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Stackhouse believes Heat miss Mashburn

Dec 31, 2001 11:54 AM EST

Two seasons ago, Jerry Stackhouse was on a Detroit Pistons team that was swept by Miami 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

On Sunday, Stackhouse and his Pistons beat the Heat for the first time since April 12, 2000.

What's the difference between this 5-23 Miami team and the one that beat Detroit the past seven times they've met in the regular season of playoffs? Stackhouse says the answer is Jamal Mashburn.

"You definitely underestimate the presence of a Mashburn on that team," said Stackhouse, who scored 24 points against Miami on Sunday despite being limited to 28 minutes because of foul trouble. "That's what they're missing."

Mashburn was traded two summers ago in the deal that brought Eddie Jones to Miami. Since then, the Heat played primarily with Bruce Bowen at small forward position last season and LaPhonso Ellis and Jim Jackson this season.

Jackson has tried to be the inside-outside player Miami is lacking (he has shot 52 percent over his last four games), but his 6-foot-6 frame limits him against some of the bigger small forwards in the league. Jones has a decent post-up game but often gets muscled off the block and ends up with an isolation play on the perimeter.

"They've got (Alonzo Mourning) in the middle, Brian (Grant) can post and hits jump shots, Eddie is doing his thing coming off screens and creating problems and getting guys open shots," Stackhouse said. "I think they need that key component, even though Jimmy's been playing well, Mash could hurt you inside and out and that's little bit of something that they're missing."

• Scary moment: Jones went down in obvious pain in the third quarter Sunday after running into Mourning with his left shoulder.

It was the same shoulder Jones had surgically repaired this off-season, so the pain he felt when he went down shook the shooting guard.

"When it happened I was a little scared," Jones said. "It was stinging. When it stings like that, I was like, `Whoa.' "

Jones left the floor holding his left arm. But after stretching and icing his shoulder he returned to the game. He missed three of four shots after returning.

• Hot flashes: Heat coach Pat Riley said he has seen more consistency from Mourning recently, especially defensively.

"I'm beginning to see flashes of the old Zo more consistently," Riley said. "I think a player has to understand who he is, where he came from and what he's all about as a player. Zo was Defensive Player of the Year as a shot blocker and intimidator inside. That's where his greatness is and that's where he has to focus a lot more of his energy, defensive rebound the ball, clog up the lane and then let the offense just sort of come with it."

In his last five games, Mourning is averaging 15.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.

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Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Charlotte Bobcats

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No decision likely as Jan. 1 target date arrives for Hornets

Dec 31, 2001 11:34 AM EST

LAUREN MARKOE and TIM WHITMIRE of the Charlotte Observer report: Remember the Hornets saying this summer that they would settle their relocation question by Jan. 1?

Don't expect an answer tomorrow.

Hornets co-owner Ray Wooldridge had asked interested cities to have their arena-building plans to the team by year's end. The top contenders aren't totally ready, but they're not sweating either.

Louisville, Ky., which Wooldridge has called the front-runner for the team, is still putting the final touches on its arena plan. Steve Magre, president of that city's board of aldermen, said he thinks the month ahead "remains a reasonable time frame" for the Hornets and Louisville to conclude negotiations.

"This Jan. 1 date was sort of self-imposed on the process by George and Ray as a way for them to speed up the competition among various cities," said Vincent Mastracco, an attorney on the steering committee trying to bring the Hornets to Norfolk.

He and Magre agree that the real deadline is March 1 - the date by which the NBA requires teams to file to move for the next season.

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Charlotte Bobcats

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Atlanta bomb scare puts things in perspective

Dec 31, 2001 11:16 AM EST

There were some anxious moments for Hornets players and coaches shortly after last Saturday’s 101-88 loss to Atlanta after a bomb threat was made to Philips Arena near the end of the game.

"I was made aware right after the game was over," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "The guys were in the shower and I told Big Shot (equipment manager and Belmont Abbey alumnus Dave Jovanovic) to tell them what was going on. They didn’t believe him at first. They thought it was some sort of a joke. So, I came in there and told them it was real. They moved pretty fast after that and we got on the buses and got out of there."

Hornets forward P.J. Brown said it was the first bomb scare he could recall since he was in junior high in Winfield, La.

"It was kind of weird," Brown said. "But in these days and times, you just never know."

Charlotte guard Baron Davis said he took the threat seriously at first, unlike some of his other teammates.

"I hurried up and got the hell up out of there," said Davis, who was in elementary school in south central Los Angeles during the riots following the first Rodney King verdict.

After searching the arena, officials found no validity to the threat.

Home sweet home

The Los Angeles Clippers stretch of 27 home wins in 36 games is their best stretch since the early 1990s when Larry Brown was the team’s coach.

Brown feels confident this current Clippers’ group, coached by Shelby’s Alvin Gentry, can continue the franchise’s renaissance.

"I’ve watched them," Brown said. "They’re terrific. They’re fun to watch, they’re doing great. There’s a lot of athletic teams in the league now but they’re way up there. And they’re young and they play with enthusiasm.

"I just think Elton Brand has made such an impact. He plays with effort, he gets you 19 and 10 or 11 rebounds every game. Never takes a lot of shots. Doesn’t make mistakes. That was a heck of a trade. And he’s a great character kid, which is something that every young team needs. When you’ve got a guy like him that comes to practice and works hard every game and every possession, it’s a tremendous teaching aide to young people."

Brand, the former Duke star, was acquired on draft night last June from the Chicago Bulls.

Riley still hopeful

Miami’s slow start this season has had Pat Riley going through a rollercoaster of emotions. At times, he wants to get rid of his entire team. At others, he’s hopeful of a playoff run.

"The Eastern Conference is so bizarre," said Riley, who has never missed postseason play in his 19 previous seasons as a head coach. "I will continue to believe we can make the playoffs until we can’t make it. We are only five games out. Think about how sick that is. We have lost 20 games already, and we are only five games out of a playoff spot."

Tough times in Portland

Following a Sports Illustrated story on how far the Portland Trail Blazers have fallen in terms of interest and standing in the community, things haven’t improved. In fact, Bonzi Wells has suffered even more.

Wells was quoted in the story saying, "We’re not really going to worry about what the hell they (Portland fans) think about us. They really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That’s why they’re fans and we’re NBA players."

In the next home game after the story appeared, Wells was in uniform but did not play due to knee injury. However, during the game, a feature on the in-house replay screen asked players what their favorite Christmas gift was as a kid. When it came time to show Wells’ taped response, the fans booed so loudly it could not be heard.

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Charlotte Bobcats, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, General Basketball

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Bobcats Dec 2001 Archive