The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 110

E8 The Boston Globe FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2002 1 Playoff success is in the balance New facility has a multipurpose AP PHOTO fender Fearless shooter Major tough guy. 5. Rodney Rogers. Age 30. Dangerous 3-point shooter Nasty defensive rebounder Capable post-up guy Wide-body defender capable of checking much taller foes Cannot be intimidated.

6. Tony Delk. Age 28. Long-range bomber (once scored 53 in an NBA game) Long-armed defender (ask Allen Iverson) Tough-minded with thoroughly professional attitude. 7.

Walter McCarty. Age 28. Agile, quick-footed defender Can shoot the three Will always run the floor Pesky offensive rebounder Crowd-pleasing (as well as Tom Heinsohn-pleasing) charisma. And in case he makes it back 8. Vitaly Potapenko.

Age 27. Biiiig body to lay on enemy brutes Very capable 15-foot shooter Incurable hustler. In this mix are four certified Tough Guys in Williams, Strickland, Rogers, and Delk. In this mix are three certified Live Bodies in Battie, Williams, and McCarty. And also in this mix, Jim O'Brien now has something his predecessor was always crying for.

Rick Pitino had many laments, to be sure, but one of his most frequent pleas was for mid-career veterans to balance off and cover for the youthful excesses of his young stars. Take a look at the roster. Rogers, Williams, Strickland, and Delk are now exactly what Pitino so desperately wanted. Even Anderson has turned into an official Old Pro when we weren't looking. Williams has stepped smoothly into what I would call the old Paul Silas role.

He is the de facto conscience of the team. He leads by both example and rhetoric. Rogers is more the Sgt. York I-seen-my-duty-and-I-done-it type, but he leaves no doubt by his unflappable nightly approach that he is a pro's pro. Strickland and Delk are currently engaged in spirited competition for playing time, but that is a good thing, since each is the type of competitor who will keep himself physically and mentally sharp as he awaits the mentor's call.

That's your team, and it really is a T-E-A-M, team. Call it Rick's Team once removed, call it Jim O'Brien's Team, call it whatever you like, but a team it is, and it's getting more and more likable with each passing day. Blood flows from a gash over Jason Kidd's left eye after a collision with Charlotte's David Wesley. Hornets buzz and stay alive ASSOCIATED PRESS David Wesley shook off a head-to-head collision with Jason Kidd, then lifted the Hornets back into the Eastern Conference semifinals. Wesley, injured when he and Kidd smacked heads late in the first half, scored 22 points and gave Charlotte an emotional spark in a 1 15-97 home victory last night Baron Davis scored 26 points, Jamaal Magloire added 16 points and six blocked shots, and George Lynch had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who trail the Nets, 2-1, in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday in Charlotte. Kidd, who needed stitches to close a gash over his left eye following the collision, scored just 13 points. He played just five minutes and scored just 4 points after smacking his head. Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 16 points, while Kenyon Martin added 13, Keith Van Horn 12, and Kerry Kittles 11. Kidd was dribbling the ball up court when Davis poked it away from behind.

As Kidd reached to his left to get it back, Wesley stepped in front of him and the two smacked heads. Both fell to the floor grabbing their heads, the Hornets called a timeout, and trainers rushed onto the floor. Kings 125, Mavericks 119 Thousands of cowbells and a couple of ankle injuries weren't enough to slow down Sacramento. Mike Bibby scored 29 points and Doug Christie returned from a sprained ankle to score 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Kings won in Dallas. The Kings, who lost second-leading-scorer Peja Stoja-kovic to a sprained ankle in the third quarter, took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.

Game 4 is tomorrow in Dallas. Chris Webber had 31 points and 15 rebounds, and Vlade Divac added 19 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Kings add a little muscle to the matchup of the league's two highest-scoring teams. Michael Finley had 35 points for Dallas, while Raef LaFrentz added 24 points and 13 rebounds. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 II I III 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 RYAN Cotuinuedfrom Page El be the Lakers, they need a few other things to kick in. They need Derek Fisher to harass rival point guards and nail the open 3-pointers he gets as a result of the attention paid to Shaq and Kobe.

They need Rick Fox to guard tough midsized players, run the floor, hit some threes, and keep opposing defenses wary by making periodic trips to the hoop. They need Samaki Walker to rebound aggressively. And they really need Robert Horry to guard big people and hit those nerveless threes he has made his trademark since his rookie year in Houston. It is true that after Shaq and Kobe, none of the remaining LA players would be considered to be among the top 30 (or perhaps even 40) players in the league. Yet these players have specific skills, and they must play to their potential if the Lakers are to win another title.

