GENEVA (2008 Beijing Olympics) - While eight teams (Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Russia, Slovenia and Spain) will be facing as of tomorrow the final stage of their battle for the Old Continent's crown in EuroBasket 2007, the road to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games continues to heat up.
Current World Champion Spain being already qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the 7 other teams which will be still in competition in the quarter-finals of the EuroBasket will fight to get 2 direct berths for the next Olympic Games. In addition, 4 other European teams will take part in the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men that will take place in mid-July 2008.
The following 12 teams are entitled to take part in the Olympic Tournament for Men in 2008:
2 teams directly qualified:
- The host nation: CHINA
- The Gold medalist of the 2006 FIBA World Championship: SPAIN
7 teams directly qualified through the Continental Championships:
- Africa (1 team): ANGOLA
- Americas (2 teams): USA and ARGENTINA
- Asia (1 team): IRAN
- Europe (2 teams): to be determined during the final stage of EuroBasket 2007
- Oceanía (1 team): AUSTRALIA
3 teams qualified through the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men:
The World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men will be played in mid-July 2008, in a place to be determined, and will decide the final 3 berths for Beijing 2008.
The best placed non-qualified teams for the Olympic Games from the 5 Zones will be entitled to participate in the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men. It will be a 12-team tournament which will feature: 2 participants from Africa (Cameroon and Cape Verde), 3 from the Americas (Puerto Rico, Brazil and Canada), 2 from Asia (Lebanon and Korea), 4 from Europe (to be determined) and 1 from Oceania (New Zealand).
Should any of the above-mentioned invited team(s) not accept the invitation, the next best non-qualified team(s) from the same Zone will be entitled to participate.
The organizer and venue of the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men will be decided amongst the candidatures received from the 12 participant teams during the Central Board meeting that will take place in Chicago (USA) on 8th and 9th December 2007.
The bidding process to stage the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men will start as of next week, once the EuroBasket has finalized and therefore once all 12 participating teams in this event are known.
About FIBA
FIBA (www.fiba.com), the world governing body for basketball, is an independent association formed by 213 National Federations of basketball throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its main upcoming events are the 2007 FIBA Zone Continental Championships that will qualify for Beijing 2008, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (to take place in the summer of 2008) and the FIBA World Championships for Men and Women, held every four years. The 2010 FIBA World Championship will be played in Turkey.
source : fiba.com
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Road To Beijing 2008 Continues To Heat Up While EuroBasket's Final Phase Approaches
EURO BASKETBALL 2007 (Qualifying Round) - Update 13 Sept 2007
GROUP E (Madrid, ESP)
3rd Round
Croatia - 70 - 83 - Russia (21-19, 21-22, 14-19, 14-23)
Greece - 85 - 67 - Portugal - (16-17, 29-17, 19-13, 21-20)Spain - 99 - 73 - Israel - (19-29, 28-19, 27-20, 25-5)
GROUP F (Madrid, ESP)
2nd Round
Italy - 84 - 75 - Turkey (15-29, 19-14, 24-11, 12-16, 14-5)
Lithuania - 88 - 73 - France (19-18, 29-14, 20-28, 20-13)
Germany - 47 - 77 - Slovenia (9-30, 13-15, 12-18, 13-14)
3rd Round
Germany - 67 - 58 - Italy (12-18, 15-9, 19-10, 21-21)
France - 85 - 64 - Turkey (20-22, 23-13, 13-8, 29-21)
Slovenia - 61 - 80 - Lithuania (18-26, 23-18, 8-19, 12-17)
source : eurobasket2007.org
Lithuania Stay Perfect
Ramunas Siskauskas led four players in double figures with 21 points as Lithuania over-powered Slovenia 80-61 to remain the only undefeated at the 2007 EuroBasket and set up a quarter-final showdown with Croatia.
Slovenia, who also came into the game with a perfect record, succumbed to Lithuania's overall size and depth, getting out-rebounded 44-22 while being out-scored 28-14 in the final 15 minutes. The Slovenians will next face defending champions Greece in Friday's quarter-finals.
