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NBA notes, streaks, trends and observations

NBA Pacific division player and team notes. Updated Mar. 23, 2004.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

DUNLEAVY ON POINT: Mike Dunleavy has started the last 11 games and is averaging 13.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.18 steals over that span-- starting the last 10 games at point guard...On 3/2 vs. Indiana (3/2), the 6-foot, 9-inch Dunleavy started at small forward but played the majority of his 42 minutes at point guard en route to having one of the finest games of his career -- posting 24 points (7-14 FG, 2-4 3FG, 8-10 FT), a career-high 20 rebounds (17 defensive) and five assists -- all of which were team highs...The 20/20-effort was the first such performance of his career and marked his ninth double-double of the season...The Indiana contest maked his first start in 13 games after suffering an sprained left ankle vs. Chicago on 1/30, which forced him to sit out seven of the team’s next nine contests (the first missed games of his career)...He currently ranks 30th in the NBA in defensive rebounding (5.0 drpg) and 31st in 3-point percentage (.373).

RICHARDSON’S CONSISTENT SEASON CONTINUES IMPROVEMENT TREND: Jason Richardson has had one of the most consistent seasons of any Warriors player in 2003-04...J-Rich is currently averaging a team-leading 18.5 points (22nd in NBA) and 37.5 minutes (24th in NBA), while ranking 2nd on the team in rebounding with 6.4 rpg.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

MISSING WEAPONS: The Clippers were without injured starters Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson, and Marko Jaric as well as sixth-man Chris Wilcox in yesterday’s loss to Golden State. The four combine to average 55.3 points per game.

KEYON MATCHES A CAREER-HIGH: Keyon Dooling came off the bench to match a career-high with 18 points versus Golden State yesterday. Dooling established his career-high of 18 points versus Houston on November 24, 2002 and match the total earlier this season at Indiana on November 19.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Elton Brand recorded his first double in eight games with 20 points and 10 rebounds yesterday versus Golden State. Brand had gone seven games without a double-double, his longest stretch this season without one. Before yesterday’s 20-point, 10-rebound effort, Brand’s last double-double came on March 7 versus Portland when he posted 21 points and 14 rebounds in a 91-71 win over Portland.

COREY AT THE STRIPE: Corey Maggette enters play this evening leading the NBA in free throws made (464). Maggette hit 17 of his 20 free throw attempts at the Lakers on March 19, one made free throw shy of his 2003-04 NBA season-high of 18 made free throws that he hit versus Houston on November 24. Maggette’s 20 free throw attempts versus the Lakers equals his career-high of 20 attempts that he set versus Houston, also on November 24.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

PAYTON NEARS 8,000 CAREER ASSISTS: Gary Payton is just 8 assists shy of reaching the 8,000 assist plateau for his career. Only five players in the history of the NBA have reached 8,000 career assists. Earlier this season, Payton, with seven assists 12/7 vs. Utah, moved into 6th on the NBA’s all-time list with 7,721 career assists, surpassing Rod Strickland. Payton currently has 7,992 assists and trails Isiah Thomas for 5th on the all-time list with 9,061 career assists.

O’NEAL APPROACHING 10th ALL-TIME IN CAREER BLOCKS: With 2,074 career blocked shots, Shaquille O’Neal is just nine blocks shy of passing George T. Johnson (2,082) and moving into 10th all-time in career blocked shots. In addition, he is just 13 blocks shy of moving past Manute Bol (2,086) for ninth all-time. Of the 19 major career categories tracked in the NBA guide, it would be fourth top 10 O’Neal has joined, the others being scoring average, field-goal percentage and free throws attempted.

