Archive for April, 2008

Bruce Boudreau has been given a contract to stay on as coach of the Washington Capitals, a reward for leading the team from last place in the league to the Southeast Division title and its first playoff appearance since 2003.

Capitals General Manager George McPhee said Wednesday that Boudreau was under contract “for a long time.” McPhee said it was his policy not to discuss details of coaches’ contracts.

Boudreau was promoted from the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears in late November to replace Glen Hanlon, who had been fired.

The Capitals were a league-worst 6-14-1 at the time. They went 37-17-7 under Boudreau to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003. They lost their first-round series against Philadelphia in seven games.

NBC EXTENDS CONTRACT NBC announced that it had decided to exercise its option and extend its contract to broadcast N.H.L. games next season. NBC will continue to televise Sunday afternoon games and some playoff games.

CANUCKS HIRE NEW G.M. The Vancouver Canucks hired Mike Gillis, an agent and former N.H.L. player, as their general manager. Gillis replaces Dave Nonis, who was fired April 14 after the Canucks finished the season 39-33-10 and missed the playoffs. Gillis, 49, signed a five-year dea

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kobe Bryant poured in 49 points to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game Two of their Western Conference quarter-final on Thursday.

The All Star guard, urged on by repeated crowd chants of “MVPMVP,” also contributed 10 assists and four rebounds as the Lakers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Although Denver guard Allen Iversen, with 31 points, and forward Carmelo Anthony, with 23, kept the visitors in touch well into the third period, the Lakers pulled away in the final quarter.

Game Three is in Denver on Saturday when the Nuggets face the uphill task of battling their way back against the conference top seeds.

Although the Lakers had trouble finishing early on and trailed for much of a high-energy first quarter at a capacity Staples Center, Bryant contributed 20 points to help the home team steal a 33-32 lead.

The Lakers tightened their grip in the second period, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Bryant and Vladimir Radmanovic each pouring in three-pointers to put them ahead 59-49 at halftime.

Straight after the break, Spaniard Pau Gasol landed a two-pointer to give the Lakers a commanding 12-point lead but the Nuggets steadily clawed their way back before edging ahead 68-67.

The tide again turned as Los Angeles hit back, Bryant lifting his own tally to 30 after swooping on a perfect Gasol lay-up before another Vujacic three-pointer put the Lakers 89-79 up going into the final quarter.

Bryant then delivered a master class with several hard-driving runs, twisting assists and a couple of three-pointers to strengthen the Lakers grip.

After scoring 19 more points, he left the court to a standing ovation with the outcome decided.

Gasol and Walton, off the bench, finished with 18 points apiece while Lakers veteran Derek Fisher contributed 10, along with five rebounds and three assists.

“There Can Only Be One” is designed to bring to life the dedication, desire, and sacrifice that create the intense emotions and drama of one of sport’s premier postseason events: the NBA Playoffs & The Finals. A breadth of players from every playoff team emphasize a team-oriented mindset and knowledge that there can only be one team that emerges — each night, each series, and ultimately an NBA Championship:

“We’re gonna’ win, yeah. That’s not me bragging, that’s me believing. That’s me believing in myself …and my teammates.”

Directed by the husband and wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), the campaign represents the depth of the entire playoffs story, and will adapt, narrow, intensify and refocus as the teams drop off and only two are left vying for the championship. The debut spots feature Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal speaking on “fear,” while LeBron James and Kevin Garnett discuss “the dream.” Each subsequent spot will be specific to one of the match-ups, and will feature one of three players from each team, face-to-face.

The Detroit Pistons looked a lot like the team that reached the last five Eastern Conference finals. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 16 points in the first quarter and had plenty of help at both ends of the court in a 105-88 series-evening victory over the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 2 on Wednesday night.

“They were clicking everywhere,” Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala said. “Those are the Detroit Pistons that we expect to see.”

The Sixers took advantage of Detroit’s lackluster focus in the first-round opener, rallying from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter for a 90-86 win.

