CLIPPERS, OLOWOKANDI HAVE LATE-SEASON IMPACT CLIPPERS 97, HOUSTON 92.Byline: Sean Kearns Staff Writer It hasn't been the easiest season for Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born April 3 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria), nicknamed The Kandi Man is a Nigerian professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He currently is a free agent. . Thinking he needed to bang with the big boys, he put on weight to start the season. But the weight reduced his mobility and he went about losing it. Then he needed to find a way to blend in Verb 1. blend in - blend or harmonize; "This flavor will blend with those in your dish"; "This sofa won't go with the chairs" blend, go fit, go - be the right size or shape; fit correctly or as desired; "This piece won't fit into the puzzle" with a team that would rather run a basketball track meet than set up in the halfcourt. Somewhere in the second half of this season, Olowokandi found his place and even his peace on the court. On Thursday night, he became a difference-maker in the Clippers' 97-92 win over Houston before 14,059 at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . ``I think I've gotten to the point where I sort of feel comfortable,'' said Olowokandi who had 20 points and was again a defensive presence in the middle. ``Maybe in the past I've wanted things to work out the way I've wanted things to work out, getting me the ball all the time or being a position where I feel comfortable. Now I have to find ways to be effective out there even if I'm not scoring or doing this or doing that.'' The Clippers needed Olowokandi's points as leading scorer Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6 1979, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward (also plays both forward spots and is a "point-forward") for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. struggled shooting the ball. Odom finished 3 of 15 but made up for it with his fifth career triple-double. He had 12 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. In addition, Jeff McInnis Jeff Lemans McInnis (born October 22 1974 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an American NBA basketball player, currently playing point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats. continued his run from the last Continental Basketball Association This article is about the American CBA. For the CBA in China, see Chinese Basketball Association. The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) is a professional men's basketball league in the United States. MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. to a candidate to be the NBA's most improved player In some sports, a Most Improved Player award is given to players who have improved the most over the year.
Even McInnis, who knows a thing or two about improving, is starting to see changes in Olowokandi, the top overall pick in the 1998 draft. ``His mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. - he's starting to think how we always thought of him, as a dominant center in this league,'' McInnis said. ``Mike can come out - he's big he's strong. He can score.'' The last time these two teams met was the first game of Odom's five-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy. The Clippers led 77-68 early in the fourth quarter of that game, but they went scoreless the next six minutes and lost 99-87. The Clippers led by nine to start the fourth quarter on Thursday and started out cold, but the difference was Odom. He either scored or assisted on nine of the first 10 points the Clippers scored in the fourth quarter. The Clippers then pushed the lead to 82-70 with 5:03 left on a jump shot by Olowokandi. The Rockets, who are battling for the final playoff spot in the West, finally played with playoff desperation and cut the Clippers' lead to 86-82 with 1:07 left. But Darius Miles made two free throws and Eric Piatkowski hit a breakaway dunk to put the game away. ``I think we're getting pretty good chemistry and we're coming together and we're starting to play very good basketball,'' Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Steve Francis of the Rockets drives around the Clipper's Lamar Odom early in Thursday's game. Chris Pizzello/Associated Press |
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