By DAVID PICKER
The Knicks’ already struggling season reached a new low last night when a brawl erupted in the closing minutes of their game against the Denver Nuggets. All 10 players on court at the time were ejected as the fight spilled into the front row at Madison Square Garden.
Carmelo Anthony, the N.B.A.’s leading scorer, was one of those ejected. The fighting was the ugliest in the league in two years, since a memorable and frightening brawl when players for the Indiana Pacers went into the stands to fight Detroit Pistons fans.
“Clearly, this isn’t how we or the N.B.A. or anybody wants to be perceived,” said Isiah Thomas, the Knicks’ coach and president.
Last night’s melee occurred with 1 minute 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets leading by 19 points on their way to a 123-100 victory.
Things erupted when the rookie Mardy Collins committed a flagrant foul on the Nuggets’ J. R. Smith, who was going for a layup. In seconds, Nate Robinson and Smith appeared to tackle each other, and a scrum formed behind the baseline.
Anthony then punched Collins in the face, sending Collins to the floor and escalating the fight.
Several other players also threw punches, and Anthony is almost certain to draw a suspension from the league.
The Knicks’ Jared Jeffries had to be restrained as he chased Anthony. Several players, coaches and security guards ran onto the court trying to end the fight.
With all 10 players who were playing at the time of the fight ejected, the game was delayed for several minutes as the three referees tried to sort out what had happened.
“After we gave a hard foul, they pushed it to the next level,” Jeffries said. “Mardy got sucker-punched, and it escalated from there.”
The fight came at a time of increasing pressure on the Knicks. James L. Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden, felt compelled last week to publicly support Thomas, who is under an improve-or-else edict this season imposed by the team’s ownership. Earlier in the game, Dolan was sitting in his front-row seat, just a few feet from where the fight began.
Last night’s events seemed to further undermine Thomas’s efforts to turn the Knicks around. He is the architect of the team, and its record is 9-17.
“He should have shot two free throws and that should have been the end of it,” Thomas said of Smith. “I don’t know particularly how it escalated from there to what it turned out to be because it was a game that they had won quite convincingly. That should have been the end of it.”
The Knicks who were ejected were Robinson, Jeffries, Collins, Channing Frye and David Lee. The ejected Nuggets were Anthony, Smith, Eduardo Najera, Marcus Camby and Andre Miller.
Jeffries and Frye were the only starters on the court for the Knicks at the time of the fight, while the Nuggets were still using four of their five starters. Several Knicks said they believed the Nuggets were trying to run up the score, and they seemed to regard that as a provocation.
“From what they did as in keeping guys in, I knew a foul was going to come, a hard one,” Robinson said. “Because we’re not going to just let guys keep dunking and keep dunking when they’re up 20 and they got their starters in. You know, it was a good clean foul. After that, it just went downhill from there.”
Stephon Marbury also said he was surprised the Nuggets left so many starters in the game with such a large lead.
The teams only play each other twice a year, and they do not have a history of bad blood.
“This isn’t even a rivalry,” Thomas said.
The Knicks won the first meeting between the teams this season, in Denver, by 109-107.
But there was friction between Nuggets Coach George Karl and Thomas last summer. Thomas reportedly was upset with Karl for talking about the state of the Knicks. After last season, the Knicks fired their coach, Larry Brown, who is close to Karl.
The Knicks seem to reach new lows each week. The have been battling injuries to key players, including Quentin Richardson, Frye and Steve Francis.
Jeffries saw an upside to the fight, saying that when teammates defended each other, it was a sign of affection.
“It’s his rookie year,” Jefferies said of Collins. “I’m going to stick up for him.”
Collins was not available for comment after the game.
The brawl was a setback for the league’s efforts to improve its image although, in perhaps the only piece of good news to emerge from the fracas, no fans were believed to be involved in last night’s fight.
“I feel bad for the league,” Karl said. “I feel bad for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. Very poor display of respecting basketball, of respecting the game in the best place in the world to play basketball.”
The league has taken several steps to improve its image over the past few years, including implementing a dress code and calling technical fouls on players who argue excessively with the referees.
When asked if he thought the fight had bruised the league’s image, Marbury said, “I’m sure the N.B.A. will find a way to clean it up.”