The Celtics likewise have two star players, Paul Pierce and An-toine Walker. In terms of individual ability, there is a fairly significant drop-off after that Just who is the third-best Celtic player? Kenny Anderson? Rodney Rogers? Eric Williams? Let the debate begin, but understand that it is nothing more than an academic discussion because what does matter is the way these lesser mortals have recognized how they fit into the whole and have seamlessly blended together to produce a T-E-A-M that does have its marquee stars but that now has quietly assembled an impressive roster of quality character actors. Introducing the Supporting Cast: 1. Kenny Anderson. Age 31.

Controls tempo beautifully Initiates the offense Works hard defensively Carefully picks his spots for artful excursions to the hoop Hits valuable keep-'em-honest jumpers. 2. TonyBattie.Age26. Rebounds effectively in traffic Slips in for authoritative put-back slams Provides a semblance of shot-blocking inside deterrence Hits open jumpers (witness Philadelphia Games 1 and 2). 3.

Eric Williams. Age 29. Willingly takes on any tough defensive assignment Punishes people in low-post mismatches Now consistently hits spot-up threes, especially from the corner Wins loose ball battles. 4. Erick Strickland.

Age 28. Rugged take-no-prisoners de in sports, the Krafts are blazing a trail, along with Qwest Communications billionaire Phil Anschutz and Hunt, the prinicipal investors in MLS. Foxborough and Kansas City are the exceptions in the league's long-term planning, which emphasizes soccer-specific stadia such as Crew Stadium, built by Hunt at a cost of $28 million in Columbus, Ohio. The trend has been there to incorporate soccer into stadia so that you dont have to take out seating to retrofit a soccer field," said Paul Hendren, Toronto-based correspondent for Panstadia International magazine. "All the major architechtural firms have had soccer in their plans in building in the US.

It might be wishful thinking, but if the big show the World Cup comes back, those stadia want it If not a cost problem to incorporate soccer into a football stadium, so why notT Jonathan Kraft has relocated at least part of his staff from Government Center to CMGI Field. "We wanted to make a statement with a world-class stadium," Kraft said during an interview in a conference room that borders a club area, the size of a stadium's playing surface. The NFL as a league has been regarded as an afterthought here and Foxboro Stadium was regarded as a joke around the country, as much as we all lovedit "We want this to be the place in the US where international teams have to play. We want to have the most exciting and attractive international matches. We want them to be shown in Europe, so this stadium will become a place where European players would like to play.

When the Dutch players go back and scatter to their professional clubs in Europe, I hope they talk about the stadium and get their teammates excited about it Soccer players around the world want to experience America and they are going to want to experience these new buildings, to play in the finest stadiums. And that is going to be good, not just for the Revolution but for the MLS." The Holland team that will meet the US at CMGI May 19 is an all-star aggregation of players who play for clubs in England, Italy, and Spain. Already, Ben-fica and Manchester United officials have toured the stadium and have been given assurances their teams will return. Manchester United is not scheduled to visit the US until July 2003, but its appearance has already generated as much interest as any other soccer event scheduled at CMGI Field. MLS has determined that failure to control their stadia has contributed to the failure of professional soccer teams in the past Mostly, this has meant an inability to control dates, but it has also meant compromising the essence of soccer.

Playing soccer on Astroturf or narrow fields discourages playing the ball wide, leading to a direct, frenetic style that is simply unwatchable. A soccer field with basepaths and a pitching mound or football yard-markers ruins the aesthetics, besides causing injuries. On a national scale, this has led to a style of play almost completely devoid of thought or variety. This type of futbol more emulated football. But CMGI Field should avoid those problems.

The field will be 75 by 115 yards. The $3 million grass surface should be clean from January to August, with only 10 to 12 NFL dates conflicting. This should encourage a more imaginative style of play, more emphasis on composure and skill, less emphasis on unthinking physicality. This could also give the Revolution a competitive edge and force the team to adopt a more aesthetically pleasing style. "If you are a soccer player, you want a big, beautiful playing surface, and this is better than anything out there," Smith said.

The other good thing about it is, this is ours. The locker room is not shared or borrowed. These are our offices. Players want to be a part of a team with facilities like that This is a team with a history that is not positive in terms of wins and losses, but this is a chance to start new, in a new environment and a chance to fight every night to defend it," Soccer and football may be a perfect mix By Frank Dell'Apa GLOBE STAFF FOXBOROTJGH Whether the game is called football or futbol, rugby or soccer, the codes seldom coexist peaceably. From Cardiff to Cape Town, cultures have chosen to emphasize one over the other.

