Raptors rock Timberwolves in sixth win in seven games

Posted at 1:45 PM, January 2, 2007

Toronto, Dec 28: T.J. Ford scored 28 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 100-97 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday (27th December).

The Atlantic Division leaders overturned a five-point deficit going into the final quarter to take their home record to 8-3 with four of their next five games also at the Air Canada Centre.

Kevin Garnett scored 24 points for the Timberwolves but only managed seven-for-18 from the field compared with Ford's 12-for-18 as Minnesota slipped to 12-14.

The Minnesota Timberwolves visited Toronto on Wednesday with the Raptors looking for their sixth win in seven games at the Air Canada Centre.

Things looked bad for Toronto in the first quarter. A Fred Jones miss quickly turned into a Mike James lay-up to put the visitors 18-12. James finished the game with 20 points.

The Timberwolves continued to take advantage of Raptor misses in the second quarter.

Jorge Garbajosa missed a three-point attempt and Kevin Garnett tossed the ball downcourt to an open Marko Jaric for an easy lay-in and a 46-38 lead.

That was one of Garnett's six assists on the night with Jaric scoring 15 points from off the bench.

In the third quarter, T.J. Ford came alive to keep Toronto in the game.

Smooth ball-handling got Ford an open jumper in the corner to bring the Raptors within two points with this stellar display of dribbling sending the bench and the crowd wild.

Ford turned James inside out, almost leaving the Minnesota guard flat on his face.

Some superb skill from Jose Calderon in the fourth quarter put Toronto into a narrow 82-81 lead, the Spaniard finishing with 13 points off of the bench.

The game was tied at 86 with just five minutes left when Jaric fed Garnett in the paint and the star forward spun and hit a hook shot to put Minnesota ahead.

Garnett led the Timberwolves with 24 points was only made seven-for-18 from the field.

The Raptors regained the lead with 2:27 left as Ford's burst and pass gave Anthony Parker time to sink a three-pointer and make it 91-90 Toronto.

After Rasho Nesterovic had made it 93-90, Ford sent the Air Canada Centre berserk by hitting a pull-up jump shot to extend the lead to five points with less than 30 seconds remaining.

The guard was 12-for-18 from the field as he top scored with 28 points.

The Raptors led by three in the dying seconds giving the Timberwolves a chance to take the game into overtime.

But Garnett's attempt hit the back of the rim and Toronto defeated Minnesota by three to take their home record to 8-3 with four of their next five games also at the Air Canada Centre.

The Timberwolves slipped to 12-14.

Minnesota Timberwolves (3-4) At Cleveland Cavaliers (6-2), 7:30 P.m.

Posted at 9:36 AM, November 24, 2006

The Cleveland Cavaliers attempt to extend their winning streak to five games when the current Eastern Conference leaders host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland improved to 6-2 on the young season, the best overall mark in the East at the moment, with Wednesday's 100-87 home win over Portland. LeBron James scored 32 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Cavs. Drew Gooden added 17 points and six rebounds while Eric Snow tallied 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field for Cleveland, which used a 15-3 third- quarter run to put the game out of reach. On a down note, Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes sprained his right ankle during the contest and is expected to miss both tonight's game as well as Saturday's matchup at Washington. Hughes, the Cavs' second-leading scorer with an average of 13.8 points per game, sat out 45 games last season due to a broken finger. Minnesota seeks to build off the momentum from Tuesday's 101-89 victory over the Trail Blazers at the Target Center. Ricky Davis poured in a game-high 27 points while Kevin Garnett compiled 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to help the Timberwolves stop a four-game slide. Garnett also had five blocks and three steals before fouling out with 1:10 remaining. Mike James added 15 points to the winning effort. Minnesota has lost three straight away from home after defeating Denver in its road opener on November 3. The Cavaliers are off to a 4-1 start at home. These teams have split their home-and-home series in each of the last two seasons, but the Timberwolves have captured six of the last eight meetings. Minnesota earned an 89-85 victory in its lone visit to Quicken Loans Arena last season.

Timberwolves seemed poised . . . to stay mediocre

Posted at 4:15 PM, June 12, 2006

There's a wonderful symmetry at work with two NBA franchises. Both are run by Hall of Famers who played for the Celtics. Both have superstar-level players whose values have diminished, and both are in transition.

But only one, the Pacers with Larry Bird, knows it's in transition. The Timberwolves with Kevin McHale don't.

Apparently not much has changed since the 1980s when Bird and McHale combined with Robert Parish as probably the best frontcourt in NBA history. Bird was the serious, hard-driving one always looking forward to getting better. McHale had the talent, if not necessarily the vision.

That's why the talk fast-breaking around the NBA these days is that the Pacers are pushing for major moves involving their star forward, Jermaine O'Neal, while the Timberwolves are sitting back with their star forward, Kevin Garnett, and expected to go forward with pretty much what they have.

It remains highly unlikely that Minnesota will trade Garnett. The Timberwolves are said to be looking to move their No. 6 draft pick for a veteran to complement Garnett, though it's hard to imagine they could get someone significant at that level in this draft. With Larry Brown likely out as New York's coach, it seems the Knicks will keep Stephon Marbury. So maybe the Timberwolves will make a deal for Steve Francis, who actually could help. But they look like a team just trying to make the playoffs in Garnett's waning years. What's the point?

