reaction, talking with the coaching staff and players, you think how well we played without Yao, we think our supporting cast is superior to when we last played without Yao for a significant stretch ... so we remain ready for this challenge ahead."

It's important to know that this will be the third consecutive season marred by injury for the All-Star center. After playing 82, 82, and 80 games in his first three seasons in the league, Yao was limited to 57 matches in the 2005-06 campaign after undergoing surgery on an infection in his left big toe, and then breaking a toe in his left big foot late in the season. Yao played in only 48 games last season, during which he suffered a small fracture in his right leg.

Finally, we must say that both Morey and Clanton don't know whether Yao would be healthy to play for China in the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Shaq is staring at the Suns

2008-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

NBA superstar and key player at Miami Heat last season, Shaquille O'Neal pledged Thursday to bring a title to the Phoenix Suns much like he did in previous stints with both Los Angeles and Miami.

Indeed, at a news conference, one day after being traded from the Heat to the Suns, 35-year-old O'Neal said he is convinced that he can get Phoenix over that final playoff hurdle.

"It's true that the first thing to winning a championship is the belief you can do it," O'Neal explained. "Now I think these guys really believe they can do it. The sun will rise in Phoenix."

The popular "Shaq", a 14-time all-star, played eight years in Los Angeles leading the Lakers to three consecutive titles. He was traded to Miami in 2004 and two years later led the Heat to a title.

"I want to fit in with these guys and do my part. I am not going to be asking for 30 to 40 touches a game," O'Neal warned. "With my on court and off court leadership, I can help them get over that hump."

"As far as I know, this is a great team of shooters. I guarantee I will make Bell better and Stoudemire better. It is going to be hard to make (Steve) Nash better because he is one of the greatest point guards to play basketball. In fact, I been a big fan of Nash ever since he beat me up two times for the MVP."

The Suns finished with a 61-21 record last year and are off to an equally impressive 34-18 start following Wednesday's double overtime loss to New Orleans.

They joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968 and have appeared in the finals several times but are still seeking their first title.

Phoenix Suns looked poised to go all the way last year but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the playoffs.

The Suns won match number four to level the series at 2-2 but then lost game five after stars Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were handed controversial suspensions for coming off the bench to watch a shoving match between Nash and Spurs Horry.

However, there has been some who questioned the Suns decision to give up all-star Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks for the veteran O'Neal.

Despite the critics, general manager Steve Kerr said that what O'Neal may lack in speed he makes up for with his experience and leadership in the locker room.

"One reason to make this move is it gives us a better chance for success," Kerr said. "When I walked into our dressing room before last night's match and saw our players reaction, I realized that this is a gamble well worth taking."

What's more, in his first public appearance as a Sun on Wednesday, O'Neal received a standing ovation from the Phoenix faithful at America West Arena during the the overtime loss to the Hornets.

"This is already a great team," O'Neal said. "They always get surprised by other teams and don't seem to be able to get to the next level. But I think with me we match up well with whoever we face."

Shaq was his usual jovial self in front of the media when asked about his injury status. "Nothing really hurts," the popular player said. "If you want to take me in a room and examine me for yourself, you can see for my age, I have a fabulous body."

Celtics defeat Bucks in impressive reaction

2007-12-15T01:31:00.000-08:00

In a very remarkable demonstration, Paul Pierce made a season-high 32 points, as Kevin Garnett had an easy 15 with 7 rebounds Friday night. This help Boston Celtics overcame Ray Allen’s absence to beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 104-82.

“I just wanted to be a little bit more aggressive,” Pierce explained. “Especially with Ray out.”

Indeed, with Allen resting a sore ankle, Tony Allen started and scored 11 points. Rajon Rondo scored 17, a point short of his season high, and had 8 assists for Boston, which also won its first 12 home matches in 1984 en route to the 1985 N.B.A. finals.

Boston Celtics pulled away when they outscored Milwaukee by 32-15 in the third quarter. Boston will try to set the team record Wednesday against the powerful Pistons.

And for the second consecutive game — and only the second time this season — the Celtics were without their regular starting five. Ray Allen is expected to miss a game or two with a sore right ankle that he has been trying to play with for eight encounters.

Cavaliers can't win without James

2007-12-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Sadly for Cleveland, Gerald Wallace scored 22 points and Raymond Felton went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final 16 seconds for a surprising victory of Charlotte Bobcats 96-93 over the Cavaliers.

LeBron James was once again relegated to cheerleader after sitting out his fifth straight game with a sprained left index finger. The Cavs have struggled without their superstar, with Friday's loss marking the first time they've managed more than 90 points with King James out of the lineup.

It's important to say that Cleveland guard Larry Hughes, playing for the first time in a month after being sidelined with a bone bruise in his left leg, had 22 points but it wasn't enough to rescue the Cavs from their sixth consecutive defeat.

