Bobcats set win record, beat Wizards 95-86 in OT
Gerald Wallace had 17 points, 19 rebounds and got two opponents to foul out in overtime to help the Charlotte Bobcats set a club record for victories last night with a 95-86 win over the Washington Wizards.
The win was No. 36 of the season for Charlotte, one more than the previous high set last season, and moved the team a step closer to the first playoff berth in its history.
The loss moved the Wizards closer to a dubious bit of history. Washington has dropped 12 straight and will equal a club mark if it loses at Indiana on Wednesday. The Wizards haven\’t won since defeating lowly New Jersey 89-85 on Feb. 28.
Pacers 98, Pistons 83
At Auburn Hills, Danny Granger scored 32 points as the Indiana Pacers ended a nine-game road losing streak.
Detroit was officially eliminated from the playoff race with the loss, ending an eight-year streak of postseason appearances.
Brandon Rush scored 20 points for Indiana, while Troy Murphy added 10 points and 12 rebounds. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 14.
The Pistons lost starting point guard Will Bynum in the first half with a back bruise, then coach John Kuester was ejected for arguing a call in the third quarter.
Knicks 109, Nuggets 104
At New York, Danilo Gallinari scored 17 of his 28 points during a spirited duel with Carmelo Anthony in the third quarter and Al Harrington added 23 points for the Knicks.
New York climbed out of an early 12-point deficit and took control late in the third period. David Lee finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Anthony scored 36 points and Chauncey Billups had 25 for the Nuggets, who lost their second straight as they try to hold onto the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Their magic number for clinching a postseason spot remained at three.
The Nuggets had won the last four meetings – Anthony scored a career-high 50 in the last matchup – their longest winning streak ever against the Knicks. They seemed on their way to easily extending that run before the game changed after halftime.
Denver played its eighth game under Adrian Dantley since coach George Karl was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Mavericks 106, Clippers 96
At Dallas, Jason Kidd celebrated his 37th birthday by scoring a season-high 26 points, much of it coming during a game-breaking spurt at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks came in having lost three of four since winning 13 in a row. They looked good in the first half, scoring 62 points, and were in complete control until Dirk Nowitzki was ejected with 9:16 left in the third quarter for complaining about a foul call.
Dallas ended up scoring just 14 points in the third quarter, and was down by one going into the fourth.
Then Kidd took over.
He had 13 points, three assists and a steal during a 22-3 run that put the Mavericks ahead for good, on their way to equaling Denver for the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Knicks beat Nuggets 109-104
Danilo Gallinari (R) of New York Knicks goes up for a shot in the NBA basketball game against Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden in New York March 23, 2010. Knicks won 109-104. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
Arenas faces three months jail sentence
Prosecutors have recommended that NBA star Gilbert Arenas be sentenced to three months in jail for taking guns into the locker room of the Washington Wizards, according to a 61-page sentencing memo released on Tuesday.
Arenas, who has been suspended for the remainder of the NBA season, is set to be sentenced on Friday for a felony gun charge after a January 15 guilty plea to carrying an unlicensed pistol, a violation of the US capital\’s strict gun laws.
Prosecutors also want Arenas to service three years of probation and perform 300 hours of community service, according to the memo from Assistant US Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh obtained by the Washington Post.
Under a plea deal with Arenas, prosecutors promised not to seek more than six months in jail, but Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin is not bound by the agreement, something he noted two months ago in court.
Arenas could be given probation and community service, the punishment his lawyer calls appropriate, but could also face the maximum of five years in jail.
Marbury\’s future in league uncertain
Stephon Marbury confirmed his status as the CBA\’s top player with an MVP-winning 30-point and 10-assist effort in the league\’s All-Star game over the weekend.
However, that gala performance also marked his last appearance in the CBA this season, and probably forever, as his Shanxi Zhongyu Kylins failed to make the playoffs.
\”I\’m still talking to them (Shanxi) right now. I haven\’t decided (about coming back) and I don\’t know when I will decide,\” Marbury told Sina.com, a Chinese portal site, before the All-Star weekend.
