Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Bobcats faced a couple of tough losses this weekend, dropping a game in New Jersey 86-93on Friday and one at home against Chicago 90-94on Saturday. Emeka Okafor is back to his usual double-double ways, at least starting with the Chicago game, in which he scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Okafor's UConn roommate and teammate and current Chicago contender for Rookie of the Year Ben Gordon had just 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he did it all in a mere 15 minutes of action, including a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter to help his team get the W.
The two exchanged basket and leads late in the fourth quarter for their respective teams. On one play, Gordon elevated for a layup but Okafor simply levitated over everybody, grabbed the ball away from Gordon, and pushed the ball upcourt as Gordon fell to the floor. Charlotte missed the field goal, then Gordon hit the trey that gave the Bulls a 5-point lead. Okafor hit some freebies to cut it to three with just under a minute to play, and the Bobcats had a couple chances thanks to offensive rebounding, but missed the three pointers that could have tied the game.
The rematch is already set for March 30 in Charlotte and you can be sure these two friends have that date circled on their calendars.
Primoz Brezec (flu) and Gerald Wallace (wrist sprain) were missing on Saturday.
NEXT GAME
The Bobcats (11-42, fourth in the Southeast) host the surging Sacramento Kings (36-21, second in the Pacific) tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 1. The game starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on C-SET and NBA TV.
TEAM NOTES
Bud Lightwill present a local television broadcast of the Bobcats at New Orleans game on March 2. The game against the Hornets will be carried live by the Bobcats’ over-the-air flagship station WJZY UPN46
INJURY UPDATE
Jahidi White(shoulder) andTamar Slay(foot) are on the injured list.
Scott Dodd ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: The nation's oldest black college athletic conference shocked Raleigh by announcing late last year that it will bring its tournament -- and more than $11 million in economic impact -- to Charlotte from 2006 to 2008. While the teams play in the Charlotte Bobcats' new arena, uptown will be filled with concerts, cheerleading competitions, fashion shows and the camaraderie of an event that's often compared to a giant family reunion.
Mike McGraw ofThe Chicago Daily Heraldwrites: Before they became the top contenders for NBA rookie of the year, Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor were bickering roommates living together in a freshman dorm at the University of Connecticut.Their experience was more of a culture clash than the traditional messy vs. tidy story line we're all used to.
Mike McGraw ofThe Chicago Daily Heraldwrites: Charlotte, in its second year of existence, is only allowed to use 75 percent of the NBA's salary cap.That could be irrelevant anyway, since two league sources predict Bobcats owner Robert Johnson doesn't plan any spending sprees during the team's first two seasons.
The Associated Press writes inThe South Bend Tribune: Ben Gordon got knocked down by good friend Emeka Okafor, picked himself up, and calmly sank a 3-pointer that sealed the Chicago Bulls' 94-90 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night.