And still, Hughes stayed hopeful in spite of the reigning Eastern Conference champions' continued slump.

"We have the pieces here to turn things around," he expressed. "We're not in the basement. We feel like there's a great chance we'll be on the top of the East when it's all done."

So, even with Hughes playing well, and with Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson each scoring 15 points, the Cavaliers couldn't overcome 27 turnovers.

"We have to clean that up and not be careless with the basketball," coach Mike Brown stated.

It's fair to say that it was the Bobcats, for a change, who made the big plays - and foul shots down the stretch. The league's second-worst free-throw shooting team went 14-for-14 in the final minute, tasting the triumph for the first time since Nov. 19.

Another results: 76ers 105 Knicks 77, Hawks 86 Grizzlies 78, Timberwolves 100 Suns 93, Mavericks 125 Jazz 117, Celtics 92 Bulls 81 and Nuggets 101 Kings 97.

Iverson leads Nuggets beat Mavs

2007-12-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Denver Nuggets 122 - Dallas Mavericks 109: A day after scoring 51 points in a loss to Los Angeles Lakers, Allen Iverson may have been even better, finishing with 35 points and 12 assists in the Nuggets' victory.

"Allen had it all going from everywhere," expressed Dallas. As for Dirk Nowitzki, he tied his season high with 32 points and had 12 rebounds. "He was driving and making shots in-between." Iverson made 12 of 19 field goals and was 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in his first 30-10 game of the season. Linas Kleiza benefited from Iverson's passing, scoring a season-best 23 points.

It's important to say that Carmelo Anthony also had 23 points as Denver made 50.5% of its shots despite Anthony's nine-for-30 shooting. Iverson's playing time was as impressive as his statistics, with him playing 43 minutes one night after going the full 48 against the Lakers. The Mavericks gave up their most points this season in a quarter (39, the first), a half (64) and a game. The problems were at both ends of the court as the Mavericks also committed a season-high 19 turnovers.

Portland Trail Blazers 112 - Miami Heat 106: The Trail Blazers ended a five-game losing streak against the Heat by sending Miami to its fourth straight loss and a 4-14 record. Brandon Roy had 25 points and Travis Outlaw had 20 for the Blazers, which saw its 16-point first-half lead cut to one in the fourth quarter.

Still, is important to mention that Dwyane Wade had 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Heat, but he made only nine of 26 shots. Shaquille O'Neal had only eight points and 10 rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes.

Atlanta Hawks 90 - Minnesota Timberwolves 89: Joe Johnson's 18-footer at the buzzer lifted the Hawks past the league-worst Timberwolves, who lost their fifth in a row to drop to 2-15. And Minnesota had a one-point lead after Marko Jaric's layup with 2.2 seconds left. After a timeout, Johnson (21 points) took the pass at the top of the key and dribbled to his right for a jumper. Josh Smith netted 28 points and seven blocked shots for the Hawks.

Billy King fired

2007-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

In a stunning announcement, the Philadelphia 76ers have fired president and general manager Billy King, replacing him with Ed Stefanski.

In fact, Stefanski was in his ninth season with the New Jersey Nets and held the GM position since the summer of 2004. He helped engineer the 2004 trade that brought Vince Carter to New Jersey Nets.

"We needed a fresh approach to the leadership of the franchise," stated Sixers owner Ed Snider at a Tuesday press conference. "We had the opportunity to bring in someone as accomplished as Ed Stefanski. This was a guy who was too good to pass up."

Indeed, Tuesday's announcement marks a return to Philadelphia for Stefanski, who was a 1976 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and coached on the high school level in the Philadelphia area. And he also worked as a broadcaster for nearly 20 years before joining the Nets.

"I feel more than ready to be the caretaker of the Sixers" expressed Stefanski, who thanked Nets president Rod Thorn for allowing him to make the move.

"I think that the 76ers are very close to my heart. They were my team. I'm a Philly guy through and through. I have a passion for basketball, a passion for Philadelphia. I love this place."

It's important to mention that The 41-year-old King had been with the Sixers since June of 1997 and was named the GM in May of the following year. He added the title of president in May of 2003.

Billy King, who was in the final year of his contract, was instrumental in trading perennial All-Star Allen Iverson to Denver last season, beginning the Sixers' current rebuilding phase.

"It was not an easy decision. Billy King is a good friend and did a good job," Snider added. "We believe we have an effective long-term plan in place, but we also feel it is time for a change, time for a new hand at the wheel."

Philadelphia 76ers fell to 5-12 this season following a loss at home to Atlanta on Monday. The squad went 35-47 last season.