The Pacers understand their situation better, which is why they've been one of the most forward-thinking franchises in the league. Rather than risk going down slowly after making the Finals in 2000, they broke up their team without falling to the bottom and quickly returned to championship contention. Because of Ron Artest and the big brawl against Detroit, the plan fell apart. They made the playoffs last season, but they understand the goals are larger. They could make the playoffs again with the team they have, but why bother?

That's why they're said to be one of the teams talking with Toronto about a trade for the No. 1 pick. Although is has been rumored that Toronto will pick Italian 7-footer Andrea Bargnani, I don't believe that. It's clear Chris Bosh, the Raptors' star forward, doesn't want that, and priority No. 1 is extending Bosh's contract. Plus, as a first-year general manager, Bryan Colangelo probably doesn't want to take such a risk with the No 1 pick in a draft with personnel experts saying any one of six players could justify a top pick.

One of the rumors from Toronto has been that the Raptors would add a veteran inside player to ease the burden on Bosh and try to be a playoff team immediately. Memphis' Pau Gasol has been mentioned, and one could make a case for the Grizzlies trying to get younger and save some money with an ownership change apparently imminent. The other rumor is a deal for the Pacers' O'Neal, who could be the kind of low-post presence to ease the strain on Bosh.

Bosh is said to be pushing for Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge as the No. 1 pick. They're even working out together now. But it would be hard for the Raptors to say no to O'Neal, a perennial All-Star.

The talk is the Pacers would throw in their No. 17 pick, which would give the Raptors a shot at a point guard and a team ready to compete next season with the Pacers getting back forward Charlie Villanueva, whom Colangelo is said to be willing to deal.

There are some other factors which suggest a major Pacers' makeover.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is entering the final year of his four-year contract with no extension likely. He's done a remarkable job in some respects with all the turmoil from suspensions and injuries, but Bird said at the end of the season that Carlisle "probably did lose the team" at times.

Bird also said when he left the Pacers' coaching job after three seasons that three is probably the optimum run for a coach with one group of players. Insiders say Bird was privately lobbying for major moves last summer because he envisioned the fit wouldn't work anymore, but was persuaded by ownership to endorse the current coaching staff. Now it seems Bird has been vindicated and will have a freer hand to make moves.

One rumor is the Pacers would take Gonzaga guard/forward Adam Morrison No. 1 if they made the deal. But it seems more likely they'd try to re-sign Peja Stojakovic and draft a big man, probably Aldridge, to pair with Villanueva, and then move Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley and be back in contention sooner than many would expect.

The Timberwolves could do something similar, though I'm convinced they wouldn't. In fact, the way the NBA is going these days with the perimeter dominance, if I were the Bulls I'm not sure I'd even want Garnett anymore and would probably just use my draft picks. But if Minnesota could get both first-round picks and a player, say Ben Gordon or Luol Deng, for Garnett, wouldn't they have to consider that? It would seem like they could have an exciting young nucleus. But, heck, if you can get to eighth in the West, why change?

ALL THAT JAZZ

The Jazz finally got Brigham Young star Rafael Araujo, whom the Raptors took No. 8 in 2004. Araujo doesn't figure to be a starter, but he's a big body to help with Greg Ostertag having retired. And the Raptors could get something out of Kris Humphries, who never got a chance with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur signed after that draft. The Jazz, though, continues to look at big men, suggesting it might have a deal for Boozer.

The Jazz is said to be looking at Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant, UConn's Hilton Armstong, Duke's Shelden Williams - whose workouts hint he might go top 10 - and Saer Sena, the 7-footer from Senegal who impressed Karl Malone in a workout. Said Malone: "He's hungry; he didn't start playing until 2003."

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

Maybe the NBA should just disband several franchises and make a stronger league. How about Charlotte, Memphis, Atlanta and Portland to start?

The Bobcats have now run out their president, chief operating officer and marketing head in the last two weeks amid declining ticket sales despite a new arena. The Trail Blazers remain for sale, and bankruptcy even has been mentioned. The Grizzlies are for sale, and there's talk of a group including former NBA player Christian Laettner coming in and cutting back. And last week a Maryland judge ruled in favor of former Atlanta part-owner Steve Belkin's claim that he be allowed to buy out the partners who ran him out, setting up more appeals and a franchise in chaos. Then there's Seattle for sale and seeking a new arena and the Jazz talking of losing millions annually.

Hey, but it's been a good playoffs.

MILE-HIGH NEWS

Shawn Kemp gave himself a positive review after working out for the Nuggets at a free-agent camp. He told Denver reporters: "I wanted to make it through every drill, through every play and not come up hurt, not take any plays off, and I was able to do that. I actually surprised myself with my speed. I ran better than most of the big guys here." Kemp, who hasn't played since 2002-03, said he'll work out for Dallas. . . . Denver coach George Karl says he hasn't spoken to Kenyon Martin since he suspended Martin in the playoffs. Said Karl: "We have a frontcourt situation which Kenyon, Marcus (Camby), Nene, Carmelo (Anthony) all want to be paid $10 million. You can't have that. So there's going to have to be some cleaning out there."

DOUBLE DRIBBLES

Gonzaga's Morrison says not to worry about his diabetes and mentions players who succeeded with the disease, like Chris Dudley in basketball, Bobby Clarke in hockey and Ron Santo in baseball. Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff was so impressed with Morrison's workout that he said Morrison might not get to them at No. 3. . . . Former Bull Jason Williams, trying to come back from his 2003 motorcycle accident, has worked out for or is expected to see the Raptors, Grizzlies and Nets. . . . Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said on New York radio that his relationship with Heat coach Pat Riley has been strained with the early-season departure as Miami coach of his brother, Stan. Jeff added: "I don't think they're any better coached this year than they have been in the last two years with Stan."