The fight also overshadowed a fine performance by Anthony, who scored a game-high 34 points. Marbury led the Knicks with a season-high 31 points.
The Knicks trailed by 26 points midway through the third quarter as Anthony at one point outscored them by 13-0. The Knicks then scored 28 points in about six minutes to cut the Nuggets lead to 94-84 after three quarters.
Richardson, who is battling back pain, was not active for the game. Frye, who returned to the rotation after missing the previous 10 games with a sprained left ankle, started and scored 10 points.
But with players now facing suspensions, Frye may spend a little more time on the bench
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Dwyane Wade to miss Phoenix game after getting wisdom teeth pulled
By Ira Winderman
MIAMI -- Heat guard Dwyane Wade had two wisdom teeth extracted Tuesday and will miss Wednesday's nationally televised home game against Phoenix.
"He's been playing in great pain," coach Pat Riley said after Tuesday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "That will take care of it. Probably by this weekend, we hope he'll be ready."
After Wednesday's game, the Heat is off until a back-to-back set Friday at Washington and Saturday at home against Memphis.
"They think by then he'll be ready to play," Riley said.Riley said there was hope of a less invasive treatment than the removal of the upper and lower left wisdom teeth.
"We actually felt we could get through the season with it and that maybe it would subside and go away," he said. "But it's been constant since it's cropped up on the road. He's been in pain. He can't sleep. We actually numbed it up (Monday) night.
"I guess he had a pretty bad abscess on the bone and we didn't want it to get any worse."Wade played through the pain to match his season high of 37 points in Monday's 99-77 home victory over Toronto.
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MIAMI -- Heat guard Dwyane Wade had two wisdom teeth extracted Tuesday and will miss Wednesday's nationally televised home game against Phoenix.
"He's been playing in great pain," coach Pat Riley said after Tuesday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "That will take care of it. Probably by this weekend, we hope he'll be ready."
After Wednesday's game, the Heat is off until a back-to-back set Friday at Washington and Saturday at home against Memphis.
"They think by then he'll be ready to play," Riley said.Riley said there was hope of a less invasive treatment than the removal of the upper and lower left wisdom teeth.
"We actually felt we could get through the season with it and that maybe it would subside and go away," he said. "But it's been constant since it's cropped up on the road. He's been in pain. He can't sleep. We actually numbed it up (Monday) night.
"I guess he had a pretty bad abscess on the bone and we didn't want it to get any worse."Wade played through the pain to match his season high of 37 points in Monday's 99-77 home victory over Toronto.
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Monday, December 11, 2006
DEALING IVERSON IS NO GAMBLE
December 11, 2006 --
LIVING below the filthy rich line has its advantages. For example, if you're not wealthy enough to own a big league team, you'll never be in a position to write ridiculous checks to ridiculous people.
In other words, what made Sixers' owner Ed Snider think that Allen Iverson would behave more like a responsible adult at $18 million per year - his current salary - than in 2001, when Snider paid him only $11 million per?
Friday on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith reported that Iverson, who has demanded to be traded, lately had shown more interest in being in Atlantic City than at practice.
Perfect! Trade Iverson to the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA team owned by the Mohegan Sun casino. Iverson would be a great draw on game nights. And, instead of attending practices, he can spend his time in the casino - losing his money back to the team owner.
One more thing: I'm tired of people with one-way vision and selective memories telling us that a racist sports world persists, based on the latest head count of black head coaches.
Maurice Cheeks, African-American, daily was undermined by the misdeeds - often criminal - of black players when he tried to coach the Trail Blazers. Now, Iverson has done it to him in Philly.
Cheeks, by now, might've been among the most revered coaches in the history of the NBA. The people who thus far have prevented any chance of that happening, while placing his coaching career in peril, aren't white.
While I'm not in the habit of knocking other newspapers (whose is without sin?), leave it to the New York Times to publish a sympathetic piece, Saturday, about that 201-78 Division III men's basketball game, two Saturdays ago - a piece sympathetic to the winning coach!
Rationalizations aside - the Times noted that the winner had lost its previous game and coach Garfield Yuille wanted his team to work on its pressure defense - Lincoln University (Pa.) needlessly stomped Ohio St.-Marion, a team that showed up with six players (five freshmen and its 44-year-old, play-eligible coach) after being invited as a late substitute for a team that cancelled.
