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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:42:38 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1133167&format=textNBA hits Kevin Garnett with one-game ban By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill WALTHAM - The Celtics [team stats] were surprised to learn that the NBA was even investigating Saturday night’s double technical foul to Kevin Garnett and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut. Word is the C’s were shocked and upset to learn late yesterday that Garnett was suspended one game without pay as a result of the league investigation. Garnett will miss tonight’s game against New York and forfeit 1/110th of his salary, which figures out to some $225,000. While he can appeal and perhaps regain the money, according to Celts president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, “It won’t get us the game back.” Ainge didn’t want to get deeper into the matter, beyond saying, “I don’t agree with the ruling. We don’t even have the opportunity to fight it. There’s nothing we can do.” The incident that led to the suspension occurred with 3:58 left in the fourth quarter of the Celts’ eventual overtime victory in Milwaukee, a play on which Garnett was called for fouling a driving Bogut, who then struck Garnett hard on his follow-through. Garnett was seen throwing his arms out and, after a conference among the referees, each player was assessed a technical. In that it was Bogut’s second technical of the game, he was automatically ejected. According to a source, the league was told by the C’s that Garnett was hit hard twice by Bogut and that he was making a natural motion to push Bogut’s hands away from his face. In addition to Garnett’s penalty, Bogut was upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty One for his actions in the announcement made by NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson. Bogut was not suspended. New-look Knicks After taking a day off, the 9-2 Celtics went through a lengthy practice session at HealthPoint with New York in town tonight. The Knicks (6-4) have had many new editions in recent years, but this time they actually have improved. They have won five of their past seven to move into second place in the Atlantic Division. “They seem to be a lot more disciplined,” Garnett said at yesterday’s practice before learning of his suspension. “They’re playing together. You definitely see that. It looks like they’re actually trying to play some defense, but for the most part they get up and down. They can shoot the ball. They spread you out. They’re very much improved.” . . . The Celts just finished a stretch of eight games in 12 days. Tonight they begin a run of three games in four nights, hosting Detroit on Thursday and traveling to Minnesota on Friday. While acknowledging the team was tired, Garnett also knows there is no changing the schedule. “It’s on there, and like we always say around here that if you’re on the schedule, we don’t decline any,” he said. “We show up to all shows. We don’t cancel. No cancellations.” Coach Doc Rivers characterized the slate as “brutal.” “I don’t think I’ve seen a stretch ever in the 24 years I’ve been around this league,” Rivers said. “Eight games in that little time early in the season? Tough stretch. I was very proud of what we did - 7-1 - in it, and the game the other night (overtime win in Milwaukee) I was the most proud. You could see in the fourth quarter we had nothing left. We were losing bodies as the game went on, and we still found a way to win.” Big disappointment The news is as expected on free agent Antonio McDyess. The Celtics made their pitch and the big man let it slide on by. The early word after his trade from Detroit to Denver was that McDyess would take a buyout and return to the Pistons, and that is looking even more certain now. Ainge spoke to Andy Miller, McDyess’ representative. “We spoke,” Ainge said, “but I didn’t get any sense that we should be optimistic about it.”
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:44:25 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1133177&format=textScouting report: Knicks at Celtics By Herald staff | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics Photo by Stuart Cahill TONIGHT - 7:30, TD Banknorth Garden. TV - CSN. RADIO - WEEI-AM (850). THE NUMBERS 6: Straight wins by the Celtics [team stats] over New York, including four in as many tries last season. 18.8: C’s average margin of victory vs. the Knicks last season. WHO’S HURT For the C’s, there are no reported injuries. For the Knicks, Danilo Gallinari (sore lower back), Jerome James (personal reasons) and Jared Jeffries (fractured left fibula) are out, while Eddy Curry (sore right knee) is doubtful. WHO’S HOT For the Knicks, Jamal Crawford is averaging 26.0 points in his last five games. WHO’S NOT For the C’s, Rajon Rondo [stats] shot just 5-for-25 from the floor over his last five games. BOTTOM LINE This year’s Knicks are scoring almost nine points a game more and averaging five more made 3-pointers per contest. The C’s will have to get out to defend the 3-point line to keep New York from getting comfortable.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:46:04 GMT -5
