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James gets nod as top rookie

CLEVELAND - More than 45 minutes late to a news conference, LeBron James was one teen who did not need an excuse.

He is exhausted.

"They had to drag me out of bed to put this suit on," said James Tuesday, when he was named Rookie of the Year. "I didn't want to get out. I thought I was going to practice when they woke me up this morning."

Saving the Cavaliers is hard work, and the 19-year-old put the final touch on a successful season, becoming the rookie award's youngest recipient.

"I knew I would make an impact this year," said James, who easily beat Denver's Carmelo Anthony, also 19. "And I guess I did."

The 6-foot-8 guard made the jump from preps to pros look easy. The No. 1 overall draft pick did more than post jaw-dropping statistics: He transformed Gund Arena into a hot spot and gave Cleveland fans reason to hope.

James received 508 points, including 78 of a possible 118 first-place votes, to become the first Cleveland rookie honored. Anthony, who left Syracuse after leading it to an NCAA championship as a freshman, finished with 430, including the other 40 first-place votes. Miami's Dwyane Wade was third with 117 in balloting by sports writers and broadcasters.

"People are going to think what they want to think," Anthony said. "I don't really know what else I could have done."

"I thought it could go either way," said James, who praised Anthony for having a phenomenal season. "I thought it could be a split decision."

In any other year, Anthony probably would have won the award for statistics similar to James' and helping the Nuggets go from 17 victories to the playoffs.

But this season belonged to James, from his 25-point, nine-rebound, six-assist debut at Sacramento through his resounding windmill dunk to close his season at Madison Square Garden.

James followed Amare Stoudemire of the Suns as the second straight rookie honored after turning pro directly from high school. James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only rookies to average at least 20-5-5.

A year after going 17-65, the Cavs went 35-47 and finished one spot out of the playoffs. James helped home attendance rise from 11,497 to 18,288, the highest increase ever for a team that did not move into a new building.

PHILADELPHIA - The 76ers hired Jim O'Brien as coach, handing the former Celtics coach a team that could be on the verge of major rebuilding.

O'Brien replaces Chris Ford, who was promoted from assistant on an interim basis after Randy Ayers was fired Feb. 10. O'Brien will be introduced as Philadelphia's 20th coach today.

O'Brien stepped down as Celtics coach Jan. 27 after clashing with Danny Ainge, the team's executive director of basketball operations. O'Brien was 139-119 with the Celtics and led them to the East finals and semifinals the past two seasons. He will be the third coach to lead the Sixers since Hall of Famer Larry Brown stepped down in May.

Ayers, an assistant under Brown with the Sixers, was fired after posting a 21-31 record. Ford, who had several run-ins with All-Star guard Allen Iverson, led Philadelphia to 12-18, and the team missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

The Sixers are entering a pivotal offseason. Though Iverson is signed through 2008-09, he could be traded this summer. Other veterans, including Derrick Coleman, Glenn Robinson, Eric Snow and Aaron McKie, also might be made available.

NETS 99, KNICKS 81: Host New Jersey took control in the best-of-seven series, grabbing a 2-0 lead. The Nets led by as many as 22 in defeating the Knicks for the 14th time in their past 16 meetings.

Kenyon Martin led New Jersey with 22 points and 16 rebounds. New York pulled to 66-56 on a transition jumper by Kurt Thomas late in the third, but Rodney Rogers answered with a 3-pointer and layup. New Jersey opened the fourth quarter with a 10-4 run.

Stephon Marbury, one of the few offense-minded players the Knicks had left as Tim Thomas (bruised back and ankle) and Allan Houston (knee soreness) sat out, led New York with 23 points.

PACERS 103, CELTICS 90: Host Indiana proved it is more than Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal. A group of reserves rescued the Pacers with an 21-3 run spanning the third and fourth quarters.

With an erratic O'Neal watching from the bench and Artest watching from home because of a suspension, Austin Croshere and Jonathan Bender ignited a lifeless Pacers team late in the third. Indiana leads the series 2-0.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 27 points, but struggled from the field despite the absence of Artest, the league's defensive player of the year. Al Harrington was the only "starter" on the floor during Indiana's surge, and he usually is the team's sixth man. He was filling in for Artest, suspended one game by the league Monday for leaving the bench during a confrontation in the Pacers' Game 1 win.

KINGS 83, MAVERICKS 79: Chris Webber got his first playoff triple-double and Brad Miller hit the go-ahead shot with 34 seconds left. Webber had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, while Mike Bibby scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Kings. They took a 2-0 lead in a playoff series for just the second time since moving to Sacramento.

Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who got just one field goal in the final three minutes.

HORNETS SEND OFF MASHBURN: Injured forward Jamal Mashburn was sent home because he complained publicly the team mishandled his medical care. "He won't be with the team the rest of the season," GM Bob Bass said.

Mashburn, who was left off the playoff roster and ineligible for postseason play, appeared in only 19 games this season because of a bruised right knee. Since joining the Hornets in a 2000 trade, Mashburn has missed 111 regular-season games because of injuries.

"This organization and the way things were done, I've been misdiagnosed a couple of times, and it has gotten to the point where I have to take care of myself," Mashburn told the Miami Herald. "It kind of shows you what pro sports is all about. Sometimes it's not the athlete's best interest that's in mind. They just want you out there on the court."

Mashburn, 31, who said he is considering retirement, has one year remaining on his contract.

WILLIAMS TRIAL: The defense in Jayson Williams' manslaughter trial rested a second time, and the jury might get the case of the retired All-Star by the end of the week. Williams's attorneys finished by re-questioning three witnesses - a New Jersey State Police firearms expert and two of their own experts.

DRAFT: Indiana recruit Josh Smith will skip college and enter the draft. Smith, a 6-foot-8, 214-pound forward at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, signed a national letter of intent with the Hoosiers in November. Smith played in the McDonald's All-American game after leading Oak Hill to a 38-0 record. He averaged 22 points and eight rebounds.