Show 4C NBA THIS WE r Standard-Examine- Full raster makes Blazers sizzle MEbL wp&Bottom r Jazz writer Tom McEachm's look at how the NBA's 29 teams stack up this week (records are through Fnday) Standard-Examine- (52-1- 9) (51-2- 1) Delivered message to Kings 3 Dallas (50-2- 2) Victory at Milwaukee fifth time this season Mavs overcame deficit of 15 or more to win ' We know we can come back” Michael Finley If Wallace holds onto the rebounding lead he would be just the fourth player in NBA history to lead the league in both categories in the same year r did” Kareem it in 1976 with 412 blocks and 169 rebounds Bill Walton did it a year later with 325 blocked shots and 144 rebounds and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990 with 459 blocks and 14 rebounds per game Wallace averages 129 rebounds and 346 blocks ft 7 t y r 4 San Antonio Tom (49-2- 3) streak winning ambushed in the Northwest with losses at Portland Seattle e 5 Portland (44-2- break since 19-- 8) 6 New Jersey (46-26- ) Night after becoming first team in East to clinch playoff spot Nets lose by 26 to Atlanta 7 Detroit (43-2- 9) Big wins at Boston Indiana to all but lock up Central Division title 13-ga- 8 Minnesota (44-2-8) Szczerbiak calls Warriors bunch of clowns" clowns then whip Timberwolves 9 Seattle (42-3- 1) them winning McMillan has despite injunes 10 Utah (40-3- 2) but locked up playoff spot All Boston (41-3- 2) Not suited for playoff basketball Poor rebounding will kill them 12 Orlando (39-3- 3) Injunes piling up 13 Philadelphia (38-3- 3) Have to make playoffs without Iverson and they're 17-2- 8 without him 14 Milwaukee (38-3- 3) Won just (37-3- 16 LA Clippers 17 Indiana (37-3- (35-3- Curious scene 6) without him 18 Phoenix (33-3- 9) A week after beating Clippers to e losing streak Suns lose to Clippers to end three-gam- e winning streak end 19 Toronto (34-3- 8) averaging 20 ppg in winning streak 20 Washington (34-3- 8) best game since knee surgery Jordan scores 34 in victory In over Bucks 21 Miami (32-3- (29-4- 3) Won including thumping of Nets 23 New York (27-4- (26-4- 5) Lost 25 Cleveland chance (25-4- 7) so with many injunes 26 Denver (21-4- 9) Lost 27 Memphis 3) Lost six straight until Portland lead gagged on 28 Golden SL (18-5- 4) Lost 29 Chicago Bowen knows his responsibility for Antonio Spurs he just doesn’t want anyone talking about it “That’s not smart” Bowen said “All that does is fuel his He’s referring to the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Bowen’s role as DKS: Designated Kobe Stopper The Spurs owned the best record in the NBA last season and appeared a good bet to end the Lakers’ one-yereign as world champs ar Instead they were swept by LA in the Western Conference finals The Spurs had David Robinson and Tim Duncan to contend with Shaquille O’Neal but when it came to stopping Bryant Sean Elliott was limited by knee and foot problems and Derek Anderson was recovering from a separated shoulder (17-5- 5) Lost five straight and should have been 14 straight but officials counted late shot against Houston 0 When: 7 pm Where: Pepsi Center Denver Heat coach Pat Riley is on the verge of his first losing record and first season in his 20 as an NBA head coach Also looking to miss the playoffs this season: Michael Jordan who has never missed one in his previous 13 seasons Allen Iverson Vince Carter Allen Houston Alonzo Mourning Eddie Jones Jalen Rose Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby FSN-T- TV-radi- o: V 1320 KLO-A1430 to One watch: Voshon Lenard scored 20 points the last time these teams met Notebook: Utah has won five straight in the series including a 0 record this But the Jazz are 4 season their last six trips to Denver KFNZ-A- 3-- 2-- Wednesday vs LA Clippers non-playo- ff DON RYAN The Associated Press to New Orleans for next season The league could announce final approval for the move just two weeks before the playoffs start and since season ticket holders in Charlotte aren’t required to buy playoff tickets the team could be trying to pitch playoff tickets to a town it is abandoning That means the Hornets could be making their playoff run in a deserted arena Superstar? Just ask him New York bench-warmLavor Postell says all that separates him from teammates Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell is playing time His comments came after 15 he played a season-hig- h minutes against Denver - and from the field went “In my mind I’m an All-Ston the rise” the second-yea- r swingman said “But you’ve got to get minutes to show what you can do” His assertion that he holds is own against Houston and Sprewell in practice made coach Don Chaney chuckle “Why don’t you ask Bowen’s role with Spurs: To contain LA’s Bryant 4-- (18-5- Around the league Portland’s Ruben Patterson celebrates from the bench in Wednesday’s game vs San Antonio- - Sprewell and Allan?” the coach said “I’ll say this: They beg for him to guard them” Postell got plenty of razzing from his teammates after his comments appeared in print but he -responded with a 20 points the career-hig- h next game an 2 victory at Detroit 89-8- Good company Detroit