www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1133188&format=textMavericks’ Jerry Stackhouse wants out of Dallas By Jeff Caplan / McClatchy Newspapers | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage Photo by AP CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A pillar of the Dallas Mavericks for the past half-decade, veteran Jerry Stackhouse, disillusioned with his diminished role just 10 games into the season, wants to rediscover happiness somewhere else. Stating his style clashes with coach Rick Carlisle’s motion offense, a scheme based more on freelance movement than structured plays, and a reluctance to sacrifice minutes for mentoring, the 14-year swingman said his agent is exploring options for him to depart Dallas, possibly through a buyout or trade. "The key part is there’s really no conflict with us," Stackhouse said Monday of him and Carlisle. "It’s understood that it’s his job to coach the team, but it’s my job to protect my future. I’ve got to have some say-so and dictate with the role that I’m kind of in now, that I’m ready to accept that. I don’t think I’m ready to fully accept that at this point." Stackhouse said he believes he can thrive elsewhere, as he once did in Dallas, as a potent sixth man. Although his contract status, virtually an expiring contract, is favorable for a trade, his value is murky because he remains mired in a deep shooting freeze (29.1 percent overall) and bothered by a heel injury. In fact, Stackhouse won’t play Tuesday night in Charlotte or perhaps for some time. He’s removing himself from the active roster indefinitely to rest his heel and allow time for a resolution. "I’m exploring options," Stackhouse said. "The team is always going to protect itself. I can’t force their hand to do anything. I don’t really know all the options right now. I think it’s to the point now where it’s time to start researching some things and seeing if there’s other possibilities that make more sense for me right now." Stackhouse said his agent, Jeff Schwartz, who also represents Josh Howard and Jason Kidd, is gauging interest around the league. Schwartz did not return messages. "Now it’s time to take that discovery to (Mavs president) Donnie (Nelson) and to (owner) Mark (Cuban)," Stackhouse said. "And hopefully it adds up." Cuban said via e-mail that the team is working with Stackhouse, who the club believes "can be a valuable contributor to the organization on the court and off." Stackhouse was adamant that he’s not demanding a trade, nor does he desire to burn bridges in hopes of one day returning to the franchise in a coaching or front-office capacity. Still, his plea puts management in an awkward position. The Mavs would prefer Stackhouse, who turned 34 on Nov. 5, accept a lighter workload and embrace, for the good of the franchise, a mentorship of would-be successors Antoine Wright and Gerald Green. "Our first choice would be for what Jerry brings to the team, with his experience and playoff skins, toughness and intensity. Those things are valuable," Nelson said. "It’s just that during this period of time, we’ve got to be able to bring some of our younger players along as well. Therein lies the conflict. "With our relationship and openly and honestly communicating, we’ll be able to come up with a game plan and hopefully that game plan will be one that includes Jerry in a Maverick uniform. If it’s just not a comfortable situation, if it’s a situation where the minutes are just not there, then we’ll work together with his agent and see if there’s some win-win together for both of us." Simmering since he did not play against Cleveland on Nov. 3, things came to a head Sunday at New York when Stackhouse was inactive. Carlisle informed him that morning, part of a communication plan to allow Stackhouse the option of being inactive if his minutes will be limited. Carlisle said the matchup against the up-tempo Knicks, who the Mavs defeated to end a five-game skid, didn’t favor Stackhouse. On Monday, Stackhouse took issue with that assessment. "I play a lot of summer basketball," he said. "When I see (Knicks players) Wilson Chandler, Quentin Richardson and Jamal Crawford scared to guard me in the summertime, but it’s not a matchup, a particular game that I should play in, then ..." Nelson said if the process drags out, he doesn’t see Stackhouse, who describes himself as disappointed, but not despondent, becoming a worrisome distraction. "There’s always going to be a piece of me that’s a Dallas Maverick, regardless of what happens from this day on," Stackhouse said. "As it stands right now, I just think we’re drifting in different directions."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:47:39 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/18/nba_suspends_garnett_one_game?mode=PFNBA suspends Garnett one game By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 18, 2008 WALTHAM - Celtics forward Kevin Garnett will miss tonight's game at TD Banknorth Garden against the New York Knicks, as the NBA announced a one-game suspension for his involvement in an altercation with the Bucks' Andrew Bogut Saturday night in Milwaukee. Garnett "has been suspended one game without pay for striking [Bogut] in the face," the NBA stated in a release. Garnett contested Bogut's shot with 3:58 remaining in the game, and a double technical was issued, Bogut was ejected with his second technical. Garnett fouled out with 1:48 left in overtime as the Celtics took a 102-97 victory. "We disagree with the ruling, we believe it is the wrong ruling," Celtics president Danny Ainge said. Bogut's foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty one by the NBA. "Milwaukee is over," Garnett said after practice yesterday. "I'm talking about the Knicks. That's in the past. That's been settled." Toughing it out Coach Doc Rivers said he was impressed with the team's resiliency against the Bucks, the team concluding an eight-game, 12-day stretch with a 7-1 record (9-2 overall). "We have a great record and I'm very satisfied with the record in this eight-game stretch," Rivers said. "I told them I wanted to go 8-0 and I thought it was a possible goal, but overall we have to be better as far as playing. "I like the way we're finishing games, except the Denver game , but we can't be satisfied with not being our best.
