By wire sources Miller, Nelson top 2012 Hall of Fame finalists ADVERTISING ORLANDO, Fla. — Reggie Miller has a chance to nail his legacy, just as he did so many 3-point shots. The Indiana Pacers great with the smoothest of
Miller, Nelson
top 2012 Hall
of Fame finalists
ORLANDO, Fla. — Reggie Miller has a chance to nail his legacy, just as he did so many 3-point shots.
The Indiana Pacers great with the smoothest of strokes was announced Friday as a first-time finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of 12 finalists for the class of 2012.
“When you’re in the backyard and you’re trying to play the 3-2-1 game, and you’re trying to be the Iceman (George Gervin) and do the figure roll. … Now to be on the same stage with these guys. It’s just a great honor,” Miller said.
Miller, a five-time All-Star, was joined as a first-time finalist by five-time NCAA Final Four coach Rick Pitino, former NBA coach Bill Fitch and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain.
On the ballot again are Don Nelson, Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and the All-American Red Heads, known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters and the first women’s professional basketball team.
Miller and Cheeks were the only finalists in attendance for Friday’s announcement.
“I also played against these guys and it’s the highest honor. And to be selected would be an honor,” Cheeks said. “To get to the NBA was special for me. To have an opportunity to be elected to Hall of Fame would just be an honor.”
The 2012 class will be announced April 2 at the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election.
Also honored Friday were five direct elections, who will serve as the initial 2012 inductees: Mel Daniels, voted by the American Basketball Association Committee; Don Barksdale from the Early African-American Pioneers Committee; Lidia Alexeeva from the International Committee; Chet Walker from the Veterans Committee; and Phil Knight from the Contributors Committee.
Knight, the Nike co-founder, expressed his thanks by video.
“I was so shaken that my knees almost buckled,” he said.
The Curt Gowdy Media Award for print was given to longtime sports writer Sam Smith, with current NBA executive and Orlando Magic founder Pat Williams receiving the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Pitino named
finalist for basketball Hall of Fame
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rick Pitino says he’s grateful to all the coaches and players he’s worked with after being named a finalist for the basketball Hall of Fame.
Pitino was one of 12 finalists picked by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s one of two coaches to lead three different schools to the Final Four and won the 1996 NCAA championship at Kentucky.
He said Friday it’s a little different for a coach than an athlete.
Pitino said an athlete “reaches a certain plateau — points, rebounds, assists, championships, certainly — for a coach, it’s the athletes that you shared the time with that really helped you win a championship, go to Final Fours, win conference championships.”
The 2012 class will be announced April 2 at the Final Four in New Orleans.
Defending champion Wozniacki beaten
in Dubai semis
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki lost in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday, her game undone by mistakes in a 7-6 (3), 7-5 defeat to Julia Goerges.
Goerges will play for the title today against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in the first semifinal.
Wozniacki led 4-2 in the second set before Goerges regained control to close the match.
“Made way too many unforced errors, and Julia took advantage of that,” Wozniacki said.
Wozniacki, a Dane once ranked No. 1 and seeded third, struggled with her serve while Goerges never let her find her rhythm.
“I felt I had all the opportunities in the world today and didn’t take advantage of them. If you don’t take your chances, there is no way to win,” Wozniacki said. “It’s easy to say I should have done this and could have done that. But, you know, as well for Julia she took her chances. If I came with a weak shot she was there straight away, and she punished me.”
Goerges, an unseeded German, now has a 3-2 head-to-head record against Wozniacki.
Melzer upsets Isner in Memphis quarterfinal
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jurgen Melzer, playing with a broken big toe on his right foot, upset top-seeded John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.
The Austrian who broke his toe Feb. 16 in his hotel room has won three straight matches at The Racquet Club to reach the semifinals. He will play Radek Stepanek, a 7-6 (5), 6-0 winner over American Sam Querrey.
Milos Raonic of Canada beat Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Friday night and will play Benjamin Becker of Germany, who beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland 7-5, 7-6 (5). Raonic won his second title this year last week at San Jose, and he used his big serve to beat Rochus with 26 aces.
On the women’s side, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand beat Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and will play Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in today’s Memphis International final. Arvidsson defeated Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-3, 7-5.
Isner came in as the top seed in a tournament for only the second time in his career. He was 6-2 this year and ranked 13th in the world, and the 6-foot-9 American had served up 48 aces while winning his first two matches.
Now, he’s leaving Memphis still looking for his first title of 2012.
Tsonga, del Potro, Tipsarevic reach Open 13 semis
MARSEILLE, France — Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro each won for the 200th time in his career Friday, setting up a semifinal between the two at the Open 13.
The top-seeded Tsonga beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-5 in an all-French quarterfinal, and del Potro edged Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (5).
The other semifinal pits Janko Tipsarevic against Michael Llodra, the 2010 champion. Tipsarevic, a Serbian seeded third, defeated Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4. Llodra downed 6-8 qualifier Albano Olivetti 7-6 (5), 7-5 in another match between Frenchmen.
Tsonga served 14 aces and saved 10 break points in another all-French match. Tsonga dropped serve in the opening game but broke back in the sixth. He hit 18 winners to 11 for Roger-Vasselin to take the first set when his opponent netted a forehand volley.
Roger-Vasselin double-faulted at 6-5 in the next set to give Tsonga two match points. Tsonga converted the first on a forehand error from Roger-Vasselin.
Ferrer, Almagro reach Buenos Aires semis
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain beat Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the Copa Claro semifinals.
Ferrer next plays David Nalbandian, who defeated fellow Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-0, 6-3.
Defending champion and second-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain also reached the final four with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Igor Andreev of Russia.
Almagro’s semifinal opponent is No. 6 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who defeated No. 4 Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4, 6-2.
By wire sources
