News from May 23.

Orlando fired head coach Brian Hill.

Minnesota re-signed head coach Randy Wittman to a reported 3 year contract.

Team USA added Carlos Boozer, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd,
Mike Miller, Greg Oden, Tayshaun Prince, and Deron Williams to the roster.
The 8 were added as a number of perviously named players will be unable to
participate this summer due to injuries.  Team USA will host a training
camp, where they will reduce the 2007 roster to 12 players which will
compete in the FIBA Americas tournament (Olympic qualifier) in August.

Roy Hibbert (junior, Georgetown, center) withdrew his name from the NBA
draft.


Playoff Standings
  1st Round            2nd Round              3rd Round            Finals
  (Best of 7)          (Best of 7)            (Best of 7)          (Best of 7)
1 Dallas (2)       _
8 Golden State (4)  |_ 8 Golden State (1) _
                     _ 4 Utah (4)          |
4 Utah (4)    ______|                      |_ 4 Utah (0)       _
5 Houston (3)                               _ 3 San Antonio (2) |
                                           |                    |
2 Phoenix (4)   ____                       |                    |
7 LA Lakers (1)     |_ 2 Phoenix (2)    ___|                    |
                     _ 3 San Antonio (4)                        |
3 San Antonio (4) __|                                           |
6 Denver (1)                                                    |_ 
                                                                 _ 
                                                                |
1 Detroit (4) ______                                            |
8 Orlando (0)       |_ 1 Detroit (4) ______                     |
                     _ 5 Chicago (2)       |                    |
4 Miami (0)   ______|                      |                    |
5 Chicago (4)                              |_ 1 Detroit (1)  ___|
                                            _ 2 Cleveland (0)
2 Cleveland (4)  ___                       |
7 Washington (0)    |_ 2 Cleveland (4) ____|
                     _ 6 New Jersey (2)
3 Toronto (2)    ___|
6 New Jersey (4) 
 

Conference Finals  (Central times)  *if necessary
Thursday, May 24
  Game 2: Cleveland at Detroit       7:00 pm  TNT

Saturday, May 26
  Game 3: San Antonio at Utah        7:30 pm  ABC

Sunday, May 27
  Game 3: Detroit at Cleveland       7:30 pm  TNT

Monday, May 28
  Game 4: San Antonio at Utah        8:00 pm  ESPN

Tuesday, May 29
  Game 4: Detroit at Cleveland       7:00 pm  TNT

Wednesday, May 30
 *Game 5: Utah at San Antonio        8:00 pm  ESPN

Thursday, May 31
 *Game 5: Cleveland at Detroit       7:00 pm  TNT

Friday, June 1
 *Game 6: San Antonio at Utah        8:00 pm  ESPN

Saturday, June 2
 *Game 6: Detroit at Cleveland       7:30 pm  TNT

Sunday, June 3
 *Game 7: Utah at San Antonio        7:30 pm  ABC

Monday, June 4
 *Game 7: Cleveland at Detroit       7:00 pm  TNT


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  Patricia Bender                       pbender@eskimo.com
  For NBA stuff: http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/index.html
  For Mavs stuff: http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/mavs.html