We must remember that the high point of King's tenure with the Sixers came in the 2000-01 season when they went to the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stephon Marbury's father died during his son's game

2007-12-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

The talented Stephon Marbury played through the second half of Sunday's 115-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns not knowing his father was in an ambulance, heading to St. Vincent's Hospital. The star-crossed Knicks guard, who endured another night of regular boos sprinkled with occasional cheers from the frustrated Garden faithful, was on the court as a close game slipped away toward a 10th loss in the past 13 matches.

And at St. Vincent's that evening, Donald E. Marbury, 66, the father of one of the most famous New York City basketball products, and patriarch of an extremely tight-knit basketball family with proud Coney Island roots, took his last breath.

Isiah Thomas, who until this season's turmoil had likened himself to a father figure for Stephon, fought back his emotions as he discussed the previous night's events yesterday after practice at the MSG Training Center.

Marbury was excused from the practice to be with his family and it is not known how long he will be away from the team. It's clearly a different situation than the previous time he left the team, Nov. 13 in Phoenix, after Thomas informed him he wouldn't be starting.

"This isn't the day to discuss that," said Thomas, who also declined to offer any thoughts about Donald Marbury, whom Thomas knew.

"Again, this isn't the time for those kinds of conversations," Thomas said. "Let's let the family grieve and try to get to some place in their life where they can have some type of peace."

Stephon, the sixth of seven children, was told by a family friend moments after he left the Garden floor on Sunday night. The rest of the team, including Thomas, was told a short time later.

The player who wears No. 3 endured his third heartache in a three-week span. When he left the team in November, Marbury returned to New York to learn of the death of a childhood mentor, Robert "Mr. Lou" Williams. A week later, Marbury's aunt - his cousin Sebastian Telfair's grandmother - passed away. Marbury opted to go with the Knicks for the Nov. 21 game in Detroit instead of attending the funeral.

"I can feel his pain," said Zach Randolph, who three weeks ago lost his grandmother. "It's been a tough year. I feel real sorry for him and his family."

Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said that Donald Marbury began feeling ill during halftime and while the players were on the floor warming up for the second half, Donald was escorted to the ambulance by Garden security.

Stephon has a row of seats under the basket at the visitors' bench end of the court, where his family usually sits and, occasionally, his father and mother, Mabel, sit there. Don and Mabel, who raised their children in a West 31st Street apartment in Surfside Gardens, spend most of their time living in a Suitland, Md., home purchased for them by Stephon. They attend games when they can.

For Sunday's game, neither were in Marbury's courtside seats. Donald Marbury was seated in another undisclosed area of the Garden and out of direct view from the court.

A member of the family informed the Knicks that Donald was taken to the hospital, but, according to Supranowitz, asked that the team not tell Stephon during the game.

Just as the encounter ended, a Garden security guard intercepted Supranowitz with the news of Donald Marbury's death, which had been relayed from the hospital. A family friend met Stephon in the hallway outside the Knicks locker room to inform him of the stunning news. The family friend also told Thomas before he met the press.

Afterwards, Marbury dressed and quickly left the Garden without speaking to reporters. He was escorted by a group of Garden security and headed straight for the hospital.

"It's a terrible thing that has happened to him and his family," Thomas admitted. "For any parent watching their son or daughter perform and to have something like that happen, anyone who has kids, you sympathize with the son and sympathize with the family. We'll do whatever we need to do to be supportive of him and his family at this time."

The NY Knicks play the Nets at the IZOD Center tomorrow night and then have a home-and-home with the 76ers Friday and Saturday. "He can take all the time he wants," Randolph admitted. "I have no problem with that."

Tim Duncan suffers bad injury in Spurs win over Blazers

2007-12-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately for San Antonio, Tim Duncan bruised his right knee and sprained his right ankle yesterday in the second quarter of the Spurs' game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Official sources of the franchise said Duncan's ligaments appeared stable but that he would have an MRI today. He did not return to the game, which the Spurs won, 100-79, and the team stated he would miss some playing time.

We must consider that Tim Duncan got caught up with Portland's James Jones and fell to the floor near the Spurs' basket with 7:40 left in the half. He was clutching his knee and had to be helped off the floor by two teammates.

However, is good to say that Tony Parker scored 27 points for the Spurs, which helped his team get the victory.

Lakers beat Sonics to end their losing streak

2007-11-28T01:15:00.001-08:00

Fortunately for the Lakers, the end of their three-game losing streak came Tuesday against the overmatched Seattle SuperSonics, in a tight clash at halftime turning into a 106-99 sigh of relief for the Lakers at Staples Center.

The popular Kobe Bryant scored six of his 35 points in the final 3:51 and the Lakers overcame three turnovers in the final 1 1-2 minutes to beat Seattle on Tuesday night.

The young Kevin Durant had 25 points for Seattle, 12 of them in the final 6:05. But it wasn't enough to recover from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit.