"It was a brutal stretch. In 24 years I've been in the game, I don't think I've ever seen eight games in that little time, that early in the season."
Test time
The Knicks, who have averaged 120.7 points in their last three games, will provide a test for the Boston defense. The Celtics have been able to control the tempo in most games, surrendering more than 100 points only once. "We're not going to morph into their style," Rivers said of the Knicks.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:49:38 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/18/passion_to_teach_drives_cassell?mode=PFPassion to teach drives Cassell By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 18, 2008 To Celtics teammates, Sam Cassell is like a guru emerging from the mists of a time before cellular phones and Jumbotrons. They have seen him impose his will on a game, conjure up shots, cast a spell on the ball and opponents, his good-natured trash talking in practice the chanting of a high priest of point guards. But Cassell hasn't always been the elder statesman. Nobody reaches the NBA level without having world-class athletic ability, and younger Celtics might be surprised to know he was once known as "Slam" Cassell because of his dunking ability. As Cassell reaches a milestone - he turns 39 today - there is symmetry in the fact that he is concluding his career on the banks of the Charles, 20 years after first arriving in New England, a homesick teenager taking the first major step on the road to becoming a professional athlete. "I went from East Baltimore to Pittsfield, Maine, and it was a shock," Cassell said yesterday of attending Maine Central Institute. "It was a small town and I saw how hard people work and how everybody knows everybody, there's one theater and the same movie is there for a month. It was all cool with me. "But I got homesick and left. After a month, I called my host family and asked if they would forgive me for leaving." Tom Cianchette told Cassell, "You can come back any time, son." From that day, a bond formed between Cassell and the Cianchettes. "Bonnie and Tom, to this day I call them mom and dad, and their daughters are my sisters, they're all grown up and have babies themselves," Cassell said. "They welcomed me back with their arms open, accepted me like a son. They showed me how to be responsible, and they taught me that I was an adult and I had to live with my decisions. "And when it was time to leave, the weather was breaking, and I didn't want to go." But Cassell moved on, first to San Jacinto Junior College in Texas, then to Florida State, then to NBA championships with the Houston Rockets in his first two years in the league. "When it was time to go to college, we went over the pros and cons," Cassell said. "UNLV, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Boston College. Tom was a Celtics fan and he knew if I went to BC he could see me more, but he told me, 'No, you're an ACC guy; go to Florida State.' "
The moving around, the adjusting, the exposure to socio-cultural diversity shaped Cassell.
"When I was traded [in the NBA], it was no problem making the move," Cassell said. "And there's only a handful of guys who stay with one franchise their whole career."
Low-key presence
Cassell is in transition from player to coach. Though he has not played a minute for the Celtics this season, he is involved in practices and acts as an unofficial assistant coach during games. Head coach Doc Rivers still plans to use Cassell in a playing role but is holding him in reserve, to be brought out at about the same time he was last year when he joined the Celtics for their run to the NBA championship.
During a recent practice, Celtics president Danny Ainge noted that Cassell could start for five NBA teams. Cassell replied that he could start for six. But Cassell has opted to remain in a low-key role as the Celtics shoot for back-to-back NBA titles.
"Two or three years from now, I want to be a head coach," Cassell said. "And I'm going to be a hell of a coach."
Cassell has bridged generations. He emerged as a young pro playing against veterans such as Rivers, became the ballhandler for Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston, and for Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, then was one of the final pieces in the Celtics' championship puzzle.
Before the world was inundated by technology and sports camps, Cassell was developing his game on the fly.
"This is a new generation of basketball, way different than when I came in 16 years ago," Cassell said. "The culture is different, there are so many things to occupy the time of these young guys. When I came in, it was basketball.
"All my friends were in the streets, and one thing I had, they did everything in the world to protect me, everything. If they would see me on the corner, day or night, not doing nothing wrong, but just out there, they would say, 'Hey what you doing out here, get off the street.'
"Basketball was my outlet. Kids today don't play basketball like when I was growing up. We would play all day every day. You go to Boston right now, a nice day like this, you'll see 20 courts empty. Twenty years ago, 30 years ago, those courts were filled with guys, everyone had something to prove. Now, it's video games.
"It's nothing like when I was 15 years old. I'd get on the house phone - we didn't have cell phones - call five or six of my boys, and we'd go neighborhood-hopping and play. You never see that now. We would be on the court from 10 o'clock to 4, come home at night and my mom says, 'My son, how you been?'
