马刺1997-98赛季实录（680+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-11, By Arthur Garcia

NBA 禁赛马龙一场

“我对此感到失望。”

这是大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)在周五马刺队与西雅图超音速队的比赛开始前不久所说的话，但令人惊讶的是，他对 NBA 对犹他爵士队前锋卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)做出的处罚并不感到生气。

周三，马龙用肘击了罗宾逊，导致这位中锋脑震荡，左膝再次受伤。

NBA 暂停了马龙周五晚上对洛杉矶快船队的比赛，并对他处以 5000 美元的罚款。

罗宾逊对队友的反应也不感到生气，因为很多人都批评他们没有为罗宾逊出头。

那么罗宾逊失望的是什么呢？

可能是错过了马刺队在常规赛最后四场比赛中争夺季后赛资格的机会。

罗宾逊没有参加对阵超音速队的比赛，在比赛前他与媒体会面，讨论了他的健康状况和肘击事件的后果。

过去两天，人们对马龙行为的反应，无论是圣安东尼奥还是全国各地，都已自行发展。

罗宾逊确实表示马龙应该为自己的行为负责，但罚款和禁赛是合理的。他说他期待着在季后赛中对阵爵士队，并表示马龙的肘击将他打晕，是在裁判吹哨后发生的。

“我认为（禁赛）不应该更长，”罗宾逊说。“我认为重要的是要对你在哨声响起后所做的事情做出声明。对我来说，他是否被禁赛或罚款并不重要。我认为联盟做了一些事情，因为它是一件额外的事件。”

NBA 篮球运营高级副总裁罗德·索恩(Rod Thorn)在一份声明中说：“虽然我不认为马龙有意肘击罗宾逊，但球员有责任不要鲁莽地挥肘，以免对其他球员造成伤害。”

周二在加利福尼亚州奥克兰对阵金州勇士队的比赛中，马龙用膝盖顶了多尼尔·马歇尔(Donyell Marshall)，导致他肋骨骨折。

“你可以控制一下，”罗宾逊谈到马龙的身体对抗时说。“你不能把人送进医院。”

马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)同意 NBA 做出了公正的裁决。

“这是你所期望的，”波波维奇说。“联盟做出了客观的决定。他们做了必要的事情。”

许多马刺队球迷的情绪集中在球员没有为罗宾逊出头或报复马龙上。然而，罗宾逊表示，球队最好效仿芝加哥公牛队在夺冠之前几年对底特律活塞队做的那样，报复犹他爵士队。

“我认为以类似的方式报复是不对的，”罗宾逊说。“如果你想做点什么，就效仿公牛队对活塞队做的那样：击败他们。让我们在季后赛第二轮中与（犹他爵士队）相遇，在球场上击败他们。”

马刺队正在与菲尼克斯太阳队争夺首轮主场优势，比赛将在不到两周后开始。犹他爵士队周三锁定了西部联盟中部的第一名。

波波维奇还表示，尽管球迷们抗议，但他的球员们的行为是正确的。

“这是一个愚蠢的观点，毫无意义，”他说。“没有人看到发生了什么，因为太快了。我为这些家伙全力以赴，并保持风度而鼓掌。”

罗宾逊周五没有参加训练，但他对受伤的左膝进行了康复训练。罗宾逊在周三昏倒时膝盖弯曲后，左膝关节囊扭伤。

罗宾逊在周四终于看到了肘击的回放，但他不记得当时的情况。

“我被击中了，”他说。“我处于错误的位置，而他挥出了一个大肘击，这组合很不好。”

波波维奇表示，罗宾逊参加周一主场对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛以及剩余常规赛的状况是“一场一场看”。

罗宾逊表示，他希望能在周一参加比赛。湖人队今年已经三度战胜了圣安东尼奥队。

周五，一些前马刺队球员作为 25 周年庆典中场仪式的一部分来到现场观赛，他们表示，像马龙这样的行为在过去是不会被忽视的。

“在我们那个年代，会有人报复，”前“蓝领兄弟”马克·奥尔伯丁(Mark Olberding)说。“在未来的某个时候，会有人报复。”

点击查看原文：NBA elbows Malone off court for one game

NBA elbows Malone off court for one game

Malone suspension jumps to 4C sub all for metro “I’m disappointed all around.”

That’s what David Robinson had to say shortly before Friday’s tipoff between the Spurs and Seattle SuperSonics, but surprisingly, he wasn’t upset with the punishment handed down by the NBA on Utah forward Karl Malone.

Malone elbowed Robinson on Wednesday, which left the center with a concussion and a reinjured left knee.

The NBA suspended Malone for Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and assessed him a $5,000 fine.

Robinson also wasn’t upset with the reaction of his teammates, who have been criticized by many for not coming to his defense.

So what was Robinson disappointed about?

Possibly missing the Spurs’ drive to the playoffs over the final four games of the regular season.

Robinson, who didn’t play against the Sonics, met with the media before the game to discuss his health and the aftermath of the elbow.

The reaction to Malone’s act - in San Antonio and around the country - has taken a life of its own the past two days.

Robinson did say Malone should be held accountable for his actions, but the fine and suspension were appropriate. He said he is looking forward to getting a shot at the Jazz in the playoffs and said Malone’s elbow, which knocked Robinson unconscious, came after play had been whistled dead by the officials.

“I don’t think (the suspension) should have been longer,” Robinson said. “I think it’s important to make a statement about what you do after the whistle blows. It doesn’t matter to me whether he got a suspension or fine. I think the league did something because it was something extra.”

Rod Thorn, NBA senior vice president for basketball operations, said in a release: “While I do not believe that Malone intentionally elbowed Robinson, players have a responsibility not to recklessly swing their elbows in a manner that could cause injury to another player.”

Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., against the Golden State Warriors, Malone kneed Donyell Marshall, breaking his rib.

“You have some control over that,” Robinson said of Malone’s physical play. “You can’t be sending people to the hospital.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich agreed that the NBA made a fair ruling.

“It’s what you’d expect,” Popovich said. “The league made an objective decision. They did what was necessary.”

Sentiment from many Spurs fans centered on players not coming to Robinson’s aid or retaliating against Malone. Robinson, however, said the team would be better served to get back at Utah much like Chicago did to the Detroit Pistons in the years leading up to the Bulls’ initial championship.

“I don’t think retaliation in a similar matter is right,” Robinson said. “If you want to do something, do what the Bulls did to Detroit: beat them. Let’s meet (Utah) in the second round of the playoffs and beat them on the court.”

The Spurs are fighting Phoenix for home-court advantage in the first round, which starts in less than two weeks. Utah locked up first place in the Midwest Division on Wednesday.

Popovich also said his players acted correctly, despite protests from fans.

“It’s a foolish sentiment and doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Nobody saw what happened because it was so quick. I applaud the guys for playing their asses off and playing with class.”

Robinson didn’t practice Friday, but he did rehab work on his ailing left knee. Robinson suffered a sprained knee capsule after his knee buckled during his unconscious fall Wednesday.

Robinson finally saw a replay of the blow, which he couldn’t remember, Thursday.

“I got hit pretty flush,” he said. “The combination of me being in the wrong spot and him throwing a big elbow is not good.”

Popovich said Robinson’s status for Monday’s home game with the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the regular season is “game to game.”

Robinson said he hoped to play Monday. The Lakers have beaten San Antonio in three previous meetings this year.

Several former Spurs, at Friday’s game as part of a 25th anniversary halftime ceremony, said an action such as Malone’s wouldn’t go unattended to in the old days.

“Back in our day, there would have been a payback,” former Bruise Brother Mark Olberding said. “Somewhere down the road, there would have been payback.”

By Arthur Garcia, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By David Flores

Spurs could have shed soft image

That the Spurs have a bunch of genuinely nice guys on their team never has been disputed.

If there were an award for the “nicest” team in pro sports, the Spurs would have a lock on it. Certainly, no one would argue that David Robinson, Sean Elliott (remember him?), Avery Johnson, Vinny Del Negro and Monty Williams have great strength of character.

Rookie Tim Duncan also has shown maturity beyond his years, both on and off the court. He also seems to have the same temperament as his teammates, which could be both good and bad.

Yep, the Spurs are nice guys. But they’re too nice on the court. And, worse, they are soft. Too soft to ever win an NBA championship.

Even if the Spurs had the talent, which they don’t, they lack the tenacity to be a championship team.

The Spurs’ lack of heart and guts never was more obvious than Wednesday night, when Utah’s Karl Malone knocked out Robinson with a vicious elbow to his head.

But to dwell on Malone’s knockout of Robinson is getting away from the point, which is the Spurs’ lack of outrage in the moments after their leader went down. It was disgusting to see the Spurs cower as Robinson lay unconscious.

In fairness, I’m sure Robinson’s teammates were stunned initially. Too stunned, perhaps, to react quickly.

But after the initial shock, somebody in a Spurs uniform should have gotten in Malone’s face and at least threatened to retaliate against him. Let’s face it: The Spurs have six or seven players on their roster with marginal NBA talent.

One of those guys - Malik Rose, for one, comes to mind - could have endeared himself to Spurs fans and perhaps secured a spot on the team for at least another season by running on the court and getting chest-to-chest with Malone.

Sure, the NBA would have fined Rose or anybody else leaving the Spurs’ bench. But I’m willing to bet that Peter Holt, the team’s chairman of the board who was in the stands for the game in Salt Lake City, would have gladly paid the fines.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also let the team down. He shouldn’t have stopped protesting after the officials whistled Robinson for a foul but didn’t call one on Malone. Popovich should have screamed bloody murder until he got a technical foul.

But even after missing their chance to respond quickly, the Spurs had plenty of time to retaliate and send a message not only to Malone and his teammates, but the NBA as well. Remember, Robinson went down with 9:32 left in the first quarter.

I don’t condone violence in sports at any level, but the NBA game can be very physical, very brutal. Robinson certainly will attest to that.

Sometimes a team has to respond accordingly to maintain some semblance of respect.

Popovich should have sent a backup player into the game with specific instructions: Take a shot at Malone.

The Bulls certainly would do that if Michael Jordan were knocked unconscious by a flying elbow - inadvertent or not. The Celtics and Pistons of old, the Lakers, the Rockets. They all would have responded in kind. They all have won NBA titles, too.

If the Spurs thought Malone was trying to hurt Robinson, as they said after the game, why didn’t they go after him on the floor? No guts, that’s why.

Surely, a team must have talent to win an NBA title. But talent without toughness won’t ever get it done.

The team that plays its home games at the Alamodome is a perfect example of that.

By David Flores, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By Glenn Rogers

银色马刺：初代阵容

汤姆·尼萨尔克(Tom Nissalke)
关键信息： 尼萨尔克执教了1973-74赛季的马刺队，球队以45胜39负的战绩在西部赛区排名第三。马刺队在ABA季后赛首轮被印第安纳步行者队以4-3淘汰。他于1974年12月13日被解雇，由鲍勃·巴斯(Bob Bass)接替。

他现在在哪里？ 尼萨尔克是一位体育脱口秀主持人。他在盐湖城KFNZ电台为犹他爵士队担任赛前和赛后节目主持人。

马刺队之后的历史： 尼萨尔克继续在ABA和NBA执教。

他在1976年与NBA合并之前一直执教犹他州的ABA明星队。他在休斯敦火箭队担任主教练三年（1976-79年），并在1979年回到盐湖城执教爵士队。在1981-82赛季进行20场比赛后，他被弗兰克·莱登(Frank Layden)取代。

1982年，他成为克利夫兰骑士队的主教练，并执教了两个赛季。他于1972年在达拉斯小牛队获得ABA年度最佳教练，1977年在火箭队获得NBA年度最佳教练，并在1984年与骑士队角逐该奖项的亚军。

“我的最后一次执教是在丹佛，当时我担任吉恩·利特尔斯(Gene Littles)的助理教练。”尼萨尔克说。“我还在1976年蒙特利尔奥运会上执教了波多黎各队。

“我和我的合伙人拥有盐湖城Green Street餐厅19年。我们几个月前刚把它卖给了Hard Rock Cafe。是时候简化一些事情了。我在圣安东尼奥拥有一家壁球和手球球场。

“我还为火箭队和ESPN做电视工作几年，并在盐湖城的广播行业工作了三年。

“我认为我作为教练最好的回忆之一就是我们（马刺队）前往纽约并战胜了篮网队。我们当时大约有30位老板，其中一些人陪同球队一起前往。他们对第二天报纸上的所有头条新闻都感到非常兴奋。'这可是大事！'他们说。他们真的很喜欢。”

作为马刺队的回忆： “每个人可能都会这么说，但这是真的。”尼萨尔克说。“我热爱圣安东尼奥，如果情况不同，我可能会在那里度过余生。我的姐姐仍然住在那里。当我被解雇时，我真的认为这支球队会赢得冠军。

“球馆里的精神非常棒。我不知道他们是否还在那里，但我们有‘底线混混’（Baseline Bums），这个团体在联盟中很有名。”

尼萨尔克说，他被解雇是“纯粹的报复”。

“我引进了另一名球员（利特尔斯），因为我们需要第三名后卫来轮换。那天晚上我去了比赛，发现（当时的老板）安吉洛·德罗索斯(Angelo Drossos)已经把他从球队中裁掉了。我走到安吉洛面前，我们说了一些话。我相信这就是导致我被解雇的原因。

“但那些日子真是太棒了。ABA与NBA截然不同。所有球员都认识彼此，所有ABA的前教练们仍然谈论着那段时光是多么有趣。”

个人： 尼萨尔克与南希(Nancy)结婚，他们育有两个孩子，汤姆(Tom Jr.)和女儿霍莉(Holly)。

点击查看原文：Silver Spurs: The Original Team

Silver Spurs: The Original Team

Tom Nissalke The lowdown: Nissalke coached the 1973-74 Spurs and the team finished third in the Western Division with a 45-39 record. The Spurs were defeated by Indiana 4-3 in the first round of the ABA playoffs. He was fired Dec. 13, 1974, and was replaced by Bob Bass.

Where is he now? Nissalke is a sports talk-show host. He does the pre-game and post-game shows for the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on station KFNZ.

History after the Spurs: Nissalke continued his coaching career in the ABA and NBA.

He coached the ABA Stars in Utah until the merger with the NBA in 1976. He was head coach for the Houston Rockets for three years (1976-79) and returned to Salt Lake City to coach the Jazz in 1979. He was replaced by Frank Layden 20 games into the 1981- 82 season.

He became the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1982 and was with the team for two seasons. He was coach of the year in the ABA with the Dallas Chaparrals in 1972, coach of the year in the NBA with the Rockets in 1977 and a runner-up for the award with the Cavaliers in 1984.

“My last coaching stint was in Denver when I was an assistant under Gene Littles,” Nissalke said. "I also coached the Puerto Rico team during the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

"My partner and I owned the Green Street Restaurant for 19 years in Salt Lake. We just sold it a few months ago to the Hard Rock Cafe. It was time to simplify things. I owned a Racquetball and Handball Court in San Antonio.

"I also did television work for the Rockets and ESPN for several years, and I’ve been in the radio business in Salt Lake for the last three years.

“I’d say one of my best memories as a coach was when we (Spurs) went to New York City and defeated the Nets. We had about 30 owners at the time, and a bunch of them were with the team. They were really excited about all the headlines in the newspapers the next day. ‘This is big time,’ they said. They just loved it.”

Memory as a Spur: “Every probably says this, but it’s true,” Nissalke said. "I loved San Antonio and probably would have lived there for the rest of my life if things had turned out differently. My sister still lives there. When I got fired, I really thought that team would win the title.

“The spirit at the arena was amazing. I don’t know whether or not they’re still there, but we had the ‘Baseline Bums’ and that group became pretty well known around the league.”

Nissalke says it was “pure vindictiveness” that got him fired.

"I brought in another player (Littles) because we needed a third guard for the rotation. I went to the game that night and found out that (then-owner) Angelo Drossos had cut him from the team. I went up to Angelo and we had some words. I’m sure that’s what led to my firing.

“But those were great days. The ABA was just different from the NBA. All the players knew each other and all the ex-ABA coaches still talk about how much fun it was.”

