Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 21

Muadav. Jaa 2 1, im The Arizoaa Republic NBA: Back to the basics Orlando offers first tough test on extended trip H3A FKIALS SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW YORK Best-of-seven San Antonio leads series, 2-0 Game 1: San Antonio, 89 77 Game 2: San Antonio. 80 67 Today: at New YwK 6 p.m. Wednesday: at New Yorfc, 6 p.m.

Fnday: at New VorK 6 p.m. Sunday: at San Antonio, 4:30 p.m. June 29: at San Antonio, 6 p.m. All games televised by Ch. 12.

if necessary. Sacramento Kings guard Jason Williams' wide-open style is reminiscent of bygone NBA days and is an example of the excitement the NBA hopes to recover. A committee has formed to discuss possible sweeping changes to the game. Jerry LodrigussPhiladelphia Daily News TONIGHT'S GAME Mercury at Miracle WHEN: 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Orlando Arena.

TV: None. RADIO: KMVP-AM (860). MIRACLE UPDATE: The only starter familiar to the Mercury is 6-foot-2 forward Andrea Congreaves, taken from Charlotte in the expansion draft. The other front-liners are out of the American Basketball League (Shannon Johnson, Taj McWilliams, Sheri Sam) and college (Nykesha Sales). The Miracle is 2-1 at the 0-rena with an average attendance of 11,076.

The franchise opener vs. Houston attracted 15,422. MERCURY UPDATE: Phoenix was 3-2 on a five-game trip in 1998 and 2-2 on a four-game swing in '97. Today's game is the front end of four back-to-backs. On Tuesday, the Mercury gets its first look at Washington with No.

1 overall draft pick Chamique Holdsclaw. Phoenix has two of the top 11 scorers in Jennifer Gillom (22.3 ppg) and Edna Campbell (16.7) and two of the top seven rebounders in Gillom (10.0 rpg) and Marlies Askamp (8.7). By Jeff Metcalfe The Arizona Republic ORLANDO The mystery tour begins today. Not only the Mercury's longest-ever road trip and the most grueling for any of the 12 WNBA teams this season, but one that starts and ends against unfamiliar talent playing under the guise of expansion teams. "We do have the worst schedule," Los Angeles center Lisa Leslie was guilty of whining after a loss in New York on the third stop of a five-game swing.

Not hardly. Phoenix (1-2) not only plays all six Eastern Conference teams but hits West newcomer Minnesota on the way back. Seven games in 13 days that combined with the opener at Sacramento will put half of the Mercury's away schedule behind it just three weeks into the season. "I'm looking forward to the challenge," Coach Cheryl Miller said. "It's not going to be easy, but I'm looking forward to see how this team's chemistry gets better." A new chemical added Sunday when fourth-round draft pick Amanda Wilson was activated off the injured list.

The 5-foof-10 forward, a rookie out of Louisiana Tech, replaced 6-6 MerleLynn Lange-Harris, who was waived. Lange-Harris played in only one of three games for just three minutes and at 250 pounds lacked the mobility to keep up with an ever-faster league. Wilson was a post player in college who showed signs during training camp of making a successful transition to the perimeter. A 76-67 victory against winless Cleveland on Saturday leaves the Mercury one game or less behind all but Houston in the West. To be no worse off coming home on the Fourth of July would be cause for fireworks, since 14 of its final 22 games are at America West Arena.

Part of the intrigue today is in the bench matchup of coaching giants: the 6-foot-3 Miller and 6-4 Carolyn Peck. Their connections are few, Miller said, although much was made at the 1999 NCAA Final Four of the 32-year-old Peck being the first Black female championship coach. Miller, 35, has blazed similar trails throughout her Hall of Fame playing career and as a broadcaster. Both profess an interest in coaching in the NBA. The more mundane immediate goal for each is to reach .500.

Orlando (2-3) has won two KM, from Plage CI Suns President Jerry Colangelo, who will serve on the committee. "If we want to just tweak the game, we might touch on a few. But if we want to make major changes, if we buy into the belief that it's time, we have to talk about all these things." It's no secret Colangelo is among those who think it's time for change, time for the league to showcase the great athleticism of its players. "As it is now, we can identify why the game is the way it is," Colangelo said. "With existing rules and coaching philosophy as it is, we have what we have." What the NBA has is a game that looks like this: The ball is inbounded to a point guard, who looks at his coach for a play call.

