12
The Hornets have won 12 of their last 15 games to make a run for the No. 4 seed in the East. Charlotte knows this drill. Last season the Hornets won 21 of their last 32 regular-season games. In 1999-2000 they won 14 of their last 16.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
60
Jazz coach and onetime Bulls wonder boy Jerry Sloan turned 60 years old March 28.
The NBA’s oldest coaches:
COACH TEAM AGE
Lenny Wilkens Toronto 64
Don Nelson Dallas 61
Larry Brown Philadelphia 61
Jerry Sloan Utah 61
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AGING WELL
40
In his first five games after his 40th birthday, John Stockton averaged 15.8 points, 10.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He made 30-of-44 field-goal attempts (.682). The Jazz won four of the five.
FOREIGN REPORT
2
Dominant performances by 7-foot-5-inch center Yao Ming of the Shanghai Sharks in the second round of the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs. In the opener of the best-of-three series against the Jilin Tigers, Yao collected 35 points, 24 rebounds and six assists in 41 minutes to lead the Sharks to a 114-99 triumph. Yao followed that performance with 40 points and 21 rebounds in 48 minutes in Game 2 as the Sharks won 106-93.
QUOTABLE
“I’m all for working with superstars. I was thinking more about Chamique O’Neal, though.”
–Jeff Van Gundy, on the false report he would coach Chamique Holdsclaw and the WNBA Washington Mystics.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Toronto at Indiana
Wednesday
See, it wasn’t Jalen Rose’s fault. The Pacers have been a .500 team since the big midseason trade with the Bulls and are desperately trying to make the playoffs. Without Vince Carter, the Raptors are making their best run of the season, and this game could be the deciding factor.
Minnesota at Los Angeles Lakers
Thursday
The Lakers honor the legendary players and teams of the Minneapolis Lakers, the league’s first dynasty. The Lakers will raise a banner and Magic Johnson, Jerry West, James Worthy, Elgin Baylor and Michael Cooper will present the Minneapolis Lakers players in attendance with commemorative championship rings. During the game the Lakers will wear the road uniforms of the Minneapolis team that won the NBA championship for the 1951-52 season.
— Sam Smith %%
