Dallas seeks two-game edge on T'Wolves
DALLAS, April 24 (UPI) -- The Dallas Mavericks, at home, attempt to put the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 2-0 hole Wednesday night in their best-of-five NBA first-round playoff series at the American Airlines Center.
Sunday, Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points and 15 rebounds as the Mavericks beat the Timberwolves, 101-94. The third quarter featured a dozen lead changes, with Minnesota holding a 73-70 edge in the final seconds. Dallas scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to open an 82-73 lead. The Mavericks led the rest of the way, thanks to Nowitzki.
The Mavericks held on by making 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute, including two by Nowitzki.
Steve Nash scored 21 points, Nick Van Exel added 18 and Michael Finley 16 for Dallas, which made just 7-of-23 three-pointers, but many at opportune times. Chauncey Billups scored 25 points and Kevin Garnett added 19 and 21 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have never won a playoff series despite having reached the postseason the last six years.
Nowitzki made 10-of-19 shots and 9-of-10 free throws, and kept the Mavs afloat in the first half as they started slowly. Minnesota shot 52 percent (12-of-23) in the first quarter, opening a 31-22 lead.
However, Minnesota ended up shooting just 40 percent (36-of-90) for the game and committed 19 turnovers.
Also, the Toronto Raptors hope to bounce back at Detroit, where they got blown out in Game One on Sunday, 85-63, as Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace scored 19 points and hauled in a whopping 20 rebounds.
Gasol named NBA's top rookie
NEW YORK, April 24 (UPI) -- Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol Wednesday was named the winner of the 2001-2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Gasol received 117 of a possible 126 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada to earn the Eddie Gottleib Trophy as the league's top rookie. New Jersey's Richard Jefferson finished a distant second with three votes and Golden State's Jason Richardson, Indiana's Jamaal Tinsley and Andrei Kirilenko of Utah each finished with two votes.
Gasol, a native of Spain and the first European player to win the Rookie of the Year Award, averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 blocks and 36.7 minutes per contest while starting 79 of the 82 games in which he played this season. He finished the season ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.518), sixth in total blocks (169), ninth in blocks per game and tenth in double-doubles (35).
Among rookies, Gasol ranked first in points per game, total points, field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks. He was ranked second in minutes behind teammate Shane Battier, eighth in assists and 15th in steals. Gasol was one of only three rookies in the league to appear in all 82 games.
Gasol, who scored 20 or more points 30 times, was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, January and March. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick and was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies with Lorenzen Wright and Brevin Knight for Shareef Abdur-Rahim on July 19, 2001.
The 126-member voting panel consisted of 39 national media members and three media members who cover the NBA regularly from each of the league's 29 teams.
The Eddie Gottlieb Trophy is named in honor of Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA's founders, who coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the NBA championship in 1946-47.
Devils go for series lead against Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C., April 24 (UPI) -- The New Jersey Devils look to ride their momentum to take a one-game lead Wednesday night in their NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
New Jersey dropped a pair of one-goal decisions on the road to start the best-of-seven series, but rebounded with two convincing home wins to reduce the series to a best-of-three affair.
Goaltending is a major reason for the reversal.
Martin Brodeur fell 2:37 of his second straight shutout, and rookie Brian Gionta had a shorthanded goal and an assist in Tuesday's 3-1 victory in Game Four. Brodeur has turned aside 39 of 40 shots in the past two games.
New Jersey is 4-for-11 on the power play over the last two games after going 1-for-10 in the first two.
Carolina might try to change things up with a new starting goaltender. Arturs Irbe has been pulled from two straight games.
The diminutive Latvian surrendered three goals on 12 shots Saturday and two goals on eight shots Tuesday. Both times he was replaced by Kevin Weekes, who has turned aside 35 of the 37 shots he has faced.
Carolina needs its top line to start putting up some points. Ron Francis, Sami Kapanen and Jeff O'Neill have only two assists in the four games after combining for 85 goals and 210 points in the regular season. Rookie Erik Cole has two goals for the Hurricanes while Rod Brind'Amour, Bates Battaglia and Aaron Ward have one apiece.
Game Six will be held at New Jersey on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia, trailing Ottawa, two games to one, tries to stay alive at home against the Senators; ditto for the New York Islanders as they host Toronto, and the Phoenix Coyotes as they entertain the San Jose Sharks.
Pirates put Reese on DL
PITTSBURGH, April 24 (UPI) -- Second baseman Pokey Reese, who has helped the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates jump into the top spot in the National League Central, Wednesday was placed on the disabled list.