"They made it closer than I thought they were going to," Lakers coach Phil Jackson stated. "I didn't like the way we finished this up. We had a 15-point lead, then we were wandering around defensively and started doing some things I didn't like. It's the sign of a young team that's still unbridled and still undisciplined. I'm not happy with that game, but it was a triumph."

We must consider that the Sonics are a league-worst 2-13 in their first season under coach P.J. Carlesimo - matching the poorest start in franchise history. They began their inaugural 1967-68 season 2-14 under Al Bianchi. Seattle has lost 14 consecutive games against Western Conference teams, including five ones last season.

NBA latest results from Sunday

2007-11-26T01:54:00.000-08:00

Cavaliers 111, Raptors 108

The "King", LeBron James scored 37 points as part of his third triple-double of the season to lead Cleveland past Toronto.

In fact, James, who scored six points in the final minute to seal the win, had 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the 13th triple-double of his career.

Bucks 97, Mavericks 95

Talented Michael Redd scored 27 points and made five late free throws to help Milwaukee win its fifth straight, over Dallas.

Knicks 85, Bulls 78

Eddy Curry scored 21 points against his former team as New York earned its eight-game losing streak with a win over Chicago.

Magic 120, Heat 99

Hedo Turkoglu netted 27 points, Rashard Lewis added 19, and Orlando beat Miami, handing Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's former team its Eastern Conference-leading 10th loss.

Dwyane Wade had 32 points, Shaquille O'Neal added 20, and Ricky Davis had 23 points and seven assists, and despite that, Miami trailed for all but the opening minutes.

Hawks 94, Timberwolves 87

Josh Smith scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help Atlanta erase a 21-point deficit in a triumph over Minnesota.

Rockets 109, Nuggets 81

The popular Tracy McGrady scored 35 points and Yao Ming had 22 points and 13 rebounds as Houston snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Denver.

Allen Iverson "The Answer" had 18 points and Carmelo Anthony added 17 for the Nuggets.

Celtics 96, Bobcats 95

Ray Allen made a three-pointer at the buzzer after Eddie House knocked away Jason Richardson's inbounds pass with 4.7 seconds left to give Boston a win against Charlotte.

Allen had missed 11 of his previous 14 shots in a flat performance for the Celtics, yet hit nothing but net on the jumper from the left wing, setting off a wild celebration for the Celtics, who won their third straight clash and improved to 11-1.

Grizzlies 124, Wizards 118

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 28 points, Rudy Gay added 27, and Memphis overcame Antawn Jamison's 41 points and 11 rebounds to defeat Washington.

In fact, Cardinal Dougherty product Kyle Lowry had 17 points for Memphis, 15 in the second part.

Dennis Rodman faces a new sue

2007-11-26T01:51:00.000-08:00

Sara Robinson, a former beverage manager at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, has sued Dennis Rodman, claiming the former NBA star assaulted her in March 2006 by rubbing up against her defensless body and slapping her on the buttocks.

It's important to mention that in her federal lawsuit filed last week, the woman also accused her former employer of retaliating against her after she complained about Rodman's behavior.

And surprisingly, Rodman spokeswoman Shannon Barr declined to comment yesterday.

In fact, the complaint claims Robinson was fired after she filled out a voluntary statement detailing Rodman's actions in a subsequent incident at the same bar the next month. As we know, the document accuses Rodman of assault and battery, and the Hard Rock Hotel of negligence by failing to protect her from Rodman's "harassing conduct," the Las Vegas Review-Journal stated.

Champion Tony Parker was not Popovich's favorite when he started in the Spurs

2007-06-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

San Antonio had just won the title of the NBA, and the boss Gregg Popovich had to speak with Tony Parker. Right on the stage with the squad being presented with the championship trophy, the coach told the player about a big change over the time.

"I just reminded him that when we gave him his first workout, we didn't think he was tough enough - and we sent him home," Popovich later admitted.

"We set up another interview, another workout where we stacked it and had some experts go after him physically, and he was fantastic in that one. Tony remembered that and had a big laugh.

'And I added: 'Now you're standing here on the stage with the Finals' MVP trophy,' and he just kept laughing. And it is truly unbelievable."

Indeed, San Antonio Spurs owe their fourth title in the last 11 years largely to a man who used to watch Michael Jordan on TV at 3 am in his home country, France, and dreamed of playing in the NBA.

What's more, Tony Parker recalled his first workout as Popovich seethed: "I think that was terrible, and coach Pop said, 'I never want to see him again,' Parker expressed.

"And then I came back and I did better and fortunately they drafted me. After five matches, he puts me in the starting five.

Maybe it was just like growing pains. But I'm sure that it was good because it made me a better player."

The Spurs were aware of Parker's desire or skills, but they were not so confident about his toughness.