"We'd play all day, that was it. I'd pack three shirts, two pairs of socks, take a little bag, bring them home, and wash them every day. That was my routine.
"I dreamed about being a professional basketball player, and I would see guys with that opportunity before me that messed it up with all types of drugs, and I said, 'That's not going to be me.' I took advantage of the opportunity and I twisted it, like an old towel, got everything out of it. If I didn't have a passion for this, I wouldn't have come back this year."
The learning curve
Cassell learned from older players, as a youngster in Baltimore, as a young pro in Houston. Now, it is his turn to teach.
"When I was in Houston, they were all veterans," Cassell said. "I couldn't make a mistake - every mistake I made was pointed out, in the middle of the court. But that was cool, that's how it was going to be. I had to have mistake-free games. That's hard to do, but I tried, and it made me a stronger player.
"It was easy because I had Hakeem, so if I needed to get to a guy to make a play, get it to him. Most of the time, I watched, like you guys, I had the best seat in the arena, only I was standing up. But if they threw me the ball back, I had to make a shot. I knew how to get a shot off and score.
"That's how it is here, with Paul [Pierce], KG, Ray Allen, they've got to leave somebody open, and that could be me. Anybody can shoot it, but you've got to make it. I've seen a lot of guys who don't want the ball in the forecourt with three minutes to go in a game . . .
"But that's it, you're hero or goat, and some nights you are going to be the goat and have to sit in front of you [media] guys - sit in the firing range, I call it, in front of the snipers. And the fans, they pay money for tickets, so I understand it, especially if I miss it."
Cassell is about pragmatism and realism, not magic words, spells, or incantations.
"I classify myself as a winner," Cassell said. "I took teams that weren't playoff teams to the playoffs. I brought that fire you've got to have to get there.
"The atmosphere we have here is a winning atmosphere. Guys understand that to win, winning is hard to do. But we have the right concept to win, we've figured it out. It's a secret, a lot of intangibles. People always say hard work, but I see guys working out one hour, two hours, getting nothing done - it's how you work.
"Some guys think sweating is working out, but we have a saying: 'Keep it real.' Some guys get the ball and take 20 dribbles and take a fadeaway jump shot, but be realistic - you might get five dribbles and a fadeaway jump shot, that's realistic. It's about mental toughness."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:50:48 GMT -5
www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/18/magic_pierce_is_close_but_bryant_still_best?mode=PFMagic: Pierce is close, but Bryant still best By Shira Springer, Globe Staff | November 18, 2008 With an assist from new technology, Magic Johnson "stopped by" a downtown Boston office building last Friday for a Cisco TelePresence event, where he talked about basketball and business ventures. Appearing via video screen from Los Angeles courtesy of a high-tech system that allowed him to make virtual eye contact with reporters in Boston, Johnson was asked whether 2008 NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce was the best player in the league right now. Johnson praised the Celtics forward but sided with the Lakers' reigning league MVP, Kobe Bryant. Johnson measured both players by the consistency of their accomplishments, unwilling to give Pierce's play last week more weight. "Paul would like to think he's better than Kobe," said Johnson with a hearty laugh. "But Kobe Bryant is the best closer in the game. He's the best player in the game. You have to remember he's done it for a long time at a high level. "Now, was Paul Pierce better than Kobe in the Finals? Of course, he was better than everybody in the whole playoffs. Is he one of the top three or four players in the league right now, Paul Pierce? Of course he is. It's hard to find a guy who can go inside and outside and also a guy who can put it on the floor, then make plays for other people. "Yes, I think he's right up there with Kobe, right up there with LeBron [James]. It's hard to pick one of those three guys. "I'm not biased. I'm going to tell it like it is. Kobe Bryant has won three championships for a reason. Shaq [O'Neal] got us to the fourth quarter, but always Kobe Bryant closed the deal. We have to remember that. "There's nothing biased. If Paul was the best player in the league, I would say it. But he's right there as one of the best. No question about it." But is Bryant really the best closer in the game right now? It was pointed out to Johnson that Pierce scored 22 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter for a win over the Raptors last Monday night and hit a buzzer-beater to hand the Hawks their first loss Wednesday at the Garden, but Johnson could not be swayed. "Kobe Bryant is the best player," said Johnson, pausing after each word for emphasis and smiling broadly. "Paul is right there. They're right there together. You can't lose. If you decide to take Paul, you're not going to lose. If you decide to take Kobe, you're not going to lose. "But to me, when I see a guy who's been to the Finals that many times and done it over and over and over again, there's no denying that. The guy's won three titles in a row, you can't deny that. "Now, if Paul keeps doing it, hey, he can be. And that's my little brother, too. [Paul] and Baron [Davis]. I love both them. Keep it going, Paul." Johnson, as a Lakers vice president and part-owner, wants Pierce to keep it going because, like the rest of the league, he knows the value of a resurrected Lakers-Celtics rivalry. "It's great