LOS ANGELES -- Mike Dunleavy has his 500th regular-season
coaching victory, and perhaps a budding star.
Chris Kaman scored 24 points and set career highs with 23
rebounds and four steals, helping Dunleavy become the 25th coach
with 500 wins. The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Minnesota
Timberwolves 95-87 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.
The Clippers matched their win total of 37 last season thanks
greatly to the work of 7-foot center Kaman, one of Dunleavy's pet
projects during his three seasons with the Clippers. It was the
second time in Kaman's three-year career that he has had at least
20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game.
"Chris Kaman has been his pupil," teammate Corey Maggette
said. "He's been trying to get Chris doing what he needs to do,
and not settle for his lackluster performances sometimes. I think
Coach has really been pushing him to be a better player. Now Chris
is playing better, he's getting more confident, and our team is
playing a lot better when he plays well. So it's great to see
that."
The Timberwolves saw Kaman dominate against two 7-footers trying
to guard him, star Kevin Garnett and Mark Blount.
"Defensively, it was probably the best game I've played -- with
the steals, the blocks (three) and the rebounds," Kaman said. "I
play hard, I play with a lot of energy. Some nights I don't have
the energy, and you can obviously tell the nights that I don't. I
just try to play hard and go after the rebounds the best I can, and
they were coming to me tonight."
Also Monday night, it was New Jersey 90, Houston 77; Milwaukee
88, Atlanta 87; Denver 108, New York 96; and Indiana 97, Orlando
83.
Elton Brand had his hands full with Garnett, yet managed 14
points and 11 rebounds while limiting Garnett to 13 points and 16
boards. Garnett's 20th consecutive double-double extended his
club-record streak.
But that paled compared to Kaman's performance.
"He did a great job being physical, creating his own space and
being relentless, as far as going after loose balls," Dunleavy
said. "He was around the basket, he was huge and just claimed
everything. And we needed all 23 of those boards."
Minnesota lost its fifth straight, matching the team's longest
skid this season. Ricky Davis led Minnesota with 20 points, all but
two in the first half.
^Nets 90, Rockets 77=
At Houston, Vince Carter scored 18 of his 29 points in the
second half. Jason Kidd had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists,
his sixth triple-double of the season. Kidd has 73 career
triple-doubles and needs five to tie Wilt Chamberlain for third
all-time.
Cliff Robinson added 15 points for the Nets, who've won all 28
games they've led after three quarters.
Yao Ming scored 36 points for the Rockets, playing their third
straight game without Tracy McGrady, who's out up to five weeks
with another back injury.<
^Bucks 88, Hawks 87=
At Milwaukee, the Bucks snapped their longest home losing streak
in six years at five games when Bobby Simmons scored 18 points and
Michael Redd added 16.
Milwaukee blew a 17-point lead in the second half before coming
from behind to win. Milwaukee had won six in a row at home after a
victory on Feb. 14 against Seattle, but since went sour -- losing
eight of the last 12 overall to fall below .500 in the Eastern
Conference.
Josh Smith finished with a career-high 25 points for the Hawks,
who at 20-41 were assured their seventh straight season without a
winning record after having seven straight winning campaigns in the
1990s.<
^Nuggets 108, Knicks 96=
At New York, Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points, 12 in the third
quarter when the game turned into a rout.
Andre Miller added 16 points and former Knicks center Marcus
Camby had 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Nuggets, who pulled
away in the second half and improved to 3-1 on their season-high
seven-game road trip.
Stephon Marbury scored 25 points for the Knicks, who have lost
two straight and have the NBA's worst record.
Denver played the second half without Kenyon Martin, who has
been troubled by knee and leg problems for much of the season and
recently missed four games. He appeared to be near tears while
holding his left leg during a first-half timeout.<
^Pacers 97, Magic 83=
At Indianapolis, reserve Danny Granger scored 21 points, leading
five Indiana players in double figures, and had 12 rebounds.
Anthony Johnson also scored 21 points, Peja Stojakovic and David
Harrison had 14 each and Jamaal Tinsley 12.
Dwight Howard scored 22 and had 11 rebounds for Orlando.