Sports

NBA

Cavaliers slow potent Grizzlies

Associated Press
Published November 12, 2005

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CLEVELAND - LeBron James scored 16, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 14 points and 12 rebounds and the Cavaliers clamped down defensively on Memphis in an 89-70 rout of the Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Cavs, improving each game under first-year coach Mike Brown, contested every shot, outhustled the Grizzlies to every loose ball, outrebounded Memphis 49-29 and held it to a season low in points.

Cleveland's swarming defense - even the defensively challenged Ilgauskas drew two charges - held Memphis to 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting in third quarter when the Cavs opened a 27-point lead.

"I can't remember the last time he took two charges in an entire season," James said of the slow-footed 7-foot-3 Lithuanian.

The Grizzlies came in averaging 95 points on 47.3 percent shooting, No. 4 in the league.

"This one was all about Cleveland," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "They played very unselfish. They shared the ball and played defense."

James added six rebounds and two assists in 26 foul-plagued minutes for Cleveland. He needs 10 points to become the youngest player to reach 4,000 career points. James (20 years, 316 days) likely will hit the mark and pass Kobe Bryant (21 years, 216 days) Sunday at Orlando.

The game was telecast live in China, where James' new sneaker, Nike's Zoom LeBron III, goes on sale this weekend. James visited China during the summer.

MAVERICKS 98, BOBCATS 88: Dirk Nowitzki shrugged off a back problem and wound up with 23 points and 16 rebounds to lead visiting Dallas.

Nowitzki was a game-time decision because of a lower back strain that sidelined him for the second half of Wednesday night's loss at Philadelphia. During warmups he said he wasn't positive he would play because it wasn't worth "risking anything" this early in the season.

Charlotte shot 35 percent and lacked much offense with leading scorer Gerald Wallace (16.2 ppg) out with a chipped bone in his right wrist. The bench also was short when Jumaine Jones had to return to Los Angeles when his pregnant wife went into early labor.

WIZARDS 137, SUPERSONICS 96: Gilbert Arenas scored 32 in 31 minutes, Caron Butler added a season-high 24 and Washington pulled away early. It was Seattle's third consecutive lopsided loss away from home. Wizards rookie Andray Blatche - who missed the preseason after being shot during an attempted carjacking - scored his first career points on a baseline jumper with about four minutes left. He finished with five points.

SPURS 103, CELTICS 82: Tim Duncan had 29 points and 12 rebounds and visiting San Antonio pulled away in the third quarter for its 16th consecutive win over Boston. The Spurs led 47-44 at halftime then outscored Boston 34-15 for an 81-59 lead entering the fourth. Duncan has never lost to the Celtics since being drafted with the first pick in 1997.

PACERS 102, NETS 90: Ron Artest scored a season-high 30 as he and Stephen Jackson were perfect from the field in the first quarter. Vince Carter led visiting New Jersey with 18 points and sat out the fourth quarter with the outcome all but determined. Nets starting forward Jason Collins sat out because of a muscle strain in his right leg.

JAZZ 99, RAPTORS 84: Mehmet Okur had 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead visiting Utah past winless Toronto. Rookies Deron Williams and Andre Owens each added 15 points for the Jazz, two days after coach Jerry Sloan questioned his team's commitment to winning after a loss to New Jersey.

76ERS 85, LAKERS 81: Allen Iverson outplayed Kobe Bryant in an anticipated matchup of the league's leading scorers, scoring 34 and sinking the winner with 22.2 seconds left for host Philadelphia. Iverson - stumbling in the fourth quarter after he missed an easy layup, two free throws and was whistled for traveling - stepped just inside the 3-point arc and hit a jumper for an 83-81 lead.

KINGS 101, NUGGETS 85: Peja Stojakovic scored 23 to lead Sacramento to its 18th straight win over Denver at Arco Arena. The Nuggets last won in Sacramento on Jan. 7, 1997. The Kings were up by 10 in the first quarter and kept the advantage in double figures through much of the game.

Around the league

CAVALIERS: Forward Ira Newble, who has not played this season because of a foot injury, will miss another 4-6 weeks.

WARRIORS: The league fined coach Mike Montgomery $25,000 and Jason Richardson $20,000, both for failing to leave the court in a timely manner and for verbal abuse of an official. The penalties came two days after an incident following an 85-84 loss at Chicago.

DONATION: Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Garnett is joining the long list of professional athletes donating to victims of Hurricane Katrina - in a big, big way. Garnett is donating $1.2-million to build homes throughout the Gulf Coast region. Garnett is teaming with Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network charity foundation.

LEGENDARY LABEL: Basketball Hall of Famer and Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird is teaming with a California winery to produce a line of wines to be sold under the name Legends. The Cosentino Signature Wineries, based in Yountville, plans to roll out the wines in December. Winery founder Mitch Cosentino said some of the wines will average $20, while others will sell for between $60 and $70.

[Last modified November 12, 2005, 01:11:02]