Once one of, if not the best center in the NBA, Patrick Ewing's career has been on the spiral downward ever since he left the NBA's big apple.  How bad has it done for the big fella?  In a recent game against the Indiana Pacers Ewing failed to enter a game for the first time in his career while being on the active roster, breaking a streak of 1,175 consecutive games he had played in which he was healthy.

"I'm going to get a stat sheet and frame it," a glum Ewing said, only half joking. "But yeah, it's disappointing."

Things may get worse for the ex-Knick as well, the big man may also sit out today's game against the team where he spent the first 15 years of his career.

"I think it was the right decision," Rivers said of not playing Ewing Friday. "It would have been a tough matchup for Patrick. We decided to go with (DeClercq) and (Reid). Otherwise, we'll go with Patrick when we can."

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Ewing's career may come to a close. Two of Ewing's closest friends, Mark Jackson and Herb Williams, predict that may be the case if he's not traded or released.

Williams, who spoke by phone to Ewing yesterday morning and planned to have dinner with him last night in Orlando, reported the Ewing was shocked and disappointed and warned Rivers it's not a good idea to have an unhappy Ewing with the playoffs around the bend.

Jackson said Ewing is ready to retire if things don't change. Ewing visits the Garden possibly for the last time April 9. "I think if it was like this, yes [he'll retire,]" Jackson said before the Knicks flew to Disney City. "He's a guy with tremendous heart, tremendous pride. He's a warrior. He's not doing it for the money. So I think if it was like this, yes. If it was like this, he'll probably call it quits. But I'm sure he feels he can help some teams. He can help them."

Ewing has one year and $2.25 million left on his contract. Expect superagent David Falk to demand a summer trade like he did to the Knicks in 2000

It looks like Tracy McGrady's injury which saw him rolling in pain before being stretchered off against the Charlotte Hornets was not so bad after all.  The All-Star guard of the Orlando Magic is due to suit up against the Chicago Bulls tonight as part of an Orlando homestand, one which could forge their path in this year's playoffs.

"I'm playing," McGrady promised Monday. "It's still sore, but it looked worse than it turned out to be. Hopefully, I can help get us back on track."

"The pain just shot up my back. I thought that was it," said McGrady. "I was like, 'Don't touch me, don't try to turn me, just get a stretcher.' I couldn't move. Once I got to the hospital, they drugged me up a little, and things got better."

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Milwaukee (37-31) assumed the No. 4 spot with its victory over the Magic (37-32), who hold a tie-breaker over No. 6 Philadelphia (37-32). Although they only are a half-game behind Milwaukee, the Bucks hold the tie-breaker with more head-to-head wins than the Magic. Only 2? games separate the Bucks and the eighth-place Indiana Pacers. Orlando travels to No. 7 Charlotte on Wednesday and then hosts the Pacers on Friday.  The top four teams have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs while the top 8 actually make the post season.

Healthiest team will likely win East
Published March 25, 2002

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Tim Povtak

In a season when there are no certainties in the Eastern Conference, the best players aren't going to reach the NBA Finals.

The healthiest will.

Toronto's Vince Carter, who had been struggling for weeks with a sore knee, was shut down for the season and faces surgery today.

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson broke his hand last week, and he isn't expected back for a month.

Orlando's Tracy McGrady scared the life right out of an entire organization Friday with his frightening fall, leaving him overnight in the hospital with back spasms.

Together last week, the three proved just how delicate the balance of power really is in the East. Without Carter healthy, the Raptors have been woeful. Without Iverson, the Sixers are nothing. Without McGrady, the Magic are dreadful.

Health -- and not stars -- will decide who wins the East.

If Jason Kidd had a bad ankle sprain, the Nets would do a free fall. If Ben Wallace wasn't there to rebound and block shots, the Detroit Piston would become the Atlanta Hawks.

"Whoever gets hot -- and stays healthy -- will come out of the East," said Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong. "It's so up for grabs, and we think we have as good a chance as anyone. I think this just shows you how important it is to stay healthy."

The Charlotte Hornets were without Jamal Mashburn early this season, and they weren't very good. With him and everyone else back, they are as good as anyone in the East, now riding a six-game winning streak.

