OCR Text |
Show NBA SUNDAY The Salt Lake Tribune C13 Sunday, April 7, 2002 nba - THELEAGUE jazz| MONDAY DALLAS at UTAH Kings Emerge as Favorites in West 7 p.m. ty: FSN TUESDAY UTAH at LA. LAKERS 8:30 p.m. MST ty: KJZZ ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE THURSDAY UTAH at PHOENIX 8 p.m. MST tw: KJZZ The path tp the NBA championship is exthrough California. but the question State? SATURDAY UTAH at GOLDEN STATE 8:30 p.m. MST av: FSN nba PLAYER OF THE WEEK Paul Pierce For much ofthe season, Sacramento was a 500 road team Forward, Boston Celtics “The media has made a big deal about that, but in our minds it's not a problem,” said center THIS WEEK Viade Divac. “We're a confident team on the ‘Averaged 31.8 points in three season, games,ail victories, as the Celtics clinched chise records for consecutive road wins (seven), ‘wins (56) and road victories (23). “We have gone from being the worst read their first playoff ‘berth in'seven years, and 14 rebounds as Orlando rallied to beat 1 KevinGamatt, Timberwolves, put up 23 ‘end 22 rebounds as Minnesota beat z iverson,Phi. O'Nes!, LAL Pierce,Bos. McGrady, On. Bryant, LAL Duncan, S.A. Carter, Tor Nowitak,Dal. Jordan, Wash. ‘Malone, Utah Waker, Bas. G RG G0 665 81 690 78 @85 70 G62 7% 702 75 5 G0 55 «-72«STA 60 $51 74 36 7S 622 Payton, Sea. FT PTS 475 1053 352 1890 478 2005 30 1780 451 1887 S14 1004 245 1404 428 1748 263.1875 476 1677 232 1683 ‘77 @90 251 Det. ‘Alen, Mi Stojkovic, Sac. avG 314 267 264 256 255 254 247 23E 228 27 22% 1608 221 70 45 454 1827 218 2 478 104 1348 217 G4 SOD 264 1983 216 REBOUNDING Muto, O'Neal tnd, Marion, Phos. \Nowitaki,Dall Brown, Ghat. Davis, Tor BY STEVE LUHM Gast AVG 74 785 (107 76 764 101 7 oH (90 Te A 87 «75 GZ «78 613. 73 SB 81 5345179 mse 79 75 SHH 7A 3-POINT % 3G 3FGA PCT Pathowski,LAC 102 216 472 S.Smih,SA 100-12 Nash, Da v7 32 art Szcamtbiak, Minn. 81 175 463 Fad, 88 192 458 ‘Bamy, Det 198 258 408 Pomon,Ciw. 129284 AS Davis, Wash ST 128 SR ‘ue,Wah, 7 1 48 ‘heMt 18 463 428 ee Basketball Association. Sekuctcietgartenhoes. get his government's last season, including Kwame Brown, DeSagana al be sexes oboe Curry and Chandler. the top two picks in this summer's NBA “T'm amazed by him — Se petate ie tows icts None made a major impact as a rookie. “The NBA is a cruel league,” soit Niagicioaach Doe Rv. move and run the floor,” Benoit told the New York Post. “He's not like Shawn Bradley. He's the exact ojppositite. If anything, he's more like Shag. He's not a 7-5 stiff. He can really move. He's got great feet. He's an ‘unprecedented run on top prep players isn't likelyto happen again year, Orlando's Amare Stoudemire (69, 240) won't make it outof the lottery (top 13). Some scouts suggest he's this year's No. 1 high school payer — out- like [Arvydas] Sabonis. When Benoit is on the floor with Yaa, cat ae take. “He's sobig, his side ofOhiojunior LeBron James aad could bea hogSiocsparke few have him going any lower than 10th. “] haven't made a decision yet,” Stoudemire told the Orlando Sentinel this past week. “But I'¢ say it's more than 50 percent that I'd take that chance. eet [the same] jobout eihigh kool, why not take that’ eeoe out ofChina,” he about James? He is a 6-foot-7, 210-pound guard Jerry ‘scouts despite the fact he won't gradu- eee iriacciied ahead ‘Yao. In fact, he already has ofa that featares Yao at ward, 7-1 Chandler at: ry for- “Al Behrman/AP ward, 68 Jalen Roseat shooting guard and 65 Jamal Crawford at point guard. Duke's Jason Williams likely will ichvili @-11) of Georgiawho has been IfYao isn't the No. 1 pick im this draft —for whatever reason — the honor will likely go to Duke point guard i ‘He was the best be the first or second pick, going jestern Kentucky, Curtis Borchardt (74) of 605 geo 54 380 738 51S SOS TT! 28 