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Show The Salt LakeTribuneNBABASKETBALL Sunday, December31, 1995 NBA STATISTICS — EASTERN CONFERENCE NBALeaders Through ATLANTA HAWKS + Pat. PG of Dec. 29 Getting the Spurs to acknowledge they were better off with Dennis Rodman is like getting Enid to say she wasbetteroff with Joe. Yet, David Robinsonhints that San Antonio hasn’t reached the samelevelas last year, when Rodman was around and the Spurs won a league-high 62 games. “Dennisis obviouslya great rebounder, and he brings some toughness out on the floor,” says Robinson. “That's something we do miss.” The Spurs don’t miss Rodman’s weird antics — on and off the court — that eventually forced them to trade the Human Tattoo to Chicago. Still, Robinsonsays, “It's hard to tell if we're better than last year. We had a certain mix — chemistry, attitude — that was special... . Dennis served asa distraction, but that also kept everybody kind of focused. I don’t know if everybody has the same understanding of their focus as we hadlast year.” The bottom line? “We'restill workingatit,” says Robinson. ‘Defensively, we're very good. Overall, we have the potential to be better. But right now,I don’t think weare.” Askedif the Spurs are growing tired of questions regarding Rodman,Robinson laughed. “Sure,” he said. “But the only wayto live it downis to play well, win gamesandwinplayoff games. If we do that — if we continue to npEOvE— nobody will ask Denanymore.” “Playing without a noted defender/rebounderlike Rodman, apparently, has forced Robinson to do thingsa little differently. 189 17 464 4 ForGh ter FOTUA FEFTA Per 56136 18818 5 1020 125 Ws 127 OUND REB AVG. 3 dQ STL TO BLK 7 i wae Mundt Kempton m ope. 6 @ 00 8 8 9 10 5 ° 4 0 106 103 15 Oe 27-400 931-2010 — Reis ne at OFF TUT AVG. AST AVG, PF % 3 6 Player 4 a 2 2 9 q i PCT PTS AVG HG g 705 5 195 31 51-58 0 G10 | 35 570 211 690 11 | Player i 7 14 MIAMI HEAT Pat, Player Mourning wens Danilo | Coles HG 38 a 30 % 2 2910 u 21 " 20 8 8 8 4 120 1 REBOUND OFF DEP TO 3 | | | | | | REBOUND OFF DEF 31118 80 N33 a 69 | mw a 0 | % 7 4 3 88 1 4 1 35 319 Grandion 1322 Eis i 8 TEAM | opr. RED | ‘| 51.68 4351 3 a BLK 59 15 3 4 4 0 2 4 26 4 9 0 1 3 154 126 : MILWAUKEE BUCKS Player a Maver non AVG Pr Pier MIN FUAGA POT FUNGA PrITA Por FIs AYO HG Robinson 26 $9 206-453 485 78 568 8 99 Baker nae. 686 527 832 Benjamin ot aan te aan] REBOUND -REB AST pee i OFF DEF TOT AV’ PE DQ STL TO LK | um i ae2 8 Mayberry 16 00 6%: 68 Conlon " f NS Repent 2 u ye ek Reynotas 4814 8 at ea kee #5 415 ’ ow @ 1 | PH Pte a o 74 ay on nw 0 o7 Mn 9 BLK 0 0 1 | o 5 4 of # oo fs 0 : 1 208 4678 2 69 6 198 ERs ‘ 8 CLI PeeIhe ALIERS 3 Avo 5 MIN FG-GA PCT netea rr POT PIS. AVG 1 25 172889 479 8 3 m4 Ke 5 156 ti ry 0 10 TEA 36 696 1000385 4 opr. 28 712 007387 ut NEW eeey NETS TEAM PP. Phyer MIN FO-FGA PCT PORGA FRETA Por Gillam 85 2 00 Anderson 2 Brown % ue SH0-1919 45 NBGA? ATS remus ne me 8OF A anim au ‘ @ Mails Payer OFF DEI WT AVG. AST AVG. PF DQ ° Ow ns uA STL TO BLK ° 0 1 sega Plyer Giliam Anderson Edwards REBOUND OFF DEF 58 EB STL TO, BLK 3) 8 uM) 6 aM 6 3 eM nH nH 2 e 68 Bo ef ot.. 6 ; 7 cas | ates bn ca S1.370 9 963-2100 459 156-415 REBOUND -REB oat OFF DEF TOT AVG. Ast AVG, PY 155 140 193 MS 91M Assists ‘Turner 4125 213 2 05 00 smmink 323 12 500 00 24 29 24 .6 106-2919 457 199-564 658-896 ovr. 29 242.6 1058-2983 AM 165-486 568-796 REBOUND REB AS Orr DES TUT AVG. AgT AVG. PF 2 7% it 19 19 2B Bé noua 8 a ut 40 7 24 7% 39 141 180 «62 93 32 58 63 145 208-90 59-26 61 % 78 % 33 145 50 6 9 47 628 45 63 24 15 06 9 36 123 «15957 12 Im o 1 1 02 1 02 1 Ho Mt 2 10 16 08 4 2 16 2% «628 2 02 Mm 2 2 4 08 8 06 4 3 1 4 10 2 05 9 2 1 8 10 0 00 1 329 839 1178 40.8 676 233 638 408 863 1271 438 G17 213 702 G EHDAWEIe a 76ERS Pot. FRPOA Fer FPA FTA i G 30 29 90 28 AVG MIN 410 529 243 287 TORONTO RAPTORS FG-FGA 180433 156-341 152353 137-281 PCT 416 457 431 55 Pot. PGPGA $8112 2460 44116 1 FTETA 122-145 82-492 79-100 eT 30 240.8 1095-2529 470 136-400 30 240.8 1083-2350 485 171 REBOUND -REB AST FF DEF TOT AVG. AST AVG, 10 19 46 26 90 7 OM 33 8 29 UM 105 35 8 13 120 174 62 57 20 @ 1m 42 15 42 aa ee 6 M4 35 1 08 @ 1m 41 3 a oM it ow @ % 40 2 3 21 10 7 w 09 4 4 04 6 S17 1189 396 726 uns ML PCT PTs 836 520 BOL 418 290 427 7 PP DQ STL 7% 0 40 109 3 Oe 8 1B 105 3 & 5 3 6 a ee) BO oO 1 6 04 3 ou 07 o 4 0 3 M4 20.6 1018-2170 469 28 6 988. 