Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Terry Score Late 3-Pointer Lifts Mavericks Past Kings
Dallas 101, Sacramento 99
LAS CRUCES, N.M., Oct. 17 (AP) -- Jason Terry made a 3-pointer with four seconds left to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 101-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game on Tuesday night.
Sacramento led for much of the night, but the Mavericks were 9-of-17 from the field in the fourth quarter and got 11 points from forward Dirk Nowitzki to pull out the win. Nowitzki led the Mavericks (2-2) with 23 points and Terry added 15. Jerry Stackhouse finished with 17 points and Devin Harris had 11.
The game featured the return of former New Mexico State men's coach Reggie Theus, who went 41-23 during his two years in Las Cruces and led the Aggies to the NCAA tournament this past March before signing on with the Kings.
Sacramento took a 99-98 lead with 11 seconds left on two free throws by John Salmons after three lead changes and six ties in the final quarter.
"We did some good things tonight,'' Terry said. "We're still trying to get the kinks out and get some new people involved in what we are doing. But we made some strides tonight.''
Dallas outrebounded Sacramento 44-29 and was 31-of-37 from the free throw line. Sacramento missed 14-of-42 from the line.
Mike Bibby scored 21 points to lead five Kings in double figures. Forward Ron Artest added 19 points, Kevin Martin had 17, Brad Miller 16 and Salmons chipped in 10.
"We did some good things and we can build on those,'' Theus said. "We were the worst rebounding team in the NBA last year and got beat tonight. We also need to hit our free throws. This was a good game for us. We got people some needed work and they responded.''
Sacramento led 25-18 after the first quarter and 46-44 at halftime. The Kings shot 55 percent in the first quarter and got 11 points from Martin and 10 from Bibby to lead the way in the opening 24 minutes.
source : NBA.com
Iverson, Anthony Golden For Nuggets
Denver 104, Milwaukee 78GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 16 (AP) -- Allen Iverson scored 22 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 104-78 exhibition victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night at Green Bay's Resch Center.
Carmelo Anthony added 16 points for the Nuggets, who never trailed. Denver led 55-50 early in the third quarter before going on a 15-0 run.
Charlie Bell led Milwaukee with 17 points, all in the first half.
Denver forward Kenyon Martin played in his first game since Nov. 3, 2006, after surgical repairs on his right knee. He started and finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
"It just felt good to be back out there on the court with the team, man. Just get back out there, and when you get up and down the court you try not to be too excited because it's still the preseason,'' Martin said. "But you still feel good. Those guys know what I can do. I played with those guys before so they know I can do. It just feels good to be a part of it.''
Bucks rookie first-round draft choice Yi Jianlian of China finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.
Yi played the entire first quarter and saw only eight minutes of action the rest of the way, despite the crowd's chants of "We want Yi!''
Although Yi has showed flashes of his talent and has a good touch, he looks much more comfortable on the perimeter than in the paint and he acknowledged that he still needs to get stronger with the ball.
"Inside is my weak point. I need to protect the ball better and get stronger so we can play better inside,'' Yi said through his translator, Yi Wan.
source : NBA.com
Hawks Pull Away To Top Timberwolves
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Full Time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timberwolves | 23 | 19 | 28 | 7 | 77 | ||||
| Hawks | 31 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 103 |
Atlanta 103, Minnesota 77ATLANTA, Oct. 16 (AP) -- Zaza Pachulia scored 16 points to lead six players in double figures, and the Atlanta Hawks held Minnesota scoreless for the first 9:35 of the fourth quarter and beat the Timberwolves 103-77 on Tuesday night.
Al Jefferson, acquired from the Boston Celtics in the Kevin Garnett trade, had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Timberwolves (1-3).
Marvin Williams scored 15 points and rookie Al Horford grabbed 10 rebounds for Atlanta (4-1). The Hawks led 60-42 at halftime, with Pachulia scoring all his points in the first half.
The Timberwolves cut the deficit to 80-70 after three quarters, but Atlanta's 21-0 run to start the fourth quarter put away the game. Minnesota finally scored on Gerald Green's jumper with 2:25 left, and wound up scoring seven points in the final period.
Craig Smith had 14 points for Minnesota.
Notes Hawks rookie Acie Law underwent an MRI on his sprained left wrist just before the game; results were not immediately available. Fellow point guard Speedy Claxton, recovering from offseason knee surgery, is not even able to practice with the team. ... Wolves F Ryan Gomes' sprained left foot, sustained in the second quarter of Monday night's loss at Memphis, swelled overnight. He was not available.
source : NBA.com
Bryant Misses Practice For Third Straight Day
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 16 (AP) -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant sat out practice for the third straight day Tuesday, then denied a report that he had cleaned out his locker - a story carried by several local news outlets.
