Wife of 76ers\’ Iverson files for divorce
Allen Iverson\’s wife filed for divorce the same day the Philadelphia 76ers announced that the All-Star guard would not return for the rest of the season.
Tawanna Iverson said their 8?-year marriage is \”irretrievably broken,\” in papers filed Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court. She asks for full custody of the couple\’s five children, child support and alimony.
The youngest child is 17 months old and the oldest is 15.
After rejoining the 76ers as a free agent in December, Iverson returned to Atlanta in February to be with his family and deal with an undisclosed illness affecting his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.
The 34-year-old Iverson made a tearful return to Philadelphia eager to prove he wasn\’t finished after disastrous stints in Detroit and Memphis. He played his first game back before a sold-out crowd dotted with No. 3 jerseys, but he only showed flashes of his former playmaking ability. He scored at least 20 points six times – including a 23-point effort in a game against the Lakers that turned into a throwback one-on-one duel vs. Kobe Bryant.
The former league MVP and four-time scoring champion averaged 13.8 points in 28 games this season. He started the season with Memphis but only played three games before announcing a short-lived retirement.
He has struggled to recapture his old magic; Iverson said at a Feb. 15 practice that it was emotionally draining to leave his family to play basketball.
Iverson was hobbled by an arthritic left knee and constantly needed it drained. He usually walked gingerly around the locker room after games. His dwindling production didn\’t bother his fans – Iverson was voted a starter for the East All-Stars, though he did not play.
Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent 10 seasons in Philadelphia before he was traded to Denver in December 2006. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the NBA finals.
Kobe shines before Heat stifles Lakers in overtime
The Miami Heat overcame a 39-point effort from Kobe Bryant to capture a thrilling 114-111 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday.
Jermaine O\’Neal\’s basket gave Miami a 111-109 lead with 54 seconds remaining in overtime and the center then drew a vital offensive foul on a driving Bryant as the Heat (31-31) closed out the game with three free throws.
Bryant, whose last-gasp three-pointer beat Miami on Dec. 4, made a game-tying jumper with three seconds left in regulation and scored 12 straight points for the NBA champions late in the game but was unable to prevent a first loss in four games.
Miami All-Star Dwyane Wade scored 27 points and 14 assists to lead the home team to a morale-boosting victory over the Western Conference-leading Lakers (46-16).
Wade may have scored fewer points than Bryant in the match-up between two of the league\’s marquee players but his lower tally was mainly due to his late-game tactic of passing on several shots and providing assists for team mates.
\”That shows my team mates I\’m about winning,\” Wade told reporters. \”I\’m not about, \’I need to hit this shot because Kobe hit one\’. It\’s about making sure we all are confident and we all are good.\”
In a game that featured 31 lead changes, the most in the NBA this season, Miami had a nine-point advantage in the fourth but the Lakers chipped away and led by one with 42 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws from Bryant.
Quentin Richardson answered with a three-pointer as the Heat went ahead 99-97 but the Lakers had plenty of time to give the ball back to Bryant, who entered the night shooing just 34 percent in his last three games.
Richardson finished with 25 points and Carlos Arroyo had 17 for Miami, who are clinging on to the eighth position in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles played the first of a three-game East road trip that concludes in Orlando on Sunday.
\”It\’s one of the tougher ones of the year,\” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of the trip.
\”This is the key game for us, just to get this off right because it\’s (the first game of) a back-to-back and we don\’t want to come out of this game not playing well.\”
Nuggets silence Thunder in Denver
Carmelo Anthony hit 30 points as the Denver Nuggets bounced back from two consecutive losses to thump the in-form Oklahoma City Thunder 119-90 on Wednesday.
After below-average shooting efforts in the two defeats, Anthony started with 15 points in the first quarter and finished with 11 field goals from 19 attempts.
\”It\’s a confidence booster for us,\” Anthony told reporters after suffering from dehydration prior to the game and being administered fluids earlier in the day.
\”OKC (Oklahoma) is a playoff team right now. For us to go out there and do what we did tonight boosts our confidence.\”
The streaking Thunder (36-24), winners of 12 of their last 14 games, struggled throughout, with leading scorer Kevin Durant limited to just 19 points.
In other National Basketball Association games, it was: Celtics 104, Bobcats 80; Hawks 112, 76ers 93; Magic 117, Warriors 90; Cavaliers 111, Nets 92; Knicks 128, Pistons 104; Bucks 100, Wizards 87; Grizzlies 104, Hornets 100; Mavericks 112, Timberwolves 109; Kings 84, Rockets 81; Trail Blazers 102, Pacers 79; and Suns 127, Clippers 101.