"We don't play a game over two quarters. We have to play a full 40 minutes. It's impossible to win a game in 10 or 20 minutes so we went step by step," said Siskauskas, who also added three rebounds and three assists.
"(In the second half) we didn't do anything really different but we improved our defense a bit from the first half and tried to do what works for us on offense. And the result shows it worked."
Darius Songalia had 17 points, Ksistof Lavrinovic scored 14 and Rimantas Kaukenas chipped in 11 points and four assists. Lithuania's star play-maker Sarunas Jasikevicius didn't play in the second half due to a left hamstring problem and tallied two points, three rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes.
Jaka Lakovic paced the Slovenians with 15 points while Matjaz Smodis added 11 points in a losing effort.
click for more detailssource : eurobasket2007.org
France Complete Turkey's Misery
Boris Diaw broke out of a recent slump to record a tournament high 18 points as France (3-2) beat Turkey (0-5) 85-64 in their final game of the qualifying round.
The result didn’t affect the fate of Claude Bergeaud’s men who had already secured their place in the last eight and knew before the game that they would face Russia in the quarter-finals tomorrow night.
And while a victory was not crucial for France, the players felt it was a much-needed boost ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
“This win gives us a bit of confidence going into the game tomorrow,” said swingman Tariq Kirksay, who finished with 15 points – hitting all of his shots from the field and the free-throw line – along with four rebounds and three steals.
“We had to work on some things and I think we did well. I don't know if you want to say it was a practice game, but we wanted to work on some stuff. And we wanted to win and we got some players some confidence. And now we have to be ready for tomorrow.”
Turkey, meanwhile, now head home and have time to contemplate where they go from here after finishing dead last in Group F, failing to win a single game in the second phase of the tournament.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
The Good Germans
Italy held Dirk Nowitzki in check but couldn't have expected Johannes Herber to score 10 of his 15 points in the third quarter and lead Germany to a 67-58 victory as the 2005 silver medallists advanced to the 2007 EuroBasket quarter-finals.
Nowitzki had just 15 points - well under his average of 26 points - and 10 rebounds, but Germany received plenty of support from their bench players, who tallied 29 points.
Jan Jagla came on to collect five points and 10 rebounds while Steffen Hamann had 10 points.
"We needed this win, we all played together. Sometimes things go your way when you work hard, you get your reward. I feel today I got my reward for the hard work I put in," said Herber, who had tallied 16 points in his first five games. "I made a few shots which helped my confidence and the team's confidence."
With the victory, Germany reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time in the last five EuroBasket competitions. It also kept alive Nowitzki's dream of playing in the 2008 Olympics.
He has continually said he would retire from the national team should Germany not reach the Beijing Games next summer.
The 2003 bronze medallists Italy, who were out-rebounded 52-31 and held to just 32% shooting (18-of-56), leave Madrid with their heads down.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
Group's Top Spot At Stake
Slovenia (4-0) and Lithuania (4-0) meet today in a battle of the remaining two unbeaten teams at the EuroBasket.
With top spot in Group F up for grabs, the Slovenians will be eager to maintain their impressive run but face their biggest challenge against Sarunas Jasikevicius and Lithuania, a team bringing back memories of 2003 when they won gold in Sweden.
Slovenia met Lithuania at the Acropolis Tournament earlier this summer, where Rimantas Kaukenas and Robertas Javtokas did most of the damage in an 87-72 win for Ramunas Butautas's side.
Last result: Lithuania beat France 88-73 and Slovenia demolished Germany 77-47.
click for more detailssource : eurobasket2007.org
Do Or Die For Germans, Italians
A place in the quarter-finals of EuroBasket 2007 - and possible qualification for the 2008 Olympics - rests in the balance today as Germany and Italy face off in Group F.
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Turkey Play For Honour
France (2-2) and Turkey (0-4) meet up in the only game that doesn't hold any significance other than honour on the last day of the qualifying round.
Les Bleus will finish third in Group F regardless of the outcome of this game - and others on the day - as they have beaten both Italy (1-3) and Germany (1-3) and would therefore hold the tiebreaker over both of them.