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LIVING below the filthy rich line has its advantages. For example, if you're not wealthy enough to own a big league team, you'll never be in a position to write ridiculous checks to ridiculous people.
In other words, what made Sixers' owner Ed Snider think that Allen Iverson would behave more like a responsible adult at $18 million per year - his current salary - than in 2001, when Snider paid him only $11 million per?
Friday on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith reported that Iverson, who has demanded to be traded, lately had shown more interest in being in Atlantic City than at practice.
Perfect! Trade Iverson to the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA team owned by the Mohegan Sun casino. Iverson would be a great draw on game nights. And, instead of attending practices, he can spend his time in the casino - losing his money back to the team owner.
One more thing: I'm tired of people with one-way vision and selective memories telling us that a racist sports world persists, based on the latest head count of black head coaches.
Maurice Cheeks, African-American, daily was undermined by the misdeeds - often criminal - of black players when he tried to coach the Trail Blazers. Now, Iverson has done it to him in Philly.
Cheeks, by now, might've been among the most revered coaches in the history of the NBA. The people who thus far have prevented any chance of that happening, while placing his coaching career in peril, aren't white.
While I'm not in the habit of knocking other newspapers (whose is without sin?), leave it to the New York Times to publish a sympathetic piece, Saturday, about that 201-78 Division III men's basketball game, two Saturdays ago - a piece sympathetic to the winning coach!
Rationalizations aside - the Times noted that the winner had lost its previous game and coach Garfield Yuille wanted his team to work on its pressure defense - Lincoln University (Pa.) needlessly stomped Ohio St.-Marion, a team that showed up with six players (five freshmen and its 44-year-old, play-eligible coach) after being invited as a late substitute for a team that cancelled.
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DEALING IVERSON IS NO GAMBLE
December 11, 2006 --
LIVING below the filthy rich line has its advantages. For example, if you're not wealthy enough to own a big league team, you'll never be in a position to write ridiculous checks to ridiculous people.
In other words, what made Sixers' owner Ed Snider think that Allen Iverson would behave more like a responsible adult at $18 million per year - his current salary - than in 2001, when Snider paid him only $11 million per?
Friday on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith reported that Iverson, who has demanded to be traded, lately had shown more interest in being in Atlantic City than at practice.
Perfect! Trade Iverson to the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA team owned by the Mohegan Sun casino. Iverson would be a great draw on game nights. And, instead of attending practices, he can spend his time in the casino - losing his money back to the team owner.
One more thing: I'm tired of people with one-way vision and selective memories telling us that a racist sports world persists, based on the latest head count of black head coaches.
Maurice Cheeks, African-American, daily was undermined by the misdeeds - often criminal - of black players when he tried to coach the Trail Blazers. Now, Iverson has done it to him in Philly.
Cheeks, by now, might've been among the most revered coaches in the history of the NBA. The people who thus far have prevented any chance of that happening, while placing his coaching career in peril, aren't white.
While I'm not in the habit of knocking other newspapers (whose is without sin?), leave it to the New York Times to publish a sympathetic piece, Saturday, about that 201-78 Division III men's basketball game, two Saturdays ago - a piece sympathetic to the winning coach!
Rationalizations aside - the Times noted that the winner had lost its previous game and coach Garfield Yuille wanted his team to work on its pressure defense - Lincoln University (Pa.) needlessly stomped Ohio St.-Marion, a team that showed up with six players (five freshmen and its 44-year-old, play-eligible coach) after being invited as a late substitute for a team that cancelled.
More Info
LIVING below the filthy rich line has its advantages. For example, if you're not wealthy enough to own a big league team, you'll never be in a position to write ridiculous checks to ridiculous people.
In other words, what made Sixers' owner Ed Snider think that Allen Iverson would behave more like a responsible adult at $18 million per year - his current salary - than in 2001, when Snider paid him only $11 million per?
Friday on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith reported that Iverson, who has demanded to be traded, lately had shown more interest in being in Atlantic City than at practice.
Perfect! Trade Iverson to the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA team owned by the Mohegan Sun casino. Iverson would be a great draw on game nights. And, instead of attending practices, he can spend his time in the casino - losing his money back to the team owner.
One more thing: I'm tired of people with one-way vision and selective memories telling us that a racist sports world persists, based on the latest head count of black head coaches.
