Magic Rejects Olympics For Family
NBA
Magic Johnson, a member of the original Dream Team that swept through the Barcelona Olympics, took himself out of the running Sunday for one of the two remaining spots on this year’s U.S. team.
He said he wants to spend time with his family in Hawaii this summer and does not want to create any friction when the Olympic roster is completed after the NBA season.
“I want to be on it, but I don’t want to cause controversy,” said Johnson, who came out of retirement for a second time on Jan. 29. “I’d like two chances (in two Olympics) like other guys…. I know I could be an asset because I’ve been playing against all those guys from other countries with my touring team.
“In the back of my mind, somebody would say it’s unfair, maybe other guys deserve to be on it who have played all season. I don’t want to get into that. I had one time to play on it, and I’m going to give guys an opportunity and not let all the knuckleheads say I shouldn’t be on it.”
Johnson added he needs a break so his body can recover from the demands of the season. He also wants time to deal to his business commitments. He is starting two new companies and plans to open movie theaters in Atlanta and Houston. He already has a theater complex in Los Angeles.
“There are a lot of things happening in my life,” he said.
Johnson said he thought his chances of being selected to the elite team were about “60-40, against.”
Asked if he would play if the Olympic team selection committee picked him anyway, Johnson grinned and said, “We’d have to see about that.”
Brandon placed on injured list
The Cleveland Cavaliers placed leading scorer Terrell Brandon on the injured list because of a bruised tail bone and sprained right rotator cuff.
Brandon, who averages 19.2 points a game, has missed two games since getting hurt when he crashed to the floor during Thursday night’s game at Milwaukee.
Also missing a second consecutive game was Bobby Phills, Cleveland’s other starting guard. Phills bruised his leg and sprained his knee during the Milwaukee game, but he remained on the Cavs’ active roster.
Rockets 111, Lakers 107 Inglewood, Calif.
Hakeem Olajuwon, outshining Magic Johnson, had 29 points and 13 rebounds to lead Houston to the victory over Los Angeles.
Olajuwon also had six assists and blocked three shots as the Rockets ran their winning streak to five straight and snapped their four-game losing streak at the Forum dating back to December 1993.
Kenny Smith came off the bench to nail 6-of-7 from 3-point range and score 21 points as the Rockets snapped a three-game winning streak by the Lakers. Sam Cassell added 24 points as Los Angeles lost for just the third time since Johnson came out of retirement on Jan. 29.
Houston (111) - Horry 3-13 1-2 8, Brown 4-4 0-0 9, Olajuwon 12-17 5-7 29, Mack 2-7 0-0 5, Recasner 2-4 0-0 4, Cassell 10-16 1-2 24, Breaux 0-0 0-0 0, Bryant 5-7 1-1 11, Chilcutt 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 7-12 1-1 21. Totals 45-82 9-13 111.
L.A. Lakers (107) - Campbell 7-15 3-5 17, Ceballos 5-11 3-4 14, Divac 3-5 3-4 9, Jones 8-13 1-4 20, Van Exel 6-13 5-6 21, Johnson 4-10 6-10 14, Lynch 0-1 0-0 0, Peeler 4-7 2-3 12, Threatt 0-1 0-0 0, Strong 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-76 23-36 107.
Houston 31 28 28 24 - 111 L.A. Lakers 21 27 30 29 - 107
3-Point goals-Houston 12-25 (Smith 6-7, Cassell 3-5, Brown 1-1, Mack 1-4, Horry 1-7, Chilcutt 0-1), Los Angeles 10-21 (Van Exel 4-6, Jones 3-7, Peeler 2-4, Ceballos 1-3, Johnson 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Houston 45 (Olajuwon 13), Los Angeles 48 (Campbell 11). Assists- Houston 35 (Cassell 11), Los Angeles 21 (Johnson 5). Total fouls-Houston 24, Los Angeles 15. Technical-Los Angeles coach Harris. A-17,505 (17,505).
Suns 121, Mavericks 114 Dallas
Charles Barkley scored 26 points in 27 minutes and rookie Michael Finley added 20 as Phoenix escaped with the victory over Dallas.
Barkley was unstoppable in the third quarter as he scored 13 points against the depleted Dallas front line. Barkley even took time to toy with fans who waved “brick” cards as he shot free throws. Smiling and waving at his tormentors, Barkley hit all five free throws he had in the quarter as Phoenix took a 17-point lead.
Phoenix (121) - Finley 8-15 4-5 20, Barkley 10-18 6-6 26, J.Williams 3-4 0-2 6, Johnson 6-13 4-4 16, Person 7-13 2-2 17, Perry 0-5 0-0 0, Carr 5-6 2-4 12, Green 0-1 0-0 0, Manning 6-12 4-5 16, Tisdale 4-9 0-0 8. Totals 49-96 22-28 121.