Babcock looks back

Posted at 9:37 AM, June 9, 2006

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Rob Babcock and Bryan Colangelo go way back -- back to long before Babcock was fired as the Raptors general manager in January only to be replaced by Colangelo a month later.

"Bryan's a good friend of mine, I've known him since he was a kid," Babcock, now working as a consultant for the Minnesota Timberwolves, said at the NBA's pre-draft camp at Walt Disney World Resort.

"He was a camper at the (basketball) camps I worked at and my wife used to babysit him in Phoenix when he was little."

How times have changed.

NO GRUDGES

Little Bryan, 13 years younger than Babcock, is the president/GM with the Raptors, giving him power his predecessor never possessed.

But Babcock doesn't begrudge Colangelo. When the Raptors won the draft lottery last month, Babcock didn't think about what he would done with the top pick.

"(Colangelo) is a good man and a proven winner," Babcock said.

"I wish him the best of luck. The past is the past and you move on."

For as long as he remains in basketball, Babcock will be reminded about his two ugly moves -- the drafting of Rafael Araujo, who was traded to the Utah Jazz yesterday, and the trade of Vince Carter.

When it comes to Carter, Babcock insists he would not have done anything differently, maintaining the trade to the New Jersey Nets for Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning and two draft-picks was the best possible deal.

Araujo, however, seems like a different story.

"I had two guys ranked ahead of him -- (Andre) Iguodala and Jameer Nelson," said Babcock, who still thinks Araujo can become an effective NBA player. "But we went by position. I'm not a guy who goes by position, but I did on that occasion. The situation, the roster, what the needs were there (dictated the pick)."

Three weeks after he was fired, Babcock made a list of the things he felt he did right and the things he did wrong. But there was one item which didn't fit on that list, which stands out in reflection.

"You can't always control this, but you don't want to take a GM's job 21/2 weeks before the draft," said Babcock, who also had to hire a coach -- Sam Mitchell -- within a month of his hiring. "You either want to have two full months to prepare or get it after the draft. It was just a whirlwind, very difficult. That's not the best way to prepare for something."

Babcock hopes his days of running an NBA team are not behind him.

"We certainly made some mistakes, but overall I felt the plan was working well and we were making progress," he said. "I'd like to get another shot, but if I don't, it's not the end of the world."

NBA: Wolves Work Out Potential Draft Picks

Posted at 12:27 PM, June 2, 2006

The Minnesota Timberwolves worked out guards Taquan Dean and C.J. Watson and forwards Terence Dials and Eric Hicks at the team's Target Center practice facility. Watson worked out for a second consecutive day for the team.

Dean enters the draft after a four-year career at the University of Louisville. He averaged 17.1 points (.382 FG%), 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 33.1 minutes per game in 31 contests for the Cardinals last season. The 6-3 guard scored in double-figures in 27 contests, including a season-high 30 points vs. Richmond on Dec. 5. He posted seven-or-more rebounds on 12 occasions and five-plus assists 11 times in 2005-06.

Watson enters the draft after a four-year career at the University of Tennessee. He averaged 9.3 points (.439 FG%), 4.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 35.7 minutes per game in 27 contests for the Volunteers last season. The 6-2 guard scored in double-figures in 12 contests, including a season-high 17 points at Ole Miss on Jan. 11. He posted seven-or-more assists on 10 occasions in 2005-06, including a season-high nine assists vs. Georgia on Feb. 8.

Dials (right, with ball) enters the draft after a four-year career at The Ohio State University. The 6-9 forward averaged 15.3 points (.559 FG%), 8.0 rebounds, 1.10 blocks and 30.4 minutes per game in 32 contests during the 2005-06 campaign. He registered double-digits in scoring on 26 occasions, including a season-high 25 points at Indiana on Jan. 7. He recorded double figures in rebounds on nine occasions, including a season-high 16 vs. Illinois on Feb. 12.

Hicks (right, defending) averaged 15.0 points (.479 FG%), 9.7 rebounds, 3.30 blocks and 34.4 minutes per game in 34 contests at the University of Cincinnati in 2005-06. The 6-6 forward scored in double-digits in 27 contests, including a season-high 24 points vs. North Carolina A&T on Dec. 30. Hicks grabbed double-digits in rebounds 16 times, including a season-high 18 rebounds vs. Charlotte on March 17. He blocked three-or-more shots on 21 occasions, including 10 at Marquette on Jan. 7.

Casey right guy, Szczerbiak says

Posted at 2:31 PM, May 29, 2006

Wally Szczerbiak said he thinks his seventh NBA season was his best, even though he had to deal with a midseason trade from the Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics and a knee injury.

Speaking from his home on Long Island, N.Y., the former Wolves forward credited coach Dwane Casey for having confidence in him, which helped Szczerbiak average 20.1 points in 40 games with the Wolves this season.

"I loved coach Casey as a coach," Szczerbiak said.

The Wolves were 19-21 on Jan. 26 when they traded Szczerbiak to Boston. The trade didn't produce the results the Wolves had hoped for, and they finished 33-49.

Casey faced some backlash from fans for the franchise's worst season since 1995-96. But Szczerbiak believes that Casey is the right man for the job.