“We were disappointed, upset and mad about what happened,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “Our players responded.”

Wallace led the way with another good game against his hometown Sixers.

Unlike the series opener, a few Detroit starters helped him out.

Wallace was one of four Pistons scoring in double figures as they took a 17-point halftime lead, while the 76ers had only Andre Miller, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half.

Detroit refused to let the young Sixers come back again.

The Pistons played with a sense of urgency, swarming Philadelphia on defense and relentlessly going after offensive rebounds for extra scoring opportunities.

“When they did miss, they beat us to the boards and got second-chance points,” Iguodala said.

Chauncey Billups made a 3-pointer early in the third - his first field goal - and made another from beyond the arc later in the quarter to put Detroit ahead 73-47.

The Pistons didn’t have any trouble holding onto the lead.

“We were focused, really locked in on what we had to do,” Billups said. “We got off to a quick start and we never let up. All five starters played good, and we all shot the ball well. That makes us tough.

“Then the kids came in and played great.”

Game 3 is Friday night in Philadelphia.

“We’ve got to be able to respond,” Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

In Sunday’s loss, Wallace had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.

His fellow starters combined to make less than one-third of their shots and missed key free throws.

Wallace and Co. put together a balanced attack in Game 2.

Each of the starters shot at least 50 percent and four had 16 points through three quarters, then all but Richard Hamilton rested in the fourth.

Hamilton finished with 20 points and seven assists, Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess both added 16 points and rookie Rodney Stuckey had 12 after being held scoreless in his playoff debut.

“It wasn’t just the one guy tonight, it was several guys in the first half,” Cheeks said. “Then, Chauncey made shots in the second half he normally makes.”

Philadelphia reserves Louis Williams (17), Reggie Evans (13) and Rodney Carney (11) all scored career playoff highs.

Iguodala got off to another rough start. Unlike Game 1, he didn’t bounce back because of Prince’s defense.

Iguodala was scoreless in the first half on 0-for-7 shooting and finished with four points after averaging 20 in the regular season and scoring 16 Sunday.

“Tay did a good job, preventing him from getting quick looks and bursts toward the basket,” Saunders said. “And, he contested every one of his shots.”

Miller was the only Philadelphia starter who played well when the game was close, but Detroit didn’t make it easy on the point guard by pressing him all over the court.

“Defensively, they were more aggressive guarding us up the floor,” Cheeks said. “And, they were more aggressive against us on screen and rolls.”

Samuel Dalembert of the Sixers had three points - giving him eight in the series - Thaddeus Young scored 11 and Willie Green added six points after setting a career playoff high with 17 in the opener.

Philadelphia’s reservers outscored its starters 50-3

There was a moment of silence before the game for longtime NBA referee Darell Garretson, who died Monday. … Perhaps more than any coach in the league, Cheeks engaged the regular hecklers that sit behind the visitors’ bench at The Palace. When one fan was shouting 40-42 - referring to the team’s regular season record - Cheeks smiled and replied, “We’re 1-0.” … Hamilton was called for a technical foul in the third quarter.

  Rockets fans have found the first two games of the first-round Western Conference series against the Utah Jazz hard to watch, imagine how the view has been for Rafer Alston.It has been absolutely painful, and that’s not a reference to the strained hamstring that has kept the Rockets’ starting point guard on the bench, where he has an excellent view of his team’s plunge into a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series.

“We fought hard together in the regular season to get to this point, so to have to sit out and watch the team drop a couple of games, it hurts,” Alston said. “I’d rather sit out and watch our team win.”

Or better yet, help them win.

As the Rockets prepare for Thursday’s Game 3 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Alston thinks there’s a good chance he’ll finally be on the court passing the ball rather than on the bench passing time.

“I’m pushing hard,” Alston said of his rehab work. “I’m closer than I was two days ago. I’m doing things that I would have to do — slash, cut, being able to slide. Right now I’m pushing for Game 3.”