\”I might come back to play in the CBA or play in the NBA it depends on the situation.\”
Marbury joined the NBA in 1996 and the 1.88m point guard was an All-Star in 2001 and 2003. He was also a member of the US team at the 2004 Athens Games, where it finished third.
After the last NBA season, the Boston Celtics offered the then 32-year-old the veteran\’s minimum. He did not take it and later announced he would take a year off from basketball to attend to his business interests.
He joined Shanxi in January and averaged 22.8 points and 9.6 assists in 15 games, which broke the 15-year-old CBA\’s assists record.
Although his efforts were not enough to lead Shanxi to the playoffs, it helped boost the veteran\’s confidence.
\”You know, it\’s not hard for me to play in the NBA as well,\” Marbury said when asked whether he felt it was easier for him to perform in the CBA. \”I\’ve averaged about 20 points and eight assists through my whole career. That\’s what I keep doing. That\’s what I\’m always able to do. It\’s kind of easy for me to do that.\”
Marbury still hopes to play in the NBA one day. But he hinted the fan adoration, and the respect he enjoys from CBA players and coaches, would be hard to give up.
\”They respect me because of what I do on the court,\” he said.
Shanghai ambitious as CBA playoffs tip off
The 2009-10 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season has been a turnaround one for the Shanghai Sharks.
After a successful regular season, Shanghai Sharks, who are owned by Houston Rockets\’ center Yao Ming and led by Yao\’s former teammate Liu Wei (right), have their eyes on a semifinal showdown with defending champions Guangdong Southern Tigers, who boast some of the best Chinese national team players like three-point sharpshooter Zhu Fangyu (left). [China Daily]
Not only was the franchise taken over by its former member and now NBA All-Star center, Yao Ming, but also it has risen from the bottom of the league to be a title contender again.
With 25 wins and seven losses in the regular season, the Sharks finished fourth among the 17 teams in the CBA and, for the first time in the past three years, have qualified for the playoffs, which start this evening.
However, ambitious Shanghai are far from content with their improvement and aiming to win the title – a feat they only achieved once in 2001-02.
\”There is only one goal for us – the championship. Our players are pretty confident and the coach hungers for victory in every single match,\” Zhang Chi, the Shanghai Sharks\’ spokesman, told China Daily.
For a team that only won three matches the previous season, the results have probably exceeded the expectation of the fans and Yao, the team\’s superstar until 2002 when he went to play for the Houston Rockets.
Shanghai aren\’t expecting too many problems from their first-round rivals, Liaoning Panpan, as the Sharks won both their regular-season matches.
However, they would face a much bigger challenge in the next round as they would probably face the defending champions, Guangdong Southern Tigers. Shanghai have not beaten Guangdong so far this season but that hasn\’t shaken the Sharks\’ determination.
\”Guangdong are a very good team and we expect extremely tough matches. But the team\’s desire for a championship is so strong now and we will make it happen step by step.\” Zhang said.
While Shanghai are competing against Liaoning for a semifinal berth this evening, Guangdong face the Bayi Rockets in the first round.
Led by former NBA player Wang Zhizhi, the once 12th-ranked Bayi, China\’s military team, fought back with a four-game winning streak to secure the last playoff berth by edging out Shangdong.
However, neither the Bayi nor the Shanghai are considered the defending champions\’ main rivals.
Zhu Fangyu, Guangdong\’s small forward and last season\’s MVP, has already set his sights on a final against Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
Although Guangdong triumphed over Xinjiang 4-1 in last year\’s finals, their only two losses in this year\’s regular season were meted out by Xinjiang.
\”They are sure to give us some problems but, you know, the finals are quite different from the regular season. If we meet them again we will win and prove we are the real champions again,\” Zhu said.
Xinjiang play Fujian SBS in the opening round while Jiangsu Dragons meet Zhejiang Lions.
The first-round matchups and semifinals are best-of-five while the finals, which start on April 16, are best-of-seven.
Deal pays off, at least against the Knicks
Tracy McGrady asked to go back in, believing he could help pull out a victory over the team that didn\’t want him anymore.
