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Thursday, June 8, 2006
Overconfidence cost
Pistons a chance at East
By Larry Lage
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT - What made
the Detroit Pistons a champi
onship team also led to their
downfall this season.
Confidence.
The Pistons believed they
could overcome any obstacle
because history showed tiiem
they usually did.
Detroit overcame a 3-2
deficit four times the past
four postseasons, including
last month against
Cleveland, but couldn’t do it a
fifth time against the Heat.
‘We got a little too comfort
able with all of the comebacks
we had in the past,” point
guard Charuicey Billups
acknowledged Friday night
in Miami after being elimi
nated in Game 6 of the
Eastern Conference finals. “It
blew up in our face.”
hike the Red Wings, the
Pistons didn’t consistently
play with a sense or urgency
against a hungry opponent in
the playoffs perhaps because
both teams are led by veter
ans with championship rings
and millions in the bank.
Ben Wallace said the Heat
“most definitely” wanted to
win the series more than
Detroit did.
“I thought we came out and
got a little too passive,” he
said. “They did what we used
to do to teams, forcing them
to play the way you want to
play”
The Pistons climbed finm
being a poor team to a good
one to the 2004 champions
becaxise they played together
as a true team, and listened
to their hard-driving coaches:
Larry Brown and Flip
Saunders.
They kept it up during the
regular season under Flip
Saunders, their third coach in
four years, because they were
motivated to earn home-court
advantage after falling jiost
short of repeating as champi
ons in Game 7 at San Antonio
almost 12 months ago.
Detroit’s drive led to a fi-an-
chise-record and league-best
64 victories, leading to being
favored to win a champi
onship for the fourth time in
fi'anchise history
The Pistons maintained the
momentum generated by
their spectacular season
early in the playoffs, scoring
easily and making it tot^h
for Milwaukee and Cleveland
to do much pr*oductive during
their first seven games of the
playoffs.
But aroimd the time
Rasheed Wallace injured his
ankle in Game 4 against the
Cavs, the Pistons started to
fall apart. They relied on one-
on-one moves offensively,
instead of moving the ball
around to teammates with
set plays, and gave up easy
lay-ups and open shots.
“Getting off to such a great
start, it probably kind of hurt
us,” Billups said. “Things
came so easy for us that we
felt like sometimes we could
walk out there and teams
would lay down.”
Saundere might’ve tried to
tell his players not to get
cau^t in that tr-ap, but he
might not have been heard if
it was during one of his odd
timeouts.
Throughout the season
when there was a time-out,
Saunders would talk things
over with his staff, then talk
to the players briefly on the
bench before breaking the
huddle with plenty of time to
spare.
Power forward Rasheed
Wallace would often use the
^tra minute or so to lour^
on the scorer’s table, perhaps
playfully knocking over a
water bottie in fi’ont of former
Bad Boy and radio analyst
Rick Mahom, while some
teanmrates were still on the
bench.
‘T think that’s overblown
when people talk about the
timeouts,” Billups said.
Maybe, maybe not.
■While Pat Riley used
almost every second of every
time-out to make adjust
ments, the Pistons appeared
to act hke they knew it all.
That’s why I'eserve Antonio
McDyess said the players
ultimately are to blame for
falling short of the finals for
the first time in three years.
“It’s not Flip’s fault, it’s the
way that we came out and
played,” McD5^ss said. “We
didn’t play the basketball we
noi-mally play We didn’t
move the ball, we didn’t stop
anybody Flip can only put so
much in fix)nt of you.
“We let them totally take
6m' heart, especially to let
them win by that margin (17
points) in a game that decid
ed things.”
Jewels headed to national AAU
Continued from page 1C
The Jewels, who are in thdr second year,
are 52-4 during that span.
