| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
 GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- Don Nelson was so upset with Karl Malone and the
officials that the Dallas Mavericks coach physically confronted the
massive Utah Jazz star.
|  | | Coach vs. player: An angry Nelson confronts Malone while others try to stop it. |
Nelson bumped Malone in the third quarter after the Dallas coach
was ejected for arguing about a foul call on a play involving
Malone in Utah's 105-92 victory Thursday night.
"I was taught when I was little to respect my elders, but you're totally out of line when you get in a player's face," said Malone, who had 24 points and 11 rebounds. "He crossed the line and I have no respect for that."
Malone said a physical confrontation between the 59-year-old Nelson and the 6-foot-9, 260-pound power forward would be, "like a Volkswagon and an 18-wheeler."
"That's the first time a coach has bumped me in 15 years,"
Malone added. "I realize he's an older fellow, but he's probably
overmatched."
Nelson and Dallas center Shawn Bradley were ejected in the
second half, and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was tossed out with 3:37 to
play. There were eight technical fouls in the game.
Nelson was ejected with 6:04 left in the third quarter when he
was hit with a double technical for arguing a call by referee Scott
Wall.
Bradley was whistled for a foul against Malone, whose knee struck Bradley's midsection as Bradley tried to draw a charge. Bradley was on the floor for several minutes before he was helped to the locker room.
|
Nelson fined, suspended
|
|
The NBA has suspended Mavericks coach Don Nelson one game and
fined him $10,000 for his ejection and the bumping incident with Karl Malone during the Mavs game
against Utah on Thursday.
Utah's Malone was also fined $10,000 for the same incident, which
occurred after Malone kneed Shawn Bradley during a play.
The Mavericks' next game is Saturday vs. Atlanta.
|
Nelson continued to argue the call after Bradley left the court, and Wall ejected Nelson. The Mavericks coach then confronted Malone, bumping Malone before the two were separated and Nelson was escorted out of the arena.
Nelson's son and top assistant coach, Donnie, took over the
team, and Donnie Nelson was slapped with a technical with 4:53 left
in the third quarter for going onto the court to protest a no-call.
Bradley returned to start the fourth quarter, but picked up his
second technical of the night for an automatic ejection.
Neither Don Nelson nor Bradley was available for comment.
"I thought I was going to have to jump on his back and slow him
down. That's what he is, he's a competitor and he's feisty,"
Donnie Nelson said of his father.
Asked how his father would have fared against Malone, Donnie Nelson said, "He's got a real good sucker punch."
Sloan got into the act, picking up two technicals with less than four minutes left to earn his ejection.
"It was a little crazy out there," Sloan said. "We were glad to come away with the win."
"Emotion runs high every once in a while," Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek said.
Bryon Russell added 20 points for the Jazz, and John Stockton
had 12 points and 10 assists. Utah has won five straight and 11 in
a row against Dallas.
Dallas lost its fifth in a row with future owner Mark Cuban
looking on from his baseline seat. Cuban, an Internet billionaire,
agreed this week to buy majority interest in the Mavericks from
Ross Perot Jr. for $280 million.
Michael Finley had 30 points for the Mavericks, who've lost nine
of 10 and six in a row at home. Dirk Nowitzki added 24 points, and
Cedric Ceballos had 21 points and 14 rebounds.
Utah put the game away with a 16-4 spurt, capped by Greg
Ostertag's basket with 5:28 left that made it 89-75. Malone's 15
third-quarter points allowed the Jazz to maintain the lead.
Game notes
Hornacek had his streak of 67 consecutive successful free
throws end in the second quarter. Hornacek, who last missed on Nov.
12, has the sixth-longest streak in league history. Minnesota's
Micheal Williams had a league-record streak of 97 from March
24-Nov. 9, 1993. ... The Mavericks signed guard Greg Buckner to a
10-day contract. Buckner, a 1998 second-round pick of the
Mavericks, played in the CBA last season. He suffered a knee injury
prior to training camp this season. ... Utah opened the game with a
13-2 run and held a 45-40 halftime lead. ... Finley played in his
329th consecutive game, third-longest active streak in the league.
... Dallas forward Gary Trent missed the game because of a strained
left groin.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
Mavs' Nelson won't recommend son as next coach
RECAPS
Toronto 101
Sacramento 89
Cleveland 90
Golden State 75
Detroit 101
Milwaukee 95
Miami 111
Houston 99
Minnesota 98
Portland 96
Utah 105
Dallas 92
Indiana 102
Denver 87
|
