PHOENIX (Arizona): Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal pledged on Thursday to bring an NBA title to the Phoenix Suns much like he did in previous stints with both Los Angeles and Miami.
Speaking at a news conference, one day after being traded from the Heat to the Suns, 35-year-old O'Neal said he believes he can get Phoenix over that final playoff hurdle.
揟he first thing to winning a championship is the belief you can do it,
New Orleans Hornets forward and Serbian Peja Stojakovic believes a mooted expansion of the NBA to include a five-team European division could be good for the game of basketball.
"It's interesting. The only thing that concerns me is the distance,'' Stojakovic said among the All-Star festivities.
"But everything else, I think there are cities and there are arenas that can really prove they are ready to be part of the NBA.''
There are other matters the league will have to explore, such as the willingness of Americans to play for teams based across the Atlantic.
Stojakovic has met a number of Americans who elected to play professionally in European leagues when the NBA didn't work out.
"When I spoke with them, they enjoyed it, especially in the good cities. I know guys who played in Greece, Italy and Spain. They had fun,'' Stojakovic said.
"But every time you're far away from home, family, friends, it's a tough adjustment.''
European crowds would also add another dynamic, such as the singing that football crowds are more known for.
The intensity of the crowd tends to be a bit different as well, Stojakovic said.
"People in Europe, they cheer more with passion and they can't sleep when the team loses,'' he said.
"They're kind of putting more pressure on the team and the players. ... People here, they come to the games, they support the team, they enjoy themselves. Here it's more based on entertainment for the fans and over there it's more straight basketball.
"They sing at some of the games, they do wild things, they throw things at you; (mobile) phones, empty bottles, coins. I think the NBA is going to make sure that doesn't happen if they go there."
Stojakovic will participate in the All-Star 3-point shooting contest.
HOUSTON: Kevin Garnett (pic) scored 22 points and Paul Pierce added 20 as the Boston Celtics beat the Rockets 94-74 on Tuesday, stopping Houston's remarkable victory run at 22 games.
The Rockets hadn't lost since a 97-89 defeat to Utah on Jan 27 and put together the NBA's second-longest winning streak. They ended 11 victories shy of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row.
It was only Houston's second loss in 28 games and their fourth since a 97-93 loss in Boston on Jan 2, a game Tracy McGrady sat out with a knee injury. The Rockets also lost for the first time in 11 games since Yao Ming went out with a season-ending foot injury on Feb 26.
Luis Scola scored 15 for Houston, which had a 15-match home streak snapped.
IN Auburn Hills (Michigan), Richard Hamilton scored 24 points, Rasheed Wallace added 21, as Detroit beat Denver 136-120.
The Nuggets were coming off a record-setting 168-116 victory over Seattle, but it was Detroit's offence that took over on Tuesday. The Pistons hadn't scored 130 points in regulation since beating Denver 130-116 on March 8, 2000.
IN Dallas, Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Vladimir Radmanovic scored 10 of his 21 in the final quarter to give Los Angeles just enough to hold off Dallas 102-100.
The Lakers led by 25 points midway through the third quarter, but were up only 101-100 with 4.8 seconds left. Derek Fisher made one of two foul shots after that, then Dirk Nowitzki had a chance to win it for Dallas but missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
IN Chicago, Luol Deng scored 20 points, and Drew Gooden had 19 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago built a big half-time lead, survived a sluggish third quarter and pulled away to beat New Jersey 112-96.
New Jersey whittled a 24-point half-time deficit to nine early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls didn't falter. In their previous two games, Chicago squandered final-period leads and lost to the 76ers and Hornets.
IN Sacramento, Kevin Martin scored 34 points, Ron Artest added 26 and Sacramento snapped a three-game losing streak against Golden State winning 122-105.
Mikki Moore had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who had lost five of their last six in a rivalry they mostly dominated before the Warriors' ascension last season. Sacramento lost most of a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter, but rallied in the final minutes to preserve their fourth win in five games overall.
