57. Phoenix Suns – Emir Preldzic 6-8 220 SG/SF Slovenia Intl.
* The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired the draft rights to forward Emir Preldzic, the 57th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for cash considerations.
# Birthday: 6/9/87
# NBA Position: SG/SF
# Class: International
# Ht: 6-8
# Wt: 220
# Team: Fenerbahce Ulker
# Hometown: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Stevan Petrovic – 1/25/2008
Strengths: Preldzic possesses good shooting touch and a nice feel for the game … Very long and fundamentally skilled young player … He can hit 3 point shots as well as mid-range jumpers with accuracy (good spot-up shooter) … His shooting touch and mechanics are fluid. Emir can handle the ball in the open court and be a point forward when needed or push the ball in the fast-break; He can also drive the ball well and has sufficient ball handling skills … He reads the defense and defenders well and recognizes when to drive to the basket and when to pull up for the jump-shot … He shows good body control while driving to the basket … Showing some slashing ability. A team player who sees the court well and knows how to make the right pass … His length and quick reflexes helps him to be active on the boards (anticipates where the ball is going to land well). Moves well laterally and has quick feet.
Weaknesses: A tweener. His lack of a true position hurts his chances … Very skinny player for his size … Lack of both upper and lower body strength really hurts him offensively and defensively too … Mediocre athletic ability at his best … Doesnt like contact or to bang under the basket for position, which also hurts his ability to post up. His frame is average and may be a guy that loses mobility with added weight … Has to become a more consistent shooter Offensively he must work on his inside game and find his go-to move.
Notes: Born in Bosnia but grew up in Slovenia and a Slovenian citizen. Had his coming out party at the 2006 U20 Euro Championships leading Slovenia to 3rd place (Bronze) finish averaging 20.3 ppg (2nd overall).
Duration : 0:1:15
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Allen Iverson’s first game with Detroit turned into the best night of Devin Harris’ career.
Harris scored a career-high 38 points Friday night, outplaying Iverson in the second half and leading the New Jersey Nets to a 103-96 victory over the Pistons.
New Jersey, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, played some of its best basketball of the season in the final two periods to hand the Pistons their first loss after four wins to open the season.
“It was just about playing hard,” Harris said. “We didn’t get off to the best start. We have been really struggling in the third quarter but tonight we came out with more aggressiveness. Points for me didn’t matter. It was all about the win. We desperately needed this for our confidence’s sake.”
Vince Carter and Josh Boone each scored 18 for New Jersey, which got its first home win after two losses. Boone also pulled down 14 rebounds.
Iverson had 24 points and six assists after finally getting to suit up. Detroit played twice since the trade Monday with Denver that sent Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Nuggets for the nine-time All-Star. Iverson was not available for the first game and was not permitted to play the second because Billups had not completed his physical with the Nuggets.
Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, while Tayshaun Prince added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
It looked like an easy win for Detroit at the start.
Iverson stepped right in, joining Hamilton in the Detroit backcourt, replacing Rodney Stuckey. He got a rousing cheer from the crowd at the Izod Center when he was introduced with the starters.
Iverson immediately took over the game, factoring in the Pistons’ first three scores. Iverson dished off to Hamilton for the game’s first basket, scored on a finger-roll layup and kicked the ball out to Prince for a 3-pointer as Detroit took a 9-6 lead.
Iverson played the entire opening quarter, scoring 11 points, making all three shots from the field, including a 3-pointer, while going 4-for-4 from the free throw line as the Pistons raced to a 27-14 lead.
“It was a good feeling for me,” Iverson said. “I haven’t been able to play for a while so it was good to get back on the basketball court. I’ll try to get a little bit of my rust off.”
New Jersey cut the deficit to 44-39 at the half, thanks to eight points in the period from Boone.
New Jersey, led by Harris, came back to take a 72-70 lead after three quarters.
Badly outplayed by Iverson in their first-quarter matchup, Harris turned the tables in the third. Harris had 19 in the period, going 13-for-15 from the free throw line while forcing Iverson into four fouls. Iverson had a quiet quarter with only four points.
“I thought he showed unbelievable grit, fighting through, making plays, attacking the paint, having to guard Iverson,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank said of Harris.
In the fourth quarter, Boone scored on a dunk midway through to give New Jersey an 87-79 lead that Detroit never overcame.
Hamilton nailed a 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to cut the Nets’ lead to 98-94, only to have Harris answer back with a basket at the other end.
Although his first game with Detroit ended in a loss, Iverson expects better things in the future.
“We had the game and we let it get away in the second half,” Iverson said. “Overall, it was a great experience for me. I felt fine out there, and we only can get better.”
Game notes
Frank said Stromile Swift might begin practicing next week. He has yet to play this season with a sore back. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Trenton Hassell were also inactive for the Nets. … Walter Sharpe was the lone inactive for Detroit. … Wallace was whistled for a technical foul with 5:47 remaining in the third for profanity-laced complaint when he failed to draw a foul call. … Yi Jianlian fouled out for the Nets with 3:40 remaining. Carter also fouled out with 1:53 left. Harris’ previous best was 27 points against Indiana on March 28. He was 20-of-24 from the free throw line. The 24 attempts ties the Nets single-game record held by Carter (2005) and John Williamson (1978). … The Nets ended a seven-game losing streak against the Pistons.
