Basketball Capsules: U.S. looks to avoid 2006 mistakes at worlds
MADRID (AP) — The United States’ world championship preparations are coming together, and Derrick Rose is certain the team will make history by avoiding the mistakes of four years ago.
Even with the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade leading the team, the U.S. only managed to win bronze in Japan, a result that Rose called "heartbreaking." It stretched the Americans’ trophy drought at the world championships to 16 years.
Rose said the current roster was drawing off that shocking semifinal exit to Greece.
"They didn’t gel together," Rose said. "With the team we have, we’re young, but we like playing together. We have passion for the game. We can make history right now."
The last world championships squad — which also included Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh — was filled with stars. This one includes five 21-year-olds — not much older than the kids coach Mike Krzyzewski has at Duke — who are still developing as players.
U.S. national team chairman Jerry Colangelo said the current collection of talent was coming closer together every day, and lauded their professionalism at such a young age.
"Their aren’t many big egos here, and we’ve already told them where to show off their personal egos — on the court," Colangelo said. "These guys are low maintenance."
There are other deficiencies as well. Tyson Chandler is the only true center a roster that plans to run the floor, with athletic swingmen like Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay leading the way.
Krzyzewski has labeled the buildup to the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 tournament a training camp, with the U.S. playing Lithuania and defending world champion Spain in the Spanish capital of Madrid before a match in Athens against Greece next week.
Rose said the chance of winning the world championships for the first time since 1994 was a big motivation for this crop of players, especially since Shaquille O’Neal is the only player from that team still playing in the NBA.
"It makes us go out and play even harder knowing everyone is calling us the B-team, and not thinking we’re going to win," Rose said. "Some people say this is bigger than the Olympics, having to get through more teams. It’s going to be very hard."
Rose said the players were coming together, especially during their month in Europe.
"You definitely can’t talk on the phone with people back home or your phone bill will be sky high," Rose said. "So you have to talk with each other."
Bench-clearing brawl ends Acropolis tournament
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Acropolis basketball tournament finished in a brawl when the last game between Serbia and Greece was abandoned Thursday in the closing minutes after a fight broke out and the benches cleared.
The chaos stunned a crowd of about 5,000 at the Athens Olympic Arena, as players from the two teams exchanged punches and kicks. A few spectators entered the fray and were quickly shoved out of the arena. Greece was leading 74-73 when the match was abandoned.
Both teams qualified for the world championships in Turkey beginning Aug. 28.
The trouble began when Greek forward Antonis Fotsis had moved threateningly toward Serb guard Milos Teodosic after a hard foul, and Nenad Krstic appeared to grab Fotsis by the throat.
Krstic then threw a chair at Greek center Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who was pursuing him, and it hit Greek center Yannis Bouroussis in the head. Blood trickled from his wound.
The players exited toward the locker rooms and fought in the tunnel leading from the arena before eventually being separated. The fighting happened about six minutes after Serb coach Dusan Ivkovic was ejected with two technical fouls for arguing heatedly with a referee.
Earlier Thursday, veteran guard Jaka Lakovic scored 19 points to lead Slovenia (1-2) to its first victory, 86-71 over Canada. Guard Jevohn Shepherd was Canada's top scorer with 13.
Slovenia's lead topped 20 points several times, and the Canadians — surprise 62-58 winners over Serbia on Wednesday — could close within only 13 in the final period.
-- Demetris Nellas
NBA
Murphy happy to become member of Nets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When Troy Murphy was a kid growing up in Sparta, N.J., he was a die-hard fan of the New Jersey Nets.
Now he gets to play for them.
Murphy was traded the Nets last week as part of a four-team deal, and after nine years spent with the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers, it appears that the 6-foot-11 forward will start this season for New Jersey.
"They were my team," Murphy said of growing up. "I used to love to watch Chris Morris launch those shots from out of bounds during warm-ups. I liked the team with Keith Van Horn and Jayson Williams. That team was on the rise and I really liked them. I always wanted to play."
Murphy has averaged 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game over his career. His best season came in 2004-05 with the Warriors, when he averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. Murphy also can make the 3-point shot, shooting almost 40 percent from long range for his career.
"It’s really a dream come true for me," he said Thursday at the team’s practice facility. "It’s the team that I followed growing up. I never thought this was possible."
Murphy is in the final year of his contract and will make $11.9 million this season.
"At the end of the season, I thought I’d be moved," said Murphy, who averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 72 games for Indiana last season. "As the summer went on, I was expecting to go back to Indiana, but then this happened and I’m very excited about it."
Murphy has maintained his offseason home in New York, so he’s thrilled to be back home.
General manager Billy King said the Nets were the ones who initiated the trade talks with Indiana to acquire Murphy. Indiana wanted a point guard in return, so he then got other teams involved to complete the deal.