So, the pre-draft workout the club had arranged was just the first taste. Soon after, Popovich began demanding - in practice, during timeouts and after games - that Parker learn to do everything better than he had the day before.

"Despite the pains, I was doing pretty good, in my opinion. Being 21, I was doing good, but it was never enough. I could score 14, 15, it was never enough."

"Yes, I felt like it wasn't very fair, all the criticism. But I think I will never be where I am now if I didn't go through that experience."

Bogut fined for obscene gesture on basketball court

2007-03-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

After the controversial actitude of Andrew Bogut, the NBA fined Milwaukee Bucks player $25,000 on Wednesday for directing an obscene gesture toward fans.

Indeed, Bogut's outburst came near the end of Milwaukee's 108-93 loss at home to Toronto on Monday night. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft was ejected after committing a flagrant foul against Toronto's Chris Bosh with 49 seconds remaining, then he made an obscene hand gesture toward fans as he left the court.

It's important to say, however, that Bogut apologized to fans Tuesday.

"I think our fans have been very supportive of me since I came to Milwaukee and they certainly didn't deserve my reaction coming off the court," Bogut expressed. "I got caught up in the heat of the moment and let my emotions get the best of me."

What's more, Bogut also apologized to his teammates, coaches, organization and the league.

It's good to remember that in January, the league fined Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith $25,000 for making an obscene gesture to the crowd after being ejected from a game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Indeed, Smith raised both middle fingers as he was about halfway through the tunnel, apparently reacting to two technical fouls and being heckled by the crowd.

Mavericks were outplayed by the Warriors at Golden State

2007-03-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

24 hours after their most lopsided victory of the season, the Dallas Mavericks' 17-match winning streak ended with a thud at Golden State.

In fact, Mickael Pietrus scored 20 points as the Warriors emphatically snapped the seventh-longest streak in NBA history, dominating the league-best Mavericks throughout a 117-100 triumph late Monday night.

It's fair to say that it was surprising for both Golden State and Dallas (52-10), which hadn't lost since Jan. 25 at Chicago.

"They came out swinging, and we were never ready for the attack," the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki admitted. "We were backpedaling all game long. We were just never really ready to play."

Dallas defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by 36 points Sunday night to improve to 38-2 since Dec. 11. However, the Mavericks struggled offensively and played awful defense against the Warriors' up-tempo offense, falling behind by 17 in the first half and 29 in the third quarter.

We have to mention that Jason Terry scored 16 points, but the defending Western Conference champions never were competitive in their fourth straight loss to the Warriors. And Nowitzki had just 13 points and committed seven turnovers.

Phoenix Suns earn a victory without Nash

2007-02-07T00:24:00.001-08:00

Phoenix Suns were good enough to defeat Portland even when their most important player, Steve Nash, was not fit for the game. The score was 109-102, and Leandro Barbosa and Amare Stoudemire scoring all 13 Suns points in overtime.

In fact, Stoudemire notched 36 points and nine rebounds overall, while Barbosa netted 25 points and had seven assists and six rebounds.

We must notice that Phoenix has now won three of four, and cruised to their sixth straight victory over the Trail Blazers.

According to the report, Raja Bell had 15 points and six assists, while Shawn Marion donated 12 points and got 13 rebounds.

Finally, Zach Randolph recorded his 29th double-double of the season with 33 points and 10 rebounds, only nine points and four rebounds of that total coming in the first half. In fact, Brandon Roy poured in 27 points in the loss, Portland's third straight. IN the end it was a good victory.

Lakers defeat Hawks with Bryant's 27

2007-02-07T00:22:00.000-08:00

The most important basketball player in Los Angeles had another productive night. Bryant netted 11 of his 27 points in the final quarter Monday as the Los Angeles Lakers posted a 90-83 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

What's more, Lamar Odom added 15 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won three of their last four games. Andrew Bynum had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the yellow team of Los Angeles.

In the other hand, Josh Smith had 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks, who had won three of their previous four games. Joe Johnson was high scorer for the Hawks with 27 points, but hit just 10-of-26 from the floor.

Just when two Zaza Pachulia free throws pulled Atlanta within 68-65, the Lakers used a 12-7 run to open up a 80-72 lead with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. Kobe scored nine straight points during that stretch. An impressive mark.

Powerfull Kobe returned to smash Celtics

2007-01-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

The incident with Ginobili is now history. Kobe Bryant returned from his one-game suspension and scored 43 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat Boston 111-98 Wednesday night and send the Celtics to a franchise-record 13th consecutive loss.

Indeed, Kobe Bryant hit - not a face - but a pair of three-pointers after the Celtics cut the deficit to 63-62 with 8:31 left in the third quarter. He also made a 30-footer at the end of the quarter to give the Lakers a 10-point lead and threw down a reverse dunk in the final two minutes to electrify the supporters who weren't already heading for the exits.

