Sprewell Hearings Are Expanded

The Portland phase of the Latrell Sprewell arbitration hearing concluded Friday with 5 hours of testimony from Sprewell’s agent Arn Tellem.

Golden State Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean had been in Portland for two days expecting to testify, but never got the chance and will have to make his appearance next week, when the hearing shifts to New York.

Although a gag order has kept all testimony secret, it’s clear that it’s taking a lot longer than expected to say whatever is being said.

What was to have been two days of hearings in New York has been expanded to four.

Arbitrator John Feerick, dean of the Fordham University Law School, will decide whether Sprewell received too severe of punishment for choking and threatening to kill his coach, P.J. Carlesimo.

Friday’s session ended early in the afternoon so lawyers could catch their flights to the East Coast.

Next Monday’s session, at a New York law office, was added on Friday, when it became clear that St. Jean wouldn’t get to testify in Portland. A Thursday session in New York was added earlier when Carlesimo didn’t get to take the stand in Portland.

NBA executives, including commissioner David Stern, are among those likely to be called as witnesses in New York.

Arem’s testimony likely centered around Sprewell’s dislike of Carlesimo and his desire to be traded.

Initially, after the Dec. 1 attack during a Warriors practice, the team suspended Sprewell for 10 days and attempted to trade him. San Antonio reportedly was a leading candidate to make the deal.

But then the NBA suspended Sprewell for a year, the longest non-drug related suspension in league history, and the Warriors terminated his contract.

On the courts

Karl Malone scored 29 points and John Stockton added 17 points and 10 assists as the Utah Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-94.

Reggie Miller scored 24 points, including two consecutive 3-pointers that put Indiana ahead to stay, and the Pacers overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat Cleveland 89-83 in Indianapolis.

At Boston, David Wesley scored 28 points against his former teammates, hitting a key 3-pointer in the final minute, as Charlotte overcame 38 points by Antoine Walker to beat Boston 97-95.

At Los Angeles, David Robinson, hampered by foul trouble, scored 10 consecutive points for San Antonio in the final 4:32 and finished with 28 as the Spurs overcame a 15-point deficit and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 97-87.

Rick Fox scored 30 points - one of four Lakers with 20 or more points - as host Los Angeles defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-114.