NBA Today - February 3
Associated Press
Utah at Phoenix (9 p.m. EST). Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were chosen from the Suns for the NBA`s All-Star game, while coach Mike D`Antoni will lead the West team.
STARS
Friday
-Carmelo Anthony and Steve Blake, Nuggets. Anthony scored 33 points and Blake had 19 points and 14 assists in Denver`s 114-107 win over Portland.
-Luol Deng, Bulls, scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Chicago to a 107-101 victory over Seattle.
-Elton Brand, Clippers, scored 26 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and Los Angeles defeated Boston 100-89.
-Baron Davis, Warriors, scored 25 points and added 12 assists in Golden State`s 102-101 victory over Philadelphia.
CLOSE CALL
Denver`s Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith were involved in a fender bender on their way to the team shootaround Friday morning, coach George Karl said. Neither player was injured and both played against Portland on Friday night. They missed the shootaround so they could take care of paperwork following the mishap. Anthony scored 33 points and Smith added 17 in Denver`s 114-107 overtime win.
UNLUCKY IRISH
Boston lost its franchise-record 14th consecutive game Friday night, falling 100-89 to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics have not won since beating Memphis on Jan. 5. In addition to their overall streak, they`ve lost a franchise-record 11 consecutive home games and are a league-worst 4-19 at home. Boston is 2-20 since Paul Pierce went out with a stress reaction in his left foot.
ROLLING RAPTORS
Toronto beat Atlanta 103-91 on Friday night. Winners of five of six, the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors improved to 24-23, the first time since 2001-02 that they`ve been over .500 this late in a season. Toronto hasn`t had a winning record since it started the 2004-05 season 4-3.
OUT
Orlando forward Grant Hill is expected to miss at least two weeks because of a sprained knee. Hill sprained his medial collateral ligament Wednesday against Milwaukee. He is the Magic`s second-leading scorer, averaging 15 points in 39 games. Orlando beat New Jersey 119-86 on Friday night.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Andre Iguodala had his third career triple-double with 25 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, but Philadelphia lost to Golden State 102-101 on Friday night. ... Joe Johnson scored 28 points in Atlanta`s 103-91 loss to Toronto.
SPEAKING
``I try to look at him as just another player. He`s a good player, but there`s also Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony - who I`ve all played against. Maybe last year I was a little enamored by the superstars, but this year they`re just another player to me.`` - Indiana`s Danny Granger after the Pacers 95-84 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The second-year forward helped hold Kobe Bryant to 22 points on 7-of-25 shooting from the field as the Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter to win for the fifth time in six games.
More Wyoming, New Mexico players penalized for brawl
Associated Press
Thu, Feb 1, 2007
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Two more players were suspended - one indefinitely - and two had their suspensions extended Thursday by the Mountain West Conference for fighting during New Mexico`s home win over Wyoming on Tuesday.
The penalties were agreed upon by the schools and the conference.
Wyoming`s Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones - the team`s top scorers - and New Mexico`s Jamaal Smith were ejected from the game and automatically suspended from their team`s next game. Wyoming plays at No. 16 Air Force and New Mexico is at Colorado State - both on Saturday.
The conference suspended Jones and Smith for an additional game, and added a one-game suspension for New Mexico`s Darren Prentice. They`ll serve those suspensions when New Mexico visits Wyoming on March 3.
Wyoming suspended Joseph Taylor indefinitely.
New Mexico players Daniel Faris, J.R. Giddens and Aaron Johnson received reprimands.
``This altercation was extremely unfortunate, totally unacceptable and reflected negatively on the conference and the two participating institutions,`` Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said.
The fight occurred with 1:10 left to go in the game, which New Mexico won 91-83.
It began when Ewing, the league`s leading scorer, became entangled with Smith. As players from both teams converged, Jones shoved Giddens, and Smith threw a punch at Jones.
Ewing and Jones have accounted for 48 percent of Wyoming`s scoring this season, 51 percent of its 3-point shooting, 45 percent of its steals, and 63 percent of the team`s free throws and assists.
Long Beach St. 49ers C Mark Dawson and G Kejuan Johnson are both out Staurday for eligibility concerns.
Nuggets Allen Iverson (sprained ankle) did not play Friday, and is questionable for Saturday.
Rutgers top scorer and rebounder J.R. Inman is out of Saturday's game at UConn, as he will attend the funeral of his grandmother.
Tennessee G Chris Lofton is unlikely to play against Florida this Saturday due to his sprained ankle.
Bobcats G Brevin Knight is out of tonight's game per a torn abdonminal muscle.
Heat Jason Williams will not play tonight due to an abdominal strain.
Pacers Troy Murphy broke his nose on Friday and is not expected to play tonight.
Xavier F Josh Duncan has been updated as doubtful for today's game per a sprained ankle