Corporate and individual donations are
needed and welcomed since many of the ath
letes can’t afford the required fees to partici
pate. Individuals or companies interested in
donating can caE Garrie Burks at (704) 299-
5068 for additional information. Tb offset
tom-nament costs, the team will be fimdraic-
ing and the parents hosted a “Grown Folks
Party” at the Gold Pepper GrOl and Lounge,
101 N Tryon St. last week.
For additional fundraising events, check the
Jewels’ website at www.eteamz.coro/queenci-
tjjewelsgreen.
For first time in 26 years,
Mavericks in NBA Finals
Continued from page 1C
and better and we got to be a playoff team. It’s
been a fun ride. Hopefully we can take it to the
nejrt level and brit^ this fi'anchise a ring.”
In the postgame ecuba’ance, there were
chants of “M-"V-P” for Nowitzki, tears in the
eyes of Cuban and lumps in the throat of for
mer stars like Derek Harper and Rolando
Blackman, plus assistant GM Keith Grant, one
of the club’s first employees.
Meet of aH, though, there was praise for their
unquestioned leader, coach Avery Johnson,
who kept his team focused on winning a cham
pionship since the day he replaced Don Nelson
in March 2005.
“This opportunity comes fixim a guy by the
name of coach Avery Johnson being able to
implemait that thought in the guys’ heads,
that they can get this done,” said Blackman,
now an assistant coach. “All he’s talked about
is havit^ the opportunity to win a champi
onship: How many guys are on board? Who
really wants to be able to get it done? He’s
made them live up to that standard through
out the whole year.”
As Cuban received the trophy for winning
the Western Conference, Johnson stood a few
feet away, an arm on a hip and looking down.
Cuban’s voice cracked as he discussed his
appreciation for Johnson pushing the club this
far. Seedi^ how solemn Johnson looked during
it all, reserve guard Marquis Daniels hollered,
“Smile, AJ!”
He did, but not for long. After aU, he only has
imtil Thursday to figure out how to slow
Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and the
Miami Heat.
“We s^ed up to win the championship,” he
said. “We’re delisted to be there. But we’re not
satisfied.”
As a reward for winning 60 games in the reg
ular season, the Mavericks own home-court
advantage, meaning the first two games _ and
Games 6 and 7, if necessary _ will be in Dallas.
With Miami also a first-time finalist, this will
be the first time since 1971, when the
Mlwaukee Bucks beat the Baltimore Bullets,
that both teams are making thdr champi-
onship-rotmd debut.
The Mavericks also got themselves off the list
ofteams that have nevermade the finals. Only
the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers
and Denver Nuggets have been in the league
longer without making it.
Amid the celebration, Cuban thanked Nelson
for being the patriarch of the team’s turn
around. '
‘NeUie” lifted the fi'anchise fi'om the dregs
starting in the late 1990s, tumir^ over the
entire roster save for Michael Finley, later sur
rounding him with Steve Nash and Nowitzki.
He also brought in Johnson as a player, first
making him part of the staff when he was left
off the 2003 playoff roster.
'When we .first got here it was rough,”
Nowitzki said. "We were in that old arena. It
stunk. It was bad. So we fought tbrnugb a lot
of stuff. ... It’s been fun the whole ride so far.”
Nowitzki also brought up Nash - who now
plays for the Suns _ and Finley
“W’e kind of built that triangle for a while,
which was great,” Nowitzki said. “They’re gi'eat
fiiends and it hmt losing them. I wish, obvi-
oiosly both would stiff be here to enjoy this
moment with me.”
Nash has been voted MVP both seasons since
he left Dallas. But he hasn’t made the finals.
“Tb see Dirk be able to play for the champi
onship,' it’s exciting,” Nash said. ‘T mean, it
hurts a lot that I won’t be able to do it, but I
really admire what he’s been able to do. I’m
proud of his accomplishments and what he’s
meant to that team.”
Johnson, was only a few months removed
Sum his playing career when he replaced
Nelson. He forced playem to take defense seri
ously, demanded that they be tougher mental
ly and physically and constantly talked about
winning it all, somethir^ he learned as the
starting point guard on San Antonio’s 1999
title team.