Reese went on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Saturday, with a strained right hamstring.
The Pirates purchased the contract of infielder Mendy Lopez from Triple-A Nashville of the Pacific Coast League to replace Reese on the roster.
Reese aggravated a hamstring injury when he slipped coming out of the batter's box in the first inning of Friday's 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The two-time Gold Glove winner is hitting .317 with no homers and seven RBI for the Pirates, who are in first place in the NL Central with a 12-6 record.
Reese spent the last five seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before signing as a free agent with the Pirates in January.
Abraham Nunez has started at second base in place of Reese and is 5-for-13 in his last four games.
Lopez suffered a fractured thumb in spring training and has spent the last three weeks at the Pirates' extended spring training program.
Veteran Storm guard retires
SEATTLE, April 24 (UPI) -- Seattle Storm guard Michelle Edwards, who was limited to just three games last season because chronic injuries to her left foot, announced her retirement from the WNBA on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Edwards finished her five-year WNBA career with 756 points in 100 games.
Edwards played three-plus seasons with the Cleveland Rockers and averaged 10.2 points per game as a rookie. The former four-year standout at the University of Iowa was the first female athlete to have her number retired by the school.
Wainwright fills the vacancy at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va., April 24 (UPI) -- Jerry Wainwright, who led North Carolina-Wilmington to a stunning upset of Southern California in the NCAA Tournament, is headed to the University of Richmond.
Less than a week after losing John Beilein to West Virginia, Richmond lured Wainwright away from UNC-Wilmington, a former rival in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference.
Richmond finished 22-14 this past season under Beilein and lost in the Atlantic 10 Conference championship game to Dayton before advancing to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
But Beilein left to take over at West Virginia on April 18.
Wainwright, 55, guided UNC-Wilmington to the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years, but made his mark last month when the Seahawks beat fourth-seeded USC, 93-89, in overtime in the first round of the NCAA South Regional before losing to Indiana in the second round.
"Jerry Wainwright is an excellent fit for our student-athletes and the high goals outlined by our athletic strategic plan," said Richmond President William E. Cooper. "Under Coach Wainwright, we look forward to continued achievement and enjoyment that men's basketball to our campus and community."
A two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, Wainwright compiled a 136-103 record and four postseason appearances in eight years at UNC-Wilmington, which quickly replaced him by promoting associate coach Brad Brownell.
The 34-year-old Brownell served as an assistant under Wainwright for his eight-year tenure at the school.
"We certainly believe Brad is one of the top coaches in the country and will make an outstanding head coach," said UNC-Wilmington Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes. "He has worked hand-in-hand with Jerry to elevate the program. From recruiting to scheduling to courtside coaching, he has proven he is ready to direct our program."
Prior to coming to Wilmington, Brownell worked as an assistant at Evansville and at the University of Indianapolis.
Hoch to defend at Greensboro
GREENSBORO, N.C., April 24 (UPI) -- Scott Hoch, the defending champion, had a third laser procedure done Monday and was having trouble with depth perception and seeing out of his right eye. He considered skipping the event before undergoing another exam on Wednesday and, barring any late complications, will be part of the field when the $3.8 million event begins Thursday at the Forest Oaks Country Club.
The North Carolina native who attended nearby Wake Forest University has made news at the tournament last year before he won, complaining that the rough had been cut, limiting the chances of the accurate hitters in the field.
But it did not prevent him from posting a one-stroke win over Brett Quigley and Scott Simpson. At 45, he was the oldest winner on the PGA Tour in 2001.
Masters champion Tiger Woods is skipping this event, as are many of the PGA Tour's top golfers.
Rocco Mediate is the top-ranked player in the field at No. 17. Mediate missed the cut last week and had consecutive third-place finishes before tying for 36th at the Masters. He claimed the last of his four titles two years ago at the Buick Open.
The tournament will mark the professional debut of Bubba Dickerson, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. Dickerson missed the cut at the Masters as an amateur.
Bill Haas, a sophomore at Wake Forest, and his father, Jay, will be the first father-son combination at a PGA Tour event since Raymond and Robert Floyd at the 2000 Western Open. The younger Haas is in the field on a sponsor exemption.
Among the other entrants is Matt Kuchar, the former Georgia Tech star who earned his first career title six weeks ago at the Honda Open.
This will be the final year for the tournament's spring date, a standard since its inception in 1938. The tournament will be played in October in 2003.
The par-72 course measures 7,062 yards.
First prize is $630,000.