Point guard signals play to teammates and walks the ball across half-court. The opponent, having thoroughly scouted every play, knows what's coming just as well as the team running it. In most instances, the play revolves around throwing the ball to a player at the low post, waiting for the defense to react by double-teaming which results in a pass to the perimeter and rotating to shooters on the perimeter. Or if no double team comes, the player backs down and tries to score. There is very little player movement, very little flow and very little entertainment value.

"I believe strongly that the athleticism and the acrobatic ability of our athletes is a lot more appealing in an up-tempo game," Colangelo said. "But we're playing in an environment that makes that difficult. "It makes sense, then, that if we're going to make real change, we have to affect all of it, not just certain pieces." That will include officiating and philosophy, but it begins with the rules. Possible rule changes Among the changes being considered to open up the game: A widened lane, to create more space for slashing to the basket and to take post-up players farther from the basket. Legalized zone defenses.

Although it's true this would make scoring even tougher in the half-court, it might also encourage teams to play up-tempo, finding shots in transition before the opposition's defense has time to set up. Shot-clock changes maybe less than 24 seconds for a team to get a shot away. Or, as Sacramento Coach Rick Adelman suggests, a time limit on how long a player can hold the ball in the post. Adelman gets a lot of credit for allowing the Kings to play a wide-open style. But he said he might have played differently with different players.

He happens to have big men, such as Vlade Divac and Chris Webber, who can run the floor and pass. "It was probably a little easier for us to play that way than some teams," Adelman said. And he reasons that the Kings show that a wide-open style can be played under the rules that currently exist. Adelman said he worried that too many drastic changes could ruin the game. "Widening the lane might make players make a decent move to get to the basket," he said.

"And they could limit some of the bumping and grinding in the low post. But I don't know what in the world allowing zones will do. "You won't have post-up players if that happens, and that's really going to limit what some of this league's stars can do. This league's success is built on a star system, and now you're going to tell me they're going to allow people to surround Shaquille O'Neal with three people? "That's going to lead to a lot of jump shots, and you can say what to of Knicks planning changes By Chris Sheridan Associated Press NEW YORK Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is why the New York Knicks will likely go with some different lineups in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. "There are some things that we're working on, I wouldn't say we have a lot of stuff, though," said Latrell Sprewell, who lobbied publicly Sunday for a chance to play point guard in tonight's game.

The Knicks trail the San Antonio Spurs, 2-0, in the best-of-seven series. Coach Jeff Van Gundy called Sprewell's strategy idea "viable," although he said he would not start the game that way. A more likely change would be to remove Chris Dudley from the starting five in favor of Kurt Thomas or Marcus Camby. Van Gundy was vague when asked about lineup changes, although he did say that Larry Johnson will remain in the starting five. Dudley, whose hyperextended right elbow forced him to practice free throws left-handed on Sunday, said he had not been told whether or not he would start.

"I'm not anticipating them changing until I see it," Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've played against adjustments all year, so both teams are already prepared for a variety of things, It's not like something that nobody has ever thought of is going to happen. It's' whether we adjust poorly or well that matters." No tinkering should be expected from Popovich, who would have to be crazy to fool with the chemistry of a team on an NBA-record 12-game postseason winning streak. San Antonio hasn't lost since Game 2 of the first round, back on May 1 1 Despite the series shifting to Madison Square Garden for Games 3, 4 and 5, the Knicks know that the home-court advantage means little against the Spurs. San Antonio is undefeated on the road (6-0) during' the postseason with an average margin of victory of 13.4 points.

"We want to put serious pressure on them by winning the third game and kind of put the series out of reach," said Tim Duncan, averaging 29.0 points, 15.5 rebounds and three blocks over the first two games. Van Gundy changed his starting lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Indiana, inserting Sprewell in place of Thomas. He has stuck with that lineup since. If a change is made for the opening tip, Dudley is the most likely to find himself on the bench. He has scored only two points in the series.

And with the Knicks starved for points, averaging only 72 per game, Van Gundy may opt tor a more offensively capable starter. the game Championships in Honolulu in August. Her husband of 25 years consid ers her to be a true ambassador of you want about the college game, but that's what it has become. It's a three-point contest, a guard-oriented game. "I don't think we should have a knee-jerk reaction.

