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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1996)
TUESDAY Apr* 23. 1996 The envelope please... Now that the NBA regular *e**on if complain and the playoffs are fusl two days away, if is tim« to hand out the 1M4 Ofi schiwMMint award* Moat Valuable Player. Michael Ionian. Chicago Bull*. Whiln ha ia no lunger the hast all around player in the league, hi* 10 2 point* per game lad the NBA. giving Jor dan his eighth wearing title and propelling the Bull* to a record 72 win* — the mint in NBA history. Rookie of the Year. Arvyda* Kabuni*. Portland Tnulbhucer* OPINION rtim flpno Ri«* to Damon Stoudamtrr and his 19 paints and 9 assists ixir game. Sai*> nis deserves the top rook ie honor Sebonis' sea •on uvnntge* am 14 5 points and 8.1 rebounds, while «ver aging around 23 minutes a game to Stoudainire's 40 Plus. 22 games ago the Bias* irr* seemed destined for the lottery. But they have gone 18-4 to end the season, and Sahonts has played a big part in turning the team around. Siith Man of the Year Toni Kukoc. After losing his starting job to Dennis Kodttian at the beginning of the year, Kukoc has settled in and ba ums a reliable fun* oil the bench. He averages 13.2 points. 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, including a sis game stretch in which he started for the suspended Hodman and averaged more than 20 points a game Best Bargain Shopper* Houston Rockets When Hakeem Oiajuwtm. Clyde Drexler. Mario Elia ami Sam Caaeeil all landed on the dis abled list at the same time, the Rockets raided the f3JA talent pool to come up with players such as Sain Mack ami Chuck) Brown to keep them competitive and alive for a decent playoff spot. The Isaiah Rider "What Does Basketball Have le do With Maturity?" Award: Jim my Jackson, Jason Kidd. Jamal Maahburn. Dallas Mavericks Early in the see sou. Jackson and Mashburn were so intent on proving that one was bet ter than the other, they refused to pass each other the hall hater In the season. Kidd and Jackson got into a fight over a girl whom both players wanted to "see" on a road trip and iiaven'l talked since The Mavericks should have been pteyoff bound, instead they are hoping to land some lead ership and sense in the upcoming draft. Chrit Hansen, a tumor major' ing in journalism. It a spoilt reporter for the Emerald r Rain, rain go away *MtMt M MWtrMMHr.lt.*. WMntwr* o» tha Otagoo *oftba« Mm watch » tha tacond pama ol that* Saturday doubWtMdw tgonti CaWorni# ta ntwl out Two mor* g*m*« war* ntntd out on Sunday Tha gamaa «r*r* r**ch*<Jut*d for Monday and again cancaMd bacaua# of rain Than* wtti not ba mad* up untaaa tha final Pacific 10 Confaranc* standing* dictate that thay naad to b* Blazers jazzed up for playoffs ■ NBA: Utah's style of play is similar to Portland s If iRTLAND CAD - Clifford Knbineon knew the question* were coming Far three mmm*. hi* game h** fallen apart in the playoffs A* the Portland Trail Blazer*. ihetr confidence bolstered by « strung last two month* of (be mi •on. prepared to fee* the I Uh far* in (<im« t of their first nnind wim Thursday night in Salt 1 j*kn rjty. Robinson had to face those donum* from the peat ‘’People have always questioned whet I've done around here for the team,'' ha aald. "*o why i* it going to change nuw f" Robinson haa no explanation for why he* atrwggied wo in the post season "It |u»t happen* ' Robinaon aald "i couldn't tell you why I ran into a little slump thia year You just have to deal with it and make aotne adpiatmenu " Hit scoring average dropper! by more than five point*, and he ahot M percent from the field a year ago aa the Blazer* were iwepl by Phoenix in t he flrxt round Two yean ago. he ahot 41 percent tn the play offa Hit m ortng dropped by nearly four points per game, and Portland was knocked out In the nrat round by Houston. Three veer* ago he *«*» a dtonal 2fi patten! from the field, he averaged nina point* fewer than he did in the regular mourn, and the Bla* era made a finit round exit against San Antonio "(Tiff haa ta step up and really ahow htmaeif in the playoff*.” teammate Buck William* aaid. "Me haa to come out and be aggressive He oan't play passive in the playoffs He can't be war tied alxHit the tan* or hi* ahootir percentage the tempo" suae He ha* to nun up the intensity and Robinson discount* the danger that ha will be trying too hard to erase hi* image aa a post season nop "I didn't during the stretch when I really wasn't knocking down shots after the All-Star break, ao I don’t aaa myself pressing or putting extra pressure on myself now." he said Robinson will likely be matched up againat K«il Malone, m Utf at the ftwt of the #»!«*> "The sml I i*n wk myieif t«i do t.» limit the »«iV h.*%keti that he get*," Robin **n whii ”1 meets. he'» got to guard me « well, end I think thet'* * tough men hup lor him.'* ROBINSON KofattiMin's pley u one«»(ihnw crucial tm tor* for Portland in the Utah wriai The oth ers are Hod Sira kUnd * health and whether Arvydaa SoixHuo *an dominate the Kama insole Strickland Ml mil the last thnatinM lt> mat a groin puli that has bothered him few »i* weak* Ha indicated il won't a whole lot belter and probably wouldn't heal rrtmplefeiy until the off twiifin Saboni* alao Mt out Sunday's season-ending 92-m toss to the Los Angela* taker* to rant a *<»re right knee Hut he * expected to bn ready, and his 7 foot 3 presence will be a tough matchup few the |az* Still. Portland coach P.J. Caries! mo said Utah Is a lough team for Portland because the two play similar styles, emphasising rebounding and holding the other team to a low Reid goal percentage "They're good in area* where we are." Csw lesimo said. "Where they're better than us is offensive execution. In my opinion, they're the most efficient offensive team in the league " Much has been made of Utah's late season struggle* and Portland's strong finish, when the Blazers won 18 of their last 22 tar lesimo Mid the jazz will be reedy "They've been there. They're a playoff team every year." he Mid "I think the Utah we see will be more the Utah of the entire year I don't think it's going to he the one that played the last IS punas I hope we're the team that played the last 22 games * Ducks in thick of tight Pac*10 Championships ■ GOLF: Oregon is seventh after first day of tournament The Oregon women'* golf team finished in Mwnth place in a close field after the first day of I lie P«:i( it 10 Conference Ch*ffi|iloi)ililpt In T»»« wm. Aril,, Monday Tile t hic k* were led by turn lor (IhrisM Tomorl and true Inelinuin Karen Bristow Both were lied for l mh place with first round scora* at 77, A* a team. Oregon shot a com bined score of 312, only 1 stroke behind USC: and |u*t 11 strokes away from fourth place Senior Susie Koh notc hed a strong 78 stroke performance. Init sophomore Paula Patterson shot an 80 fur the first day. well !mc k of her team leading sc oring average of 76.fi True freshman Kylie Wilson rounded out the Oregon scoring contingent with an 80 stroke outing Aruona. host of the three-day, par 72 tournament that took place on the 6.127-yard course at the Raven Coif Club, led after Mon day's round with a team score of 287 The Wildcat* were propelled by Krissie Register's three-under par 69 and Heather Graffs strong first round score of 70 Tomorrow, pl*> begins at noon The final 18-hole installment will begin at 8 am MST Wednesday, and each of the teams' low four scorers will count toward team totals