Bryant spoke for less than two minutes in the parking lot of the team's practice facility. Previously, he had said very little to reporters since Jerry Buss stated last week in Honolulu that he "would certainly listen'' to trade offers for the NBA's scoring leader.
"I don't know, talk to Mitch and Mr. Buss about that,'' Bryant replied when asked if he had played his final game for the Lakers, referring to general manager Mitch Kupchak and the team's owner. "I'm just getting ready. If I'm here, I'm ready to strap it up.''
Bryant asked to be traded 4 1/2 months ago, then avoided speaking about the Lakers until the beginning of training camp Oct. 1, when he talked more positively, saying he was looking forward to the season.
"My job is to play the game and get ready to play the game,'' he said Tuesday. "That's what I'm doing. I guess people are just intrigued by what's going on around here. I understand that. I have a job to do. One thing I said at training camp was that I didn't want this to be a distraction.''
When asked whether he was unsettled by recent events, Bryant said: "It's our understanding not to bring up the situation and not talk about it. We just wanted to keep things quiet and go about our business. It kind of caught me off guard a little bit.
"We've just got to get back to basics and get ready and go from there. It's my job to play basketball. It's not my job to worry about what management is doing or this, that or the other thing. I'm going to be ready and let them do their jobs.''
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Bryant sat out practice Tuesday "by mutual agreement.''
"He's in the training room,'' Jackson said. "I think that's about all I'll say. He asked me about resting his legs, but I think he's OK.''
Jackson said he didn't know whether Bryant would play Thursday night when the Lakers face the Seattle SuperSonics in Bakersfield - the first of six exhibition games in nine days. The coach also said he didn't know if Bryant would accompany the team if he doesn't play.
Jackson said he couldn't comment when asked if Bryant had played his final game as a member of the Lakers.
"I don't know that at all. Who knows that? There's certain things that have to be discussed and I think they will be,'' Jackson said. "There's nothing imminent. I'm on the inside of this, so I know all the statements before you ask the questions. We can't project anything right now. I think there's a certain progression of things we have to go through.''
Bryant has four years, worth $88.6 million, left on his contract, but can terminate the deal in two years, leaving $47.8 million on the table.
source : NBA.com
Stojakovic Plays Only Four Minutes Due To Stiffness
Hornets Coach Byron Scott said his plan was to play Peja Stojakovic about 24 minutes during Monday night's preseason game against the Indiana Pacers.
But Stojakovic played only four minutes after complaining of muscle stiffness. After he shot an airball on his only attempt, Stojakovic went to the bench for the remainder of the game.
Stojakovic missed all but the first 13 games last season after requiring season-ending back surgery.
"It wasn't his back, he was just stiff,'' Scott said. "I think again, he's had one day off that he's taken since the start of training camp, which was two weeks ago. He was just stiff with his legs and everything and he took the rest of the night off.''
source : blog.nola.com
NBA China Games To Reach 209 Countries
All Three Games to Air Nationwide in ChinaNEW YORK, October 16, 2007 – The NBA China Games 2007, featuring three exhibition games between the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Team China All-Stars in Shanghai and Macao from October 17-20, is a global event that will be televised in 209 countries in 13 languages.
In China, the China Games will air nationwide on CCTV5 while the Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and Guangdong TV (GDTV) will air each of the games locally in Shanghai and the Guangdong province, respectively. In the U.S, the games will air on NBA TV and ESPN2.
Over 200 media members will attend each game in Shanghai and Macao and bring the action back to fans throughout China and around the world. There will be 23 television and radio networks and websites on-site including three who will be calling the game live from commentary positions.
In addition to traditional radio and television broadcasting, NBA fans will be able to experience the Shanghai game in High Definition format on SiTV. The games will also be available through a range of digital platforms and devices, including NBA.com/China and, for the first time, on mobile phones via cn.nba.com as well as through Internet Protocol Television on SMG's BesTV channel.
Special China Games programming will be available throughout China on NBA Zhi Zao (Chinese translation of Made in the NBA), the NBA's popular weekly show that combines the lifestyle of basketball with Chinese popular culture. The show will fuse these elements through pre-game, halftime and post-game interviews with players from both teams, locker room access and interviews with Chinese celebrity guests Jet Li and Karen Mok. Chinese celebrity personalities David Wu and Wang Guan will be the onsite commentators for the broadcast.