The Magic are fortunate that McGrady could be back as early as Tuesday against Chicago. Once he left Friday, the Magic hardly challenged the Hornets. They never even made the Milwaukee Bucks sweat Sunday. Without him this season, they are 1-4.

"Everything is so balance in the East this season," said Hornets veteran P.J. Brown. It's like parity in college basketball. The eight teams that go into the playoffs from the East -- if they are healthy -- will all believe they can reach the NBA Finals. In the nine years I've been in the league, I've never seen it like this."

McGrady's stock on the rise

Tracy McGrady isn't going to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award this season -- Jason Kidd built too much of an early lead, and Shaquille O'Neal qualifies to win it every year -- but he certainly has put himself into strong contention for the future.

Voters normally go for the stars that have been knocking on the door for years. Just look at the last six winners.

Allen Iverson, who won the award last season, had to win two scoring titles and turn 26 before he became a MVP. O'Neal was 28 when he won, after two scoring titles and a month before his first NBA title.

Karl Malone and Michael Jordan alternated winning the prior four seasons. Jordan already had established himself as the greatest player in history, and Malone was an All-Star 10 times before he won.

McGrady, 22, has put himself into a favorite's role for next season with a dazzling second half. If he wins it then, at the ripe age of 23, he would become the youngest winner since Bob McAdoo became MVP in 1975 at 23.

McGrady, before he was hurt Friday, had been the best player in the league since the All-Star break, carrying the Magic to a 12-6 record after he stole the show with the All-Star Game, raising his confidence another level.

Since the break, he has averaged 29.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks. No one else in the league has won games in so many different ways.

Iverson has scored more. Duncan and O'Neal have rebounded better. Kidd has dished more assists. But no one has done it like McGrady in every statistical category.

Carter tired of criticism

Vince Carter says he will have a short memory next season, and he's going hunting for his critics.

As the Raptors struggled the last several weeks, falling out of playoff contention, Carter has been attacked for his lack of leadership and his inability to upright a sinking ship.

Most of the criticism, from players, fans and media, came from those who didn't know how badly he was slowed by the cartilage damage in his knee.

"In the summer, when I'm home, I can just sit there and think about all the rough times, all this, all that, all the players who tried to come at me when I was hurt,'' he said. "All that stuff. I'm gonna remember so there's going to be some hell to pay next year.''

The Raptors, remember, were supposed to be contenders this season after re-signing Carter and everyone else they wanted last summer. But the season became a disaster. Carter took much of the blame.

"They're all going to eat those words. I'm going to do what I have to do to get to the situation where I want to be, and once I'm healthy and ready to go, I'm gonna start attacking people,'' he said. "I refuse to make excuses. Like I said a long time ago, if I choose to go out there and play, I have to go out there and perform regardless of my situation. I wasn't looking for some sympathy. If I was hurt and playing well, no one would have said anything."

Popularity almost 'Shaq-like'

Interesting scene at the Meet the Magic night for season ticket holders at the RDV Sportplex last week. The doors opened, and there was a flood of fans all racing to the table where Tracy McGrady was sitting. The difference from last season -- his first with the Magic -- to this season has been huge for McGrady in the eyes of the fans. "It's become Shaq-like,'' said Chris D'Orso, Magic director of marketing. "It's exciting to see, but I just hope it doesn't overwhelm him.''

Officials watching Martin closely

Rod Thorn, general manager of the Nets, said officials have been picking on his power forward/thug Kenyon Martin ever since he tried to take off McGrady's head under the basket.

Martin has five flagrant fouls this season, and he will receive a two-game suspension now for any more.

"He's looked at very closely. Since the (Tracy) McGrady foul, he's been looked at extraordinarily close," said Thorn.

And that's a good thing for the rest of the NBA.

Hardaway complaining . . . again

Penny Hardaway of Phoenix had an outstanding game against the Magic, his former teammates, earlier this month, but then things quickly turned sour again. He and Coach Frank Johnson are not seeing eye-to-eye very often.

"I'm getting sick and tired of reading little comments (from Johnson) that I don't know anything about after every game,'' he said. "If I don't have the pop, tell me, 'Hey, give me a little more energy.' I don't know what it is I'm not doing when I'm out there. I'd love to know.''