Personal: Nissalke is married to Nancy and the couple have two children, Tom Jr. and daughter Holly. - Glenn Rogers

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By Jerry Briggs

圣安东尼奥今年绝非软弱

本赛季关于马刺队的“软弱”标签根本站不住脚。他们可能在某些位置上缺乏天赋和运动能力，他们在进攻端令人抓狂地不稳定，而且在面对联盟中最强球队时令人恐惧地脆弱。

他们甚至可能在季后赛第一轮输给菲尼克斯太阳队。

但是，对于那些认为马刺队因为没有对卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)对大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的肘击做出回应而“软弱”的球迷来说，他们的说法既不讲道理也不符合事实。

如果你还记得，马龙在周三点燃了马刺球迷的怒火，他挥出一记高肘，击中罗宾逊的头部，导致罗宾逊在第一节还剩9分32秒时昏迷。NBA在周五对这位犹他州球星处以禁赛一场和5000美元罚款。

马刺球迷不会忘记这件事。但许多球迷也对自己的球员没有在场上对“邮差”做出回应而感到沮丧。我的建议？冷静下来，从更广阔的视角看待这件事。

首先，想想罗宾逊、查克·珀森(Chuck Person)和肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)上赛季面对威胁职业生涯的伤病时的反应。他们都在上个夏天为康复自己的身体在健身房里流下了大量的汗水。

这三个人以及大多数其他马刺球员本赛季都在带着伤病的折磨中打球。重复报道球员们每天都在训练中一瘸一拐地走出来，这会让人感到厌烦，但是 - 相信我 - 这种情况确实存在。

还有马刺队的表现。他们已经赢得了53场比赛，并且有望创下NBA投篮命中率防守纪录。

这算软弱吗？

也许我只是不明白“软弱”这个词的含义。

此外，想想罗宾逊被送往医院时发生的事情。

例如，马刺队的中锋威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)在半场还剩1分56秒时，对马龙的头部来了个漂亮的、高抬手的“砍”。

回放显示，珀杜是在追逐马龙冲入内线时想要去抢球。当他的手落下击中马龙时，他被吹犯规，这是一个恶意犯规，爵士球迷认为这是报复行为。

自然地，嘘声如潮水般涌向马刺队的替补席。

珀杜在与马龙在低位身体对抗和推搡的过程中，也参与了一些充满火气的垃圾话。总而言之，他的表现可能会让古德·肯尼迪(Goo Kennedy)或西米·希尔(Simmie Hill)感到自豪。

肯尼迪和希尔是这支球队在25年前初创时期最具传奇色彩的“执法者”之一。在喧嚣的美国篮球协会(ABA)时代，你需要不止一两个这样的球员才能生存下来。

如果你的明星球员被人粗暴对待，你的替补席上的队友就应该做出回应。

这可能是马刺队在过去几年中被冠以“软弱”标签的原因之一。马刺队早期打架的传奇故事可能已经超出了他们实际的凶狠程度。

此外，粗暴的行为不再有效。尼克斯队上赛季尝试过这种做法，在季后赛中获得了几个禁赛，并输掉了本该赢下的对阵迈阿密热火的系列赛。

公牛队有像科达色调头一样的丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman)，他偶尔会肘击对手，但他们依靠迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)和斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)等技术精湛的球员来赢得比赛。

尽管如此，马刺队还是听到了他们最忠实的支持者，包括罗宾逊的父亲，对他们的批评。

“我非常沮丧的是，没有人为他出头，”安布罗斯·罗宾逊(Ambrose Robinson)告诉《快报》(Express-News)的格伦·罗杰斯(Glenn Rogers)。“这比他被击中更让我难过。(迈阿密教练)帕特·莱利(Pat Riley)会因为每个球员没有为他挺身而出而罚款1万美元。这是否是有意的并不重要。”

这是一种自然的反应。一个父亲的反应。一个狂热球迷的反应。一个被大卫·罗宾逊本人拒绝的反应。

“队员们表现得很好，”罗宾逊说。“你当然会互相保护。但就像我说的，最好的办法就是击败他们。队员们打得很好，给了自己获胜的机会。”

他们是在没有罗宾逊、埃利奥特、珀森和艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)的情况下做到的 - 他们都因伤缺阵。他们是在对阵联盟中战绩排名第二的球队时做到的。在一个充满敌意的环境中。那些“软蛋”。

点击查看原文：San Antonio anything but soft this year

San Antonio anything but soft this year

The soft tag on the Spurs this season just doesn’t stick. They may be lacking in talent and athleticism at certain positions. They may be maddeningly inconsistent on offense and frighteningly vulnerable against the best teams in the league.

They may even go out in the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.

But for fans to imply the Spurs are weenies for a lack of response to Karl Malone’s elbow blast against David Robinson doesn’t speak to reason, or facts.

Malone, if you recall, lit the passions of Spurs fans Wednesday when he threw a high elbow that connected on Robinson’s head and knocked him unconscious with 9:32 left in the first quarter. The NBA followed Friday with a one- game suspension and $5,000 fine of the Utah star Friday.

Spurs fans won’t forget it. But many are also down on their own players for failing to make amends with the Mailman on the floor. My advice? Calm down and get a grip on perspective.

For one thing, consider the response of Robinson, Chuck Person and Sean Elliott to career- threatening injuries last season. All left a great deal of sweat on the weight-room floor last summer rehabilitating their bodies.

All three of those guys and most of the other Spurs have played through the pain of nagging injuries this season. It would be repetitive to report players limp out of practice every day, but - believe me - it happens.

There’s also the matter of the Spurs’ performance. They have won 53 games and are on pace to establish an NBA record for field- goal-percentage defense.

This is soft?

Maybe I just don’t understand the meaning of the word.

Besides, consider what happened in the Utah game as Robinson was being transported to the hospital.

Spurs center Will Perdue, for one, delivered a nice, overhand chop to Malone’s skull with 1:56 remaining before halftime.

Replays showed that Perdue was going for the ball as he pursued Malone driving down the lane. He was whistled for a flagrant foul when his hand came down and jolted Malone, an action the Jazz fans viewed as retaliation.

Naturally, the boos cascaded down to the Spurs’ bench.

Perdue was also involved in some animated trash-talk with Malone during the course of their bumping and grinding in the low post. All in all, it was a performance that might have made Goo Kennedy or Simmie Hill proud.

Kennedy and Hill were among the team’s more legendary enforcers in the infancy of this franchise 25 years ago. In the raucous days of the American Basketball Association, you had to have more than a few players like that to survive.

If your star player was roughed up, your friends on the end of the bench were expected to respond.

This, possibly, is part of the reason why the Spurs have been shamed so much in the past few years as a soft team. The legend of the brawlers in the Spurs’ early years has perhaps grown disproportionately to their actual nastiness.

Moreover, the rough stuff isn’t very effective anymore. The Knicks tried it last season, earned a few suspensions in a playoff game and lost a series they should have won against the Miami Heat.

The Bulls have a guy like Kodachrome-head Dennis Rodman, who occasionally elbows opponents, but they win with finesse players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Still, the Spurs heard criticism voiced by some of their most ardent supporters, including Robinson’s father.

“I’m very frustrated that nobody took up for him,” Ambrose Robinson told Glenn Rogers of the Express-News. “It upset me more than his being hit. (Miami coach) Pat Riley would have fined every player $10,000 for not standing up for him. It doesn’t make any difference if it (the elbow) was intentional or not.”

It’s a natural response. A father’s response. An avid fan’s response. A response that was rejected by David Robinson himself.

“The guys responded very well,” Robinson said. “You obviously protect one another. But like I’ve said, the best thing to do is beat them. The guys played well and gave themselves a chance to win.”

They did it without Robinson, Elliott, Person and Avery Johnson - all out with injuries. They did it against the team with the second- best record in the league. In a hostile environment. Those softies.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By Dan Cook

对“意外”肘击判罚过轻

今天没有必要太多人一起讨论同一个话题，但我迫切需要表达一个与NBA官员罗德·索恩(Rod Thorn)和马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)的声明相悖的观点。

众所周知，索恩对犹他爵士队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)禁赛一场，并罚款5000美元，原因是他用肘击打中大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的脸，导致马刺队中锋失去意识，并遭受脑震荡和膝盖扭伤。

自上周三晚上马龙在犹他州犯规后，就在马龙用膝盖顶伤金州勇士队的多尼尔·马歇尔(Donyell Marshall)导致其肋骨骨折的第二天晚上，NBA的管理者们至少应该对此表示怀疑，认为要么是马龙的意识无法控制他的肢体，要么是他决定在他去过的任何地方制造灾难。

无论哪种情况，他的行为都让他应该受到严厉处罚。

然而，索恩只对他禁赛一场，罚款金额对于马龙的薪水来说仅仅是周一下午的零花钱而已。

在宣布这些轻微处罚的同时，索恩表示他认为马龙的肘击是无意的。

然后波波维奇，他在目睹了自己的明星球员被击中，却没有大声或长时间的抗议，周五说：“联盟做出了一个客观的决定。他们做了必要的事情。”

无意的行为？客观的决定？

各位，我们强烈认为，这两位先生，至少在这个问题上，要么是迫切需要戴眼镜，要么是他们的脑袋里充满了气球，以至于他们可以在复活节彩蛋上跳踢踏舞，而不会弄破一个蛋壳。

如果肘击是意外，那么为什么要有任何处罚呢？当马龙“意外”用膝盖顶到马歇尔的肋骨时，就没有处罚。

此外，任何看过犹他州那场比赛录像并真心认为肘击是意外击中罗宾逊头部的人，都不应该被允许对类似事件进行未来判断。

他们应该把这些评论限制在他们自己的家中，并且没有人和其他人在场。

但是马刺队目前的处境也有一些积极的一面。

由于罗宾逊缺阵，查克·珀森(Chuck Person)仍在养伤，艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)因髋部疼痛而行动受限，马刺队周五晚上打出了他们今年最精彩的比赛之一。

这并非暗示圣安东尼奥可能会在没有大卫的情况下表现更好。如果马刺队想在季后赛中有一线机会，他们需要他们的中锋。

然而，在以 99-84 击败西雅图的比赛中，有一种罕见的魔力。贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)在远距离投篮时手感极佳，投进了六个三分球，最终得到 31 分，创下了他职业生涯的最高得分。

然后是这位像老将一样打球的新秀，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，他抢下 17 个篮板，得到 28 分。

突然之间，我们很多人都有一种感觉，也许这些家伙可以在季后赛中大展身手。也许，仅仅是也许，马刺队可以一路打进 NBA 总决赛。甚至有可能赢得冠军。

天啊，这会让人们议论纷纷。你知道吗？如果这一切都成为现实，那么现在正是开始讨论为这支球队建造一个新球馆的时候了，它是圣安东尼奥历史上唯一一支主要的职业体育特许经营权。

好吧，从梦境中醒来，没有必要对一场比赛过于兴奋。

点击查看原文：Penalty far too light for 'accidental' elbow shot

Penalty far too light for ‘accidental’ elbow shot

No sense in too many of us ganging up on one topic today, but I feel an urgent need to offer an opinion that runs contrary to statements from NBA official Rod Thorn and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

As we all know, Thorn suspended Utah’s Karl Malone for one game and fined him $5,000 for crashing an elbow into David Robinson’s face, thereby knocking the Spurs center unconscious and giving him a concussion and a twisted knee.

Since that came last Wednesday night in Utah, exactly one night after Malone kneed Golden State’s Donyell Marshall, breaking his rib, those in charge of the NBA should have been at least a little suspicious, figuring that either Malone’s mind had lost control of his limbs or he had decided to create disaster areas wherever he traveled.

Either way, his actions certified him for a severe penalty.

So, Thorn handed down a one- game suspension and a fine that, for Malone’s salary, equates to walking-around money on a slow Monday.

Along with the announcement of those small penalties, Thorn said that he believed Malone’s elbow punch was unintentional.

Then Popovich, who witnessed the crunching of his star player without even a loud or long protest, Friday said, “The league made an objective decision. They did what was necessary.”

An unintentional act? An objective decision?

Folks, it is the strong belief here that those two gentlemen, at least on this subject, are either in desperate need of eyeglasses or their heads are so full of balloon juice they could tap dance on Easter eggs without cracking a shell.

If the punch was an accident, then why should there be a penalty at all? There was no penalty when Malone “accidentally” kneed Marshall in the rib cage.

Also, anyone who looked twice at the tapes of that incident in Utah and honestly believes that the elbow got to Robinson’s head by accident should not be allowed to make future judgments on similiar incidents.

Their comments should be limited to the privacy of their own homes - with nobody else in the house.

But there is an upside to the Spurs’ current situation.

With Robinson on the sidelines, Chuck Person still out of action and Avery Johnson seeing limited action because of an ailing hip, the Spurs gave one of their finest performances of the year Friday night.

This isn’t to even hint that San Antonio might again do better without David. The Spurs need their big center if they’re to have a chance in the playoffs.

Yet, there was some kind of rare magic in that 99-84 victory over Seattle. Jaren Jackson, with a smooth, velvet stroke at long range, knocked down six three- pointers and wound up totaling 31 points, his all-time career high.

And then there was the rookie who now plays like an old pro, Tim Duncan, gathering in 17 rebounds and scoring 28 points.

Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, a lot of us got the idea that, by golly, maybe these guys can shuck some corn in the playoffs. Maybe, just maybe, the Spurs can get all the way to the NBA championship series. Maybe even win all the marbles.

Man, that would set tongues wagging. And you know something? Should all that come to pass, the time would then be ripe to again start talking about a new stadium for the team, the only major-league sports franchise in San Antonio’s history.

Ah well, returning from never-never land, no sense in getting too excited over just one game.

By Dan Cook, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By Glenn Rogers

马刺希望伤兵营很快清空

周六下午，圣安东尼奥大学的球馆里弥漫着希望的期待。

马刺的伤员 - 大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)（膝盖）、艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)（髋部）、肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)（膝盖）和查克·珀森(Chuck Person)（背部） - 正在展现出不同程度的康复迹象。

“只是膝盖有点酸痛，”罗宾逊谈到周三被卡尔·马龙的肘击导致左膝严重扭伤时说道。“在跑步时感觉还不错。如果继续好转，我很有可能在周一上场。”

罗宾逊缺席了马刺周五对西雅图超音速的比赛。

约翰逊周五上场了 21 分钟，他说他周六的测试通过了。

“今天没有疼痛，”他说。“我只希望在今年夏天之前不再复发。

“以前我喜欢疼痛，因为我可以直接打球。但这次的疼痛不一样。这取决于我是否像以前一样年轻，以及肌肉是否在退化。”

主教练格雷格·波波维奇同意约翰逊看起来不错。

“比赛中没有不良反应，”波波维奇说。“他可能会在周一晚上（对阵洛杉矶湖人）首发出场，打 25 到 30 分钟。我们会看看周日和周一的状况。”

珀森表示他不会参加周一比赛，但他已经开始了接触训练。

“显然，我必须谨慎乐观，”珀森说。“我现在没有疼痛，但周二在上下跑动（球场）后感觉非常酸痛。

“我会看看今天训练的效果，那才是真正的考验。”

珀森仍然需要意识到继续比赛可能带来的长期影响。

“这是一个赌博，”他说。“如果我想继续打球，我必须冒险。如果我一直有这些情况，我必须重新考虑我的做法，以及是否要继续打球……”

埃利奥特也表示他需要等待，才能确定周六锻炼的效果。

“我会看看几个小时后我的感觉，”他说。“医生说，在训练期间和训练后都会持续疼痛，因为我正在给接受过手术修复的肌腱施加压力。

“我希望能在（赛季结束前）上场。我可能需要贿赂一下，但我一定会为此努力。

“我不认为他们会让我在周一上场。今天我能突破一些人的防守，运球上篮，而且是右脚起跳，这对我来说很不寻常。我想达到能够左脚起跳的水平。”

如果至少珀森能够在季后赛开始前恢复健康，打上几场比赛，马刺会认为这是有意义的。约翰逊看起来已经准备好了。

罗宾逊很快就会重返赛场，球队只能希望在他进行季后赛征程之前，他的膝盖都不会受到重创。

• 马刺消息：马刺已经与前锋布拉德·洛豪斯签署了本赛季剩余时间的合同。

点击查看原文：Spurs hope M*A*S*H unit soon will empty

Spurs hope MAS*H unit soon will empty

Talk of hopeful expectations emanated from the gym at the University of Incarnate Word on Saturday afternoon.

The Spurs’ injured players - David Robinson (knee), Avery Johnson (hip), Sean Elliott (knee) and Chuck Person (back) - are showing varied degrees of improvement.

“The knee was just a little sore,” Robinson said of the left one that buckled badly Wednesday when he was felled by Karl Malone’s elbow. “I felt good running on it. If it continues to improve, there’s a big chance I’ll be able to play Monday.”

Robinson sat out the Spurs’ victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.

Johnson, who played 21 minutes Friday, said he passed Saturday’s test with flying colors.

“There was no pain today,” he said. "I just hope there are no more flareups till this summer.

“I used to like pain, because I could just play right through it. But not this pain. It’s a question of not being as young as I was, of the muscle deteriorating.”

Coach Gregg Popovich agreed that Johnson looked good.

“There were no ill effects from the game,” Popovich said. “He probably will start (against the Los Angeles Lakers) Monday night and get 25 to 30 minutes. We’ll see how he feels Sunday and Monday.”

Person, who said he won’t be ready for Monday’s game, went through his first day of contact.

“Obviously, I have to be cautiously optimistic,” Person said. "I don’t have any pain now, but on Tuesday I felt real sore after running up and down (the court).

“I’ll see what the effects of today’s practice. That will be the test.”

Person still has to be aware of possible long-term effects of his continuing to play.

“It’s a roll of the dice,” he said. “It’s a risk I have to take if I want to keep playing. I’d have to rethink on how I do things, whether I want to keep playing …, if I keep having these episodes.”

Elliott also said he’d have to wait to determine the effects of his workout Saturday.

“I’ll see how I feel a few hours from now,” he said. "The doctors say it’s going to continue to be sore during and after practices just because I’m putting stress on that tendon that was surgically repaired.

"I hope to be able to play (before season ends). I may have to do some bribing, but I’ll campaign for it.

“I don’t think they’ll let me get any minutes Monday. I was able to beat some people off the dribble today. I went to the basket and jumped off the right foot, which is unorthodox for me. I want to get to where I can lift off my left foot.”

The Spurs would consider it meaningful if at least Person is healthy enough to get a couple of games in before the playoffs begin. Johnson appears ready to go.

Robinson will be on the court soon and the team can only hope that neither of his knees will take a heavy bang before the playoff run is done.