The reasons for the Rockets’ first two losses are many, but the biggest is that the team has been shorthanded, forced to play without starters Alston and Yao Ming.

Forced to carry more of the offensive burden, Tracy McGrady produced 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in Monday’s 90-84 loss. But he scored only one point in the fourth quarter, which is one more than he scored in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

“Now he has to play point guard rather than just being himself,” Alston said. “I think him having to do so much is causing these performances in the fourth quarter.”

Losing Alston means more than having McGrady try to take over too many aspects of the game. It also means going without Alston’s averages of 13.1 points and 5.3 assists. And by moving Bobby Jackson into the starting lineup, the Rockets lose Jackson’s vital contributions off the bench.

“I get to go back to the bench (when Alston returns), and our bench has been struggling to score points,” said Jackson, who is averaging 12.5 points in the first two games but shooting only 31 percent from the floor. “Their bench is outscoring our bench (54-32 in the first two games).

“I think the benches are going to play a big, big part of who wins this series. Hopefully I can be that guy who can put energy into the game and provide some scoring.”

But will Alston be ready to contribute? Nobody knows for sure, but with the Rockets in all-hands-on-deck mode, they certainly could use a steady hand like him.

“It would really help us,” said coach Rick Adelman. “It gives us more depth again. Then again, he’s been sitting around for a week. How sharp is he going to be? … We’ll just have to take it day by day.”

  Hedo Turkoglu drove the lane for an acrobatic layup and made two free throws in the final minute Tuesday night for the Orlando Magic, which held on for a 104-103 victory and took a 2-0 lead over the visiting Toronto Raptors in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Chris Bosh had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, but missed a 19-footer with 1.9 seconds left that could have won the game.

Dwight Howard had 29 points and 20 rebounds, his second straight 20-20 game for the Magic. He is the first player in nearly 40 years to record consecutive playoff games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. Nate Thurmond did it for the San Francisco Warriors in 1969.

Toronto took a 101-100 lead with 1 minute 4 seconds left on three consecutive 3-pointers and a free throw.

But Turkoglu hit his layup to put Orlando ahead, 102-101, then pushed the lead to 3 points when he sank two free throws. Carlos Delfino made a layup with 9.6 seconds left for the final margin.

Toronto isolated Bosh for the last shot, but he missed it.

Turkoglu finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three members of Congress want the Justice Department to investigate whether the Bowl Championship Series is an illegal enterprise
Representatives Neil Abercrombie, Democrat of Hawaii; Lynn Westmoreland, Republican of Georgia; and Mike Simpson, Republican of Idaho, introduced a resolution saying the B.C.S. restricts trade because only the largest universities compete in its games. The resolution would require the Justice Department’s antitrust division to investigate if the B.C.S. violates federal law.

The measure, if it passes, would put Congress on record as supporting a postseason playoff.

The three lawmakers represent home-state universities with recent complaints against the B.C.S.

“Who elected these N.C.A.A. people?” Abercrombie said at a news conference Thursday on Capitol Hill while gripping a souvenir University of Hawaii football. “Who are they to decide who competes for the championship?”

Hawaii and Boise State each had undefeated seasons in recent years, but were denied a chance at the B.C.S. championship. Westmoreland said he was still upset about Georgia being passed over for the championship game last January.

Georgia was instead matched against undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, winning by 41-10.

John Swofford, the B.C.S. administrator and the Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner, said the B.C.S. allowed all qualified teams to participate and was beneficial to student-athletes, universities and fans.

“This issue has been looked at before,” Swofford said in a statement. “We’re confident that it complies with the law.”

Howard D. Schultz, who recently took back control of the Starbucks coffee empire, wants to unravel his sale of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006 to a group led by Clay Bennett.

Schultz’s lawyer said he was planning to sue Bennett on grounds that he did not make a good-faith (or good-enough-faith) effort to keep the team in Seattle.

Meanwhile, the N.B.A. Board of Governors is expected Friday to vote to approve Bennett’s application to move the team to Oklahoma City.