Maurice Cheeks, African-American, daily was undermined by the misdeeds - often criminal - of black players when he tried to coach the Trail Blazers. Now, Iverson has done it to him in Philly.
Cheeks, by now, might've been among the most revered coaches in the history of the NBA. The people who thus far have prevented any chance of that happening, while placing his coaching career in peril, aren't white.
While I'm not in the habit of knocking other newspapers (whose is without sin?), leave it to the New York Times to publish a sympathetic piece, Saturday, about that 201-78 Division III men's basketball game, two Saturdays ago - a piece sympathetic to the winning coach!
Rationalizations aside - the Times noted that the winner had lost its previous game and coach Garfield Yuille wanted his team to work on its pressure defense - Lincoln University (Pa.) needlessly stomped Ohio St.-Marion, a team that showed up with six players (five freshmen and its 44-year-old, play-eligible coach) after being invited as a late substitute for a team that cancelled.
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Sunday, December 10, 2006
Obscene gesture costs Randolph one game, pay
TORONTO -- In a move that Zach Randolph was not expecting, the Trail Blazers on Saturday suspended the team's leading scorer and rebounder for today's game in Toronto for using an obscene gesture Friday as he was leaving the court near the end of the Blazers' 108-95 loss to Indiana.
Randolph directed the gesture, and a swear word, at a fan who yelled "You suck!" as Randolph left the court after fouling out with 15.2 seconds left.
The suspension will cost Randolph $133,333 -- one-game's pay from his $12 million salary.
"It's not the kind of conduct we want our guys exhibiting," said Steve Patterson, Blazers president and general manager, who added he saw the incident while watching the game's telecast. "It's not the kind of behavior that we want to see, whether it's the best player or the 15th player on the team."
Randolph did not return telephone calls after the suspension was handed down Saturday, but earlier in the day, after the team practiced in Toronto, he said he expected to be fined. However, Randolph likened his offense to that of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was fined $20,000 by the NFL this season for using the same gesture toward fans after a home game.
"Didn't Vick flip somebody off?" Randolph said Saturday afternoon. "What did they fine him, $10,000 . . . $20,000? It shouldn't be more than that."
Randolph said he could live with a fine -- "as long as it's not something like $50,000 or $100,000" -- and that he wanted to "just get it over with and behind me."
Patterson said he spoke to Randolph after making his decision, and that the player was not happy. And coach Nate McMillan said Randolph was disappointed.
"He's bothered by it. He felt like it was a pretty steep penalty," McMillan said.
The suspension is a much heavier penalty than the last time a Blazers player used an obscene gesture toward fans. In November 2003, Bonzi Wells was fined $10,000 by the team after he made a similar gesture at the Rose Garden while the team huddled during a timeout against Philadelphia.
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Randolph directed the gesture, and a swear word, at a fan who yelled "You suck!" as Randolph left the court after fouling out with 15.2 seconds left.
The suspension will cost Randolph $133,333 -- one-game's pay from his $12 million salary.
"It's not the kind of conduct we want our guys exhibiting," said Steve Patterson, Blazers president and general manager, who added he saw the incident while watching the game's telecast. "It's not the kind of behavior that we want to see, whether it's the best player or the 15th player on the team."
Randolph did not return telephone calls after the suspension was handed down Saturday, but earlier in the day, after the team practiced in Toronto, he said he expected to be fined. However, Randolph likened his offense to that of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was fined $20,000 by the NFL this season for using the same gesture toward fans after a home game.
"Didn't Vick flip somebody off?" Randolph said Saturday afternoon. "What did they fine him, $10,000 . . . $20,000? It shouldn't be more than that."
Randolph said he could live with a fine -- "as long as it's not something like $50,000 or $100,000" -- and that he wanted to "just get it over with and behind me."
Patterson said he spoke to Randolph after making his decision, and that the player was not happy. And coach Nate McMillan said Randolph was disappointed.
"He's bothered by it. He felt like it was a pretty steep penalty," McMillan said.
The suspension is a much heavier penalty than the last time a Blazers player used an obscene gesture toward fans. In November 2003, Bonzi Wells was fined $10,000 by the team after he made a similar gesture at the Rose Garden while the team huddled during a timeout against Philadelphia.
