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Show DAILY Friday, January !S, 2008 HERALD C3 NBA ROUNDUP Jazz ."'. Continued from CI that winning their division might he the only way to secure a playoff spot, which made Thursday's game a little more .' . stepped to the line with 3:44 left. The home crowd gave hira a big ovation as he sank both free throws for Denver's final points of the game. Kleiza wasn't the only one racking up special numbers against the Jazz. M arcus Camby tied his career high in rebounds (24) and blocks (11) e to help the Nuggets end a losing streak. "Camby had a terrific game," Utah head coach Jerry Sloan said. "He ran at the basketball and blocked shots and really had us guessing what was happening out orfthe floor." DAVID ZAUIBOWSKIAssociated Press Despite big nights from KleiDeron Jazz Williams, trailed Utah back, reacts as he loses control za and Camby, the Jazz guard of the ball while driving the lane to Denver Nuggets forward by just two after a pair of free Marcus Camby in the fourth quarter Thursday. throws by Mehmet Okur midway through the third quarter. But the Nuggets kept pushing the ball, and Anthony scored feeding him the ball straight earlier this week. "He got most of it leaking "I didn't think our guys were eight of his 23 points in the final three minutes of the period as out," said guard Deron Wilhungry enough on the two lead Denver grabbed a liams, who led the Jazz with 23 games on the road, and they A.I. intofhe and subservient to fourth! were points. "They got the rebound heading t and he was running. When The Nuggets kept up the Melo," Nuggets head coach was missed he was gone." George Karl said. "Tonight, pace, going on a 10-- run in the e first 3:09 of the final quarter there was more of play basketGone, too, is Utah's ball and go." to take a 108-9- lead. The Jazz winning streak that No one epitomized that more helped them creep back into the never got closer than 11 the rest Northwest Division race. With of the way, and Denver led by than Kleiza. Before the game, the Western Conference exas many as 21. Anthony Carter encouraged him to run the floor, and the It was a different Denver tremely competitive this year, the Nuggets and Jazz know team than the one that lost two point guard rewarded him by two-gam- 98-8- the-sho- four-gam- 1 important. "These are the games you have to win," Williams said. "You have to win in your NBA New Jersey PtrtdelpM NewYorK , Charlotte Miami: 8,(8 538 G8 11 13 17 .385 .316 at New jersey h l Antonio, LeBron James scored 27 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat San Antonio in the teams' first meeting since the Spurs swept the NBA finals last season. Zy drunas Ilgauskas added 17 points, and Anderson Varejao scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Cleveland, which has won three in a row. Manu Ginobili scored 31 points for the Spurs, and Tony Parker added 23 points but missed two free throws with 29.4 seconds to play that would have tied the game at 90. Tim Duncan scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds for San Antonio, which has now lost four games at home and dropped to 55 in their last 10 overall. The Spurs swept the Cavaliers 0 in June's finals. Duncan tied it at 88 before James' basket gave the Cavs a lead with 33.6 seconds left. 8 Parker, with a chance to tie, missed his two free throws and Ginobili's attempt didn't fall. Pet ' 4-- 90-8- d Indiana Milwaukee Chicago ,. 585 17 18 15 8 23 486 395 7h 29 216 ,14 20 10 Northwest Denver ' Portland Utah Seattle Minnesota 19 28 Division W L 23 23 22 9 15 15 5 ; Pavlovic 8 .11 V, Golden 13 Sacramento 15 11 LA. Clippers Denver Phoenix 90. San Anionic h 3- - 6, Udoka 0 Totals 90. Horrv 605 18 .550 2 29 32 .237 .135 14 i:7 vi Pet GB A 4'i ;.. 1! 13 .324 19 26 : 17 DENVER 9. 18, Okur 23, Brewer 4. Collins Boozer 78 23. Kleiza 8, Carter 28 31 31 30 (kleiza Out Portland at Orlando, 5 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 5 p.m. Memphis at Charlotte. 5 p.m. New York at Miami, 5:30 p.m. 2. Diawara Utah Denver Miles Utah Williams Smith Anthony Korver 60 120. 29 37 22 Okur (Korver Kinlenko Oiawara Wafer 109 120 21 Denver Carter Camby Fouled Iverson Rebounds 24) Assists Camoy Denver 27 (Carter 21. A 8, 41, Camby 28, 5. Iverson 13, Najera 0. Totals Goals LA. Clippers at Utah, 7 p.m. Golden State at Chicago. 7:30 p.m. Saturday's games Sacramento at Indiana. 