NBA Today - March 3
Sat, Mar 3, 2007
By Associated Press
Toronto at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. EST). The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors face All-Star LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Oddsmakers have the Cavs listed as 5-point favorites. The total is set at 191.
STARS Friday
- Stephon Marbury and Quentin Richardson, Knicks. Marbury scored 34 points and Richardson added 30 points and 12 rebounds as New York downed Golden State 106-97.
- Mike Bibby, Kings, scored 10 of his 33 points in the final 4:04 as Sacramento beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-108.
- Shaquille O'Neal, Heat, had a season-high 31 points and 15 rebounds as Miami turned in an impressive 85-82 win over Detroit.
- Manu Ginobili, Spurs, scored 31 points, including six 3-pointers, as San Antonio defeated Orlando 98-74.
NEVER TOO OLD
Center Dikembe Mutombo became the oldest player in NBA history to get over 20 rebounds in a game, finishing with 22 boards in Houston's 108-97 victory over Denver on Friday night. Mutombo, who will turn 41 in June, is the first player over 40 to reach 20 rebounds in a game.
WELCOME BACK
Antawn Jamison scored 22 points in his first game back from a knee injury as Washington snapped a four-game losing streak with a 93-92 win over Atlanta on Friday night. Jamison missed 12 games after spraining his left knee Jan. 30 against Detroit.
RESERVE POWER
Utah's subs outscored its counterparts 51-23 as the Jazz widened its Northwest Division lead with a 109-83 victory over Minnesota. Gordon Giricek led three reserves in double figures which scored a season-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers as the Jazz won their third straight road game.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Pau Gasol had 31 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, which fell to Philadelphia 117-112 in overtime Friday night. The Grizzlies have the worst record in the NBA (15-45) after making the playoffs three straight years. ... Kobe Bryant had 30 points and 10 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-108 loss to Sacramento. ... Denver's Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points in a 108-97 home loss to Houston.
SPEAKING
''Anything you can do to contribute on the way to a championship is going to make you feel awfully good. You've just got to wait your turn and hopefully get an opportunity to show what you can do.'' - Suns' guard Eric Piatkowski after helping Phoenix beat Indiana for the second time in four days, 115-90 on Friday night. Piatkowski, who had played 7 minutes all season, shot 3-for-8 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points in 22 minutes.
Sonics: Allen has bone spurs in his left ankle
Sat, Mar 3, 2007
By Associated Press
SEATTLE -- Ray Allen has bone spurs in his left ankle and the SuperSonics don't know when he'll be able to play again.
The 31-year-old guard missed Seattle's victory at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night and is questionable for Sunday night's home game against Charlotte. The seven-time NBA All-Star is day-to-day and will be evaluated Monday by a foot specialist, Sonics spokesman Kurt Fedders said on Friday.
Allen has been dealing with soreness in his left ankle for the past month and decided just before Thursday night's game that his ankle was not well enough to play.
Allen is averaging a career-best 26.4 points, eighth in the NBA, in 47 games this season for the Sonics, who are in last place in the Northwest Division with a 23-35 record.
Stanford's G Anythony Goods (13 ppg) is listed as doubtful (ankle), and is expected to miss today's game.
C Kyle Visser (17 ppg) is questionable (virus)
Florida State G Toney Douglas (13 ppg) is questionable (hand)
San Jose State G Carlton Spencer (13 ppg) is questionable (unknown)
Wyoming G Brad Jones (18 ppg) is out (suspension)
St. Joesph's G Darrin Govens (8 ppg) is questionable (ankle)
Utah State G Mikel Watson (7 ppg) is questionable (knee)
New Mexico State G Darren Prentice (9 ppg) is out (suspension)
Oklahoma State C Mario Boggan (20 ppg) is out (suspension)
LSU's F Glen Davis (18 ppg) will play in tonight's game, after missing the last three with a quadricep injury. Head coach John Brady said he doesn't plan on starting him though, as Davis said he is only about "75-80 percent healthy.
New Mexico State G Darren Prentice (9 ppg) is out (suspension)
New Mexico's G Jamaal Smith (8 ppg) is out of today's game due to a suspension (brawl)
Pistons F Rasheed Wallace has been downgraded to doubtful (ankle) for tonight.
Utah State's G Mikel Watson (7 ppg) is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, and has been downgraded to out indefinitely.