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Wednesday, December 06, 2006
N.B.A. to Take Up Complaints With Ball Manufacturer
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
Four days after the National Basketball Players Association filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board partly over the N.B.A.’s use of a new synthetic basketball, Commissioner David Stern said that the league made a mistake by not closely consulting with the players and that the league would address complaints about the ball with its manufacturer.
On Friday, the player’s association filed grievances with the N.L.R.B. and asked the organization to investigate what it said were the N.B.A.’s unilateral actions. The new synthetic ball and new rules cracking down on in-game conduct have prompted complaints from players since the season began. The players association was upset that its membership was not informed of the changes beforehand.
“I won’t make a spirited defense with respect to the ball,” Stern said today. “In hindsight, we could have done a better job.
“With respect to the ball, I take responsibility for that.”
Players say the new ball, manufactured by Spalding with a synthetic plastic instead of leather, absorbs sweat and sticks to their hands, causing it to not roll off their fingers in a consistent fashion. Some players have also complained that the ball does not bounce off the floor and the rim like the old ball.
“On every test, historically that has been done, this ball tests out much more consistent,” Stern said. “But if our players are unhappy, then we’re unhappy. We get every ball from every team. We go back. We have it taken apart. We do all kinds of tests. And that’s a continuing process.”
Stern added that the league should have listened to the players sooner and would be investigating each player’s complaint.
“Whether or not we did enough prior to it, we’re actually, well, we think this ball has many of the attributes that Spalding says it has,” he said. “It’s an improvement in many ways. But if our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness. Everything is on the table. I’m not pleased, but I’m realistic. We’ve got to do the right thing here. And, of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it’s a day late or not, we’re dealing with this.”
The N.B.A. said it changed the ball to meet the standard of the rest of the world’s basketball leagues.
The players association has been especially upset that ball was introduced without consultation with the union or any active players. Three retired players-turned-broadcast-analysts — Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr — were the primary testers. The only N.B.A. players who tested the ball in competition were the members of the 2006 All-Star teams, who used one during last season’s game in Houston.
“We’re talking to every player,” Stern said. “We’re continuing to evaluate it. Every time someone says something about the ball, we get the ball and we send it back to Spalding.”
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Four days after the National Basketball Players Association filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board partly over the N.B.A.’s use of a new synthetic basketball, Commissioner David Stern said that the league made a mistake by not closely consulting with the players and that the league would address complaints about the ball with its manufacturer.
On Friday, the player’s association filed grievances with the N.L.R.B. and asked the organization to investigate what it said were the N.B.A.’s unilateral actions. The new synthetic ball and new rules cracking down on in-game conduct have prompted complaints from players since the season began. The players association was upset that its membership was not informed of the changes beforehand.
“I won’t make a spirited defense with respect to the ball,” Stern said today. “In hindsight, we could have done a better job.
“With respect to the ball, I take responsibility for that.”
Players say the new ball, manufactured by Spalding with a synthetic plastic instead of leather, absorbs sweat and sticks to their hands, causing it to not roll off their fingers in a consistent fashion. Some players have also complained that the ball does not bounce off the floor and the rim like the old ball.
“On every test, historically that has been done, this ball tests out much more consistent,” Stern said. “But if our players are unhappy, then we’re unhappy. We get every ball from every team. We go back. We have it taken apart. We do all kinds of tests. And that’s a continuing process.”
Stern added that the league should have listened to the players sooner and would be investigating each player’s complaint.
“Whether or not we did enough prior to it, we’re actually, well, we think this ball has many of the attributes that Spalding says it has,” he said. “It’s an improvement in many ways. But if our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness. Everything is on the table. I’m not pleased, but I’m realistic. We’ve got to do the right thing here. And, of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it’s a day late or not, we’re dealing with this.”
The N.B.A. said it changed the ball to meet the standard of the rest of the world’s basketball leagues.
The players association has been especially upset that ball was introduced without consultation with the union or any active players. Three retired players-turned-broadcast-analysts — Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller and Steve Kerr — were the primary testers. The only N.B.A. players who tested the ball in competition were the members of the 2006 All-Star teams, who used one during last season’s game in Houston.
“We’re talking to every player,” Stern said. “We’re continuing to evaluate it. Every time someone says something about the ball, we get the ball and we send it back to Spalding.”