Claude Bergeaud's men have already booked their place in the quarter-finals where Russia await them.
Meanwhile Turkey will try to get over a heartbreaking overtime loss to Italy on Monday. That result meant they will miss out on the quarter-finals of the competition for the third time in a row. Pride is what is at stake here for Bogdan Tanjevic's side. They would like to leave having won their last game.
Last Time Out: France lost to Lithuania 88-73 after trailing for the entire game, while Turkey fell short against Italy 84-75 after overtime.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
Late Push Boosts Spain Over Israel
Pau Gasol put on an MVP showing with 26 points and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes as world champions Spain overcame a motivated Israel 99-73 to clinch first place in Group E of the 2007 EuroBasket.
Spain scored the first 19 points of the fourth quarter to blow the game wide open in front of the home fans in Madrid.
Jose Calderon scored all 15 of his points in the first half and Alex Mumbru and Jorge Garbajosa both tallied 12 points as the tournament hosts improved to 4-1 and passed Russia atop the group.
"We have achieved our aim which was to finish top of our group. We knew we had to play three tough games in the qualifying round and we've had to work hard to beat all of our opponents, including Israel tonight," said Gasol.
"It was a very difficult match. Israel always gives us a hard time and this time was no exception," added Calderon. "It took us time to get in the game, but once we took over it was our game."
The victory also means that Croatia will join Spain, Russia and Greece in the quarter-finals.
With a victory, Israel would have advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since taking seventh in 2003 and just the second time since 1983.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
Greece Send Valiant Portugal Home
European champions Greece went on a decisive run at the start of the second quarter en route to an 85-67 win against Portugal on Tuesday at the EuroBasket.
Portugal led 17-15 with two minutes to go in the first quarter but Greece hit them with a 16-2 run over the next seven minutes to take command.
The Portuguese never controlled Dimos Ntikoudis, who led the Greeks in scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds.
"We played the game really tough," said Greek captain Michail Kakiouzis, who contributed eight points.
"And if we play the rest of the games like this, we won't have any problems.
"Game by game, we're getting better, we're finding solutions on offense and that helped us on defense today, too. I hope and I think we will play better in the next games.
"We have really big confidence right now."
Despite trailing 45-34 at half-time, Portugal never gave up and cut the deficit to 45-37 early in the third quarter but the Greeks replied with a 6-0 run to stamp their authority on the contest.
Paolo Cunha's jumper with three minutes to go in the quarter gave Portugal a glimmer of hope, cutting the deficit to 54-47, but that soon faded away with Greece hitting them with a 10-0 run.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
Croatia Unable To Seal Fate
Russia used a 15-4 run in a six-minute span late on to turn a close game into a route, as they beat Croatia 83-70.
David Blatt’s men played from behind for the better part of the first two and a half quarters but, once they edged ahead 55-54 lead on a lay up by reserve Nikolai Padius with 1:13 left in the third period, they never relinquished their lead, outscoring their opponents 28-16 the rest of the way.
The result means that Russia (4-1) can still finish top in Group E if hosts Spain lose to Israel in the last game of the day.
Meanwhile, Croatia (2-3) must now wait to find out the result of that game and of the Greece-Portugal clash to find out whether they are through to the quarter-finals.
The game was close for the first three quarters with neither team leading by more than eight points.
But Russia used a 15-4 spurt spanning the end of the third quarter and the first five minutes of the final period to turn their 58-56 advantage into a comfortable 73-60 lead.
They forced their opponents into a lot of mistakes – offensive fouls, turnovers and poor shot selection – early in the final frame and that ultimately proved to be Croatia’s downfall.
“In the first half, we allowed them to play their game and we were in trouble. But after the break we started to execute our offense and defense better and we forced them into making mistakes. We got some fast-breaks and easy points on their turnovers,” said Andrei Kirilenko who led Russia with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Croatia were without starting guard Marko Popovic who sat out because of a torn hamstring. Watching from the sidelines, he witnessed his team’s inability to maintain their level of play for a full game and admitted that has cost them dearly.
