Section B·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, April 6, 1999
Vince Carter leads team in six straight victories
Raptors on rebound from losing history
The Associated Press
TORONTO — Take one of the NBA's worst teams, add two tough old-timers and one scintillating rookie, flip into a new arena, then sizzle until red-hot.
That recipe has transformed the Toronto Raptors into a legitimate playoff contender for the first time in their four-year history.
They are playing the first meaningful NBA games ever in Canada — and have won a franchise-record six straight, including down-to-the-buzzer victories against San Antonio and Indiana.
After three-plus seasons housed in Toronto's cavernous SkyDome, the Raptors moved to the new Air Canada Centre on Feb. 21. Since then, they've gone 11-2 at home, and Raptors tickets are suddenly as coveted as NHL tickets for the playoff-bound Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We have a vendetta against the entire league because just about every
body has beat on us," reserve forward John Wallace said. "Now, we're the team doing a little laughing."
Fans had modest hopes for this abbreviated season, suspecting a reprise of the 16-66 record in 1997-98.
But top draft choice Vince Carter has blossomed rapidly into a star and is the clear favorite for rookie of the year. He leads the team in scoring with 17.6 points a game and dominates local sports-show highlights.
But Carter's brilliance alone wouldn't have gotten the Raptors where they are now, in seventh place in the Eastern Conference at 18-14.
Charles Oakley and Kevin Willis, two tested and tough big men, were acquired during the off-season, going from title contenders to the seemingly hapless Raptors.
They injected the team with the most crucial missing ingredient—a strong work ethic, a willingness to wage trench warfare game after game, regardless of the score.
Oakley's statistics aren't glamorous, but he just might be more valuable to the Raptors than he ever was to the
Willis, the former Houston Rocket in his 15th NBA season, has struggled with a shoulder injury the past month, but nonetheless has been the most solid center the Raptors have ever had.
New York Knicks, inspiring gritty play from his mostly young teammates.
"He's there for everybody," backup
guard Dee Brown said. "Kevin lets
guard Dee Brown everyone know when they do a good job."
Brown has been vital to the offense with his three-point shooting off the bench. Starting guard Doug
Christie, the longest-serving Raptor, is the league leader in steals and No. 2 on the team in scoring with 14.7 points a game.
game.
Butch Carter, in his first full season as a head coach, also has made effective use of Wallace and reserve swingman Tracy McGrady. Each is averaging more than eight points a game.
Vince Carter is the one who electrifies the crowds — mixing three-point
ers with twisting layups and emphatic dunks, seemingly gaining energy in the fourth quarter.
four quarter On Saturday night, his defense was pivotal in an 87-85 victory against Washington.
Wizards star Mitch Richmond took an inbounds pass with 10 seconds left and maneuvered for a winning or tying shot.
But Carter stayed with Richmond to prevent a drive, then leapt when Richmond tried a long shot, disrupting the release. The ball never hit the rim.
Willis put his arm around Carter after the game and walked him down the court.
"He knows his defense has be to there to be a well-rounded player," Willis said. "I just wanted to make sure he knew. He knows what he can be."
After Sunday's home-court win against Philadelphia, Oakley was asked how it felt to be ahead of the Knicks in the standings.
"We're looking down on a lot of teams," he said. "We can't brag, or this or that. We've just got to play ball every night."
Masters' favorite looks for first major tournament win
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Too bad yesterday was only a practice round at the Masters. David Duval took the day off.
While most everyone else was getting a look at the new rough and the two new tree boxes at Augusta National, Duval arrived at the clubhouse with little fanfare, seated backward in the back of a golf cart. That seemed only appropriate.
During the first three months of the season, Duval has left everyone in his wake.
"I wish he would play a little less, so maybe I might win one," Justin Leonard said. "What he's done is incredible. If there was somebody whose respect he didn't have before this year, it think he's gained it."
didn't have before this year. I simply Duval's latest conquest was Sunday in the BellSouth Classic, where he went from two strokes down to a two-stroke victory in the last four holes in which the full measure of his game was on display - brilliant chipping, solid putting, long drives and remarkable calm.
It was his fourth victory this year, and second time he had won back-to-back. No one else has won more than once this year.
"He's definitely got something going on in his head that most people don't have," Mark Calcavecchia said. "That could be the peaceful feeling he's talking about, the thing where you hit it, find it and hit it again. He knows he's good enough that he can keep plugging away."
Calceacchia watched it all unfold on the television in Augusta's clubhouse, where he stopped for lunch
before playing nine holes in fading sunlight
"It he going to win every tournament?" Calcavecchia said. "Four wins in the '90s is good, let alone four wins in 3 1/2 months. That's unbelievable. He's got to be the man to beat. I can't imagine he's going to suffer any kind of letdown."
kind of redowear.