In an open letter to Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl, Claire Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reminds him that minority coaching is alive and well.

In an Esquire Magazine interview, Karl questioned some of the minority coaches being "annointed" to their positions instead of working their way up through the ranks. He has since apologized for the remarks, called them "stupid" and apologized to Magic coach Doc Rivers (the primary target of the comments).

Smith reminds Karl that 2 of the 4 coaches in the NCAA Final Four are "of minority stock". Also, of the 14 minorities coaching in the NBA, 12 have served apprenticeship upon apprenticeship, from colleges to NBA assistant positions as well as in the far reaches of leagues such as the CBA.

In the NBA, black GM's hire and fire white coaches (and vice versa) without incident because wins are much more important than color. And every once in a while, a white coach is "annoionted" based on his reputation as a player like Larry Bird, Dave Cowens and Danny Ainge.

Yet, Karl's words show that conspiracy theories regarding race remain. Basketball thought such silliness was part of the past. It is at the Final Four. It's time for George Karl to get on board.

John Denton of the Florida Today reports: Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos said before Friday's game that he believes the NBA will allow the Charlotte Hornets to relocate to New Orleans.

The NBA's Relocation Committee, a group that included Commissioner David Stern, toured New Orleans on Wednesday. The Hornets have sold the number of luxury suites and season tickets that they had hoped for in New Orleans and feel the league will eventually approve the move.

"David (Stern) is sending messages that he's going to approve it, so I think it will happen," said DeVos, who took the Magic off the market earlier this month after initially planning to sell the franchise. "You know somebody (in the league office) sent them down there and told them to try and get those numbers on the boxes and tickets, and they've done it.

"It's a sad thing for Charlotte. I just don't know how they turned on them there. It just shows how a city can turn on an organization and a group of owners.

Hornets' owners George Shinn and Ray Woolridge attended Friday night's game. The owners have failed repeatedly to secure funding for a new arena in Charlotte.

Does it really pay to be an NBA Superstar these days?  We usually look forward to the epic battles between the NBA's elite; Magic Vs Bird, Jordan Vs Drexler, Shaq Vs Duncan.  But with the current stars dropping like flies, including young phenoms Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, what do we have to look forward to?

Vince Carter will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee early next week in Toronto, the Raptors announced Friday. He will miss the team?s Friday night game in Cleveland and Sunday?s home game with Washington prior to the surgery.

Carter has battled a knee problem since early February, and it grew progressively worse during the past month. Doctors have determined the condition of Carter?s right knee has continued to deteriorate and have recommended surgery.

Allen Iverson broke his finger Friday night, and will be out for four to six weeks. This means the Sixers would enter the playoffs without their star player who they were hoping would lead them back to the finals.

Iverson hurt his hand in the first quarter of the Sixers game against Boston, but played through it until half time. Said fellow guard Eric Snow, "He told me it was broken as soon as it happened. He kept telling me it was broken and this was before he hit the two threes. That just shows you the grit."

Eric Snow and Derrick Coleman, who missed the last game with a hyperextended left knee that may have a cartilage tear, led the Sixers in the second half as they beat Boston 96-91 for their fifth straight road victory.

Third time lucky?  Certainly not as Orlando superstar Tracy McGrady had to be removed from the court on a stretcher in the Magic's 106-92 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

McGrady landed awkwardly on his left leg, wrenching his back in the process after being met at the basket by Hornet Robert Traylor.  McGrady laid face-down on the floor for more than 10 minutes due to painful back spasms before being strapped to a stretcher and immediately taken to Florida Hospital.  According to John Denton of Florida Today McGrady had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test late Friday night to see if his back suffered any structural damage.

"Any time a player goes down and stays down you hold your breath," Magic general manager John Gabriel said. "All the worst scenarios flash in your head. But we know that Tracy is a very resilient guy and we'll just have to wait and see what the doctors say."

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports: The Orlando Magic will be without Mike Miller in their playoff push longer than they thought.

Miller was expected to return Friday night against Charlotte, but his recovery from a high left ankle sprain that ocurred on March 8 has been slow. Team trainer Ted Arzonico says Miller could be out another 10 or 12 days.