Dallas (114) - McCloud 8-22 2-2 23, Jackson 3-14 8-8 14, L.Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Kidd 4-14 2-4 11, Dumas 9-16 1-3 20, Wood 5-10 0-0 12, Brooks 6-8 5-5 18, Harris 6-13 2-2 14. Totals 42-99 20-24 114.
Phoenix 39 29 27 26 - 121 Dallas 33 26 25 30 - 114
3-Point goals-Phoenix 1-5 (Person 1-3, Barkley 0-1, Green 0-1), Dallas 10-42 (McCloud 5-16, Wood 2-5, Brooks 1-2, Kidd 1-9, Harris 0-2, Jackson 0-4). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Phoenix 65 (Barkley 13), Dallas 49 (Jackson 13). Assists-Phoenix 28 (Johnson 11), Dallas 20 (Kidd 9). Total fouls-Phoenix 24, Dallas 22. Technicals-Barkley, Phoenix illegal defense. Flagrant foul-Wood. A-17,502 (17,502).
Pacers 103, Hornets 100 Indianapolis
Reggie Miller scored 11 of his 31 points as Indianapolis rallied in the final period to beat Charlotte for its sixth consecutive victory.
It was the 800th professional coaching victory for Larry Brown, including 239 in the ABA.
There were five lead changes and three ties in the fourth quarter, which ended when Kenny Anderson missed a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Charlotte (100) - Curry 6-13 0-0 16, L.Johnson 9-20 5-6 24, Geiger 2-5 6-6 10, Rice 7-15 0-0 20, Anderson 5-8 3-3 13, Myers 1-2 1-2 3, Parish 1-4 0-0 2, Goldwire 1-2 2-4 4, Addison 4-5 0-0 8. Totals 36-74 17-21 100.
Indiana (103) - McKey 6-13 3-3 15, D.Davis 1-9 0-0 2, Smits 10-18 3-4 23, Miller 9-15 11-12 31, Jackson 6-11 2-3 16, A.Davis 2-5 0-0 4, Pierce 1-7 2-2 5, Schintzius 1-2 0-0 2, Workman 2-4 1-1 5. Totals 38-84 22-25 103.
Charlotte 30 17 33 20 - 100 Indiana 34 21 23 25 - 103
3-Point goals-Charlotte 11-16 (Rice 6-8, Curry 4-5, L.Johnson 1-1, Anderson 0-2), Indiana 5-8 (Miller 2-2, Jackson 2-3, Pierce 1-2, McKey 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Charlotte 42 (Geiger 10), Indiana 49 (D.Davis 14). Assists-Charlotte 22 (Anderson 9), Indiana 26 (Jackson 12). Total fouls-Charlotte 22, Indiana 18. A-16,716 (16,530).
Raptors 100, Cavaliers 89 Cleveland
Tracy Murray scored a career-high 29 points as Toronto beat short-handed Cleveland, ending a seven-game losing streak.
The Raptors, who also got 24 points from Damon Stoudamire and 20 from Sharone Wright, wrapped up a 1-6 road trip while sending Cleveland to only its fourth loss in the last 15 games.
Toronto (100) - Murray 12-15 0-0 29, Miller 6-8 2-2 14, Tabak 0-2 0-0 0, Robertson 1-2 0-0 2, Stoudamire 10-18 1-1 24, Wright 7-11 5-6 20, Rogers 3-3 2-4 8, Christie 0-3 3-4 3, King 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-63 13-17 100.
Cleveland (89) - Mills 9-15 6-8 24, Ferry 3-10 1-1 8, Cage 0-3 0-0 0, Majerle 9-20 2-3 22, Crotty 3-9 2-2 8, Sura 2-5 4-4 8, Hill 6-7 7-10 19, Lang 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-69 22-28 89.
Toronto 27 32 18 23 - 100 Cleveland 20 19 26 24 - 89
3-Point goals-Toronto 9-19 (Murray 5-7, Stoudamire 3-8, Wright 1-1, Robertson 0-1, Christie 0-2), Cleveland 3-18 (Majerle 2-7, Ferry 1-5, Crotty 0-2, Mills 0-4). Fouled out- None. Rebounds-Toronto 37 (Miller, Christie 5), Cleveland 34 (Hill 8). Assists-Toronto 24 (Christie 6), Cleveland 18 (Crotty 6). Total fouls-Toronto 25, Cleveland 15. Technicals-Toronto illegal defense 2. Flagrant foul-Rogers. A-18,409 (20,562).
Timberwolves 89, Heat 87 Minneapolis
Isaiah Rider overcame a disciplinary benching to score 30 points, the last on a tiebreaking jumper with 8.5 seconds to play as Minnesota beat Miami.
Rider, who was late for the team shootaround and benched for the start of the game, played 37 minutes and recorded a career-high 15 rebounds. The last came off a missed shot by Miami’s Tim Hardaway as time expired.
