Spurs Suffer Steep Slide
Ravaged by injuries, the San Antonio Spurs are on pace to have the worst record in their 24-year history and the steepest one-season fall in NBA history.
But the Spurs (15-47) believe they’ve found something positive that will help them to be a stronger team next season, when they hope to be healthy again.
“One of the good things to come out of this season is that several players have had a chance to play more and show they can compete at this level and improve their game,” San Antonio general manger-coach Gregg Popovich said. “When you talk about adding them to a healthy team with the addition of a draft pick, this group can’t be anything but fired up about its future.”
Forwards Monty Williams and Carl Herrera have benefited the most from extra playing time. Popovich said starting guards Avery Johnson and Vinny Del Negro also have improved their games despite the tough season.
San Antonio won 62 and 59 games the past two seasons, before injuries sent the team skidding.
Now, the Spurs are on target to break the record for the biggest oneseason drop held by the 1983 Houston Rockets, unless they win 13 of their final 20 games. The Rockets fell off by 32 wins, from 46 in 1982 to 14 in 1983.
Now it’s Rodman’s agent
A promoter for Dennis Rodman tangled with a photographer at a south New Jersey nightclub, The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill is reporting.
Rodman promoter William Wesley dragged a freelance photographer down the steps of the Iguana Club early Thursday, threatened him and tried to take his equipment, the newspaper reported today.
No charges have been filed in the incident.
On the courts
Grant Hill had 28 points and 14 rebounds and Otis Thorpe added 22 points as the Detroit Pistons matched their victory total of last year and beat the Denver Nuggets 102-82 Thursday night.
Joe Dumars added 19 points for the Pistons, who are 46-17 after finishing 46-36 last year.
Shawn Bradley scored a season-high 31 points and blocked a potential game-tying shot with 3.3 seconds left as the Dallas Mavericks handed the visiting Boston Celtics their sixth straight loss, 109-107.
The Mavericks took a two-point lead when Michael Finley knocked the ball from rookie Antoine Walker near midcourt and took it for an uncontested dunk with 9.8 seconds left. Bradley then blocked a layup attempt by Walker.
Cedric Ceballos had 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns, who are trying to catch the Clippers for the West’s eighth playoff spot, over the Clippers in Los Angeles, 112-96.