NBA.com/china will provide comprehensive coverage of the China Games including live streaming of all three games through the league’s partnership with Sohu.com. Website reporters will go on-camera to give fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the China Games. Fans were given the chance to interact directly with All-Stars LeBron James (Cleveland) and Rashard Lewis (Orlando) through live fan chats. A China Games mini-site launched in September that features a video section with team highlights, a 2004 China Games recap and player vignettes.
The NBA will host the first-ever live, simultaneous HD viewing parties in China. The viewing parties, broadcast on Shanghai Interactive Television Co. (SiTV) and SMG, will take place in Shanghai and Beijing with a capacity of 800 and 300, respectively, and feature appearances from A-list Chinese artists such as actor Jet Li, recording artist Fan Fan and Zhou Bichang - winner from China’s most popular talent search competition, “Super Girls,” an appearance from NBA legend Darryl Dawkins and a two-way feed between the arena and the viewing party in Shanghai.
"The China Games is the most comprehensive event the NBA has ever staged in China and the fan interest throughout China and around the world has been tremendous,” said Heidi Ueberroth, NBA President of Global Marketing Partnerships and International Business Operations. “Between complete coverage from our global network of television partners and new digital initiatives we hope to offer as many fans as possible the chance to enjoy the NBA China Games 2007.”
NBA China Games 2007 will tip off on Oct. 17 with a game between the Cavaliers and the Magic in Shanghai at the Qizhong Forest Sports City arena. The event will then head to Macao where there will be two games at the new Venetian Arena. On Oct. 18, the Magic will take on the Team China All-Stars, and a rematch between the Magic and the Cavaliers will take place on Oct. 20.
Last season the NBA added 24 TV partners in China and currently has relationships with 51 TV stations that provided NBA programming to 34 million viewers per week and more than 1.2 billion viewers for the 2006-07 season. With 300 million people playing basketball in China, approximately 80% of males 15-24 in the top 11 cities of China considering themselves NBA fans and 20% of traffic to NBA.com coming from China, basketball is rapidly growing in popularity. The league maintains marketing partnerships in China with 20 of the world’s leading brands and makes products available to fans in more than 50,000 locations. The NBA is conducting more than 170 special events in 112 cities in Greater China including the NBA China Games 2007.
source : NBA.com
LeBron James, Dwight Howard Big -- Even In China
SHANGHAI - The swarm was collapsing around Dwight Howard, the flashbulbs were setting his rippling muscles aglow and he was backed up against a dingy gymnasium wall.
Then, in an instant, the NBA's Next Big Thing reacted like someone well beyond his 21 years and solved a situation stickier than gum on a shoe.
"Ni Hao, everybody, Ni Hao," Howard said with a wide, toothy grin, welcoming the mass of Chinese media that had surrounded him Monday at a practice court in the Lu Wan District of Shanghai.
The Orlando Magic center's graceful reaction speaks deeply to a good-natured, aww-shucks persona that has somehow remained grounded as his stardom has continued to rise.
But Howard's deft resolution of a conflict is also a learned trait, one he picked up after spending much of the past two summers with Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James. He and James have much in common, what with them being the top picks from the 2003 and 2004 NBA Drafts and their love for competing at video games. And by watching how James, a worldwide marketing conglomeration unto himself, deals with the attention he attracts everywhere he goes has helped Howard handle similar circumstances.
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source : floridatoday.com
Barbosa, Suns Rout Jazz
Phoenix 124, Utah 101PHOENIX, Oct. 16 (AP) -- Leandro Barbosa scored 24 points and Raja Bell added 20 as the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz 124-101 in a preseason game Monday night.
Six players scored in double figures for the Suns, who won for the second time in three games.
Shawn Marion had 16 points, Grant Hill scored 14 and Steve Nash added 12 points and seven assists for the Suns, who shot 61.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Phoenix was again without Amare Stoudemire, who is recovering from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Carlos Boozer, making his first appearance after missing most of training camp while tending to his ill son, scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 13 minutes for the Jazz (2-2), while Paul Millsap had 16 points and Ronnie Brewer added 15.
Utah led by four points in the opening minutes but the Suns took the lead for good at 16-14 on a fastbreak layup by Barbosa with 3:37 to play in the first quarter.
Bell, who was 5-of-6 from the 3-point line and 8-of-10 from the field, scored 21 in an 11-minute span of the second and third quarters as Phoenix extended a seven-point lead to as many as 35.
Millsap's dunk pulled the Jazz within 42-35 with 5:27 left in the first half, but Bell hit two 3-pointers and scored eight points to key a 16-6 run as Phoenix opened a 58-41 halftime lead.
