OCR Text |
Show THE DAILY HERALD, (www.HarkTheHerald.com), Page B4 Provo, Utah, Monday, April 23, 200 - Knicks befuddle Carter, take Game ' By The Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. To the Phoenix Suns, there's no sound more beautiful than 17,317 fans not cheering. Shawn Marion scored 21 points and Jason Kidd had 18 points and 14 assists as Phoenix emerged from one of the NBAs toughest arenas with an victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the opener of their playoff series. The Suns won the first game of a playoff series for the first time since 1997 by crippling the league's offense with tough defense and deliberate offensive schemes. When Jason Williams' final shot missed and Rodney Rogers dribbled out the clock, the Suns enjoyed the sound of silence in Arco Arena. "Cliff (Robinson) made a statement in the last minute when the crowd was quiet," Marion said. "He turned to me and said, Tou don't hear them now, do you?' We were Zoning them out, anyway." Sacramento, which has never won a playoff series since moving to Northern California, was unprepared to play the Suns' style. The Kings lost for just the ninth time all season at Arco Arena. "It was their hungriness, their willingness to take on this bully that was seeded No. 3," Chris Webber said. "I have to give them credit for that. They had a mission, and they stayed on it." Game 2 is Wednesday night in Sacramento. Rogers scored 18 points and hit two big jumpers during a 10-- Phoenix run late in the fourth quarter. 86-8- 3 highest-s- coring 2 B 1 Sloan pointed out that Vaughn didn't have any turnovers, but the coach can't overlook the steadying effect Stockton provides. No question, Sloan wants Stockton on the floor in the fourth quarter. "If I play him too much, I think he has a tough time said Sloan, finishing," adding, "Maybe not a tough time, but maybe he's not as fresh at the end." "Those decisions are out of my hands," Stockton said. "My job is to be ready when I'm called on." Most of the nine straight shots Utah missed during the slump were from inside 10 feet. The Jazz shot in the period, and they need to do a better job of taking advantage if they get Dallas down again. "We've got to make some jump shots," said Sloan, who admitted Saturday he might have kept Stockton out too long. "We need to execute," said Stockton, who played 37 minutes. "I know that's an overused word, but that's what it comes down third-quart- The boisterous crowd was silenced by the Suns, who broke open a close game by holding the Kings to shooting in the fourth quarter. "We had no choice but to play this way," Kidd said. "We made it as tough as possible on them. We had to make sure they didn't get comfortable in their style. It might have been ugly, but we thought it was fun to watch." with Rogers' 2:54 left gave Phoenix an lead, but the Kings scored the next seven 3 points, pulling within on Doug Christie's steal and dunk. Robinson missed a jumper with 12 seconds left, but Kidd emerged from a crowd of three Kings with an offensive rebound, then hit one of two free throws. "All day I'd been missing some rebounds," Kidd said. "Coach always told me to follow the ball, so I did, and it came back to me." After a timeout, Williams inexplicably an with five seconds still on the clock. Rogers dribbled out the time as the demoralized Kings didn't even foul him. "We didn't even come close to playing our style of basketball," Christie said. "They just had more flow than we did from the tipoff. We have to play our style, and we will on Wednesday." Webber, clearly limited by his sore ankles, had 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Kings opened a playoff series at home for the first time in two decades with a dull, disorganized performance. sixth-seede- d 85-7- 6 85-8- air-ball- ing the experience of a team making its 18th straight postseason appear- JAZZ Continued from NBA BOXES, B5 er to." The Mavericks, in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, feel they let one slip away. The Jazz scored the final six points, reflect- - ance. "We're young. We're developing," said Mavericks assistant Donn Nelson, who took over when his father, head coach Don Nelson, was ejected midway through the fourth quarter. "We need experiences like this and we feel we're good enough to compete on this level in a playoff situation," the younger Nelson said. "We still feel good about this series." The Mavericks should take a cue from their burly big man, Mark Bryant, a who veteran bumped and hammered Malone throughout the second half. Malone went 14 12 minutes without a field 13-ye- ar goal. "Hold and grab," Malone when asked how Bryant did it. "That's good defense, though, if you can get away with it." Dallas had three starters Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Shawn Bradley in the playoffs for the first time. Donn Nelson said the Mavericks will have a better sense of what to expect Tuesday. "Our guys will have a more realistic idea of the physicality it takes to compete in these situations; that it's got to be one through five," Nelson said. "It can't just be Mark Bryant to save the day." said KNICKS 92, RAPTORS 85: At New York, just like last year, the New York Knicks turned Game 1 into a miserable experience for Vince Carter. Kurt Thomas knocked Carter to the floor the first time he went to the basket, setting the tone for a frustrating afternoon for Carter as the Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors Sunday. "My mom always told me there'll be days like this," Carter said after the game. "As a matter of fact, she just told me that." Carter, who shot last year in the first playoff game of his caree, finished from the field for; 13 points. He did not score over the final 8 ' 12 minutes as the Knicks controlled the fourth quarter and eventually pulled away in the final minute. Thomas had a superb game with 17 points and 13 rebounds in his first career playoff start. Allan Houston scored 23 for New York and Latrell Sprewell added 13 in addition to playing strong defense on Carter. The Knicks outrebound-ethe Raptors, repeatedly f NOT BE ", t . I themselves