for the league, because if you think about it, there are probably three teams that have the most fans," said Johnson. "Boston probably has one of the biggest followings in all of sports and definitely in the NBA. The Lakers are the world's team. They have the biggest following around the world. Then, you think the Knicks. If we can get the Knicks back, the league will really be booming. "If you think about those franchises, and now with two of the three being really at the forefront of the league - and it looks like the Knicks are doing a lot better right now - the league is back. "It can't be about players as much as it is about rivalries. What people buy into is really the rivalry. With Boston and LA playing again this past season for the championship, you saw a lot of fans that used to watch the NBA, who had stopped watching, come back. "Now, with them both being still the two best teams in the league, it's done wonders for the league and the ratings. People who stopped watching are now interested again. Then, the new fans who said, 'Oh, wow, I like Kobe' or 'I like Kevin Garnett' or 'I like Paul Pierce,' they are still there. "We're right where we want to be. And we're hoping that the Knicks get better." Spoken like a true Los Angeles-based businessman.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:54:12 GMT -5
www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x2017749188/Celtics-Cs-in-strong-positionCeltics: C's in strong position -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Scott Souza/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Nov 17, 2008 @ 10:41 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WALTHAM — It's natural to look at the last two games and wonder what might be wrong with this year's Celtics. A loss at home Friday night to a Denver team playing on the second night of a back-to-back? The Celtics only lost six games at the Garden all last year, and were up 39 at the half on the Nuggets when Denver came to town last November. Then they squeak by the Bucks in overtime on Saturday? The Bucks were playing without two starters due to injury and were the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference last season. Celtics coach Doc Rivers looks at the struggles in the last two games, shades of which have been evident through most of the first 11 games, and finds reasons not to be happy. But then he looks at the ridiculous stretch of eight games in 12 days his team just finished and finds plenty of cause for leniency. "It was a brutal stretch," the coach said following yesterday's film session and 90-minute workout at HealthPoint. "I don't think I've seen a stretch like that ever in my 24 years in the game. I was very proud of what we did. The game we had the other night (a 102-97 OT victory at Milwaukee on Saturday) I was the most proud. You could see in the fourth quarter we had nothing. Physically, we were tired. We were emotionally tired. We were losing bodies as the game went on. "Then we still found a way to win. That's a great sign for our team." The Celtics have found a way to win most of their games this season. Despite the slow starts, the double-digit deficits, the poor outside shooting and the turnovers, the Celtics still sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 9-2 record going into tonight's Atlantic Division showdown with the Knicks (CSN, 7:30 p.m.). While they haven't matched last fall's blowout-laden run to start the year, their early pace of 67 victories would actually best last year's 66-16 mark. "We have a great record," Rivers noted. "I'm very satisfied with the record. In this eight-game stretch, before it started, I told them that I wanted to go 8-0 in this stretch. I thought it was a possible goal even though I knew it would be very difficult. "But, overall, we have to be a better team than what we are as far as how we're playing. Obviously, I'll take the wins and I love the way we've finished games ... but as a team we know we can be a better basketball team." Predictably, given the team's championship blueprint, that means playing better defensively. Although the Celtics are third in the NBA in points allowed (89.7 per game) and first in field-goal percentage allowed (39.6), players see breakdowns that need mending. "We've just got to be a lot more sound than what we've been," said Kevin Garnett in a very rare post-workout media session. "We've got new guys. I know it's early, just 11 games in. But I know we can be a lot more sound defensively." "We're getting wins, that's good," Leon Powe said, "but we don't want it to come back and bite us later on. Some of this stuff has been our fault, man. We've been lackadaisical on defense and not getting into our rotations. That's causing baskets for the other team. Especially (Friday) night against Denver. They hit some transition 3s that we usually take away if we're all back." While the players didn't want to use the schedule, which includes six back-to-back games in November, as an excuse, there did seem to be some thankfulness that there will soon be a significant spreading out of the slate. "It's tough," Garnett said. "But it's on there. We always say around here that if you are on the schedule, we don't decline any. We show up to all shows. No cancellations. "We don't pace ourselves whatsoever," he concluded. "I think everybody's been a bit gassed. Somehow, someway, we're finding a way to win and that's a good thing. If we're playing like this when we're fatigued, imagine what we'll look like when we're full throttle."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 7:58:58 GMT -5
