Like a child finding pennies on the ground, the state government just keeps stumbling across more money. Last week officials announced that a strong economy has produced $126 million more in revenues for the state than previously predicted.
The news came a week after another group announced that a lower demand for state services would save the state $240 million.
All this couldn’t be happening at a worse time.
Foothill High junior Dayshan Ragans owns the Central Section?s top marks this season in the shot put and discus.
Dayshan Ragans of Foothill High School may be poised to become only the fourth Kern County member of the very exclusive "60-180 Club" -- those who have achieved 60 feet in the shot put and 180 feet in the discus during their high school careers.
At the Foothill/Highland/Frontier triangular meet March 14, Ragans increased his Central Section-leading shot put mark to 58 feet, 8 inches, the top mark in California this season. That mark placed him almost 6 feet ahead of his closest Central Section competition this year.
SEATTLE - Gilbert Arenas tried to leave Seattle fans with a souvenir. And "Agent Zero" wasn't talking about yet another game-winning shot.
Arenas crossed over Earl Watson, drove with his left hand, then switched to his right and banked in a short-runner at the buzzer, capping a 42-point performance and giving the Washington Wizards a 108-106 victory over the SuperSonics on Wednesday night.
And as he jogged off the court, Arenas dropped his jersey at the free throw line, hoping a mob of fans would rush the floor trying to snatch the blue uniform.
OLYMPIA --- House Democrats on Tuesday rolled out a two-year, $29.8 billion operating budget proposal, a nearly $4 billion increase over the spending plan lawmakers approved two years ago.Democrats called their plan great for education, health programs and the environment. "We really are investing in our future," said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam.
Republicans complained Democrats would spend too much and leave too little, $664 million, in reserve for emergencies or if taxes don't roll in as expected. "This budget can't be sustained," said Lewis County Rep. Gary Alexander, the lead Republican on the House budget committee.House Democrats, who don't need Republican votes to pass the budget, said they will adopt the spending plan Friday.Senate Democrats, who command that chamber, are expected to present and pass their budget proposal n...
Democrats propose to increase spending on education, children's health programs, cleaning up Puget Sound, combating auto thefts and dozens of other state programs. "I like what I'm seeing," said Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen. "The emphasis on education, I think, is spot on."House budget chairwoman Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, said she couldn't think of any government service that got cut. "It's nice to have some more funds than we've had available in the past," she said.House Deputy Minority Leader Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, marveled th
CLEVELAND - It lacks grace and classic technique, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas' hook shot is starting to become quite fashionable because it's going in the basket.
The Cavaliers' veteran center has been working on the move since training camp and recently has started to find success with it. In the loss Tuesday in Charlotte, Ilgauskas' sweeping maneuver, which sometimes starts not far above the waist, got him three hoops. He has been going to it, and making it, with regularity the past several weeks.
``It is something we've been working on every day,'' said Cavs assistant coach Kenny Natt, who works with the team's big men. ``It is a shot he's always had. It was just a matter of developing it.''
SEATTLE - Gilbert Arenas capped his 42-point night by banking in a right-handed runner as time expired to give the Washington Wizards a 108-106 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night.
Arenas crossed over Earl Watson, drove with his left hand, then switched to his right and scooped up the runner past Seattle's Rashard Lewis and Chris Wilcox. Arenas then jogged to midcourt, circled around and stripped off his jersey, dropping it at the free throw line on his way to the locker room.
Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas (0) drives around Seattle SuperSonics' Damien Wilkins, center, and Rashard Lewis, right.
That much was proved Saturday, when Ellis turned the ball over eight times, one off his season-worst effort, and notched just two assists in 28 minutes during the Warriors' 99-98 win over the Seattle SuperSonics.
After a long run of successfully reining in his propensity for coughing up the ball, Ellis has committed 24 turnovers over his last five games, against 23 assists. That includes four turnovers and four assists in the Warriors' 104-100 loss to Utah on Tuesday.
"That's as bad as he's played, at both ends of the floor, in a long, long time," Warriors coach Don Nelson said of the Seattle game. "We've been trying to teach him all year, be under control. In the last two games, he had two plays where he just lowered his head, went in there and ran (a defender) over. I wonder if I'm getting my point across when those kind of things happen at this time of year.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Monta Ellis has come far in his journey to become a legitimate NBA point guard. But there's still a ways to go.
That much was proved Saturday, when Ellis turned the ball over eight times, one off his season worst, and notched just two assists in 28 minutes during the Warriors' 99-98 win over the Seattle SuperSonics.