"All tournament, we haven’t played well for a full 40 minutes. That's what happened today and that's why we won in the first half but lost the second,” he said.
“Now we hope Spain will beat Israel and then we'll play in the quarter-finals, but I hope then we'll know to play good for 40 minutes. I had an injury in my hamstring, and we didn't want to risk it. If it was a big game, I would have continued to play."
Popovic’s usual backcourt partner Zoran Planinic looked like he was ready to pick up the slack in his team-mate’s absence early on, scoring four of his team’s first eight points as they jumped to an 8-4 lead.
However, he then picked up three quick fouls in the first six minutes and sat out the rest of the first half.
Planinic’s absence didn’t seem to trouble his team too much though as Davor Kus stepped up his play and gave Croatia their biggest lead of the game, 39-32, on a three-pointer with 2:46 left in the first half.
Russia though scored nine of the last 12 points before the break to trail by just one, 42-41.
The teams exchanged the lead for the most part of the third quarter before Russia went on its run.
source : eurobasket2007.org
Greece Face Rising Portugal
Greece knew that advancing to the quarter-final round would be anything but straightforward after losing Antonis Fotsis in the build-up to the EuroBasket to a broken finger.
It is no surprise, then, that they must beat a dangerous Portugal side on Tuesday to reach the last eight.
The defending champions showed signs they may be returning to the form that saw them win the title two years ago and then stun Team USA at last year's FIBA World Championship in Japan.
Portugal, meanwhile, are on an emotional high after keeping their quarter-final hopes alive with a surprise win over Israel.
“Playing Greece, now, will be our final,” said Portugal’s outstanding point guard Filipe da Silva.
Even if the Portuguese do not reach the last eight, the effort of this year’s team has been one of, if not the proudest moment, in the country’s basketball history.
Last result: Portugal 95 Israel 87; Greece 81 Croatia 78.
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source : eurobasket2007.org
76ers Hold Press Conference With Newly Signed Booth And Evans
Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King announced today that the Sixers have signed free-agent center Calvin Booth. Per team policy, terms of the contract are not disclosed.
Approaching his ninth NBA season, the 6-foot-11 Booth has averaged 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.03 blocks in 327 games played with 83 starts. For his career, he has shot 45.3% (458-1,110) from the floor and 75.3% (232-308) from the foul line while also averaging 3.85 blocks per 48 minutes played. In 2000-01, he led the NBA with 5.71 blocks per 48 minutes played.
Booth was originally selected by Washington with the 35th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He has also spent time with the Dallas Mavericks, Seattle Supersonics and the Milwaukee Bucks before re-joining the Wizards in 2005-06. Last season, Booth appeared in 44 games with one start, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game.
One of the most successful players in Penn State basketball history, Booth was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1997-98. He finished his collegiate career as the Big Ten’s all-time leader in blocked shots and was the first player in conference history to lead a statistical category for four straight seasons.
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source : NBA.com
Russell, Smith Headline FIBA Hall Of Fame Inductions
MADRID, Spain -- Boston Celtics great Bill Russell and former North Carolina coach Dean Smith were among 20 former players, coaches and technicians inducted into FIBA's Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Russell, winner of 11 NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, led a list of 12 players from 10 different countries, while Smith headlined the four coaches.
"I have to thank all of my teammates going back to high school for being here today," said Russell, who averaged 22.5 rebounds in his 13 NBA seasons. "The game of basketball helps teach you how to take care of your teammates. I learned some important life lessons. It's a beautiful game."
Smith led North Carolina to two titles and guided the United States to gold at the 1976 Montreal Games.
"I know the three of us from the United States feel very lucky to be in this situation," Smith said.
Phoenix Mercury general manager Ann Meyers Drysdale was one of three women inducted. She was a four-time All-American at UCLA and a silver medalist with the U.S. Olympic team in 1976.
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source : sports.espn.go.com
Marion To Utah Was Discussed
The Suns and Utah Jazz tossed around the idea of a trade sending Shawn Marion to Utah for Andrei Kirilenko last month but did not move past the stage of talks and the discussion of swapping versatile forwards has been tabled for weeks.
