duncan228
02-14-2009, 01:40 AM
Mason may try on No. 15 for shootout (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Mason_may_try_on_No_15_for_shootout.html)
Mike Monroe
PHOENIX — Spurs center Matt Bonner won't be in tonight's 3-point shooting contest at US Airways Center, one of the highlights of All-Star Saturday.
His jersey might make it.
Roger Mason Jr., the Spurs guard who was selected to participate in the long-distance shootout, said he has considered wearing Bonner's No. 15 Spurs jersey in tribute to his teammate, who is second in the NBA in 3-point percentage, at 49.0.
Mason ranks seventh, at 44.9 percent, but has attempted 88 more 3-pointers than Bonner. He fears the NBA won't allow him to wear Bonner's jersey.
“I thought about wearing his jersey, but I don't know if that that will go over too well,” Mason said. “Matt's having a great year, and I wish he could be here to participate, but I'm sure he will get to one of these years.”
Depending on how things shape up as he goes through the racks of balls, Mason said he might try one 3-pointer using Bonner's unique, off-the-shoulder, high-arching style.
Defending the dimes: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, in charge of the East squad for Sunday's All-Star Game, was zapped $25,000 by the league office for comments he made that were critical of the referees after the Cavaliers' loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Brown pulled no punches in taking on the refs, and said he knew he would get fined, but may have been a tad surprised he got $10,000 more than Celtics coach Doc Rivers was fined earlier this season for criticizing the officials.
He does have a plan to recoup some of the money. Noting that the coaches of the winning team in Sunday's game get more than the losing coaches, he joked that he intends to get serious about a game that typically is played more for entertainment value.
“We're going to tape tomorrow at practice,” Brown said, a smile on his face. “Defensively, we're going to double everybody and everything and rotate like banshees and contest all shots, because I need a little help.”
Sophomores 122, Rookies 116: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant scored a Rookie Challenge-record 46 points to lead the NBA's sophomores to victory over the rookies on Friday night.
The former Texas star shattered the record of 36 set by Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire as a sophomore in 2004. Durant helped hold off a late charge by the rookies with a three-point play, an emphatic dunk and two free throws in the final minutes.
“I approached it like a regular game,” Durant said. “I wanted to go out and have fun. Fortunately my shots were going down.”
Durant played hard from the start. He hit 17 of 25 shots from the floor, 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and made all eight of his free throws.
Michael Beasley of Miami led the rookies with 29 points.
Oft-injured Portland center Greg Oden was a late scratch with a sore left knee after bumping into Golden State's Corey Maggette on Thursday.
Mike Monroe
PHOENIX — Spurs center Matt Bonner won't be in tonight's 3-point shooting contest at US Airways Center, one of the highlights of All-Star Saturday.
His jersey might make it.
Roger Mason Jr., the Spurs guard who was selected to participate in the long-distance shootout, said he has considered wearing Bonner's No. 15 Spurs jersey in tribute to his teammate, who is second in the NBA in 3-point percentage, at 49.0.
Mason ranks seventh, at 44.9 percent, but has attempted 88 more 3-pointers than Bonner. He fears the NBA won't allow him to wear Bonner's jersey.
“I thought about wearing his jersey, but I don't know if that that will go over too well,” Mason said. “Matt's having a great year, and I wish he could be here to participate, but I'm sure he will get to one of these years.”
Depending on how things shape up as he goes through the racks of balls, Mason said he might try one 3-pointer using Bonner's unique, off-the-shoulder, high-arching style.
Defending the dimes: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, in charge of the East squad for Sunday's All-Star Game, was zapped $25,000 by the league office for comments he made that were critical of the referees after the Cavaliers' loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Brown pulled no punches in taking on the refs, and said he knew he would get fined, but may have been a tad surprised he got $10,000 more than Celtics coach Doc Rivers was fined earlier this season for criticizing the officials.
He does have a plan to recoup some of the money. Noting that the coaches of the winning team in Sunday's game get more than the losing coaches, he joked that he intends to get serious about a game that typically is played more for entertainment value.
“We're going to tape tomorrow at practice,” Brown said, a smile on his face. “Defensively, we're going to double everybody and everything and rotate like banshees and contest all shots, because I need a little help.”
Sophomores 122, Rookies 116: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant scored a Rookie Challenge-record 46 points to lead the NBA's sophomores to victory over the rookies on Friday night.
The former Texas star shattered the record of 36 set by Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire as a sophomore in 2004. Durant helped hold off a late charge by the rookies with a three-point play, an emphatic dunk and two free throws in the final minutes.
“I approached it like a regular game,” Durant said. “I wanted to go out and have fun. Fortunately my shots were going down.”
Durant played hard from the start. He hit 17 of 25 shots from the floor, 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and made all eight of his free throws.
Michael Beasley of Miami led the rookies with 29 points.
Oft-injured Portland center Greg Oden was a late scratch with a sore left knee after bumping into Golden State's Corey Maggette on Thursday.