After a long run of successfully reining in his propensity for coughing up the ball, Ellis has committed 24 over his last five games, against 23 assists. That includes four turnovers and four assists in the Warriors' 104-100 loss to Utah on Tuesday.
Maybe if Elton Brand didn't keep improving with age, it wouldn't be so painful. Maybe if the playoff-hopeful Bulls didn't need a player like Brand more than anything else, it wouldn't be so frustrating.
Maybe if the 28-year-old Los Angeles Clippers power forward wasn't such a classy, decent, hard-working, old-school kind of guy, it wouldn't be so hard for Chicagoans to take.
But Brand started the game Tuesday against the Bulls at the United Center showing exactly the kind of quality player he is, and all the Bulls could do was think about what might have been. The Bulls' 103-89 loss was about sealed from the get-go.
(Sports Network) - The Golden State Warriors try to continue their push towards their first playoff berth since 1994, as they visit the slumping Utah Jazz tonight at EnegySolutions Arena.
Golden State is No. 8 in the Western Conference and leads the Los Angeles Clippers by one game for the eighth and final playoff spot, while the Northwest Division-leading Jazz, who are the fourth seed in the West, lead the second place Denver Nuggets by nine games in the Northwest.
The Warriors enter tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak. Baron Davis drilled the game-winning jump shot from just inside the top of the key with 2.3 seconds left to lift Golden State over the Seattle SuperSonics, 99-98, on Saturday at KeyArena.
The Warriors? Well, they're 3-for-3 after hounding and harassing those aforementioned superstars into those feeble shooting nights as Golden State beat the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Seattle SuperSonics last week to complete a stretch of six wins in seven games.
After spending much of the season fighting to learn coach Don Nelson's principles of man-to-man defense, then fighting to get healthy enough to implement them, the Warriors are showing some surprising wrinkles — "gimmicks," as Nelson refers to them — of late.
"We can do more because we're more athletic now, and we've got more interchangeable pieces," Warriors forward Al Harrington said. "Whenever you've got guys that can guard multiple positions ithelps, because it allows you to be more aggressive in going for steals. And that's what we want to do anyways, so we can speed the game up. That just plays into our team."
But when Nelson said a few weeks ago that he would not be guilty of overplaying Baron Davis in the wake of the guard's knee surgery, the coach wasn't kidding in the slightest.
Since Davis returned March 5, three weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Nelson has managed to walk a fine line between keeping his best player on the floor during key stretches and giving adequate rest to the soon-to-be-28-year-old, who's bidding to reach 60 games played for only the second time in five seasons.
In his 43 games before the injury, Nelson's drive for victories led to him pushing Davis for an average of 37.5 minutes per game, even though the coach knew that was a lot to ask of his star. In six games back, Davis' workload is down to 26.5 minutes a night, and he hasn't played more than 30 minutes in a single contest.
The Warriors? Well, they're three-for-three after hounding and harassing those aforementioned superstars into those feeble shooting nights as Golden State beat the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Seattle SuperSonics last week to complete a stretch of six wins in seven games.
After spending much of the season fighting to learn coach Don Nelson's principles of man-to-man defense, then fighting to get healthy enough to implement them, the Warriors are showing some surprising wrinkles -- "gimmicks," as Nelson refers to them -- of late.
"We can do more because we're more athletic now and we've got more interchangeable pieces," Warriors forward Al Harrington said. "Whenever you've got guys that can guard multiple positions it helps, because it allows you to be more aggressive in going for steals. And that's what we want to do anyways, so we can speed the game up. That just plays into our team."
Neither of my kids wanted a pony, and for that I am grateful.
Ponies, as I understand it, are expensive. Apparently you have to feed them and board them and groom them. So, as I said, I am grateful to have been saved that expense.
Had they wanted a pony, however, and had we decided to indulge them, I would not have tried to tell people it was a wise economic investment. I would not have claimed that pre-eminent economists have proved that investing in ponies brings in more revenue than it consumes, that it creates jobs and economic activity.
PORTLAND – Seattle SuperSonics coach Bob Hill said that Rashard Lewis was open on the final play of the game in a 99-98 loss to Golden State on Saturday night, and the Sonics failed to get Lewis the ball.
With 2.3 seconds remaining and trailing by one point, Earl Watson was inbounding the ball near the Warriors’ bench.
The play called for Lewis to set a screen for Ray Allen and then slip to the near side of the basket.
PORTLAND, Ore. Rashard Lewis likes it when Chris Wilcox is aggressive.
Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Wilcox scored 26, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
It opens it up for me and Ray (Allen) when hes going to the basket strong like that and taking his time and finishing his shots or getting to the free-throw line, Lewis said about Wilcox.