- Spurs notes: The Spurs have signed forward Brad Lohaus for the rest of the season.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-12, By Glenn Rogers

邮差的战术引发联盟头痛

卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)为了争取一点空间，引发了NBA两座姐妹城市的大骚动，也成为了全国电视的精彩瞬间，并引起了联盟办公室的关注。

听到人们对丑陋事件的不同反应总是有点好笑。

这次事件几乎太过危险，无法开玩笑了。大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)头部遭到恶意肘击，险些严重受伤。幸运的是，他似乎从头部撞击中恢复了过来；不幸的是，他的左膝可能需要一些时间才能恢复到最佳状态。

圣安东尼奥的球迷们愤怒了，他们希望“邮差”被送到西伯利亚，并在那里待到赛季结束。一些人打电话，对罗宾逊队友的反应不足感到愤怒。

爵士队的球迷们承认，这次肘击确实很有力，但并非有意伤害，罗宾逊的头部只是恰好出现在错误的地方。就像，也许它不应该在他的肩膀上。

一位犹他州的作家甚至说，职业篮球是一项男人的运动，马龙是一个真正的男人。他宣称威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)才是流氓，指的是圣安东尼奥中锋后来对马龙的恶意犯规。

当一位记者对主队的感情过于强烈时，这种情况往往会发生。

珀杜在比赛中大部分时间都在和马龙喋喋不休，并互相挥舞拳头。他正在做许多人现在指责罗宾逊队友没有做的事。只是他没有将它推到疯狂的程度。

罗宾逊总结得最好。这次肘击虽然无意，但必须处理。他的队友可以通过继续获胜，并可能在季后赛中战胜爵士队来做出最好的回应。

联盟办公室对这位犹他州巨星做出了禁赛一场的处罚。这可能已经足够了。首席纪律委员罗德·索恩(Rod Thorn)可能想让他禁赛两场，但他可能受到步行者队后卫雷吉·米勒(Reggie Miller)仅被禁赛一场的处罚的阻碍。米勒不遗余力地找到了黄蜂队的弗拉德·迪瓦茨(Vlade Divac)，并用肘击他的头部将他击倒在地。

无论马龙如何解释这次事件，他都必须被禁赛。没错，罗宾逊一直缠着他，并对他犯规。马龙必须采取行动，表明他不会容忍这种行为贯穿整场比赛。

正如罗宾逊所说，他是在表明立场。

但如果只是用力地肩部撞击，对罗宾逊和裁判说几句话，然后对罗宾逊再吹一次犯规，就可以达到预期效果。马龙已经身处这种境地多年了。

“邮差”必须冷静下来。他刚刚用膝盖撞断了勇士队多尼尔·马歇尔(Donyell Marshall)的肋骨。他变得越来越好斗，将比赛带到了另一个级别的球场暴力。

每个球员都配备了一对肘部。在比赛中，任何人都可能在位置上进行凶狠的小肘击，从而让球员因深层肌肉或肋骨挫伤而无法上场。

NBA球员知道如何创造空间，传递信息，同时还能控制住肘部——对着空气挥舞，威胁性地展示，轻微地戳戳。

正如前马刺队教练道格·莫伊(Doug Moe)所说，不存在无意的肘击。前马刺队球员艾伦·布里斯托(Allan Bristow)对这个说法嗤之以鼻。

前马刺队球员迈克·盖尔(Mike Gale)观察到，击倒罗宾逊的肘击比他最初想的“高很多”。前马刺队球员比利·保尔茨(Billy Paultz)说，马龙只要击中任何人，都会因为他的力量而过于严重。但他补充说，“我不认为他只是无意为之；我认为他是被激怒了。”

但是，正如所指出的那样，报复性的信息不能通过原子弹传递。马龙自己的耳朵总有一天会被打响，而他的搭档约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)，这位天使般的家伙，远没有受到那些习惯了感受他肘击的球员的喜爱，他将是第一个对过度的行为大喊大叫并要求报复的人。

盐湖城摩门教徒的那些球迷们也是如此。

点击查看原文：Mailman's tactics causing headaches throughout league

Mailman’s tactics causing headaches throughout league

Karl Malone’s search for a little elbow room set off quite an uproar in two of the NBA’s sister cities, grabbed a few highlight moments on national TV and stirred some activity in the league office.

It’s always a little amusing to hear the different reactions to an ugly incident.

This moment was almost too dangerous to crack wise about. David Robinson took a brutal elbow to the head and surely came close to serious injury. Fortunately, he seems recovered from the head shot; unfortunately, he may need a little time to get his left knee back to perfect functioning.

San Antonio fans were outraged and wanted The Mailman delivered to Siberia for the rest of the season. Some manned the phones and barked about the lack of response from Robinson’s teammates.

Jazz followers conceded that the blow was certainly forceful, but not intended to do harm, that Robinson’s head was simply in the wrong place. Like, maybe it shouldn’t be on his shoulders.

One Utah writer went so far as to say that professional basketball is a man’s game and Malone is a real man. He exclaimed that Will Perdue was the goon, referring to the San Antonio center’s flagrant foul of Malone later in the game.

This tends to happen when a scribe’s feelings get too bent toward the home team.

Perdue spent a great part of the game jabbering at and exchanging hand swipes with Malone. He was doing what so many are now squawking wasn’t done by Robinson’s teammates. He just didn’t carry it to crazed extremes.

Robinson summed it up best. The blow, though unintentional, had to be addressed. His teammates could answer back best by continuing to win and maybe get a chance to upend the Jazz in the playoffs.

The league office answered with a one-game suspension of the Utah star. It’s probably enough. Head disciplinarian Rod Thorn may have wanted to put two games on the list but could have been hampered by the fact that Pacers guard Reggie Miller received only a one-game suspension. Miller went out of his way to find and floor Charlotte’s Vlade Divac with a forearm blast to the noggin.

Malone had to be suspended, no matter his explanations of the episode. True, Robinson was hanging all over him and fouled him. Malone had to make a move to announce that this wouldn’t be permitted throughout the game.

As Robinson said, he was making a statement.

But a hard shoulder shake, a few words to both Robinson and the refs, and another whistle on Robinson would have achieved the desired results. Malone has been in that situation for years.

The Mailman has to be cooled. He just finished cracking Golden State’s Donyell Marshall’s ribs with a knee. He is getting a little too feisty, taking the game to another level of on-court violence.

Every player comes equipped with a pair of elbows. Anyone is in position to land vicious little jabs during a game, putting players on the sidelines with deep muscle or rib bruises.

NBA guys know how to make space, send messages and still keep those elbows in check - swing them at air, show them menacingly, give little digs.

As former Spurs coach Doug Moe said, there’s no such thing as an unintentional elbow. Ex-Spur Allan Bristow laughed at the notion.

Former Spur Mike Gale observed that the elbow that floored Robinson was a “lot higher” than he first thought. Ex- Spur Billy Paultz said anytime Malone hits somebody it’s too much because of his power. But he added, “I don’t think he just did it; I think he was provoked.”

But, as noted, a retaliatory message can’t be sent by atomic delivery. Malone’s own ears can be rung somewhere down the line, and his sidekick, John Stockton, the angelic-looking fellow who is far from loved by players accustomed to feeling his elbows, would be the first to yelp about excessiveness and demand retribution.

And so would those salty fans in the City of Mormons.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-13, By Glenn Rogers

罗宾逊可能对阵湖人复出 马刺准备与西部劲旅再战一场

马刺队将在今天于阿拉莫穹顶继续他们的争冠之旅。

在与犹他爵士和西雅图超音速队战成平手后，他们将在今晚 7:30 与洛杉矶湖人队交锋。

圣安东尼奥马刺队在周五晚上以 99-84 的比分战胜了超音速队，让球迷们感到惊喜，尽管他们的中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)缺席了比赛。马刺队在周三输给了爵士队，当时罗宾逊被卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)的肘击导致脑震荡。

罗宾逊表示，他有很大的机会能够参加今晚的比赛，但由于两支球队都试图为即将到来的季后赛做好准备，因此压力不会减轻。

由于菲尼克斯太阳队在周日晚上取得了胜利，马刺队和太阳队在西部并列第四——这是在第一轮获得主场优势的最低种子排名。湖人队仍然在争夺西部的最佳战绩。

马刺队战胜了超音速队，而明尼苏达森林狼队战胜了爵士队，这使得湖人队在失利榜上仅落后超音速队一场，落后爵士队两场。

罗宾逊在周六进行了训练，并表示他的左膝在马龙将他撞倒在地板时受伤，现在已经好转。

“他的头部没有问题，但膝盖是问题，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道。“他今天（周日）来的时候，膝盖还在好转。我们今天（周一）还会再看看，这将是一个临场决定。”

湖人队打得很好，但他们仍然对他们在周五晚上主场输给太阳队感到愤怒。如果获胜，将给超音速队增加额外的压力，并为洛杉矶的势头增添更多活力。

马刺队也打得很顽强，尽管他们遭受了大量伤病，导致首发阵容人员不整。

艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)在对阵超音速队的比赛中回归首发阵容，预计今晚他也将继续首发。约翰逊喜欢球队在战胜超音速队的比赛中展现出的激情，并热衷于球队有机会与湖人队一决高下。

“对阵西雅图的比赛是我们最大的胜利之一，因为我们没有战胜开拓者队，我们有这些伤病，人们看着我们的赛程，认为我们一场都赢不了，”约翰逊说道。

开拓者队以 79-75 的比分从阿拉莫城溜走了，然后爵士队在马龙的肘击导致罗宾逊受伤后，以 98-88 的比分击败了马刺队。

约翰逊很高兴湖人队阵容齐整，罗伯特·霍里(Robert Horry)预计将在前锋位置回归，此前他因跟腱受伤而缺席比赛。

“我们希望在他们最佳状态下与他们交锋，”他说。“我们想与最好的球队交锋，这样才能为季后赛做好充分的准备。里克·福克斯(Rick Fox)出场时间最长，他非常出色。埃迪·琼斯(Eddie Jones)和科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)可以跑过联盟中的任何球员，他们的投篮也很好。这只是一支顶级的球队。”

罗宾逊认为湖人队是一支全面的威胁。

“你真的必须专注于防守他们，”他说。“他们在单打的情况下非常强硬。他们也抢篮板，所以我们要利用我们的力量来应对。

“这场比赛对我们来说有点像对阵西雅图的比赛。我们还没有战胜过西雅图队，所以这对我们来说意义重大，因为我们即将进入季后赛。我们还没有战胜过湖人队。如果你没有战胜这些球队，即使在主场，也会让你在心理上处于劣势。所以我们必须做出回应。

“在比赛经验和配合方面，我们比其他球队落后一些。但我们非常有信心能够阻止对手。我们很好。”

蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在罗宾逊缺席后迅速接过了重担。

邓肯被选中代表美国参加世界锦标赛，他在这场比赛中对阵爵士队时贡献了 34 分，然后在对阵超音速队的比赛中贡献了 28 分，17 个篮板和 7 次盖帽。

“蒂姆显然已经超出了我们对他的任何期望，”波波维奇说道。“他天生就拥有伟大的篮球天赋。他能够理解比赛的细微之处，以及什么能让球队变得更好。”

点击查看原文：Robinson may return against Lakers Spurs brace for yet another scuffle with Western power

Robinson may return against Lakers Spurs brace for yet another scuffle with Western power

The Spurs continue their contender-of-the- moment run today at the Alamodome.

After splitting games against Utah and Seattle, they now take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m.

San Antonio surprised fans with a rocking 99- 84 win over the SuperSonics on Friday night despite the absence of center David Robinson. The Spurs lost to the Jazz on Wednesday when they lost Robinson to a concussion, delivered by Karl Malone’s elbow.

Robinson says there’s a good chance he will be able to play tonight, but the pressure won’t lessen with both teams trying to sharpen themselves for the upcoming playoffs.

With Phoenix winning Sunday night, the Spurs and Suns are tied for fourth in the West - the lowest seed to get a home-court advantage in the first round. The Lakers remain in the hunt for the best record in the West.

The Spurs’ defeat of Seattle and Minnesota’s win over Utah left the Lakers just one game behind the Sonics and two games behind the Jazz in the loss column.

Robinson worked out Saturday and said his left knee, injured when Malone sent him crashing to the floor, has improved.

“His head is fine, but the knee is the problem,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He came in today (Sunday) and the knee is still improving. We’ll look at it again (today) and it will be a game-time decision.”

The Lakers are playing well, but remain angry about their home stumble against the Suns on Friday night. A win would have put additional pressure on the Sonics and added still more zip to Los Angeles’ momentum.

The Spurs also are playing gritty games despite suffering from a rash of injuries that has depleted the starting lineup.

Avery Johnson returned to start against the Sonics and is expected to do so again tonight. Johnson likes the gusto shown during the win over the Sonics and relishes the chance for the team to test itself against the Lakers.

“The Seattle game was one of our biggest wins because we didn’t beat Portland, we have these injuries and people looked at our schedule and figured we would win none,” Johnson said.

The Trail Blazers slipped out of the Alamo City with a 79-75 victory, then the Jazz added a 98-88 blow after Malone’s hit took out Robinson.

Johnson is glad the Lakers are intact, with Robert Horry expected back at forward after missing action with a strained Achilles’ tendon.

“We want to play them at their best,” he said. “We want to play the best teams, so we can get as ready as we can for the playoffs. Rick (Fox) plays the most minutes and he’s very good. Eddie (Jones) and Kobe (Bryant) can out-run anybody in the league and they are also shooting well. It’s just another top-grade team.”

Robinson sees the Lakers as an all-around threat.

“You really have to concentrate on guarding them,” he said. "They are very tough on one-on- one situations. They also go to the boards, so we’re going to have to use our strength there.

"This game is somewhat like the Seattle game for us. We hadn’t beaten Seattle, so it meant a lot for us going into the playoffs. We haven’t beaten the Lakers yet. If you don’t defeat these teams, it can leave you at a mental disadvantage, even on your home court. So we have to respond.

“We’re a little behind these other teams in terms of experience, playing together. But we’re very confident that we can make stops. We’re OK.”

Tim Duncan quickly picked up the gauntlet when Robinson went out.

Duncan, who has been picked to represent the United States in the World Championship Games, scored 34 points against the Jazz, then hamstrung the Sonics with 28 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks.

“Tim has obviously gone past any expectations that any of us had for him,” Popovich said. “He has a great, innate basketball expertise. He has a feel for the nuances of the game and what makes a team better.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-14, By Jerry Briggs

圆顶体育馆的“拳击之夜” 马刺输给湖人，怒火中烧

在周一晚上，洛杉矶湖人队以 99-75 战胜圣安东尼奥马刺队，这场比赛在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆举行，吸引了 26,783 名观众。这场比赛的最后阶段发生了两次令人胆寒的冲突，令这场比赛蒙上阴影。

冲突导致四名球员被驱逐出场，其中包括两名马刺球员和两名湖人球员。

“没什么大不了的，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道。“这只是一场典型的谁也没打到谁的冲突。没有人受伤，这才是最重要的。”

在沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)的强势带领下，马刺队在没有受伤的中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的情况下，彻底崩溃了。在第一节结束时还领先一分的情况下，湖人队在接下来的三节中以 76-53 的比分狂胜马刺队。

奥尼尔在 35 分钟的比赛时间内，贡献了 28 分和 16 个篮板。

这场“拳击之夜”的序幕始于比赛还剩 4 分 47 秒时。

湖人后卫科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)强势突破，双手暴扣。当湖人后卫德里克·费舍尔(Derek Fisher)在这次进攻结束后穿过内线时，他与马刺中锋威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)发生了碰撞。珀杜把费舍尔拉到自己身边，然后将他摔倒在地。

费舍尔站起来后，推了珀杜一把，两人都被驱逐出场。

当裁判将珀杜和费舍尔分开后，奥尼尔和其他几名湖人球员冲进了冲突区域。身高 7 英尺 1 英寸，体重 320 磅的奥尼尔开始推搡周围的人，并指指点点。

比赛还剩 4 分 02 秒时，另一场冲突在中场附近的边线附近爆发。湖人后卫尼克·范·埃克塞尔(Nick Van Exel)用肘部击打马刺前锋蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)。威廉姆斯抓住范·埃克塞尔，一场混战随即爆发。

坐在价值 300 美元的场边座位上的球迷们，近距离目睹了愤怒的威廉姆斯，他正抓着布莱恩特。两人冲向第一排，将一名坐在椅子上的女士撞倒在地。

据悉，没有球迷受伤。

威廉姆斯和范·埃克塞尔都被驱逐出场。

“发生的事情很不幸，”马刺后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)说。“我们只能继续前进。希望我们所有的球员都能参加下一场比赛。比赛到那个时候已经没有意义了，但每个人都在努力拼搏，充满对抗性。”

NBA 将决定是否会对这场冲突进行罚款或禁赛处罚。

“我们有些人受伤了，”珀杜说。“我们不能让球员缺席比赛。”

波波维奇驳斥了关于明星前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) (26 分 16 个篮板)可能在第一次冲突后离开替补席的说法。如果他真的离开了，他可能会被禁赛一场，马刺队将在周四晚上在温哥华进行下一场比赛。

“我不知道(邓肯是否离开了替补席),”波波维奇说。“我没那么快就能看到谁在哪里。”

自上周三犹他爵士前锋卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)用肘部击打罗宾逊，导致罗宾逊昏迷后，马刺队一直在憋着一股火。

罗宾逊已经从脑震荡中恢复过来，脑震荡导致他住院治疗一晚，但他在这次摔倒中扭伤了膝盖，伤势仍然很严重，无法参加与湖人的比赛。

这场失利使得排名第五的马刺队(53-26)在争夺西部联盟季后赛主场优势的竞争中落后于菲尼克斯太阳队(54-25)一场。太阳队在周一晚上以 105-97 击败了金州勇士队。

太阳队只需要在常规赛结束时与马刺队打成平手，就能确保在五场三胜制的首轮比赛中获得主场优势。

与此同时，湖人队(58-21)赢得了过去 21 场比赛中的第 18场胜利，稳固地占据着西部第三的位置。他们还嘲笑马刺队的冲突。

“也许他们有点沮丧，但他们开始对我们的后卫采取卑鄙的犯规，”奥尼尔说。“他们试图对我采取卑鄙的犯规，但我坚不可摧。没有人能阻止我。”

珀杜在防守湖人全明星球员时非常沮丧，在半场结束前将奥尼尔摔倒在地。当他从地上爬起来时，奥尼尔盯着珀杜，但什么也没说。

比赛还剩 5 分 12 秒时，裁判判罚奥尼尔犯规。马刺后卫雷吉·吉尔里(Reggie Geary)突破内线，撞倒了这位前科尔高中球星。奥尼尔没有动，但吉尔里摔倒在地，背部着地。

点击查看原文：Fight night at the dome Tempers flare in Spurs' loss to the Lakers

Fight night at the dome Tempers flare in Spurs’ loss to the Lakers

Two scary altercations late in the fourth quarter marred the Los Angeles Lakers’ 99-75 victory over the Spurs on Monday night in front of 26,783 at the Alamodome.