This is something we need to think through, or we'll be making changes again two years from now." Coaches -will have input. Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich and Atlanta's Lenny Wilkens are among the 12-14 people expected to serve on the committee. Both are former players. Current players may be included later. Coaching effects Suns veteran Joe Kleine said legalizing zones would "be an interesting change." And said he'd like to see the league crack down on what offensive big men can do in the post where players such as O'Neal and Utah's Karl Malone often bull their way to the basket.

But Kleine thinks much of the scoring drop-off is the result of coaching, not rules. "You can make any rule changes you want, and a coach like Mike Fratello is still going to coach and do things a certain way," Kleine said of the recently fired Cleveland Cavaliers coach. And Fratello isn't the only coach who emphasizes defense and getting the most from every offensive possession. "How do we open up the game?" asked Miami's Dan Majerle, rhetorically. "I'm in a Pat Riley system.

I'm brainwashed. I have no thoughts of my own." Majerle was kidding, of course. But he has a hard time imagining Riley changing his approach. "Our philosophy in Miami is, don't let anybody score," Majerle said. "That's what our whole game is predicated on.

Defense. Total team defense. Everything comes off our defense. It isn't so much the rules, it's that teams are just geared that way." Brainwashed or not, Majerle thinks there still is entertainment value in tough, defensive-minded basketball. But he admits that as a player, he loved the wide-open style he played in Phoenix early in his career under former coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.

"Our style of play in Miami has a beauty of its own, but when I first came into the league, defense was something we hardly ever talked about," he said. "We tried to outscore the other team. But everybody loves to play that Sacramento style. There are varying opinions as to why the scoring drought has gone on for 10 years. Although rule changes may help, few blame the rules alone for the dip.

"Mostly, I think players just need take better shots," Phoenix guard Jason Kidd said. "And I think a lot players come into the league lacking fundamentals." Ironically, Kidd came in after his sophomore season in college. But he said the increase in high school players coming directly into the league, combined with the already high number of early entries from college, has hurt the game. "There are exceptions, like (Minnesota's) Kevin Garnett," he said. "But when you look at a lot of the high school players, they get here and find out it's a whole different game.

There are a lot more high school players coming out, and I think that has to hint the game." Outlaw video scouting? Kleine said he thought shortening the shot clock would just lead to more bad shots and that a zone would damage stars such as O'Neal, Malone and Miami's Alonzo Mourning, His suggestion? "I think we should outlaw scouting reports and film sessions," Kleine cracked. Although Kleine was joking, he hit upon a major change in the game that has contributed to the lower scores far better scouting. Teams still send out their advance scouts, who pilfer the opposition's play calls and tendencies in special situations, such as inbound and late-game plays. But there also is a whole new world of video scouting. Every game is available on satellite feeds, and teams record the games, break down the video tape and produce intricate scouting reports.

"I don't know how they do it, but they know every stat and every tendency of every player in the league," Majerle said. "This is no lie. They'll give me the percentages that a guy will go to his left and his right. "Then they'll give me the percentages when he goes left that he pulls up and takes the jump shot. They have the percentage of times when he goes right that he takes it all the way to the basket or the percentage of time he passes it.

I'll know exactly what I'm supposed to let them do and what I'm not supposed to let them do. "That makes it hard to score." Colangelo says he doesn't have the answers, and neither does the committee. But he said the entire league needed to address not only the decline in scoring but the very appeal of the game the NBA is trying to sell. "We've become very predictable," he said. "If we change certain rules, that may change the way coaches try to play.

But everybody has to buy into this." And there is no doubt the changes will not benefit, or penalize, everyone equally. "We're a team that a year ago was prepared to do a lot of things in free agency," Colangelo said. "When the lockout came and collective-bargaining rules changed, we took it right between the eyes. "Sometimes, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Should we vote based on our current roster? I don't think so.

