Having a good time

Dan Dickau wasn’t about to let a little thing like job insecurity interfere with having some fun Thursday at the Toyota All-American’s Charity Classic he hosted along with Adam Morrison.

And it’s always a little more fun when you win.

Dickau, his former Gonzaga roommate Kyle Bankhead and Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger combined to fuel a fourth-quarter rally as Dickau’s White team edged Morrison and the Red Team 143-140 before an appreciative crowd of 3,527 at GU’s McCarthey Athletic Center.

Dickau scored 39 points – including a clutch 27-foot 3-pointer with 12.1 seconds that gave the Red team a four-point lead – and had 16 assists to earn MVP honors, which he quickly downplayed.

“I think I played the most minutes so I’m going to get the most shots,” he said. “But it was a ton of fun.”

Dickau was thrilled with the turnout and proud that this year’s event will make the biggest contribution to Spokane charities in its three-year history.

“My initial reaction is we can do it again next year,” he said. “Spokane was great to me. To have a chance to do something and put on a fun event and raise some money for charity, it’s a no-brainer for me.”

Dickau showed no signs of being distracted, despite the fact that his NBA career appears to be up in the air. He was traded to New York on draft day, but a report in the New York Post earlier this week said the Knicks are planning on releasing the former GU All-American in the next couple of weeks.

“I don’t even think about that,” he said. “This week is too much fun, so I just enjoyed it. What happens will happen in the coming weeks. We’ll see.”

Per usual, the pace was frantic and the defense, as expected, usually stayed on the benches. It took exactly 4 seconds for the first shot to be launched. The atmosphere was decidedly low key as Ryan Floyd rebounded and fed passes to two ball boys in the pregame shootaround, Cory Violette fired up near half-court shots while sitting on the floor and Jannero Pargo took a moment in the second quarter to offer a wad of cash to referee Leon Wood.

During a second-half timeout when a dance contest was held with three members of the crowd, Dickau went to the P.A. and summoned ex-Zag center Richard Fox for an impromptu session.

Fox sauntered onto the court and complied – until Morrison waived a white towel and shouted from the opposing bench, “Go home.”

The Red team had five players in double figures by halftime and raced to an 81-64 lead. Pargo, the older brother of GU guard Jeremy Pargo, and ex-Zags Alex Hernandez and Richie Frahm each had 14 points and Morrison chipped in 13.

The Red reached the 100-point mark by midway through the third quarter, but the White stayed close and the intensity picked up when they closed within 106-101 entering the fourth.

Bankhead hit five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the White team moved in front 130-128 on Granger’s dunk.

“The competitive nature kicks in and everybody tries to get a win,” said Pargo, who engaged in a 1-on-1 duel with Dickau in the closing minutes.

Pargo was getting the better of it – until Dickau hit from long distance in the closing seconds.

“I let him shoot that and I didn’t think he was going to make it,” said Pargo, who scored 26 points to lead the Red squad. “When it went in, I couldn’t believe it.”

After Dickau’s 3-pointer, Morrison responded with a deep 3 of his own. Granger’s free throws gave the White a three-point lead. Morrison and Pargo came up empty on 3-point attempts in the final seconds.

Morrison finished with 18 points.