Four players - two Spurs and two Lakers - were thrown out as a result of the scuffles.

“It was no big deal,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It was your typical nobody hits anybody sort of fight. Nobody got hurt. That’s the main thing.”

The Spurs, playing without injured center David Robinson, crumbled in the wake of a Shaquille O’Neal-led battering. Leading by one point after the first quarter, the Lakers blitzed the Spurs 76-53 over the final three periods.

O’Neal dominated with 28 points and 16 rebounds in 35 minutes.

The night at the fights began with 4:47 to play.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant drove for a two-handed dunk. As Lakers guard Derek Fisher moved through the lane after the play, he wound up in the arms of Spurs center Will Perdue, who swung Fisher around and then dropped him to the floor.

Fisher got up and shoved Perdue, and both were tossed out of the game.

After referees separated Perdue and Fisher, O’Neal and a few other Lakers charged into the area. O’Neal, at 7-foot-1 and 320 pounds, started pushing bodies around and pointing fingers.

With 4:02 left, another incident erupted on the sideline near midcourt. Lakers guard Nick Van Exel threw an elbow at Spurs forward Monty Williams. Williams grabbed Van Exel and a melee broke out.

Fans sitting in $300 courtside seats got an up-close view at a furious Williams, who was grabbing at Bryant. The two plowed into the front row and knocked over one woman in her chair.

There apparently were no fans injured.

Both Williams and Van Exel were ejected.

“It’s unfortunate what happened,” Spurs guard Jaren Jackson said. “We just have to move on. Hopefully, all of our guys can play in our next game. The game at that point was academic, but everyone was playing hard and physical.”

It will be up to the NBA to determine whether any fines or suspensions will be levied.

“We’ve got some guys banged up,” Perdue said. “We can’t afford to have guys miss games.”

Popovich brushed off a suggestion that star forward Tim Duncan (26 points, 16 rebounds) may have left the bench after the first altercation. If he did, it could cost him a suspension for the Spurs’ next game at Vancouver on Thursday night.

“I have no clue (if Duncan left the bench),” Popovich said. “I’m not that quick to see who is where.”

The Spurs have been seething since Wednesday, when a wild elbow thrown by Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone knocked Robinson unconscious.

Robinson has recovered from a concussion that led to a one-night stay in the hospital, but a twisted knee as a result of the fall still was too tender for him to play against the Lakers.

The loss dropped the fifth-place Spurs (53-26) one game behind the Phoenix Suns in the race for home- court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. Phoenix (54- 25) defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-97 Monday night.

The Suns only need a tie with the Spurs at the end of the regular season to secure the home-court edge in the best-of-five first round.

Meanwhile, it was the 18th win in the last 21 games for the Lakers (58-21), who maintained a secure hold on third place in the West. They also needled the Spurs about the fights.

“Maybe they got a little frustrated, but they started taking cheap shots at our guards,” O’Neal said. “They tried taking cheap shots at me, but I’m unbreakable. Nobody can stop me.”

Perdue, thoroughly frustrated at guarding the Lakers’ All-Star, wrestled O’Neal to the ground late in the half. As he was getting off the floor, O’Neal stared at Perdue but said nothing.

Officials hit O’Neal with a flagrant foul with 5:12 left in the game. Spurs guard Reggie Geary drove down the lane and crashed into the former Cole High School standout. O’Neal didn’t move, but Geary fell crashing to the floor on his back.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-14, By Glenn Rogers

奥尼尔：马刺队使了一些“卑鄙的招数”

湖人队在周一晚上阿拉莫穹顶球场将马刺队打得鼻青脸肿，同时他们自己也遭受了一些意外的碰撞和擦伤。

他们可能正在阅读一些文章，这些文章坚称马刺队在卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)上周用肘击将大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)击倒在犹他州之后，仍然是一支软弱的球队。

相反，洛杉矶在以 99-75 的比分彻底击败圣安东尼奥的路上，发现自己卷入了战斗，或者至少是摔跤狂热般的冲突。

“他们的球员有点沮丧，使了一些卑鄙的招数，”沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)说道，他在内线以 28 分、16 个篮板以及一般性令人畏惧的表现摧毁了圣安东尼奥。“我们的球员只是在自我防卫。”

罗宾逊因左膝疼痛缺席比赛，奥尼尔得以自由活动。他设法避开了实际的冲突，但仍然被威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)抓住脖子并摔倒在地。

“是的，我认为那是一个恶意犯规，但没关系，”珀杜仅仅被判罚个人犯规后，奥尼尔说道。

珀杜和蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)是两场冲突中主要的马刺队员，其中一场冲突蔓延到观众席，并打散了场边的银色舞者。

在第四节比赛还剩 4 分 46 秒时，珀杜将湖人后卫德雷克·费舍尔(Derek Fisher)摔倒在地，费舍尔站起来推搡了马刺中锋，珀杜和费舍尔被罚出场。

“我希望 NBA 办公室只是看看，意识到我只是做出反应推了他，”费舍尔说道。“我不是斗士，我不喜欢处于这样的境地，因为我知道孩子们在观看我的比赛。但这仅仅是我被他摔倒在地后，最先做出的反应。”

仅仅 44 秒后，另一场更为严重的冲突在边线爆发，威廉姆斯先是抓住尼克·范·埃克塞尔(Nick Van Exel)的头部，然后又抓住科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)的头部，并将他甩进了球迷区。

威廉姆斯和范·埃克塞尔被罚出场。

“他们才是打得脏、凶狠、野蛮的人，”范·埃克塞尔说道，他耳朵后面留着一块抓痕。范·埃克塞尔似乎向马刺队员挥了一拳，但他没打中。

布莱恩特似乎对这一切都感到很开心。

“他（威廉姆斯）在我面前，沿场地上来，”布莱恩特说道。“我真的不知道他在说什么；他好像在说外语。他把手放在我身上，下一秒我就发现自己坐在看台上。

“我告诉他，‘冷静下来，深呼吸。’我听到球迷说，‘让开，让开，’然后我开始往那里倒。”

点击查看原文：O'Neal: Spurs took some 'cheap shots'

O’Neal: Spurs took some ‘cheap shots’

The Lakers left a purple welt on the Spurs and picked up a few unexpected bumps and bruises themselves Monday night at the Alamodome.

They may have been reading tales insisting that the Spurs were still a soft team after Karl Malone’s elbow flattened David Robinson in Utah last week.

Instead, Los Angeles, on its way to a 99-75 crushing of San Antonio, found itself engaged in combat, or at least Wrestlemania skirmishes.

“Their guys got a little frustrated and took some cheap shots,” said Shaquille O’Neal, who busted San Antonio with 28 points, 16 rebounds and generally forbidding play in the paint. “Our guys just kind of defended themselves.”

O’Neal was free to roam with Robinson sitting out the game with a sore left knee. He managed to remain free of the actual frays but was still horse-collared by Will Perdue and thrown to the floor.

“Yeah, I thought that was a flagrant foul, but that’s cool,” he said after Perdue was hit with just a personal.

Perdue and Monty Williams were the prime Spurs in the two fracases, one of which drifted into the seats and scattered Silver Dancers along the sideline.

Perdue and Lakers guard Derek Fisher were ejected at the 4:46 mark of the fourth quarter, after Perdue threw the Laker to the floor and Fisher got up and shoved the Spurs center.

“I hope the NBA office just looks at it and realizes that I just reacted and shoved him,” Fisher said. “I’m no fighter. I don’t like being in that situation, knowing that kids are watching me play. But it was just my initial reaction to go at him after he threw me to the floor.”

Just 44 seconds later, another more serious conflagration erupted on the sidelines when Williams first grabbed Nick Van Exel around the head and then grabbed Kobe Bryant around the head and swung him into the row of fans.

Williams and Van Exel were ejected.

“They were the ones playing dirty and physical and wild,” said Van Exel, who sported a scratch behind his ear. Van Exel appeared to take a flailing swing at the Spur but he missed.

Bryant seemed mostly amused by the happenings.

“He (Williams) was in my face, coming up the floor,” Bryant said. "I really don’t know what he was saying; he was speaking in tongues. He put his hands around me and the next thing I knew I was in the stands.

“I told him, ‘Chill, take a deep breath.’ I heard the fans saying, ‘Get out of the way, get out of the way,’ then I was falling in there.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-14, By Johnny Ludden

冲突不断，球迷进退两难 绝佳视角：场边，或者说球场中央席位

克里斯·杰西(Chris Jessee) 看到大约半吨重的、价值估计四百万美元的 NBA 球星向他冲来，便本能地做出了任何一个足球教练的儿子都会做出的反应：

他躲了起来。

杰西，这位 16 岁的少年，是新任德州大学足球教练麦克·布朗(Mack Brown) 的继子，他将自己对场边碰撞的了解运用到了这场冲突中，这场冲突发生在周一第四节，马刺队前锋蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams) 和洛杉矶湖人队控球后卫尼克·范·埃克塞尔(Nick Van Exel) 之间，并波及到前两排的球迷。

“我看到大约 20 个巨汉向我冲来，”杰西说，他坐在球场中央附近第一排的一个绝佳位置上。“所以我直接跳过两把椅子，逃离了那里。

“当我回头看的时候，所有人都倒在地上，到处都是球员。”

倒在废墟中的是 17 岁的凯尔·布莱恩特(Kyle Bryant)，杰西的朋友，也是德州大学招募协调员克莱夫·布莱恩特(Cleve Bryant) 的儿子。

“我仍然不知道发生了什么，”布莱恩特说。“我什么都看不见。

“突然蒙蒂就压在我身上了，我把他推开了。”

布莱恩特、杰西以及其他暂时失去高价座位的球迷都说自己没有受伤。

这场冲突似乎是在威廉姆斯和湖人队控球后卫尼克·范·埃克塞尔发生口角后爆发的。威廉姆斯抓住范·埃克塞尔的头部，然后将他以及湖人队后卫科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant) 一起拉到座位上。

其他一些球员（大多数是作为调解者）和一些警察加入了混战，但只有威廉姆斯和范·埃克塞尔被驱逐出场。几名球迷向球场扔垃圾，公共广播系统播音员警告所有人留在座位上。

洛杉矶中锋沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)，他在第二节被珀杜(Perdue) 撞倒在地，然后在最后一节撞倒了马刺队后卫雷吉·吉里(Reggie Geary)，在冲突爆发期间与威廉姆斯闲聊。

虽然其他几名马刺队球员和主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 否认冲突与球队上周被批评没有站出来对抗犹他爵士队前锋卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone) 有关，但控球后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 表示，球员之间的紧张局势一直在累积。

“这是个充满攻击性的比赛，”约翰逊说，他的马刺队在周一以 99-75 的比分惨败。“我认为作为一个团队，你已经厌倦了看到和听到有人说你畏惧所有人。所以，你知道，大家只是在为自己和球队挺身而出。”

这场冲突可能会给马刺队带来沉重的代价，他们已经因为罗宾逊(Robinson)、肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 和查克·珀森(Chuck Person) 的伤病而苦苦挣扎。威廉姆斯，在离开阿拉莫穹顶后没有回答任何问题，几乎肯定会被 NBA 总部禁赛。

“我毫无头绪，”波波维奇说。“我没有那么快就能看清所有人的所作所为。”

珀杜不认为他的行为应该被驱逐出场。

“我不认为我做的太过火，”珀杜说。

点击查看原文：Brawls keep fans in - and out - of seats A prime view: ringside, er, midcourt seat

Brawls keep fans in - and out - of seats A prime view: ringside, er, midcourt seat

Chris Jessee saw about a quarter ton - and an estimated $4 million - of the NBA’s finest headed his direction and did what any quick- thinking son of a football coach would do.

He ran for cover.

Jessee, the 16-year-old stepson of new Texas football coach Mack Brown, put his knowledge of sideline collisions to use when Monday’s fourth-quarter fight between Spurs forward Monty Williams and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel spilled over into the first two rows of fans.

“I saw about 20 huge guys coming at me,” said Jessee, seated in a prime front-row chair near midcourt. "So I just jumped over two chairs and got out of there.

“When I looked back, everyone was on the floor and there were players everywhere.”

Laying in the rubble was 17- year-old Kyle Bryant, Jessee’s friend and the son of Longhorns recruiting coordinator Cleve Bryant.

“I still don’t know what happened,” Bryant said. "I couldn’t see anything.

“All of a sudden Monty was on top of me. I just pushed him off.”

Neither Bryant nor Jessee nor any of the other fans who momentarily lost their high-dollar seats said they were hurt.

The fight appeared to break out after Williams and Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel exchanged words. Williams grabbed Van Exel by the head and then pulled Lakers guard Kobe Bryant into the seats with him.

Several other players - most acting as peacemakers - and a few policemen joined the scrum, but only Williams and Van Exel were ejected. A couple fans threw trash onto the court as the public- address announcer warned everyone to stay in the seats.

Los Angeles center Shaquille O’Neal, who had been thrown to the ground by Perdue in the second quarter and then body-checked Spurs guard Reggie Geary in the final period, chatted up Williams during the outbreak.

Though several other Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich denied the fights had anything to do with the team being criticized for not standing up last week to Utah forward Karl Malone, point guard Avery Johnson said tension among the players had been building.

“One of those nights where it was a very aggressive game,” said Johnson, whose Spurs were blown out 99-75 Monday. “I think as a team you get a little tired of seeing and hearing that you back down from everybody. So, you know, guys were just taking up for themselves and the team.”

The fights could prove costly to the Spurs, who already are reeling with injuries to Robinson, Sean Elliott and Chuck Person. Williams, who left the Alamodome without answering questions, almost certainly faces a suspension from the NBA office.

“I have no clue what will happen,” Popovich said. “I’m not that quick to see what everyone in the world is doing.”

Perdue did not think his actions warranted an ejection.

“I didn’t think what I did was that violent,” Perdue said.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-14, By Associated Press

联盟专员考虑尼克斯队抗议

纽约 - 周日尼克斯队与热火队的比赛结果仍在争议中，因为NBA联盟专员大卫·斯特恩(David Stern)正在考虑尼克斯队提出的可能改变最终比分和季后赛竞争的抗议。

尼克斯队正式抗议他们82-81的失利，向联盟办公室发送了一盘录像带、一封信和10,000美元的费用。球队缩小了他们的论点，声称技术故障 - 在比赛还剩0.1秒时篮筐后方的红灯提前亮起 - 可能是导致裁判挥手取消阿兰·休斯顿(Allan Houston)的最后一秒投篮的原因。

如果这球算数，正如重播显示的那样，尼克斯队将以83-82获胜，这将使他们保持在东部联盟第七名的位置。

他们将继续排名第八，落后于新泽西网队半场，至少在斯特恩做出裁决之前是如此。

“我认为如果他们真想做正确的事，我们将会再赢一场，”尼克斯队主教练杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)说。“我们的抗议是正当的。

“联盟办公室总是说，‘重要的是要把它做对。’如果真的是为了把它做对，我们会赢得抗议，再赢一场。”

如果结果被改变，这将是15年来第一次抗议被采纳。

在1982-83赛季，湖人队与马刺队的比赛最后三秒重新进行，因为圣安东尼奥成功地辩称，在湖人队后卫诺姆·尼克松(Norm Nixon)假装罚球，导致两队球员进入罚球区时，对双人通道违规的判罚是错误的。

裁判杰克·马登(Jack Madden)判罚跳球，湖人队在最后一秒投篮得分，比赛进入双加时，最终洛杉矶以137-132获胜。

圣安东尼奥队抗议称，因为球没有离开尼克松的手，球员们应该被重新站位以等待罚球。

联盟总裁拉里·奥布莱恩(Larry O’Brien)同意了，4个月半后，最后三秒被重新进行，马刺队在常规时间以117-114获胜。

在迈阿密发生的这场最新的争议性结局开始于纽约队在比赛还剩4.4秒时从中场发球。克里斯·米尔斯(Chris Mills)接球突破阿隆佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)，但短距离投篮不中。查尔斯·奥克利(Charles Oakley)的补篮也未能命中，然后丹·马杰利(Dan Majerle)将球拍向休斯顿，休斯顿匆忙出手，在终场哨响前做出了最后一搏。

重播显示球在比赛还剩0.2秒时离开休斯顿的手，但裁判鲍勃·德莱尼(Bob Delaney)挥挥手示意这球不算。在裁判们讨论了大约30秒后，比分维持不变。

NBA没有使用重播的规定，直到比赛结束后，裁判们才在回到更衣室后才看到他们错误判罚的录像。

通过声称技术故障，尼克斯队似乎试图绕过NBA的规定，该规定指出：“无论何时响起终场哨声或红灯亮起以表明本节比赛结束，裁判最终做出最终决定。”

点击查看原文：Commissioner mulls Knicks protest

Commissioner mulls Knicks protest

NEW YORK - The outcome of Sunday’s Knicks-Heat game remained in dispute Monday as NBA commissioner David Stern considered a protest filed by New York that could change the final score - and the playoff race.

