Bomb threat delays Pistons-Pacers game
A telephoned threat that there was a bomb in Indiana’s locker room delayed the start of the Pacers’ 94-81 victory over the Detroit Pistons for 1 hour, 25 minutes Friday night in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Auburn Hills chief of police Doreen Olko said The Palace – the site of the melee between the teams four months ago – received a call about an hour before the scheduled start with a very specific threat that there was a bomb in the locker room.
The room was searched in the morning with dogs, and it was searched again later in the afternoon. At no point was anything found, and the building was not evacuated. Security was posted outside the door at all times after the initial search and during the rest of the day.
“Nothing was found,” Olko said. “We are completely confident that the Pacers’ locker room and that this entire building is safe. If not, we wouldn’t be here.
“The game did not start on time because we had to make sure that everyone involved was at a comfort level that would allow them to start this game. That’s what took so long.”
Austin Croshere scored 15 points and Reggie Miller had 14 to lead the Pacers.
Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 23 points
Clippers 98, Wizards 94: At Los Angeles, Corey Maggette scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles beat Washington for its third straight wire-to-wire victory. Elton Brand had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers.
Warriors 118, Bucks 117 (OT): At Oakland, Calif., Derek Fisher made a 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer, and Golden State beat Milwaukee. Fisher’s perfect shot from a spot in front of the Warriors’ bench capped the exhilarating final minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime, which featured 12 lead changes.
Spurs 111, Hawks 95: At San Antonio, Brent Barry scored a season-high 23 points and five other San Antonio players reached double figures to help the Spurs snap a three-game losing streak with a win over Atlanta.
Heat 125, Suns 115: At Miami, Dwyane Wade had 35 points – including a 65-foot heave to end the third quarter – and Miami beat Phoenix to clinch the Southeast Division title and move past the Suns for the NBA’s best record (53-17).
Sixers 103, Raptors 101: At Philadelphia, Allen Iverson hit a 15-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds left to cap a 36-point performance to help Philadelphia beat Toronto.
Bulls 94, Celtics 86: At Boston, Eddy Curry scored 16 points, Tyson Chandler added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Chicago finished with a 14-4 run to win its fourth straight game by defeating Boston.
Rockets 81, Hornets 68: At New Orleans, Bob Sura had 19 points and 11 assists, and former Hornets player David Wesley added 15 points to help Houston overcome the early loss of star Tracy McGrady because of a strained right hip en route to beating New Orleans. McGrady fell to the floor and had to be carried to the locker room in the opening minutes after falling while trying to defend Lee Nailon in the lane.
Off the court
Guard Kenny Anderson was waived by the Clippers. … Minnesota activated center Ervin Johnson from the injured list and placed forward Mark Madsen on the list with a ruptured ligament in his right wrist.