"I’d like to say that we planned it that way, but I certainly can say I thought of it," said King, who was brought in last month to replace Rod Thorn as GM. "We were looking for a guy who could shoot the 3 and could rebound. The bonus is that he’s from New Jersey. We were looking for a power forward and I thought the perfect fit was Troy. So I made the call."
The rest of the deal saw the Nets send shooting guard Courtney Lee to Houston, the Pacers getting point guard Darren Collison and swingman James Posey from New Orleans, and swingman Trevor Ariza going from Houston to New Orleans.
The Nets took on Murphy’s salary and shipped Lee’s $1.4 million salary to Houston.
"It really was a unique situation," King said. "I think everyone got what they wanted. If that happens, then it’s a good trade."
Murphy said that he was looking forward to playing for new Nets coach Avery Johnson, who was Murphy’s teammate when the two played in Golden State.
"When I was playing with Avery, I knew he would end up being a coach," said the 29-year-old Murphy. "He always had suggestions and sort of looked after me. I liked playing with him and I look forward to playing for him. I think I fit in well with this team. I’m happy to be here. The pieces are in place to have a significantly better season this year."
Murphy will also be asked to be a mentor to their first-round draft pick Derrick Favors.
"It doesn’t bother me," Murphy said. "He’s young and going to be a great player."
King said that he spoke to Murphy about his role with the team and that the expiring contract does not automatically mean Murphy will be a Net for only one season.
"We talked about the future," King said. "We don’t look at this for just one year. At the end of this year, we’ll sit down and discuss another contract. We don’t look at him as a one-year guy."
Blazers' Fernandez fined for comments
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The NBA fined Trail Blazers swingman Rudy Fernandez $25,000 for public statements that are "detrimental" to the league.
The fine was imposed on Thursday, a day after Fernandez's agent said the Spaniard he did not want to return to the Blazers this season.
Agent Andy Miller told several media outlets that Fernandez wants to play in Europe and is willing to sit out for the next two seasons, the time left on his contract with the Blazers.
NBA rules prohibit players and their agents from publicly asking for a trade.
Blazers general manager Rich Cho said Wednesday that the team has looked at several possible deals involving Fernandez, but none of them have made sense for Portland.
A fan favorite, Fernandez has been unhappy about his playing time. Known for his 3-point shot and energy off the bench, he averaged 8.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2 assists last season but missed 20 games with injuries.
In his rookie season the year before, Fernandez averaged 10.4 points and 25.5 minutes, and set an NBA rookie record with 159 3-pointers.
Fernandez was voted by fans into the All-Star game's slam dunk contest his rookie year. He was the 24th overall pick in the 2008 draft by Phoenix, acquired on draft night by the Blazers for $3 million.
Miller could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press.
Fernandez is currently playing for the Spanish national team, which will play the U.S. national team in Madrid on Sunday, an exhibition for the upcoming world championships.
Blazers coach Nate McMillan is an assistant for Team USA.
-- Anne M. Peterson
Bucks sign PG Boykins
Free agent point guard Earl Boykins has signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Agent Mark Termini said the 11-year veteran had offers from other teams but was comfortable with Milwaukee, one of nine teams the 5-foot-5 Boykins has played for previously. Boykins has averaged 9.3 points and 3.4 assists per game during his NBA career.
Last season, the 34-year-old fan favorite averaged 7.5 points and 2.9 assists in 42 games for the Washington Wizards.
Boykins will likely back up Brandon Jennings for the Bucks, who lost guard Luke Ridnour as a free agent to Minnesota this summer. Milwaukee also signed veteran Keyon Dooling.
-- Tom Withers
WNBA
Fever’s Catchings challenges for MVP
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tamika Catchings has reluctantly embraced slowing down and doing less to get more out of her offensive game.
The concept, paired with more accurate shooting, might help the nine-year Indiana Fever veteran win some elusive hardware. She’s one of the most successful players in women’s basketball history, but she’s never been WNBA MVP.
Fever coach Lin Dunn thinks that should change this year now that she has the offensive stats to match her well-known defensive prowess. Catchings is averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
"She’s playing the best basketball of her career," Dunn said. "She’s the complete and total MVP candidate."
She was named the Eastern Conference player of the month in July, then took her game up another notch. In eight games in August, she is averaging 23.5 points while taking about 15 shots per game. She has led the Fever to the best record in the East with two games remaining.
Catchings has improved her shooting, but Dunn said the key has been how she has incorporated it into the team.
"Her shot selection is better," Dunn said. "She’s playing with a composure, a poise she maybe hasn’t had in the past."
Fever fans chanted M-V-P for Catchings during a recent home game against Phoenix. She scored 29 points and led Indiana to its highest scoring output ever in a 110-90 victory.
Though she insists a WNBA title is her ultimate goal, she acknowledged the chants.
"Hearing it directed toward me was kind of a surreal moment," she said.