"I don't think there's any coach who prepares you better for a game," Szczerbiak said. "I know he took a lot of heat, especially after the trade, but he'll do a good job in this league for many years to come."

The undoing of the team this season was its inability to win close games. The Wolves went 4-10 in games decided by three or fewer points and 1-5 in overtime. They also lost an NBA-high 15 games when leading after three quarters.

After the trade, Szczerbiak followed what was happening with his former team. He spent his first 6½ NBA seasons in Minnesota, so it was only natural.

"I had a lot of interest in the Wolves," he said. "My parents found themselves still watching a lot of Timberwolves games. Minnesota will always have a special place in my heart; there's no question about that."

But he is looking forward to his first full season with the Celtics, who acquired him in a seven-player deal. He went on to average 19 points this season, his career high.

Szczerbiak was playing with torn cartilage in his left knee in Boston. He fought swelling in the knee at times and eventually was shut down for the final seven games. After arthroscopic surgery in April, he is going through rehabilitation and has resumed some basketball drills.

He believes that the young Celtics will be a playoff contender next season.

"Our team was close on the road together," Szczerbiak said. "We played cards on the planes, and that was nice to get to know the guys, and I kind of fit in pretty well right away. It will be nice to have training camp and get acclimated to the system."

NBA Draft Lottery Winners and Losers

Posted at 11:10 AM, May 25, 2006

By Mike Rothman

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

For the third consecutive year, the team with the worst record in basketball did not win the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite a record of 21-61, the Portland Trail Blazers slipped to the fourth selection for the 2006 draft. This was not a huge surprise, given Portland only had a 25% chance of winning the top pick.

Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson did not seem shaken by his team's drop in the order, hinting to the fact that last year’s fourth selection, Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, was the overwhelming NBA Rookie of the Year for the Hornets.

"You may find a player with as big an impact at No. 4 or even No. 6 as you may at No. 1," Patterson said.

Meanwhile, the team that did beat the odds and claimed the first overall pick was the Toronto Raptors, despite only an 8.8% chance of winning. General Manager Bryan Colangelo, recently hired away from the Phoenix Suns, was excited about the first pick and said it is a sign of things to come for the downtrodden Raptors.

"For us to have this kind of luck is a symbol of a reversal of fortune going forward," Colangelo said. "We have our work cut out. This will help."

The biggest loser in the lottery had to be a team that wasn't in it: the New York Knicks. After posting their worst record (23-59) in 20 years, the Knicks weren't a factor Tuesday night. Why? Because in the 2005 off season, Isiah Thomas dealt the rights to New York's No. 1 pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls for underachieving center Eddy Curry.

The 6’-11” Curry had been diagnosed with heart problems, which is why the Bulls were looking to deal him. In New York, Curry averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game in 2005-06, and less than one block and six rebounds per outing. He also was rarely on the court during crunch time due to his weak defense.

Thus, the lottery's biggest winners had to be the young, up-and-coming Bulls, who ended up with the second overall pick. The Bulls were 41-41 this season and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they pushed the second-seeded Heat to the limit in the opening round. The Bulls already have one of the best young backcourts in the league with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, and will look to add a front-court impact player in this year’s draft.

"We made the deal, and we're lucky we got in the lottery," said John Paxson, the Bulls' Executive Vice President.

As for the players vying for to be taken No. 1 overall, there does not appear to be a clear-cut choice. Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, Texas power forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas and Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani are considered the top candidates.

Aldridge, who reaffirmed his stock in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 with a 26-point, 13-rebound performance against West Virginia, could be the slight favorite for the Raptors. Toronto also likes Bargnani, who is considered a prospect in the mold of Dirk Nowitzki.

The Raptors' Colangelo would not comment on which way the team is leaning.

"Right now we've got a month to go, and we'll see what comes our way and see what we can dig up," Colangelo said. "I think there are about five or six names that could be there. We need a one [point guard] or a five [center]."

This year’s draft may be as much about the players not in it as those who are available. With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, this will be the first year that high school seniors won't be eligible for the draft. That eliminated Greg Oden, a 7-foot prep phenom bound for Ohio State this fall, who would have been a lock for the first pick.

Another big man who will not be on the draft board this year is Joakim Noah, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Final Four. Noah led the Florida Gators to a surprise NCAA title, but decided not to strike while the iron was hot and come back to Gainesville for a run at another championship.

Those are two names most GMs would have rated at the top of their boards this year.

So maybe there is no true big winner of the 2006 lottery. The big winner in the NBA could be the team with that lucky ping-pong ball in 2007.

Pay or Punish. Just Do Something

Posted at 1:14 PM, May 22, 2006

By Mike Rothman
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer 

Let me paint a picture for you. It is this past Monday night; you have just opened another beer and are toasting with your friends. Why? Being the smart gambler that you are, you placed a significant wager on the San Antonio Spurs over the Dallas Mavericks, and the Spurs are up 111-109 with 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Even more important, by betting on the Spurs, the Sportsbook gave you 4.5 points because the game is in Dallas. No need to worry about that now because the Spurs look like a lock to win outright.  

“This game’s over. Finley’s three-pointer sealed the game,” your friend says.

