NBA Today - March 15
Thu, Mar 15, 2007
By Associated Press
San Antonio at Milwaukee (8 p.m. EDT). The Spurs have won 13 games in a row, the longest active streak in the league.
STARS Wednesday
-Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash, Suns. Stoudemire had 41 points and 10 rebounds and Nash added 32 points and 16 assists as Phoenix overcame Dallas, 129-127 in double overtime.
-Dwight Howard, Magic, had 31 points and 15 rebounds as Orlando ended a three-game losing streak with a 101-90 victory over Utah.
-Gilbert Arenas, Wizards, had 35 points and eight assists as Washington extended Indiana's losing streak to 11 games with a 112-96 win.
-Sean May, Bobcats, had 20 points and 12 rebounds, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16 seconds left as Charlotte edged Sacramento 111-108.
WHAT A SHOW
Phoenix moved within 2 1/2 games of the Dallas for the best record in the league after a thrilling 129-127 double overtime win against the Mavericks Wednesday night. Stoudemire scored 41 points and Steve Nash added 32 points and 16 assists to lead the Suns to their sixth straight win and 11th in 12 games. Jerry Stackhouse scored 33 points, his most in three seasons with Dallas, and Dirk Nowitzki added 30 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.
CHANGES
Milwaukee fired coach Terry Stotts on Wednesday after less than two full seasons with the team. His replacement is assistant Larry Krystkowiak, who agreed to a multiyear deal and will be introduced at a news conference Thursday.
SURGING
LeBron James scored 29 points as Cleveland won its seventh straight Wednesday night, 118-96 at Memphis.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Elton Brand scored a season-high 37 points with 10 rebounds, but the Clippers lost their fifth straight Wednesday night, 109-105 to Houston. Brand became the Clippers' career rebounding leader with 4,478, passing Loy Vaught. ... Jerry Stackhouse scored 33 points, his most in three seasons with Dallas, and Dirk Nowitzki added 30 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, but Dallas was outlasted by Phoenix in double overtime, 129-127.
DISHING IT
T.J. Ford tied a career high with 18 assists and added 18 points as Toronto won its fourth straight Wednesday night, 104-94 over New York.
ROAD WARRIORS
Detroit's 87-75 victory at Portland on Wednesday night was its fourth straight on a five-game road trip which ends at Phoenix on Friday.
SWINGS
After dropping 22 of 23, Boston has won 6 of 9, including Wednesday night's 109-88 victory over Atlanta.
STATUS
New Orleans guard Chris Paul was diagnosed Wednesday with a stress reaction in his left foot but is not expected to miss any playing time, team officials said.
FINED
The NBA fined Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut $25,000 on Wednesday for directing an obscene gesture toward fans near the end of Monday night's 108-93 home loss to Toronto.
SPEAKING
''No disrespect to the Sixers, but we shouldn't be going out of this building thinking we played well. That wasn't our best effort, but we'll take it.'' - Bulls coach Scott Skiles after an 88-87 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
Richardson leaves game with sore back
Wed, Mar 14, 2007
By Associated Press
TORONTO -- New York Knicks guard/forward Quentin Richardson played 10 minutes of Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors before leaving with a sore lower back.
Malik Rose replaced Richardson with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Team officials confirmed at halftime that Richardson would not return.
The 26-year-old Richardson, a six-year veteran, scored six points on 2-for-6 shooting before leaving the game.
Richardson sat out New York's last game, a 90-89 victory over Washington on Saturday, because of back and ankle pain.
He entered Wednesday's game averaging 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 56 games.
Pacers C O'Neal returns; Tinsley out
Wed, Mar 14, 2007
By Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jermaine O'Neal started Wednesday against Washington after sitting out three games with a sprained left knee, but three other Pacers were inactive because of injuries.
Jamaal Tinsley, who scored a career-high 37 points in a loss to Minnesota on Tuesday, was out with a sore left foot and hamstring. Center Jeff Foster (back spasms) and reserve forward Marquis Daniels (sore left knee) also were inactive. Daniels missed his seventh game in a row.
Keith McLeod started in place of Tinsley, his first start since he was acquired from the Golden State Warriors.
Lakers Luke Walton (ankle) and Lamar Odom (shoulder) are both expected to play in Thursday's game, after missing 18 games and 5 games.
Thursday: Stanford's Lawrence Hill is probable (back); UCLA's Darren Collison is probable (anke).
Thursday: Duke's Gerald Henderson is probable (suspension)
Louisville's Juan Palacios is probable (back)
Marquette's Jerel McNeal is out (thumb).
Arizona's Daniel Dillon will not play Friday vs Purdue. He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and therefore has been suspended.
UCLA's Darren Collison will play today on a slightly sprained left ankle according to the Orange County Register.
Stanford's Lawrence Hill has deemed his lower back healthy enough to play today, after he struggled in his last game scoring just 3 points
Louisville's Juan Palacios is expected to play today, after missing 5 games with back spasms according to the Mercury News.
Duke's Gerald Henderson will play today, after missing one game due to a suspension
Bucks fire Stotts, promote Krystkowiak
Thu, Mar 15, 2007
By Associated Press
MILWAUKEE -- As usual, Terry Stotts ran the Milwaukee Bucks' practice, trying to keep his downtrodden team motivated as they near the end of an injury-riddled season.
It was only afterward Wednesday that players found out their coach was fired and one of his assistants, Larry Krystkowiak, had been given a multiyear deal to replace him.
