NBA Capsules: Roy scores 24 to lift new-look Blazers over Spurs
PORTLAND, Ore. — A new-look lineup worked wonders for the Portland Trail Blazers, and coach Nate McMillan plans to keep it for a while.
With Andre Miller joining them in the backcourt, Brandon Roy had 24 points, Steve Blake added 15 and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 96-84 Friday night.
"It was a change of pace, maybe something we need," Roy said.
Richard Jefferson had 19 points, Manu Ginobili had 17, and Tim Duncan added 14 points and eight rebounds, but San Antonio lost Tony Parker to a sprained ankle and couldn't overcome a lethargic first half, playing one night after a loss at Utah.
The Spurs (2-3) haven't won on the road yet this season.
In an effort to shake up the Blazers' stagnant offense, McMillan inserted Miller into the starting lineup, placing him in an expanded backcourt along with Blake and Roy.
"I looked at the schedule," McMillan said. "With the schedule the next week or two I am going to stay with it and look at it. It was a good unit tonight."
With 2:36 left in the first half, Parker appeared to come down awkwardly, called timeout and left the floor for the locker room. He did not return.
Portland (3-3) had lost two in a row at the Rose Garden and had struggled on offense, with only Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw averaging in double figures. Portland also entered the game 23rd in the NBA in scoring with a 94.2 average.
Greg Oden had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers, and Miller, who signed with Portland in July, had 10 points and six rebounds and four assists.
The Blazers bench accounted for 23 of Portland's first 41 points and keyed a late first quarter 13-2 run.
Oden muscled past Duncan for a driving layup to put Portland up 62-47 with 6:56 left in the third quarter. Roy added a jumper to extend the lead to 17. But the Spurs put together an 13-3 run, with Antonio McDyess hitting a 20-footer to cut the lead to 69-62.
San Antonio went on an 8-0 run, with Ginobili making four free throws, to get to 77-72. Shortly after, Jefferson scored to make it 80-77, but Blake answered with a 3-pointer and Oden converted two free throws for the Blazers.
"We committed too many mistakes from the get-go," Ginobili said. "It's too bad. It shouldn't be happening. We've really got to step out and try to play 48 minutes."
NOTES: Joel Przybilla had 13 rebounds for Portland. ... The Blazers wore for the first time in the regular season their new alternate home jerseys with "Rip City" on the front. ... The Spurs started Keith Bogans at shooting guard, in place of Michael Finley. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is 32-17 as a head coach against the Blazers.
Ariza, Landry score 21 each in Rockets' 105-94 win
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets' balanced scoring was enough to overcome big games by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry scored 21 points apiece and the Rockets extended their winning streak over the Oklahoma City franchise to 11 games with a 105-94 victory over the Thunder on Friday night.
Luis Scola added 19 points and 10 rebounds, rookie Chase Budinger scored 16 and Aaron Brooks added 11 points for the Rockets, who finished with 26 assists.
"We've got unselfish guys on this team," Budinger said. "Nobody on this team is playing for themselves. We are playing together, and everybody has got one goal in mind, and that is to win games."
Westbrook scored 33 points and Durant added 27, but they were the only players in double figures for the Thunder. The duo hit 25 of 47 shots from the field — the rest of the team went 15 for 45.
"They both had good offensive games, but we are all about team," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "We didn't get the job done."
The Oklahoma City franchise hasn't beaten Houston since a 104-87 win on April 4, 2006, when the team still played in Seattle. The franchise's last win in Houston came in February 2005.
Westbrook and Durant scored 16 of Oklahoma City's first 19 points in the final quarter to keep the Thunder in it, but never had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Jeff Green, who came in averaging 19 points per game, shot 3 for 15 for Oklahoma City. Nenad Krstic, averaging 10 points per game, went 1 for 8 from the field.
Houston forward Shane Battier said the Rockets successfully executed their game plan, limiting ball movement and forcing Oklahoma City's players to beat them off the dribble.
The Thunder had 15 assists and 15 turnovers, and Westbrook and Durant took 26 of their team's 45 shots in the second half.
"Their two guys had big games and if you're not careful, sometimes you can get beat with that theory," Battier said. "But we want to play good team defense and we can do that better when we have more isolations."
Kyle Lowry had eight assists in less than 20 minutes, and Brooks and Ariza each had six for Houston. With Yao Ming sidelined for the season and Tracy McGrady out indefinitely, the Rockets will have to get scoring balance from just about everyone else to compete with most teams.
"It's pretty much going to be like that the whole season," Scola said. "We are going to face challenges every night. One of the challenges is whether or not we are going to be consistent on a daily basis."
Westbrook had seven assists for the Thunder, who trailed 50-45 at halftime.
The Rockets hit 10 of their first 14 shots in the third quarter to push the lead to 73-59. Durant finished a fast break with a one-handed dunk a few minutes later to cut Oklahoma City's deficit to 10, but Landry converted a three-point play to put Houston ahead 80-67.