OAKLAND - Sometimes, the statements that come out of the mouth of Warriors coach Don Nelson are very much akin to a Bay Area weather pattern: Subject to reversal on a moment's notice.
But when Nelson said a few weeks ago that he would not be guilty of overplaying Baron Davis in the wake of the guard's knee surgery, the coach wasn't kidding in the slightest.
Since Davis returned March 5, three weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Nelson has managed to walk a fine line between keeping his best player on the floor during key stretches and giving adequate rest to the soon-to-be-28-year-old, who's bidding to reach 60 games played for only the second time in five seasons.
Rashard Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
Chris Wilcox scored 26 for the Sonics, who led by as many as 14 points early, but let the Blazers close the gap in the fourth quarter before pulling away with a 20-4 run.
PORTLAND -- Rashard Lewis likes it when Chris Wilcox is aggressive.Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Wilcox scored 26, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night."It opens it up for me and Ray (Allen) when he's going to the basket strong like that and taking his time and finishing his shots or getting to the free-throw line," Lewis said about Wilcox.The Sonics led by as many as 14 points early, but let Por...
Seattle Supersonics' Chris Wilcox (54) battles for a rebound with Portland Trail Blazers' Jamaal Magloire (21) during the second half of basketball in Portland, Ore., Sunday March 18, 2007. Wilcox had 26 points as the Supersonics beat the Trail Blazers 95-77.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Rashard Lewis likes it when Chris Wilcox is aggressive.
PORTLAND - Rashard Lewis likes it when Chris Wilcox is aggressive.
Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Wilcox scored 26, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
``It opens it up for me and Ray (Allen) when he's going to the basket strong like that and taking his time and finishing his shots or getting to the free-throw line,'' Lewis said about Wilcox.
The Sonics led by as many as 14 points early, but let Portland close the gap in the fourth quarter before pulling away with a 20-4 run.
PORTLAND, Ore. --Rashard Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
Chris Wilcox scored 26 for the Sonics, who led by as many as 14 points early, but let the Blazers close the gap in the fourth quarter before pulling away with a 20-4 run.
Jamaal Magloire had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost four straight and eight of their last 10 games. Portland was coming off a 116-111 overtime loss to the Lakers in which Kobe Bryant scored 65 points.
PORTLAND, Ore. Rashard Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-to-77 win over Portland.Chris Wilcox scored 26 for the Sonics.Jamaal Magloire had eleven points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who've lost four straight and eight of ten. Portland was coming off a 116-to-111 overtime loss to the Lakers in which Kobe Bryant scored 65 points Friday night.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) ? Rashard Lewis likes it when Chris Wilcox is aggressive.
Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Wilcox scored 26, and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
"It opens it up for me and Ray (Allen) when he's going to the basket strong like that and taking his time and finishing his shots or getting to the free-throw line," Lewis said about Wilcox.
SEATTLE - Baron Davis, playing part-time while recovering from a knee injury, is making his presence felt in limited minutes.
SEATTLE, Wash. Baron Davis drilled the game-winning jump shot from just inside the top of the key with 2.3 seconds left to lift the Golden State Warriors over the Seattle SuperSonics, 99-98, at KeyArena.
The Warriors moved one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth overall playoff spot in the Western Conference, while the Sonics dropped to 4 1/2 games behind Golden State.
Davis converted 1-of-2 free throws to tie the score at 97, but Jason Richardson then fouled Rashard Lewis with 7.2 seconds on the clock. Lewis hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to push Seattle ahead 98-97.
State lawmakers got good news heading into the home stretch of this year?s 105-day legislative session: Expenses are down, while tax collections are up.
That means the majority Democrats in the House of Representatives will have $364 million more to work with than Gov. Chris Gregoire did when she asked the Legislature last December to approve a two-year, $63.75 billion state budget.
The House is scheduled to come out Tuesday with its own spending proposal for the budget cycle that runs from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.
Here's a look at some of the issues the state Legislature is working on or has abandoned as it heads into the final 35 days of its 105-day session with a favorable budget outlook:
Heres a look at some of the issues the state Legislature is working on or has abandoned as it heads into the final 35 days of its 105-day session with a favorable budget outlook:
SEATTLE (AP) -- Baron Davis, playing part-time while recovering from a knee injury, is making his presence felt in limited minutes. Davis hit a jumper from just inside the 3-point line at the top of the key with 2.3 seconds left to give the Golden State Warriors a 99-98 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Saturday night. "What I wanted to do was take a rhythm shot and just follow through," said Davis, who missed 14 games. "If it goes in, it goes in. I don't mind being the hero or the goat. M...
