Around The Nba
There’s no denying Isiah Thomas, once the sparkling-eyed child from Chicago’s West Side, can run an NBA franchise.
But after it looked like he would do so in Detroit, he left in an embarrassing public feud with part-owner Bill Davidson. And Friday he tearfully announced his resignation from the Toronto Raptors, saying he would love to have stayed as general manager, but business matters - he was a 9 percent owner of the franchise - forced his departure.
This comes a few months after Thomas’ reportedly underfinanced bid to buy the team fell through.
Thomas, in line for an NBC-TV job, was said to be angry that part-owner Allan Slaight refused to allow him to make deals, including efforts to trade for Shawn Kemp, because the team didn’t want to sign big-money players. Slaight angrily denied that, and wondered aloud where Thomas was going with times now tough - the Raptors are the worst team in the Eastern Conference - after pledging to bring a championship to Toronto.
“It’s a quitter who leaves now,” Slaight said. “It doesn’t sound like the real Isiah Thomas. A winner wouldn’t walk away with the way things are going now. To leave now at whatever we are (1-10 going into the weekend), he would have ‘Quitter’ branded on his forehead. That’s why Isiah’s trying to put the blame on me.”
Hill struggles to find game
Detroit lost its eighth game Thursday night. The Pistons didn’t lose their eighth game last season until Jan. 7.
Detroit’s 4-8 start underscores its lack of quality depth and the struggles of Grant Hill. The Pistons’ All-Star forward is shooting 35 percent from the field for the season. He has averaged 15.3 points and gone 38 of 127 from the field (29.9 percent) in the last seven games.
On the courts
Vlade Divac hit a free throw with 2.6 seconds left and Indiana turned the ball over on its last possession as the Charlotte Hornets held off the Pacers 95-94 Saturday night in Indianapolis.
At Auburn Hills, Mich., Brian Williams scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Detroit Pistons to an 87-85 victory over the undermanned Atlanta Hawks.