The Knicks formally protested their 82-81 loss by sending a videotape, a letter and a $10,000 fee to the league office. The team narrowed its argument to claim that a technical malfunction - the early illumination of a red light behind the basket with one-tenth of a second left - could have caused referees to wave off Allan Houston’s last-second basket.

Had the shot counted, as replays showed it should have, the Knicks would have had an 83-82 victory that kept them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

They will remain in eighth place, a half- game behind the New Jersey Nets, at least until Stern issues a ruling.

“I think if they’re interested in doing the right thing, we’ll have another win,” Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We have a legitimate protest.

“What the league office always says is, ‘It’s about getting it right.’ And if it truly is about getting it right, we’ll win the protest and get another win.”

If the outcome is changed, it would be the first time in more than 15 years a protest was upheld.

In 1982-83, the final three seconds of a Lakers- Spurs game were replayed after San Antonio successfully argued that an incorrect call had been made on a double-lane violation when Lakers guard Norm Nixon faked a free throw and caused players from both teams to enter the lane.

Referee Jack Madden called for a jump ball, the Lakers made a last-second shot and the game went into double overtime with Los Angeles eventually winning 137-132.

San Antonio protested that since the ball never left Nixon’s hands, the players should have been repositioned to await the foul shot.

Commissioner Larry O’Brien agreed, and the final three seconds were replayed 41/2 months later, with the Spurs winning 117-114 in regulation.

This latest disputed finish in Miami began as New York inbounded at midcourt with 4.4 seconds left. Chris Mills took the pass and drove past Alonzo Mourning, but missed a short runner. Charles Oakley missed a tip, and Dan Majerle then slapped the ball in the direction of Houston, who hastily threw up one last attempt at the buzzer.

Replays showed the ball leaving Houston’s hand with 0.2 seconds remaining, but referee Bob Delaney waved the basket off. The outcome stood after the officials huddled for some 30 seconds.

There is no provision for using replays in the NBA, and the officials didn’t see a videotape of their erroneous call until they retired to their dressing room after the game.

By claiming a technical malfunction, it appeared the Knicks were trying to get around the NBA rule that states: “Regardless of when the horn or red light operates to signify the end of a period, the officials ultimately make the final decision.”

By Associated Press, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-15, By Jerry Briggs

威廉姆斯、范埃克塞尔被禁赛两场——其他人在斗殴后被罚款

马刺队前锋蒙蒂·威廉姆斯愤怒地否认周二晚上的一篇报道称，他试图咬洛杉矶湖人队全明星后卫科比·布莱恩特的耳朵。

但威廉姆斯表示，他接受了因与湖人队发生冲突而被指责的责任，并且他不会反对联盟办公室对他禁赛两场并罚款 5,000 美元的决定。

两场争斗玷污了湖人队周一晚上在阿拉莫穹顶体育场以 99-75 击败马刺队的最后几分钟。

威廉姆斯在一次电话采访中表示，他没有看到电视报道，该报道表明他可能试图在斗殴中咬布莱恩特的耳朵，而那场斗殴蔓延到了体育场前排的座位。

该报道和事件的重播于周二下午在 KSAT 上播出。

“我可能正在跟他说话，可能冲着他大喊大叫，”威廉姆斯说。“在我最愤怒的时候，我不会咬任何人。”

禁赛意味着威廉姆斯将缺席马刺队周四在温哥华和周五在西雅图的比赛。马刺队将在下周晚些时候开始季后赛之前，于周日在主场迎战丹佛队，从而结束常规赛。

在 NBA 篮球运营高级副总裁罗德·索恩的裁决中，马刺队中锋威尔·帕杜和后卫雷吉·吉里各被罚款 5,000 美元。

该联盟对湖人队后卫尼克·范埃克塞尔处以最严厉的处罚，将他禁赛两场并罚款 10,000 美元。湖人队中锋沙奎尔·奥尼尔被罚款 5,000 美元。

联盟办公室发布的一份声明称，范埃克塞尔被罚款的部分原因是在他被驱逐出场后离场时对球迷做出淫秽手势。

同样被罚出场外的威廉姆斯说，他想让每个人都知道，他只责怪他自己，而不是别人。

“是我干的，”威廉姆斯说。“这是我的错。NBA 做了他们必须做的事情。正如我所说，我要对自己行为负责。”

马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇说，联盟不喜欢事件蔓延到球迷席位。

“当球迷被牵扯进来时，NBA 会非常非常生气，”波波维奇说。“这就是你看到（禁赛）两场比赛的原因。”

帕杜在比赛最后五分钟挑起了两场争斗中的第一场。在布莱恩特扣篮后进行的比赛结束时，湖人队后卫德里克·费舍尔径直穿过罚球线，撞向帕杜，帕杜将他击倒在地。

费舍尔跳起来推了帕杜，两名球员都被罚出场。但除了因被驱逐出场而必须罚款外，联盟没有进一步惩罚费舍尔。

在随后的几分钟里，多位湖人队球员跑到现场。身高 7 英尺 1 英寸、体重 320 磅的奥尼尔冲进马刺队替补席前面的纷争中，从后面推了威廉姆斯。

比赛恢复了 42 秒，然后第二次争吵在边线爆发。威廉姆斯说，争吵是从他和布莱恩特交换话语开始的。他说，范埃克塞尔跑过来撞了他一下，这让他失去了理智。

随后，威廉姆斯、范埃克塞尔和布莱恩特在中场边线附近扭打在一起。首先，威廉姆斯在与范埃克塞尔的缠斗中挣脱。然后他与布莱恩特缠斗。

然后两人跌坐在场边的座位上，促使球迷们跳开，以避免旋转的球员撞倒折叠椅。重播显示，来自科尔高中的湖人队全明星奥尼尔跑上去，将人群推向座位前排。

“我希望我的反应能有所不同，”威廉姆斯说。“我想对我自己的行为负责。我不认为那些家伙应该受到责备。我认为我自己比其他任何人都应该受到责备。”

威廉姆斯说，当范埃克塞尔撞到他时，他作为一名基督徒的信仰与他作为一名竞技选手的感受发生了冲突。

“我只不想让人们认为，作为一名基督徒，你就应该这样反应，”威廉姆斯说。“我不认为当涉及到身体接触时，你应该被认为是被动的和软弱的，但与此同时，你也不应该报复，以至于会伤害到其他人。”

没有关于球迷受伤的报道。除了后颈部有划痕外，威廉姆斯也没有受伤。

他说，虽然三名球员中没有一个打算互相伤害，“但一名女球迷被压在一名球员身下”看起来“不太好”。

马刺队记录：中锋大卫·罗宾逊在温哥华的比赛状况将在比赛时决定。他正在休息扭伤的左膝，没有参加周二的训练。

• 马刺队将对阵菲尼克斯的季后赛第一轮，菲尼克斯太阳队作为第四种子可能会拥有主场优势。如果太阳队能够赢得他们最后三场比赛中的一场，那么他们就可以在这个五局三胜的系列赛中锁定主场优势。

• 后卫文尼·德尔内格罗仍在与流感作斗争，没有参加周二的训练。

• 前锋蒂姆·邓肯说，他仍然因布莱恩特的一记重拳而下巴疼痛。布莱恩特冲向篮筐，击中邓肯的下巴，将他击倒。

支付代价

NBA 对周一晚上在阿拉莫体育场湖人队以 99-75 击败马刺队的斗殴事件处以的禁赛和罚款：

马刺队 禁赛 罚款

蒙蒂·威廉姆斯 2 场 5,000 美元

威尔·帕杜 - 5,000 美元

雷吉·吉里 5,000 美元

湖人队 禁赛 罚款

尼克·范埃克塞尔 2 场 10,000 美元

沙奎尔·奥尼尔 - 5,000 美元

马刺队下一场比赛：周四 @ 温哥华，晚上 9 点（电视频道：KSAT）

战绩：53-26（西部第五，落后于菲尼克斯一场）

点击查看原文：NBA hits back at Spurs, L.A. Williams, Van Exel suspended for two games - others fined after altercations

NBA hits back at Spurs, L.A. Williams, Van Exel suspended for two games - others fined after altercations

Spurs forward Monty Williams angrily denied a report on Tuesday night that he tried to bite the ear of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant.

But Williams said he accepted the blame for a scuffle with the Lakers, and he didn’t quarrel with the league office for suspending him two games and fining him $5,000.

Two fights blemished the final minutes of the Lakers’ 99-75 victory over the Spurs on Monday night at the Alamodome.

Williams said in a telephone interview he did not see a televised report that indicated he may have attempted to bite Bryant’s ear in an altercation that spilled into the front row of the seats at the dome.

The report and a replay of the incident were aired on KSAT on Tuesday afternoon.

“I was probably talking to him, probably yelling at him,” Williams said. “In my angriest self, I wouldn’t bite anyone.”

The suspension means that Williams will sit out the Spurs’ games Thursday at Vancouver and Friday at Seattle. The Spurs will close out the regular season Sunday at home against Denver before opening the playoffs later next week.

In a ruling by Rod Thorn, the NBA’s senior vice president of basketball operations, Spurs center Will Perdue and guard Reggie Geary each were fined $5,000.

The league levied the stiffest penalty against Lakers guard Nick Van Exel, suspending him for two games and fining him $10,000. Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal was fined $5,000.

A release from the league office said Van Exel was punished partly for making an obscene gesture to a fan when he was leaving the floor after his ejection.

Williams, who also was thrown out, said he wanted everyone to know that he doesn’t blame anyone except himself for the fight.

“I did it,” Williams said. “It was my fault. The NBA did what they had to do. Like I said, I got to be responsible for my own actions.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the league doesn’t look kindly on incidents that spill over into fan seating.

“The NBA gets very, very angry when it involves the fans,” Popovich said. “That’s why you saw the two games (on the suspensions).”

Perdue initiated the first of two altercations in the last five minutes of the game. At the end of a play after a dunk by Bryant, Lakers guard Derek Fisher ran through the lane into Perdue, who swung him and dropped him on the floor.

Fisher jumped up and pushed Perdue, and both players were ejected. But the league did not punish Fisher beyond the mandatory fine for the ejection.

In the ensuing moments, several of the Lakers ran up to the scene. O’Neal, at 7-foot-1 and 320 pounds, barged into the fray in front of the Spurs’ bench, shoving Williams from behind.

Play resumed for 42 seconds before the second altercation erupted on the sideline. Williams said it started when he and Bryant exchanged words. He said Van Exel ran up and bumped him, which prompted him to lose his temper.

Subsequently, Williams, Van Exel and Bryant wrestled near one of the midcourt sidelines. First, Williams spun out of a clinch with Van Exel. Then he grappled with Bryant.

The two then toppled into the seats at courtside, prompting fans to jump aside to avoid whirling players knocking down the folding chairs. A replay showed O’Neal, the Lakers’ All- Star from Cole High School, running up and moving the pile toward the front row of seats.

“I wish I could have reacted different,” Williams said. “I want to take responsibility for my own actions. I don’t think those guys were to blame. I think myself, more than anybody, was to blame.”

Williams said his beliefs as a Christian clashed with what he felt as a competitive athlete when Van Exel bumped him.

“I just don’t want people to think that as a Christian that’s the way you’re supposed to react,” Williams said. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be passive and shallow when it comes to physical contact, but at the same time, you’re not supposed to retaliate where you hurt other people.”

There were no reports of injuries to fans. Outside of a scratch on the back of his neck, Williams was not hurt, either.

He said that while none of the three players intended to hurt one another, “it didn’t look good” that a female fan was pinned beneath one player.

Spurs notes: Center David Robinson’s status for Vancouver will be a game-time decision. Resting his twisted left knee, he did not practice Tuesday.

- The Spurs are headed for a first-round playoff series against Phoenix, with the Suns likely to have home-court advantage as the fourth seed. The Suns can clinch the home court in the best-of-five series if they can win one of their last three games.

- Guard Vinny Del Negro, still battling the flu, did not attend Tuesday’s practice.

- Forward Tim Duncan said his jaw still was sore from a blow delivered by Bryant. Bryant drove to the basket and struck Duncan on the chin, knocking him down.

Paying the price

Suspensions and fines given by the NBA for altercations in the Lakers’ 99-75 win over the Spurs on Monday night at the Alamodome:

SPURS SUSP. FINE

Monty Williams 2 games $5,000

Will Perdue - $5,000

Reggie Geary -$5,000

LAKERS SUSP. FINE

Nick Van Exel 2 games $10,000

Shaquille O’Neal - $5,000

Spurs’ next game: Thursday @Vancouver, 9 p.m. (TV: KSAT)

Record: 53-26 (fifth in West, one game behind Phoenix)

Online: www.expressnews.com/spurs

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-15, By Glenn Rogers

邓肯有望复制罗宾逊的荣誉榜

令人惊讶的是，本周发行的《体育画报》将蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)评选为本赛季的NBA最佳新秀。

好吧，这已经是板上钉钉的事了。但邓肯在联盟中大放异彩也为他赢得了《体育画报》全明星第三阵容的一席之地，与哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)和肖恩·坎普(Shawn Kemp)并肩作战。约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)和罗德·斯特里克兰(Rod Strickland)组成了第三阵容的后场。

对于这位前维克森林大学明星来说，这可是了不起的阵容。

邓肯似乎正在追随他尊敬的马刺队友大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的脚步。海军上将罗宾逊在1990年获得了最佳新秀和全明星第三阵容中锋的称号，而且这些荣誉并非仅仅来自该杂志，而是全国媒体的评选结果。

邓肯很可能在本赛季同时获得这两个荣誉。

邓肯现在可以将目光锁定在复制罗宾逊的第二个赛季的壮举上——入选联盟最佳阵容。罗宾逊在他第三个赛季再次做到了这一点，他还获得了联盟最佳防守球员的称号。

罗宾逊在本赛季入选了《体育画报》的第二阵容，这一壮举很有可能在几周后被全国媒体所认可。沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)是该杂志本季的最佳球员，也是本赛季入选联盟最佳阵容的大热门。

邓肯被卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)和文·贝克(Vin Baker)挤出了该杂志的第一和第二阵容，而这两位球员也很有可能在联盟公布全国媒体的最终投票结果时再次将他挤出。

说实话，马龙可能仍然是该位置上的头号人物。但如果教练们可以选择，很少有人会选择贝克而不是邓肯。

太平洋赛区

**福克斯跳跃：**湖人前锋里克·福克斯(Rick Fox)对与洛杉矶续约的态度有所保留，如果这意味着要接受一份低于标准的合同，他就会放弃续约。

福克斯表示，他将在今年夏天成为自由球员后考虑其他球队的报价。洛杉矶是他的永久住所，但如果湖人的薪资空间再次受到工资帽规则的严重限制，他连续第二年拒绝丰厚的报价的想法让他感到不安。此外，球队老板们也希望对不断上涨的薪资采取强硬立场。

“这并不是我第一次在合同方面遇到障碍，”福克斯说，“出于某种原因，在我的职业生涯中，我一直没有真正达到我想要的位置，直到今年，我并没有得到与我的价值相符的报酬。”

福克斯与工资帽已满的湖人签下了一份为期一年，价值100万美元的合同，此前他放弃了与波士顿凯尔特人签署的三年总价值540万美元的合同。他还拒绝了克利夫兰骑士队提供的一份为期四年，价值约2000万美元的合同。

**奥尼尔的豪赌：**上周，彩票热潮席卷加州。

上周的奖金累积到约7000万美元，然后在一波狂热的购买中飙升至1亿美元。沙奎尔·奥尼尔也参与其中。他与他的保镖杰罗姆·克劳福德(Jerome Crawford)和四位朋友和亲属一起，投入了约1万美元购买彩票。奥尼尔支付了其中的约9000美元。

“如果我们赢了，我想我会拿100万美元，让他们拿剩下的6900万美元，”他说，“买艘船或者其他什么。”

他没有中奖，所以他显然是与船无缘了。

中部赛区

**丹尼斯重振旗鼓：**丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman)有望从与公牛签署的一份为期一年，价值1045万美元的合同中获得1050万美元的收入。这笔合同是有史以来激励机制最多的合同，因为其中只有450万美元是保障薪资。

“这给了我压力，让我证明自己，或者其他什么，”罗德曼说，“但我不会再签这样的合同了，因为我觉得我没什么需要向任何人证明的。人们都知道我是谁，以及我能做什么。”

完全正确。人们知道丹尼斯在球场上能做什么。但他们也知道丹尼斯能做出一些让他无法上场的事情。

**坦克的历史：**蓝·爱德华兹(Blue Edwards)最近回忆了他在1993-94赛季效力密尔沃基雄鹿队期间，球队“摆烂”比赛的情况。雄鹿队在那一年只赢了20场比赛，最终获得了状元签，选中了格伦·罗宾逊(Glenn Robinson)。

“我们摆烂了几场比赛，最终获得了格伦·罗宾逊，所以，对他们来说，这是值得的，”爱德华兹告诉温哥华记者，“替补席上的球员，我们经常谈论这件事。我不会说出教练的名字，但当时他是教练兼总经理（我猜应该是迈克·邓利维(Mike Dunleavy)）。有些比赛我们本来可以赢的，但他会说，‘我要让你们休息，我想看看板凳末端的球员能做什么。’真是让人无语，他整年都没怎么上场。”

中西部赛区

**火箭的休息：**西雅图超音速队主教练乔治·卡尔(George Karl)对休斯敦火箭队主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)的季后赛策略感到有点好笑。

“我不知道鲁迪已经坚持了多少年，但他已经连续几年在季后赛前让球员休息，”卡尔说，“一旦他知道自己可能无法获得主场优势，他似乎是在做两件事：一是让球队休息，评估球队的健康状况；二是可能正在玩位置战。”