Early in her career, Catchings often had no choice but to force her way to the basket, carrying her team along with her. Now that the front office has added key players, including All-Star Katie Douglas, she has adjusted.
Catchings has always been a defensive stopper — she’s a three-time defensive player of the year. As an offensive threat, she’s been known for her ability get to the free throw line and her passing and rebounding skills, but not necessarily for her shooting touch.
Her inability to shoot well might have cost her multiple MVP’s. Before this season, she never had shot better than 43.2 percent for a season. She was runner-up for the MVP award last season, despite shooting 38.6 percent from the field. She also was runner-up in 2002 and 2003.
This season, her 50 percent overall shooting ranks ninth in the league and her 46 percent shooting from 3-point range ranks second. Her scoring average is fifth-best in the league and the third-highest total of her nine-year career. That’s despite averaging the fewest minutes of her career for a non-injury shortened season.
Catchings’ numbers are even better in August. She’s shooting 55 percent from 3-point range and 52 percent overall.
"Somebody throws a pass to me, the confidence level being able to make and knock those shots down is at an all-time high," she said.
Catchings gives extra credit to Tampa-based shooting coach Marvin Harvey.
"They call him the ‘Shot Doctor,"’ she said. "I like him. I like the fact that he studies people’s shots. He watches my videos and my shot progression over the years. It’s kind of funny to look at where I was when I first started with him to where I am now."
Even while improving her shot, her coaches had to help her slow down so she could see what was happening on the floor.
"We understand, on defense, you go 100 miles per hour, but on offense, you can’t go 100 miles per hour, because you’re going to wear yourself out," Catchings said they’d tell her. "That’s probably been the biggest change to my game. I’m able to see the plays happen before they actually happen, being able to create not only for myself, but for my teammates, open looks and open opportunities."
Now, defenses have been forced to adjust.
"In the past couple years, the scouting report said: ‘you sag off of Catch, don’t let her penetrate,"’ Dunn said. "Now she’s making you pay for that scouting report. You’ve got to go out and get her now. And that opens up so much for her drive."
Douglas’ presence has helped Catchings. She came to the Fever from Connecticut in 2008 and was the team’s leading scorer. Last season, she was third in the MVP balloting. This season, she’s averaging 14.2 points per game.
Catchings and Douglas played together for Galatasaray in Turkey during the WNBA offseason. Catchings said that helped their chemistry.
Catchings still does her usual damage on defense, leading the league with 2.3 steals per game.
Dunn said Catchings has improved different aspects of her game throughout her career, and her shooting is simply her most recent focus.
"I think the thing that separates Tamika from most of the players in the league is, she works so hard," Dunn said. "She takes a tremendous amount of time. It’s not accidental that it’s improved."
-- Cliff Brunt
Elsewhere
Ex-NBA, MSU star Jay Vincent charged in jobs scam
DETROIT (AP) — Ex-NBA player and Michigan State star Jay Vincent has been indicted for an Internet employment scam that bilked about 20,000 jobseekers out of about $2 million, the U.S. Attorney's office said Thursday.
The 51-year-old Vincent and 53-year-old Anthony Portee face charges of mail fraud, and Vincent is charged with an income tax violation, authorities said.
Both men live in Lansing.
Vincent earned an NCAA championship at Michigan State in 1979 on a team that included Magic Johnson. He played for the Spartans until 1981.
Dallas drafted him with the first pick of the second round in 1981. He averaged 21.4 points per game his rookie season and spent five seasons with the Mavericks.
He later played for Washington, Denver, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers, ending his NBA career with Philadelphia in 1990.
Vincent is "a legitimate businessman" and is cooperating with investigators, his lawyer, Charles Ford, told The Associated Press.
"A person is innocent until proven guilty," said Ford, a longtime friend of Vincent. "This man is iconic in this area. This is a person who has given a lot to the community."
A number listed for Portee was disconnected. His lawyer, Raymond Buffmyer, did not immediately return a message.
The charges cover a period from Jan. 1, 2006 to Aug. 25, 2009 and involves the defendants' business Foreclosure Bank Inspection Co.
Vincent and Portee concocted a scheme to defraud people seeking work through their Foreclosure Bank Inspection Co., according to the indictment.
The company claimed to test, certify and employ people to inspect bank foreclosed homes, and advertised that the company had contracts and received large checks from major banks to do the work. In reality, the copies of contracts and checks used in the ads were altered or counterfeit, the indictment said.
The company also did not hire contractors to perform inspections. What it did do was charge $149 to provide liability insurance for each job applicant and $89 for background checks, according to the indictment.
False insurance policies were prepared in the company's offices and no background checks were made, the indictment said. Tests, completed and returned by applicants, were stored in boxes without reviews.
In the income tax charge, Vincent is accused of reporting a business income of $62,438 on his 2008 tax return. Authorities said the actual amount he earned was $330,269.
-- Corey Williams
