Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Bobcats dropped two games over the weekend, falling 101-89to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and 113-99to the Seattle SuperSonics on Saturday. On Sunday, they rested. Tomorrow, they host the Spurs. Three Bobcats are on the injured list and three more are questionable for the game. Good luck, Bobcats.
The Spurs are the only team left in the league that has even a mathematical possibility of matching the record 72-10 regular season set by Michael Jordan's Bulls; they are the only team to have lost 10 games or less. They also have one of the best big men in the game.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats are missing their star rookie, double-double machine Emeka Okafor, and are likely down a couple more big bodies to various injuries. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff may need to go ultrasmall at the Spurs and hope to disrupt them with quick penetrations and kick-outs for threes.
After Tim Duncan, the Bobcats face Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and Miami's Shaquille O'Neal. They need Okafor healthy ASAP.
NEXT GAME
The Bobcats (10-34, fourth in the Southeast) host the San Antonio Spurs (38-10, first in the Southwest and first in the league) tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 8th, 2005. The game starts at 7:00pm and will be broadcast on C-SET and NBA League Pass.
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INJURY UPDATE
Emeka Okafor(ankle), Bernard Robinson(knee),Tamar Slay (foot) are all on the injured list.Jahidi White(shoulder),Jamal Sampson(back), andKareem Rush(back spasms) are questionable for Tuesday's game.
Rick Bonnell ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Big men are becoming an endangered species for the Bobcats.Emeka Okafor (sprained ankle) and Jamal Sampson (back spasms) were out, Melvin Ely played on a bad ankle, and Jahidi White's right shoulder was "numb," according to coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
The Charlotte Observerasks fans what gradethey would give the Bobcats for the season so far.