Bickerstaff

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- The first half of the season is a distant blur for Washington Bullets forward Harvey Grant. Asked about the mood of a team that at the All-Star break was three games under .500, Grant's eyes nearly rolled in the back of his head."

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- There was nowhere to be but under the cylinder, because quite simply, the ball didn't stand a chance of going anywhere but directly and perfectly through it. So there young J.B. Bickerstaff stood, a ballboy in Seattle Center Coliseum, the thwack of leather snapping against nylon right above his noggin, rebounding for the guy with the hayseed accent and funny-looking mustache. It was a routine. The shooter would call a name of a SuperSonic he might score against.

LANDOVER -- To be honest, the playoff chances of the Washington Bullets were pretty much shot weeks ago. Still, because the team had yet to be mathematically eliminated, there was a slim piece of playoff thread within the team's grasp.Yesterday, that thread snapped.The Bullets were exposed for what they are -- a team not ready for any type of postseason play. In a must-win game against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers, the team went belly-up in a 99-93 loss before a sellout crowd of 18,756 at the USAir Arena.

On the day after firing coach Jim Lynam, Washington Bullets general manager Wes Unseld was on the phone making calls to potential candidates -- and at the same time fielding calls from a few people trying to add themselves to the mix."I've been getting a lot of calls from people, yes," Unseld said last night. "It's going painfully slow. It's a lot of people you have to contact, but it's a process you have to go through. It's going OK."And by today Unseld likely will begin face-to-face discussions with coaching candidates when he arrives in Cleveland for this weekend's NBA All-Star Game activities.

LANDOVER -- For years the Washington Bullets have been bullied by the New York Knicks. The Knicks would start the game with their usual pushing and shoving, and the cowering Bullets would be finished for the rest of the game.Not last night, under new coach Bernie Bickerstaff. The Bullets hit back, and sometimes even hit first. And while they wound up losing the game, 97-92, the Bullets gave an indication that, indeed, there will be a different way about things over the second half of the season.

"What it gets down to is that everyone wants some form of discipline. I'm not afraid to give direction." -- Bernie Bickerstaff"My mother disciplined me. I'm a very disciplined individual. I don't need any more discipline." -- Chris Webber BOWIE -- Sorry, too late for a do-over.Webber is stuck with Bickerstaff, and Bickerstaff is stuck with Webber, and may the Bullets live happily ever after.The hiring of Bickerstaff won't necessarily prove a mistake -- Webber isn't as uncoachable as his critics suggest, and Bickerstaff probably isn't as inflexible as some of his former players make him sound.

CHICAGO -- Michael Jordan had just split two defenders, floated toward the baseline and drained an impossible 10-footer over the outstretched arms of Juwan Howard.The crowd erupted, the Bullets called timeout, and referee Hugh Evans strolled to the other end of the court, rolling his eyes, shaking his head, shuddering.Yes, shuddering.It was one of those nights at the United Center, one of those nights you'll remember forever, one of those nights Jordan was so incredibly spectacular, it seemed like he was playing 1-on-5.

On March 20, 2003, LOIS ADELE HAMMER (nee Thompson), of Eldersburg, MD, beloved wife of the late Willard Lee Hammer; devoted mother of Treva Elizabeth Meade and her husband, Robert Meade. Also survived by a grandson, Harry Lee Meade and his wife Dawn Bickerstaff Meade, and a granddaughter, Elizabeth Arianna Meade. A graveside service will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2003, at 2 P.M., at Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to your local Salvation Army.

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir ArenaTime: 7: 30 p.m.TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: It will be a tough task for Bernie Bickerstaff in his first game as coach of the Bullets as he faces a New York team that has dominated the Bullets in three games this season. The Knicks (34-14) are two games behind the Miami Heat in the Atlantic Division. C Patrick Ewing, who has been out the last week with a groin injury and who missed Sunday's All-Star Game, will play tonight. Ewing is 15th in the league in scoring and ninth in rebounding (10.7)