Given that prognosis, Miller might be able to return either March 29 against Indiana or March 31 against New York.

"Mike hasn't gotten much better. He's not even close to running yet," Magic Coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday. "He's still limping."

Arzonico said a magnetic responance imaging performed on Miller's ankle indicated there was still swelling in a tendon.

"With high ankle sprains, these things take awhile. Mike's a little discouraged," Arzonico said.

It is the second time this season that Miller has been placed on the injured list. He sustained a chip fracture in his right foot in an exhibition game Oct. 19 and missed the first five games of the regular season.

Veteran Monty Williams has replaced Miller in the lineup, averaging 11.2 points in the five games of Miller's most recent absence.

-- Troy Hudson, Orlando's surprisingly dynamic reserve point guard, is being promoted by the Magic for the NBA's Most Improved Player award.

And rightfully so. Quite frankly, Hudson couldn't have been much worse than he was last season.

In his first year with the Magic, it was difficult to tell which was more disastrous: Hudson's shooting (36.7 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3-point range) or his decision-making from the point (82 turnovers). Even eternally optimistic head coach Doc Rivers seemed to give up on him, using a badly hobbled Darrell Armstrong in the playoffs instead of a healthy Hudson.

George Karl might not like how Rivers got his head coaching job with the Magic, but he certainly can't criticize Rivers' ability to relate and adjust to his players. Rivers scrapped his plan of using the 6-foot-1 Hudson as a point guard and turned him loose to do what he does best -- beat defenders off the dribble and (gulp!) shoot the basketball. "We call it the Freedom Act," Rivers joked.

The move has done wonders for Hudson's confidence and his game. He has bailed out a team without injured guard Mike Miller by scoring 34, 24 and 19 points in three victories. He has more than doubled his scoring average (4.8 to 10.8) and has reached double figures 37 times. He leads the NBA in free-throw shooting (90.3 percent) and has improved in nine statistical categories from last season.

"I really feel like I belong now where I didn't always feel like that last year," said Hudson, who has done as well this month as his alma mater, Southern Illinois, which surprisingly advanced to the NCAA Tournament's regional semifinals. "Last year I was trying to feel my way out, but now I'm being more aggressive. Basically, I'm not thinking as much, and I'm just playing free."

Considering last season's depths, Hudson's highs now just might win him the award.

He's one of the most overpaid players in the NBA -- $11.25 million this season to come off the bench -- and he's carrying around more baggage than Delta Airlines, but, when inspired, Penny Hardaway can be downright breathtaking. His play last week in Orlando -- 16 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals -- looked like the pre-injury Penny of 1994, '95 and '96.

Charlotte's ownership group announced recently it had sold the requisite number of suites (55) and season tickets (8,000) in New Orleans to justify a move next season. Ray Wooldridge also boasted that he and co-owner George Shinn "are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Relocation Committee to share the good news." That group arrives in New Orleans today to inspect the city's bid.
But what the Hornets' brass forgot to mention was that Memphis sold more season tickets and luxury suites in a day than New Orleans did in a month. Also, the Hornets met their goals by their self-imposed deadline only after reducing the required commitment for a club seat from five years to three. Then, they lowered the cost of a deposit to $250 for any seat in the house -- down from $2,000 for the higher-priced seats.

Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, who chairs the relocation committee, has publicly said he wants the Hornets to stay in Charlotte. And Seattle owner Howard Schultz summed up the owners' feeling best the other day.

"When our fans in Seattle read about the arrogance, the hubris of owners just picking up and leaving, and the way that trust and confidence has been broken in that environment, it's very unhealthy for the NBA, and it's very unhealthy for me in Seattle," Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, told the Sports Business Journal. "From my point of view, the situation is not positive and needs to be resolved quickly."

That likely won't happen what with Shinn and Wooldridge refusing to sell the team and seemingly intent on blowing town. But the NBA isn't fond of the New Orleans market and likely will stop any potential move there. Expect the league to try to pressure the Hornets into a sale to BET Network founder Robert Johnson, who would become the league's first minority owner.

