March 2002 Basketball Wiretap

Interview with Rick Barry

Jan 31, 2002 4:36 PM

Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
     Rick Barry had worn labels all his life. A brilliant offensive dynamo. A rebel. A perfectionist. A bad father. A pain in the ass. A ?no-good, money-hungry person with no sense of values,?? Barry says, echoing the sort of criticism that has plagued him throughout an incredible career as a Hall-of-Fame player, a controversial broadcaster and a continuing fan and observer of today?s NBA game.

In this exclusive visit with DallasBasketball.com, the outspoken Barry takes on everything from his reputation to Shaq to Barry Bonds to Michael Jordan to Terrell Owens to Sports Illustrated to fired coaches to those infamous underhanded free throws.

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Nowitzki, Nash Named All-Stars; No Finley

Jan 31, 2002 4:34 PM

Nash and Nowitzki earned invitations Tuesday to the annual NBA showcase of the league's top talent when both were selected by coaches to be reserves on the Western Conference All-Star team.

The honor for the three Mavericks comes just three years removed from when all were doubted individually and blamed collectively for the Mavericks' woes. The Mavericks were 19-31 the first year all three were together. They've improved to the second-best record in the league.

"We've seen this team at the bottom when we first got here," Nash said. "For us to be a part of that turnaround and see our friendship grow along with it is special."

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Cuban's Buys Belo's Stake in Team

Jan 31, 2002 4:24 PM

By RICHARD ALM / The Dallas Morning News

Belo said Wednesday that it sold its minority stake in the Dallas Mavericks and American Airlines Center to Mark Cuban, the team's owner.

The Dallas-based media company said it would receive $27 million for its 12.38 percent share of the National Basketball Association team and its 6.19 percent stake in the new downtown arena where the Mavericks and Dallas Stars play. Belo announced in July 1999 that it had paid $24.5 million to become part-owner of the Mavericks.

Belo also withdrew the lawsuit it filed against Mr. Cuban that alleged that he reneged on an agreement to purchase the Belo stake under the same financial terms offered to former Mavericks owner Ross Perot Jr.

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Mavs Get Clipped

Jan 31, 2002 4:22 PM

Don't blame this on Michael Finley. Resist the urge to correlate the swingman's return to the lineup with the Mavericks' 117-100 loss to the LA Clippers, their first stumble in eight games.

He was, definitely, not the cause for the effect.
Because Finley, it turns out, was just fine Tuesday in front of a sold-out American Airlines Center. He worked his way back into the rotation, showed no signs of favoring the strained left hamstring that forced him to sit 13 games, and contributed 29 solid minutes, hit 6-of-11 shots and recorded 14 points.

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Spurs on Receiving End of Bomb Scare

Jan 31, 2002 4:15 PM

It was about the time David Robinson showed up at the Alamodome with a slight limp that the Spurs knew good help might be hard to find Tuesday night.

As it turned out, the Spurs would have simply settled for a pair of good hands.

After committing 15 turnovers in the first three quarters, then going scoreless for the first 5:57 of the final quarter, the Spurs fell 78-73 to Charlotte on Tuesday night at the Alamodome.

About 10 minutes after the game ended, police officers, ushers and security guards evacuated the Alamodome because of a bomb threat.

Though most of the crowd of 16,624 had already begun filing out, some of the players were still in their uniforms when they were told about the threat. After a sweep, the building was declared safe about 11:20 p.m.

Tags: Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, NBA

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Alamodome Becomes House of Pain

Jan 31, 2002 4:11 PM

The Spurs' play at the Alamodome has fast become a disaster of its own, forcing the team to drag a three-game home losing streak into tonight's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The current swoon is the Spurs' longest at home since they dropped four straight at the end of the 1996-97 season, a season in which David Robinson played in only six games. In no other season during Robinson's 13-year tenure have the Spurs lost more than three consecutive games at home.

Having fallen to 16-7 at the Alamodome this season, the Spurs are only one home loss shy of what they suffered all of last year when they went an NBA-best 33-8. Never have they finished with an overall winning record while losing more than 12 home games.

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Rockets Owner Alexander Still Has Faith

Jan 31, 2002 3:54 PM

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes that Leslie Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets since 1993, still has faith in GM Carroll Dawson and coach Rudy Tomjanovich and the team they've put together.  One would have to wonder with a team that is a disappointing 15 and 30 (and heading to the lottery, Alexander concedes), after winning 45 games last season.  But, Alexander realizes that the Rockets have had major injuries to contend with and believes the team will be very good for a very long time once healthy.

