By Chris Bernucca SportsTicker Pro Basketball Editor
BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) To no one’s surprise, the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks started the Western Conference finals at a breakneck pace. But both teams may be limping to the finish.
In a series opener that saw three key players suffer injuries, the Suns stunned the host Mavericks, 121-118, on Boris Diaw’s turnaround jumper with a half-second to play Wednesday night.
Diaw’s shot completed a comeback from a nine-point deficit in the final three-plus minutes for the second-seeded Suns, who saw starters Raja Bell and Shawn Marion suffer leg injuries in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, the fourth-seeded Mavericks lost starting forward Josh Howard to a sprained right ankle midway through the first quarter.
The injuries didn’t stop either team from running. Defense was virtually non-existent as they combined for 146 points in the paint and 44 fast-break points 32 by the Suns.
“There’s a tempo that we’re comfortable with,” Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. “If you told me (we’d) score 118 points and shoot 50 percent from the field, I think we’d have a really food chance to win. But our defense wan’t very good.”
“We’re throwing the ball all over the place,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “You guys (media) better duck sometimes because it’s coming.”
In fact, Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni was hit in the face with a batted ball in the third quarter. He was OK, but Bell and Marion may not be.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Bell went up for a jumper and began hobbling after landing. He went down to the floor for a couple of possessions and was carried off the court by teammates. The initial diagnosis was a strained left calf.
“I thought someone threw something from the stands,” Bell said. “But then it started to burn and right now it’s pretty sore.”
“He strained something,” D’Antoni said. “We hope it’s a strain. It could be worse, could be better. We’ll see (Thursday) with the swelling. And we’ll do everything we can to rehab him and get him back, but we don’t know.”
Seconds after Bell’s injury, Marion aggravated the sprained left ankle he suffered in the conference semifinals. He remained in the game but was taken by a cart for X-rays after the contest.
When asked if Marion would be all right, D’Antoni said, “Hope so. (He) needs to be.”
The Mavericks did not escape unscathed, either. Howard scored six points in the first six minutes but began limping after a layup. He left the court and did not return, leaving Dallas without its best two-way player.
“Obviously it’s a big void,” Johnson said. “You’re talking about a guy who’s capable of getting 20 points and 10 rebounds, especially in a game like this. His athleticism, trying to have someone else guard Marion … Marion is a tough cover because he’s really athletic.”
Howard is scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday. Game Two is Friday in Dallas.
“He’s one of our primary defenders out there,” Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “So we’ll see what his status is for next game.”
There weren’t too many primary defenders in Game One. The Suns trailed, 114-105, with 3:43 to play but took the lead with a 12-2 run fueled by Steve Nash, who had 27 points and 16 assists.
The Mavericks appeared to have recovered when Devin Harris who scored a career-high 30 points made a jumper for a 118-117 lead with 4.8 seconds to play.
After a timeout, Tim Thomas inbounded to Diaw, who scored a career-high 34 points but had missed badly on the previous possession. He got deep position on Jerry Stackhouse and made a turnaround 10-footer from the right baseline, silencing the sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center.
“That wasn’t a play for me,” Diaw said. “From the start of the play, I was more of the second option. We ran a play we’ve run two or three times during the year for Steve. Dallas saw the play and I think they knew what we were going to do. I had the ball, so I had to take the shot.”
In the final second, Marquis Daniels threw away the inbounds pass and Thomas sealed it with two free throws. Dallas had four turnovers in the final 77 seconds.
The Mavericks never have been to the NBA Finals. In the conference finals for the second straight year, the Suns are gunning for their first Finals trip since 1993.
The East finals resume Thursday in Detroit, with the top-seeded Pistons hoping to bounce back from their 91-86 Game One loss to the second-seeded Miami Heat.
Dwyane Wade overcame foul trouble to score 25 points for the Heat, who seize control with a 20-5 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters.
Richard Hamilton scored 22 points and Chauncey Billups 19 for the Pistons, who shot just 38 percent (31-of-82).
NEW YORK (Ticker) LeBron James has his team contending for the Eastern Conference finals. On Wednesday, he earned some high individual recognition.
The superstar forward of the leveland Cavaliers was the leading vote-getter on the All-NBA Team, which included Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.
Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki and Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal completed the First Team, announced Wednesday by the NBA.
The selection of James and Nowitzki at forward bumped San Antonio’s Tim Duncan to the Second Team for the first time in his nine-year career.
James, who leads the Cavaliers into Detroit on Wednesday in Game Five of the Eastern Conference semifinals, is making his initial appearance on the All-NBA First Team, leading all players in first-place votes (116) and total points (610).
The 21-year-old James averaged 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists to lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. He joined Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jerry West and five-time MVP Michael Jordan as the only players in history to average at least 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Bryant led the NBA in scoring at 35.4 points while averaging 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists to earn his fourth First Team selection. He totaled 2,832 points this season, marking the seventh-highest scoring season in history behind only Jordan (1986-88) and Wilt Chamberlain (1960-64).
The two-time reigning MVP, Nash was selected to the First Team for the second straight year. He averaged career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), minutes (35.5), field-goal percentage (.512) and free throw percentage (.921) while dishing out a league-high 10.5 assists.
Making his second consecutive appearance on the First Team, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to a 60-22 season, the second-best record in the Western Conference. He posted a career-high 26.6 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds.
O’Neal was selected to the First Team for the seventh consecutive year and eighth time overall. Averaging 20.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.76 blocks, O’Neal led the Heat to a Southeast Division title. He shot 60 percent from the field, leading the league for the ninth time to tie Chamberlain for the most in league history.
Named to the Second Team were guards Chauncey Billups of Detroit and Dwyane Wade of Miami, forwards Duncan and Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers and center Ben Wallace of Detroit.
Hampered somewhat by a lingering foot injury, Duncan averaged career lows of 18.6 points and 11.0 rebounds.
The Third Team includes guards Allen Iverson of Philadelphia and Gilbert Arenas of Washington
NEW YORK (Ticker) There’s a good chance Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs guard Bruce Bowen will be facing off for the NBA championship next month. On Thursday, they were named teammates.
Wallace, a four-time and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and Bowen highlight the 2005-06 NBA All-Defensive Team.
Making his fifth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team, Wallace is joined by leading vote-getter Bowen who was named to the All-Defensive Team for the sixth consecutive season.
Also selected to the First Team were forwards Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz, 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings, and guards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets, receiving their sixth and seventh All-Defensive honors, respectively.
Kirilenko is making his third All-Defensive Team appearance while Artest was named to the All-Defensive Team for the second time. Bryant and Kidd tied in votes received to round out the First Team.
Usually assigned to the opposing team’s biggest offensive threat, Bowen’s stellar one-on-one defense helped the Spurs hold opponents to 88.8 points per game, second in the league. Bowen received 26 first-team votes and 55 points. Wallace was also named on 26 first-team ballots and had 54 points.
Wallace was the only player in the league to finish in the Top 10 in rebounding (11.3, fourth), blocks (2.2, ninth) and steals (1.8, 10th).
Kirilenko, who had 44 points, led the league with 220 blocks this season and finished second in blocks per game (3.2). Artest earned 30 points and Bryant and Kidd each had 28 in voting among the league’s 30 coaches.
Denver’s Marcus Camby, Detroit’s Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Garnett of Minnesota and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan were named to the second team.
