Charles Oakley

NEW YORK - Charles Oakley knows what most fans are thinking, namely, what the heck is he still doing playing basketball? Oakley, in his 18th season in the NBA, after stints in Chicago, New York, Toronto, back to Chicago and now with the Washington Wizards, sits on the baseline most nights and hears the scattered taunts, nodding at the amusing ones. "There's stuff that you can't control," Oakley said last week before the Wizards met the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. "I don't worry about it. I know fans come to the game and yell that I'm old and can't do anything."

WASHINGTON - Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the former Wizards president who drafted or signed them all, then ripped them in public? Why that would be the man, the legend, the one and only Mad Mike. "We play in public ... the truth hurts," Michael Jordan said last night after the Wizards beat the Orlando Magic, 106-105, to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jordan apparently had to drag his take-no-prisoners persona out of the closet. You remember the one from those angry days when, on the verge of all those championships, he'd take Steve Kerr to the hardwood and give the little guard a licking.

Heat: Alonzo Mourning had 25 points and 14 rebounds Saturday as the Heat took one step closer to a playoff berth by defeating New York, 103-95.Knicks: Charles Oakley sat out Saturday's 103-95 loss against Miami. Oakley suffered a fracture near his right eye socket last Tuesday when he was accidentally hit by teammate Patrick Ewing's elbow.Pub Date: 4/15/96

NEW YORK - Charles Oakley knows what most fans are thinking, namely, what the heck is he still doing playing basketball? Oakley, in his 18th season in the NBA, after stints in Chicago, New York, Toronto, back to Chicago and now with the Washington Wizards, sits on the baseline most nights and hears the scattered taunts, nodding at the amusing ones. "There's stuff that you can't control," Oakley said last week before the Wizards met the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. "I don't worry about it. I know fans come to the game and yell that I'm old and can't do anything."

NBA games lost yesterday: 8.Total games missed: 217.Earliest estimated date season can start: Jan. 1.Negotiations: Talks resumed in New York but no progress was reported after a 10 1/2 -hour meeting.Projected player salary losses (through Jan. 1): $330 million.Today's best canceled game: Toronto at New York. Charles Oakley, the heart and soul of the Knicks for 10 years, returns to Madison Square Garden.Pub Date: 12/04/98

NEW YORK -- For the New York Knicks, the approach to the preseason is to just get to the regular season healthy. So Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Hubert Davis and Doug Christie sat on the bench in street clothes during the game against the Washington Bullets last night, resting their injuries.Still the Knicks, who had a difficult time scoring 100 points in games with All-Stars Ewing and Oakley in the lineup, led by as many as 35 points last night on their way to a 113-98 win over the Bullets at Madison Square Garden.

BaseballAngels: Promoted C Todd Takayoshi from Single-A Lake Elsinore to Triple-A Vancouver.L Braves: Called up 2B Tony Graffanino from Triple-A Richmond.Cardinals: Activated P Mark Petkovsek from 15-day DL.Mariners: Gave IF Felix Fermin unconditional release.Rangers: Acquired P Bryan Eversgerd from Red Sox for player to be named and assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.Yankees: Optioned C Jorge Posada to Triple-A Columbus and hired Wade Taylor as major-league scout.BasketballGrizzlies: Activated F Doug Edwards from injured list.

NEW YORK -- As the Washington Bullets left the Madison Square Garden floor after yesterday's game against the New York Knicks, they could take with them one positive: Barring a meeting in the playoffs, the Bullets won't play another game here the rest of the season.The Bullets haven't won in New York since 1991, and that losing streak reached 14 games with yesterday's 95-79 loss to the Knicks before 19,763.It was the second-lowest scoring game of the season for the Bullets, who have dropped four of their past five.

There apparently wasn't enough enjoyment for Charles Oakley after his New York Knicks whipped the Washington Bullets, 107-83, on Dec. 6. Afterward, Oakley -- who jawed with both Chris Webber and Juwan Howard during the game -- continued the verbal thrashing."