The Lakers star made a three-pointer on the Lakers' next possession, and when Los Angeles got the ball back the Boston fans, who had once considered the Lakers their biggest rival, were chanting, "Kobe!"

We must notice that Bryant was suspended by the NBA after whacking - accidentally, he said - San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in the face on Sunday.

Furthermore, Ryan Gomes scored 23 points, Gerald Green had 22 and Al Jefferson had 10 with 14 rebounds for Boston, which last lost 13 straight in 1996-97. A really bad record.

Dallas Mavericks win over Seattle SuperSonics

2007-01-31T21:39:00.000-08:00

In an exciting match, Austin Croshere had seven three-pointers while scoring 34 points Tuesday as the Dallas Mavericks outplayed the Seattle SuperSonics, 122-102.

It's good to say that the Mavericks are two wins shy of the franchise record for consecutive home wins, set last season.

Also Jason Terry added 19 points, Greg Buckner 17 points, Devin Harris 16, and Dirk Nowitzki 15 for the Mavericks, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.

Finally, Ray Allen scored 35 points with seven assists and six rebounds, while Earl Watson added 15 points and six assists for Seattle, which has lost three of its last four games.

For the records, we should add that Mickael Gelabale had 15 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

The most important NBA Links

2007-01-28T02:02:00.000-08:00

These are the most important NBA related sites. They are editor's choice, so they are highly recommended. If you have a basketball related site, and you want to add it to this list, email me to: pamelabrown22@yahoo.com

Linking to this site will help you in the process. Enjoy the list:

Basketball and NBA Sites:

NBA.com
FIBA

News:

NBA in Fox Sports
Sports Illustrated

Players:

Michael Jordan in Wikipedia
Shaquille O'Neal

Other Sites:

Basketball Rules in USA

Phoenix Suns outplay Milwaukee Bucks 98-90

2007-01-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

Phoenix was strong enough to beat a consistent Milwaukee team that showed great basketball skills. However, Raja Bell managed to make 27 points and two assists Friday night and the Suns won a team-record 16th straight game, beating the Bucks, 98-90.

We must mention that Amare Stoudamire scored 21 points and nine rebounds, and Steve Nash had 18 points, six rebounds and 16 assists for Phoenix. Shawn Marion had 11 points and 23 rebounds, as well as Boris Diaw, who added 11 points and three rebounds for the Suns, who have won 34 of their last 37 games since starting the season with five losses in their first six matches.

in fact, Suns had a 73-59 advantage with 4:37 left in the third quarter after a slim 52-50 halftime lead.

As we saw, Charlie Bell had an important performance scoring 21 points, six rebounds and two steals. Earl Boykins had 18 points and four assists.

We finally mention Ersan Ilyasova, who had 13 points and seven rebounds, Andrew Bogut had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Charlie Villanueva added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who suffered their sixth straight lost game.

All the NBA Teams

2007-01-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

These are the teams that participate in the NBA.

Western Conference Franchises

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle SuperSonics
Utah Jazz

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
San Antonio Spurs

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings

Eastern Conference Franchises

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics
New Jersey Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Bobcats
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards

Central Division

Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks

Planet NBA Wallpapers

2007-01-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

Click on the images to open the wallpaper, then right click on it and select "Save image as".

800 x 600

1024 x 768

Link to Planet NBA

2007-01-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Show your support to this fantastic sport on your own site! Add one of this buttons to your site by pasting the code:

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Detroit Pistons barely beat Orlando Magic

2006-12-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Talented Pistons player Chauncey Billups scored a season-high 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting, leading the visiting Detroit team to an 87-83 win over the Orlando Magic last night in a matchup of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

What's more, Richard Hamilton hit baseline jumpers on consecutive possessions in the last minute and a half to give Detroit an 86-82 lead. In fact, the Magic made four costly fourth-quarter turnovers that led to 6 Detroit points to let the game slip away late.

We must say that it was the Pistons’ second impressive road victory in two nights, after a 92-82 victory at Dallas on Thursday night. And Orlando has lost two in a row.

Maybe we should remember that Dwight Howard, celebrating his 21st birthday, had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando.

Anyway, Hamilton finished with 14 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. It was a really interesting match.

Suns beat Nets in extremely amazing game

2006-12-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

In the best game of the season, the Phoenix Suns defeated the New Jersey Nets, 161-157, Thursday night at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

In a full-of-emotion match, Steve Nash scored nine of his career-high 42 points in the second overtime. Boris Diaw made a go-ahead shot in the lane with 14 seconds left to lead the Suns to their eighth straight victory in the game that matched the NBA's fourth-highest points total. The Nets set a team record for points in a game.