The balance has been particularly uneasy in the United States, where the evidence of infrastructure illustrates the hegemony of football American football and the numbers of participants clearly favor futbol soccer. Modern sports executives, though, interpret the world differently from their isolationist predecessors. The 1966 World Cup finals in England spawned the Jack Kent Cookes, Lamar Hunts, and Joe Robbies, whose vision is being reflected in today's sporting structures. There has been a progression from the acceptance of the incongruity of ice hockey in Southern California to Major League Baseball in Denver to the acceptance of Major League Soccer in NFL cities. The Kraft family is taking this progression to its next logical step the Patriots and the Revolution sharing administration, personnel, and stadium.

CMGI Field breaks the pattern of retrofitting a soccer pitch into a football field. This was Joe Robbie's idea first, spawned when restrictions on cross-ownership of sports franchises forced him to designate his wife, Elizabeth, as owner of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. By 1985, cross-ownership restrictions had been declared illegal, and two years later, Joe Robbie Stadium was constructed, its multiuse field capable of playing host to football and soccer and, eventually and reluctantly, baseball as Pro Player. Robbie erred by being slightly ahead of his time and by investing so heavily in a fickle, immature marketplace. The Krafts, then, are spiritual heirs to the ideas of Hunt, Robbie, and Edward Bennett Williams, the famous trial lawyer.

Unlike their predecessors, the Krafts have had superb timing. They rode the crest of soccer interest that began with the July 4, 1988, awarding of the '94 World Cup finals to the United States, selling Foxboro Stadium as avenue despite its spartan qualities, and doing it almost as a sideline, their principal sporting interest being a relaunch of the Patriots in their image. Should the World Cup return to the US in 2010 or 2014, CMGI Field will be a certain venue, guaranteeing global exposure to billions of televiewers. By then, CMGI will likely have officially changed names a couple of times and probably have acquired an affectionate nickname. Emphasis and perception of the stadium also might have changed.

Tomorrow night's Revolution-Dallas game is considered a "soft" opening, an attempt to avoid the chaos that accompanied the Eagles and Sync concerts that opened Invesco and Heinz stadiums. Seating will be scaled to 21,000 for the Revolution opener and 30,000 for the US-HollandRevolution-Chicago doubleheader May 19, a chance to initiate stadium staff with a manageable crowd. By 2035, CMGI could have played host to nearly a thousand soccer dates, triple the amount of NFL dates, assuming MLS stays in business. So, football or futbol? CMGI Field shows you can have both. "I dont know if a stadium like this can be a trend," Revolution general manager Todd Smith said.

"This is a unique situation. Lamar Hunt could conceivably do something similar in Kansas City, but otherwise the MLS is going for soccer-specific stadiums. But what soccer people have to appreciate and understand is the correlation between the NFL, the Krafts, and soccer. They have to understand the reality of the situation. And if they have to have a Big Brother, it's great to have one you can respect." Indeed, if this is a new pioneering era Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist.

His e-mail address is ryangbbe.com. HEALTH REFERENCE GUIDE 4 NBA playoffs, box scores CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS HORNETS 115, NETS 97 (best of seven) EASTERN CONFERENCE ihih Martin 33 5 11 3-3 1-2 4 3 13 VanHom 26 3-8 5-6 1-6 3 12 DETROIT vs. BOSTON Maccitcn is 2-7 2-4 0 4 4 Kidd 28 5-13 2-2 2-7 6 2 13 PtS. Avg. Kittles 25 4-7 2-4 0-2 1 1 11 BOSTON 1 1 169 84.5 i kc Jefferson 25 6-10 4-7 1-3 1 4 16 Detroit 1 1 173 86.5 Harris 20 1-5 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 ReSURS Johnson 20 3-7 2-2 0-1 4 2 0 SundavMavS Collins 19 1-3 4-6 4-7 1 3 6 Scalanrlne 4 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 0 0 At Detroit 96 84 Marshall ..3 11 11 0-0003 Wednesday, May 8 Totals 240 34-ai 26-34 14-3621 27 97 BOSTON 85 Detroit 77 90 3-16, SCneaule turn O-l, Harris 0-2, Johnson Ml Team Re- May 10, at BOSTON 7 3 Mtrli" ijauii at DncTrtM HnL Turnover 15 (Kidd 5, Van Horn 3, WW- May 12, at BOSTON 3 May 14, at Detroit 8 steals: ll (Jefferson 4, Kittles 2, Harris 2, Kidd, (If necessary) Mr1' iotinson).

Technical Fouts: None. May 16, at BOSTON TBA CHt0Ml May 19, at Detroit TBA o-Tm 35 5-6 2-2 7-12 2 2 12 NEW JERSEY vs. CHARLOTTE gjjg ui I ne. au Davis 41 9-24 6-10 1-7 8 4 26 TO. AVtJ.