Instead, the day belonged to the players the Houston Rockets acquired when they shipped McGrady out.
Kevin Martin scored 28 points, Jared Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill played key roles down the stretch and Houston rallied to beat the New York Knicks 116-112 on Sunday.
The Rockets acquired Martin from Sacramento and Hill and Jeffries from New York last month in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. The two big men played bigger roles than usual because of injuries and illnesses to Houston\’s frontcourt.
\”When you have a part, a hand in your team winning, especially against a former team, it\’s always fun,\” Jeffries said.
Hill finished with a season-high 13 points while Jeffries, who had been the Knicks\’ best defensive player, stepped in to take some crucial charges in the final quarter.
\”I was trying to find anybody who wanted to guard somebody. He did a great job when he came in,\” Houston coach Rick Adelman said of Jeffries. \”I just thought with his length he could guard (Al) Harrington, he could guard Tracy. He did a great job.\”
Aaron Brooks scored seven straight points in the closing minutes and finished with 16 for the Rockets, who rebounded from Friday\’s loss to Boston and won for the fifth time in six games. Reserves Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger each scored 18 as Houston won despite getting little from ailing forward Luis Scola, then losing Shane Battier to a first-half knee injury.
McGrady finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes but was scoreless in the fourth. He missed all three shots after asking to re-enter to play 5 minutes in the final period, even though he was already over his average of about 25 a game.
\”When you play with some of those guys for five, six years, you definitely want to go out there and compete against them and show them up a little bit,\” McGrady said.
David Lee had 27 points and 20 rebounds for the Knicks, who blew an early 17-point lead. Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas each scored 26, with Douglas making a franchise rookie-record six 3-pointers in the best game of his career.
Houston trailed by three before Brooks\’ 3-pointer with 2:15 to go. After McGrady was short on a jumper, Brooks broke the tie with a floater with 1:49 left, then made it 114-110 with just under a minute remaining by knocking down a long jumper.
Knicks coach Mike D\’Antoni blamed his team\’s poor transition defense.
\”We did not get back and that\’s where you lose the game,\” he said. \”You can\’t control a call here and there. You can\’t control Aaron Brooks making those big shots, which were hard shots. But you can control getting back. We didn\’t get back. We did that in the second quarter and we did it in the fourth, right at the end of the game. It cost us.\”
Bryant makes game winner in return as Lakers beat Grizzlies
Kobe Bryant returned to the court in spectacular fashion, making a game-winning three-pointer to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 99-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant dunks over Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) during the first half of NBA basketball action in Memphis, Tennessee February 23, 2010. [Agencies]
Bryant recorded 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists in his first appearance since missing five games with an injured ankle.
His winning three-pointer came with 4.3 seconds remaining, after he had tied the game with another three-pointer with 54 seconds left on the clock.
The Grizzlies had a final opportunity to win the game but guard O.J. Mayo missed a jump shot at the buzzer.
\”I\’ve spent time and time again shooting thousands of shots. The way I look at it is I only have to make one,\” Bryant told reporters after converting 13 of his 19 attempts from the field.
\”I missed being out there with the guys. I felt like my mum said I could go to the playground again.\”
It was the fifth win in six games for Los Angeles (43-14) who had a 4-1 record while Bryant was sidelined.
Howard powers Magic to 101-95 win over Cavs
Dwight Howard had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a bruising battle with Shaquille O\’Neal as the Orlando Magic beat Cleveland 101-95 on Sunday to hand the Cavaliers their first three-game losing streak in two years.
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard goes to the basket over Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O\’Neal (L) during second half NBA basketball action in Orlando, Florida February 21, 2010. [Agencies]
Cleveland\’s skid comes on the heels of a 13-game win streak.
Howard was 8-for-13 shooting and added four blocks, and Vince Carter had eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Magic beat Cleveland for the first time this season.
O\’Neal made his first eight shots and finished with 20 points, and LeBron James had 33 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were eliminated by Orlando in last year\’s Eastern Conference finals. Nuggets 114, Celtics 105=
At Denver, J.R. Smith scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Denver recovered to beat Boston after blowing an early 20-point lead.
