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03/02/2006
USA - Nesterovic, Spurs shoot down Warriors
NEW YORK (NBA) - Slovenia national team center Rasho Nesterovic had one of his best games of the season for the San Antonio Spurs as they beat Golden State in Oakland, California, on Thursday evening.
In a game loaded with players who will take part in the FIBA World Championship in Japan this August, San Antonio won 89-86 and Nesterovic finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After he made a jumper for San Antonio and Troy Murphy sank an 18-footer for the Warriors, Tim Duncan hit a free throw and a jumper with 1:44 to play for an 87-84 Spurs' advantage.
Baron Davis made a long jumper with his foot on the three-point line for Golden State, cutting the deficit to 87-86 with 34 seconds remaining. After Duncan made two foul shots with 10 seconds left, Fisher and French international team-mate Mickael Pietrus missed shots from the arc that would have tied the contest before time expired.
France's Tony Parker scored 23 points and Argentina's Manu Ginobili added 18 for the Spurs, who tied a season-high with their sixth consecutive victory. They have also won 10 of their last 11 to move one-half game ahead of Dallas for first place in the Southwest Division and the Western Conference.
Duncan scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who are 10-3 in games decided by less than six points this season. Fabricio Oberto, the Argentinian national team center, was unavailable for San Antonio after spraining his ankle in Wednesday's game against Portland.
That left more playing time for both Nesterovic and New Zealand's Sean Marks, who had eight points and three rebounds in 12 minutes. Slovenia's Beno Udrih had two points and six assists in 16 and a half minutes for San Antonio.
Murphy scored 22 points and Davis had 17 for Golden State, who have lost six of seven.
Team USA's Wade gets hot for Heat
The way Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has played the past two seasons in the NBA, it seems almost conceivable that the United States would not want him to play at the FIBA World Championship.
Wade, who represented his country at the Athens Olympics, scored 24 points and led the Miami's defensive charge in a 101-73 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped. Pat Riley, who implemented his defensive style with the New York Knicks and in his first stint with Miami in the 1990s, convinced his fourth-ranked offence (100.2 points per game) to lock down on the other end early.
Miami held Cleveland to 29% (seven of 24) shooting in the opening period to take a 24-15 lead entering the second quarter. The Heat continued their stronghold in the second frame by holding the Cavaliers scoreless until there was 5:43 remaining and LeBron James sank two foul shots.
During Cleveland's drought, Miami scored the first 19 points of the period and tallied a majority of their points in the paint during the surge and took a 52-33 lead at the break after allowing the visitors to shoot just 27% (12 of 44). Wade, who has been named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game, added six assists and four steals as five Heat players reached double-figures.
Shaquille O'Neal, also a starter and an All-Star for the 13th straight season, finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. James, another Team USA star, was the only Cavalier to reach double-figures as he collected 29 points.
Rising international stars to play in Rookie Challenge
With Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Steve Nash (Canada), Parker (France) and Pau Gasol (Spain) expected to play in the NBA All-Star Game on February 19, there will be no shortage of international basketball players displaying their talents in Houston. But fans won't have to wait until Sunday to see top international players doing their thing.
Four exceptional young stars with international backgrounds will compete in the 2006 Rookie Challenge on Friday, February 17 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks, the first pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and a product of Australia will play on the Rookie Team, as will 29-year-old rookie Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania) of the Indiana Pacers.
The Sop re Team will feature Nenad Krstic (Serbia & Montenegro) of the New Jersey Nets and Andres Nocioni (Argentina) of the Chicago Bulls.
By PA Sport, Exclusively For FIBA
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