Marion, 29, frequently comes up in trade talks because the Suns are over the tax threshold with contracts that will pay their big three - Steve Nash, Amaré Stoudemire and Marion - $41.6 million for the coming season and $45.1 million in 2008-09.
Marion is the top-paid Suns player at $16,440,000 this season and $17,810,000 in 2008-09, his contract's final year.
He is eligible for a contract extension this summer, but the chances of that appear doubtful. He could opt out of his contract next summer but would be hard-pressed to find a deal starting at the same rate.click for more details
source : azcentral.com
Mavs And Devin Harris Agree To Extension
The Dallas Mavericks and point guard Devin Harris agreed to a five-year contract extension today. Harris, the fifth pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, has spent his entire three-year career with the Mavericks after being acquired from Washington in draft-day trade.
“I feel good about the commitment for another five years,” Harris said after a morning workout American Airlines Center practice court. “Hopefully now we can run with it.”
Harris averaged career highs last season in points (10.2), assists (3.7), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.2) and minutes (26.0). He also played in 80 games, with 61 starts, shot 49.2 percent from the field and 82.4 percent from the line – all career bests.
The five-year extension, which begins after this season, locks Harris up through 2012-13. Harris has played in a key role in the Mavericks reaching the 2006 NBA Finals and finishing with the NBA’s best record last season.
“Devin is a vital part of our core and has played a key role in our success,” Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. “We are excited about his future in a Mavericks uniform.”
Harris looks to take his game to the next level going into his fourth season.
“I’m feeling refocused and refreshed,” he said. “I’ve been working on fine-tuning a lot of things. Of course you’re going to shoot 1,000 jumpers a day and I’ve also been working on going left. More than that I’m learning how to control the game better by watching a lot of film.”
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has referred to Harris as his starting point guard and Harris is approaching the season with the same expectation. That doesn’t mean Harris is taking starting for granted.
“Nothing is given,” Harris said. “You have to come into camp ready to work hard. I don’t want anything to be given to me. I have that mindset and hopefully this will be the year for me.”
Harris is no stranger to the first team, having started 61 times last year. “I want that full 82,” he said.
source : NBA.com
Bucks Sign 2007 2nd Round Pick Ramon Sessions
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second round draft pick (56th overall) Ramon (ra-MAHN) Sessions to a multi-year contract, General Manager Larry Harris announced today. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. In July at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Sessions played in four games for the Bucks, averaging 5.8 points and 2.5 assists per game.
“Ramon was an excellent college point guard and we think he can develop into a solid pro,” said Harris. “After watching him perform for our Summer League Team and getting to know him this summer, we felt he would be a strong addition to our backcourt.”
Sessions (6-3, 190lbs) enjoyed a successful three-year playing career at the University of Nevada, earning Second Team All-WAC honors during his junior season, in addition to being named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. During the 2006-07 season, he was third on the team in scoring (12.3), second in rebounding (4.7) and first in assists (4.7, second in the WAC).
Sessions, 21, finished his collegiate career with 850 points, 410 rebounds, 478 assists, and 113 steals. He started in 94 out of 97 games during his three years and currently ranks 2nd in Nevada history in assists and 9th in steals.
source : NBA.com
Wade Wins Community Assist Award
MIAMI, September 11 – In recognition of Dwyane Wade’s outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic work, the NBA has honored the Miami HEAT guard with the Community Assist Award for August.
Despite his busy summer working his way back from knee and shoulder surgery, Wade hosted seven community outreach initiatives, five of which were part of “A Week of Wade's World in South Florida,” during the month of August.
“I just think I’m a person who has an opportunity to let his voice be heard and help people,” said Wade. “Right now, people want to listen to what I have to say. Why not use it to make a difference, especially with kids.”
Partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, Wade fulfilled the wishes of five kids whose dream was to meet the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. The children and their parents had lunch with Wade, which was followed by one-on-one time on the basketball court at the University of Miami
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source : NBA.com
Heat To Attend A. Houston Work Out
Penny Hardaway isn't the only NBA comeback kid who will get a look from the Heat this summer.