"They pulled away in the third quarter, they were hitting their shots," Durant said. "They were more aggressive than we were and that is what wins games."
NOTES: Thunder G Shaun Livingston scored two points in his first action of the season. ... The Rockets wore red and yellow throwback jerseys reminiscent of the uniforms they wore when they won NBA titles in 1994-95. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks was a backup guard on the Rockets' first championship team. "That's a great gesture for them to do that for me," Brooks joked before the game. ... Lowry blocked four shots, a career high.
-- Chris Duncan
Hornets owner Shinn says he has prostate cancer
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn said Friday he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but remains healthy and is optimistic that he will conquer the disease.
"My wife, Denise, and I remain strong in our faith and will maintain a positive attitude as I battle this with intense fervor and drive," Shinn said in a release issued by the Hornets.
A businessman from Kannapolis, N.C., the 68-year-old Shinn has been the owner of the team since he received an expansion franchise in Charlotte, N.C., in 1988.
He moved the team to New Orleans in 2002, and worked with the NBA to provide the team with a temporary home in Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 season after floods from Hurricane Katrina virtually shut down the city for weeks and damaged the New Orleans Arena.
The team split time between the two cities the following season and returned to New Orleans full-time for 2007-08. The team set a club record for victories that season with 56 and clinched the 20-year-old franchise’s first division crown.
"We’ve been a catalyst to help this city recover and we’re going to keep doing everything we can to keep it that way," Shinn said at the time.
Team spokesman Harold Kaufman said no details were available on treatment options for Shinn. In the news release, Shinn said the doctors he is consulting are optimistic.
"This is not the first obstacle that I have had to overcome in life, but it will be another one that will be conquered," Shinn said. "Those closest to me understand my commitment to God and belief in the power of prayer, so all that I ask is for people to add me to their prayers."
Hornets coach Byron Scott said he spoke to Shinn when he was still awaiting test results, and that the outcome surprised everyone associated with the team.
"I told him no matter what, I’d be there for him," Scott said before the Hornets played the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
"The biggest thought on my mind was just to keep praying for him," Scott said. "This is something you don’t want anybody to go through. I know Mr. Shinn is a fighter, and like he said, he’s going to fight it all the way."
-- Kevin McGill
LeBron: No timetable for free agency decision
NEW YORK — LeBron James thinks his present is too good to spend time worrying about his future.
James said Friday he has no timetable for deciding what he will do next summer. The NBA’s MVP said it will be his first time getting to be an unrestricted free agent, so he’s not going to rush any decision.
Nor will he even consider it for a while. Not with the Cavaliers on the short list of legitimate contenders to win a title this season.
"For me, honestly, I think this season is going to be really good and I feel like our team is set to where we can play really deep into the playoffs and possibly contend for the NBA championship," James said. "So mainly that’s the main thing that I’m focused on now."
The Cleveland All-Star can opt for free agency on July 1, but said before a 100-91 victory over the Knicks he isn’t sure what he will do in the days that follow.
"I don’t know because it’s the first time I’ll be in this position, being an unrestricted free agent. I haven’t been there yet, so I don’t know," James said. "There’s no timetable. I’m not going to rush it, I’m definitely going to stay in shape and stay in the gym next summer like I’ve always done and we’ll see what happens."
The Knicks are one of the teams that will have money to offer James a maximum salary contract. He enjoys playing in New York and does it well. He and Michael Jordan are the only visiting players with multiple 50-point games at the present Madison Square Garden, and James raised his career scoring average at the building to 30.4 points after scoring 33 Friday.
He made it clear after the game that he’s not coming to New York — or anywhere else — just for the money.
"I think at the end of the day, a max deal or anything like that doesn’t really matter to me," James said. "It’s all about winning for me, so I’m going to put myself in a position when that day comes next summer.
"I want to win, and if I feel like the team is capable of winning, then I make my decision like that."
Friday’s game was the only one this season in New York for the Cavs, and James won’t say which uniform he’ll be wearing next time he comes back.
"I don’t know who made the schedule for the Cleveland Cavaliers to only be here once, I’m kind of disappointed in that," said James, a Yankees fan who slept through the World Series championship parade Friday morning after the Cavs played in Cleveland on Thursday night.
-- Brian Mahoney
Bulls' Thomas breaks arm, out 4-6 weeks
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas broke his left forearm during a weight training session Friday and will have surgery Saturday. He could miss 4-6 weeks.
In four games this season, the fourth-year player from LSU is averaging eight points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
Thomas, who had been battling the flu, played only 12 minutes in Chicago’s victory at Cleveland on Thursday.
X-rays confirmed the a fractured radius of the left forearm Friday. Team physicians Dr. Brian Cole and Dr. John Fernandez, assisted by Dr. Mark Cohen, will perform the surgery.
With Thomas out, rookie Taj Gibson is expected to take over as a starter.
The 6-foot-10 Thomas was the fourth overall pick by Portland in the 2006 draft and then had his draft rights traded by the Trailblazers, along with Viktor Khryapa, to the Bulls for the draft rights to LaMarcus Aldridge.