5 p.m. 0, (120) Smith 0, Water 7 p.m: 5, 3, Miles 109. 7, Millsap 0. Totals Anthony Seattle at Memphis. 6 p.m. Sacramento at Detroit. 6 p.m. Charlotte at New Orleans. 6 p.m. Finley 120, JAZZ 109 NUGGETS UTAH (109) Kinlenko Haipring Price late Today's games DaJones San (18,797). 16, Williams 16. Hart Korver 88 90 88 17 23 23 22 31 Cleveland (QPson Pavlovic Hughes Bonner iGinohili Barry Parter Udoka Bowen 18.482 v. 684 0, Barry 0, Bonner 88, Fouled Out None Rebounds Cleveland 49 (Varejao 14. San Antonn 49 (Duncan 11). 8 (James 7), San Antonio 18 Assists Cleveland (Parker 61 Total Fouls Cleveland 21 San Antonio San Antonio defensive three second. 17 Technicals 703 .575 .405 20, Obeito 4. Horry Point Goals - 1, James Antonio GB 120, Utah 109 at LA. Lakers, at Phoenix, 4. agauskas 4, Hughes 12. Da.Jones 0 23, Finley 31, Vaughn 3 2, Elson Cleveland San Antonio 6 16 .263 Atlanta at Toronto. 5 p.m.. New York at Washington, 5 p m. Portland at Miami, 5 p.m. at Boston. 5:30 p.m. Philadelphia Minnesota Brawn 0 Parker 0 GinoD -6 GB Thursday's results Cleveland D 0- - Pet .605 11 12 17 22 23 26 23 State 7, 4, IT, Vafeiao 4 Totals SAN ANTONIO (88) Bowen 2, Duncan 13 .513 t W 26 1 Gibson 0 Pacific Division A. Lakers Phoenix L 27. Gooden James SB Pet W 744 10 29 18 21 .538 22 18 450 :410 23 16 22 15 405 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W Pet 12 26 684 12 26 ,684 .676 25 12 Memphis 90, SPURS 88 CAVALIERS CLEVELAND (901 2 4 541 I Dallas New Orleans. San Antonio Houston boxes NBA Thursday's 68 17 17 I Detroit Cleveland 8 30 p m a! LA Clippers, 194 Centra) Division 90, Spurs 88: At San Mas 7pm Sean Division M Washington Atlanta M 6 20 24 26 24 20 Orlando I 18 Southeast divi-sio- I Cavaliers Division W 31 21 18 15 12 Toronto a! Chicago 6 X f m ' AiiK'tiio at Houston $ 30 p m 6 30. p m. Goidfr' Slate at M"auk Minnesota a! Denver 7pm San CONFERENCE Atlantic Boston rtt Standings EASTERN Utah 56 (Boozer 11), Denver Utah 33 (Williams 2), 11). Total Fouls Utah 31 Denver 15,270 09,155). NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Packers' Grant lakes the humble a Ashley Fox THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Chargers EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. The apartment was sloppy, but the food was tasty. Justin Tuck's specialty was barbecue on a charcoal grill, with a side of green bean casserole. For Ryan Grant, it was the most comforting of food, suste- (17-0- ) I Time: 1 p.m. MST on Sunday (CBS) Line: Patriots by 13 2 at New England on I Last meeting: Patriots won, 38-116. Sept. I Key stat: Patriots have scored at least 20 points in 23 . straight games. I Fantasy factor: Chargers receiver Chris Chambers has emerged as major force in postseason with 9 catches, 20.9-yar- d average and 1 TD. Patriots QB Tom Brady realmost unstoppable in home playoff games, with cord, 11 TD passes vs. 2 INT and 93.0 passer rating. I The buzz: Chargers have depth, but quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson have sore knees. If they can't go full speed, it's hard to see Chargers staying with Patriots. Chargers' chances of pulling off upset may hinge on creating a shootout against a vulnerable defense. The pick: Patriots 30, Chargers 13 I nance with substance prepared by a friend and New York Giants teammate. But 2006 was a lifetime ago compared to where Grant, the newest darling of the NFL, is 7-- 0 in 2008. Now he is the Green Bay Packers' starting running back, the one who overcame two fumbles in his first three touches to torch Seattle for a 201 franchise playoff-recor- d rushing yards on Saturday. Now Grant is the man to whom Brett Favre will hand off Sunday against the Giants, with only a spot in Super Bowl XLII on the line. Now Grant is the one atop the depth chart, fhe one on the brink of the biggest stage, the one who has earned a bigger contract and a better life. - at Patriots (13-5- ) high-scorin- g Giants (12-6- ) p.m. on Sunday (FOX) I Line: Packers by 7 , I Last meeting: Packers won, at New York on Sept. 16. I Key stat: Giants have won nine straight road games, ,w. 35-13- v. , ANDY two in playoffs. I Fantasy factor: Brandon Jacobs likely will carry big load on cold day for Giants. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry with 3 TDs in 2 playoff games. Former Giant Ryan Grant a godsend for Packers, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and coming off 201-yarday vs. Seattle. I The buzz: Packers flopped in the Soldier Field cold four weeks ago (35-- loss), so homefield isn't automatically an advantage for Green Bay. But Brett Favre is so close to third Super Bowl appearance, Packers aren't about to blow it. Still, Eli Manning will make it interesting. I The pick: Packers 24, Giants 20 MANISAssociated Press Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant carries the ball during the first halfagianst the Wis. After rising from relative obscurity to give the Green Bay Packers a offense in the second half of this season, running back Ryan Grant gets the chance to deliver a knockout punch to the team that traded him just four months ago: the New York Giants. Seattle Seahawks on Saturday in Green Bay, sixth-roun- d (14-3- ) I Time: 4:30 r' But in '06, when he was , crashing at Tuck's apartment in Hackensack, N.J., stuck on the Giants' injury list, taking a real estate class and volunteering as a high doctors did not know if they school football coach. Grant was could make his hand work merely trying to survive. He did again. He has the scars to not know what the future held, prove it. But after spending eight but he knew he could at least weeks immobilized in a cast hold a football, which meant he and another eight months in could still have a football future. "He wasn't making any rehabilitation, Grant made it back onto the football field for money," said Tuck, the Giants' second-yea- r defensive lineman .the Giants. In training camp in and a teammate of Grant's at August, he was buried on the Notre Dame. "I'm not trying to depth chart behind Brandon be his big brother or anything. Jacobs, Reuben Droughns, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Brad-shaIf it was turned around, he'd The numbers worked have done the same for me." In a freak accident at a against Grant, and hours before Manhattan nightclub in March final roster cuts on Sept. I, New York sent Grant to Green Bay 2006, someone bumped into for a draft pick. Grant, who lost his balance, Grant called his teammates bracing his fall with his left hand. Grant smashed into a tato say goodbye. "We always thought Ryan ble full of champagne glasses. He severed an artery, nerve Grant was a very good football and tendon in the hand. player," Giants coach Tom ' Grant reportedly almost bled Coughlin said. When he landed in Green to death. Rushed to a hospital, he underwent emergency surBay, Grant found a familiar problem. He was buried on gery fhe next morning, the at Packers he has come. "I try not to let the Packers' depth chart, but at least not quite as deeply. myself focus and look at things Instead of fifth, he was fourth. I really don't have control But the Packers had injury over. The only thing I wanted to make sure of is 1 was physiproblems at that position that cally and mentally prepared . began in training camp and for whatever comes my way, never subsided. On Oct. 29 against Denver, Grant got the whatever that is." Grant did that, enduring chance he had been waiting for. The result: 104 yards on 22 long workouts alongside Tuck, carries. The job was his. rebuilding the strength and Four more flexibility in his hand. He did it games followed, and Grant finished by keeping a positive attitude, the season with 956 yards on by relying on his friends, by 188 carries, with eight touchlistening and learning. downs. His 929 yards from When he fumbled twice in Week 8 through the end of the the snpw early against the .Seahawks on Sunday, Grant regular season were second did not panic. He listened when only to San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson in that span. Favre told him to keep his head Grant had arrived. It was, in up. He did not quit. "I love the game," Grant his mind, destined to happen. He made sure of it. said when asked how he keeps "I never wondered, because grounded. "I love the ups and I didn't have control over that," downs. I love the fight. I love Grant said during a national the team aspect of it, and I love teleconference with reporters, to win." Just don't ask Grant to com- another indication of how far 100-yar- d d 7 The Chicago Tribune Jacobs, New York's starting pare himself to Packers running backs of the past. running back. Jacobs had not "1 don't feel like I personally even stripped off his sweaty have done