Bell scored 13 points as the Suns opened the third quarter on a 22-9 run to take an 80-50 lead with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter.
source : NBA.com
Diogu Paces Indiana To Win Over New Orleans
Indiana 117, New Orleans 104
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 15 (AP) -- Ike Diogu had a perfect shooting night and scored 19 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 117-104 preseason victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.
Diogu, a second-year reserve from Arizona State, was 7-of-7 from the field and hit all five of his free throws in 24 minutes.
All of Indiana's starters scored in double figures, led by Troy Murphy, who had 14 points and fouled out in the third quarter. Murphy, a center with outside range, hit consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter to give Indiana an 84-63 lead. He also hit a 3-pointer in the first half.
Jermaine O'Neal scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half to help Indiana take a 62-52 lead. Danny Granger had 13 points, while Mike Dunleavy and Jamaal Tinsley both added 10 for the Pacers.
Adam Haluska, a second-round draft pick out of Iowa, led the Hornets with 20 points. He hit three 3-pointers in improving his preseason scoring average to 16.0.
David West led New Orleans' starters with 14 points, while Morris Peterson had 11 points and Tyson Chandler 10. Chris Paul had nine assists in 20 minutes.
Pacers guard Marquis Daniels missed the game with a bruised left knee.
New Orleans' Peja Stojakovic, returning from back surgery that caused him to miss most of last season, played only four minutes, missing his only shot.
The game was the first in New Orleans for the Hornets since their return to the city over the summer. They spent parts of the last two season in Oklahoma City, where they moved temporarily after Hurricane Katrina. The announced attendance was 7,736.
source : NBA.com
Grizzlies Rally To Beat Timberwolves
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Full Time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timberwolves | 31 | 30 | 14 | 18 | 93 | ||||
| Grizzlies | 28 | 19 | 24 | 30 | 101 |
Memphis 101, Minnesota 93MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 15 (AP) -- Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Gay both scored 22 points and the Memphis Grizzlies used a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-93 on Monday night.
Mike Miller added 14 points for the Grizzlies, while Darko Milicic finished with 10.
Al Jefferson and Marko Jaric both scored 17 points to lead Minnesota with Jefferson also grabbing 15 rebounds. Rashad McCants added 15 points and Ricky Davis had 14, all in the first half, for the Timberwolves.
Memphis went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a 98-86 lead. Gay had six points in the stretch, including an alley-oop dunk off a fastbreak that started with a Minnesota turnover.
The Timberwolves went more than 6 minutes without scoring until McCants' layup with 1:19 left.
Navarro keyed the fourth-quarter comeback with consecutive 3-pointers that tied the game at 81.
But Memphis would not overtake the Timberwolves until Kyle Lowry scored from the lane with 6 minutes left for an 87-86 lead.
The Timberwolves led by as many as 16 points in the first half as Jefferson scored 13 points, hitting all four shots from the field, and grabbing 12 rebounds in 13 minutes.
Minnesota shot 56 percent from the field in taking a 61-47 halftime lead.
Despite promises of a faster pace from the Grizzlies under new coach Marc Iavaroni, the Timberwolves outscored Memphis 10-0 on fastbreak points in the first quarter.
Memphis did show its running ability early in the second half, cutting the lead to 67-63. But the Grizzlies also missed opportunities during the stretch as Pau Gasol muffed a dunk, Gay missed a layup and a tip, and Miller misfired on an open 3-pointer on the break.
source : NBA.com
Wallace, Morrison Lead Bobcats Past Nets
Charlotte 96, New Jersey 86CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 15 (AP) -- Gerald Wallace scored 12 of his 20 points from the foul line to lead the Charlotte Bobcats to a 96-86 exhibition win over the New Jersey Nets on Monday night.
Adam Morrison and Matt Carroll added 15 points each and rookie Jermareo Davidson scored 14 for the Bobcats, who rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit.
Bostjan Nachbar scored 19 points for New Jersey, while Vince Carter had 13 points in 22 minutes in his preseason debut. Richard Jefferson added 11.
The Nets' biggest concern was their growing injury list.
Jason Kidd, who hurt his back in practice Sunday, and Darrell Armstrong, who injured his left foot in the shootaround Monday, did not play.
X-rays were negative for Armstrong and there is no timetable for his return. Coach Lawrence Frank said Kidd could be out for a few days.
"He had a back problem last year, so it's going to take some time,'' Frank said. "He's been to a chiropractor the past two days, so he's very stiff. Even if it was a regular season game, he couldn't play.''
Antoine Wright, who sprained his left ankle in the Nets' win in Philadelphia Friday, also did not play. Nenad Krstic is still rehabbing his left knee and did not suit up.