www.nba.com/2008/news/11/17/newell.dies.ap/index.htmlHall of Fame basketball coach Pete Newell dies Posted Nov 17 2008 8:48PM BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Pete Newell, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who won an NCAA championship and Olympic gold medal and later tutored some of the game's greatest big men, died Monday. He was 93. His death was confirmed by the University of California, the school Newell coached to a national title in 1959. Newell, who had been living near San Diego, had a serious lung operation in 2005. Newell coached for 14 years at San Francisco, Michigan State and California before doctors advised him to give it up because of the emotional toll. His final coaching job came in the 1960 Olympics, when he took a U.S. team led by Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas to a gold medal in Rome. Newell later returned to prominence with his famous "big men" camps. He instructed some of the game's greatest stars, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Shaquille O'Neal and Ralph Sampson. Among Newell's biggest admirers was Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight, whose teams practiced Newell's style of patient, disciplined offense and tenacious, hardworking defense. "I just don't think anybody has contributed more to my life in more ways than Pete Newell did," said Knight, Division I's all-time victory leader and coach of three NCAA champions and an Olympic gold medal. "Jerry West and I had a very tearful conversation about an hour after Pete had passed away this morning and I think Jerry felt exactly the same about Pete as I did. Pete was a second father to both Jerry and myself and while I think that we're awfully saddened by the passing I think that we can both feel extremely good about the relationship that we had with this basketball giant over most of our entire careers. Nobody contributed more to the game and its history than Pete." Newell was born in Canada but grew up in Los Angeles. His mother envisioned an acting career for her son, and he appeared in several movies including "The Kid," which made a star of Jackie Coogan. He attended what is now Loyola Marymount University and served in the Navy during World War II. In 1946 he took a job at a small Roman Catholic school, the University of San Francisco, coaching basketball as well as baseball, golf and tennis. The Dons won the National Invitation Tournament in 1949, when it was considered at least the equal of the NCAA tournament. Following four seasons at USF, the last concluding with another return visit to the NIT, Newell moved to Michigan State. His best season there was 1952-53, when the Spartans went 13-9 overall and finished third in the Big Ten. In 1954, Newell was hired at California. The Bears won four consecutive conference titles and made two trips to the Final Four, capturing the NCAA tournament in 1959. The starless Bears had to beat two future Hall of Famers on their way to the championship. In the semifinals they defeated Robertson and Cincinnati 64-58. Then in the final, Cal beat West Virginia, which was led by West. Showing it was no fluke, the Bears beat both teams again the following season with West and Robertson still in college. Cal topped West Virginia 65-45 in a holiday tournament and knocked off Cincinnati 77-69 in the Final Four. Cal lost the 1960 championship game 75-55 to Ohio State, which was led by Lucas, John Havlicek and Knight. Emotionally high strung, Newell lived on coffee, cigarettes and little else during the season. He was told by doctors to leave full-time coaching, which he did in 1960 at age 44. His overall record was 234-123, and he beat UCLA's John Wooden the last eight times they met. Newell ended his coaching career in the Olympics, when the U.S. team won every game by at least 24 points. Statements from around the NBA Newell served as athletic director at Cal from 1960-68, a turbulent era on the Berkeley campus. He worked for several NBA teams in a variety of capacities. He was general manager of the Rockets when they were in San Diego and orchestrated the trade that brought Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles when he ran the Lakers. He later was a consultant to the Warriors Commissioner David Stern: "Pete Newell was a giant of our game. He dedicated his life to basketball and basketball is the better for it. One only has to talk to basketball people anywhere in the world to realize the impact Pete had on our sport." Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Pete Newell earlier today. Pete was one of the most brilliant teachers and coaches the game has ever known, and was also an exceptional front office man as the Lakers General Manager from 1972-76. He was a great help to me when I first purchased the Lakers and he was very generous with his time and counsel. In addition to his great contributions to the basketball world, Pete was also one of the finest gentlemen we've known. Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the Newell family." Warriors head coach Don Nelson: "This is obviously a very sad day for the game of basketball, whether you are associated with the NBA, college or high school ranks. I've known Pete for over 50 years and have a tremendous amount of respect for the man and his many accomplishments. Pete was a great coach and a great man who had the ability to relate to players and people on every level. A countless number of coaches and players benefitted from Pete's tutelage over the years -- including those who attended his specialized camps each summer -- and will be indebted to him for the expertise and wisdom that he provided. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 8:22:35 GMT -5