“我相信波特兰开拓者队、明尼苏达森林狼队和休斯敦火箭队都希望与我们交手。我们是最不强壮的球队。我不能百分百确定。但如果你可以选择犹他爵士队和卡尔·马龙以及沙奎尔·奥尼尔之间，你当然会选择我们。”

此外，西雅图超音速队最近似乎起伏不定。有些人说他们的年龄已经显现出来了。

大西洋赛区

**没有爪子的猛龙：**即使是史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)也无法让人信服多伦多猛龙队会很危险。

新来的猛龙球员钱西·比卢普斯(Chauncey Billups)认为，凯尔特人主教练里克·皮蒂诺(Rick Pitino)的训练方法或许能有所帮助。

“我看着我们现在的状况，我看到那些（前凯尔特人）球员在训练中，我问他们，‘你们还记得我们在波士顿有多努力吗？’”比卢普斯说。

比卢普斯说，多伦多的训练与皮蒂诺的热身训练很相似。

“在我刚到多伦多（之后）的训练中，他们说这是他们全年最艰难的训练，”比卢普斯告诉波士顿媒体，“球员们气喘吁吁，裤子都掉了。我心想，‘这是怎么回事？你们觉得这很难吗？’这就是我在波士顿怀念的东西。其他球队都不愿意与我们交手，因为他们知道我们会全力以赴打满48分钟。现在，这成了一个笑话。”

比卢普斯说，猛龙队很少观看录像，即使看了，也往往是自己的比赛录像。

“我们几乎不为其他球队做准备，”他说。

无关紧要的补充

**熟悉的面孔：**前马刺球员科里·亚历山大(Cory Alexander)从鲍比·杰克逊(Bobby Jackson)手中夺走了丹佛掘金队的首发控卫位置，而杰克逊曾经被认为是新秀天才。

“我一点也不开心，”杰克逊说，“如果你没有像赛季前半段那样得到很多上场时间，谁会开心呢？”

**不同的方式：**活塞队的格兰特·希尔(Grant Hill)将新教练阿尔文·金特里(Alvin Gentry)的风格与前教练道格·科林斯(Doug Collins)的风格进行了比较：“以前，我们的赛前讲话是，‘对手在得分达到100分时战绩是14胜0负。我们不能让这支球队得分超过100分。’现在，阿尔文说，‘伙计们，我们在主场得分达到100分时战绩是13胜0负。让我们出去全力进攻他们。’”

“这完全是两种不同的信息。过去，我们是挨打的一方，现在，我们是攻击者。”

罗杰斯的排名

排名基于最近的比赛表现以及未来几天的胜负预期。

1. 芝加哥公牛队
2. 犹他爵士队
3. 洛杉矶湖人队
4. 印第安纳步行者队
5. 迈阿密热火队
6. 西雅图超音速队
7. 菲尼克斯太阳队
8. 圣安东尼奥马刺队
9. 明尼苏达森林狼队
10. 新泽西篮网队
11. 克利夫兰骑士队
12. 亚特兰大老鹰队
13. 波特兰开拓者队
14. 夏洛特黄蜂队
15. 休斯敦火箭队
16. 纽约尼克斯队
17. 波士顿凯尔特人队
18. 奥兰多魔术队
19. 费城76人队
20. 华盛顿奇才队
21. 密尔沃基雄鹿队
22. 底特律活塞队
23. 达拉斯小牛队
24. 金州勇士队
25. 萨克拉门托国王队
26. 温哥华灰熊队
27. 丹佛掘金队
28. 洛杉矶快船队
29. 多伦多猛龙队

点击查看原文：Duncan likely to mirror Robinson's honor roll

Duncan likely to mirror Robinson’s honor roll

Surprise, surprise. Sports Illustrated, in issues hitting the stands this week, has picked Tim Duncan as NBA Rookie of the Year.

OK, that was a given. But Duncan’s splash into the league also earned him a spot on SI’s All- NBA third team, playing alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Shawn Kemp. John Stockton and Rod Strickland comprise the third-team backcourt.

That’s some company for the former Wake Forest star.

Duncan seems to be following in the footsteps of his honored Spurs teammate, David Robinson. The Admiral was rookie of the year and center on the All-NBA third team in 1990, and that courtesy of the national media, not just the magazine.

Duncan may well grab both honors this season.

Duncan can now set his sights on duplicating Robinson’s second- year feat - being named to the league’s first team. Robinson turned that trick again in his third year when he also was honored as the league’s best defensive player.

Robinson made SI’s second team this season, a feat probably to be matched by the national media a few weeks from now. Shaquille O’Neal is the magazine’s pick this time around and the heavy favorite to be on the league’s first team this year.

Duncan was edged out of the magazine’s first and second teams by Karl Malone and Vin Baker, each of whom probably will edge him out when the league announces the final voting of the national media.

Truth be told, Malone may remain the top gun at his position. But few coaches would pick Baker over Duncan if they could get their hands on either one.

PACIFIC DIVISION

See Fox jump: Lakers forward Rick Fox is dampening his enthusiasm for re-signing with Los Angeles if it means another sub-par contract - which it will.

Fox said he will entertain offers from other teams when he becomes a free agent in the summer. Los Angeles is his permanent home, but the prospect of turning down lucrative offers for the second year in a row, if the Lakers’ payout is again greatly restricted by salary-cap rules, has made him uneasy. Plus, there’s a climate of owners wanting to take a hard line against growing salaries.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve ran into a road block contract-wise,” Fox said. “For some reason with my career, I’ve never truly been where I wanted to be until this year, and I don’t get compensated what I’m worth.”

Fox signed a one-year, $1-million deal to come to the capped-out Lakers, after opting out of the last three years of a deal that would have paid him $5.4 million with the Boston Celtics. He also declined a four-year offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers worth about $20 million.

Shaq’s gamble: Lottery-ticket fever came to California this past week.

A rollover from the week before had the top prize at around $70 million and then a massive spree pushed it to $100 million. Shaquille O’Neal played. He joined his bodyguard, Jerome Crawford, and four friends and relatives to invest about $10,000 for tickets. O’Neal footed about $9,000 of the tab.

“If we win, I think I’ll take one million and let them take the other 69,” he said. “Buy a boat or something.”

He didn’t win so, apparently, he’s landlocked.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Dennis makes good: Dennis Rodman is on pace to earn $10.5 million of that one-year, $10.45 million contract that he signed with the Bulls. It was the most incentive- laden deal in league history because only $4.5 million of it was guaranteed.

“It sort of put the pressure on me to prove myself, or whatever,” Rodman said. “But I’m not going to sign another deal like that because I don’t feel I have anything to prove to anybody any more. People know who I am and what I can do.”

Exactly right. People know what Dennis is capable of doing things on the court. But they also know that Dennis is capable of doing things that will keep him off the court.

History of tanks: Blue Edwards recently reminisced about the Bucks “tanking” games during the 1993-94 season when he was playing in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 20 games that season and ended up with the first selection in the draft - Glenn Robinson.

“We tanked a few games and they ended up with Glenn Robinson, so, for them, it was worth it,” Edwards told Vancouver reporters. “Guys on the bench, we talked about it a lot. I’m not going to say who the coach’s name was, but he was also the general manager (guess it would have to be Mike Dunleavy). There were games we would be winning and he would say, ‘I’m going to rest you guys, I want to see what guys at the end of the bench can do.’ It was like, ‘Hell, he ain’t played all year.’”

MIDWEST DIVISION

Rockets’ rest: Seattle coach George Karl seems a bit amused about Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich’s approach to the playoffs.

“I don’t know how many years Rudy has done it, but he’s played games a couple of years, resting his guys (before the playoffs),” Karl said. "Once he knows he can’t maybe get home-court advantage, it looks like he’s, one, resting his team and figuring out the health of his team and, two, he might be playing a positioning game.

“I’m sure that Portland, Minnesota and Houston all want to play us. We’re the least physical of the teams. I’m not 100-percent sure. But I’d sure bet that if you had a choice between Utah and Karl Malone and Shaq, of course you’d choose us.”

Add the fact that Seattle seems to be having its up and downs of late. Some say its age is showing.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Clawless Raptors: Even Steven Spielberg couldn’t convince people that the Toronto Raptors could be dangerous.

New Raptor Chauncey Billups figures a dose of Celtics coach Rick Pitino might help.

“I look at our situation now and I see the (former Celtics) guys here at practice, and I say to them, ‘Do you remember how hard we used to play in Boston?’” said Billups.

Billups said the Toronto practices are similar to Pitino’s shootarounds.

“Just after I got there (in) Toronto, they had this practice that they said was the toughest one all year,” Billups told the Boston media. “Guys were sucking wind and holding their shorts. I’m saying, ‘Like, what’s going on? You think this is tough?’ That’s what I miss in Boston. Other teams hated to play us because they knew we would come at them for 48 minutes. Now, it’s like a joke.”

Billups said the Raptors seldom watch film and, when they do, it’s often of themselves.

“We hardly ever prepare for another team,” he said.

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

Familiar face: Former Spur Cory Alexander has grabbed Denver’s starting point guard job from Bobby Jackson, once considered rookie whiz.

“I don’t smile at all,” Jackson said. “I’m not happy. Who would be happy if you weren’t playing as many minutes as you did the first half of the season?”

Different approach: The Pistons’ Grant Hill compares new coach Alvin Gentry’s style to former coach Doug Collins’ this way: "Before, our pregame talks would be like, ‘This opponent is 14-0 when they score 100 points. We can’t let this team score 100 points.’ With Alvin, it’s like, ‘Guys, we’re 13-0 at home when we score 100 points. Let’s go out there and attack them.’

“It’s a whole different message. Instead of being the attacked, we’re the attacker.”

Rogers’ rankings

Rankings are based on recent performance and expectations for wins and losses during the next few days.

1. Chicago 2. Utah 3. L.A. Lakers 4. Indiana 5. Miami 6. Seattle 7. Phoenix 8. San Antonio 9. Minnesota 10. New Jersey 11. Cleveland 12. Atlanta 13. Portland 14. Charlotte 15. Houston 16. New York 17. Boston 18. Orlando 19. Philadelphia 20. Washington 21. Milwaukee 22. Detroit 23. Dallas 24 Golden State 25. Sacramento 26. Vancouver 27. Denver 28. L.A. Clippers 29. Toronto.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-16, By Jerry Briggs

马刺队发现他们的目标冲突

马刺队正在沿着细线前进（或者说是跛行？）——在下周开幕的 NBA 季后赛中做准备。

他们并未放弃在第一轮系列赛中对阵菲尼克斯太阳时占据主场优势的希望。

但他们也想要小心翼翼地对待中锋大卫·罗宾逊，他是球队招牌球员和防守支柱。罗宾逊因左膝劳损错过了球队最近的两场季后赛。

罗宾逊周三进行了训练，在无玷圣母大学参加了 45 分钟的训练。

当天下午晚些时候，球队前往不列颠哥伦比亚省的温哥华，将于今晚 9 点在通用汽车广场与乐透抽签进入的灰熊队比赛。

这是为期两场比赛的客场比赛的开始，比赛的最后一场将于周五对阵西部联盟劲旅西雅图。他们将于周日在主场对阵实力较弱的丹佛掘金队结束常规赛。

如果罗宾逊的膝盖今天肿胀，为了谨慎起见，他可能会在 4 月 23-24 日开始的季后赛中对阵温哥华时坐场下。

但马刺队（53-26）可能会三思而后行，考虑不让他上场，因为当他们仍有机会迎头赶上并超过太阳队（55-25）获得第四号种子时，他们不能承担失误的风险。菲尼克斯队周三晚上在主场击败了丹佛掘金队，在对阵圣安东尼奥的比赛中领先 11/2 场。

为了让马刺队在第一轮中获得主场优势，他们必须在总积分榜中领先菲尼克斯队一场比赛。从本质上讲，这意味着他们需要在最后阶段取得连胜。

“我们正在努力让球员们在季后赛中保持健康，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇说。“但是，与此同时，我们也正在努力赢得一些篮球比赛。”

横扫最后的三场比赛可能是一项艰巨的任务，特别是在罗宾逊身体不适的情况下，小前锋蒙蒂·威廉姆斯被禁赛两场，后卫文尼·德尔内格罗因流感而缺阵，受伤的前锋肖恩·埃利奥特还没有准备好上场。

“我们准备让（前锋）查克·珀森从伤病名单上复出，他将与我们在一起，”波波维奇说。“文尼不会参加（这次旅行）。他现在的情况与一周前一样。因此，为了让他在季后赛中全力以赴，我们甚至不会带他参加这次旅行。”

波波维奇说，对阵温哥华的比赛开始前将做出关于罗宾逊的决定。

“大卫将在比赛开始前做出决定，”波波维奇说。“这将完全取决于他是否准备好了。我们绝不会让他过早出场。我们希望他像其他人一样做好准备。”

如果马刺队抱有任何希望的话，可能是因为太阳队还必须在周五主场比赛中对阵第一名犹他爵士队，然后在常规赛收官时前往休斯顿火箭队。

波波维奇显然并不沉迷于主场对阵太阳队的重要性。

“唯一相关的事情是我们必须以尽可能健康的状态进入季后赛，”他说。“这将激励我们所做的一切。与季后赛保持健康相比，位置并不重要。”

在周一对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛中因打架而导致停赛和罚款之后，威廉姆斯再次愤怒地否认了有关他在一次冲突中可能试图咬湖人队后卫科比·布莱恩特的报道。

“这很荒谬，”威廉姆斯说。“我只是想保护我的队友。对我来说，甚至把它播出去或印出来都是荒谬的。”

点击查看原文：Spurs find their goals conflict

Spurs find their goals conflict

The Spurs are walking - or is it limping? - along a fine line as they prepare to open the NBA playoffs next week.

They haven’t given up hope of claiming home-court advantage in a first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

But they also want to be careful with center David Robinson, the team’s franchise player and defensive anchor. Robinson has missed the team’s last two games with a strained left knee.

Robinson practiced Wednesday, running through a 45-minute drill at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Later in the afternoon, the team departed for Vancouver, British Columbia, where it will play the lottery-bound Grizzlies at 9 tonight at General Motors Place.

It’s the start of a two-game road trip that will conclude with the Spurs facing Western Conference power Seattle on Friday. They wrap up the regular season Sunday at home against the lowly Denver Nuggets.

If Robinson’s knee swells today, he probably will sit out against Vancouver as a precaution leading up to the playoffs, which commence April 23-24.

But the Spurs (53-26) probably will think twice about holding him out, because they can’t afford to stumble when they still have an outside chance to catch and pass the Suns (55-25) for the fourth seed. Phoenix beat the Denver Nuggets at home Wednesday night to take a 11/2-game lead on San Antonio.

For the Spurs to gain home-court advantage in the first round, they must finish one game ahead of Phoenix in the standings. Essentially, that means they need to go 3-0 down the stretch.

“We’re trying to get people healthy for the playoffs,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “But, at the same time, we’re trying to win some basketball games.”

To sweep the final three games might be a tall order, especially with Robinson ailing, small forward Monty Williams suspended for the next two games, guard Vinny Del Negro out with a lingering case of the flu and injured forward Sean Elliott not ready to play.

“We’re taking (forward) Chuck Person off the injured list and he’ll be with us,” Popovich said. “Vinny won’t go (on the trip). He’s no better now than he was a week ago. So, in an attempt to have him full strength for the playoffs, we’re not even going to take him on this trip.”

Popovich said the decision on Robinson will be made before tipoff at Vancouver.

“David will be a game-time decision,” Popovich said. “It will be totally based on whether he’s ready. We’re not going to get him out there early, by any means. We want him ready, just like anybody else.”

If there is any hope for the Spurs, it might be that the Suns still have to play the first-place Utah Jazz in a home game Friday, then travel to meet the Houston Rockets in the regular-season finale Sunday.

Popovich apparently isn’t obsessed with the importance of home court against the Suns.

“The only thing that’s relevant is that we’ve got to go into the playoffs as healthy as possible,” he said. “That’s going to motivate everything we do. Position isn’t as important as being healthy in the playoffs.”

In the aftermath of suspensions and fines levied as a result of Monday’s fight against the Los Angeles Lakers, Williams once again angrily denied reports that he may have tried to bite Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in one of the scuffles.

“It’s ridiculous,” Williams said. “I was just trying to defend my teammates. To me, it’s ludicrous to even put it on the air, or put it in print.”