Dallas comes out of their timeout and predictably feeds the basketball to their star, Dirk Nowitzki. You are counting down the seconds, waiting for the final shot and the game to end, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. Dirk is simply backing down in the paint and covered by San Antonio’s defensive stopper, Bruce Bowen. All of a sudden, a whistle blows, but nothing really happened. Did Dallas call a timeout? Nope. The referee calls a personal foul on Bruce Bowen, and the Spurs are over the foul limit.

“WHAT, are you serious?” you start to scream. “Nothing happened!”

A little bead of sweat begins to form on your brow, and you crouch about five inches from the television. Nowitzki calmly makes the first free throw. You cannot believe this is happening. Nowitzki calmly makes the second free throw. Duncan misses a last second shot, and the game goes into overtime. You still have the spread, but of course, the Mavericks end up winning the game, 123-118. Your money is gone. In the span of a second, you went from euphoria to depression. Why? Did you pick the game wrong or celebrate too early?

No, poor officiating once again ruined another close game in another crucial situation. Why is the officiating so bad? There are two reasons. First, the salaries are too low, considering the power that these officials possess. For NBA refs, salaries can be as low as $90,000 per year. This may seem high, but it is not when compared to what players and coaches make. Furthermore, these officials are human, and there has to be some resentment that these guys control million dollar players, but make less than $100,000. This contributes to bad calls, consciously or unconsciously.

Pay these guys. Put them on the same level as the players or at least the coaches. Level the playing field and better results will follow. I am not saying that refs should be paid millions of dollars, but they should at least receive more than they are making now. Some of these guys just do not care, and why should they?

The other factor is the lack of punishment from the League Office. After game four in Dallas, multiple suspensions and fines should have come down on those officials, but basically, nothing happened. It was not just the last play of regulation that was called poorly, but rather, the entire game. On a team, if a player is not producing, he is benched. Why not do the same for professional officials? There needs to be a possible punishment in the mind of the official to ensure his full effort.

Punish these guys. Again, try to level the ground and put the officials in the players’ shoes. Professional sports needs to put an end to the whole referee vs. player war and make a joint effort to create fair contests. This will result in classic games where the right team actually wins the game.

I will leave you with one of the greatest current examples of poor officiating, Super Bowl XL. This game was atrocious. Actually, the game never seemed to start but was completely dominated by the officials. The TV ratings were the lowest for a Super Bowl in recent years, and anytime a great play was made, it was simply reversed by the refs. Why did this happen? This happened for the same reasons I stated above. NFL referees make as little as $25,000 a year and are considered part-time employees. Lonely sports writers make more than that. In addition, there was not really any severe punishment. This was the Super Bowl, one of the biggest sporting events of the year. People, we need to make a change across the board. If not, we are going to be left with these part-time employees controlling the fate of the biggest sporting events, and like it or not, our money is at stake.

Stadium was near-miss

Posted at 4:52 PM, May 16, 2006

Nearly seven years ago, owners Glen Taylor of the Timberwolves and Bob Naegele Jr. of the Wild had an agreement signed by Carl Pohlad to sell them the Twins for $120 million.

The deal was contingent on approval of a new downtown St. Paul ballpark, projected to cost $325 million, by way of a referendum and a one-third cost contribution by the state of Minnesota.

The referendum was unsuccessful but not lopsided. Had it passed, the Twins today might be playing their second season in a new ballpark in St. Paul rather than being immersed in legislative squabbles for a new stadium in downtown Minneapolis that, if approved, won't yield the first pitch until 2010.

Looking back recently, Naegele said of the St. Paul referendum, "At that point, the citizens of St. Paul did not have any experience of what happens when a new professional sports organization and a new arena is built. Ours (the Wild's Xcel Energy Center) was in the process of being built, and we would open up approximately nine months later."

Had St. Paul residents been able to experience the success and economic impact of the NHL team for a year before the baseball stadium referendum, Naegele believed it would have passed.

NBA: Wolves, Lynx set camp schedules

Posted at 9:03 AM, May 10, 2006

The Timberwolves and Lynx will conduct summer basketball camps from June 19 through Aug. 25 throughout the Twin Cities. The registration fee for the five co-ed day camps is $199. The fee for a camp by Wolves forward Mark Madsen June 26-30 at Champlin Park High School is $200. Wolves and Lynx day camps are six hours and include chalk talks, fundamental drills, team contests, station work, position skills, fast-break leagues and fun time. The camps feature a 12 to 1 ratio of campers to instructors and have limited enrollment. Younsters also can take part in the Junior Wolves and Junior Lynx programs, which include an opportunity to take part in a clinic at Target Center before home games.

Chances for Winning by the Losers

Posted at 4:27 PM, May 3, 2006

By Jeff Zell

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

 

It is a catastrophe that in professional sports, a non-winning record can set the table for a legitimate shot at a world title.

 

In baseball, it has come close (see 2005 San Diego Padres, 1973 NY Mets). In the NFL, only two .500 teams have made the playoffs since 1991 (1991 NYJ, 2004 STL). In the NBA, however, it has been the norm to find teams with a losing record compete in late April and into May.

 

Below, a table of the number of .500 win percentage teams, the number of first round games they have won, and the number of series they have gone on to win.

 

First Round Playoff Stats Last 10 Years
Year	Teams at .500 or under	Total first round games won	Series Won
1996	2	2	0
1997	3	2	0
1998	1	2	0
1999	1	1	0
2000	0	0	0
2001	1	1	0
2002	0	0	0
2003	0	0	0
2004	4	4	0
2005	0	0	0
2006	3

Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com

 

Parody just hasn’t existed in the NBA playoffs. These 15 teams in the last 10 years have combined to win just 12 playoff games and have never advanced. In 2004, four teams in the East had the shot and surely one could pull off the upset? Not even the four vs. five could do it.