Duration : 0:7:13
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Listen to the experts weigh in on how Blake Griffin will fit in with the L.A. Clippers lineup.
Duration : 0:7:18
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The Talks video for the second single "killer Sinner"
Duration : 2 min 19 sec
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55. Portland Trail Blazers – Patrick Mills 6-0 175 PG St. Mary’s So.
# Birthday: 8/11/88
# NBA Position: Point Guard
# Class: Sophomore
# Ht: 6-0
# Wt: 175
# Hometown: Canberra, Australia
# High School: AIS
NBA Comparison: Damon Stoudamire/Fat Lever
Strengths: Mills is a tremendously quick PG with good ball-handling skills … A tremendous competitor who rises to the challenge in big situations. He proved that he is very difficult to stop at the open court and loves pushing the ball (vs. USA at the Olympics) … A fundamentally sound and skilled player. Mills is always looking to score and he is more of a shoot first-pass second PG 18.4 PPG … Has a quick first step … Possesses a good outside jump-shot as well as NBA range … Solid mechanics on his shot … Sets up his defender well to get open when coming off the screens; if he sets his body and feet are squared to the basket he is difficult to stop (vs. Gonzaga 6-8 for 3PT) … Mills can create shots off the dribble at any time due to his ball handling ability and his cross-over … Has a good ability to play the pick and roll with a big man and making the right choices, helped by his quickness and passing skills … Possesses solid passing ability and court vision; can find open teammates cutting to the basket or passing the ball to the low post 3.9 APG … Defensively he is very tough and has long arms that helps him get steals (does a good job of playing passing lanes) 2.2 SPG. Good leader on the floor. A tremendous FT shooter .859% … Possesses great International experience playing on Australian National Team in the Olympics (where he was the surprise leading scorer) as well as FIBA U19 World Championship … A tremendous character guy who teams see as a perfect back up PG …
Weaknesses: Lack of size and strength … Not a true PG at this point as he is better at scoring than running a team … Relies too much on his outside shot and can be a very inconsistent shooter .338 3PT% … Takes too many contested and wild shots … Questionable decision maker. Has to do a better job of attacking the rim and finishing under pressure … Avoids contact under the basket …
Stevan Petrovic 6/25/09
Duration : 0:2:1
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PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) — With a strong finish, the Philadelphia 76ers matched the best start in franchise history.
Allen Iverson and Theo Ratliff powered a third-quarter charge and the 76ers remained unbeaten by controlling the second half in a 107-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 8-0, the Sixers are the NBA’s lone undefeated team. They tied the start of the 1979-80 squad, which featured Julius
Erving, Andrew Toney, Darryl Dawkins and current assistant coach Maurice Cheeks and reached the NBA Finals.
“It should mean a lot to them. I’m proud of my team,” Sixers coach Larry Brown said. “I’m proud of the fact that we’ve had some injuries and we had a lot of guys step up and play well. We’ve played unselfishly, but it’s eight games and we have to keep that in mind.”
Philadelphia hosts Miami on Friday with a chance to break the club mark. The NBA record for best start is 15-0, shared by the 1949-50 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets.
“Everybody wants to be the first team that knocks us off,” said Iverson. “Everybody wants to be that team. It’s going to be tough. We have to really dig in and sneak some wins out of other teams’ houses. For right know, I’m just living for the moment and I just hope it continues. I’m glad I’m a part of it.”
Iverson scored 22 points, seven during an 18-0 surge that turned a five-point deficit into a 70-57 lead midway through the third period.
The Cavaliers missed eight straight shots during that stretch and Ratliff was a big reason. Saddled by foul trouble in the first half, the 6-10 center had three of his six blocks during the run. Ratliff also scored 15 points.
“He did a good job offensively but just his presence underneath caused them to miss some easy shots and get some 24-second violations,” Brown said. “But he’s always been that for us.
That’s why we need him out on the court. We can’t afford for him to get fouls and only play seven minutes in the first half. That’s one of the reasons why we had a problem defending in the
first half.”
“I was just doing the same old thing that I try to do every time I step out on the court — to be that intimidating factor as far as when guys try to get easy shots and easy layups,” Ratliff
said. “I let them know it’s not going to be that easy.
Philadelphia got a big offensive boost from George Lynch, who scored a season-high 23 points and kept his team in the game in the first half. The defensive-minded forward had not scored
more than 10 points in a game this season.
“I like him to do the dirty work,” Brown joked. “How many rebounds did he get? Just one defensive rebound so I have something to talk to him about. He did a lot of great things.”
“I knew he was going to say that,” Lynch said. “I had (Robert) `Tractor’ Traylor on me. He’s about 300 pounds to my 230 so he’s gonna win that battle the majority of the time. … The
team needed me to score some points the way we were going. I had the hot hand, some open looks and I was able to take advantage of them. I’ve had those looks all season, it’s just I
was making the shots tonight.”