Miami (87) - Williams 1-5 0-0 2, Thomas 8-16 4-6 20, Mourning 6-18 6-8 18, Chapman 7-15 5-5 23, Hardaway 7-17 1-2 17, Askins 1-4 2-2 4, Smith 0-3 1-2 1, Corbin 0-1 0-0 0, Schayes 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 31-83 19-25 87.
Minnesota (89) - Garnett 5-12 5-6 15, Gugliotta 7-15 3-6 17, Lang 4-11 2-2 10, Porter 0-3 0-0 0, Webb 1-3 6-7 8, Mitchell 1-5 0-0 2, Rider 12-19 5-6 30, Martin 1-3 0-0 2, Bragg 0-0 0-0 0, West 2-6 1-1 5. Totals 33-77 22-28 89.
Miami 18 27 20 22 - 87 Minnesota 28 20 20 21 - 89
3-Point goals-Miami 6-14 (Chapman 4-8, Hardaway 2-5, Williams 0-1), Minnesota 1-2 (Rider 1-1, Webb 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Miami 45 (Mourning 8), Minnesota 63 (Rider 15). Assists-Miami 22 (Hardaway 12), Minnesota 18 (Webb 8). Total fouls-Miami 28, Minnesota 25. Technicals-Mourning, Minnesota illegal defense. A-14,519 (19,006).
Knicks 109, Warriors 94 New York
New York avoided matching its longest losing streak in six years, beating Golden State to end its skid at five games.
The Knicks, coming off an 0-4 trip to the West, opened a 24-point lead in the second quarter, let the Warriors climb back within 13 at halftime, then started the third quarter with a 19-7 run to go ahead by 25 points.
Golden State (94) - Smith 4-11 1-3 10, Kersey 1-4 0-0 2, Seikaly 5-10 3-4 13, Sprewell 4-11 6-6 14, Armstrong 6-14 8-8 20, Willis 3-8 3-3 9, Mullin 1-5 4-5 6, Rozier 1-1 5-8 7, Coles 1-4 2-2 4, Barry 2-5 0-0 5, Marshall 0-3 2-4 2, DeClercq 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 28-76 36-45 94.
New York (109) - Mason 5-6 2-3 12, Lohaus 1-5 0-0 3, Ewing 2-10 5-6 9, Davis 7-13 2-2 18, Harper 5-9 1-2 13, Williams 5-8 0-0 10, Starks 7-15 4-4 21, Ward 4-5 2-4 11, Reid 3-4 1-2 7, Anderson 1-5 1-2 3, Fish 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 41-82 18-25 109.
Golden State 16 23 30 25 - 94 New York 28 24 38 19 - 109
3-Point goals-Golden State 2-14 (Smith 1-1, Barry 1-2, Coles 0-1, Marshall 0-2, Sprewell 0-2, Armstrong 0-3, Mullin 0-3), New York 9-21 (Starks 3-6, Harper 2-3, Davis 2-6, Ward 1-1, Lohaus 1-4, Anderson 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Golden State 51 (Smith 12), New York 54 (Mason 13). Assists-Golden State 14 (Coles 5), New York 29 (Ward 7). Total fouls-Golden State 23, New York 25. A-19,763 (19,763).
Bullets 108, Kings 99 Sacramento, Calif.
Calbert Cheaney scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter and Washington beat Sacramento.
The Bullets started the second half with a 13-0 run. Cheaney hit two 3-pointers in the quarter for Washington, which made five of six 3-point attempts in building an 89-78 lead heading into the fourth period.
Washington (108) - Howard 9-18 4-5 22, Wallace 6-8 0-0 14, Muresan 6-11 0-0 12, Cheaney 9-16 4-4 25, B.Price 2-6 1-2 7, McIlvaine 1-2 0-0 2, Eackles 1-4 3-4 5, Legler 2-3 5-6 11, Butler 2-3 3-4 8, McCann 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 39-72 20-25 108.
Sacramento (99) - Owens 4-5 1-2 9, Grant 5-13 4-7 14, Polynice 6-9 2-4 14, Richmond 15-25 1-2 35, Hurley 0-2 0-0 0, Edney 4-7 2-3 11, Smith 3-7 2-3 8, Gamble 4-7 0-0 8, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0, Williamson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 41-78 12-21 99.
Washington 28 28 33 19 - 108 Sacramento 29 25 24 21 - 99
3-Point goals-Washington 10-13 (Cheaney 3-4, Wallace 2-2, Legler 2-2, B.Price 2-4, Butler 1-1), Sacramento 5-14 (Richmond 4-8, Edney 1-3, Owens 0-1, Grant 0-1, Gamble 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Washington 39 (Howard 10), Sacramento 45 (Polynice 9). Assists- Washington 30 (B.Price 12), Sacramento 22 (Edney 10). Total fouls-Washington 21, Sacramento 24. A-17,317 (17,317).