Chauncey Billups had 26 points and Carmelo Anthony added 23 for the Nuggets, who avoided back-to-back losses for the first time since late December with the victory over the NBA\’s top road team.
Ray Allen had 25 points and Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Marquis Daniels added 15 points apiece for the Celtics, who lost for the first time in their last four road games. They remain an NBA-best 20-10 away from home.
NBL aims to parallel CBA
The Chinese National Basketball League (NBL) had signed a multiple-million-RMB contract with with an American co-orperation to build a top basketball league in China, the league announced on Tuesday.
The NBL would no longer be a sub league to the elite Chinese Basketball Association league (CBA) and would be another choice to top level basketball players in China, said Xue Yufei, General Manager of the Chinese Basketball Ltd., the league\’s operating company.
\”We will have an eight-year co-orperation with American invester Mr. Huang Jianhua and his partners. The contract worths over a hundred million RMB, with an option for another eight years co-orperation,\” Xue told Xinhua on Tuesday.
The Lining Ltd. would be the first sponsor of the NBL next season as the China\’s leading sports-wear brand had signed a five-year contract with the league on Monday. Xue said the contract worthes no less than a half of a hundred million RMB.
\”The rules will be changed, the calender will be extended and the television broadcasts will be nation-wide. We\’re working on the whole bunch of changes for the new season. I\’m sure the NBL will be a parallel league to the CBA,\” Xue said.
The NBL league usually lasted for one month in the summer on the basis of half home-and-away system. The regular season was held at one place to save the money.
The new season, which might be opened in June, will last at least three months with 17-18 teams competing on the complete home-and-away system. The CBA league has 17 teams this season.
Several local television channels had showed their interests in broadcasting the season, including the CCTV sports channel, as the NBL is scheduled during the offseason of the CBA league.
\”The NBL will not be another CBA. One of the differences is the NBL will have relegations. Teams will be divided into two levels with the bottom A-level teams might be relegated into the B-level league,\” Xue said.
Players of the CBA need one year off if they want to join in the NBL teams. There was no impediments of transfers from the CBA to the NBL in the previous seasons.
Teams will be allowed to sign no more than two foreign players, same as the CBA, in the new season of the NBL, Xue said.
Local reports said the National Basketball Association (NBA) had planned to co-orperate with the NBL, but failed to meet the inquests of the league.
Huang is a Guangdong-borned Chinese American who lived in the United States. He is a co-partner of several professional sport clubs of the U.S., including the New York Yankee, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets.
He bought the Jilin Northeast Tigers of the CBA last summer to become the first foreign owner of the league.
Former NBA star sentenced to five years in shooting
Former NBA star Jayson Williams was formally sentenced to five years in jail on Tuesday for fatally shooting hired driver Costas Christofi in 2002.
The sentencing by state Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman ended an eight-year legal saga, which Williams concluded with an apology to Christofi\’s family.
Williams, who will be eligible for parole in 18 months, avoided a retrial on a charge of reckless manslaughter by pleading guilty last month to aggravated assault in Christofi\’s death.
He was taken from the court in handcuffs to begin his sentence.
In court on Tuesday, Williams apologized to Andrea Adams, Christofi\’s sister, saying, \”There\’s not a day I wake up that I don\’t feel sorry for what I did to Mr. Christofi and that I put you through this.\”
On the night of the shooting, the 55-year-old Christofi had driven Williams and several of the basketball player\’s friends to Williams\’ mansion after taking them to a local restaurant.
At his plea hearing last month Williams said he gave the group a tour of the house and showed them his gun collection.
He failed to check the safety mechanism on a double-barreled shotgun, which fired and killed Christofi with a shot to the chest.
Williams, who turned 42 on Monday, played nine NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets before a leg injury forced him to retire in 2000.
Williams became an NBA commentator for NBC but was suspended after Christofi\’s shooting.
Williams paid Christofi\’s family more than two million dollars in 2003 to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