PHOENIX SUNS

MACIEJ’S BIG NIGHT: Suns 19-year-old rookie Maciej Lampe had an eye-opening performance Saturday night vs. Milwaukee when he recorded career highs in points (17), rebounds (7), field goals (6), free throws (5), assists (2) and minutes (26)… He doubled his previous high in points (8, twice) and his two assists were more than his first 72 minutes played (1)… Lampe is the third Suns rookie to score at least 17 points in a game this season (Barbosa, 27 at Chicago, 1/5 and Zarko Cabarkapa, 17 vs. Dallas, 11/26)… Phoenix is the only NBA club with three international rookies… Lampe, who was projected as a potential lottery pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, fell to the Knicks, who had the first selection in the second round (30th overall)… Phoenix acquired the 6-11, 275-pound Polish forward/center in an eight-player trade with New York on 1/5.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Phoenix’s 123 points scored vs. Milwaukee on 3/20 was not only a season high (prev. 121 vs. Dallas, 11/26/03), but also the club’s highest point total in 383 games… Phoenix scored 128 points in a double-overtime victory vs. Houston on 12/1/99, only two games after scoring 129 points vs. New Jersey in a non-overtime game on 11/27/99… The Suns hadn’t scored more than 120 points in the previous three seasons (2000-03), but have topped 120 points twice this season… Phoenix also won for the first time at home this season when giving up 100 or more points to their opponent (1-10).

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

BLAZERS VS. THE DIVISION LEADERS: The Blazers finished their season series with the NBA’s four-division leaders with a 9-3 record. Portland won the season series with Minnesota (Midwest Division) 3-1, Sacramento (Pacific) 3-1 and New Jersey (Atlantic) 2-0. The Blazers tied the series with Indiana (Central), 1-1.

RANDOLPH IMPROVES BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS: The improvement in Zach Randolph from last year to this season is remarkable by any standards. The 6-foot-9 forward is currently averaging 20.2 ppg (19th in the NBA), a 12.0-ppg boost from last year’s 8.4 ppg, and 10.7 rpg (6th), 6.2 rpg more than last season’s average of 4.5 rpg. Randolph is fourth in the league in double-doubles with 39. He has led the Blazers in rebounding 51 times and in scoring 36 times. The third-year forward has recorded 39 20-point games and three 30-point games.

BLAZERS 20 & 10 CLUB: Zach Randolph is trying to become the first Trail Blazer in 21 years to average 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds per game for a season. The third-year forward is currently averaging 20.2 ppg and 10.7 rpg through 66 games. The last Blazer to average 20 and 10 was Mychal Thompson who came in at 20.8 ppg and 11.7 rpg during the 1981-82 season. Sidney Wicks (1971-72, 1972-73 and 1974-75) had three 20 and 10 seasons for Portland while Maurice Lucas (1976-77 and 1978-79) had two such years for the Blazers.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

KING OF COACHING: With the 94-92 win on Friday (3/19) at Indiana, Kings Head Coach Rick Adelman attained his 296th coaching victory with the Kings, passing Les Harrison’s franchise record of 295 wins. Harrison coached the Kings for seven seasons (1948-49 - 1954-55) when the franchise was known as the Rochester Royals. Adelman surpassed Harrison in just his sixth season with the Kings (1998-99 - present).

PLAYOFF-BOUND AGAIN: With Utah and Portland losing on 3/17, the Kings secured a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive year. The Kings have made the NBA Playoffs every year since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. This will be the Kings’ eighth playoff appearance since the team moved to Sacramento prior to the 1985-86 season. In franchise history, this will be the Kings’ 27th playoff run.

AND COUNTING ...: The Kings currently have 51 victories this season, ranking among the most wins in a season in franchise history. The 2001- 02 Sacramento Kings team won a franchise-best 61 games. With the 94-92 win on 3/19 at Indiana, Sacramento reached the 50-win plateau for the fourth consecutive season.

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

BACK-TO-BACK SETS: On Friday night, the Sonics complete their 19th back-to-back set of the season in New Orleans. The Sonics stand 16-22 in back-to-back games (6-13 in the first game and 10-9 in the second game). The Sonics have 22 total back-to-backs this year. The team had 20 back-to-backs last season, finishing with a 15-25 overall record (6-14 in the first game and 9-11 in the second game).

WITH OR WITHOUT BONES: With the activation of Brent Barry on 3/9, the Sonics finished their 20-game stretch without their 3-point sharp-shooter. Seattle recorded 5-15 record during the time “Bones” was sidelined with a fractured fourth metacarpal in his right hand. Barry also missed three games in December due to a hip flexor strain, when the team went 2-1. Overall this season, Seattle is 7-16 without Barry in the lineup (17-31 since he joined the team for the 1999-2000 season).