www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/ny-spknix185931917nov18,0,6895225.story Knicks expect tough Celtics even without Garnett BY ALAN HAHN | alan.hahn@newsday.com November 18, 2008 GREENBURGH, N.Y. - The first daunting - and also intriguing - matchup for the Knicks against the Celtics' Big Three has been reduced by a Big One-third. The NBA yesterday suspended all-star forward Kevin Garnett for one game, tonight against the Knicks at TD Banknorth Garden, for an altercation with Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut on Saturday. The Knicks, who have the league's most potent offense (105.7 points per game), will face one of the league's best defensive teams without its best defensive player. So much for a measuring-stick game. "I don't know if we want to measure against the world champs on the road just yet," Mike D'Antoni said after practice yesterday at the MSG Training Center. It will be the fourth time in 11 games this season that the Knicks (6-4) will face an opponent who is without a star player. The Knicks beat the Wizards, who were without Gilbert Arenas, on Nov. 7, the Utah Jazz, without Deron Williams, on Nov. 9 and lost to the San Antonio Spurs, without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, on Nov. 11. Garnett, the league's defensive player of the year last season, threw an open-handed swipe at Bogut when the two came together after a hard foul with 3:58 remaining in regulation in Saturday's game in Milwaukee. The Celtics won, 102-97, in overtime. Bogut committed the foul on Garnett and the league yesterday upgraded it to a flagrant foul penalty one. Before the suspension was announced, the Knicks yesterday tried to downplay any significance to the game as a way to measure their encouraging start on the reality scale, let alone try to spark up a rivalry with the division-leading Celtics (9-2). "We aren't on their level right now," Zach Randolph said. "For something to be there, we've got to compete with them at the higher level that they compete at." The Celtics are certainly in line to defend their title, though there are some holes to fill on their roster. Sam Cassell was brought back to support Rajon Rondo at the point, but the Celtics could consider Stephon Marbury if the Knicks put him on waivers. It is believed that the Celtics have little to no interest in Marbury, however, because they believe Cassell can still provide enough as the backup, they have a vested interest in Eddie House (two years, $5.5 million) and want to continue to develop second-year guard Gabe Pruitt at the position. The team that appears most interested in Marbury - when and if he is cut loose by the Knicks - is the Miami Heat. But as long as the stalemate between Marbury and the Knicks remains over the buyout of his $21.9-million salary, it appears he is going nowhere. The Knicks are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday. Notes & quotes: Danilo Gallinari made the trip with the team and will see a Boston-based specialist today for yet another consultation about his lower-back injury. The Knicks rookie, who thus far has been advised to simply rest his back, will head to Los Angeles next week to meet with one more specialist ... Jerome James is still away from the team tending to a personal matter. He is not expected to be in Boston for tonight's game. Tonight Knicks at Boston 7:30 p.m. TV: MSG Radio: WEPN (1050)
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 8:24:12 GMT -5
www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/sports/basketball/18knicks.html?_r=2&pagewanted=printGood Signs for Knicks, but It’s Only a Start By HOWARD BECK From the win-loss record to the scoring binges, the statistics all indicate a happier, healthier Knicks franchise. The players stand tall and exhale confidence. Opponents testify to their transformation. Truly, the Knicks have had a glorious three-week run. By winning 6 of their first 10 games under Coach Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks restored a little pride and belief, all of which could be either reinforced or destroyed over the next 10 games, when the schedule turns nastier. The Knicks visit the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday, starting a 10-game run that will include two dates each with Cleveland and Detroit and matchups against three explosive young teams: Golden State, Atlanta and Portland. For a Knicks team that has started to gain some self-esteem, the next few weeks could prove critical. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of improvement to do,” D’Antoni said Monday, “but so far, so good.” The Knicks have had modest achievements already — going three games over .500 for the first time in four years, and going 6-3 to open a season for the first time in 10 years. Then came Sunday’s overtime loss to Dallas, a game the Knicks could have won. Before the game, D’Antoni reflected on the progress to date. “More than the numbers, you see it in their faces, that they’re starting to believe and it’s starting to come together,” he said. “That’s more important.” In the same breath, however, D’Antoni said his team had not entirely shed its demons, tightening up in close games or whenever “something bad went on the floor.” “We’re not completely out of the woods,” he said. “But I see we make some mistakes and it’s not the end of the world.” Then the Knicks went out and blew a 13-point lead against the Mavericks. A more extreme stress test awaits them in Boston, the site of their most humiliating defeat last season. In a nationally televised game last November, the Celtics dismantled the Knicks, 104-59, laying bare the strained relationship between Coach Isiah Thomas and his players. The defeat came to symbolize a disastrous season. “I actually forgot it until you just said it,” Jamal Crawford said, sounding not entirely convincing. “Yeah, that was embarrassing. Very, very embarrassing. But I think we’re worlds away from where we were then.” Crawford added: “I think mentally we’re more prepared, we’re more focused on what we have to do. We’re more focused on competing every single night, no