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Sonics won't face Webber

Jan 31, 2002 2:42 PM

Mentally and physically exhausted from a long trip that included a team-wide flu bug and several injuries, Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan took it easy on his charges Wednesday.

After a difficult loss Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers, McMillan essentially gave his starters the day off from practice while his younger players ended the day playing some three-on-three, half-court basketball that came to an abrupt conclusion when rookie Vladimir Radmanovic went down following a hard collision with Desmond Mason.

"Players start to tune the coach out," McMillan said. "It's like a broken record. Sometimes you have to step away from it."

McMillan - with the help of an objective coaching staff - has done a pretty good job this season of recognizing when to push his players and when to back off.

He sensed that his intensity was beginning to grind the players down, so he delivered an unexpected tonic.

But he will have to revert to his intense ways tonight, when the Sonics play host to Sacramento, the team with the best record in the NBA - though once again the teams will meet without Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber.

Webber was suspended for the game after the league deemed that an elbow he threw at Utah rookie Jarron Collins in the Kings' previous game Saturday was intentional.

Webber was fined $7,500 and suspended for this game, which will cost him 1/82 of his $12.75 million salary. This comes after Webber missed the season opener against Seattle with a severely sprained ankle (a Kings victory), and the teams' second meeting Dec. 19 with tendinitis in that sprained ankle (a Sonics win).

"They beat us without Webber before," McMillan said. "They are a very good team, a top team in the league. We have to prepare for them just as if Webber was there. They have more of a threat playing smallball, they have a strong bench ... and they are a very dangerous team, with or without Webber."

Sonics forward Vin Baker, meanwhile, said he will play tonight after aggravating a sprained left shoulder in the Sonics' loss to Portland.

"Hopefully, tomorrow I can give it another shot," Baker said. "We need wins and my team needs me."

Baker said he re-injured the shoulder when he made an awkward spin move on Rasheed Wallace, forcing his body one way and his shoulder the other.

Sonics point guard Gary Payton also is ailing, suffering from an injury to his left shin.

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* Reach staff writer Frank Hughes at 253-597-8742, ext. 6120, or frank.hughes@mail.tribnet.com

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SIDEBAR: GAME DAY

Matchup - Sacramento Kings at Sonics

When - 7 p.m., KeyArena

TV - KONG

Radio - 950-AM

The series - The teams have split two meetings this season, each winning at home.

Scouting report - Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber was suspended by the league for the game, the third time in three meetings Webber has missed the Sonics this season. Vin Baker, suffering from a sprained left shoulder, said he will play. Gary Payton, with a bruised left shin, also is expected to play. The Sonics had their two-game win streak snapped with a loss to Portland on Tuesday. This is the second game in a stretch in which the Sonics play seven of eight games at home.

Next - 7 p.m., Saturday, vs. Chicago Bulls, Key-

Arena.

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Sonics, Kings share power-forward problem

Jan 31, 2002 2:42 PM

Tonight's game could be a shootout.

It could be played at a blistering pace, with end-to-end action, featuring buckets galore and a final score of 118-117.

It could be fun.

The matchup: Sacramento vs. Seattle, two of the NBA's most accurate teams, squaring off at KeyArena.

The circumstances: Both teams have power-forward problems.

Chris Webber won't play for the Kings, suspended by the NBA for one game after throwing an elbow at Utah's Jarron Collins last Saturday. Webber will miss his third consecutive game against the Sonics after sitting out the first two with a sprained ankle.

Vin Baker might not play for the Sonics after aggravating his bruised left shoulder Tuesday night in a 92-86 loss to Portland.

Originally injured in Milwaukee last Thursday, Baker twisted his shoulder trying to make a move on the Blazers' Rasheed Wallace in the third quarter.

The fact that X-rays were negative is a positive. But little else is. Baker feels stinging pain when he raises his shoulder. Although he's right-handed, the injury still affects his shot.

As evidence, Baker, a 50-percent shooter, went 3-for-10 against the Blazers.

"With the pain, it's tough to concentrate on making the shot," Baker said.

Off the court he has a difficult time with the simplest things, like putting on clothes. He also can't sleep on his left side.

But he wants to play. The team considers him questionable for tonight's game. Baker lists himself as probable.

"I want to try to help my team win basketball games," he said. "There is some degree of pain, regardless. There's no sense in staying out."

If forced to play without their biggest inside threats, the Kings and Sonics might engage in a fast-breaking affair that emphasizes their athleticism and ability to drain pull-up and spot-up jumpers.

