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Show DAILY Wednesday, May 30, 2007 promised to bring the championship-starved city its first tie since 1964,"and he's closing in on one quicker than anyone expected. "The series is a lot better , being 2 than 1 and going back to Detroit," James said. "I had to be aggressive in the fourth quarter and step up." Chauncey Billups scored 23 points, Rip Hamilton 19 and Tayshaun Prince 15 for the Pistons, who needed wins to go up in the best-o- f seven series and are suddenly the team looking for tr 3-- last-seco- 2-- 0 -- answers. Their frustration boiled over in the fourth when Rasheed Wallace was whistled for a technical during Cleveland's run. In the final minutes, the who couldn't come up big play. With Detroit 9-- 0 it was Pistons with the down a shot Wallace-blocke- in the lane, but Billups rushed a that missed. On Cleveland's next possession, Snow, who only played 1:05, got fouled following a scramble for a loose ball. Snow's free throw put the Cavaliers ahead by four before Antonio McDyess' tip-igot the Pistons within with 4.7 seconds left. James was fouled, and Cleveland's superstar whose poor shooting has been one of his only flaws calmly knocked down both foul shots to make it with four seconds remaining. As James was preparing to shoot, Hamilton walked up n 89-8- 7 free-thro- 91-8- 7 Jazz Continued from Cl Then another. And another. More fouls and some technicals followed. Utah's fans lost their composure, too, going from chants to throwing things on the court. San Antonio handled it all just fine, mainly by making free throws and not doing anything silly. As a reward, the Spurs are one win away from heading to the NBA finals for the third time in five years. "The playoffs are a physical time," Popovich said Tuesday. "Things happen and you move on." Series clinchers, also known as "close-out- " games, are considered the toughest to win, but San Antonio players certainly know the drill. The Spurs are 124 in close-ou- t games since Duncan, Parker and Ginobili teamed up in 2003. Nine of the wins came on their first chance to end a series, including against Denver and Phoenix this postseason. Yet within those numbers lies a nugget of hope for Utah. All four of San Antonio's losses have come at home. Well, that would be good anti-offici- series. the Gibson, who was expected to start if Hughes couldn't, came off the bench and scored 3 11 points as the Cavs built a at the break. "We couldn't keep in front of him," Saunders said. "Gibson played unbelievable." Gibson spent hours in his Houston backyard practicing Billups' trademark fadeaway jumper, and in the second quarter, he stuck one just like 'one of his NBA heroes. Mo--' ments after feeding James for dunk Gibson a hit his Billupsesque shot in the lane. "I just tried to step up and J-do some of those things he 'j (Billups) does," Gibson said. TONY DEJAKAssociated Press On Monday, Hughes didn't Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace objects to a call by official Dan seem confident about getting to play in Game 4. Crawford during the secon&fyuarter Tuesday. He partially tore the plantar fascia in his left foot while and tried to rattle him with a ' Wallace was called for a techmaking a layup in Game 3, an few words nical foul his fifth of these just as James injury he described "as painful had done to Washington's as anything I've dealt with." playoffs by referee Joe Gilbert Arenas in the playoffs But he wanted to play, and afForte for throwing his headlast season. ter being cleared by Cavs docband in frustration as Cleve"I invented that," James land fans sensed a change in tors an hour before tipoff, he momentum. started and played 10 minutes joked. "No, Scottie Pippen inPistons coach Flip Saunders in the first quarter. vented that with Karl Malone. He (Hamilton) tried to mess didn't think Wallace deserved James admired Hughes for with me and I had to stay fothe "T," saying the forward doing what he could. cused." "Him being on the court and was mad at Hamilton. Wallace missed a "I thought it was a terrible saying, 'Who cares about the James hauled in his seventh call," Saunders said. injury? It's about this team,'" rebound to go with 11 assists Gooden hit two jumpers James said. "It don't get no and Cleveland had one of the and James knocked down a bigger than that." k to make biggest wins in its 37 year his9 it with 3:21 remaining. Notes: The Cavs are 10-- in tory. After a three-poiThe Pistons, though, drew on the postseason when James play by scores more than 20. ... Clevethe experience up and down James, Wallace's jumper put the Pistons up 4 with 7:29 their vast playoff resumes and land's 10 wins are its most in the playoffs. ... When Snow left, but the Cavs responded nearly came back. with six straight points, didn't get into Game 3, it was The Cavs got an emotional lift from Larry Hughes, who the first time he hadn't played capped by Sasha Pavlovic's run-ou- t in a game because of a coach's layup that forced the played 17 minutes despite a Pistons to call time. decision since 1998 a span painful foot sprain. But it was As he stormed off the floor, Gibson who helped them tie up of 701 games. tighter-than-tig- Continued from Cl 88-8- 5, CS i Cavs 2-- HERALD 50-4- v ' CS two-hande-d r step-bac- 87-7- 0 77-7- news for the Jazz if they hadn't lost 18 straight games in San Antonio. Utah's skid dates to February 1999, so long ago that Karl Malone and John Stockton had four more years together and the David Robinson-leSpurs were not only still playing in the Alamo-dome- , it was 18 months before ground was broken on their d current arena. and, most famously, Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls faced in getting past the Bad Boy-er- a Detroit Pistons. The Jazz are somewhat fortunate to have experienced all that they have this postseason. Sure, they earned it by beating the Rockets in seven games and Golden State in five, but the Warriors helped by elimiDallas nating the Mavericks in the first round. Whether Utah might've beaten Dallas is irrelevant; the bottom line is that the Jazz are gaining valuable experience there's that word again that should help in 2008 and beyond. After all, Carlos Boozer is 25 and Williams is 22, so the pieces are in place for Utah's revival to continue. The biggest problem for the Jazz this series is that Williams (29.5 points per game) and Boozer (24.5) aren't I Associated Press Writer