In other matches, the Miami Heat beat Milwaukee Bucks 112-106 on the road, while in Portland, the Phoenix Suns beat hosts the Trail Blazers 111-98. -- AP
baru aje discuss pasal NBA dengan seorang kawan tu.. pasal hakeem olujuwon - ex rocket's.. teringat masa kat canada - what a great player he is.. welll one of anyways.. and rocket used to be one of the greatest teams along with lakers celtics bulls.. but this season is their great season and hopefully they remains!! -
by losing to denver, warriors may be sitting home this post season (unless they win all of their games and nuggets lose theirs). golden state could be the first 50-win team to not make the playoff in nba history.
1. Denver 114-128 Los Angeles
2. Denver 107-122 Los Angeles
3. Denver 84-108 Los Angeles
4. Denver 101-107 Los Angeles
Lakers win series 4-0
(2) New Orleans Hornets
(7) Dallas Mavericks
1. Dallas 92-104 New Orleans
2. Dallas 103-127 New Orleans
3. Dallas 97-87 New Orleans
4. Dallas 84-97 New Orleans
5. Dallas 94-99 New Orleans
Hornets win series 4-1
(3) San Antonio Spurs
(6) Phoenix Suns
1. Phoenix 115-117 2OT San Antonio
2. Phoenix 96-102 San Antonio
3. Phoenix 99-115 San Antonio
4. Phoenix 105-86 San Antonio
5. Phoenix 87-92 San Antonio
1. Atlanta 81-104 Boston
2. Atlanta 77-96 Boston
3. Atlanta 102-93 Boston
4. Atlanta 97-92 Boston
5. Atlanta 85-110 Boston
6. Atlanta 103-100 Boston
7. Atlanta 65-99 Boston
Celtics win series 4-3
(2) Detroit Pistons
(7) Philadelphia 76ers
1. Philadelphia 90-86 Detroit
2. Philadelphia 88-105 Detroit
3. Philadelphia 95-75 Detroit
4. Philadelphia 84-93 Detroit
5. Philadelphia 81-98 Detroit
6. Philadelphia 77-100 Detroit
Pistons win series 4-2
(3) Orlando Magic
(6) Toronto Raptors
1. Toronto 100-114 Orlando
2. Toronto 103-104 Orlando
3. Toronto 108-94 Orlando
4. Toronto 94-106 Orlando
5. Toronto 92-102 Orlando
Magic win series 4-1
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers
(5) Washington Wizards
1. Washington 86-93 Cleveland
2. Washington 86-116 Cleveland
3. Washington 108-72 Cleveland
4. Washington 97-100 Cleveland
5. Washington 88-87 Cleveland
6. Washington 88-105 Cleveland
it's okay. only one game in best of seven. i want the suns to win too. nash is running out of time. would love to see him win at least one ring before he retires.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)桹rlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saw something different about Dwight Howard heading into the playoffs.
The 22-year-old All-Star, usually the team抯 biggest jokester, suddenly got serious. So did his already-impressive numbers.
Howard had 21 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks梙is third 20-20 game in the series梐nd the Magic advanced to second round for the first time in 12 years by beating the Toronto Raptors 102-92 in Game 5 on Monday night.
DENVER (AP)桾he Denver Nuggets finally gave the Los Angeles Lakers a good fight.
No surrender on this night. No frustration fouls filling up the fourth quarter of another blowout.
No matter. The Lakers dispatched the tempestuous Nuggets anyway.
Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 31 points over the final 5 1/2 minutes Monday night, leading the Lakers to a 107-101 victory and a sweep of their first-round series.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)桪avid West stumbled toward the sideline after hitting a fadeaway as he was fouled, then turned toward the bench and slapped the extended hand of Hornets coach Byron Scott.
It was an impromptu but fitting exchange between a player and coach who had plenty to celebrate on Tuesday night.
On the day Scott was named NBA coach of the year for the first time, he gave fans in New Orleans another first: an NBA playoff series victory.
Chris Paul had 24 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds, and the Hornets held on for a 99-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to win their first-round series in five games.
Post time 8-2-2008 10:53 AM
Author
i hate spurs