"That's the real challenge here can people involved in this process look beyond their own best interest and make changes that are in the best interest of the game." diver back in After two decades away from the sport, Barbara Nejman (with the five gold medals she's won in the past two years' Grand Canyon State Games) is diving again with the help of her husband, Thomas, and a lot of Bengay. Whitmore leads Liberty straight at home, most recently 73-68 against Washington on Saturday, and boasts one of the prize catches from the American Basketball League in point guard Shannon Johnson. The Miracle backcourt of 5-6 "Pee Wee" Johnson and 6-foot Nykesha Sales, a pro rookie after missing 1998 due to a ruptured tendon suffered late in her final collegiate season, fuels a starting lineup with four double-figure scorers. Against Washington, Johnson flirted with a triple-double (18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) while Sales scored 14. In an 88-86 upset of Los Angeles, Sales scored 29 points to lead the way.

The Miracle of the draft for Orlando has not been No. 1 pick Tari Phillips, who teamed in the ABL with the Mercury's Edna Campbell, but third-rounder Taj McWilliams. Coming off consecutive double-double's, the 6-2 McWilliams is the team leader in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg). The 6-1 Phillips, an Orlando native, has yet to start and is averaging just 10.6 minutes and 3.6 points. Tamika Whitmore Rookie scores season-high 16 points for Liberty.

Htm Hoar: Ham-tam Fin Cigars LaacMHrwer UaluWik t0 11 H. feMrtC M. M7-C i ii i i "aa 1 Associated Press LIBERTY 69, SHOCK 62: At New York New York needed little motivation Sunday to play well against Detroit, a team that knocked it out of the playoffs last season. Rookie Tamika Whitmore scored a season-high 16 points and the Liberty held off a late rally for the victory. Vickie Johnson, who made one field goal in the first half, finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Sandy Brondello had 16 points for the Shock, who got within 64-59 with 1:53 left before Teresa Weath-erspoon made three free throws to secure the victory. No Prescription Sensational No Side Ettecta sate a Natural NY fm. USA LA ftna I Spot MB BET IT HOW WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! llVfcHWHVWIM 1526 Scoflsdale Rd Tempe 85261 947-8363 www undwrgroundvinqni com j43 t. university i.ia One mile east of University and 1-10 After 18 years, Olympic ByAJ Toby The Arizona Republic When Barbara Nejman's husband, Thomas, goes to the drug store and picks up over-the-counter medical ointment for his wife's aches and pains, it only means that Barbara hasn't kicked her "bad habit." At last year's Grand Canyon State Games, Nejman fell back into the habit after going cold turkey for 18 years. She blamed it on peer pressure.

"Someone just basically dared me," she said. So Nejman took the plunge and returned to competitive diving, a sport she first took on as an 8-year-old in southern Illinois. Now 48, Nejman has competed in the past two State Games in the grand masters division. She brought home three gold medals this year to bring her two-year total to five. This year's games concluded a three-day run on Sunday, drawing an estimated 25,000 participants in 32 events, setting a new record for the seven-year event.

Among the sports featured on the final day were oadminton, gymnastics, shooting and synchronized swimming. the sport. "She's just gotten very involved and tried to help the sport and get new people into it," he said. "She is more dedicated to that than her dogs, and much less me." In addition to teaching history and geography at Xavier, Nejman has been the school's swimming and diving coach for 1 0 years. She also serves as a consultant for U.S.

diving for eight western states. Nejman also is actively campaigning across the city to improve diving facilities. "Phoenix has been bad compared to other cities' facilities," Nejman said. "In order to get people into diving, we've got to do something." Joel O'Conncll, one of Nejman's diving competitors and a lifelong friend, said Nejman's personality was the driving force behind her activism. "She's got kind of a youthful personality and sense of humor," O'Connell said.

"Therefore she does well working with young people. She is a true teacher." Russell GatesIhe Aruona Republic "At my age, you have these preconceived notions of what you can do, and sometimes you push yourself past those limits," Nejman said. "That's why my husband is up there with the Bengay, saying, 'Are you sure you want to do this, "I say yes, and he says, 'OK, I'll get some more Her husband better keep the ointment handy. Nejman says she plans on competing in the 1999 U.S. Masters Summer Invitational Diving When Nejman was in her heyday, she represented the United States in 16 international competitions, reaching the pinnacle of her sport when she competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Today, when Nejman stands on the 3-meter board, all the thoughts of her successful diving past fill her mind. But when her body hits the water, the pain that she hasn't felt in nearly two decades comes roaring back. 4aajii 'a aaai.