''I didn't see it happening,'' Bucks forward Michael Redd said. ''I'm just focused on supporting him and supporting out team through tough times - you know, just bear it out. But obviously, the organization made a decision, and I support it 100 percent.''
Milwaukee is last in the Central Division at 23-41 and among the NBA's worst defensive teams. The season seemed to hit bottom when Bucks center Andrew Bogut made an obscene gesture toward the home fans after getting ejected from a game on Monday night.
Krystkowiak will work his first game as an NBA head coach against San Antonio on Thursday night.
''We're excited to move ahead with Larry as our new head coach,'' Bucks general manager Larry Harris said.
Before Krystkowiak's hiring was announced, Redd said the team doesn't necessarily need to hire a big-name coach to lead them on a turnaround.
Redd knows where he wants to go as a player, and doesn't much seem to care who takes him there.
''I just want someone to come in and do the job, that's all,'' Redd said. ''Win. When I signed back two years ago with this team, that was the only agenda that I had. And I want to see us prosperous, and get back to the days where we were a couple years ago.''
Krystkowiak, 42, was originally hired by the Bucks in June 2006 as an assistant to Stotts after coaching at his alma mater, Montana - where he guided the team to two straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a first-round upset over Nevada in 2006. He also coached in the CBA.
His promotion comes at a time when he was being mentioned as a candidate for the open coaching job at the University of Utah.
Krystkowiak thanked Stotts for giving him the opportunity to come to Milwaukee.
''Becoming an NBA head coach was my No. 1 goal when I went into coaching and I welcome the challenges that lie ahead of me,'' said Krystkowiak, who played nine seasons in the NBA, including four in Milwaukee. ''This team has a great deal of potential and I'm eager to move forward.''
The Bucks were stunted by injuries this season, and at one point in mid-January were playing without four players projected as starters going into the season.
''Terry has done the best he could in a difficult situation, especially with all of our injuries,'' Harris said. ''I felt it was in the best interest of our organization to make the decision now and move forward, rather than wait until the end of the regular season.''
Stotts hoped the Bucks would rebound when Redd returned on Feb. 20 after missing 20 games with a knee injury. Instead, their season hit the low point with Bogut's outburst on Monday night. The league fined Bogut, the top pick in the 2005 draft, $25,000 earlier Wednesday.
''I want to thank Senator Kohl and Larry Harris for giving me the opportunity to coach in Milwaukee,'' Stotts said in a statement. ''I understand this is a part of the business and I wish the Bucks organization well in the future.''
Stotts was hired as the team's ninth coach in June 2005 after Terry Porter was let go. He compiled a 63-83 record in less than two seasons.
Milwaukee squeaked into the playoffs last year despite having four new starters from the previous season. The Bucks made another big move this offseason, trading point guard T.J. Ford to Toronto for forward Charlie Villanueva.
But Villanueva has missed significant time because of injuries, along with Redd - who hurt a tendon in his left knee Jan. 5 - and forward Bobby Simmons, who is out for the year with foot and ankle injuries. Mo Williams also missed time with a shoulder injury.
Milwaukee went 3-17 without Redd, its leading scorer.
''Terry did the best he could with what he had,'' Redd said. ''(He) worked very hard, and his staff worked very hard, to prepare us. That's all you can ask for.''
Redd said the team has to remain positive for the rest of the season.
''We have 18 games left,'' Redd said. ''Just play as hard as we can at this point, put on a good show, performance, especially at home. Do the best we can do, and continue to have fun while you're playing.''
Paul has stress fracture, not expected to miss time
Wed, Mar 14, 2007
By Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY -- New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul was diagnosed Wednesday with a stress fracture in his left foot but is not expected to miss any playing time, team officials said.
Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said Paul went to a hospital for a ''routine'' MRI test following practice, which last season's NBA rookie of the year attended but did not participate in.
Bower said Paul had complained of soreness in his left foot after the Hornets' loss Tuesday night to the New Jersey Nets. Paul played 38 minutes in the game, finishing with 25 points, 12 assists and six rebounds.
The Hornets, who have lost a season-high six straight games, have road games scheduled for Friday against the New York Knicks and Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
Paul has played through a sprained left thumb, an injury that occurred during practice on March 3.
Team spokesman Scott Hall said two other starters, Desmond Mason and Tyson Chandler, also did not participate in Wednesday's practice.
''We've just got guys who are tired or banged up,'' Hall said
Arizona's Daniel Dillon will not play Friday vs Purdue. He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and therefore has been suspended.
Wildcats reserve guard suspended after DUI arrest
Wed, Mar 14, 2007
By Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona reserve guard Daniel Dillon was suspended from competition Wednesday, a day after his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving became public.
He was with the team when it traveled to New Orleans on Wednesday but will not be in uniform when the Wildcats play Purdue on Friday in an opening-round game of the NCAA tournament, the athletic department said. The school did not say how long the suspension will last.
Dillon, a junior from Australia, was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of speeding and driving under the influence.
''I apologize to the community for my recent actions,'' the player said in a statement released by the athletic department. ''I accept coach Olson's decision and look forward to supporting the team every way I can.''
Dillon, one of the team's better defensive players, is averaging 1.9 points in 11 minutes.
Dumbass ;D
Heat Jason Kapono has been added to the injury report as out (ankle) of tonight's game.
Spurs Tim Duncan has been added to the injury report as probable (eye), for tonight's game.
Bucks Charlie Villanueva has been added to the injury report as questionable (shoulder) for tonight's game.