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Monday, December 04, 2006
Clippers Snap Magic’s Streak
By ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press Writer
Los Angeles, Dec. 3 (AP) -- Elton Brand helped the Los Angeles Clippers take back some of their turf.
Brand scored 31 points Sunday night and the Clippers rebounded from a home loss one night earlier to the crosstown rival Lakers by beating an Orlando Magic team that was treating every floor as its own.
Brand shot 12-for-14 from the field in a 116-91 Clippers' victory that snapped the Magic's seven-game winning streak.
``We had to reclaim the home court,'' Brand said. ``Especially against the number one team in the East, who had won some games on the road already. They were very hot.''
Tim Thomas added 20 points, shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range for the Clippers.
It was the biggest victory margin of the season for the Clippers (8-8), and the Magic's worst losing margin.
``I feel like for 48 minutes we played a really good game, maybe our best game of the year,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.
Dwight Howard had 16 points and Hedo Turkoglu added 15 for Orlando, which had its roughest night by far on what had been a stellar road trip.
``We didn't come out prepared to play tonight,'' said the Magic's Keyon Dooling. ``They beat us in every facet of the game.''
Orlando (13-5), which still has the best record in the Eastern Conference, was 3-0 on the current trip and had won four straight on the road overall. The Magic have lost just twice in 12 games.
Their four-game road winning streak had matched the second longest in team history and included a win over the West-leading Utah Jazz and a last-second victory over the Portland Trailblazers.
The Clippers led by 17 at halftime, and the Magic were within single digits just twice in the second half.
Corey Maggette added 17 points and Sam Cassell had 13 for the Clippers, who shot 60.3 percent from the field.
Brand, who had 17 points in the first quarter and 21 in the first half, hit jumpers from all over the floor and finished two points short of his season high.
``Something had to give, something had to change, so I had to be aggressive,'' Brand said. ``This is the first step in getting back our winning ways.''
Dunleavy said that the Brand he saw Sunday night reminded him of the player that led his team to its best-ever season in Los Angeles last year.
``He's got a lot of bounce back in his step and he looked confident in his shot,'' Dunleavy said. ``That's what we got used to seeing last year.''
Orlando opened the second half with a 14-5 run, capped by Darko Milicic's dunk off Grant Hill's assist, to cut the Clippers' lead to 71-63.
But Thomas then made 3-pointers at both ends of a 14-6 run that put the Clippers up 85-69 with 3:33 to go in the third quarter.
``To our credit we came out in the third quarter and played much harder,'' Orlando coach Brian Hill said, ``but they continued to make shots.''
It was never close in the fourth quarter.
Cassell hit a running jumper with 5:48 to play that put the Clippers up 19 and Brand made a free throw to take the lead to 20.
Cassell, the Clippers' leading scorer, was left out of the starting lineup for the first time since opening night.
He came into a close game late in the first quarter and quickly took control.
Cassell had three assists and four points in an 18-11 run to open the second quarter as the Clippers took a 15-point lead 53-38 with 5:58 to play in the half.
Brand hit a 16-foot jumper with 2:10 to play to give the Clippers an 18-point lead, their biggest of the half.
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Los Angeles, Dec. 3 (AP) -- Elton Brand helped the Los Angeles Clippers take back some of their turf.
Brand scored 31 points Sunday night and the Clippers rebounded from a home loss one night earlier to the crosstown rival Lakers by beating an Orlando Magic team that was treating every floor as its own.
Brand shot 12-for-14 from the field in a 116-91 Clippers' victory that snapped the Magic's seven-game winning streak.
``We had to reclaim the home court,'' Brand said. ``Especially against the number one team in the East, who had won some games on the road already. They were very hot.''
Tim Thomas added 20 points, shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range for the Clippers.
It was the biggest victory margin of the season for the Clippers (8-8), and the Magic's worst losing margin.
``I feel like for 48 minutes we played a really good game, maybe our best game of the year,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.
Dwight Howard had 16 points and Hedo Turkoglu added 15 for Orlando, which had its roughest night by far on what had been a stellar road trip.
``We didn't come out prepared to play tonight,'' said the Magic's Keyon Dooling. ``They beat us in every facet of the game.''
Orlando (13-5), which still has the best record in the Eastern Conference, was 3-0 on the current trip and had won four straight on the road overall. The Magic have lost just twice in 12 games.