Although the Sonics are plenty capable, that kind of game would favor the deeper, more versatile Kings, who arrive with the best record in the NBA at 33-10.

Sacramento also is used to playing without Webber, who has missed 23 games this season because of his ankle injury.

Vlade Divac supplies another effective offensive weapon on the block, and Scot Pollard figures to grab many of the rebounds that would have gone to Webber.

The Kings also have all of those freelancing, fluid types like Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu, just to name five. Seven Kings score in double figures.

If the Sonics have to compensate for Baker in the paint, coach Nate McMillan can call upon, well, uh ... no one in particular.

Gary Payton has the best low-post moves, but he's a guard who needs to direct and distribute to maximize his teammates' potential. Other back-to-the-basket options, Desmond Mason and Rashard Lewis, were snuffed by the Blazers.

"After that, we're limited with who we can go with," McMillan said.

The coach didn't even discuss rebounding, probably because it is not his favorite subject.

With Baker's 6.6 rebounds a game, the Sonics are 28th in rebounding in a 29-team league. Without them, they might be 30th tomorrow morning after crashing the glass with the second-ranked Kings.

The Sonics have yet another problem: without Baker, they don't have an inside-out game, precluding many of the open perimeter shots that his teammates normally get.

In spite of statistical data that points to a Kings victory, the Sonics have a shot at the upset. They already beat Sacramento, 104-92, on Dec. 19 at KeyArena.

In addition, for a supposed championship contender, the Kings tend to stumble when they are not playing in front of their electrified fans at ARCO Arena. They are 9-9 on the road, a sign that Rick Adelman's team can be had tonight.


SONICS VS. KINGS

WHEN: Tonight at 7

WHERE: KeyArena

TV/RADIO: KONG/6, 16; KJR-AM/950

RECORDS: Kings 33-10, Sonics 23-21. Season series tied 1-1, with Kings winning 101-95 in Sacramento on Nov. 1 and Sonics winning 104-92 at KeyArena on Dec. 19.

INJURY REPORT: Kings: G Mateen Cleaves (sore foot) is out. Sonics: C Calvin Booth (ankle tendinitis) is out. F Vin Baker (bruised shoulder) is questionable.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kings have won 14 of their past 15 games. Their only loss in the past month was Jan. 22 at Portland, when the Blazers prevailed 116-110 in OT. Kings are coming off an impressive 114-90 victory at Utah Saturday night, in which Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points and Scot Pollard had 15 rebounds. ... Kings second in the league in shooting (.464) and scoring (104.4). ... Rainier Beach graduate Doug Christie returns to his hometown, averaging 13.2 points and 1.7 steals. He scored his season high of 23 points in most recent game here, a 104-92 loss on Dec. 19. ... Kings will miss suspended Chris Webber's 24.6 points and 10 rebounds, but Stojakovic should offset any offensive worries: the 6-foot-9 forward averages 22.8 points

OUTLOOK: Kings have more of everything, but the Sonics have been playing well of late, the loss to Portland notwithstanding. If forced to play without Baker, Sonics need to create with penetration, trying to free up the best perimeter firing squad in the league. The hunch is that Sacramento will be gunned down tonight.

LINE: Pick 'em

P-I PICK: Sonics, 110-102

Tags: Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Capsule preview: Sacramento at Seattle

Jan 31, 2002 2:41 PM

When: 7 tonight.
Where: KeyArena.

Records: Sonics 23-21, Kings 33-10.

TV: KONG (Channel 6/16). Radio: KJR (950 AM).

P SONICS Ht. Ppg. R/A
C Art Long 6-9 4.9 4.5/R
F Vin Baker 6-11 16.5 6.6/R
F Rashard Lewis 6-10 16.8 7.3/R
G Brent Barry 6-6 13.0 5.6/R
G Gary Payton 6-4 23.0 9.1/A
P KINGS Ht. Ppg. R/A
C Vlade Divac 7-1 11.3 8.6/R
F Scot Pollard 6-11 6.1 7.7/R
F Peja Stojakovic 6-9 22.8 5.4/R
G Doug Christie 6-6 13.2 4.9/R
G Mike Bibby 6-1 14.1 5.0/A


Notes: Vin Baker participated in noncontact drills in yesterday's practice. Seattle's 6-foot-11 power forward aggravated his strained left shoulder in the third quarter of Tuesday's 92-86 loss to Portland. But Baker intends to play tonight. ... Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic have been named to the Western All-Star team as reserves.

Injuries: Sonics ? C Calvin Booth (right ankle) is on the injured list. Kings ? G Mateen Cleaves (plantar fasciitis) won't play.

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