Phoenix Suns

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Peja Stojakovic had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 110-103 upset win over the Phoenix Suns yesterday. Devin Brown and Marcus Thornton both added 19 points for the Hornets, who won for the second straight time under new coach Jeff Bower after he replaced the fired Byron Scott last week. The Hornets lost 124-104 when the teams met in Phoenix eight days ago, in a game that turned out to be Scott's last in charge of the Hornets.

They were embarrassed by the way they performed at our place   -Alvin Gentry

 

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson allegedly offered to pay a young woman $1,000 a month after she accused him of touching her inappropriately two years ago, according to a congressional report released Friday. The accusation is contained in a 62-page report issued by two ranking Republican congressmen investigating President Barack Obama's firing last summer of Gerald Walpin, a federal inspector general who had been investigating alleged misuse of federal grant money by Johnson and his nonprofit St. HOPE or  

Talking with Alamogordo coach John Madden makes it seem like the Tiger Pit is going to need a new floor. His Tigers are planning on wearing out the hardwood. With a lack of height, the Tigers have turned to a run-and-gun system to wear out opponents during the upcoming 2009-10 basketball season.

We want to play full court and run 94 feet and use our quickness because we are not going to be tall this season   -John Madden

 

There is a definite pattern starting to develop in the early stages of the Boston Celtics' season. The team that has been so dominant on the parquet floor since the start of the 2007-08 season has been unable to beat quality opponents on Friday nights at the TD Garden. The latest example came when the Celtics fell into a 16-point first-quarter hole against the Orlando Magic and spent the rest of the night trying to climb out of it.  

The Suns, a big surprise with a big start, are closer to having another big man. Second-year center Robin Lopez joined team practice Friday with full-contract scrimmage for the first time since he suffered a left foot fracture during the Suns' Oct. 3 training camp scrimmage. The staff will bring Lopez along carefully but he remains on target for playing soon after Thanksgiving.

It felt really good to get back out there   -Robin Lopez

 

SAN ANTONIO (AP) A decade of misery for the Utah Jazz in San Antonio is over. But the Spurs' early struggles show no sign of ending. Deron Williams scored 21 points and Carlos Boozer scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Jazz to their first regular-season victory in San Antonio since 1999 — a 90-83 win on Thursday night.

We've been to this building a lot of times, had some close games and had some blowouts   -Carlos Boozer

 

Shaquille O'Neal answers a variety of questions starting with his pregame ritual. The Cleveland center names his favorite move while on the court. Al Horford joins the Barkley Zone and asks Charles, "Does he cry during romantic movies?"  

Really, the Suns' season had been perfect. Losing to two NBA Finals teams on the road on the second night of back-to-back sets was excusable. But not any longer.

That was a poor performance and mostly in the effort, concentration and competitive departments   -Steve Nash

 

Allen Iverson moves the needle, still. His breakup with the Grizzlies and the reaction that Memphis should consider itself fortunate to escape the arrangement with only minor scrapes generated a lot of reader feedback, predictably with varied opinions. Iverson does that.