like playoff veterans down the stretch. Game 2 in the best-of-- 5 series will be Thursday night, giving Carter almost four full days to ponder why this year's Game 1 looked so much like last year's. "A lot of times he was rushing," teammate Chris Childs said. "He was out to prove a point that last year was going to be totally different. It's only natural for an athlete to want " BLACKISTONE Continued from B 1 minute contest against the veteran Jazz, they gained so much of that valued commodity called playoff experience that their inexperience ought not to be a factor for the rest of the series. Saturday was the Mavericks' baptismal. "They know what to expect now," said Bryant of his teammates. "They've been in a war." And they were still standing afterward to talk about it. They did so with confidence, however, not discouragement. "They took our fast break away," said Dirk Nowitzki, who finished with 20 points despite poor marksmanship on the afternoon. "We had to basketball play and still almost beat them. We know we can beat them." "Looking back at what we did wrong and what helped the Jazz were turnovers and e a lot of points," said Juwan Howard, who scored 14 and pulled nine rebounds while helping hound Malone into shooting. "Come Tuesday night, if we correct those errors, well win the half-cou- rt second-chanc- ball-game- ." to do that." BUCKS 103, MAGIC 90: At Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Bucks made a good first impression only because they got so many second-chanc- e points. The Bucks beat Orlando 103-9Sunday night in Game 1 of their playoff series despite a poor shooting performance from their Big Three. Sam Cassell, Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson missed 19 of their first 24 shots and finished (32 percent). Milwaukee, champions of the Central Division for 0 17-of-- ing tough. Despite not playing well at all, they blew the opportunity. Even the Jazz admitted as much. "I feel very fortunate about that win," Utah guard John Stockton said afterward. "I expect us to have to play better to beat them." The Mavericks must , make some adjustments before Tuesday's contest if they are to win this series that most of the expert observers have considered as a toss-uFor example, if the Jazz are going to take away Steve Nash's ability to penetrate the lane and pass the ball back outside to an open Finley or Nowitzki, the Mavericks must find other ways to free up their two main scorers. But that's something for. the coaching staff to figure out. The players sounded late Saturday afternoon as if they figured out what they needed to about playoff basketball. "We have two days to regroup," Nash said, "and we will be just as emotional and energetic, but maybe more experienced and a little more poised and make a few more plays." p. the first time in 15 years, beat Orlando for the 10th straight time because points. Allen finished with 18 points, Cassell 16 and Robinson 14. Reserves Tim Thomas and Ervin Johnson added 12 each, though Thomas left in the fourth quarter after straining his back. The only other Magic player in double figures was reserve Pat Garrity, who scored 14. Game 2 is Wednesday night at the Bradley Center. The Bucks got 34 points from their reserves and 23 offensive rebounds compared to only 10 for the Magic. Scott Williams got 19 points and the Bucks the Magic That led to 25 59-4- second-chanc- 2. e points, 18 more than Orlando, which got a career 33 playoff-hig- h points from Tracy McGrady. The Magic used an run; highlighted by McGrady 's dunk and jumper, to pull to with 2:17 left. But then it was Orlando's turn to go cold and the Bucks scored the game's final nine 8-- 0 94-9- 0 Tyson next for Rahman? WBC mandatory defense, and Mike is the mandatory By ED SCHUYLER Jr. AP Boxing Writer Mike Tyson is on the verge of getting a heavyweight championship fight because of a right hand he didn't even throw. Hasim Rahman threw it, then chanted, "No Lewis-Tyso- no Lewis-Tyson- n, ." knocked The punch Lennox Lewis loose from the WBC-IBheavyweight titles and out of a major money match with Tyson. Rahman said he wants to fight Tyson, who will fetch him many millions of dollars more than any other opponent. He also apparently will get Tyson whether he wants him not. "Rahman inherited the Kevin Blackistone is a sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. F (challenger)," said Shelly Finkel, Tyson's adviser. Tyson is ranked No. 1 by the WBC. There was a rematch clause in the Rahman-Lewi- s contract, but, Finkel said, "It's for the fight after the next one." "I will fight him anywhere to make my dream of regaining the heavyweight championship a reality," Tyson said Sunday in a statement First Tyson is scheduled to fight David Izon in a bout June 2 at Washington's MCI Center. Rahman, promoted by Cedrick Kushner, is not tied to a television contract, which will allow him to fight Tyson on Showtime. 10-rou- Bigger. Brighter. Uiafi (jounty 's JJremier $ioppiny Center I"0rem 801.224.0694 best-of-fiv- (5o nsns?RR LAJ U Luu 10 2MZ U ; Guaranteed. r , I i laswlrtKliNt.CdIwDtuai. Lit tunsua Provo N. State 500 So. 300 iv LiMMiMiM Ogden 5M0O 7 1485 SaltUke yy nnnnn Xmaxim 9 9 W. 3924133 lSSOWjstwgton MOUNTAIN WEST SUPPLY INC. OFF ROAD 4X4 spiemusis 225-927- 8 Highest Quality Expert Ports Service OM 0 AlA MUl 20n-30- " MONDAY - SATURDAY DAYS ONLY Insurance Approved. I Better. Meier & Frank, Mervyn's, and Nordstrom (2002). Plus 188 fine shops and eateries. VHDEtSOU)! $125 OFF Your lnsuranc Deductible, Associated Press KO It was easy in hindsight for the Mavericks to say they shoqld've won Game 1 e of this series. But they weren't just talk- - With Every Windshield You GtL. 100 ,, 7 NOWHERE TO RUN: Toronto's Antonio Davis, center, is blocked, by New York's Marcus Camby, right, and Kurt Thomas during the Knicks' playoff win Sunday in Madison Square Garden. d attacked their weakest defenders and handled - Wd-- . . KM- FREE Mobile Service. FREE State Inspection. FREE Rock Chip Repair. i- 92-8- 5 "moustia the iest asfl hices, VIII , from Raptors 1 Winded WE . . TOLL FREE I -0- 77-227-0404 vjvjvs.SEziHfosfords.noi 7P.1 |