Their four-game road winning streak had matched the second longest in team history and included a win over the West-leading Utah Jazz and a last-second victory over the Portland Trailblazers.
The Clippers led by 17 at halftime, and the Magic were within single digits just twice in the second half.
Corey Maggette added 17 points and Sam Cassell had 13 for the Clippers, who shot 60.3 percent from the field.
Brand, who had 17 points in the first quarter and 21 in the first half, hit jumpers from all over the floor and finished two points short of his season high.
``Something had to give, something had to change, so I had to be aggressive,'' Brand said. ``This is the first step in getting back our winning ways.''
Dunleavy said that the Brand he saw Sunday night reminded him of the player that led his team to its best-ever season in Los Angeles last year.
``He's got a lot of bounce back in his step and he looked confident in his shot,'' Dunleavy said. ``That's what we got used to seeing last year.''
Orlando opened the second half with a 14-5 run, capped by Darko Milicic's dunk off Grant Hill's assist, to cut the Clippers' lead to 71-63.
But Thomas then made 3-pointers at both ends of a 14-6 run that put the Clippers up 85-69 with 3:33 to go in the third quarter.
``To our credit we came out in the third quarter and played much harder,'' Orlando coach Brian Hill said, ``but they continued to make shots.''
It was never close in the fourth quarter.
Cassell hit a running jumper with 5:48 to play that put the Clippers up 19 and Brand made a free throw to take the lead to 20.
Cassell, the Clippers' leading scorer, was left out of the starting lineup for the first time since opening night.
He came into a close game late in the first quarter and quickly took control.
Cassell had three assists and four points in an 18-11 run to open the second quarter as the Clippers took a 15-point lead 53-38 with 5:58 to play in the half.
Brand hit a 16-foot jumper with 2:10 to play to give the Clippers an 18-point lead, their biggest of the half.
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Saturday, December 02, 2006
Bargnani reveals skills gradually
By KEN FIDLIN
The glimpses are still brief, but telling.
Yes, the big picture tells us that Andrea Bargnani has much to learn and far to go before he is an impact player in the NBA. But there are a handful of snapshots from each game that tell us how far he has come in a very short period of time.
A month into his first NBA season, Bargnani's apprenticeship has passed, barely, beyond the deer-in-the-headlights phase. He still makes mistakes. He still makes errors in judgment. Decisions that one day will be instinctive are still being imprinted on his brain.
But even the demands of adjusting to the best basketball league in the world can't mask the weapons that Bargnani brought with him from Italy for his rookie season.
Last night was typical of the progress he has made. He entered the game with a few ticks more than four minutes left in the first quarter and within a few seconds he had blocked an Al Jefferson shot, a rare but subtle flash of defence in a quarter when the Celtics shot an incredible 77% from the floor.
But there was nothing subtle about the monster dunk he authored halfway through the second quarter. Taking a pass from T.J. Ford, Bargnani thundered down the lane and elevated his seven-foot body a full two feet above the rim, slamming it home to give Toronto a 41-39 lead.
'ELECTRIFIED'
"That just electrified everybody on the bench," said assistant coach Jim Todd.
"I give it a 10 out of 10," said injured teammate Mo Peterson. "He is so long. He got way up there."
A few minutes later, Bargnani made a brilliant, leaping pass to Anthony Parker for an assist on an easy layup, another sign that Bargnani is learning. Passing the ball has not been his first instinct but this one was a beauty.
In the second half, Bargnani nailed a three-ball, the only one of the night for the Raptors, who have now hit a three in 630 consecutive games.
"Every day I feel more comfortable," said Bargnani. "Every day I get a little more confidence, but I know that for everything I have learned, there is much more that I still have to learn.
"It's basketball."
It's also a lot of pressure. Consider all the weight that rests on the 21-year-old's shoulders. Not only does he wear the pressure of the NBA's No. 1 draft choice, he is wearing the mantle of all of Europe, as the first player from that continent to be picked first overall.
Unlike most players, there is little chance he could travel under the radar while he makes his rookie mistakes, learning his craft as he goes along.
Coach Sam Mitchell has suggested that for a player such as Bargnani with multiple skills, it can be even more difficult to make the transition. The coach figures that a player with one dominant skill -- a shooter, for example -- needs only to concentrate on what he does well, which is shoot.