Davidson and Morrison keyed a 31-7 run that gave Charlotte a 10-point lead heading to the fourth quarter. The Nets got within four late, but no closer, with Wallace hitting 4 of 5 free throws late.
Carroll started in place of Jason Richardson, who missed his second straight game to be with his fiancee, who gave birth to a boy earlier Monday. Rookie Jared Dudley (sprained toe) also sat out.
Center Primoz Brezec, who reported to the team late last week after missing the first two weeks of practice to deal with a family matter, was in street clothes. Coach Sam Vincent said Brezec could play in weekend exhibition games in Los Angeles.
Rookie Sean Williams had four points and five rebounds, including a thunderous putback dunk in his Nets' debut. But Williams also committed four fouls in 13 minutes. He was benched from New Jersey's opening exhibition game after showing up late for the shootaround.
Nachbar, who scored 35 points in the Nets' first game, hit only 4 of 14 shots, but hit all 10 of his free throws.
source : NBA.com
Bulls' Deng Getting Time At Guard
Having 6-9 forward Luol Deng get some minutes at guard was in Bulls coach Scott Skiles' plans.
Just not this quickly.
But nagging injuries to shooting guards Ben Gordon (sprained left ankle) and Thabo Sefolosha (right hamstring) have sped up the experiment, with Deng spending stretches of the first two preseason games at the position.
Skiles suggested the transition was more difficult for the rest of the team than it was for Deng, the Bulls' starting small forward.
''Lu didn't do anything to hurt himself,'' Skiles said after practice Sunday. ''The other guys I don't know were cognizant that he was in the game at the two, which is a little bit scary because it's been twice already.
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source : suntimes.com
Suns Hoping Trio Works Way Into Rotation
The Suns aren’t counting on Sean Marks to play 27 minutes a night like he did in Saturday’s 111-106 preseason loss to New Orleans.
Read Jerry Brown's blog, Rim Shots
Marcus Banks isn’t likely to log 24 minutes often, and rookie D.J. Strawberry doesn’t figure to get 20.
But Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni would like to have all three players on call for rotation minutes behind the Suns’ top seven regulars — all of whom he views as starter quality. But in order to do that, the reserves need to keep the tempo and the level of play high.
Marks had good numbers (14 points, seven rebounds and three assists) against the Hornets. He was on the floor when the Suns whittled a 20-point New Orleans lead to three over the final seven minutes of the first half.
Banks and Strawberry joined him in the fourth quarter when Phoenix wiped out a 10-point deficit and forged a two-point lead on a Banks 3-pointer with four minutes left.
But the trio was also on the floor when the Suns ran out of gas down the stretch, when Phoenix went scoreless over the final 2:35 and didn’t have a field goal over the final 3:10.
“Those are guys, some of those guys, who are going to be in our rotation but they need to play well to stay in the rotation,” D’Antoni said. “I thought Marcus did a good job and Marks had good spots. Sean shoots the ball well, but he has to get in better shape. He was laboring a little bit.”
“Overall I think we have to get in a little better shape. Our defense cost us the game.”
Marks will have more help in the post soon. Brian Skinner, back after missing a week with a knee bruise, should get more than the four minutes he played Saturday when the Suns host the Utah Jazz tonight. And Amaré Stoudemire is a week away from rejoining practice following arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 1.
He could be playing by Oct. 25, when the Suns close their preseason schedule with back-to-back games against Denver (in Phoenix) and Seattle (in Vancouver).
source : eastvalleytribune.com
Cassell Willing But Is He Able?
OAKLAND -- He'll blow 38 candles out on his birthday cake next month. He suffered through aches and pains all last season. He has won championships and has little left to prove in the NBA.
Still, Sam Cassell, the Clippers' enigmatic court leader, would like to announce he's back. And not only for this year either. Be it with the Clippers or another NBA franchise.
Cassell, beginning his 15th season, is in the final year of a two-year, $13-million contract. He played in only 58 games last season and became basketball's version of a pinch-hitter toward the end of it, informing Coach Mike Dunleavy whether he could play mere moments before tipoffs.
Take it away, Sam:
"It was tough last year," Cassell said. "You see some of the guys struggling and I know how to get all these guys their shots and how to get them to play at a higher level."
"But I feel a lot better this year. A little bruised in the knee. But my back is fine. My abdominal muscle is fine. Everything else is fine.
"I'm definitely coming back next year. I don't want to be a starter, though. Maybe come off the bench and play 20 or 25 minutes. If the Clippers would welcome me back, I would have no problems here."
Cassell has long envisioned coaching after his career ends and said he also wouldn't mind playing a final season for a franchise where an assistant's job would be waiting afterward.
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source : latimes.com
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