NBA Today - May 30
Wed, May 30, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, May 30
Utah at San Antonio (9 p.m. EDT). The Spurs are one win away from the NBA Finals for the third time in five years.
STARS
Tuesday
-LeBron James and Daniel Gibson, Cavaliers. James scored 25 points and added 11 assists, and Gibson scored a season-high 21 in Cleveland's 91-87 win over Detroit.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
LeBron James scored 13 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Cleveland to a 91-87 victory over Detroit on Tuesday night. The series is now tied 2-2. Only the 1976 and 1992 Cavaliers won two games in a conference finals.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Chauncey Billups scored 23 points but Detroit lost to Cleveland 91-87 on Tuesday night.
STREAKS
LeBron James scored 25 points in Cleveland's 91-87 win over Detroit. The Cavs are 10-0 in the postseason when James scores more than 20 points.
BUSTED
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was arrested early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. The 74-year-old Buss was taken into custody shortly before 1 a.m. after he drove his gold Mercedes-Benz station wagon the wrong way on a street in an unincorporated section of Carlsbad that has double yellow lines. Buss was released around 10:30 a.m.
HIRED
The Portland Trail Blazers hired Tom Penn as assistant general manager on Tuesday. Penn has been assistant general manager and legal counsel to the Memphis Grizzlies since 2000. He will assist general manager Kevin Pritchard with player personnel decisions, as well salary cap and collective bargaining issues.
IN THE CARDS
Greg Oden signed a three-year contract worth at least $3 million Tuesday to become a spokesman for Topps Co. Kevin Durant, the freshman who starred at Texas, beat Oden in the card contract race when he signed with Upper Deck earlier this month.
SURGERY
Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown underwent reconstructive surgery on his left ankle Tuesday and might not be ready for the start of training camp in October. Brown is expected to be out for four months. The 25-year-old Brown averaged 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-best 1.2 blocked shots in 41 games last season.
SPEAKING
''I told my teammates, 'Get me to the fourth and it's close, and I'll try my best to win.''' - Cleveland's LeBron James after the Cavaliers 91-87 win over Detroit on Tuesday night. James scored 13 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to help Cleveland tie the series up at 2.
Utah starting guards Deron Williams (sprained foot) and Derek Fisher (personal reasons) could miss tonight's game. Fisher is in New York with his ailing daughter.
Williams, Fisher game-time decisions for Game 5
Wed, May 30, 2007
By Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO -- The Utah Jazz starting backcourt of Deron Williams and Derek Fisher could miss Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Williams has a sprained right foot. Fisher was in New York on Wednesday morning while his infant daughter underwent a procedure for a rare eye condition. He was expected to arrive in the afternoon, but any delay could prevent him from making the tip-off.
The status of both players will be determined at game time. The likely replacements are Dee Brown, who has played only four minutes this series, and Gordan Giricek.
''I can't count on anybody until we get in the building and they put their uniform on,'' Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. ''If they can't, then we'll count on someone else. That's the way it's supposed to be.''
Missing either could be a stiff blow to the Jazz, who were trailing the series 3-1 and facing elimination.
Williams is averaging a team-best 29.5 points and 9.3 assists this series. Fisher is averaging only 7.3 points per game and shooting 8-of-29, but he's averaging 38 minutes and is the team's most proven playoff performer.
Brown is the third-string point guard, with Williams and Fisher the top two. So Brown would start only if Williams and Fisher are out. If either one is there, Giricek probably would start at shooting guard.
Williams arrived at Utah's shoot-around Wednesday morning wearing a large walking boot protecting his injured foot - not ankle, as the team reported Tuesday. He declined to be interviewed, except to say, ''We'll see,'' when asked whether he expected to play.
Williams also was a game-time decision for Game 4 because of a stomach ailment, but played 38 minutes and scored a team-best 27 points.
Fisher's infant daughter Tatum is receiving treatment for her left eye. He left the team in the second round of the playoffs for an operation in New York, then returned to the team during the third quarter of Game 2 of a second-round series against Golden State. His dramatic arrival, and his five points in overtime, helped the Jazz win that game.
The club announced after Game 4 in Salt Lake City on Monday night that Fisher was leaving the team to be with Tatum during further treatment. Team spokeswoman Cindy Edman said the Fishers had a doctor's appointment Tuesday and a procedure Wednesday morning.
''I wrote him a text last night and he sounded like things were doing well,'' forward Carlos Boozer said. ''He said he'd be back today. So hopefully everything will be all right and we'll see him tonight.''