NEW YORK –The Chicago Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich each were named Coach of the Month for the second time this season, winning the award for games played in March. Thibodeau led the Bulls to a league-best 13-3 (.813) record including a league-leading 6-0 mark on the road, holding opponents to a league-low 43 percent shooting. Thibodeau recorded his 100th career win on March 19 at Orlando (86-59), his 131st game as head coach, becoming the fastest coach
In his Hall of Fame career, Larry Brown has coached NBA teams to 1,520 victories in the regular season and playoffs, led ABA teams to 271 victories and college teams to 177 victories. For those counting, Brown has left a basketball game 1,968 times as a winner. That means at his next stop, Brown is very likely to celebrate win No. 2,000 and he made it clear last week that he certainly would like to have a next stop. “I just want
It was the Rajon Rondo show, with a triple-double (16 PTS, 14 AST, 11 REB) that left Heat coach Eric Spoelstra fuming on TV at halftime about his team’s defensive effort. Paul Pierce added 23 while Brandon Bass had 16 & 10 in the unexpected rout. Miami got very little from Dwayne Wade (15) and almost nothing from Chris Bosh (4 points on 2-11 shooting) in one of their worst performances of the season. Ray Allen (ankle) missed another game; Avery
When I was a young player growing up, my teammates called me “Mookie.” Partly because my favorite baseball player was Mookie Wilson, but also because my point guard skills at the CYO level apparently reminded my coach of the University of Oklahoma’s Mookie Blaylock. Irony would have it my favorite band, Pearl Jam, once called themselves the same name and even called their first album Ten, which was Blaylock’s number. It just so happened to me mine, too. When I think of the
Today, we will spare you the details of the Sunday afternoon blowouts that made for a fine laundry day. The Heat were held to 72 points by Boston and lost. Miami is doggin’ it during the dog days, and to quote Ned Flanders: “That’s a D-D-D: Dig Diddly Doo.” The Bulls didn’t have Derrick Rose again and got waxed by the Thunder, whose former in-house beat writer, now employed here, now says they appear to be championship worthy after knocking off the
The more I watch the Oklahoma City Thunder rack up wins and inch closer to the league’s best record, the more I question my preseason predictions. Can the Thunder win the NBA title this season? Back in December I said no, although I did have them facing the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. After watching the Thunder cruise to a 40-12 overall record thanks to Sunday’s 92-78 thrashing of the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls, and putting the rest of their season
NEWS/NOTES: Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks is likely to miss the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose missed his 10th consecutive game Sunday afternoon because of a groin injury. He remains unsure of when he’ll return to the floor, but he doesn’t expect to miss the remainder of the regular season. Rose, the NBA’s reigning MVP, injured his groin in a March 12 game against the New York
CHARLOTTE — Michael Jordan ain’t selling. At least that’s what he is saying today. The majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats issues a declarative statement Sunday, denying he is contemplating selling the team he bought from Bob Johnson two years ago. The New York Daily News reported Sunday that Jordan has contemplated selling the NBA’s worst team if it doesn’t improve in performance and profitability. Jordan issued the following statement through the Bobcats today: “I was disturbed to hear the false report that I intend