Elizabeth White in San getting enough help. Utah's scorer is Andrei Antonio and AP Sports Writer Kirilenko at a measly 8.3 Doug Alden in Salt Lake City contributed to this story. points per game. top-seed- Another concern for Utah is that point guard Deron Williams received treatment for a sprained ankle Tuesday. He's expected to play Game 5, but also is getting over a stomach ailment that he said cost him eight pounds over the weekend. Still, San Antonio is bracing for another challenge. Just to get this far, the Jazz had to 6 shake off a season-endin- g deficit in slump, then an the first round. So they're not likely to give up now. "We don't in any way think we are just going to walk in our building and take these guys out," Duncan said. "They have shown they can play with us. They have shown that they are very physical." Utah is likely going through a rite of passage, like Miami's Dwyane Wade endured before his breakthrough last year 3-- 0-- 2 "I think we're playing a little bit weaker than we did the first two rounds. Probably the opponent is a little different," Kirilenko said. "Still, we need to stay as a team for the whole 48 minutes." Utah's inability to spread the scoring isn't a case of Williams and Boozer hogging the ball. Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Derek Fisher and Matt Harpring are mostly missing open shots and losing confidence, resulting in more misses or fewer attempts. "We have guys who are talented enough to pick it up," Boozer said. "We're going to need those guys to pick it up if we're going to have a chance. In Game 5, we're going to have to get all the loose balls, all the rebounds. Every advantage we can have, we're going to have to get." third-highe- Coaches upset at actions of Utah fans THE ASSOCIATED ball decisions away from coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff, Bickerstaff stepped down as coach at the end of the season. He's staying with team as an executive vice president and will essentially be Jordan's top aide. But the Bobcats are looking to fill the role of as sistant GM Karl Hicks, who took a job this spring with the ACC. PRESS If SALT LAKE CITY there is a Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, security is likely to be tighter. Angry Utah fans threw debris onto the court late in the San Antonio Spurs' 9 win Monday night in Game 4, and the shower continued after the buzzer even after repeated pleas over the public address system to not throw anything. Both San Antonio NOTEBOOK 91-7- t Lakers owner arrest- ed on suspicion of DUI: At Carlsbad, Calif., Los Angeles Lakers, owner Jerry Buss was arrested early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. Buss was The taken into custody shortly before 1 a.m. after he drove stahis gold Mercedes-Ben- z tion wagon the wrong way on coach Gregg Popov- ich and Utah coach Jerry Sloan were still unhappy Tuesday about the ugly scene. "It's unfortunate because it's always a few people that create a poor impression It didn't reflect well on Salt Lake City that's for sure," Popovich said in San Antonio, where the Spurs a street in an unincorporated section of Carlsbad that has will try to wrap up the series todouble yellow lines, California day in Game 5. "But on balance, we all know that there are idiots Highway Patrol Officer Tom in every town that can act like Kerns said. that and unfortunately we saw "Although I was driving only some of that." a short distance, it was a bad decision and I was wrong to There were no injuries, aldo it," Buss said in a statement though San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen said he was a issued by the Lakers. "It was a little alarmed to see a container mistake I will not make again." of lip balm coming at him. A woman in the Sloan wasn't around to see vehicle with Buss wasn't arthe ending, but did hear sevrested, Kerns said. He said Buss was "relatively eral rounds of the repeated chants about the officiating. cooperative" when placed He was ejected with 2:34 left under arrest, and was booked after getting his second techni- into the Vista jail for investigacal foul, prompting even more tion of drunken driving and anger by the home fans. driving with a blood alcohol "I still think that's out of content of 0.08 or above. Buss was released around place for basketball, but I can't control that," Sloan said. "I just 10:30 a.m., according to the have an opinion." San Diego County Sheriff's Department Web site. Kerns said I Bobcats target Warriors GM the final results of Buss' blood alcohol test won't be available Higgins: The Charlotte Bobcats for about three weeks. have had preliminary talks with Rod Higgins about becomI Oden paired with Russell in ing general manager, a move first marketing deal: Greg Oden that would reunite him with former boss Michael Jordan. has been drafted by a trading Bobcats spokesman B.J. card Company, and will be on Evans said Tuesday the discusthe same team as Bill Russell. A possible No. 1 draft pick, sions are ongoing. Over the Oden signed a multiyear deal weekend, Golden State granted the Bobcats permission to Tuesday to become a spokesman for Topps Co. His first speak to Higgins, who has deal? A card featuring him and served as the Warriors' GM for the past three seasons. Hig- Russell, the Boston Celtics Hall of Famer, on the 50th annivergins reports to Golden State vice president of basketball sary of the company's first basketball set. operations Chris Mullin. Like Russell, Oden is known Higgins was assistant GM with the Washington Wizards for his ability to dominate a when Jordan from game on the defensive end was the team's president of with his rebounding and shot basketball operations. Higgins blocking. also played in Chicago during "Certainly there's been a lot of comparisons to Bill Russell, Jordan's rookie season with which we don't run away from," the Bulls in 1984-8said Bill Sanders, a vice president Jordan became a of the Bobcats last June and for BDA Sports Management, took the final say on all basket which represents Oden. 2000-200- part-own- SAVE Treatment by allergy specialists for GOOD LUCK ERIKA! children and adults with asthma and allergies to: PLANT POLLENS FOODS HMDS' PETS INSECTVENOM J: W MOLDS are board certified in allergy and asthma as well as pediatrics or internal medicine. All physicians SfHSr 4 Years in a row! Mmf MKHIStU Call Today! HARRIS HEARING CENTER 330 W. Center St. Provo 373-682- 7 o JfJEfJ) mmm) 4. v. -- |