NBA
JEFFERSON ERA TAKES ANOTHER STEP; T-WOLVES BEAT SUNS
If the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to be competitive in the NBA, Al Jefferson has to become the star Minnesota hoped he’d be when they traded Kevin Garnett for him. On Wednesday, he certainly played like a rising superstar. He scored 39 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 117-107 at the Target Center in the Twin Cities.
The win gives the Timberwolves two wins in a row for the first time and improves their worst-in-the-league mark to 7-34. Jefferson got help from Marko Jaric, who had 15 points and 10 assists, and Ryan Gomes, who chipped in with 14 points. Five T-Wolves reached double figures.
Amare Stoudemire did all he could to match Jefferson, scoring 33 points, and Steve Nash had 21 points to go with 16 rebounds.
OTHER NBA SCORES
LA Clippers 111, Sacramento 85
Cleveland 121, Washington 85
Houston 109, Seattle 107
Toronto 114, Boston 112
Orlando 112, Memphis 85
San Antonio 103, LA Lakers 91
Dallas 102, Charlotte 95
New Orleans 96, Portland 81
Chicago 108, Indiana 85
Detroit 86, Philadelphia 78
NBA NOTES
• Chris Kaman had another big night for the Clippers. Twenty points and 21 rebounds for the big guy.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers have arrived back near the top of the Eastern Conference. After a horrible start, they showed their skills on Wednesday with an outstanding win over Washington. Included in the win: just six turnovers; 39 assists; a 10-for-10 night from the field from Zydrunas Ilgauskas; a 43-point third quarter.
• The Raptors put four guys in the 20-points-or-more category on their way to an upset of the Celtics in Boston. They also were 19 for 19 from the free throw line and hit 58 percent of their shots from the floor. Also eye-popping: 15 for 21 from downtown. That’s some amazing shooting!
• The two big losing streaks now stand at 12 for Seattle and 14 for Miami.
NHL
SUNDIN LEADS MAPLE LEAFS TO VICTORY
Apparently, all it took for the Toronto Maple Leafs to right their ship was to fire their general manager, John Ferguson. On Tuesday, the Leafs canned Ferguson. On Wednesday, Toronto responded by getting beating the Washington Capitals. Toronto 3, Washington 2.
Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin broke a 2-2 tie when he beat Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig with 29.2 seconds left in regulation. Sundin’s 544th goal of his career tied him with Maurice “Rocket” Richard for 24th on the NHL’s all-time list.
The Toronto win ended Washington’s four-game win streak.
OTHER NHL SCORES
Detroit 2, Anaheim 1
Vancouver
FACTS OF THE DAY
HITTING THOSE FREEBIES
The Toronto Raptors hit all of the free throws they were awarded on Wednesday night in Boston. They sank all 15 attempts. Yet their outstanding effort is not close to the best ever. Here are the Top 5 free-throw displays in NBA history.
39 for 39: Utah at Portland on December 7, 1982
35 for 35: Boston vs. Miami on April 12, 1990
33 for 33:
Boston vs. New Jersey on March 18,1990
Golden State vs. Houston on April 11, 1991
30 for 30:
Buffalo vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 18, 1975
Utah vs. Boston, December 28, 1985
Portland at Indiana, November 30, 1986
Miami at Boston, March 24, 1993
29 for 29:
Syracuse at. Boston, November 2, 1957
Utah at Boston, December 14, 1984
SPORTS SPECTRUM INSIDER
Getting to the heart of what matters in life
TODAY'S FEATURE: CHRIS PAUL, GUARD, NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
BIO NOTE: Paul’s grandfather, with whom he was very close, was shot and killed when Chris was a high school senior.
RECENT NEWS: On Wednesday, Paul had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Hornets improved to 29-12 on the season.
FAITH QUOTE: "The accomplishments that I’ve made and the honors that I’ve received, it’s nothing that I’ve done by myself. I have been blessed so much and this is all God’s doing. Obviously, I am very thankful for the ability He has given me the opportunity to play basketball, but I know that as quickly as it comes, it can be taken away. I also know that God has a plan for me and it’s up to me to follow His direction. That’s why I try to stay humble and just take it one day at a time."
MINI MEMOS
Putting the SS spin on today's sports news
ANOTHER HONOR
Retired tennis star has been selected for another key honor to reward him for his remarkable tennis career. Chang, it was announced on Thursday, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In retirement, Chang has been busy with a number of activities, including starting the Christian Sports Leagues. So far, there are leagues in Seattle and the LA area, with others planned. Chang also is planning a tennis academy, and he speaks to groups about his faith. Chang will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July.
NO FINALS FOR NADAL
No. 2 vs. No. 38. No contest, right? Not this time. Rafael Nadal, ranked just below Roger Federer in the race to be the best tennis player in the world, faced Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Thursday with the chance to go up against Federer (should he get past No. 3 Novak Djokovic) in the Australian Open finals. But Tsonga showed that 38 is just a number by trouncing Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. On the women’s side of things at the Open, Ana Ivanovic will meet Maria Sharapova in the finals. Ivanovic beat Daniela Hantuchova in three sets, and Sharapova got past Jelena Jankovic in two sets.
SHOWING THE MONEY
The Associated Press is releasing its report on salaries for Major League Baseball teams in 2007, and one thing is clear: You can get to the World Series without breaking the bank. The Colorado Rockies were 26th in baseball in salaries, paying out a reported $61 million to its players. Another top team with a relatively low number was the San Diego Padres, who were ranked 24th lowest of all teams. Just ahead of them were two playoff teams: Cleveland and Arizona. The team with the highest payroll was the New York Yankees, who paid seven times as much for their payroll as the Tampa Bay Rays paid theirs: $218 million vs. $31 million. Total payroll in 2007: $2.7 billion.
WHO IS HE?
Testing your knowledge of past sports stars—taken from “Legends” articles from the pages of Sports Spectrum magazine
WEDNESDAY’S MYSTERY PERSON
• He hit five home runs in one day (doubleheader) while with the San Diego Padres, tying Stan Musial’s record. Ironically, when this person was 8 years old, he was on hand to see Musial hit his five home runs in a doubleheader.
• He hit 173 home runs in a career that was cut short because of back problems.
• In 1970 and 1978, he hit 38 home runs for San Diego
• After retiring, he started a church in Escondido, California.
WHO IS HE?
THURSDAY’S MYSTERY PERSON
• He played on Indiana University’s 30-4 NCAA championship team in 1987.
• He was named MVP of the 1987 Final Four after he hit the game-winning shot against Syracuse in the final game.
• Played several years in the CBA after college.
• Played professionally in the Philippines, France, and South America.
• Had an interim stint as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
• Currently coaching with the Golden State Warriors.
WHO IS HE?
SPORTS SPECTRUM RADIO
SS DAILY INTERVIEW
To hear today's interview, go to the Sports Spectrum radio home page. It can be found at www.sport.org.
THE THURSDAY GUEST
GREG BREZINA, former linebacker, Atlanta Falcons
Athletes often learn to turn inquisitive interviews into boring exercises in nothingness, as if Seinfeld himself gave them lessons in uselessness. But Greg Brezina, a former member of the Falcons, has a story that will touch your heart. Listen in as he tells about something that happened in a playoff game in 1978.