Eric Snow contributed 13 and seven assists for Philadelphia, which was outshot and outrebounded but scored 29 points off 22 turnovers by Cleveland.
Former Sixer Clarence Weatherspoon scored 24 points, Robert Traylor added a career-high 17 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 16 for the Cavaliers (6-2). The frontcourt trio thrived while Ratliff was
on the bench with foul trouble but got little help from the perimeter players.
“We let them dictate the play to us,” Weatherspoon said. “We never got into a rhythm. They came after us and we just didn’t match it. It’s hard to come back on a team that has so many
scorers and plays a good half-court defense.”
The Cavs have lost their last six meetings with the Sixers.
Cleveland came in an even bigger surprise than Philadelphia, winning six of its first seven games despite having no player averaging more than 14 points or nine rebounds per game. The
Cavs opened the third period with consecutive baskets for a 57-52 lead before the Sixers took control.
Iverson, who has yet to score 30 points in a game this season, made a jumper and layup around a 3-pointer by Lynch, giving Philadelphia the lead for good at 59-57 with 9:39 left.
After a block by Ratliff, Snow set up Ratliff for a dunk and hit a shot. Iverson snaked his way for a three-point play and Snow made two free throws for a 68-57 lead.
Ratliff blocked two more shots and Iverson found Lynch for a dunk that capped the outburst. Iverson scored nine points in the quarter, which ended with Philadelphia holding an 81-71 lead.
Duration : 0:6:17
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Mr. Holland is easily the biggest and loudest BU fan on the entire island of Puerto Rico.
Duration : 0:1:37
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Dikembe Mutombo wouldn’t let his former teammates get their way.
Mutombo had 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocked shots and Allen Iverson scored 47 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Atlanta Hawks 108-103 Friday night.
The Hawks have lost 10 straight, including nine since trading Mutombo to Philadelphia in a five-player deal on Feb. 22.
“I kept running into them and they kept telling me they were going to dunk on me,” said Mutombo, who is living at the same hotel that Atlanta stayed at in downtown Philadelphia. “I kept telling them during the course of the game, ‘Why are you even trying?”
Jason Terry had 25 points and Nazr Mohammed, who was sent to Atlanta along with Theo Ratliff, Toni Kukoc and Pepe Sanchez for Mutombo, scored a career-high 18. Kukoc and DerMarr Johnson each had 12.
Eric Snow had 12 points and 13 assists, Tyrone Hill had 12 points and nine rebounds and George Lynch had eight points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, which improved the NBA’s best record to 46-16.
“It felt funny playing against guys you played with all year,” Iverson said. “You look left, you look right and there are guys that were always right there in the foxhole with you, who felt bad when you felt bad. It was tough.”
Iverson, who scored 40 or more points for the 16th time this season, had 17 in the first quarter and 16 in the third. He made eight straight shots in one stretch and finished 16-of-30.
The Sixers led by as many as 17 late in the third, but Atlanta closed within 93-89 with an 11-0 run in the fourth. Terry had seven of the 11 points, including the last five.
Mutombo ended a scoreless drought of 3:17 with a slam, but the Hawks scored six straight after a jumper by Snow to cut it to 101-99 with 1:11 left.
After Mohammed’s layup made it 103-101, Snow put it away with a 15-footer that gave the Sixers a 105-101 lead with a 31 seconds left.
“We fought like crazy to get back into it,” Atlanta coach Lon Kruger said. “We are disappointed by not quite finishing. It was a great effort down the stretch, but not quite enough.”
Mutombo recorded his fifth straight double-double and sixth in seven games with the Sixers. He had five blocks in the third quarter and got a key rebound late in the game when the Hawks had a chance to tie.
“If (Mutombo) does every night what he did tonight, we’ll be very satisfied,” Sixers coach Larry Brown said.
Atlanta took its first lead since the opening minutes, 48-46, on a jumper by Mohammed with 3:28 left in the second quarter.
Iverson’s jumper and driving layup capped a 9-4 run, giving the Sixers a 55-52 lead at halftime.
After the Hawks cut it to 65-59 midway through the third, Iverson drilled a 3-pointer, assisted on a layup by Snow and hit another 3-pointer to give Philadelphia a 73-64 lead.
“That’s a dream, best team in the league, a team that you played for in their house,” Mohammed said about his performance. “You couldn’t write it up any better.”
Notes
The Sixers are 19-14 overall, including 12-4 this season, when Iverson scores 40 points or more.
Philadelphia center Matt Geiger missed his second straight game with swelling in the right knee. Geiger has played just 17 games due to injuries.
Kukoc, a starter since going to Atlanta, was booed throughout the night.
Hawks center Lorenzen Wright left the game with a sprained right thumb in the second quarter and did not return.
Philadelphia is 24-2 when it scores 100 points or more.
Duration : 0:6:28
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“With the 5th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft the Minnesota Timberwolves select…Kevin Garnett, from Farragut Academy in Chicago.”
Duration : 0:3:56
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Duration : 0:3:19
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