The Desert Sun from Palm Springs, California • Page 40

C10 THE DESERT SUN SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2012 BASKETBALL WOODEN AWARD FLOUNDERING FOLLOW-UP LAKERS CANT MAINTAIN MOMENTUM Davis, Griner grab Wooden awards in L. A. wrpikWk i Athletic Club, where he was accompanied by coach John Calipari. He received the trophy from Wooden's son, Jim. Calipari saluted Davis1 family, and offered a hint about the freshman's immediate plans.

"Their son is going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he goes. I'm hoping he stays," the coach said. Griner received 1,424 points in voting 308 more than runner-up Elena Delia Donne, a junior at Delaware. Junior Skylar Diggins of national runner-up Notre Dame was third with 1,073.

Senior Nnemkadi Ogumike, who played in four Final Fours with Stanford, was fourth. Senior Julie Wojta of Wisconsin Green Bay was fifth. Griner and Ogwumike were finalists last, year, when Connecticut's Maya Moore won for the second time. Griner, a junior who led the Lady Bears to a No. 1 ranking and 40-0 record, wasn't present.

Organizers said she had to attend classes this week and then went to Houston to be with her ill mother. By Beth Harris The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Anthony Davis of national champion Kentucky accepted the John R. Wooden Award on Friday night, and Brit-tney Griner of undefeated champion Baylor won the women's award for the nation's top college basketball player. Davis received 3,350 points in voting by national media 333 more than runner-up Thomas Robinson, a junior from Kansas. Senior Draymond Green of Michigan State finished third with 2,825.

Davis and Green were the only men's finalists in attendance. For the first time in the award's 35-year history, the men's winner was announced during the Final Four last weekend in New Orleans instead of at the ceremony. Davis, a freshman, collected the last in a slew of player of the year awards he earned while helping the Wildcats to their eighth national title. Davis was a popular target for autograph hunters before the event at the Los Angeles Houston forward Luis Scola (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol fight for a loose ball Friday in Los Angeles. The Rockets won 1 12-107.

gus ruelasthe associated press LAKER LETDOWN After emotional victory over Clippers, L.A. falls to Rockets NEXT FOR LAKERS Opponent: Phoenix Suns When: 7 p.m. today Where: Phoenix Television: KCAL ii A Zf-h i The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Goran Dragic had 26 points and 11 assists, Luis Scola scored 10 of his 25 points during a 2:39 span of the fourth quarter, and the Houston Rockets capitalized on the ejection of Andrew Bynum to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-107 on Friday night. The Lakers were trailing 80-75 when Bynum took exception to a foul by Samuel Dalembert with 1:18 remaining in the third quarter and had to be restrained by teammates, earning a technical foul. He got another game after hitting a hook shot and mouthing off to the Houston bench on his pers in the Pacific Division.

Six of the final 10 games on the Lakers' schedule are on the road, including the next three against Phoenix, New Orleans and San Antonio whom the Lakers will face three times. They trail the Spurs by 4k games for the best record in the conference. off the bench in his first 19 games before replacing Barnes in the starting lineup on Jan. 29, helped lead Los Angeles to a 59-50 halftime lead with 17 points. The 13-year veteran reached the 20-point mark for the ninth time in 214 regular-season games with the Lakers.

28 seconds left. Marcus Camby, playing Friday with a sprained left wrist, had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets. Rockets leading scorer Kevin Martin missed his 13th consecutive game because of a right shoulder strain, but they are 8-5 in his absence. Kobe Bryant, playing with a bruised right shin that kept him out of Friday morning's shootaround, scored 28 points for the Lakers. Metta World Peace had a season-high 23, Pau Gasol had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and reserve forward Matt Barnes had 13 rebounds.

The Lakers fell to Vk games ahead of the Clip way downcourt. Bynum finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes, after scoring 36 points against the Clippers despite a sprained left ankle. On March 20 at Houston, the enigmatic and moody 7-foot center was ejected late in the third quarter, and the Rockets erased a 17-point deficit scored a season-high 34 points in the fourth. Houston won it 107-104, with Dragic making the go-ahead 3-pointer with Kentucky forward Anthony Davis celebrates as he cuts the net after winning the national title Monday in New Orleans. Friday, Davis accepted the Wooden Award for the nation's best player, david j.

philupthe associated press Van Gundy, Howard agree to focus on team COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOTES Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy (left) talks with Dwight Howard (12) during the Magic's loss to the Knicks Thursday. i 1 '7il 'T JOHN RAOUXTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press ORLANDO, FLA. One day after Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy disclosed All-Star center wight Howard wanted him fired, the two agreed it was time to move forward and focus on the team's play on the court. "There's nothing for me to say," Howard said at practice Friday. "We just have to play basketball.

That's the only thing that matters." Van Gundy started a circus on Thursday morning when he revealed he was told by high-ranking team officials of Howard's request. Howard walked up and hugged Van Gundy during that media scrum, unaware what Van Gundy had just said. After the coach walked away, Howard was blindsided that reporters knew the truth about his firing request. Hours later, the Magic lost their fifth game in a row, it," Van Gundy said. "It's the speculation.

Everybody's sort of trying to massage the situation without saying anything, and I don't know, to me it's always easier to be honest and move on." Howard's call for Van Gundy's job didn't just happen it's been an ongoing issue. But now it's out in the open and a distraction as the Magic prepare to take on the host Philadelphia 76ers tonight. Has the drama changed things between Van Gundy and Howard? "It wasn't awkward last night," Van Gundy said. "It wasn't awkward today. It wasn't any different than it was two days ago, three days ago, two weeks ago, three weeks ago or anything else." Howard said he and Van Gundy agreed to keep everything between them.

"We keep that in the family," Howard said. "We keep that between each other and the locker room." salary for his first season and agreeing to a deal where he would receive nearly half of any gross revenues from ticket sales, commissions collected on food and beverage concessions and sponsorships. But FIU never generated the buzz that both it and Thomas envisioned. The Panthers averaged 1,071 fans at home this season, nearly four times that many on the road. Ohio State At Columbus, Ohio, De-shaun Thomas will not be joining Ohio State teammate Jared Sullinger in the NBA yet.

Thomas said Friday he will return for his junior season. Two days earlier, Sullinger, also a sophomore and a two-time Ail-American, said he would give up his last two years of eligibility to enter the NBA draft. The Associated Press FIU fires Isiah Florida International has fired men's basketball coach Isiah Thomas, after the Hall of Fame player went 26-65 in three seasons. Thomas took over at FIU in a surprising move in 2009, one that gave the former New York Knicks coach and president a chance to restore the reputation he tarnished through a series of embarrassments in New York. Under Thomas, FIU never won more than 11 games in a season.

Thomas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement released by the university, FIU director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia said the school has "decided to take the program in a different direction." Thomas signed a five-year deal with FIU, taking nothing in base 96-80 to the New York Knicks, and dropped to sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Van Gundy spoke to reporters for more than 30 minutes after practice Friday, with most of the questions focusing on his relationship with Howard. Van Gundy used the term "irrelevant" more than a dozen times. "I answered the question honestly and let's move on," Van Gundy said.

"That was my only intention. "At least there's no more speculation. It's not going to go back and forth. It happened. To me, it'll go a day or two and then people are off of it, rather than it hanging out there and people bringing it up again." Van Gundy said his main point on Thursday wasn't that Howard wanted him fired, but that it doesn't matter that Howard wants him fired.

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