In fact, Nets point guard Jason Kidd also tied Wilt Chamberlain for third place with 78 career triple-doubles. Kidd finished with 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, but the point guard dribbled the ball off his foot with 10 seconds left, costing the Nets an opportunity to tie.

"It was a really crazy game," said Nash, who also had 13 assists. "They decided to run with us tonight. … We were lucky to come out on top."

In fact, the Suns dodged two bullets. Nash had to make a remarkable three-point shot at the end of regulation to force the overtime and then Kidd had a shot at the end of the first overtime rim out.

As for the Nets, Vince Carter had 31 points before fouling out with 4.8 seconds left in regulation with the Nets ahead by three. He committed the foul thinking he only had four and that the foul would prevent Phoenix from trying a game-tying three-pointer.

Spurs beat Sonics and Clippers fall to Nuggets

2006-11-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

Parker scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and the San Antonio Spurs keep their good pace with a 98-78 victory against the Seattle SuperSonics last night.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Parker told the media. “The first three quarters, I didn’t get a lot of shots, that's why I was just trying to make something happen.”

In fact, San Antonio Spurs improved to 7-0 on the road and are the only unbeaten road team left in the N.B.A. San Antonio is the fourth team in the past 10 seasons to start 7-0 or better on the road. AS we know, the Spurs will be tested twice more on their current three-game trip — tonight at Golden State and Wednesday at Utah.

Tim Duncan added 18 and 16 rebounds for the Spurs, who have won 12 consecutive regular-season road matches dating to the end of last season.

We must mention that Ray Allen led Seattle with 21 points and Nick Collison added 15 off the bench.

We must mention that Duncan became the third Spurs player to score 15,000 points in his career, joining David Robinson and George Gervin. Duncan needed 10 points, and reached 15,000 when Collison was called for goaltending on Duncan’s short jumper with 2 minute 5 seconds left in the first half.

In another game, the Nuggets defeated Clippers 103-88 with tan efficient Carmelo Anthony, who had 33 points. J. R. Smith added 23 and Denver won its fifth consecutive game.

The Nuggets, the NBA’s highest-scoring squad, started strong at home in the first and third quarters against the tired Clippers, shooting 51 percent and getting 27 assists for its second victory in its past nine games against Los Angeles.

Anthony, the N.B.A.’s leading scorer, scored more than 30 points for the ninth time in 12 games.

Another result was the Suns victory over Blazers 119-101. Raja Bell had a season-high 30 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Phoenix beat host Portland.

The Suns led by as many as 25 points, and all five of their starters scored in double figures in the team’s fourth consecutive victory.

Amare Stoudemire, coming back from surgery on his left knee that forced him to miss all but three games last season, had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Nash had 23 points and 10 assists.

Raptors outplayed Pacers 92-83. Chris Bosh had 17 points and 11 rebounds and four other Raptors reached double figures in scoring as host Toronto led from buzzer to buzzer.

It's important to say that Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, scored 14 points for the Raptors. He made two 3-pointers and was 5 for 11 from the field.

We also saw that Stephen Jackson and Danny Granger each scored 18 points for the Pacers, who have been behind after the first quarter in 11 of 14 games this season.

Spurs defeat Knicks

2006-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

In a very good game, Tony Parker netted 24 points, including five down the stretch to halt New York's frantic comeback attempt, and the San Antonio Spurs held off the Knicks, 105-93, last night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Reserve Brent Barry added 19 points for the Spurs, who blew almost all of a 23-point lead right after Knicks coach Isiah Thomas went deep into his bench with his team seemingly out of the game late in the first half.

The Knicks used a 20-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull within 92-91 with just more than four minutes to play on a jumper by Stephon Marbury, who had the fans on their feet after they heavily booed him during a really bad game Saturday night.

But Parker knocked down a jumper, and after Tim Duncan converted a three-point play, Parker nailed a 3-pointer that gave the Spurs a 100-91 lead with 1 1/2 minutes left.

Duncan and Manu Ginobili each scored 15 points and Parker had 10 assists for the Spurs, who won on consecutive days after a win in Toronto Sunday. San Antonio made 13 3-pointers, five by Barry.

Marbury scored 18 points and Nate Robinson added 15 for New York, which dropped its third in a row after a season-opening victory at Memphis.

Leading by six early in the second quarter, the Spurs held the Knicks scoreless for more than four minutes during a 22-5 burst. Parker had two beautiful passes on consecutive possessions, finding Duncan for an alley-oop in transition, then firing a behind-the-back pass in the corner to Barry for a 3.

The Spurs led, 52-29, with 3:34 remaining in the half. Thomas then sent out four new players who helped the Knicks close the half with a 12-2 spurt that made it 54-41.

That group -- with Robinson, David Lee, Malik Rose and Mardy Collins joining starter Quentin Richardson -- also opened the second half, while players such as Marbury and Eddy Curry, who help comprise the NBA's highest payroll, watched from the bench. Rose and Collins hadn't even scored this season.