 

The last time a team with a losing record entered the playoffs and won a Series was 1988. Then, the Seattle Supersonics boasted a 39-43 record as the 7-seed and made it all the way to the conference finals. They upset both Dallas and Houston, before being swept by Pat Riley’s Los Angeles Lakers.  Since Seattle, a total of 31 teams have entered the playoffs with a record at or below .500. And these teams are 0-31 in playoff series.

 

So, how good of a chance do Milwaukee (40-42), Chicago (41-41) and Indiana (41-41) have this year?  I’m not going to say “none,” because that’s why they play the game—but let’s delve into these match-ups.

 

(1) Detroit vs. (8) Milwaukee

One-seeds haven’t lost since 1999. But there was a technicality about that year: First, 1999 was the NBA lockout year, and only 50 regular season games were played. Second, three other teams had the same 33-17 record, but Miami won by a tiebreaker.

 

In a full 82-game season, it was the 1994 Denver Nuggets who upset the top-seeded Supersonics to advance to the second round.

 

With Flip Saunders at the helm, we’ve seen the Pistons play looser offensively, but still maintaining impressive defense—leading them to their best regular season record ever (64-18). Don’t worry about the nonsense concerning Ben Wallace not getting along with Flip: This team is focused when it comes to the playoffs.

 

Having said this, Milwaukee has their hands full. Let’s just look at player vs. player matchups.

 

	Detroit	Milwaukee	Advantage
PG	Billups	Ford	Detroit
SG	Hamilton	Redd	Detroit
SF	Prince	Simmons	Detroit
PF	R. Wallace	Bogut	Detroit
C	B. Wallace	Magloire	Detroit

 

 

Billups will substitute size for speed and can dominate Ford. Hamilton is a workhorse. Prince is undoubtedly better than Simmons. And I’ll just point out the experience from the front court to suffice my argument for the Wallaces.

 

To make matters worse, the only type of success they had against Detroit was when they played Toni Kukoc at the three. Kukoc is already banged up and will miss the first game, so his health will be a definite factor.

Prediction: Pistons in a sweep

 

(2) Miami vs. (7) Chicago

Chicago is the hottest of the East’s bottom-3, finishing 12-2 in their final 14 to slip into the show. They had a similar run in the final month of the season last year, winning 15 of their last 19 games. The Bulls’ only win against the Heat in the regular season came back on April 15 when the Heat rested most of their stars.

 

In the playoffs, it comes down to defense and though the “Baby Bulls” are young, they do buckle down, leading the NBA for the second straight season in defensive field-goal percentage (.426).

 

Offensively, the Bulls’ patented “drive-and-kick” out game has given opposing teams a hard time. Ben Gordon ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference, hitting 43.9-percent from 3-point land, and point-guard Kirk Hinrich has shot 42.9-percent from behind the arc in his last five games.  

 

Although the Heat have been locked into the No. 2 spot since basically January, I don’t see them having trouble kicking into high gear. Even when the Bulls shut down Wade in their meetings this year (12.3 ppg), the Heat have found a way to win.

 

The Bulls have no answer for Shaq, who had 14 points and 6 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action on April 15.

Prediction: Heat in 5

 

(3) New Jersey vs. (6) Indiana

 

This might very well be the best shot for a team at the .500 mark in the regular season to win a Series. The Nets came from the weak Atlantic Division that sent no other teams beside themselves to the playoffs. The two teams have similar defensive work ethics, as they are 5^th and 6^th in points allowed, respectively, in the NBA. The interesting thing about this series is the way they view each other: New Jersey players have said the Pacers are a good transition and look to slow it down, while Indiana players have said the exact same thing about the Nets! Wow, this should be a fun series to watch!

 

Jermaine O’Neal looks to be healthy into the playoffs, having played 30-plus minutes in his final 11 regular season games, but I don’t foresee him being the difference. The difference must come from the defense side of the ball, in particular, the ability to stop Vince Carter.

 

Peja Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson must play top-notch to pull the upset.

 

I have a feeling this series will go seven. The Nets were 29-12 at home, fourth-best home record in the Eastern conference, so that’s the way I lean.

Prediction: Nets in 7

 

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The only Constant in Life is Change

Posted at 4:26 PM, May 3, 2006

By Michael Rothman

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

 

Well, this counts for everything but the National Basketball Association. The first problem we had this post-season was the division rule, which will leave the Spurs to play the Mavericks in the second round, all due to a technicality of being in the same division. This rule alone should constitute uproar from the fans and needs to be addressed immediately. Now, we have another significance issue.

 

We have the fact that the MVP Award is announced and decided before the NBA playoffs are over. It is decided on before the first round is even over! What’s the result? It was announced Wednesday that Steve Nash will win his second straight MVP Award.

 

Now I am not arguing that Nash is not worthy of his second MVP. Actually Nash supporters are going to say that he had a better statistical year this season than last season, when he was the clear choice for MVP. Sure, Nash upped his points from 15.5 per game last year to 18.8 per this year, but last year was last year. More importantly, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James were not in the playoffs last year and did not come even close to the caliber of seasons they each had this year.  What I am arguing is that other players are just more deserving of the award.

