Section B·Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, May 1, 2000
Knicks sweep Raptors, will take on Heat
Lucky shot aids third-game victory
The Associated Press
TORONTO — The New York Knicks are marching on to Miami after they got a lucky three-point shot from Larry Johnson and swept the Toronto Raptors.
Jennson banked in a three-pointer from a nearly straight-away angle with 24.2 seconds left yesterday, leading the Knicks to an 87-60 victory against the Raptors in the first NBA playoff game played in Canada.
"Definitely, the gods were with me," Johnson said. "I didn't call a bank on that one."
The Knicks and Heat now will renew their postseason rivalry for the fourth straight season, each of the teams coming off first-round sweeps.
The Knicks had to work hard for this one, just as they did in the first two
games of the series, and the difference came down to which team could make the right decisions and sink the key shots in the final minute.
Allan Houston, who led New York with 23 points, made the first one when he sank a 21-foot jumper with 44 seconds left for an 82-78 lead. After a pair of foul shots by Antonio Davis.
Johnson made the next big play.
His three-pointer slammed off the backboard and went right through the net without touching the rim, and Johnson pointed his first at his right elbow—his
"Big L" gesture that has returned to fashion after a one-year absence. Only this time, the "L" might just as well have stood for "lucky" rather than "Larry."
Vince Carter and Dee Brown missed shots on Toronto's next possession, and Chris Childe locked up the victory by making two foul shots with 11.8 seconds left.
As the final eight seconds ticked off the clock, the Raptors hung their heads and gave up.
Carter had another below-par game, scoring 15 points on five-for-17 shooting.
The Knicks aggressively double teamed Carter in the final minutes, even sending two men out to guard him at half court when he brought the ball up.
After Carter hit two foul shots for a 78-78 tie with 1:34 left, Johnson was fouled by Dee Brown and made both free throws. Charles Oakley then picked up his dribble 30 feet from the basket and threw the ball out of bounds when none of the other Raptors came to help him.
with Toronto double-teaming Latrell Sprewell on the right wing on New York's next possession, Houston was left open. He saw an opening, stepped up and made a 22-foot jumper with 44 seconds left for a four-point lead.
Houston had his highest-scoring game of the series, Johnson added 14 points, Patrick Ewing had 12 and Sprewell 11.
Davis led the Raptors with 18 points. The biggest statistical difference was in
three-point shooting, as New York went nine-for-16 and Torontt was three-for-21.
Carter played only seven minutes in the first quarter and did not score, then sat out the final four minutes of the second quarter in a curious move by coach Butch Carter.
New York missed 10 of its first 11 shots as Toronto started two-for-11, and neither team led by more than five in a first half which ended with the Knicks ahead 46-45. Houston led the Knicks with 10 points, while Davis had 14 for Toronto to make up for a lack of production from Carter and Tracy McGrady.
The Raptors made the first big move of the game midway through the third quarter as McGrady scored eight straight points for a 59-52 lead, but Houston spurred a quick comeback with a steal, a block and a three-pointer as New York ran off an 8-0 spurt to regain the momentum.
Toronto led 68-61 entering the fourth quarter, and each team had a run — 8-0 by the Knicks; 7-0 by the Raptors — in the first six minutes of the final quarter.
Timberwolves stay alive, beat Portland 94-87
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — The only smudge on Terrell Brandon's career day was that it came at the expense of his hometown pal from Portland.
Brandon scored 28 points in his best playoff performance ever and shut down Damon Stoudamire as the Minnesota Timberwolves staved off elimination with a 94-87 victory against the Trail Blazers yesterday.
Brandon, who added 12 assists and seven rebounds, helped hold Stoudamire to two free throws, 14 points below his playoff average.
Stoudamire would just as soon forget about his dismal day. He was zero for eight from the field with one rebound and had as many assists (six) as fouls.
Brandon was 10 of 16 from the field. six of six from the line
"I didn't play tough because this was Portland," Brandon said. "This was do or die. I'll take another 48 if that's what
and had just one turnover while not getting so much as a single breather from coach Flip Saunders.
"It takes a lot of energy to have to guard Damon because he's faster than me."
Terrell Brandon Minnesota point guard
Flip and the team needs me to do."
Brandon not only handled Stoudamire, who is three years younger, but also his feisty backu-
Greg Anthony, who logged 20 minutes.
"It takes a lot of energy to have to guard Damon because he's faster than me," Brandon said. "Then, Greg comes in and guards me fullcourt and that takes more energy."