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Thrilled to have survived the first week of training camp with the Washington Bullets, free-agent forward Ben Wallace had to take care of a little business before the team wrapped up at Shepherd College."

WASHINGTON -- For almost 3 1/2 quarters last night, the young Toronto Raptors ran circles around the Washington Wizards, leading by as many as 14 points. But on the verge of starting the season with two losses, the Wizards' veterans stepped up their games.Mitch Richmond, shaking off a dismal debut as a Wizard on Friday night, scored 26 points and made several key defensive stops down the stretch. Rod Strickland recorded a double double with 16 points and 11 assists. And Calbert Cheaney hit the game-winning shot, a 22-foot jumper with 11 seconds left that gave the Wizards a 98-97 victory in their home opener.

NBA games lost yesterday: 8.Total games missed: 217.Earliest estimated date season can start: Jan. 1.Negotiations: Talks resumed in New York but no progress was reported after a 10 1/2 -hour meeting.Projected player salary losses (through Jan. 1): $330 million.Today's best canceled game: Toronto at New York. Charles Oakley, the heart and soul of the Knicks for 10 years, returns to Madison Square Garden.Pub Date: 12/04/98

It's been a tough year for Rod Strickland, and not just because the point guard is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in his nine-year career.The difficulty has been looking around at all the talent on the Washington Bullets and not being able to figure out why the team wasn't meshing."I think we're a better team than we've shown," Strickland said. "With all the talent that we have, we should be in the playoffs. Hopefully we can attain that goal."Thanks to the downhill spiral of the Cleveland Cavaliers, attaining that goal is well within reach.

NEW YORK -- As the Washington Bullets left the Madison Square Garden floor after yesterday's game against the New York Knicks, they could take with them one positive: Barring a meeting in the playoffs, the Bullets won't play another game here the rest of the season.The Bullets haven't won in New York since 1991, and that losing streak reached 14 games with yesterday's 95-79 loss to the Knicks before 19,763.It was the second-lowest scoring game of the season for the Bullets, who have dropped four of their past five.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Thrilled to have survived the first week of training camp with the Washington Bullets, free-agent forward Ben Wallace had to take care of a little business before the team wrapped up at Shepherd College."

NEW YORK -- Patrick Ewing scored just three fourth-quarter points in the first two games against the Chicago Bulls, and there was little to suggest that he could carry the New YorkKnicks. Yet Ewing became furious yesterday when the offense was not going through him, and he let coach Jeff Van Gundy know it."I told him that I wanted the ball," Ewing said. "And then my teammates did a better job getting it to me. I don't think these guys can guard me one-on-one."Ewing finally demonstrated some late heroics, totaling 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Knicks take a grueling 102-99 win over the Bulls at Madison Square Garden.

WASHINGTON - Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the former Wizards president who drafted or signed them all, then ripped them in public? Why that would be the man, the legend, the one and only Mad Mike. "We play in public ... the truth hurts," Michael Jordan said last night after the Wizards beat the Orlando Magic, 106-105, to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jordan apparently had to drag his take-no-prisoners persona out of the closet. You remember the one from those angry days when, on the verge of all those championships, he'd take Steve Kerr to the hardwood and give the little guard a licking.

BaseballAngels: Promoted C Todd Takayoshi from Single-A Lake Elsinore to Triple-A Vancouver.L Braves: Called up 2B Tony Graffanino from Triple-A Richmond.Cardinals: Activated P Mark Petkovsek from 15-day DL.Mariners: Gave IF Felix Fermin unconditional release.Rangers: Acquired P Bryan Eversgerd from Red Sox for player to be named and assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.Yankees: Optioned C Jorge Posada to Triple-A Columbus and hired Wade Taylor as major-league scout.BasketballGrizzlies: Activated F Doug Edwards from injured list.