A player such as Bargnani, who can shoot, play the power game and defend, can sometimes get himself in trouble by thinking too much.
He also has been foul-prone, often getting himself in quick trouble which can reduce his minutes. A good many of those fouls are "rookie" fouls that would not be called on a veteran, whether the officials want to admit it or not.
"Yeah, he's a rookie," concedes Parker. "But, man, he's the No. 1 pick. That should count for something. They've got to cut him a little slack."
Parker, who as a returnee from Europe, appreciates all that Bargnani has to deal with, both on the court and off.
"He's doing a great job," said Parker. "He's doing the work and he is learning when to shoot, when to put it on the floor, when to swing it. I think everybody recognizes that Andrea is making huge progress."
In the end, the Raptors as a team, did what they had to do to beat the Celtics last night, making the plays they had to make down the stretch to win 106-102.
And also in the end, it was another brick in the foundation of what will no doubt be a long NBA career for Bargnani.
More Info
The glimpses are still brief, but telling.
Yes, the big picture tells us that Andrea Bargnani has much to learn and far to go before he is an impact player in the NBA. But there are a handful of snapshots from each game that tell us how far he has come in a very short period of time.
A month into his first NBA season, Bargnani's apprenticeship has passed, barely, beyond the deer-in-the-headlights phase. He still makes mistakes. He still makes errors in judgment. Decisions that one day will be instinctive are still being imprinted on his brain.
But even the demands of adjusting to the best basketball league in the world can't mask the weapons that Bargnani brought with him from Italy for his rookie season.
Last night was typical of the progress he has made. He entered the game with a few ticks more than four minutes left in the first quarter and within a few seconds he had blocked an Al Jefferson shot, a rare but subtle flash of defence in a quarter when the Celtics shot an incredible 77% from the floor.
But there was nothing subtle about the monster dunk he authored halfway through the second quarter. Taking a pass from T.J. Ford, Bargnani thundered down the lane and elevated his seven-foot body a full two feet above the rim, slamming it home to give Toronto a 41-39 lead.
'ELECTRIFIED'
"That just electrified everybody on the bench," said assistant coach Jim Todd.
"I give it a 10 out of 10," said injured teammate Mo Peterson. "He is so long. He got way up there."
A few minutes later, Bargnani made a brilliant, leaping pass to Anthony Parker for an assist on an easy layup, another sign that Bargnani is learning. Passing the ball has not been his first instinct but this one was a beauty.
In the second half, Bargnani nailed a three-ball, the only one of the night for the Raptors, who have now hit a three in 630 consecutive games.
"Every day I feel more comfortable," said Bargnani. "Every day I get a little more confidence, but I know that for everything I have learned, there is much more that I still have to learn.
"It's basketball."
It's also a lot of pressure. Consider all the weight that rests on the 21-year-old's shoulders. Not only does he wear the pressure of the NBA's No. 1 draft choice, he is wearing the mantle of all of Europe, as the first player from that continent to be picked first overall.
Unlike most players, there is little chance he could travel under the radar while he makes his rookie mistakes, learning his craft as he goes along.
Coach Sam Mitchell has suggested that for a player such as Bargnani with multiple skills, it can be even more difficult to make the transition. The coach figures that a player with one dominant skill -- a shooter, for example -- needs only to concentrate on what he does well, which is shoot.
A player such as Bargnani, who can shoot, play the power game and defend, can sometimes get himself in trouble by thinking too much.
He also has been foul-prone, often getting himself in quick trouble which can reduce his minutes. A good many of those fouls are "rookie" fouls that would not be called on a veteran, whether the officials want to admit it or not.
"Yeah, he's a rookie," concedes Parker. "But, man, he's the No. 1 pick. That should count for something. They've got to cut him a little slack."
Parker, who as a returnee from Europe, appreciates all that Bargnani has to deal with, both on the court and off.
"He's doing a great job," said Parker. "He's doing the work and he is learning when to shoot, when to put it on the floor, when to swing it. I think everybody recognizes that Andrea is making huge progress."
In the end, the Raptors as a team, did what they had to do to beat the Celtics last night, making the plays they had to make down the stretch to win 106-102.
And also in the end, it was another brick in the foundation of what will no doubt be a long NBA career for Bargnani.
More Info
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