SEATTLE - A little more than three months ago at KeyArena, Baron Davis said it all without saying a word. His angry grimace and seething body language eloquently described his disgust at how the Warriors had frittered away a 16-point halftime lead before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics by two on Dec. 10.
Saturday night, Davis once again didn't need words to show how he felt. Only this time, his sideways hipity-hop down the length of the court conveyed the giddy joy of having knocked down a game-winning shot against the SuperSonics for the second time in as many seasons.
Davis knocked down a 16-footer with 2.3 seconds remaining to rescue a 99-98 comeback victory for the Warriors, who had coughed up another 16-point lead and were threatening to shoot their own playoff hopes right in the foot.
shot from just inside the top of the key with 2.3 seconds left to lift the
Golden State Warriors over the Seattle SuperSonics, 99-98, at KeyArena.The Warriors moved one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the
eighth overall playoff spot in the Western Conference, while the Sonics
The two and a half week mens collegiate basketball tournament known as March Madness means big business for pizza delivery sales.
Golden State moved one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth playoff spot in the West.
Golden State has won all six games with Davis on the floor since he returned March 5 after missing 14 games because of a knee injury. The lone loss came to Portland last Sunday when Davis did not play because of stiffness in his right knee.
Jason Richardson had 23 points for Golden State, Al Harrington had 20 and Davis added 19. Andris Biedrins tied his season-high with 18 rebounds.
"The Light in the Piazza:" April 17-29, Paramount, times vary, $72-$27
Air: April 23, Pantages, 8 p.m., $38.50
Cirque Dreams: April 27-28, Moore, times vary, $49-$29
Then there's something like Friday night's meeting between the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves, a contest that Warriors guard Baron Davis deemed "the most important game of the year."
The Warriors came out and played as if they believed Davis' description, pummeling one of their nearest competitors in the bottom end of the Western Conference playoff chase, 106-86.
Monta Ellis had his biggest scoring game in two months with 24 points on 11-for-17 shooting and added six assists. Davis contributed 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Jason Richardson overcame a poor shooting night to provide 14 points, eight assists and seven boards.
The Golden State Warriors, who have not advanced to the postseason since 1994, are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference with 16 games left on their schedule.Golden State was swept, 3-0, by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of its last playoff appearance.
Golden State is scheduled to play eight of its final 16 games on its home court. Fifteen of the contests are against Western Conference teams. The Warriors will host their only opponent from the East, the Washington Wizards, on March 23rd at ORACLE Arena.
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They'll look to create more breathing room in the playoff race Saturday when they visit the slumping Seattle SuperSonics.
Golden State (31-36), which hasn't reached the playoffs since the 1993-94 season, is in eighth place in the West, just percentage points ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers. Both teams are 23 1/2 games behind the conference-leading Dallas Mavericks.
``We're not thinking that far ahead,'' reserve Monta Ellis said, ``but if we continue playing like we're playing, the playoffs are going to come regardless.''
Novartis and the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) recently launched ?Shooting for Healthy BP,? a campaign to educate people, particularly African Americans who are disproportionately affected by high blood pressure, of the associated health risks of high blood pressure and to motivate them to manage their condition.
NBA legends Spencer Haywood, Dominique Wilkins, and Darryl Dawkins will reveal their high blood pressure stories to help motivate and inspire people to get their blood pressure controlled.
?Like a lot of other people, when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I denied it,? said Darryl Dawkins, former Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets center. ?I just didn?t want to hear it. And maintaining a healthy diet and getting exercise was not enough to manage my condition. My doctor recommended that I take a medication to get me closer to goal. I tried other prescription treatments that did not work for me.
(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons play the fourth of a five-game road trip when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at the Rose Garden.
The Pistons are ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers by two games for the lead in the Central Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit enters tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak. Ray Allen's baseline jumper for a tie in the closing seconds hit the back rim, and Richard Hamilton followed by sinking two free throws to seal Detroit's 101-97 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday at KeyArena.
SPOKANE - Some Washington State boosters are launching a campaign to raise enough money to keep first-year basketball coach Tony Bennett, who has led the Cougars to their best season in decades.
SEATTLE (AP) -- Hitting the road was the perfect remedy for the Detroit Pistons. They are rediscovering their swagger with the playoffs a little more than a month away, and Chris Webber is rapidly developing into an offensive threat again.
Webber scored 24 points, his best offensive night since joining Detroit, and the Pistons held off a late rally for a 101-97 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.
Detroit improved to 3-0 on its five-game West Coast road swing and remained two games up on Cleveland for the Central Division lead and best record in the Eastern Conference.