That proved to be a popular sentiment yesterday. The Duval Express was as hot a topic Monday as the crew-cut rough that frames the fairways and the 17th tee box that has been moved back 25 yards, finally making the best players in the world realize why President Eisenhower wanted to chop down the pine tree that looms over the left side of the fairway.
Winning four tournaments in a year is heady stuff. Since 1980, only Nick Price in 1994 has won more often in a full season. Duval still has about 16 events left this year, including the four majors.
year, including the job he had. "He's been hotter than a firecracker," said Fuzzy Zoeller. "He has a lot of talent, and it was just a matter of time before it started happening."
With his victory in The Players Championship two weeks ago, Duval rose to No.1 in the world ranking, ending Tiger Woods' reign at 41 weeks. He still lacks a major championship, and being the heavy favorite at Augusta doesn't always guarantee a green jacket.
The last player who came to the Masters on this kind of a roll and managed to win was Fred Couples in 1992
a roll and managed to win. "Adam Couple said, "But he's won 11 of the last 34 times he's played. That's borderline ridiculous. I don't know of anyone else who's done that."
The last player to put together such a stretch was
Tom Watson in 1980. To find someone who already has won four times going into the Masters, go all the way back to the Johnny Miller in 1974.
"Has he really won four already?" Jim Furyk asked. "I don't think anyone is surprised because Davis has been playing well, and he really doesn't have any weaknesses. Then again, it's incredible."
Miller finished in a tie for 15th in the Masters that year, but he bagged his four victories before he even got to the Florida swing. Duval comes into the Masters riding the confidence of having won the past two weeks.
past two weeks.
"I think my head is where it needs to be." Duval said.
"I think my golf swing is where it needs to be. It is in a good spot right now."
All he needs now is rest, which is why he didn't even bother to bring his clubs down Magnolia Lane when he registered. Duval always takes Monday off, and there's no reason to change that this week.
More than anything, Duval attributes his success this year to his frame of mind. He won in Hawaii, took a week off to go snowboarding in Idaho, then came back and shot a 59 on Sunday to win the Hope Classic.
He took off three weeks in March, showed up at the Players Championship and won the biggest tournament of his career to date, then moved on to Atlanta for another victory speech.
"If you make sure you're rested when you're playing, and that you are ready to play and you're looking forward to playing, I have found that to be the most important thing for me to play well," he said. "I need to be in a position where I want to play."
Washington Wizards fire losing coach
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Under Bernie Bickerstaff, the Washington Wizards became a tentative team that froze in the fourth quarter, with little hustle for the big rebound or loose ball.
mature for the big回归.
In danger of missing the playoffs for the 10th
time in 11 years and struggling at 13-19, the Wizards
fired Bickertaff yesterday.
Assistant coach Jim Brovell will serve as an interim coach for the rest of the season.
"I felt this team wasn't moving in the direction that we anticipated," said general manager Wes Unseld, whose friendship with Bickerstaff dates to the 1970s. "This is one of the toughest decisions that I've had to make, but it was my feeling that a change was necessary at this time."
The Wizards, who lost 90-79 to Miami on Sunday, are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division and not in playoff contention. They have one of the best backcourts in the league in Mitch Richmond and Rod Strickland and a top forward in Juwan Howard but lack a quality center.
The Wizards' real nemesis has been the fourth quarter. They have held the lead in 20 of their 32 games after three periods, but they've gone on to lose nine of those 20.
"I did not think we were a loose and relaxed basketball team,"guard Tim Legler said."I think that's indicative of what's happened this year when we've had close games."
Bickerstaff sometimes left players confused with his unusual player rotations. Several times this season he would play a starter for five minutes, then bench him for the rest of the game.
game.
"A lot of guys weren't very relaxed in their role and weren't sure exactly what was expected of them on a nightly basis," Legler said.
As the losses mounted, Bickerstaff admitted he wasn't able to produce a fourth-quarter victory. But he also said his club wasn't as talented as teams such as Miami, an accusation that didn't sit well with his players.
"There is a missing ingredient," Bickerstaff said after Sunday's game. "And the ingredient is you have to look yourself and say, 'Do we have the innate ability to do those things?'"
Bickerstaff's dismissal is the fourth coaching change this season, following Del Harris of the Lakers, Dave Cowens of the Hornets and John Calipari of the Nets.
Campbell of the team Bickerstaff was in his 10th season as an NBA coach. His record was 338-348, including 77-71 in his two years with the Wizards.
The Wizards were 42-40 last season.
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