 

On Wednesday night, Nash got posterized like no one has ever seen before. Who was the player that abused Nash so horribly, you ask? Oh it was Kobe Bryant, another top candidate for MVP and someone more worthy of the honor than Nash. More than just making Nash look like a fool on national television, Bryant’s dunk in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Lakers over the Suns. This now leads us back to our issue at hand.

 

The Suns might not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. After the Lakers’ 93-90 victory Wednesday night, the series is even at one game a piece. Now, the Lakers are heading back to Los Angeles with home-court advantage and control of the series. By the way the Lakers are 27-14 at home this year and we all know Kobe is going to turn it up a notch for the home crowd. If this round is the last stop for the Suns, where does that leave Nash? At home with his MVP trophy, even after he couldn’t beat the seventh-seeded Lakers in the opening round. Remember way back when Charles Barkley was actually one of the first MVPs not to win the NBA Championship? That was in 1993 and seems like ages ago now. Back then the MVP committee got things right, and even more ironic is that Barkley won the award while playing for the Suns, Nash’s current team.

 

More over, if the Suns do in fact lose to the Lakers in the first round, the case grows even stronger that Kobe is the MVP. Do I have to read the laundry list of accomplishments to you? The man scored 35 points per game during the regular season, not to mention getting an overachieving Lakers team back into the playoffs with a record of 45-37. And now he might get them into the second round as a seventh seed. Without Kobe, this team would already be planning for the Draft Lottery.

 

And what about Lebron James? The Cleveland Cavs are the fourth seed in the East. Let me repeat, the Cleveland Cavs are the fourth seed in the East. Don’t forget that the Cavs also won 50 games this year. This is an achievement in itself. Let’s not forget Lebron’s playoff debut; he only scored a triple double against the Wizards. This is exactly why the playoffs have to count toward the MVP voting, because the playoffs are where legends are made.

 

Don’t get me wrong, Nash is a nice player who had a nice season. But aren’t MVPs supposed to be spectacular players who have spectacular seasons. Before you answer that question, answer this one. If you take Kobe away from the Lakers and Nash away from the Suns, which team suffers more? The answer to that is your 2006 MVP. I’ll give you a little hint. It’s not Steve Nash.

 

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Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

Posted at 12:59 PM, May 2, 2006

By Daniel Kline

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

 

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

 

*All times Eastern.

 

Monday, May 1

NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)

Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

 

Tuesday, May 2

Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)

Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

 

Wednesday, May 3

Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)

Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

 

Thursday, May 4

Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)

A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

 

Friday, May 5

College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)

Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

 

Saturday, May 6

Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)

Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

 

Sunday, May 7

Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)

Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

 

 

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

 

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Empty Seats At Target Center Worry Timberwolves Chief

Posted at 12:45 PM, April 28, 2006

Empty seats on Target Center worry Timberwolves chief - NBA

Posted at 12:39 PM, April 25, 2006

About a quarter of the people who paid for seats at Minnesota Timberwolves home games during 2005 didn't bother to actually attend, according to a report from the Target Center's managers to the city of Minneapolis.

The team sold about 16,000 tickets per home game during the calendar year, but the report shows that 28.5 percent of ticket buyers didn't show up. "That's a real concern," Wolves owner Glen Taylor said.

The report was prepared by Midwest Entertainment Group, which manages Target Center. The time period covered most the 2004-05 season and the first two months of the 2005-06 season.

Wolves President Chris Wright acknowledged that after two seasons of missing the playoffs, the team needs to improve its image in the Twin Cities sports market.

Midwest Entertainment, which is partly owned by the Wolves, is one of the big losers when ticket buyers don't show up because the company gets a cut of concession revenues.

Typically, a fan spends about $7 a game on drinks and food. When there's about 4,000 no-shows per night, it can add up to $1 million in lost sales per season.

NBA: Memphis 102, Minnesota 92

Posted at 11:21 AM, April 20, 2006

Brian Cardinal had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists Wednesday night as Memphis beat Minnesota, in double overtime, 102-92.

Anthony Roberson scored a career-high 14 points; Dahntay Jones had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists; and Cardinal sank two huge three-pointers in the extra session for the Grizzlies (49-33).

Memphis goes into the Western Conference championship playoffs as the No. 5 seed after a season-ending five-game winning streak. The NBA Grizzlies, who will face fourth-seeded Dallas in the first round, went 8-1 in April. Star players Pau Gasol and Eddie Jones sat out the contest to avoid injury.

Bracey Wright had 19 points and four rebounds; Eddie Griffin added 17 points and 15 rebounds; and Marcus Banks totaled 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Timberwolves (33-49), who closed the season with a three-game losing streak and will miss the playoffs for the second straight basketball season.

Timberwolves sit Garnett, beat Hawks

Posted at 2:41 PM, April 10, 2006

The Minnesota Timberwolves ended exhibition play in October. It resumed Sunday, with six games remaining in the regular season.

The Wolves' season took perhaps its strangest turn Sunday when basketball player Kevin Garnett was shut down, perhaps for the rest of the NBA's season, as the youth movement hit full speed.

Garnett had made 351 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the NBA. That ended against the Atlanta Hawks, but rookie Rashad McCants scored a career-high 28 points in the Wolves' 84-83 win.

Coach Dwane Casey said it is possible Garnett will not play in any of the remaining five games as the team develops young players for the future.

With the Wolves eliminated from playoff contention, Garnett didn't even suit up Sunday.

Ricky Davis, the Wolves' second-leading scorer, also was out and might not return.