SEATTLE (AP) Hitting the road was the perfect remedy for the Detroit Pistons. They are rediscovering their swagger with the playoffs a little more than a month away, and Chris Webber is rapidly developing into an offensive threat again.
Webber scored 24 points, his best offensive night since joining Detroit, and the Pistons held off a late rally for a 101-97 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.
Detroit improved to 3-0 on its five-game West Coast road swing and remained two games up on Cleveland for the Central Division lead and best record in the Eastern Conference.
SEATTLE Chris Webber scored 24 points, Tayshaun Prince added 18 and the Detroit Pistons held off a late rally for a 101-to-97 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.Detroit improved to 3-and-oh on its five-game West Coast road swing. The Pistons remain two games up on Cleveland for the Central Division lead and best record in the Eastern Conference.Detroit saw its 12-point fourth-quarter lead shrink to one point on Ray Allen's fifth three-pointer of the game with less than two minutes remaining.Se...
(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons play the fourth of a five-game road trip when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at the Rose Garden.
The Pistons lead the Cleveland Cavaliers by two games for the lead in the Central Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit enters tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak. Ray Allen's baseline jumper for a tie in the closing seconds hit the back rim, and Richard Hamilton followed by sinking two free throws to seal Detroit's 101-97 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday at KeyArena.
The Sonics Rashard Lewis shoots over Detroits Rasheed Wallace, left, and Tayshaun Prince in the second half of Tuesdays game in Seattle.
(AP photo)
SEATTLE The Detroit Pistons clung to their undefeated status on their current five-game West Coast trip with a dramatic 101-97 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.
clasificaciones de la jornada de la liga profesional de baloncesto
de la NBA correspondiente a la temporada regular 2006-07.
Martes, 13 de marzo
OLYMPIA --- The House on Wednesday voted 80-16 to let Lewis County use sales taxes to help finance a 7,000-seat horse arena near Winlock. The proposal must still get Senate approval, but the House vote represented a major step for arena proponents."It's kind of fun to take a breath and celebrate our first real victory," said Centralia businessman Larry Hewitt, who's leading the effort by private investors to get public financing to buy land, and extend roads and utilities to property along Interstate 5 at Exit 63.
The arena proposal passed after some legislative fine-tuning by House Speaker Frank Chopp, Lewis County Republican Gary Alexander and King County Democrat Pat Sullivan.Alexander wanted funding for the horse arena, and Sullivan was pushing a separate bill to build a minor-league hockey arena in Kent. Both proposed to use similar methods of financing.The title of their bills were vague enough to allow either one to be amended later to become a vehicle to fund a NASCAR racetrack or new basketball ...
"The speaker (Chopp) wanted a real tight title that couldn't be expanded. It couldn't be amended for NASCAR or the Sonics or something else," Alexander said.The combined and narrowly titled bill passed shortly before a deadline for legislation that originated in the House to be passed over to the Senate.Lawmakers could have revived the proposal later, but Alexander said he was happy the horse arena made it through the House before the deadline. "I really think it was good for us to get out (before the deadl
Bull riding and junior hockey are trouncing the Seattle SuperSonics and NASCAR in the competition for state tax dollars.
The state House on Wednesday approved tax subsidies for a proposed rodeo arena in Lewis County and an events center in Kent that would host the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey team.
The projects now go to the state Senate, where they appear to have a lot of support.
The South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2007 includes four former professional athletes, a pioneer in thoroughbred horse racing, two legendary coaches and one of the Palmetto State's all-time best small college quarterbacks.
The former pros -- Major League Baseball's Bill Spiers and Jerry Martin, the NBA's Gary Gregor and the NFL's Max Runager - join soccer coach I.M. Ibrahim of Clemson and high school track coach Catherine Lempesis, Jack Douglas of The Citadel and horseracing's Cot Campbell.
The eight sports stars will be inducted at the SCAHOF's 47th annual banquet on May 21 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Tickets, priced at $500 for a table of eight, can be purchased by contacting the Hall of Fame office at 803-779-0905 or by mail at 1310 Lady Street, 9th Floor, Columbia, SC 29201. Additional information can be found at www.southcarolinaathletichalloffame.org.
After falling a point short of his career high in scoring, all Boston Celtics forward Al Jefferson wanted to talk about was defense.
Jefferson had 31 points and 16 rebounds, Paul Pierce added 21 points, and the Celtics rallied for a 118-103 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.
The Celtics trailed by as much as 16 in the second quarter and 66-57 at halftime, but outscored the SuperSonics 61-37 in the second half to run away with their fifth win in six games.