Miami Makes Statement
Alonzo Mourning had the last word in Game 6. When his improbable 3-pointer sank the New York Knicks, he punched the air and shouted a profanity at the Madison Square Garden crowd.
Now New Yorkers are cursing their team’s failure to deliver a knockout blow in the fight-scarred playoff series against the Miami Heat. Instead of playing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final in Chicago today, the Knicks face Miami, at Miami, in Game 7.
Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston and Charlie Ward - suspended for their roles in a Game 5 brawl - will be back. Teammates Larry Johnson and NBA Sixth Man Award winner John Starks must serve their suspensions today while Miami’s P.J. Brown completes a two-game penalty.
“Somebody’s year is going to be over,” New York’s Chris Childs said. “It’s not going to be ours.”
Coaching update
Bulls coach Phil Jackson has rejected Orlando and Golden State, fueling speculation that he won’t coach next season, then entertain big offers from the Lakers, Knicks or Sonics.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are close to making a deal with University of Utah coach Rick Majerus. There may be an announcement this week.
Another possibility for the Warriors is the Sonics’ George Karl, who rejected a multiyear deal from Seattle last season. But it seems unlikely Seattle would let him out of his contract to stay in the division.
The Magic are about to turn their attention to Chuck Daly, who seems to have had a change of heart about coaching the Magic after the coaches’ salary explosion.
Lottery intrigue
The draft lottery is today, and the Celtics, with their own pick and Dallas’, have the best chance of getting No. 1 and then drafting Wake Forest center Tim Duncan. Vancouver had the league’s worst record, but because of a stipulation in the expansion deal, the Grizzlies, like Toronto, are not eligible to get the No. 1 pick.
In the weighted lottery system, Boston has 200 chances in 1,000, plus another 64 picked up by owning Dallas’ pick, to get the top choice. The rest: San Antonio (157), Denver (120), Philadelphia (89), New Jersey (44), Golden State (24), Milwaukee (11), Sacramento (7), Indiana (6) and Cleveland (5).
Vancouver has 250 chances in the lottery and Toronto 23.
Party in Chitown
Several Chicago Bulls players were slow afoot Saturday after yet another birthday bash thrown by Dennis Rodman.
Ron Harper, Jason Caffey, Brian Williams, Jud Buechler and Steve Kerr were on hand Friday at a Chicago-area club for Rodman’s second birthday party in a week. They also were celebrating the news that their Eastern Conference final series won’t begin until Tuesday night.
Clueless
A humble Charles Barkley said he learned from missing two free throws that could have given the Rockets their Game 4 victory over Seattle in regulation. Said Barkley: “I always look at things psychologically, because if you don’t have brains, you don’t have a clue. Or you have the Lakers.”