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-16, By Buck Harvey

瘦骨嶙峋，却拳拳有力：战火纷飞

在那一堆人影的下面，我们露出了微笑。这就是我们一直想要的。我们希望马刺队能多一些拉特雷尔·斯普雷维尔(Latrell Sprewell)的风格，即使这意味着把湖人队推到我们面前。

安布罗斯·罗宾逊(Ambrose Robinson)——报仇雪恨！马刺队已经把自己重塑成了一支值得悬禁的战士。我们唯一遗憾的是蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)今晚不能对灰熊队大展拳脚。

事情的发展趋势表明，查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)最终不得不重新考虑自己的立场。上周，他宣布马刺队没有为大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)出头，并说这是阻碍马刺队夺冠的关键因素。

受困于健康问题和外线投篮能力不足，马刺队将以排名第五进入季后赛。然而，是他们缺乏攻击力导致他们失败吗？巴克利今年春天戒酒了三个星期，所以他的思维一定很清晰。

没人能记得巴克利上次除了把一个孩子扔到奥兰多酒吧的窗户外面，还做了什么。他曾经在一些人脆弱无助的时候，把他们从空中摔下来，但是奇才队在派对上更像是在打仗。

尽管如此，巴克利还是抓住了圣安东尼奥球迷的情绪。自从鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)被解雇以来，人们对马刺队的关注度前所未有（谈论暴力）。这支球队可能并不介意。头条新闻可以卖票，关于拳脚相加的头条新闻更是可以卖出更多的票。

但一周前，球迷们什么都不买。他们希望有人对卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)出手，因为这是衡量一个人的标准。克米特·华盛顿(Kermit Washington)知道这一点。20年前，他以男子汉篮球的名义打碎了鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)的脸，这两人至今仍然活在那个时刻的阴影里。

别管马龙的肘击是多么的突然，以至于罗宾逊倒地后，人们才意识到发生了什么。只有重播才清楚地显示出马龙是用肘击打人的，就像他一直以来的打法一样。

这就是为什么NBA对他罚款的原因。马龙没有故意打罗宾逊，但他的意思是伸出肱三头肌，给自己腾出空间。行为本身并不脏，但打球风格确实很脏。

所以，看到罗宾逊昏迷不醒，不知道到底发生了什么，马刺队应该如何反应？我们知道，巴克利知道，老爸也知道。“帕特·莱利(Pat Riley)会因为每个球员没有为大卫站出来而罚款一万美元，”安布罗斯说道。

去年春天，莱利的热火队中的一名球员捡起一名尼克斯球员，把他扔到地上。事件发生在两个球员单独出现在球场的一端时。没有人会错过，尼克斯队就像红翼队一样蜂拥而至。

如果有的话，莱利可能威胁要对那些不知道离开板凳就会被禁赛的人罚款。尼克斯队离开了，莱利的人留下了。尼克斯队输掉了系列赛。

但我们不想听这些，也不想听有人在别人脸上叫嚣，成了廉价的戏剧。打架的代价非常高昂，以至于那些胆小鬼几乎可以为所欲为。雷吉·米勒(Reggie Miller)不仅像其他人一样经常垃圾话，而且他还可以打瓦尔德·迪瓦茨(Vlade Divac)的脸，然后还活着聊这件事。直到70年代，雷吉瘦弱的身躯还不得不付出比罚款更大的代价。

我们渴望那些日子。我们希望执行者仍然存在，但他们不存在了。我们想要的不只是一个以防守为主的，喜欢篮板球，在输给爵士队之后，又在对阵超音速队的比赛中取胜的球队。

所以，当人们问与湖人的争斗带来了什么好处时，我们会带着自豪地从人群中站起来。马刺队终于在战斗了。如果幸运的话，严重的伤病也会随之而来。

点击查看原文：Lean, mean and suspended: Fightin' words

Lean, mean and suspended: Fightin’ words

Somewhere underneath the pile, we smiled. This is what we wanted all along. We wanted the Spurs to have a little more Latrell Sprewell in them, even if it meant slinging the Lakers into our very laps.

Ambrose Robinson - avenged! The Spurs have remade themselves into warriors worthy of suspension. Our only regret is that Monty Williams won’t be allowed to sink his teeth into the Grizzlies tonight.

The way this is going, Charles Barkley will eventually have to rethink his position. Last week, he announced the Spurs didn’t come to David Robinson’s defense, and he said that’s the very quality that stops the Spurs from winning the title.

The Spurs will come out of the fifth playoff slot handicapped by health and a lack of outside shooting. Yet it’s their lack of punch that dooms them? Barkley quit drinking for about three whole weeks this spring, so his thinking must be clear.

No one can remember the last time Barkley did anything more than throw a kid through an Orlando bar window. He’s body- slammed a few guys when they were vulnerable and in midair, but the Wizards war more at parties.

Still, Barkley tapped into the mood of San Antonio. People haven’t talked so much about the Spurs since Bob Hill got axed (talk about violence). The franchise probably doesn’t mind. Headlines sell tickets, and headlines about fights really sell tickets.

But fans weren’t buying anything a week ago. They wanted somebody to take a swing at Karl Malone, because that’s the measure of a man. Kermit Washington knows that. He crushed Rudy Tomjanovich’s face in the name of manly basketball 20 years ago, and both men live with the moment still.

Never mind that Malone’s elbow came so quickly that the first clue something had happened was Robinson on the floor. Only replays made it clear Malone had led with an elbow, just as he’s always done.

That’s why the NBA fined him. Malone didn’t mean to clock Robinson, but he meant to extend the meat of his triceps to clear room. The act itself wasn’t singularly dirty, but the style of play is.

So, scared for Robinson as he lay unconscious, not sure exactly what happened, how should the Spurs have reacted? We know, Barkley knows, dad knows. “Pat Riley would have fined every player $10,000 for not standing up for (David),” said Ambrose.

Last spring, one of Riley’s Heat picked up a Knick and tossed him on his head. The incident happened with both players alone and on one end of the floor. No one could miss it, and the Knicks swarmed as Red Wings do.

If anything, Riley may have threatened fines to those who didn’t know that leaving the bench guarantees suspension. The Knicks left, Riley’s guys didn’t. The Knicks lost the series.

But we don’t want to hear that, nor do we want to hear that jawing in someone’s face has become cheap theater. Fighting carries such a heavy penalty that the cowards can get away with almost anything. Not only does Reggie Miller talk trash as often as anyone, but he can also deck Vlade Divac and live to yap about it. As recently as the '70s, Reggie’s skinny frame would have paid more than fines.

We long for those days. We wish enforcers still existed, which they don’t. And we want more than a defense-minded, rebounding group that follows a loss to Utah with a win against Seattle.

So when people ask what good came of a wrestle with the Lakers, we pull ourselves from the pile with pride. The Spurs are finally fighting. With any luck, serious injuries will follow.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-17, By Jerry Briggs

马刺险胜灰熊，季后赛主场优势希望尚存

温哥华，不列颠哥伦比亚 - 马刺九人轮换阵容中近半数球员因伤病或禁赛缺席。

但这似乎并不重要，因为新秀现象级球员蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)为马刺出战，迎战实力不济的温哥华灰熊。

邓肯首发出场，前六投全中，最终砍下32分。马刺在周四晚上于通用汽车球馆以110-97战胜灰熊。

凭借这场胜利，马刺（54胜26负）在季后赛首轮争取主场优势的希望得以延续。灰熊（18胜62负）在全明星赛后31场比赛中输掉了其中的26场，并在本场比赛后结束了本赛季的主场赛程。

马刺球星大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)因左膝拉伤缺席了第四场比赛。他被列为今晚9点在西雅图KeyArena对阵实力强大的西雅图超音速队(60胜20负)的比赛的可能出战球员。

今晚对马刺来说可能是至关重要的一晚，他们将在季后赛首轮五场三胜制的比赛中迎战太阳队。太阳队（55胜25负）今晚将在主场迎战联盟领头羊犹他爵士队(61胜19负)。

如果马刺输球或太阳队获胜，太阳队将获得系列赛的主场优势。

“（超音速队）会对我们全力以赴，”马刺后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说道。“他们会试图为上次对我们比赛的结果复仇。那里会有一个充满敌意的观众。如果我们能取得胜利，那将是一个巨大的胜利。”

马刺主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)表示，他将在今晚比赛开始前评估罗宾逊的比赛状态。

“我最关心的是让这支球队恢复健康，”波波维奇说。“在戴维完全恢复之前，我不想让他上场。我不想让他在准备好参加季后赛的全部比赛之前上场。”

总而言之，马刺在对阵灰熊的比赛中缺席了罗宾逊、维尼·德尔·尼格罗(上呼吸道感染)、蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(禁赛)和肖恩·埃利奥特(伤病名单，左膝腱手术)。

但统治级的邓肯及时挺身而出，拯救了马刺。他在39分钟的比赛时间里28投15中，还贡献了6次助攻、10个篮板和6次盖帽。“他是X因素，”波波维奇说。“他让每个人都变得更好。”

马刺在上半场最多领先12分，并以58-47的优势进入中场休息。

作为回应，灰熊——伤病缠身的布莱恩特“大块头”里夫斯(Bryant “Big Country” Reeves)——在第三节发起了反击。前马刺球员托尼·马森伯格(Tony Massenburg)贡献了14分，帮助灰熊将比分追至83-80。

马刺在第四节开局阶段仅领先一分，但凭借着防守的坚韧抵挡住了灰熊的进攻。

从伤病名单中回归的查克·珀森(Chuck Person)在低位对沙里夫·阿卜杜勒-拉希姆(Shareef Abdur-Rahim)进行了强硬的防守，队友们也随之做出反应，在9分钟内打出18-6的攻势。

雷吉·吉尔里(Reggie Geary)的跳投将这波攻势完美收尾，马刺以101-88领先，比赛还剩3分25秒。贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)为马刺贡献了20分，威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)则贡献了18分和10个篮板。吉尔里替补出场，5投4中，得到13分。

阿卜杜勒-拉希姆以32分领衔灰熊。马森伯格得到25分和11个篮板。马刺的亮点：马刺需要在接下来的两场比赛中获胜，才能打破NBA单赛季正向反转记录。

1989-90赛季的马刺队创造了这项纪录，他们在上个赛季的基础上取得了35场的进步。在本场比赛战胜温哥华后，本赛季的马刺队以34场的进步位列历史第二。

在今晚客场挑战西雅图的比赛结束后，圣安东尼奥将在周日主场迎战已经锁定乐透签的丹佛掘金队。

上个赛季，马刺队以20胜62负的战绩结束比赛，与1995-96赛季相比，他们的排名下降了39位，创造了NBA历史上最戏剧性的单赛季下降记录。

-查克·珀森上次在温哥华比赛（12月30日）时，他创造了马刺队单场三分球命中数的球队纪录，投进了9个三分球。在周四的比赛中，他在26分钟的出场时间里得到5分。

点击查看原文：Spurs win a dogfight Victory over Grizzlies keeps S.A.'s fourth-seed hopes alive

Spurs win a dogfight Victory over Grizzlies keeps S.A.'s fourth-seed hopes alive

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Nearly half of the Spurs’ nine-man rotation was missing, either injured or suspended.

But it didn’t seem to matter, because rookie phenomenon Tim Duncan suited up for the Spurs against the woeful Vancouver Grizzlies.

Duncan hit his first six shots from the field en route to 32 points, and the Spurs fought off the Grizzlies 110-97 Thursday night at General Motors Place.

With the win, the Spurs (54-26) kept hope alive for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies (18-62) closed out their home schedule with their 26th loss in 31 games since the All-Star break.

Spurs star David Robinson (left knee strain) sat out his fourth game in a row. He is listed as probable for tonight’s 9 o’clock tipoff at KeyArena against the powerful Seattle SuperSonics (60-20).

Tonight could be a big night for the Spurs, who will face the Suns in the best-of-five, first round of the playoffs. The Suns (55-25) play at home tonight against the league-leading Utah Jazz (61-19).

A Spurs loss or a Suns victory would give the Suns the home- court advantage in the series.

“(The Sonics) will be fired up for us,” Spurs guard Avery Johnson said. “They’ll try to redeem themselves for what happened against us last time. There’ll be a hostile crowd there. It would be a big victory for us if we can come out with a win.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he would evaluate Robinson’s status before tipoff tonight.

"My main concern is getting this team healthy, " Popovich said. “Until David is 100 percent, I don’t want him on the floor. I don’t want him to play until he’s ready to go for the duration of the playoffs.”

In all, the Spurs were without Robinson, Vinny Del Negro (upper respiratory infection), Monty Williams (suspended) and Sean Elliott (injured list, left knee tendon surgery) against the Grizzlies.

But the dominating Duncan was there to resuce the Spurs, hitting 15 of 28 shots from the floor in 39 minutes. He also had six assists, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. “He’s the X-factor,” Popovich said. “He just makes everyone better.”

The Spurs built leads as large as 12 points in the first half and went into the dressing room with a 58-47 edge.

In retaliation, the Grizzlies - with injured center Bryant “Big Country” Reeves - manufactured a rally in the third quarter. Former Spur Tony Massenburg scored 14 points as the Grizzlies pulled to within 83-80 at the end of the period.

The Spurs, clinging to a one- point lead early in the fourth quarter, closed out the Grizzlies with a defensive stand.

Chuck Person, activated from the injured list, played Shareef Abdur-Rahim physically in the low post, and his teammates responded with an 18-6 run in nine minutes.

A jumper by Reggie Geary capped the streak and made it 101- 88 Spurs with 3:25 remaining. Jaren Jackson scored 20 points and Will Perdue added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Geary produced 13 points off the bench on 4-of- 5 shooting.

Abdur-Rahim led the Grizzlies with 32 points. Massenburg finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Spurs notes: The Spurs need to win their last two games to break the NBA’s single-season positive turnaround record.

The 1989-90 Spurs hold the record with a 35-game improvement over the previous season. After beating Vancouver, this season’s Spurs are No.2 on the all-time list with a 34-game improvement.

After tonight’s game at Seattle, San Antonio ends the regular season at home against the lottery-bound Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Last season, the Spur’s 20-62 finish represented a 39-game drop in the standings from 1995-96, which as an NBA record from the most dramatic one-season decline.

-The last time Chuck Person played in Vancouver (Dec. 30), he set a Spur’s franchise record with nine three-pointers. He scored five points in 26 minutes Thursday.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-18, By Jerry Briggs

西雅图奏凯歌 - 罗宾逊复出，马刺保持主场优势希望

西雅图 - 周五晚上，马刺队在西雅图凯旋球馆以 89-87 的比分战胜了西雅图超音速队，爆出冷门。

新秀前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)为马刺队贡献了全场最高的 31 分，并在最后几秒钟成功封盖了加里·佩顿(Gary Payton)的投篮，从而阻止了超音速队反超。

内特·麦克米兰(Nate McMillan)抢到了球，但他的抛投却偏出篮筐。

马刺队的中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)在比赛还剩 1.2 秒时，凭借罚球获得了最后的一分，这是他本场比赛复出后，在缺席了前四场因左膝扭伤造成的比赛后，首次登场。罗宾逊在本场比赛中出场 31 分钟，贡献了 22 分。

前锋德特勒夫·施雷姆普(Detlef Schrempf)以 24 分成为超音速队得分王。佩顿得到 20 分和 10 次助攻。

“这是一场很棒的比赛，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说，“如果再打五分钟，他们可能会赢。我们只是在比赛结束时领先了。”

邓肯在周四对温哥华的比赛中得到了 32 分，他再次展现了新秀赛季的表现。他 17 次出手命中了 11 球，并抢下了 8 个篮板。

“他向联盟里的每个人证明了他将成为一支长期的强大力量，”马刺队后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)说。

凭借这场胜利，马刺队（55-26）继续保持着在季后赛首轮获得主场优势的希望。周五晚些时候，菲尼克斯太阳队（55-26）在主场以 102-99 不敌犹他爵士队。

为了在首轮获得主场优势，马刺队需要做到两件事：首先，他们在阿拉莫穹顶球馆击败丹佛掘金队；其次，太阳队在周日客场输给休斯顿火箭队。

与此同时，超音速队（60-21）遭受了惨败。这场比赛的胜利原本可以让他们继续争夺联盟最佳战绩和整个季后赛的主场优势。

马刺队在比赛还剩 48 秒时打出一波 12-4 的攻击，从落后 5 分反超比分，并将比分拉开至 88-85。

邓肯在萨姆·帕金斯(Sam Perkins)投篮不中后，一路狂奔，完成了一次打三分，为马刺队最终的胜利奠定了基础。罗宾逊抢下篮板球后，长传找到了邓肯，邓肯上篮得分，还造成了犯规，并罚球命中。

施雷姆普在最后一节打出了几记高难度的投篮。他用左手投篮得分，然后又用右手钩射越过罗宾逊将球打进。这位身高 6 英尺 10 英寸的老将还在比赛还剩 6 分 28 秒时投进了一记 20 英尺远的中投，帮助超音速队重新获得了气势。

两分钟后，赫西·霍金斯(Hersey Hawkins)的三分球将比分变成了 81-76，超音速队领先。

在充满对抗性的第三节比赛中，两队都没有打出太多进攻。但马刺队依靠邓肯的 9 分，在本节大部分时间里都保持着微弱的领先优势。

超音速队依靠格雷格·安东尼(Greg Anthony)在比赛还剩 35.5 秒时投进的三分球，在本场比赛中首次将比分扳平。

但邓肯随后用一次强硬的内线突破得分，帮助马刺队带着两分的领先优势进入第四节。

邓肯和罗宾逊合力贡献了 25 分，帮助马刺队带着 49-47 的领先优势进入中场休息。佩顿的 14 分和 5 次助攻帮助超音速队保持着领先优势。

裁判在比赛中执法严格，第一节将西雅图队的杰罗姆·柯西(Jerome Kersey)驱逐出场，随后又在第二节的后期对邓肯判罚了一个技术犯规。

超音速队在第二节的开头落后了 13 分，但在随后的 8 分钟内打出一波 23-9 的攻击，将比分追了回来。

在这波进攻中，安东尼投进了一记底角三分球，文·贝克(Vin Baker)两次灌篮得分。

罗宾逊在比赛还剩 2 分 37 秒时领到了自己的第三次犯规，这导致了霍金斯两罚全中，结束了超音速队的连胜，将马刺队的领先优势缩小至 45-44。

罗宾逊在第一节得到 7 分，3 次助攻和 2 个篮板，帮助马刺队以 30-21 的领先优势进入下一节。

马刺队新闻：马刺队的一位官员周五表示，球队正在与开发商进行谈判，他们正在制定一项计划，在圣安东尼奥东北部的长角石场建造一座为 NBA 球队专门打造的球馆。

“这很有意思，”马刺队社区和政府关系副总裁莱奥·戈麦斯(Leo Gomez)说。“这确实很有意思。值得我们去讨论。”

- 对于前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)能否进入季后赛名单，人们的希望似乎正在消失。当被问及他认为自己进入季后赛名单的几率如何时，埃利奥特说：“无可奉告。我不会谈论这件事。”

点击查看原文：Alive and well in Seattle - Robinson returns as Spurs keep home-court hopes intact

Alive and well in Seattle - Robinson returns as Spurs keep home-court hopes intact

SEATTLE - The Spurs shocked the Seattle SuperSonics with an 89-87 victory Friday night at KeyArena.