The Heat confirmed it will attend a New York workout today for former New York Knicks guard Allan Houston, who is attempting a comeback after being out of the league the past two seasons. Several teams are expected to attend the workout.
The Heat won't decide until after the workout whether to even consider signing Houston. Heat spokesman Tim Donovan said the team is simply doing its ''due diligence'' in attending the workout.
Houston, 36, retired on Oct. 17, 2005, because of lingering knee problems. He played in 20 games in his final season (2004-05), averaging 11.9 points for the Knicks.
Houston, who worked for ESPN last season, was a two-time All-Star shooting guard and averaged 17.3 points in a 12-year career -- nine with the Knicks and three with the Pistons.
He also administered arguably the most painful loss in Heat history when his running 14-foot jumper bounced off the rim, kissed off the backboard and fell through the net to give the Knicks a 78-77 victory in the decisive Game 5 of a first-round playoff series in 1999.
Houston's agent, Bill Strickland, told ESPN Radio last week that there is a 90 to 95 percent chance that Houston will play in the NBA this season. He reportedly wants to play for a contender.
Earlier this summer, the Heat signed Hardaway, another 36-year-old guard who retired because of knee problems. Hardaway hasn't played in the league since appearing in four games in the 2005-06 season.
source : miamiherald.com
Nuggets Acquire Hunter, Jones From 76ers
DENVER, Sept. 10 -- The Denver Nuggets have acquired C/F Steven Hunter and F Bobby Jones from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for F Reggie Evans and the draft rights to F Ricky Sanchez, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.
“We’re very pleased with this deal,” said Warkentien. “Steven is an athletic, 7-foot big man; a Mile High runner that can block shots. We think his presence will provide us with a more balanced roster. Bobby is an intriguing young player, who really played well at the end of the season. This move greatly helps us add depth at our center position while reducing our inventory of power forwards. Reggie played a valuable role for us during his time in Denver and we appreciate his professionalism.”
Hunter, 7-0, 240, played in 70 games for the 76ers last season, averaging career highs of 6.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 22.9 mpg. He also averaged 1.09 bpg, which ranked 27th in the NBA. Hunter has appeared in 360 regular season games over his six-year career with Orlando, Phoenix and Philadelphia, posting averages of 4.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 1.13 bpg. He has played in 22 career playoff games, averaging 3.0 ppg and 1.9 rpg. Hunter was originally drafted by the Magic in the first round (15th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft after his sophomore season at DePaul.
Jones, 6-7, 215, appeared in 44 games as a rookie for the 76ers last year, averaging 2.5 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 7.6 mpg. He flourished at the end of the season when he received extended minutes, averaging 13.5 ppg (.575 FG) and 3.8 rpg in 31.0 mpg over Philadelphia’s final four games. He scored in double figures in each contest. He was originally drafted by Minnesota in the second round (37th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Philadephia.
Evans appeared in 92 games for the Nuggets after being acquired from Seattle on Feb. 23, 2006. He averaged 5.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in those contests. He led the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes last season (19.7).
Sanchez’s rights were acquired by the Nuggets along with the draft rights to Linas Kleiza in exchange for the draft rights to Jarrett Jack in a draft-day deal in 2005. He was the 35th overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft.
source : NBA.com
NETS SIGN MALIK ALLEN
“We are pleased to add Malik to our roster,” said Thorn. “He is a proven NBA veteran who can potentially add depth to our frontcourt.”
Allen, a 6’10” product out of Villanova, appeared in 60 games for the Chicago Bulls last season, averaging 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds on .415 (107-of-258) from the field and .824 (28-of-34) from the line in 10.6 minutes per contest. He appeared in five postseason contests for the Bulls during the 2007 NBA Playoffs.
The six-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 287 games, including 103 starts. Allen has also appeared in 21 postseason contests, where he holds career postseason marks of 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. After going unselected in the 2000 NBA Draft, Allen played for the Miami Heat for three and a half seasons before being traded to Charlotte during the 2004-05 season and spending the last two seasons with Chicago
