One of Alonzo Mourning's goals this season, in his remarkable comeback from the kidney transplant he had last Dec. 19, was to play all 82 games, whether it was for the Nets or for somebody else.
On Thursday, however, Mourning said he might have to ask to be put on the injured list, because most of the rest of his body aches. He cannot take anti-inflammatory painkillers because of his medical situation. All that he is allowed to take is anti-rejection medicine for his kidney and the occasional Tylenol.
PHOTO: AFP
"I think I've played more basketball in the past couple of months than I have in the past couple of years," Mourning said.
PHOTO: AFP
He has appeared in all 18 of the Nets' games so far, starting 14 of them and averaging 25.4 minutes a game. Last season, Mourning played just 12 games before having the transplant. He did not play at all the season before because of the kidney ailment that necessitated the transplant.
"Right now, my body is breaking down on me physically," he said Thursday. "And the only way for me to get better is to rest it."
Mourning, the Nets' 34-year-old center, is third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points a game and second in rebounding, at 7.1 a game. He said his kidney condition is fine, but his right hand, his right hip and his right knee are aching.
"He's just banged up," coach Lawrence Frank said. "And he can't take pain relievers."
Mourning could go on the injured list as soon as Friday night, when the Nets (5-13) are host to their former coach, Byron Scott, and the lowly New Orleans Hornets (1-16), in Scott's first meeting against the Nets since he was fired last Jan. 26.
"I have to be smart about this," Mourning said. "If they expect me to play 25 to 30 minutes a game, I have to play at a high level."
He said that in the second half against Cleveland on Tuesday night, he had "no legs." He added, "I thought I could do it taking Tylenol occasionally. But it can't happen."
Mourning scored all of his 16 points against the Cavaliers in the first three quarters, but he missed all four of his field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter. He said it was telling that he scored most of his points on long jump shots. "I have a nice touch for a big man, but I was just shooting jumpers," he said.
He had two rebounds in 28 minutes against the Cavaliers in a 103-97 defeat. Mourning said the team might have been better off had his stats been reversed -- 16 rebounds and 2 points.
Rashard Lewis erased a fourth-quarter deficit then protected Seattle's lead with a high-flying baseline dunk, a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and two free throws with 18.5 seconds to go in the Supersonic's 107-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
"Rashard is playing like a man possessed," said teammate Ray Allen, who followed his 29 against the Spurs with 22. "He's on a mission. He's been a guy who's willing to stand back and watch, but this year he's stepping up and is one of the guys at the forefront."
One night after becoming the first team this season to win in San Antonio, Seattle won its fourth straight game and ninth in 10 games to reclaim the NBA's best record at 17-3.
Dallas lost at home for the fifth time this season, matching last year's total in just 12 games. More troubling for the Mavericks is that all the losses have come against winning teams. Vladimir Radmanovic had 18 points for Seattle, including 5-of-7 on 3-pointers.
Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 27 points.
Rockets 81, Spurs 80
In Houston, Tracy McGrady scooped up a loose ball and hit a running 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to help Houston complete a rally from a 10-point deficit in the final minute and beat San Antonio.
McGrady scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including four difficult 3-pointers, to finish with 33 points, eight rebounds and five steals in the biggest last-minute comeback for Houston.
The Rockets have won three straight for the first time this season, and snapped an eight-game losing streak against their I-10 rivals. The Spurs lost their second straight, a night after a tough defeat against Seattle in San Antonio.
Yao Ming had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets.
Trail Blazers 89, Celtics 87
In Portland, Oregon, Shareef Abdur-Rahim hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lead Portland over Boston.
Boston led 87-84 with 29.3 seconds left, but Zach Randolph made two free throws to make it a one-point game. After letting time run down, Gary Payton tried to get the ball in to Paul Pierce, but the shot-clock expired and left Portland with one final chance to win.
Abdur-Rahim caught an outlet pass from Derek Anderson, set up from 25 feet and drilled the winning shot. He was then mobbed by his teammates, who celebrated a hard-fought victory.
Abdur-Rahim finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Randolph has 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Blazers, who ended a two-game losing streak.
Payton and Mark Blount had 14 points each for Boston. Leading scorer Pierce, suffering from flu symptoms, played but was ineffective, finishing with six points.
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A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
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