Rookie forward Tim Duncan, who scored 31 points to lead the Spurs, blocked a shot by Gary Payton in the final seconds that would have given the Sonics the lead.

Nate McMillan recovered the loose ball but missed a fallaway 15-footer.

Playing his first game after missing the last four with a sprained left knee, Spurs center David Robinson sank a free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining for the final point. Robinson finished with 22 points in 31 minutes.

Forward Detlef Schrempf led the Sonics with 24 points. Payton added 20 points and 10 assists.

“It was a great game,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team gained a 2-2 split in the season series with the Sonics. “If we had played five more minutes, they would have won. We were just ahead at the right time.”

Duncan, who scored 32 points in Thursday’s victory at Vancouver, put on another rookie-of- the-year display. He hit 11 of 17 shots from the field and pulled down eight rebounds.

“He’s showing everyone in the league he’s going to be a force for a long time,” Spurs guard Jaren Jackson said.

With the win, the Spurs (55-26) stayed alive for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns (55-26) lost 102- 99 at home to the Utah Jazz later Friday night.

For the Spurs to get the home-court edge in the first round, two things must happen: The Spurs need to beat Denver at the Alamodome and the Suns need to lose at Houston on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Sonics (60-21) suffered a crushing defeat. A win would have kept them in contention for the best record in the NBA and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

A 12-4 run pulled the Spurs out of a five-point deficit and into an 88-85 lead with 48 seconds left.

Duncan capped the rally when he streaked downcourt for a three-point play after a miss by Sam Perkins. Robinson rebounded and found Duncan with a long pass. Duncan hit the layup, drew a foul and sank the free throw.

Schrempf hit some difficult shots in the last quarter. He scooped one with his left hand, then threw in a right-handed hook over Robinson. The 6-foot-10 veteran also fired in a 20-footer with 6:28 remaining as the Sonics gained momentum.

Two minutes later, a three-pointer from Hersey Hawkins made it 81-76 Seattle.

In a physical third quarter, neither team produced much offense. But the Spurs got nine points from Duncan and maintained a slim lead for much of the period.

The Sonics tied it for the first time all night with 35.5 seconds left on a three-pointer by Greg Anthony.

But Duncan answered with an inside power move to give the Spurs a two-point spread going into the fourth quarter.

Duncan and Robinson combined for 25 points as the Spurs took a 49-47 lead into intermission. Payton’s 14 points and five assists paced the Sonics.

Referees ruled with an iron fist, throwing out Seattle’s Jerome Kersey in the first quarter and then hitting Duncan with a technical foul late in the second.

The Sonics, trailing by 13 early in the second quarter, pulled back into contention when they went on a 23-9 run over eight minutes of the second.

During the stretch, Anthony hit a three-pointer out of the corner and Vin Baker dunked twice.

Robinson picked up his third foul with 2:37 remaining, leading to a pair of Hawkins free throws that capped the Sonics’ streak and cut the Spurs’ lead to 45-44.

Robinson had seven points, three assists and two rebounds in the first quarter, when the Spurs held a 30-21 lead. Spurs notes: A Spurs official said Friday that the team is talking to developers who are formulating a plan to build an arena for the NBA team on the Longhorn Quarry in northeast San Antonio.

“It’s interesting,” said Leo Gomez, Spurs vice president of community and government relations. “It’s definitely interesting. It’s worth putting on the table.”

- Hopes apparently are fading for forward Sean Elliott to make the playoff roster. Asked what he thought his chances were, Elliott said, “No comment. I’m not going to talk about it.”

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19, By Jerry Briggs

马刺球馆计划正在筹备中

终于，为马刺队建造一个球馆的计划框架浮出水面。

马刺队已经确认，他们正在考虑来自圣安东尼奥开发商Bitterblue, Inc.的提案，该公司已为在圣安东尼奥东北部的Longhorn采石场地块上建造一个球馆项目拼凑出一个想法。

在过去几个月里，备受关注的弗里曼体育馆翻新一直是马刺队承认的唯一搬迁可能性。

现在，Longhorn项目已经出现，人们越来越猜测它可能是马刺队从阿拉莫圆顶球场搬迁的一个可行选择。

但它是领先的提案吗？

“我们一无所知，”Bitterblue的吉恩·鲍威尔说。“我们不知道。我们不知道体育馆会提出什么。我们不知道我们是领先还是第二。但马刺队告诉我们，他们不会拒绝我们的场地。”

鲍威尔和合作伙伴拉迪·邓顿提出了一个公私合营的计划，该计划将发展成为一个城市所有的设施。

如果马刺队批准它，那么Bitterblue（帮助我们在林肯高地带来了采石场项目的公司）也需要获得圣安东尼奥市和东北学区对该交易的批准。

但鲍威尔有信心他已经有一个可靠的计划，并且可以说服债券持有人购买增量税收融资（TIF）机制。

他说，该计划要求将废弃的采石场（以前是Longhorn水泥公司）改造成一个球馆、购物和零售中心，以及可能的一个高尔夫球场。

鲍威尔说，该场地的房产税收入增加将用于偿还球馆的债券。

“我们需要让马刺队留在圣安东尼奥，”他说。“他们需要一个除了阿拉莫圆顶球场以外的地方比赛。”

马刺队副总裁利奥·戈麦斯表示，Bitterblue, Inc.是两个吸引球队注意力的球馆提案“私人团体”之一。

第二个团体据传正在为位于城市东北部IH-35走廊上的某个地点的建筑计划提供资金。

负责弗里曼体育馆运营的体育馆咨询委员会表示，这座位于东区的50年历史的设施可以进行翻新。但该委员会仍在计算成本。

“这些事情的出现令人兴奋，”戈麦斯说。“我们欢迎它们。我认为我们致力于的一个地点是圣安东尼奥。”

季后赛奖项： 如果体育界有任何公正，马刺队前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)将是投票选出NBA年度最佳新秀的作家和播音员的一致选择。

但投票者不应该忘记马刺队中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)。他应该得到强烈的考虑，作为年度最佳防守球员。联盟各队的教练都承认罗宾逊是防守的基石，这支防守即将打破NBA投篮命中率防守的记录。

记录： 马刺队的25场失利中有12场是输给了西部前四名的球队。马刺队对阵犹他爵士队的战绩为1胜3负，对阵西雅图超音速队的战绩为2胜2负，对阵洛杉矶湖人队的战绩为0胜4负，对阵他们的首轮季后赛对手菲尼克斯太阳队的战绩为1胜3负。

主场劣势？ 自1984年NBA采用16支球队季后赛赛制以来，第五种子在首轮对阵第四种子的比赛中占据主导地位。

尽管第四种子拥有所谓的“主场优势”，但第五种子在28个系列赛中的17个系列赛中获胜。第五种子在对阵第四种子的比赛中取得了65胜52负的战绩。

马刺队在1994年首轮对阵犹他爵士队的比赛中以第四种子的身份输球。他们还在1993年以第五种子的身份战胜了波特兰开拓者队。马刺队在1992年以第五种子的身份输给了菲尼克斯队。

在马刺队和太阳队今天争夺第4种子和主场优势的比赛中，这些统计数据值得考虑——这是常规赛的最后一天。马刺队将在主场迎战丹佛队，太阳队将在客场挑战休斯顿队。

点击查看原文：Spurs arena plan in the works

Spurs arena plan in the works

Finally, the framework for a plan to build an arena for the Spurs has surfaced.

The Spurs have confirmed they are considering a proposal from San Antonio developers at Bitterblue, Inc., which has pieced together an idea for an arena venture on property of the Longhorn Quarry in Northeast San Antonio.

For the last several months, the much talked-about renovation at Freeman Coliseum had been the only opportunity the Spurs had acknowledged as a relocation possibility.

Now that the Longhorn Project has emerged, speculation is growing that it could be a viable option for the Spurs to move out of their Alamodome digs.

But is it the leading proposal?

“We have no idea,” Bitterblue’s Gene Powell said. “We don’t know. We don’t know what the coliseum is going to propose. We don’t know if we’re in the lead or in second place. But the Spurs have told us they wouldn’t turn down our site.”

Powell and partner Laddie Denton have come forth with a plan for a public-private venture that would evolve into a city- owned facility.

If the Spurs approve it, then Bitterblue - the firm that helped bring us the Quarry project at Lincoln Heights - would also need to seek approval of the deal from the city of San Antonio and the Northeast School District.

But Powell is confident he has a solid plan and can convince bondholders to buy into the tax increment financing (TIF) mechanism.

He said, the plan calls for the dormant quarry - formerly the home of Longhorn Cement - to be developed with an arena, shopping and retail centers, and possibly a golf course.

Increased property tax revenue at the site would be utilized to pay off the bonds on the arena, Powell said.

“We need to keep the Spurs in San Antonio,” he said. “And they need a place to play other than the Alamodome.”

Spurs vice president Leo Gomez said Bitterblue, Inc., is one of two “private groups” that have attracted the team’s attention with arena proposals.

The second group is rumored to be behind a construction plan for a site somewhere northeast of the city on the IH-35 corridor.

The Coliseum Advisory Board, which oversees operation of the Freeman Coliseum, has said the 50-year-old facility on the Eastside can be renovated. But the board is still crunching numbers on costs.

“It’s exciting to have these things come up,” Gomez said. “We welcome them. I’d say the one site we are committed to is San Antonio.” Postseason awards: If there were any justice in the sports world, Spurs forward Tim Duncan would be a unanimous choice among writers and broadcasters who vote for NBA rookie of the year.

But voters shouldn’t forget about Spurs center David Robinson. He should get strong consideration for defensive player of the year. Coaches around the league acknowledge Robinson is the anchor of a defense that is on the verge of setting an NBA record for field-goal-percentage defense. For the record: A dozen of the Spurs’ 25 losses have come against the best four teams in the West. The Spurs finished 1-3 against the Utah Jazz, 2-2 against the Seattle SuperSonics, 0-4 against the Los Angeles Lakers and 1-3 against the Phoenix Suns, their first-round playoff opponent. Home-court disadvantage? Since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1984, the fifth seeds have ruled in the first round against the fourth seeds.

Despite the fourth seeds owning a so-called, home-court “advantage,” the fifth seeds have won in 17 of the 28 series. Fifth seeds have posted a 65-52 record in games against fourth seeds.

The Spurs lost as a fourth seed in a 1994 first-round set against the Utah Jazz. They also won as a fifth seed in 1993 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs lost as a fifth seed in 1992 against Phoenix.

These are statistics worth considering as the Spurs and Suns duel for the No. 4 seed and home- court advantage today - the final day of the regular season. The Spurs are at home against Denver and the Suns are on the road at Houston.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19, By Kevin O’Keeffe

没有蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，现在的马刺会怎样？

马刺球迷们，请闭上眼睛，想象一下蒂莫西·西奥多·邓肯(Timothy Theodore Duncan)。

是不是立刻就浮现出灿烂的笑容？

你能看到邓肯在快攻中飞奔，像很少有中锋能做到那样传球，或者直接用一记惊天暴扣完成进攻。

或者，你能看到这位来自维克森林大学的七尺长人挥手拍开对手的每一次进攻，帮助马刺成为一支强大的防守球队。

保持闭眼状态，回忆起5月18日——NBA选秀抽签日。

回想起NBA官员罗斯·格兰尼克(Russ Granik)走到倒数第二个信封前，抽出一张印着……马刺队标志的卡片。

格兰尼克随后宣布，费城76人队获得了1997年NBA选秀状元签。

抱歉……我无意让你冷汗直流。

希望没有人昏倒了吧？

当马刺准备在今晚对阵掘金的比赛中结束NBA的82场“表演赛”时——讽刺的是，这场比赛在即将到来的季后赛中变得非常重要——试着想象一下如果没有蒂姆·邓肯，马刺会是什么样子。

如果你不想，我完全理解。

没有蒂姆·邓肯，马刺今晚就不会争夺季后赛首轮的主场优势。

没有蒂姆·邓肯，马刺就不会接近打破他们自己创造的NBA单赛季最大进步幅度——35场。圣安东尼奥队在1989-90赛季大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)加盟时做到了这一点。

如果马刺今晚在阿拉莫穹顶球馆取得胜利，将意味着比伤病缠身的1996-97赛季多赢36场。

当然，如果没有那些伤病，马刺就不会有机会选中蒂姆·邓肯。

再次想象一下，如果没有蒂姆·邓肯，这个赛季会怎样。

如果马刺董事会主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)在抽签日没有戴上他的幸运领带，确保马刺能够获胜，今年的球队可能幸运地赢得45场比赛。

如果马刺没有选中邓肯，这位自1992年奥兰多选中沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)以来最有影响力的新秀，这个赛季的报道主题就会是“马刺如何在圣安东尼奥生存？”

请理解，即使有了邓肯，马刺在圣安东尼奥的生存仍然存在疑问。

但是，如果没有邓肯，就没有疑问。马刺会消失。

邓肯，如果他按笑容收费，他将成为马刺队中最低工资的球员之一，但他已经超出了所有人的想象。

邓肯让球队决定拒绝密尔沃基用雷·阿伦(Ray Allen)和文·贝克(Vin Baker)交换选中邓肯的权利看起来非常明智。

霍尔特必须留住邓肯，他是目前联盟中第二好的球员。在芝加哥公牛队迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)退役后，他将成为联盟第一。

邓肯是最好的，不仅因为他不可思议的运动能力和篮球技巧，还因为他的头脑和气质。

邓肯没有自我膨胀——这在当今大多数年轻运动员中是少见的。

“我从未想过自己能这么快就取得如此大的进步，”邓肯承认。

但他从未想过自己会不成功。

邓肯将成为NBA历史上第19位在菜鸟赛季场均得分超过20分，篮板超过10个的球员。前18位球员中有11位入选了去年评选的NBA历史50大巨星。

马刺正处于蒂姆·邓肯时代。这是他的球队。

正如一位西部联盟球探告诉我的那样，“邓肯太厉害了，让人害怕。”

不，令人害怕的是想到没有他的马刺会是什么样子。

点击查看原文：Without Duncan, where would the Spurs be now?

Without Duncan, where would the Spurs be now?

Spurs fans, please close your eyes for a moment.

Think of Timothy Theodore Duncan.

Brings a huge smile to your face, doesn’t it?

You see Duncan running the floor on the break, passing as few big men can or finishing it himself with a thunderding slam.

Or you see the 7-footer from Wake Forest swat away yet another foe’s effort in helping make the Spurs a formidable defensive team.

Keep your eyes closed.

Think back to May 18. The day of the NBA draft lottery.

Think of NBA official Russ Granik coming to the next-to-last envelope and pulling out the card with … the Spurs’ logo.

Granik then announces that the Philadelphia 76ers had won the right to draft first in the 1997 NBA draft.

Sorry … I didn’t mean to put you into a cold sweat.

None of you fainted, I hope?

As the Spurs prepare to end the NBA’s 82-game “exhibition” season with a game against Denver tonight, which ironically has become quite meaningful regarding the upcoming playoffs, try to imagine this season without Tim Duncan in silver and black.

If you don’t want to, I fully understand.

Without Tim Duncan, the Spurs wouldn’t be vying for a home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs tonight.

Without Tim Duncan, the Spurs wouldn’t be on the verge of eclipsing their very own mark of the NBA’s best single-season turnaround - 35 games. S.A. did that in 1989-90 when David Robinson arrived.

A Spurs victory this evening in the Alamodome would mean an increase of 36 victories from the injury-plagued 1996-97 campaign.

Of course, without those injuries, the Spurs wouldn’t have been in position to draft Tim Duncan.

And again … imagine this season without Tim Duncan.

Had Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt not worn his lucky tie on Lottery Day, ensuring the Spurs would win, this year’s team would have been fortunate to win 45 games.

Had the Spurs not landed Duncan, the rookie with the biggest imapact since Orlando got Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, the stories here this season would have been, “How can the franchise survive in San Antonio?”

Understand, the Spurs’ survival in San Antonio even with Duncan remains in question.

Without Duncan, however, there would be no question. The Spurs would be gone.

Duncan, who, if he got paid by the smile, would be one of the Spurs’ minimum-wage men, has been better than anyone could have imagined.

Duncan has made the franchise’s decision to turn down Milwaukee’s offer of Ray Allen and Vin Baker for the rights to draft Duncan look good.

Holt must keep Duncan, who is the second-best player in the NBA today. He becomes No. 1 upon the retirement of the Bulls’ Michael Jordan.

Duncan is the best, not only because of his incredible athleticism and basketball skills, but because of his mind and demeanor.

Duncan isn’t taken with himself - a rarity in most young athletes today.

“I never dreamed of being this far along this early,” Duncan admitted.

But he never dreamed of being anything less than successful, either.

Duncan will become one of 19 players in NBA history to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in his rookie year. Eleven of the previous 18 were among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History who were honored last year.

The Spurs are in the Tim Duncan Era. This is his team.

As one Western Conference scout told me, “Duncan is so good, it’s scary.”

No. What’s scary is thinking about the Spurs without him.

By Kevin O’Keeffe, via San Antonio Express-News