The Knicks got within 11 early in the third quarter before Parker and Bruce Bowen knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to give San Antonio a 62-45 cushion. The Spurs seemed firmly in control from there, leading by 19 early in the fourth quarter before New York nearly rallied.

Knicks guard Steve Francis sat out the second half with an injured left ankle. He was hurt after landing on Bowen's foot while making a jumper early in the game.

Chicago Bulls beat Miami Heat in season opener

2006-11-01T00:50:00.000-08:00

The NBA new season has begun, and the surprises already came up to light. In Miami, the Heats were showing their championship rings, and everything was perfect for them. But the game was not meant to be for the local team.

In the end, Kirk Hinrich scored 26 points, Chris Duhon added 20 and the Chicago Bulls emphatically ruined Miami's celebratory mood, defeating the defending NBA champion Heat 108-66 in Tuesday first game.

"Welcome back to reality," Heat coach Pat Riley admitted outloud. "Obviously, it was absolutely one-sided. There isn't really much to say, other than we do know, and there has been a gauge put on how much work we have to do."

In fact,this was -- by far -- the worst loss in NBA history for a defending champion on opening night; the previous low was the Los Angeles Lakers' 132-117 defeat to Golden State on Oct. 29, 1982. The LA Lakers went on to win 58 games that season and return to the NBA Finals under Riley.

Chicago Bulls seized command with a 37-14 second-quarter burst, a stretch in which the Bulls connected on 79 percent of their shots -- compared with 29 percent for Miami, which never got rolling. The lead was 59-30 at halftime and kept growing.

"I'd be saying the same thing if we got beat. I'd say it's one match," Bulls coach Scott Skiles expressed. "We have all the respect in the world for them, and they have something that we eventually want to get. This one game is not indicative, I don't think, in any way of what kind of season they are going to have."

It's important to know that before the game, Hinrich and the Bulls agreed on a five-year extension, the maximum length allowed under league rules. The deal, which starts next season, is believed to be worth about $47.5 million.

Voices against new NBA ball

2006-10-30T22:08:00.000-08:00

Professional basketball players from the NBA have complained all month that the new synthetic ball feels and performs differently from the old leather one. And according to results of a new research requested by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, they may be right.

Experts at the University of Texas-Arlington released results of preliminary tests they say proves the microfiber composite ball doesn't behave like the old leather ball. In fact, many of players have griped about its grip and unpredictable bounce since training camps opened.

Cuban contacted Dr. James L. Horwitz, chairman of UT-Arlington's physics department, to try and test both balls _ though the owner says he has no intention of doing anything with the test results.

"Nothing," he told a news agency in an e-mail. "Just try to support the commissioner and the league to the fullest of my ability with the data."

However, according to the results released Sunday, the ball bounces 5 to 8 percent lower than typical leather balls when dropped from 4 feet. It also found that this new ball bounces 30 percent more erratically.

It's important to say that commissioner David Stern dismissed that complaint last week, and said the NBA is staying with the new ball. Cuban said the league must do the same in his internet blog.

Dan Touhey, vice president of marketing for Spalding, expressed that the difference in bounce could be due to the surface it was bounced on, or more likely because of the age of the balls. An old leather ball will bounce more than a new one, as well as a new synthetic ball.

He claims that the leather ball tested had to be an older one, because Spalding hasn't shipped new leather balls to teams since August 2005.

"That ball is maybe out of the NBA's spec, and if it's not, it has a greater likelihood of being so," Touhey admitted. "There was a lot of wear and tear on that ball, no question."

We must say that the league has stressed that one of the advantages of the composite material is that it's easier to grip when it starts to get damp. Despite that, the researchers found that it's less absorbent than leather, causing it to be more slippery when moist.

However, Touhey said one of the strengths of the new ball is that it prevents the absorption of water, which changes the weight of the ball as the match goes on.

"We felt pretty strongly that our tests and the way we conducted them were giving us accurate results," he said. "One thing we don't know is how they wet the material. That's an unknown for us. We tried to replicate the rate of perspiration. We did not dunk it in a basin of water. We tried to replicate game situations in all these tests."

The study recommends frequently drying or changing the balls during the game. An NBA spokesman admitted it is up to the officials' discretion if the ball should be changed during games.

Welcome to Planet NBA

2006-09-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

Hello to all the super fanatics out there! You are in the most complete, interesting and funny site dedicated to the National Basketball League. If you go crazy every time there's a basketball game (just like me) then this is your place.

I have nothing left to say but thank you for coming to my blog. I know I'm just a girl, but for me, basketball is one of the most important things in life. And I want to make you feel that passion! Don't miss a thing, the game has started.