Thomas started to emerge as a player last season when he averaged 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and nearly two blocks a game. He made 61 starts and appeared in 79 games for the Bulls.
"He tweaked his arm a little bit and he’s pretty sore," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said before the results of the X-rays were revealed.
Chicago hosts Charlotte on Saturday.
Pacers forward Hansbrough to debut
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough will make his pro debut Friday night against Washington after missing the preseason and four regular-season games with a right shin injury.
Coach Jim O’Brien said the team’s first-round pick from North Carolina will be a reserve, and the plan is to play him for about 16 minutes.
Hansbrough led North Carolina to the national championship last season. The Pacers need him because starting power forward Troy Murphy is out with a bruised lower back.
Danny Granger will move from small forward to Murphy’s spot at power forward, and Dahntay Jones will start at small forward in Granger’s place.
Mike Dunleavy (knee), Travis Diener (toe on left foot) and Jeff Foster (sore lower back) also are out for the Pacers.
Kings G Kevin Martin to miss at least 8 weeks
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Kings leading scorer Kevin Martin will be sidelined for about two months after deciding to undergo surgery on his injured wrist.
The team said Friday that Martin will have the operation on his left wrist on Monday and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. Martin has a non displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his wrist.
Martin is averaging 30.6 points a game for the Kings, who have lost four of five games to open the season. Sacramento was an NBA-worst 17-65 last season.
Beno Udrih is expected to replace Martin in the starting lineup Saturday in Utah.
Lakers’ Gasol, Bynum sit vs. Grizzlies
LOS ANGELES — Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are sitting out Los Angeles’ meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Bynum has a strained right elbow after getting injured late in a victory at Houston on Wednesday, though he doesn’t think it’s serious. The Lakers’ starting center is averaging 20 points and 10.6 rebounds in a strong start to his season.
Gasol hasn’t played for the Lakers since straining his right hamstring in the preseason, although he holds out hope of playing Sunday against New Orleans. Lamar Odom has taken Gasol’s starting spot in the defending champions’ first six games.
Gasol missed the chance to play against his former team — as well as his brother, Marc, who started at center for the Grizzlies.
Elsewhere
Will he shoot? Ex-Trail Blazer eyes Ore. gov race
SALEM, Ore. — Chris Dudley’s free throw shots were always iffy propositions. Now the former Portland Trail Blazer is in a new arena taking aim at a governor’s chair — and Oregon’s Republicans think he can score.
Dudley hasn’t formally announced a bid for the post, but he filed paperwork last week to create a campaign committee.
"I’ll make a decision soon and report back. One way or another, I intend to help change Oregon for the better," he said in a statement.
Dudley, 44, wouldn’t be the first professional athlete to make the transition into politics. The late Congressman Jack Kemp of New York was an NFL quarterback, and former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey was an NBA standout for years.
Oregon’s GOP is hoping Dudley decides to run, betting that voters — especially independents — are looking for a different sort of candidate.
"He’s a solid guy, and Oregonians know that," says state Republican Chairman Bob Tiernan. "If Dudley wins the primary, the Democrats are going to be in trouble, because he would be a breakout candidate. He is somebody who is dramatically different."
Most political observers see former Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber as the favorite to reclaim the office in next year’s election, given his popularity with voters and the fact that Oregon’s electorate has been trending more Democratic blue.
Republicans are hoping that Dudley, with name ID he’s built up as a former NBA player, will give them a contender with a degree of star power and fund-raising ability for 2010.
Dudley, despite his reputation as one of the worst foul shooters in NBA history, was considered one of the league’s better rebounders and shotblockers.
Still, political observer Jim Moore said it would be a stretch to refer to Dudley as a "former Blazers star," given the fact that he was never considered one of the team’s best players.
"He’s no Bill Bradley," said Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove.
But there’s no doubt that Dudley, if he runs, would bring name familiarity to the race given that he had two stints playing for the Trail Blazers, from 1993-97 and from 2001-03.
At age 16 he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was the only active NBA player with diabetes during his career.
Since retiring from the NBA, Dudley has run a foundation that provides diabetes information and runs sports camps for children with diabetes. He’s also been cited for other charitable works such as giving $300,000 to a foundation that helps students pay for college.
A Yale graduate, Dudley currently works with a wealth management company. He and his wife, Chris Love-Dudley, have three children and live in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego.
If Dudley does announce for governor, it would become a three-way race Republican race. The others are former businessman Allen Alley, who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2008, and former state Rep. John Lim.
Portland pollster Tim Hibbitts said Dudley would likely become the GOP frontrunner, given that neither Alley nor Lim are well known.
But Hibbitts said that as a political newcomer Dudley would start at a disadvantage and would quickly have to come up to speed on statehouse issues.
"He can’t afford to look uninformed, and he would have to be careful not to let off-the-cuff remarks get him in trouble," Hibbitts said. "Let me put it this way — he better not miss too many free throws."
-- Brad Cain
