News

11 Aralık 2007

Wright, Quinn fill needs

PHOENIX — If things work the way coach Pat Riley would like, Dorell Wright and Chris Quinn would fill huge gaps at small forward and point guard for the Heat, positions that have dogged the team since training camp.

On short notice both youngsters have come through with solid performances that have temporarily solved the two biggest lineup issues on the team.

No one knows how long Wright and Quinn will continue to start at their respective positions, but it's working for now.

"He and Dorell have played well," Riley said.

Wright starts the game at small forward, and Ricky Davis starts the second half at small forward. Both Wright and Davis said their roles would take some adjustment.

"It's good," Davis said. "When I'm there at the end of the battle and the game's on the line is when I want to be in the game."

Quinn, who entered Monday's game at Phoenix with a 2-1 record as a starter, got his starting job against the Clippers and Suns because Jason Williams sustained a sprained right ankle and didn't play the second half of Friday's game at Golden State.

Williams could be back for Thursday's home game against Washington, but Quinn could solidify his spot as backup point guard, ahead of Smush Parker, who didn't make the trip because of an incident last month with a parking valet in Miami.

Wade's loss, Zo's gain: Center Alonzo Mourning was credited with two more points and guard Dwyane Wade had two taken away from Sunday's 100-94 victory over the Clippers because the official scorer gave Wade two free throws that Mourning made.

That means Wade tied his season best with 33 points instead of establishing a season best with 35.

Mourning ends up with eight.

Roster issues: When Miami returns home it will have two personnel matters to handle regarding Parker and forward Luke Jackson, who is coming in for a workout.

Riley said last week the team would decide what to do about Parker when it gets back home although he didn't set a timetable for dealing with the matter.

Jackson, Cleveland's first-round pick in the 2004 draft, could be signed. If so, Miami would be required to make a roster move to clear a spot.

Forward Penny Hardaway knows he could be a candidate to be released.

"I've given it my all," said Hardaway, who missed the past two seasons with knee problems. "I went to training camp and I haven't missed a regular-season game. I haven't had any ailments or anything, just minor stuff so I'm definitely thankful and I hope if this situation doesn't work out I'll go somewhere else."

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

kaynak : NBA

Scoring error corrected; two Wade points shifted to Mourning

PHOENIX - Upon review, Dwyane Wade did not record a season high in points Sunday against the Clippers; he merely tied it.

The NBA on Monday confirmed a scoring error during the fourth quarter of the Heat's 100-94 victory at Staples Center.

The scoring transcript released after Sunday's game had Wade converting two free throws with 8:56 to play in the fourth quarter.

Wade, however, was not in the game at the time, with those two foul shots actually taken by center Alonzo Mourning.

The mistake is easily explained, with Mourning wearing No. 33 and Wade wearing No. 3.

The revised box score will reflect Wade with 33 points, instead of the 35 initially recorded. Wade established a season high with 33 points in Friday's loss at Golden State.

Mourning, who questioned the box score as soon as he glanced at it in the Staples Center locker room, is now credited with eight points, instead of the initial six.

Mourning therefore closed 2 of 3 from the foul line, with Wade's free-throw numbers now reduced to 7 of 8. All league statistics will be updated to reflect the change.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the scoring change.

By Ira Winderman | Sun-Sentinel.com

kaynak : NBA

8 Aralık 2007

Defensive Breakdowns Frustrate Riley

Shaq Hücumlardan Şikayetçi

Miami Heat’in yıldız pivotu Shaquille O’Neal’ın hücumda kendine az top gelmesi nedeniyle mutsuz olduğu gelen haberler arasında.

Son 15 maçta 10’un altında top kullanan Shaquille O’Neal’ın, konuyu Pat Riley ve takım arkadaşları ile konuştuğu da belirtildi. İsteksiz olduğu gerekçesi ile zaman zaman antrenör Pat Riley tarafından da eleştirilen Shaquille O’Neal, son olarak Boston Celtics ile oynanan ve 95-85 kaybedilen maçta 6/7 isabet ile oynamıştı. Shaq mücadeleyi de 13 sayı, 11 ribaund ile tamamlamıştı.

Bu sezon 15 maçta forma giyen Shaquille O’Neal 16.3 sayı ortalaması ile kariyerinin en düşük rakamında kalırken, 7.7 ribaund, 1.1 asist ve 2 blok istatistiklerini yakaladı.

Protecting the inside always has been one of the bedrock defensive principles for Heat coach Pat Riley.

It still is, but the Heat's perimeter defense has been so porous that Riley said he's increasingly relying on "gimmicks and schemes" to "protect and hide people."

There was no hiding it for the Heat on Sunday night at Denver. The Nuggets danced into the lane from the start of their 115-89 victory and never stopped.