Dallas came into this season widely viewed
as a middle-of-the-pack playoff team, but
Johnson molded the supporting cast aroxmd a
still-blossomii^ Nowitzki and the result is
sometiiing the previous 25 Mavericks teams
couldn’t accomplish.
“There were times when you went to games
in the 1990s and people wore bags over their
heads,” said Harper, now a team broadcaster.
“They have to lift those bags and be proud of
what this fi'anchise has been able to accom
plish.”
Said Grant, who has gone finm equipment
manager to assistant GM: ‘TVs been quite a
ride.”
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Johnson C. Smith President Dorothy Cowser Yancy took delivery of a check for $1 million
earmarked for CIAA schools from Ereka Crawford fo the Charlotte Regional Visitors
Authority from the conference basketball tournament in Charlotte earlier this year.
CIAA fights to keep status quo
Continued from page 1C
“TTie NCAA will not bu(%e off that,” Cessna
replied. “They said it was too big of a change.”
Oh, but revampir^ the aitire Division 11 just
to appease white teams sick of getting beat in
basketball by a blade conference isn’t?
Another issue at hand is the teams in the
proposed Atlantic Region - Peamsylvania State
and West "Virginia athletic conferences — were
in no hurry to schedule CIAA schools before the
proposed change.
Cessna said the committee is in discussions
with conference commissioners to make it a
mandate to play teams in their region.
And then there’s the travel costs. During bas
ketball season, conference games are normally
played on Thesday Thursday and Saturday
ni^ts.
“Who’s going to diive to Pennsylvania or
West 'Virginia cai a Tuesday night to play a
game,” Cmtis said. “They are not coming down
here, and we ain’t going up there.”
At which point, Shaw Athletics Director A1
Carter inteijected: “No, we’re not going up
there.”
The matter will be settled Jxme 12 when
Cessna takes her “notes” to the NCAA champi
onship committee.
However, North Carolina Central women’s
coach Joh Robinson says why wait. The time to
act is now.
“If it weren’t for basketball, we wouldn’t be
here right now,” she said. “I say let’s hire a dvil
rights lawyer and stop this. Every year it’s the
same thing. I’m getting sick of it.”
Bozeman grateful for second
chance with Morgan State
Continued from page 1C
mind, the addition of Tbdd Bozeman will hope
fully be viewed years fi'om now as the tui'ning
point in the history of Morgan State’s basket
ball program,” Athletics Director Floyd Kerr
said.
The Bears’ record was 4-26 last year. '
Bozeman coached at the University of
California imtil 1996, when he was accused of
making payments to the parents of Cal player
Jelani Gardner. He was also dted for denying
the NCAA violations and providing false and
misleading information during the initial
investigation.
During the eight-year ban, any school that
wanted to hire Bozeman had to appeal to the
NCAA infi’action committee and “show cause
or reason” why he should, be hired.
Bozeman, 42, was released fiom the show-
cause on Jtme 1, 2005.
‘Tt’s the right time, the ri^t place, and the
ri^t situation for me,” Bozeman said. “My
goal is to make the Morgan State basketball
pregram a spedal place to students, fans,
alumni and everybody who supports the pro
gram.”
Joe McLean, a leader on the men’s basketball
team, said: ‘Tm very exdted about next season,
because I’ll be a senior; and I feel coach
Bozeman will be diffei’ent, but it will be fim.”
Bozeman brings 15 years of coaching experi
ence and three NCAA tomnament berths. At
age 29, he was the youngest head coach ever in
the NCAA Sweet 16. Bozeman posted a 63-35
career record at Cal.
Anative of Washir^ton, D.C., Bozeman has
contacts in the Baltimore area and said he had
a strong desh'e to recruit students locally
Ausft/i Wan/ and Jessica Hams are students at
Morgan State who write for the Spokesman.
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