043-4545 AST AST AVG TEAM DQ ame 0 2 6 1 0 I I a OO «6 0 0 1 0 0 0 13 1 2425 923, 56 B33 oo 34 a7 18:6 1042 #10 Bennett a3 235 M4 TEAM 26 240.0 871-1997 436 130-369 603-824 OPP, 26 240.0 1051-2168 485 154-100 513-665 REBOUND REB AST Player OFF DEF TOT AVG. AST AVG. PF Siael a HO 42 108 40 65 Maxw 0 75 40 123 59 a2 Weatherspn 61 129 86 45 20 61 Coleman % 73 16 40 9 Wright) 75 109 1413 05 1 Ruin 48 15 15 19 at Skies 1 ou ow 49 19 Dumas 2840 310 18 38 Malone 8 1318 08 19 318 19 60 55 2B 13 13 2007 4 7% 234 07 9 M23 533 04 2 Alston 1 18 17 9 05 3 Willams 1533 3505 04 Walters 47 06 17 09 15 Benet? 1 4 5 08 8 10 6 TEAM «3286861014380 SIT 198 582 or. 385 8051170 45.0 678 261 687 Payer Stoudamr Anderson Murray Miller uo 33 ™ 1169 320 705 1085 Spurs’ Missing Ingredient This Season — Rodman “T've gone back to the way it wasin the beginning,” said Robinson. “My presence defensively and on the boards is important. ... We've got a lot of guys who can put the ball in the basket.” Among them: forward Sean Eluel and point guard Avery John*Seemingly, both playersare enjoying life after Rodman. Elliott should probably make the All-Star team. Johnson, a rags-to-riches story in the truest sense, is enjoying his best season. “I know where Avery has come from,” said Robinson. “Just a few years ago, he was struggling to make the team andget [playing] time.” Robinson calls Johnson “one of the top five or six point guards in the league.” Says Robinson: ‘Even more than the numbers he puts upis the way he competes. Avery had to play Michael Jordan the other night and, after the game, Michael mentioned how hard he played, SIXERS Derrick Coleman sprained his right ankle on Dec. 9. He hasn't playedsince, and he says he can't guess when he’ll return. “It’s still really sore and tender,” he says. “T never had a sprainthis bad before.” Coleman’s uncle had one suggestion: “He said to soak it in red vinegar. Maybe I'lltry it. I'll try anything.’’ Coleman sure sounds like he’s eager to return, but many are wonderingif that’s true. You see, Coleman missed the first month of the season because of treatment for an irregular heartbeat. After he was cleared to play, New Jersey traded him to the 76ers. Coleman claims Philly Coach John Lucas rushed him back onto the court despite the fact he was out of shape. Now, somesay, Colemanis getting back at Lucas by maximizing his stay on the injuredlist One member of the 76er office staff recently saw Coleman working out on the stationary bike and said, “He was peddling about one mile an hour, and talking on his mobile phone. [Our] radio announcer wasriding a bike at the same time. What doesit tell you when the announcer was working out harder than the star of the team?” o WARRIORS Because of a Players Association rule, Golden State could not leave the Bay Area before 3 p.m. on Christmas Day for their Dec. 26 gameat Detroit. After making the four-hourflight, the Warriors didn’t get to their hotel until 1 a.m. As you might expect, they were lethargic during a 100-90 z = 5 i 10 2 02 6 ee opr. a2 WT 9 403 188 663 a 1 45 ASO 58442 368792 a AVG. AST we i 9 4 ig 5 eo 2 L 716 2610 92 11K DQ STL TO BLK one 4% om x 4 2 ORLANDO MAGIC Player y ave # G MIN. PG-PGA PCT FG-FGA FT-FTA 1 m8 09 387 a7 4.108 435 85-204 41? 58-168 “ Me 36 ais 518 438 ae m 1 0 ® 0 1 Moat 3 o 2 0 & 16 0 % 7 0 2 8 0 7 OM 6 64 2 uo » 0 7 woo 2s 4 7 0 oo 0 ‘oo 306 TSE 1064 384 WoL PEI GEES oe ee enae) loss to the Pistons. Coach Rick Adelman, whose team shot 38 percent, wondered why his team couldn't have played little closer to home.“It’s bad enough having to travel cross-country on Christmas,” he said. ““There’s no secret about that. But then, to makeyouleaveafter 3 o'clock to play the next day, that's stupidity Plus, we lose three hours [because of time zones] along the way. It just makes no sense. There are too manyteamscloser to us where we could have started this trip But I guess people in New York don't understand.”