"You just can't allow it to come at you that easy," Riley said before the Heat played at Utah on Monday night.

The Nuggets had 56 points in the paint, and it wasn't because of a strong post game. Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Carter had easy passage into the paint for scores or passes for unchallenged dunks and layups.

Riley tried to slow the Nuggets with an assortment of tricked-up defenses, but Denver just kept scoring.

"We are starting to go to situations that I am not comfortable with," Riley said afterward. "Now all of a sudden your defensive principles and playing hard [suffer] because everyone is expecting all this help.

"We have just got to get back to the basic fundamentals of what our defense was when we won the championship and stop all the scheming and other stuff."

Center Alonzo Mourning, still covering for teammates by trying to block everything, appeared frustrated at times by the steady wave of players coming at him.

"The only thing I am frustrated about is looking down our roster and then looking at our record because I know we are better than that," Mourning said Monday.

RILEY GRIEVES
Riley flew from Denver to Louisville, Ky., after Sunday's game to attend the funeral of college teammate Tommy Kron, who died of cancer last week at age 63. Riley arrived back at EnergySolutions Arena about 90 minutes before tipoff.

"Tommy Kron was a dear friend of mine," Riley said. "I went back to respect his family and his memory. It was sudden, but I am ready to go."

Riley and Kron played at the University of Kentucky on the 1965-66 team, nicknamed "Rupp's Runts" after coach Adolph Rupp. The all-white Kentucky team lost to Texas Western's all-black starters in NCAA championship game, an event depicted in the 2006 film Glory Road.

WADE DUNKS
Guard Dwyane Wade dunked in the first quarter against the Jazz, his first since returning from knee and shoulder injuries on Nov. 14. Wade has said dunking would be a sign he's regaining strength in his left knee, and he had a total of three in the opening period. ...

Guard Jason Williams returned to the starting lineup against the Jazz after leaving Sunday's Nuggets game with a right foot injury.

kaynak : NBA

Heat keeps It Close

Shaq İsyan Etti

Miami Heat'in Süper Starı Shaquille O'Neal isyan etti. Sezona kötü başlayan takımlardan olan Heat'de Shaq'da eleştirilerden bıktı.

Özellikle Pat Riley'nin her fırsatta yerden yere vurduğu oyuncular arasında olan Shaq kendisini eleştirenlere ve yaşlı diyenlere sert çıktı.

Shaq yaptığı açıklamada doğru zamanda doğru bir şekilde topla buluşamadığını söylerken; Kendisinin şutları kötü kullanmadığını düşündüğünü söyledi ve takımın kendisini devreye sokmak için daha farklı yollar bulması gerektiğini belirti...

From Dwyane Wade's weak left knee, to Jason Williams' sore right foot, to the aging bodies of Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning, the Heat hardly seems equipped to keep pace with the high-scoring Jazz.

But all of those veterans appeared rejuvenated at the same time. Wade and Williams slashed, O'Neal and Mourning bashed, and the Heat stayed with the Jazz for more than three quarters before Utah pulled away to a 110-101 victory.

The loss dropped the Heat to 4-13 but, after a lethargic effort in a blowout loss to Denver, the Heat was spirited against the Jazz. The Heat fell behind by 20 at Denver and never recovered but kept going at Utah until succumbing in the final four minutes.

Utah led just 94-92 when center Mehmet Okur keyed an 11-4 run. The Heat couldn't finish but, after the embarrassment at Denver, at least it got started.

Wade had 26 points and 10 assists, O'Neal was effective in the post with 12 points and Williams, back in the lineup after leaving Sunday's game with a right foot injury, scored 15.

The Heat also got quality minutes from reserves Mourning, Ricky Davis and rookie Daequan Cook. Mourning had 13 points, Davis 15 and Cook, playing a large role in the fourth quarter, finished with 11.

It took all of that for the Heat, the league's second-worst offensive team coming in, to stay with the No. 3 scoring offense. Carlos Boozer (24 points, 15 rebounds) and Okur (25 points) excelled after one-game injury absences and point guard Deron Williams dominated with 24 points and 15 assists.

After the Heat took a 53-52 halftime lead, Utah looked like it would take control in the third quarter.

The Heat suffered through poor free throw shooting and an offensive drought as the Jazz reeled off a 13-0 run for a 74-63 lead, its largest of the game. But the Heat responded with an 8-0 run to get within 74-71 entering the fourth.

The Heat showed some positive signs in the loss, none more encouraging than Wade's play.

Wade hadn't dunked since returning from knee and shoulder injuries on Nov. 14. Each time he was asked about his health, Wade said dunking would signal he's regaining strength in his left knee and, thus, his attacking style.