Denton's top 10: 1. Lakers; 2. Mavericks; 3. Kings; 4. Spurs; 5. Blazers; 6. Pistons; 7. Nets; 8. Magic; 9. Timberwolves; 10. Sonics.John Denton can be reached at (321) 242-3690 or at jdenton@flatoday.net

Milwaukee Bucks' coach George Karl was uncharacteristically contrite prior to Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic and proposed to meet with Doc Rivers this offseason in hopes of smoothing out their differences.

Karl and Rivers have sparred verbally the past three seasons. Karl breathed new life into the spat recently with his comments in Esquire magazine that Rivers was "anointed" and by implying that Rivers got his job merely because of his race. On Tuesday, Karl apologized for those comments and pressed for a meeting.

"I hope the opportunity (to meet) brings itself to fruition, but I don't want it to be a politically correct meeting. I want it to be a genuine meeting," Karl said. "We've had a few years of trash and fun and competition and we've built a nice little rivalry.

"But I'm sorry for what has happened because of my comments. I should have been smarter in handling the situation. . . . I made a mistake. I'm sorry if I hurt the game of basketball. I had no desire to hurt the game that's been so great and very nice to me."

Where Karl did not back down was on his theory that coaches should have to "do their dues" first before landing head jobs in the NBA. Karl is still irked that Rivers became the Magic's coach without any prior coaching experience.

"If I was a G.M., I'd probably hire an ex-player," Karl said. "I wasn't a very good player, but I played and I feel players have an advantage. I still feel there's a bridge to cross from being player to coach. The comparison I make is I don't think players should go from high school to pro ball. But kids like Tracy McGrady, Kobe (Bryant) and Kevin Garnett are examples of not only great players but also good ambassadors for this game. I still don't like it and it'll never feel good to me."

Rivers, who walked over and shook Karl's hand prior to the pregame introductions, said he resents Karl's ex-player theory and stressed that he paid plenty of dues during his 13 seasons as a point guard under head coaches Pat Riley, Larry Brown and Mike Fratello.

"I was in the league 13 years running the pick-and-roll, not reading about it," Rivers said. "That theory is disrespectful to every guy who has ever played the game. Guys who didn't play in this league shouldn't gripe about us paying dues. That is an old-school theory that's been proven to be wrong."

Angry Armstrong: Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong admitted Magic players were extremely upset by Karl's comments and said from now on they would be even more motivated when they face the Bucks.
"We fight hard for each other and we'll fight for Doc," Armstrong said. "He's always had our back and we've got his back. We want to win even more for Doc now."

Armstrong said Karl has picked a fight he can't win because Rivers has already proven he not only belongs in the NBA, but also is one of the game's brightest young coaches. Armstrong said jealousy is at the heart of Karl's contention with Rivers.

"If Doc couldn't coach or was just here because it had been handed to him, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in now," Armstrong added. "Doc's the only one he keeps going after, and it's kind of sad, really. Jealousy is a disease. That's why everybody in the NBA calls (Karl) a player hater. Now, he's a coach hater too I guess."

Miller Time?: Magic forward Mike Miller, who has missed the past five games with a deep bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, said there's a chance he could return for Friday's home game against Charlotte.
If Miller can return Friday it would be 13 days since his injury -- much shorter than the three weeks of rest and rehabilitation doctors originally projected. Miller has progressed ahead of schedule and has been off his crutches for a week.

"It's getting there and I feel a lot better," Miller said. "For some reason the coloring in the ankle is just now coming. It was a high ankle sprain so the tightening is really more in my calf now than anything else."

Etc.: Tracy McGrady was named the NBA's Eastern Conference's player of the week, but he said his vote would have gone to teammate Troy Hudson. Hudson scored 34, 24 and 19 points in the past three wins. "I was hoping he would have gotten it because he really deserved it," McGrady said. McGrady has averaged 33.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists the past five games, and he's one of three of the NBA's leading scorers -- Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal are the others -- to raise his scoring average since the all-star break. Said Rivers: "He's focused and engaged right now. But the biggest adjustment he's made in the year-and-a-half he's been here is he doesn't get down when we're struggling. He stays the course now and when he stays up so does our team. He's our leader. His body language is all positive now and that means a lot to our team."
On another note, Rockledge High's football team was honored at half-time.