* THE NBA STEVE LUHM BULLETS Gheorghe Muresan and some friends from Romania recently visited the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Theyvisited the bear pit, and the 7-foot-7 Muresan madequite an impression. Referring to Muresanas “Ghita,” which roughly translates to ‘‘Little George,” a witness to the event described what happened: “The beargot scared of Ghita. The moment Ghita showed up, the bear retreated into his hole. Wetriedit a few times. Every time we tried it, the bear retreated into his hole.” Word of Muresan’s visit to the zoo reached his teammates, and Jim Mcllvaine said, “Everybody loves Gheorghe. The world is one big candy store, and Gheorgheis the biggest kid.” Tell thatto the bear. o RAPTORS Toronto Coach Brendan Malone was born and raised in Queens, and he says New Yorkremains his favorite stop in the NBA.“It’s a greatcity,” says Malone. “You can walk around — with a gun and a hand grenade.” . The Raptors have been approachedby center-starved Charlotte about acquiring Oliver Miller. The Hornets apparently offered ancient Robert Parish and a No. 1 draft pick. Toronto boss Isiah Thomas refused. . . DamonStoudamire averages over 40 minutes a game.If he stays on course, he will be only the 10th rookie in NBAhistory to average at least 40 minutes. The others: Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Lew Aleindor, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, Jerry Lucas, El- more Smith, Elgin Baylor and Terry Dischinger. o PISTONS Ex-Bad BoyBill Laimbeer never missed a chance to bash the sporting press during his playing career. So, guess what? Laimbeer becomes a memberof the media on Jan. 17, when his cable TV show makesits debut in Detroit In his showcalled “Bill Laimbeer Uncensored,” one of the mostuniversally disliked players in NBA history says his goal is “to bring ethics to the media.” Laimbeer says he’s always been fascinated by the media’s ability to “dictate and dominate public opinion in the direction they want to slant it.” Now, it’s his turn: “My job on the Pistons was to be the one who said what everybody else was thinking and wouldn’t say. So why should I change?” BUCKS In a recent 109-105 loss to the Lakers, Glenn Robinson played only two minutes in the fourth quarter, Asked about benching Big Dog, Coach Mike Dunleavy said, You should ask him about it.” Robinson had no comment. Later, Dunleavy said, “Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who you are or whatever. You've got to be doing things on the floor as far as playing hard and defending and doing what's necessary to keep us going.” How did Robinson respondto the challenge? He scored five points in the Bucks’ next game — a blowoutlossto Detroit. Point guard Lee Mayberry likes the Bucks’ new “alternative’ road uniforms, which are green and purple and feature the likeness of an eight-point buck. “They're nice,” said Mayberry. “We've got Rudolph on the front.” CAVALIERS Cleveland forward Tyrone Hill is close to playing again for the first time since a Nov.7 auto accidentleft him with a bruised spinal cord. “The first four or five days,” said Hill, “I didn’t think I was going to get better. It was tough. I’m not going to BS you. There was a time when I was thinking about not playing anymore.” Immediately after the accident, Hill wore a neck brace, couldn't walk without a crutch and had no feeling on his right side of his body. Then, a month after the accident, Hill stepped into the shower andfelt the temperatureof the water. “When the hot water hit me, I knew I had gotten myfeeling back,” Hillsaid Since then, Hill’s gradual recovery has continued. On the court, he Says, “It’s like I'm starting all over again — like I’m in grade school.” Incidentally, the driver of the car that struck Hill's Jeep Cherokee from behindleft the accident site and was never ident fied. “For this guyto get away, said Hill, “is a crime.” |