David Stern, the N.B.A. commissioner, said in an interview Thursday that the vote would proceed despite pleas to delay it from local, state and federal officials in Washington.

“The relocation committee has given us its approval,” he said, “and we will act lawfully subject to their lease arrangements at the KeyArena.”

Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks, sees no benefit to the Sonics’ leaving the 14th-largest market for one 62 percent smaller. “I think Oklahoma City is a better market than some others we are in now,” he said by e-mail message, “but it’s not better than Seattle.”

The Sonics’ relocation is developing as the ugliest since Art Modell stunned Cleveland in 1995 with his plan to move the Browns to Baltimore.

The Sonics want out of the KeyArena lease because they claim the building cannot financially support the team (which has lost 51 and 62 games in the Bennett era and seen attendance fall 17.5 percent). The city has sued to force the Sonics to abide by the lease, which expires in 2009-10. The team claims KeyArena is the engine for its losses of $55 million dating to 1999; the city says it wouldn’t have spent $75 million to renovate KeyArena in 1994 if it didn’t expect the team to stay until 2010.

Since the Bennett group alighted in Seattle, its assumed intention was moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City, where Bennett is in the investment business. His group includes other rich Sooners.

In e-mail messages that form the basis for bad faith argued in the city’s lawsuit against Bennett, they seem eager to get out of Schultz’s town.

“Is there any way to move here for next season or are we doomed to have another lame-duck season in Seattle?” Tom Ward, a co-owner, wrote to Bennett in April 2007.

“I am a man possessed!” Bennett responded. “Will do everything we can.”

“I am willing to help any way I can to watch ball here next year,” Ward said.

Last August, another investor, Aubrey McClendon, publicly voiced a view that led Stern to fine him $250,000. “We didn’t buy the team to keep it in Seattle,” he said.

Bennett then sent an e-mail message to Stern in which he distanced himself from McClendon — “As absolutely remarkable as it may seem, Aubrey and I have never discussed moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City.” He also kissed the commissioner’s ring (with imperfect usage): “You are among a very few, notwithstanding our relative brief actual physical time together that have significantly affected my life. I view you as a role model, as an extraordinarily gifted executive, a deep and compassionate thinker, and a person with a rare and unique charisma that brings out the best in everyone you touch. You are just one of my favorite people on earth. And I so cherish our relationship.”

His obsequiousness is surpassed only by the blithe ignorance that e-mail messages showing a private yen for prairie hoops might become public in a legal action.

“David Stern is obviously committed to this scoundrel,” said Brian Robinson, of the fan group Save Our Sonics.

Stern sloughed off the Bennett cyber-file as demonstrating a “dichotomy” between Bennett and his shareholders, but nothing sinister. He said Bennett has shown him all the good faith required in a failed pursuit of an arena deal in Renton, a city southeast of Seattle. That plan would have required public money to cover most of the arena’s cost. “The Legislature, despite funding baseball and football stadiums, wouldn’t fund a basketball arena,” Stern said. “It was their choice.”

Once in Oklahoma (in the fall or in 2010-11), the Sonics will face the prospect of a cable deal smaller than the one they have now. They will likely be denied funds from a league revenue-sharing pool for needy, money-losing franchises through the end of the labor agreement in 2011 (as the price for swapping a big market for a smaller one).

Those shortfalls could be countered by a sweetheart lease at the Ford Center (which will get a $121.6 million renovation courtesy of Oklahoma City voters) and rebates on payroll taxes being considered by state lawmakers.

Marc Ganis, a sports industry consultant, said the league would not be inclined to return to Seattle as the N.F.L. did to Cleveland. “It’s highly unlikely the N.B.A. would expand to Seattle,” he said. “They’re looking internationally.”

The Los Angeles Lakers took sole possession of the Western Conference lead Suns.Kobe Bryant had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the host Lakers routed the defending N.B.A. champion San Antonio Spurs, 106-85, for their seventh victory in eight games.

