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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Camby Sidelined For Week After Nightmare Experience

Associated Press

Toronto rookie Marcus Camby, who inexplicably collapsed and lost consciousness before a game last January while starring for UMass’ Final Four team, was briefly hospitalized Tuesday night after falling to the Skydome court and experiencing a partial loss of feeling in both legs before the Raptors played the Sacramento Kings.

Camby, 22, never lost consciousness, but was taken to Toronto Western Hospital, where he underwent a battery of neurological tests. According to team doctor Doug Richards, the Raptors’ starting forward passed all the tests and had regained all feeling in his legs within two hours of the incident.

An MRI of his back revealed a “soft tissue strain” that will keep him out for a week, a team spokesman said.

Bickerstaff leaves, Motta takes over

Bernie Bickerstaff resigned as coach of the Denver Nuggets, three days after his team scored a franchise-low 65 points in a loss to Portland.

He remained with the team as president and was replaced as coach by assistant Dick Motta. Motta, the longtime NBA coach who last season was with the Dallas Mavericks, got his first victory as the Nuggets’ coach. Dale Ellis scored 28 points and Brooks Thompson came off the bench to add a career-high 26 in a 117-108 victory over the winless Phoenix Suns.

The resignation ended a tumultuous tenure for Bickerstaff, who compiled a 59-68 record in parts of three seasons.

Hawks forward recovering

Forward Alan Henderson of the Atlanta Hawks left a Minnesota hospital Tuesday facing a lengthy recovery from a virus that affects his pancreas.

Henderson, who was diagnosed last week with acute viral pancreatitis by doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., was flown to Indianapolis, where his parents live.

Hawks general manager Pete Babcock said the second-year player has started eating solid foods again and is able to walk for short periods. But Henderson has lost more than 20 pounds and won’t be returning to the NBA soon.

Barkley rallies Rockets

Charles Barkley had 30 points and 14 rebounds, the final one under Portland’s basket with 2.3 seconds left in overtime, as Houston overcame an early 19-point deficit to edge the Trail Blazers 102-101 Tuesday night at Houston.

It was Houston’s seventh consecutive victory and improved the Rockets’ record to 13-1, tied with Chicago for the best in the NBA. The loss snapped Portland’s four-game winning streak.

Hakeem Olajuwon, returning to the Rockets lineup after missing a week because of an irregular heartbeat, scored 27 points in 41 minutes.