News from February 17.

Dal 112, Was 105 - at Dal
Michael Finley (Dal) had 26 points and 5 rebounds.
Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) had 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Steve Nash (Dal) had 16 points on 3-10 FG and 9-11 FT and 9 assists.
Mitch Richmond (Was) had 23 points including 10-16 FG and 3 steals.
Juwan Howard (Was) had 27 points on 9-16 FG and 9-10 FT and 11 rebounds.
Rod Strickland (Was, sore hamstrings) did not play.

Cha 103, Mil 93 - at Mil
Jamal Mashburn (Cha) had 32 points including 13-20 FG and 4-6 3-pointers,
10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals.
Elden Campbell (Cha) had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Baron Davis (Cha) had 21 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals.
Glenn Robinson (Mil) had 24 points and 7 rebounds.
Ray Allen (Mil) had 30 points including 12-20 FG and 4-7 3-pointers, 5 
rebounds, and 3 steals.
Cha shot 17-20 FT and Mil shot 6-10 FT.
Otis Thorpe (Cha, hythema left eye) did not play.

Chi 89, Mia 82 - at Chi
Ron Artest (Chi) had 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Elton Brand (Chi) had 17 points including 6-17 FG, 14 rebounds, 8 assists,
and 3 blocks.
Ron Mercer (Chi) had 27 points including 11-17 FG and 6 assists.
Brian Grant (Mia) had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Eddie Jones (Mia) had 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.
Chi shot 47.2% (34-72) FG and Mia shot 36.6% (30-82) FG.
Jamal Crawford (Chi, pulled groin) did not play.

Hou 92, Cle 80 - at Hou
Steve Francis (Hou) had 35 points including 11-19 FG and 6-11 3-pointers,
10 rebounds, and 5 steals.
Cuttino Mobley (Hou) had 26 points and 5 rebounds.
Hakeem Olajuwon (Hou) had 9 points including 4-11 FG and 10 rebounds.
Andre Miller (Cle) had 29 points including 10-16 FG.
Chris Gatling (Cle) had 11 points on 5-14 FG and 7 rebounds.
Matt Bullard (Hou, back spasms), Carlos Rogers (Hou, bronchitis), and Walt
Williams (Hou, sprained right hand), and Robert Traylor (Cle, suspended) 
did not play.

Atl 101, Sea 94 - at Sea
Lorenzen Wright (Atl) had 16 points including 6-9 FG and 11 rebounds.
Dikembe Mutombo (Atl) had 13 points including 6-9 FG and 16 rebounds.
Jason Terry (Atl) had 28 points including 3-4 3-pointers and 6 assists.
Ruben Patterson (Sea) had 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Gary Payton (Sea) had 21 points and 13 assists.

Bos 85, Por 81 - at Por
Paul Pierce (Bos) had 14 points including 4-16 FG and 6 rebounds.
Antoine Walker (Bos) had 28 points including 7-12 3-pointers, 8 rebounds,
and 5 assists.
Bryant Stith (Bos) had 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Rasheed Wallace (Por) had 23 points including 11-16 FG and 8 rebounds.
Detlef Schrempf (Por) had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.


On the lighter side
Dale Davis (Por) missed Tuesday's game due to a strained back muscle.  He
reportedly strained his back when he got out of bed the wrong way.  Talk
about a day you should have stayed in bed.

Kevin Garnett (Min): "I'm like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  If I'm not
ready, the sled isn't going to go."

Say what?  Lenny Wilkens (Tor) on possibly winning the Central division
title: "Don't get caught looking at the apple in case someone takes the
ladder away."