Wwey 4.4 04 6 2 22 New 2 1 298 99.3 Magloire.25 3-3 10-11 3-9 2 6 16 Charlotte 1 2 296 98.7 o-o 1-2 moo 1 Nailon. 18 5-8 0-0 0-4 1 3 10 "esura Traylof 6 1-1 04 04 1 0 2 Sunday, May 5 Drew. 4 11 04 04 2 0 2 Charlotte93 H-JK-j 4 Tuesday, May 7 F0 J47, FT 3-polnt joah: 4-10, At New Jersey 88 .00 (Wesley 2-5. Davis 2-5). Team Rebounds: Thursday, May 9 9.

Blocked Shot 8 6, Campbell 2). AtCharlotte jersey 97 Schedule May 12, at 12:30 "ewjersey is 24 28 97 Wed.MaylS.atNewJersey.TBA (If necessary Bavetu. mHw CHUIan. Tom WasWngtoa May 17, at Charlotte 8 May 19, at New Jersey KINGS 125, MAVERICKS 119 SACftAMENTO WESTERN CONFERENCE Mfc, M-A U-A O-f ft CAPDAMrurn nuiiac Webber. 44 15-26 1-4 5-15 4 31 SACRAMENTO vs.

DALLAS stojak0c a 4 ,.2 3 Divac 33 6-12 7-8 7-13 1 3 19 PtS. Avg. Bibby 46 10-17 4-4 0-4 9 3 29 Sacramento ..2 1 335 111.7 Christie 27 64 0-5 3 5 20 nallac 1 170 106 7 Pollard 11 4-4 1-1 0-2 0 2 9 2 mi iw.r Turkoglu 25 ,.3 2.2 ,.3224 Results Jackson 28 2-10 3-4 0-3 4 2 7 Saturday Mav 4 Wallace I 0-0 04 04 0 0 0 iitlmlira Totals 240 45-85 28-33 14-472524125 At Sacramento 108 91 Monday, May 6 43a ibimiv s-s. Chrtsu Twitogiu 0-1. D4- Dallas Sacramento 102 vac o-istooiiovico-j, jacks o-3.

team" Thundav Slav Sacramento 125.. at Dallas 1 19 Twtuigtu 2. Wvacl Steals: 6 (Divac Schedule May 11, at Dallas 3:30 gwK May 13, at Sacra. ...9 dauas (If necessary) ni Wed May 15 at Dallas TBA May 18, at TBA Nowitzki 42 6-15 s-s 1-5 2 4 19 LaFrentz 37 10-16 3-4 5-13 0 I 24 SAN ANTONIO vs. LA LAKERS Buckner 12 2-4 1-2 2-3 0 2 5 PtS.

AVfJ. Wang 4 3-4 04 2-2 0 1 7 San AntonlO ..1 1 168 84.0 VanEel.39 3 11 04 2-5 2 3 7 LA Lakers 1 1 171 85 5 1 04 0-0 04 0 3 0 la LaKers 1 1 id os.a 0-2 0 0 5 Results Totals 240 43-94 25-29 14-382426119 Sunday, May .457, mt mi i-noim goals: Hi. AtLALakersBe-SanAntonloSO ftZ. Tuesday, May 7 Newman 0-1). Team Rebounds: 19.

Blocked San Antonio 88 at LA Lakers 85 smts: 2 (Uf rem 21 Turnovers: 11 ni 3. OhaHuia No 3, Uf reno 2. Van tiei 2, Sxkner). acrrraui steals: 6 (Nisli 1, fWey. NowKrkl, Van bel).

May 10, at San AntonlO ...9:30 Technical null: Delenslve Tltree Second, May 12, at San Antonio. 5:30 May 14, at LA Lakers iMhi.mim. 18 25 34 1)1 (If necessary) 41 25 28 119 May 16, at San Antonio iiwooi. t-mt, wticms-joe May 18, at LA Lakers TBA Cravvrord, Bob Wawy.rwtlck Stafford. i i Attention Men with an i-4 Enlarged Prostate: Did you know that a common complication of an enlarged prostata (or BPH) Is the sudden Inability to urinate (known as acute urinary retention)? i We are participating in a study to evaluate an investigational medication to determine whether It safely and effectively manages the current acute urinary retention episode as well as prevent its recurrence.

You may qualify If you: Are at least 50 years old Have an enlarged prostate Are suddenly unable to urinate All study-related care is provided at no charge. Financial compensation Is also provided. To learn more, please contact: I lLr Thfl Next Slep Is You Call" (617) 527-5869 Newton Wellesley Urology f- --IMULAjf JJ Doctor fan bMiiai. To advertise in this directory call Debbie Sheehan at 617-929-7076 or e-mail: dsheehangIobe.com GLOBS STAFF PHOT OBILL GRbfcNE Taylor Twellman (left) and Mamadou Diallo were already having a ball with fans at CMGI Field during a Revolution workout..