Brandon was up to the task. "He played an excellent g
He played an excellent game. Stoudamire said, "I said at the beginning of the series, if he played good for them, they'd win this series."
That's still a long shot, even if Brandon can reproduce one of the finest all-round playoff performances ever recorded by a point guard.
Only four teams have overcome a 2-0 deficit since 1984, when the league adopted the best-of-five format for the first round of the playoffs.
Game 4 is tomorrow night at Target Center, and Blazers coach Mike Dumleavy said he wasn't about to juggle his lineup.
Blazers forward Scotte Pippen said nothing went wrong for Brandon.
"He's one of the top point guards. They're very patient offensively, and he's a great leader," Pippen said. "It doesn't hurt to have K.G. on your team, either."
Kevin Garnett, who has just two triple-doubles in five NBA seasons, had his second triple-double in a week with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Wolves.
Playing just their second home game in three weeks, the Wolves did what they couldn't do in Portland: stifle Pippen (16 points), execute down the stretch and curb their mistakes.
At times in the first half, Smith, who hyperextended his right knee in Game 2, matched up with Wallace, moving Garnett to small forward to try to curb Pippen, who had schooled rookie Wally Szczerbiak and veterans Sealy and
BLAZERS
Peeler for 49 points in the first two games in Portland.
Pippen didn't score any points against Garnett, who took the victory in stride, knowing a 50-win season means little if the Wolves don't get out of the first round for the first time in their 11-year history.
"We have no choice but to do this again." Garnett said.
"We wish we could go out and play again right now," Pippen said. "We know we didn't play well. We shot ourselves in the foot today."
The teams combined for just 13 turnovers, tying an NBA playoff record.
Steve Smith scored 22 points for the Blazers, who hit their first 17 free throws. When they finally missed, Brian Grant got his own rebound with a chance for Portland to cut its 80-77 deficit.
But Grant committed an offensive foul with just under five minutes left, and the Wolves would never relinquish their lead.
Strong Kings' bench gives team boost in Game 3 victory
The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shaquille O'Neal lost his shooting touch. Kobe Bryant was slowed by foul trouble. And, suddenly, the mighty Los Angeles Lakers were not invincible.
Chris Webber had 29 points and the Sacramento bench finally came alive, sparking an 18-4 run in the fourth quarter, as the Kings defeated the Lakers 99-91 yesterday and stayed alive in the playoffs.
The Lakers won the first two games by comfortable margins in Los Angeles. Game 4 in the best-of-five series is tomorrow night at Sacramento.
O'Neal had 21 points and 17 rebounds, but went eight for 22 from the field and five for 14 from the foul line. Bryant, who picked up his fourth foul early in the third period, had 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter.
Predrag Stojakovic had 19 points, and Tony Dalkel added 11 as
the Kings' self-proclaimed "Bench Mob," which had little success in the first two games of the series, outscored the Lakers' reserves 34-11.
Dell played most of the fourth quarter instead of Jason Williams, who scored 10 points but made several poor passes early in the game.
The Kings still face a harrowing task as they try to upset the best team in the NBA this season. Only 12 teams have rallied to win a series after trailing 2-0, and none since the Houston Rockets in 1995.
The scenario is familiar for the Lakers. In each of the previous three seasons, Los Angeles has won the first two games of its first-round series, then lost Game 3 and wrapped up the series in four games.
The Kings missed 11 of their first 13 shots and fell behind 15-7 midway through the first period. A three-point play by Glen Rice gave the Lakers a 27-17 lead late in the first quarter.
The Kings hit eight of their next 11 shots, responding with a 13-3 run and tying the game at 30-30 on a jumper by Stojakovic, but the Lakers answered with a 9-0 run.
Sacramento opened the fourth quarter with a 7-1 run, taking its first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Stojakovic with 9:43 remaining after Delk twice kept the possession alive with offensive rebounds. Notes
Notes:
Kings assistant coach Pete Carril was resting comfortably in a hospital yesterday, recovering from a minor heart attack Saturday.
Sacramento reserve forward Tyrone Corbin sprained his left knee while colliding with teammate Jon Barry in the second quarter and did not return.
While you're doing your thing, we're doing ours. Matching you to great jobs with hundreds of top employers - 24/7.
11:14 p.m. finding a great job.
Log on to www.jobdirect.com/cash for a chance to win $500 today!
JobDirect.com Where students and employers click!