In Denver, Colorado, the Nuggets (40-21) led by nine points at halftime then scored 14 straight midway through the third to open up a 27-point advantage.
\”We\’ve been focusing so much and playing harder than we did tonight,\” Durant said. \”It\’s a minor setback. It happens, but we don\’t want it to happen this time of the year.\”
The Nuggets led by as much as 41 in a dominating effort that saw the home team make more than 50 percent of its shots. Denver remained a half-game behind the Dallas Mavericks for second place in the Western Conference.
The game featured a matchup between two of the leading three scorers in the NBA in Durant and Anthony, but only one leading player shone.
Anthony had shot a combined 14-for-40 in previous games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns but returned to form while adding eight rebounds and five assists.
J R Smith had 18 points and four three-pointers off the bench for the Nuggets who played without rookie guard Ty Lawson, out a second straight game with injury.
James Harden tallied 19 and Serge Ibaka recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which is making a push for the playoffs with its young roster. Despite the loss, the Thunder are sixth in the competitive West.
In Boston, Paul Pierce scored 27 points to lead the Boston to a comfortable win over Charlotte.
Boston\’s Nate Robinson had 16 points, including three three-pointers in a 90-second span bridging the first and second quarters to key a 16-0 run. The Celtics have easily beaten the Bobcats in all three clashes this season.
Tyrus Thomas had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Charlotte, losers of five of six.
Baby Yao an American? Surely not, say Chinese fans
While everyone knows that NBA center Yao Ming will become a father this summer, the big buzz in China is about whether the baby will be an American.
The Shanghai native\’s personal life is closely followed by his many fans at home, from his 2007 Shanghai wedding to fellow basketball player Ye Li to last month\’s reports the couple is expecting a baby girl in July.
The 2.25-meter star, sidelined this season with a broken left foot, recently returned to the United States with Ye, igniting speculation that the baby will be born there.
Yao\’s baby would automatically be an American citizen if born in the US.
However, Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship.
A few say it would be a betrayal of China and that the Chinese team could be denied a future basketball star.
But most support Yao and don\’t care which country claims the baby.
\”Yao Ming is an individual, not a political tool,\” said one comment on popular basketball Website Hoop China.
\”He has the right to choose where his child is born and what kind of medical care and education will be available to her. His child\’s citizenship has nothing to do with loyalty.\”
Yao and his camp have been tight-lipped on the pregnancy and have not issued any public statements on the matter.
It is not clear if Yao and his wife are indeed planning to have the baby in the US or how they will handle any citizenship issues.
\’Private matter\’
Yao spokesman Zhang Mingji declined to comment on the baby, saying it was a private matter.
He said Yao was still recovering from his injury and was returning to the US to continue treatment.
A number of Chinese celebrities – including actor Jet Li, actress Gong Li and director Chen Kaige – have in recent years been criticized for becoming naturalized citizens of other countries.
Chinese are subject to stringent visa requirements and some of the celebrities argued it was easier to travel internationally with passports from countries like Singapore or the US.
Baby Yao has captured the imagination of fans in China, who wonder what her basketball skills will be like, with a superstar father and 1.9-meter mother who is a former center for China.
Scientists have predicted the girl will grow up to be about 1.86 meters.
Jefferson, Spurs halt Suns\’ winning streak at 5
Richard Jefferson scored 20 points in his best game since losing his starting job as the San Antonio Spurs beat Phoenix 113-110 yesterday to end the Suns\’ five-game winning streak.
Amare Stoudemire had a season-high 41 points and added 12 rebounds for Phoenix, but Jefferson and the Spurs hung on late to hand the Suns only their second loss since the All-Star break.
Jason Richardson could\’ve tied it with about 40 seconds left, but blew an uncontested dunk on a fast break.
Lakers 95, Nuggets 89
At Los Angeles, Lamar Odom scored nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and Pau Gasol had 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame an 11-point third-quarter deficit.
Kobe Bryant was just 3 for 17 from the field, finishing with 14 points and 12 assists. The two-time scoring champion was 1 for 9 in the first three quarters.
Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points for Denver before fouling out with 2:13 to play and the Nuggets down by four.
Hawks 106, Bucks 102, OT
At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored nine of his 24 points in overtime, and Josh Smith had 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Atlanta end Milwaukee\’s winning streak at six.
The Bucks lost for the first time since trading for John Salmons, who finished with a season-high 32 points, including a straightaway 3-pointer that cut it to 103-102 with 9.7 seconds left in the extra period.
Jerry Stackhouse finished with 20 points in a reserve role for the Bucks, who had won six straight overall and six in a row on the road.