forward Ben Wallace a lock to win the NBA blocked shot title this season also holds an lead over San Antonio’s Tim Duncan for Chinese center Wang Zhizhi who had a career high 18 points against Memphis including four has likely solidified his spot on the Dallas playoff roster That leaves Danny Manning Shawn Bradley and Evan Eschmeyer fighting for the final spot Despite his disappointing season it will probably go to Bradley L08 When:? ANGELES pm KJZZ-T- TV-radi-o: 1320 KFNZ-A- V 1430 One to watch: Quentin Richardson is a candidate for NBA Most Improved Player averaging 1 38 points a game Notebook: The Jazz took a 1 winning streak over the Clippers into Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles A win here would go a long way toward clinching Utah’s 1 9th consecutive playoff KLO-A- appearance Friday vs Sacramento When: 7 SACRAMENTO theWeeli “This now has to stop We have to get to a place where we can’t continue to think when he’s on the court that something has to happen If he's willing to try to make a Martin change he should start now" Nets coach Byron Scott V KFNZ-A- 1430 One to watch: Peja Stojakovic has been the leading scorer for the Kings in two of their three games with the Jazz but he has missed their last six games with a sore hamstring Notebook: The Jazz have lost their first three games to the Kings this season by an average of nearly 28 points The two teams are lined up to meet in the first round of the playoffs 1320 Need for change purpose" KJZZ-T- TV-radi- o: Stubborn stance I Where: Delta Center UtiiiLA New Jersey’s Kenyon Martin has been suspended six times by the NBA for flagrant fouls this season for a total of seven games costing him $347057 in fines and lost wages yet he stubbornly refuses to get the message ‘Tm not changing the way play" Martin said “I m not going to change I'm getting paid to play basketball so why would change? I’fh not doing it on Where: Delta Center pm I fire" 4) Lost 15 times this season when leads they had double-digi- t 24 Houston The hottest team in the Eastern Conference - and one capable of advancing all the way to the NBA Finals - is the Charlotte Hornets The Hornets however are vagabonds desperately trying to orchestrate a move Bruce 9) at home in one Lost stretch to bury playoff hopes 22 Atlanta it’s worth 6) Suspension of O Neal hurts No When Rasheed Wallace went out with an injury Shawn Kemp came in and did a great defensive job on Tim Duncan Derek Anderson and Ruben Patterson also had big games off the bench and Bonzi Wells Dale Davis and Scottie Pippen produced in the starting lineup “That was as major a team effort as we’ve had all year” Cheeks said “because everyone that came in that game had a major role Even Steve Kerr had a major role in that game” h Unlikely to catch Utah e “To beat a team like that one that is playing the way they’ve been playing that’s a heck of a win” Cheeks said mentioning played just eight-tentof a second that night 4) Hottest team in East won Peterson streak Kerr 15 Charlotte Pacers NBA Notes “You’ve got to move on It’s no excuse when you say games happen like that but they do We’ve got to try to put it behind us as much as we can and move on” And the Blazers did just that bouncing back to beat the San Antonio Spurs the next time out - and ending the Spurs’ winning Tuesday at Denver Abdul-Jabba- y McEachin says 11 the league lead in that category 103-10- Loss to Lakers at Arco raises doubts 2 LA Lakers hottest team in the the Portland Trail took a nap from their hot streak on Monday when they choked on lead over Memphis a 0 to the lowly and lost Grizzlies “That’s a tough game to bury” Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks said “It’s going to take a lot of dirt to bury that one but you’ve got to do it The 25-poi- nt Sacramento 1 Sunday March 31 2002 KLO-A- Bryant averaged 333 points during the Lakers’ sweep Anderson was swapped in the offseason with Portland’s Steve Smith and Elliott retired opening the door for Bowen who played or Miami last season Bowen isn’t much of an offensive threat averaging 69 points but he’s a solid defensive player- In a Spurs victory earlier this month - their first in seven tries against the Lakers - Bryant was with 20 points more telling sign: In the games Bowen missed with injuries the Spurs went A 23 11-1- 2 With him in the lineup they’re 38-1- 1 Bowen has one more chance before the playoffs to make an impression on Bryant when the Spurs and Lakers meet this afternoon on NBC - Tom McEachin Host I LOS ANQELES Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday April 3rd at 7:00 pm This game is HUGE!! The Jazz could use all the hometown help our great fans can deliver as LA and Utah clash to claim final Western Conference playoff spots The Clippers are loaded with young talent but e the Jazz have experience on their side Come see all the hardwood action and entertainment There's awesome nothing like being at the game - get your big-gam- off-cou- rt tickets now! call 325-SEA- T wwwticketmastercom Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers including the Delta Center Box Office y y I I |