Officially, the explanation listed on an injury report was that Garnett (right knee tendinitis) and Davis (left groin strain) are battling nagging injuries. In reality, the Wolves shut them down because the team essentially has begun summer-league play a few months early.

Casey said he hasn't determined whether Garnett and Davis will see the court again before the season ends.

"With Ricky's groin the way it is and to save miles on Kevin's knees, it's just better to go ahead and not even be tempted to give them those minutes," Casey said.

Garnett watched the game from the locker room. A team spokesman said during the fourth quarter that Garnett had left the building and would not be available for postgame comments. Davis watched from the bench and also left early.

Garnett had started every Wolves game since Feb. 19, 2002, when he missed a victory at Dallas for personal reasons.

The Wolves improved to 3-11 with Garnett sitting out, dating to his rookie season in 1995-96.

It remains to be seen whether the NBA will have anything to say about Minnesota's use, or lack thereof, of Garnett and Davis to ensure competitive balance and equity. Teams competing for playoff positioning might not be too happy about the Wolves using a less-than-full-strength lineup.

Four of the Wolves' five remaining games are against teams jockeying for playoff seeding. Utah still is mathematically alive for the playoffs, and it picked up a win Friday against the Wolves as Garnett sat out the fourth quarter.

Casey said he still is trying to win games and doesn't think the team will hear from the league. He also said his first obligation is to develop the team.

"We owe it to our fans to develop and to be ready for next year, so that we don't go through the same thing next year," Casey said.

That process is well underway.

McCants, who made 12 of 18 shots, missed a drive to the basket with 31.9 seconds remaining when he took a tough left-handed hook shot with the Wolves leading 82-81. Atlanta's Joe Johnson made a shot in the lane with 17.5 seconds remaining to give Atlanta an 83-82 lead.

With 8.9 seconds left, a play designed to go to McCants resulted in Marcus Banks getting a shot blocked. Wolves veteran Trenton Hassell controlled the loose ball, and he scored in a scrum down low with 1.9 seconds remaining for the winning basket.

Banks, a third-year pro who struggled with five turnovers, blocked a shot by Atlanta's Tyronn Lue to secure the victory as time expired.

NBA: Minnesota 106, Golden State 104 (OT)

Posted at 11:55 AM, April 3, 2006

Marcus Banks scored a team-high 24 points Sunday as the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA's team beat Golden State in overtime, 106-104.

Basketball player Kevin Garnett had 19 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals; Ricky Davis added 19 points, five rebounds and two assists; Marc Blount had 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocked shots; and Banks also had seven assists and five rebounds for the Timberwolves (31-42), who have won three of their last four games. Garnett had his 30th straight double-double, the longest such streak since 1983 when Moses Malone had 44 in a row.

Jason Richardson had 33 points, five rebounds and six assists; Derek Fisher had 22 points, three rebounds and six assists; and Troy Murphy scored 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors (30-42), who have dropped four straight games.

Timberwolves beat Kings, snap losing skid at 7

Posted at 3:19 PM, March 20, 2006

It's been a while since Kevin Garnett could stand on the court after a game and high-five his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates, as he did Sunday at Target Center.

Two weeks to be exact.

The Wolves snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 95-89 victory Sunday over the Sacramento Kings in an ugly game that featured 49 turnovers. But ugly or not, it was Minnesota's first victory since a March 5 triumph over Golden State. And it gave the Wolves relief.

"The guys had lost confidence a little bit," coach Dwane Casey said. "I thought we got it back today."

The turnover total is the NBA high this season. Minnesota committed 21 and the Kings 28, one shy of matching an all-time high by a Wolves opponent.

Garnett was the key down the stretch. He scored 28 of his season-high 37 points in the second half as he helped the Wolves finish off an opponent for one of the rare times this season.

The Wolves led by at least nine points in every game during their recently completed six-game road trip but lost them all, a big reason why they are all but eliminated from playoff contention with 16 games left.

That the victory came against the Kings was even more impressive. Sacramento was 8-2 in its previous 10 games, 15-8 since the January trade that landed them Ron Artest, who had a relatively quiet game with 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Garnett and company exacted revenge against the Kings, who played a role in the beginning of the end for the Wolves, way back in December, when Minnesota lost three consecutive heartbreaking games by a combined five points.

First, the Wolves fought back from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter only to lose 90-89 in overtime at Philadelphia on Dec. 12.

The next night against the Kings, the Wolves trailed by 14 points in the second quarter, rallied and led by six with 6 minutes left at Target Center. But Bonzi Wells' three-pointer at the buzzer lifted the Kings to a 93-91 victory.

Then two days later, Michael Finley, scored 21 points for San Antonio in a 90-88 victory over the Wolves, who had pursued Finley during the offseason.

"I thought that was a turning point in our season, (Wells') shot, that group of close games we had," Casey said. "I think it took a little starch out of us, and we were never able to regain (momentum)."

There wasn't any moping Sunday, though the Wolves certainly could have folded again. They led by 11 points in the third quarter only to give up the lead when Wells' jumper tied the score 67-67 early in the fourth quarter.

But then the Wolves did something they haven't done much this season - they responded.

Anthony Carter, who had languished on the bench for three weeks, pressured Mike Bibby (35 points) into turning the ball over. Marko Jaric stole a couple passes and made a nice play diving out of bounds to save a loose ball. Justin Reed dunked with aggression