So it was a big lift for the Heat when Wade looked more like his penetrating, playmaking and finishing self on Monday. He had five straight baskets in the first period, including three dunks, for 10 of the Heat's 32 points in the quarter.

kaynak : NBA

Heat Issues Boiling Over

Riley Ateş Püskürdü

2007-08 NBA sezonuna 4 galibiyet 13 yenilgi ile başlayan Miami Heat'de koç Pat Riley demeçlerini sertleştirmeye başladı. South Florida Sun Sentinel'a konuşan Miami Heat coachu "Takım leş kokuyor" dedi.

Haberde Miami Heat koçu Pat Riley'ın takımı motive etmek için sert açıklamayı yaptığı belirtildi. Pat Riley sert tavrı ile Miami Heat'i daha iyi bir galibiyet seviyesine yükseltmeyi planlıyor.

NBA tarihinin en iyi 10 koçundan birisi olan Pat Riley, NBA'de kendilerinden kötü galibiyet oranına sahip 2 takımın bulunduğunu açıkladı. Pat Riley takımın liderleri Shaquille O'Neal ve Dwyane Wade'in takımı harekete geçirmek için kendi oyunlarına seviye atlatmaları gerektiğini açıkladı.

Wednesday's venting by coach Pat Riley merely was the public side of simmering tension amid the Heat's season-opening struggles.

Privately, Riley has found himself having to deal with everything from a practice-court spat with center Shaquille O'Neal to questions in his locker room about his preparation methods.

Last week, before the Heat began this six-game western swing that included Thursday's late game against the Trail Blazers, Riley got into a spat with O'Neal and attempted to banish the center from practice.

Only when backup center Alonzo Mourning intervened was the tension defused.

"I don't discuss those things, but those things happen," Riley said. "We don't like losing. The franchise doesn't like losing. We get mad when we lose. And he does, I do, we all do.

"We don't take it well, so some things happen occasionally."

Offered the opportunity to clarify the friction that led him to defy Riley, O'Neal pleaded ignorance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said in a Rose Garden corridor.

He then turned to teammate Mark Blount, smiled, and asked, "You remember that, Mark?"

Blount grinned back, "Nah, I don't remember anything."

While limited, such moments previously have transpired behind closed doors between Riley and O'Neal during their four seasons together.

"That's nothing that's abnormal," Riley said of such feistiness. "Not with me it isn't."

Mourning, who has been most vocal about the team's struggles, said such a display is the residue of losing.

"People don't like to lose, especially the guys that I'm around," he said. "And if you start losing, then obviously some unwanted feelings come out."

Such feelings began to emerge even before the Riley-O'Neal confrontation.

Several players privately questioned Riley putting his team through a rigorous game-day workout before what turned into a 91-76 blowout loss Nov. 13 at Charlotte, a defeat followed the next night by a home loss to Seattle in Dwyane Wade's season debut.

Riley said those complaints didn't even justify being addressed.

"That's just a typical players' response to losing," he said. "We had a great practice in Charlotte. The last thing that players should want to do is say that they're working too hard as an excuse. That's a real cop-out."

Riley, in fact, said he has been mindful of not overworking his team during such a mentally draining time.

"They're not even working now," he said. "They're hardly even working."

Mourning said off-court differences cannot get in the way of what stands as a major reclamation project in the standings.

"Regardless of what happens in a situation away from the court, in that 94-by-50 [court] is where you've got to find some kind of resolve," he said. "I don't care what we do outside the court. You can argue, scream, but when you get inside of 94-by-50 [court], you've got to get it done."

Riley had his moments with Mourning, Tim Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn during the best of Heat times in the late '90s.

The difference, then, Mourning said, was the players chose to make everything but victory inconsequential.

"I'm not pointing the finger at guys and saying they don't care," Mourning said. "But if you care enough about it, you'll do something about it. You'll step your play up, you'll start working a little harder, and when a game gets close, you'll get a little more focused and you'll get a little more determined."

BLAKE HAD INTEREST
Blazers guard and Hollywood native Steve Blake confirmed he was interested in signing with the Heat last summer, but said he never was offered a contract. "They were more pursuing Mo Williams at the time and waiting for his decision," he said. "I couldn't wait for someone else to make a decision." ...

Guard Daequan Cook spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the Portland home of former Ohio State teammate Greg Oden, who said he is not surprised Cook has had an instant NBA impact. "Every since I've known him, he's the most confident guy ever," Oden said. "He's an offensive genius." ...

Forward Ricky Davis bypassed the offer from TNT to wear a wireless microphone during Thursday night's telecast. "I decided to wait until we win a few games before something like that," he said.

By Ira Winderman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

kaynak : NBA