Magic 96, Heat 80
At Orlando, Florida, Rashard Lewis had 22 points, and Vince Carter added 17 to help Orlando overcome Dwight Howard\’s sub-par game.
Howard, who had 20 straight double-doubles, was in foul trouble most of the game and finished with seven points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
Dwyane Wade, who returned to the Heat lineup after missing four games because of a strained calf, led Miami with 21 points.
Wizards 89, Nets 85
At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Andray Blatche scored a career-high 36 points and had 15 rebounds, and Randy Foye hit two jumpers in the final 44 seconds for Washington.
Al Thorton added 20 points as Washington rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to deny the Nets (6-53) their first winning streak of the season.
Yi Jianlian had 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for New Jersey, but missed two crucial free throws in the final 1:19. Devin Harris had 18 points and 14 assists.
Thunder 119, Raptors 99
At Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 29 points, and Nenad Krstic had a rare 3-pointer and added 16 points as Oklahoma City handed Toronto its third straight loss without All-Star forward Chris Bosh (sprained left ankle).
Jeff Green had 20 points and matched his career high with four steals for the Thunder. Andrea Bargnani and Sonny Weems each had 14 points to lead Toronto.
Minnesota center Jefferson suspended over drink-driving arrest
Efes Pilsen\’s Andre Hutson (L) drives the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves\’ Al Jefferson during a basketball match in Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul, October 6, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson was banned for two NBA games on Sunday after he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
Jefferson, 25, was stopped by the police for speeding and changing lanes without singaling early Sunday. He was later taken to a hospital for a blood test and hen to jail on suspicion of driving while impaired, said the Minnesota State Patrol.
He was freed after an hour in jail and is scheduled to appear on court on April 23.
LeBron inspires Cavaliers to rare win in Boston
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended a three-year losing streak in Boston with a 108-88 rout over their Eastern Conference rivals on Thursday.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James goes to the basket between Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins (bottom) and Ray Allen in the fourth quarter of Cleveland\’s win in their NBA basketball game in Boston, Massachusetts February 25, 2010. [Agencies]
LeBron James scored 36 points and dished out nine assists to help the Cavaliers snap a nine-game losing run at the TD Garden with their first road win over the Celtics since 2007.
Cleveland (45-14) dominated the second half by a 60-32 margin despite losing Shaquille O\’Neal in the second quarter, when the starting center sprained his thumb and did not return.
\”There was no panic among our guys, they stayed with it,\” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown told reporters. \”We knew 24 minutes (in the second half) is a lot of time left in a game and we started chipping away at it.\”
Boston played without leading scorer Paul Pierce, also nursing a thumb injury, but Ray Allen picked up the slack with a team-high 21 points and Rajon Rondo recorded 19 and 11 assists to lead the home team.
The Celtics (36-20) led for most of the first three quarters but struggled to just 40 percent shooting from the field and managed only 14 points in the final period.
Cleveland used a 20-5 run midway through the fourth to turn a one-point deficit into a 97-83 lead with 4:26 to play.
Guard Mo Williams made three three-pointers in a row during the run and scored 14 of his 19 in the last period.
Anderson Varejao added 14 and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 52 percent from the field.
\”We play faster without Shaq in the lineup,\” James said. \”He\’s going to take as much time as he needs to get healthy, but we need him out there because in the playoffs you can\’t play fast all the time.\”
After a three-game losing skid, NBA leaders Cleveland have won their last two. They had lost their last five regular season games in Boston and four others during the 2008 playoffs.
Raptors beaten by Blazers in NBA match
Brandon Roy scored 20 points for Portland Trail Blazers as the visitors topped the Toronto Raptors 101-87 in a NBA game here on Wednesday evening.
The Trail Blazers opened up a 51-34 lead with 3:43 to play in the first half after Roy\’s three-pointer.
The Raptors cut the lead to 53-47 at the half, thanks to Hedo Turkoglu\’s 15 points. Roy led the Trail Blazers with 13 first-half points.
Turkoglu\’s driving layup with 6:41 to play in the third cut the Trail Blazers lead to 62-59 and Johnson\’s hook shot cut the Portland lead to 64-63 with 4:47 left in the quarter.
But the Trail Blazers fought back and led 78-68 after three despite Jack\’s nine points in the quarter.
Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers: 93-99
Luis Scola(L) of Houston Rockets vies with Drew Gooden of Los Angeles Clippers during their NBA match in Houston, south United States of America, March 25, 2010. (Xinhua Photo)
Cavaliers defeat Hornets 105-92
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates after hitting a three pointer against the New Orleans Hornet during the second half of their NBA basketball in New Orleans, Louisiana March 24, 2010. Cleveland won the game 105-92. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