SOR ST SIS ‘Mowing 885 775 S11 Seny.ten STEs Med ‘ind, Wid8. ‘Dawe,Char. oun Malone ‘Antinmon,Bos. MatinPhos. Tony, STAD SAP PLAYER ee John Stockton een AVG 16 280 1m 289 % 1 216 7% 182 20 Bim m we 1ne ‘orgs Mu conten nin 2 ‘Dampier6.5 ‘O'Neal, LAL mee oi Be 296 ‘Ga,or % we 2h ‘ind. Fowler6.8 6 1 235 2 16 2.98 x Pr GOK ave mame 380 apparent attempt to Horn, Scott said last week the Nets need another star player to complement Kidd. With the play- the timing of Scott's comments. “I believe Keith and Kenyon [Martin] have 311 STH 7%, 260 ‘Stoonton, — 7% PCT 460 a7 PCT m so PTS 67 mM AVG 27 2 OMG @ @ 286-581 ASB 7 82 WT 2 65 2 50 (6 OS 4 KI wh “4 ® 1 19 SO6-1296 STB a Solis, oo ws 0. 5 & 29 mea G7 144311 eT AT 463 kT a om 7m «6 64% (CGS ClO Patigat $8. 169 160-350 An Te ‘Stovenson 8 72 1530 48 Ostertap Amaechi Tem OPPOWENTS: th 0s 220 md B19 mI BR ae LaRue ‘Sut, Lows, BS 403, me 6 SoA 1120 aM M17) 7 oo 24D ww Sk OB oO oe % % “eM sm ™m Rh I" Tm 7H-176 73 ae oJ A MK REBOUNDS OF CO TOT AVG 13 5 BT ASIEN AST ANG. “Bi OM 78 @ 06 “a 2 fF mmr 1 ae SOS 2 | ee a ms 2 wm 8 Me 83 1 1 20. 2 48 @ 2B 2 m1 wm 6 6 130 @ 1400 % 2M 19 42 ™ 4 35 08 % 18 4 8 @ @ 1 » mB Crotty Collins, We Mm 45 82 12 1% 1 Bk 6 Huet an even keel all season. cism he got in college. Scott's tactics may not work. what he feels, and we have a strong team here,” Van Horn said. “So it's something I don’t want to.concern myself with at this point of the season” Around the League Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter of NCAA turnover late in the game against Houston, the ‘Kerliarie, ‘Kariherko @ Averaged 16.8 points and 10 assists in threegames. ANG a 32 me quee players in this league are pretty much on Dan Dickau (6-1) of Gonzaga, Sam Clancy (6-7) of Southern Cal, y Jacobson (646) of Stanford, Marcus sees (6-10) ofTennessee, Marcus Taylor (6-3) of Michigan State Chris Dana i) efDakeal engage Ua if os ™% & ‘Sworaun mie 18 wan a8 , mm 2M New Jersey, which has made the playoffs only once in Van Horn’ 's first four years, has the basketball. I'm not a fan of basketball” Payer Malone: ‘Maratea = 4 HE 7H M188 70 1941.8 THIS WEEK WatersDet Van Horn, a fifth-year pro from the Univer- sity of Utah, is averaging a career-iow 15 points but still leads the team in scoring. With Jason SS ee eneee out and which stay in school. Still, players such as Frank Williams (6-3) ofIllinois, Kareem Rush (6-6) ofMissouri, Carlos Boozer (6-9) ofDuke, they have entered the draft and aren't taker: earlier. msviicsS jan Nachbar (68)of Slovenia and Mayiertere vice describes as “ath- letic, quick, smooth and a great eaper.” His only drawback: He is from the free-throw line. ‘The Jazz will pick im the 18-22 range in the first round of ‘the draft, making it nearly impossible to guess whom they ns come and (6-8) ofMaryland. STA playing professionally in Italy, Bost- a team in need of a point guard. % Ww Patigett ‘Fue Sieverwon ‘Stan Lowe Cawrag se tm 6M 38 0 B-e 15 @ Hew 2 oH om @ 1 12 SMT 4a mo ™m 23 mm 618 ® 1 B “@ 07 mow we OM os o”7m @ T no vgn 218 @ Oo eosenmw 8 a ee) Ammen TE OPrOMENTS a & we 2) ‘me 2I7y amt aes «Gh CED TB 2 06 7 7 5 @ 0 a 7 ay < am ges S24 me 518 Suction,Wah Poternan Pot. Scott has been going with rookie Richard Jefferson during long stretches ofcrunch time. “He has his feelings, and he's going to say ‘The top foreign players in this besides Yao, are Nikoloz Tskit 1 1" rf Gaol,Worn him as next year's top pick. % pesiayf 6 oT Against the Lakers last week, Van Horn played only the final 2.4 seconds of the fourth quarter. He played a total of 21 minutes in New Jersey's two-point win. “It can't be 24 points one night and six the ate from high schoo) until 2003. Scouts Say someone would have to unseat center, 6-11 Eddy Curry at power for- tugs,Minn. 179-203 BBE ‘Siasiemia,Fon. 160 182 B70 Winey,Winn 145 185879 POA PCT 108 578 For some reason, New Jersey coach Byron ‘Scott is increasingly ignoring Keith Van Horn next, 22 then five.” has mesmerized NBA Among them: Quyntel Woods (6-8) afNortheast Mississippi Junior College, Drew Gooden(6-10) ofKansas, Caron Butler (6-7) ofUConn, Chris Wilcox (6-10) ofMaryland, dared Jeffries (6-10) ofindiana, Mike Dunleavy (69) afDuke, aee Chris Marcus (7-1) of ON!LAL Net Low Atleast cne scout remains skepti- cal. “Wi picked him number one, Td FIFTA PCT 273 302808 275 308.803 148 166.882 161 170.888 22 274 883 FRELD-GOAL “ over, but right now we're in the midst of achampicnship run, hopefully.” offs two weeks away, Van Horn wonders about Stoudemire has been iewning toward a jump to the NBAsinceJanu- FREE-THROW “> Wiemon. Det. Webber plans to break his silence on the mat- ter in the next two weeks. oe school players were amang the top ighteee ee: ee Fidler,’ Hamiton, Wash. S.Smih, S.A Hudson,On Naat, Dat Baw, Dea, ‘Webber at Michi $280,000 while he was in high school and Michigan. Scouts worry about Jeffries’ strength. player in college basketba! last season, and a rudderless Eeee Memphis or Denver would eagerly give ‘the basketball. Begone VeandWiles, te: lescry pics sce jsed, though several players are included on everyone'slist of aie bounds and twoblocks. The crowd berated Web- College underclassmen, who have until May 12 to make themselves eligible for the draft, dominatethis group. Butler is scheduled to make his decision on Monday. Gooden helped lead Kansas to the Final Four. Woods isa raw talent who will have to prove himself against top top-flight competition But few doubt he can de it. ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE fier twostints with the Utah Jazz, David Benoit is ASSISTS Mitr, Slew dd, Nl Payton, Davis, Char Sreckton,teh Matbuy,Phoe. Train,tnd. Wiinms,Mem ‘Nesh, Dal, dackaan,NX. week, he had 28 points, eight assists, seven re- “lam anxious to give answers to all of these vadcreate Heshoots threes G OFF DEF TOT AVG 7 301 680 961 129 7% 240 706 O55 1127 74 28 6m Me 122 7) 268 57) Gm 120 74 371 495 B86 tT 7S 296 5e0 e809 5 170 S15 64 aps... 7% 202 $57 759 104 72116 608 724 D1 74 254 472 725 8B 70 26 450 686 98 Wallace, Det, Duncan, S.A. Gamet, Fortson, GS, so much, and then we weren't 7-5 Yao may be top pick — ifhe’s allowedto leave China LEADERS SCORING road record,” forward Chris Webber said. “It is a testament to us paying attention. We were = No. 1? OTHER PERFORMANCES ‘Naw Jersey 86-85 Sunday. team in the league to having like the fourth-best "Aims YoungJoonThe Associatod Press Yao Ming towers over his opponents during the East Asian Games last year in Japan. 7 ® oS i Tu ® 4 Mm UOC @Gary Payton mayhave 2 soccer career after he leaves the NBA. Frustrated by his team’s Cuttino Mobley made the technical free throw to give the Rockets a three-point lead. “You've got to keep your head late in the game,” said Seattle coach Nate McMillan said. “When you don't, that's a free throw.” Payton impressed at least one teammate. “] Se eae his leg,” said forward Vin Baker. kicking technique during a game this season. Dallas coach Don Nelson and Milwaukee guard Sam Cassell also did it. “Td never seen it beforeand that's three times in one year,” saad Houston guard Steve Francis. @ Never a finesse player, Kurt Rambis still plays a rugged style of basketball Rambis, a stretcher after slicing his leg before a game against the Nets. During 2 game of one-on-one against Mark Madsen, Rambis crashed into a rowaf chairs pact oo la mma tt “Seti inideiietatnmen weekend in Virginia With the demise othe Desert Classic in Tempe, Arix., the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament has become mare sig. nificant. Seeen suanen le |