“It was a big game for us,” Bryant said. “It was another step in the right direction. Going into the playoffs is all about momentum. Now, we just have to take it up another notch once the playoffs start.”

The Lakers (56-25), who clinched their first Pacific Division championship in four years and at least the No. 3 seed in the West on Friday night, assured themselves of at least a second-place finish in the conference. They are a half-game ahead of New Orleans for the top spot in the conference.

A victory against visiting Sacramento on Tuesday night in the regular-season finale would put the Lakers in position to be the top seed, giving them home-court advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Tony Parker had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Spurs (54-26), who lost for the third time in 13 games.

The Spurs played without their leading scorer, Manu Ginóbili, who missed his second game because of a strained left groin. Robert Horry has not played since March 21 because of a bruised left knee. Horry has been a member of seven championship teams — two with Houston, three with the Lakers and two with San Antonio.

“I’m very concerned about Robert,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. “I don’t know when we’re going to get him back. The knee’s really bothering him.”

PISTONS 91, RAPTORS 84 Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey combined for 18 fourth-quarter points as Detroit beat visiting Toronto.

The loss dropped the Raptors (40-40) into a tie with Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed with two games left. The sixth seed will play Orlando in the first round; the seventh seed will face Detroit.

The score was tied at 65-65 early in the fourth, and the Pistons had all five starters on the bench, having already clinched the second seed.

Ron Artest returned from a thumb injury to hit four clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and the Sacramento Kings dealt a big blow to New Orleans’ hopes for the top seed in the Western Conference with a 94-91 victory over the Hornets on Saturday night.

The loss dropped the Hornets (55-25) into a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the top spot in the West with only two games remaining. The Lakers control the tiebreaker with New Orleans based on a better conference record.

By losing back-to-back games to the Lakers and Kings, the Hornets are also in trouble in the Southwest Division. They lead San Antonio and Houston by only a half-game, meaning they could go from fighting for home-court throughout the Western Conference playoffs to opening on the road when the postseason begins next weekend.

If that does happen, New Orleans can blame a loss to the short-handed Kings. Sacramento was without leading scorer Kevin Martin (right knee) and center Brad Miller (leg and elbow injuries). But Artest returned after missing three of four games with a sprained right thumb and hit all the key shots on the way to a 22-point night.

His back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth gave the Kings the lead for good. He put Sacramento up by seven with another long-range shot with 2:55 remaining, then nailed an off-balance 3 from the corner that made it 91-85 with 51 seconds to go.

New Orleans stayed in it, getting three free throws by Morris Peterson to cut it to four with 23 seconds left after a bad foul by Francisco Garcia. After a 5-second violation by Sacramento on the inbound pass, Peja Stojakovic hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to make it 92-91.

John Salmons hit two free throws to make it a three-point game and Stojakovic missed a 3-pointer from straightaway that would have tied it.

Salmons added 18 points and 11 rebounds and Garcia also had 16 points for the Kings, who will play a key role in the race for the top seed because they finish the season with games against San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers next week.

David West led New Orleans with 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Stojakovic added 18 points. But All-Star point guard Chris Paul had another rough shooting night, finishing with 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. Paul did have 12 assists, but is shooting just 16-for-48 the last four games.

New Orleans went on a 15-2 run in the third quarter that was helped out by poor foul shooting by the Kings. Spencer Hawes missed a pair, including an airball on his second attempt, and Salmons also missed two free throws as the Hornets built an eight-point lead.

New Orleans got its first basket of the game from Paul during the spurt, a driving layup that turned into a three-point play. Peterson also hit his first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer.

But Sacramento moved back into the lead early in the fourth on back-to-back 3-pointers by Artest. That sparked a 10-0 run that made it 80-75 and was capped by a basket from Garcia, who also

blocked two shots in the stretch. Notes: After allowing a season-worst 140 points in a loss at Golden State on Tuesday, Sacramento has given up just 177 in wins over Portland and New Orleans the past two nights. … The Hornets are 14-3 in the second game of back-to-backs.