that much," Grant jersey when he returned the call. No trash talk. Just consaidj'ln the legacy of those gratulations. types of backs, I think people "I can't ever put the friendshould keep things in perspective. Those backs did it year in ship away," Jacobs said. "We came in together. We were in and year out, day in and day out. I haven't really done that the combine together, and we much yet." really have just been around But Grant did set a franchise each other a long time, so it's record. His name is in the just hard to put it away. You can slow it down for a bit, but Packers' record bcx)k. And now he gets to face his forto just put it away? No." mer team, the one that took a "Guys were congratulating me before I could congratulate chance, then let him go. Before the Giants had them on their win," Grant said. walked off the field after beat"It's been big, and they've been ing the Dallas Cowboys at supportive of me the whole time." Texas Stadium, Grant called After second interview in Atlanta, Garrett decides to stay with Dallas THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Falcons ATLANTA lost one of the top candidates for their head coaching job when Jason Garrett decided Thursday to remain in Dal- (If) las as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator. Garrett NOTEBOOK had his second inter view with the Falcons a day earlier, but withdrew from consideration in both Atlanta and Baltimore after returning to Texas for a meeting with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Former Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the only other candidate to meet twice with the Falcons, but there was no indication he was on the verge of getting the job. The team has yet to schedule any additional interviews, perhaps a sign that new general manager Thomas Dimitroff wants to expand the search. The 4 old Garrett was an obvious target, guiding a Dallas offense that ranked second in the NIX with 455 points and third in total offense (.K5:7 yards). Quarterback Tony Romo set franchise records with 36 touclnlown passes and 4,21 1 that Moss committed battery or yards passing as ttie Cowboys went during the regular 13-- 3 season. But Garrett is a favorite of Jones and widely viewed in Dallas as the designated successor to head coach Wade Phillips. I Patriots coach Bill Belichick backs wide receiver Randy Moss over restraining order: At Mass.. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick expressed strong support Thursday for wide receiver Randy Moss, the subject of a temporary restraining order obtained by a kmgtime friend. Belichick said he wasn't concerned about the allegation brought by Rachelle Washington h, about how it might affect Moss on Sunday in the AFC championship game against the San Diego Chargers. Washington's attorney issued a Statement Thursday saying that Moss' representatives were the first to suggest that Moss pay the woman to keep the issue quiet, according to NBCSports.com. The attorney, David McGill, and Moss' agent, Tim DiPiero, did not returns telephone calls from The Associated Press. I Eagles coach Andy pleads guilty to DUI: Reid's son At Norris-tow- n, Pa., a son of Itiiladelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, already in jail on a raid rage charge, early 2007 incident and was sentenced in November to eight pleaded guilty Thursday to DUI and drug charges stemming to 23 months in prison. No sentencing date has been from a separate incident. Britt Reid was charged with set. driving under the influence of a controlled substance and drug I Mike Heimerdinger rejoins Tas offensive coordinator: At itans he drove into after possession a shopping cart in a parking lot Nashville, Tenn., the Tennessee in August. Titans hired Broncos assistant Mike Heimerdinger as offensive An employee at a sporting coordinator Thursday, his secgoods store alerted authorities ond stint with the team after Reid had when the his vehicle spending the past two seasons difficulty after leaving the store. After he in Denver. I leimerdinger had a successgot into his truck, he ran into ful five-yerun as the Titans the cart and was arrested. offensive coordinator from Reid was out on bail on the . A formal announceroad rage charge at the time. ment will be made at a news le pleaded guilty to flashing a conference this morning. gun at another motorist in an 2tXX)-04- 1 |