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NEW YORK - The biggest zone-hater in the NBA, Larry Brown, says he might have the U.S. Olympic qualifying team play something other than its usual man-to-man defense.
Larry Brown? A zone? Given the coach's long-standing basketball philosophy, the admission was the sporting equivalent of Barry Bonds expressing a desire to bunt, David Beckham becoming a goalkeeper or Steve Spurrier instituting a running game.
"Being short-handed with size, we might have to go to a zone to protect some big people," Brown said. "I could see us doing it a little bit. Again, though, I want to have man-to-man principles when we do it."
The American team will play Puerto Rico in an exhibition tonight at Madison Square Garden.
BUCKS: Jim Todd, a former Bucks assistant under Chris Ford, will serve on new coach Terry Porter's staff. Todd, 51, joins holdover Sam Mitchell and Mike Schuler, who was hired this week. Porter was hired last month to replace George Karl.
LAKERS: The 911 call Kobe Bryant made the day before he surrendered to police on a sexual assault charge was for medical assistance for his wife, city documents showed. A day after the call, Bryant returned to Colorado to surrender on the charge of felony sexual assault against a 19-year-old.
RAPTORS: Guard Rick Brunson and forward George Williams, who played minor-league basketball last season, signed.
WIZARDS: Milt Newton was hired as director of player personnel. Former coach Doug Collins signed a five-year contract with TNT to be an analyst for the network's NBA broadcasts.
WASHINGTON 76, CHARLOTTE 69: Coco Miller scored a career-high 23, including a 3-pointer in the final minute, and Chamique Holdsclaw added 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the visiting Mystics, who rallied from a nine-point first-half deficit for their second straight win.
LOS ANGELES 87, MINNESOTA 83: Lisa Leslie scored 19 in her return after four weeks on the injured list for the Sparks' 15th straight win against the host Lynx.