matter who we’re playing against.” That was easier to accomplish in the first few weeks of the season, when the Knicks gained momentum with victories over recent lottery teams (Miami, Charlotte, Memphis and Oklahoma City). Maintaining focus against Boston is a different challenge altogether. But the Knicks caught a break Monday, when the N.B.A. suspended Kevin Garnett for Tuesday’s game. Garnett was punished for striking Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut in the face during a Celtics victory on Saturday. Unlike last season’s meeting, the Celtics-Knicks matchup should produce some competitive intrigue. The Knicks have the N.B.A.’s highest-scoring offense at 105.7 points a game. The Celtics are holding opponents to 89.7 points and a league-low .396 field-goal percentage. “We ain’t on their level right now,” said Zach Randolph, who will take a streak of eight straight double-doubles into the game. “For something to be there, we got to be able to compete with them at the high level that they compete at. And we ain’t there yet. So it’s going to be a good test for us.” That the Knicks can lay claim to being the N.B.A.’s best at anything is, in itself, a major improvement over recent seasons. (They also lead the league in 3-pointers made and attempted and are No. 2 in assists.) Their blemishes remain evident. The Knicks are last in points allowed (105.5) and 29th in opponents’ field-goal percentage (.484). They are still prone to streaks of individualistic play. But they generally seem unified and focused. “They look like they’re having fun, they’re playing freely,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said last week. “They’re enjoying it, they’re competing hard and that’s always the first sign. A coach enjoys watching a team that competes.” Randolph has become the Knicks’ most consistent inside threat, averaging 20.8 points and 12.9 rebounds. Crawford has been their best outside threat, averaging a team-high 21.3 points. And Chris Duhon, who was a lightly regarded bench player when the Knicks signed him in July, has rewarded D’Antoni’s faith. He is among the league leaders with 7.4 assists a game and has been unfazed by the sideshow drama involving Stephon Marbury, the point guard he replaced. Those are enjoyable story lines for a formerly dysfunctional team. Now the Knicks will find out how durable they are.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 9:19:49 GMT -5
celticsgreen.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=bchistorian&action=post&thread=5024&page=1Not much rest for weary Celtics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Fenton GateHouse News Service Posted Nov 17, 2008 @ 11:17 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON — They just concluded one of the busiest stretches of the season, playing eight games in 12 nights in five cities. After a two-day respite, the Boston Celtics are about to embark on another challenging portion of the schedule with seven games in 12 nights. The Celtics, however, will be starting this group of games without forward Kevin Garnett, who will be serving a one-game suspension tonight that was handed out by the NBA. The Celtics face the revived New York Knicks at the TD Banknorth Garden (7:35; TV: Comcast SportsNet; radio: WEEI-AM (850). The Knicks are the league’s highest scoring team, and the Celtics will be without their top defensive player. Garnett was punished for hitting Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks in the face with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. Garnett was called for a foul and a technical foul on the play, and Bogut received a technical foul that was upgraded to a flagrant 1 penalty on Monday. The suspension will cost Garnett, the highest paid player in the league, an estimated $302,000 in salary. The Celtics will probably start either Leon Powe or Glen Davis in his spot. This latest stretch of games will bring to a close a hectic November in which the Celtics will have played 16 games, the most in any month this season, after opening with two games in the final week of October. Boston made it through the eight-games-in-12-nights grind with seven wins, losing only to the Denver Nuggets at home last Friday night. The Celtics also struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks before finally winning in overtime on Saturday night. The next part of the schedule has the Celtics playing four games at home (the Detroit Pistons are in Thursday followed by the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers next week) with three on the road (Minnesota for a Garnett homecoming on Friday night and Toronto and Charlotte next week). Despite being 9-2, the Celtics are not satisfied with the start they’ve gotten off to in the first three weeks. They have had problems at the beginning of games and have dug deep holes for themselves at home. Still, the Celtics are only one game behind last year’s pace after having little practice time since the end of training camp. “The key for us is to continue to grow,’’ Paul Pierce said. “It’s a long season. It’s a pretty tough schedule (right now). We’re playing a lot of playoff teams early, so it’s good for us to get these type of games. “We’re learning from them. I’ve always said you don’t have to learn (just from) losses. You can learn from wins.’’ Coach Doc Rivers is hoping he can start relying on his bench more in order to cut back on the playing time of Pierce (averaging 39.4 minutes), Ray Allen (35.8) and Garnett (33.5). “I burn minutes early in the year. I do it all the time,’’ said Rivers. “I think it’s important that our guys play minutes early, and as the year goes on, I start going backwards.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 18, 2008 9:24:53 GMT -5
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