Spurs

Grizzlies are toast Shandel Richardson Sun Sentinel One of the teams in this series is finished, and it's not the Spurs. The Grizzlies had their chance to close out one of the league's top franchises in recent history and failed. The Spurs will win the next two games and probably cruise in the following round because of this second chance. Big shots such as Gary Neal's 3-pointer at the end of the regulation have changed playoff series before. Just ask the 2002 Kings.

In his remarks to the Greater Baltimore Committee's annual meeting Wednesday night, T. Rowe Price Chairman Brian C. Rogers noted a contradiction in how the world sees Maryland as a place to do business. On the one hand, it is universally recognized for its top-ranked school systems and universities, skilled workforce, research activity, potential for innovation, and great quality of life. On the other, it frequently winds up toward the bottom of rankings of business competitiveness — most recently, by CEO Magazine — largely because of our tax system and regulatory environment.

NEW YORK - Americans' outlook on the economy went into relapse in February. Rising job worries sent a key barometer of confidence to its lowest point in 10 months. The Conference Board said Tuesday its Consumer Confidence Index fell almost 11 points to 46 in February, from January. Analysts were expecting only a slight decrease to 55. It was the lowest level since a 40.8 reading in April 2009. A reading above 90 means the economy is on solid footing. - Associated Press

Last May, Washington College ended a three-year drought from the NCAA tournament, but dropped a 5-4 decision to Goucher in a first-round game at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium in Chestertown. That quick exit has lingered around the program, and coach Jeff Shirk said the players are using it as motivation for Wednesday's first-round home game against Colorado College (13-4). “The big thing is, I think the guys believe they deserve to be there,” Shirk said Monday. “So we're not wide-eyed.

The Spurs named former Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry vice president of basketball operations. Ferry played for the Spurs in 2000-03 and was the team's director of basketball operations in 2003-05. He was a member of the franchise's title teams as a player in 2003 and the front office two years later. After leaving the Spurs, he joined the Cavaliers and remained GM there until June. •Serbian center Nenad Krstic , who also plays for the Thunder, was suspended Thursday for three games and fined $43,950 for his role in last week's mass brawl at a basketball tournament in Greece.

Shaq & Kobe & Timmy ... as the tagline for "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" went, imagine the possibilities. It only seems as if Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers, the Spurs and whichever team Shaq is with have been duking it out forever. It's actually 11 years, since the spring of 1999, when the Spurs won the first of their four titles, after which the Lakers won the first, second and third of their four titles in the decade ... with the grand showdown yet to come?

SAN ANTONIO -- The NBA yesterday fined Patrick Ewing $6,000 for igniting a fight with Indiana Pacers forward Detlef Schrempf on Wednesday night, and Spurs center David Robinson issued a mild warning to the New York Knicks center to keep his hands to himself.Robinson, who will go chest-to-chest with his future Olympic teammate tonight at the HemisFair Arena, said Ewing likes to throw his arms around in a crowd, something he won't stand for."I know he always likes to come out and stick those elbows in people's throats and stuff," Robinson said.

SAN ANTONIO -- For almost three quarters last night, the Washington Bullets were doing what most NBA teams haven't done during the past month.Then reality sank in, sparked by a monster performance by San Antonio center David Robinson.The 7-foot-1 All-Star collected his fourth triple-double of the season to lead the Spurs to a 110-90 victory.Robinson had 31 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and seven blocked shots to help extend San Antonio's eight-game winning streak.Last night marked the Spurs' 18th win in the past 21 games as they pulled within a half-game of the Midwest Division lead.

Grant Hill had 22 points and the Phoenix Suns handed the San Antonio Spurs their first home loss of the season, 100-95, last night. Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, who got a revenge win after losing a controversial and testy Western Conference semifinal series last season. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with a season-high 36 points and 17 rebounds. Hawks 116, Jazz 111 -- Host Atlanta overcame foul trouble, Carlos Boozer and five years of losing to Utah. Boozer scored a season-high 39 points and had 12 rebounds for Utah, but Joe Johnson scored 26 points to help Atlanta end a nine-game losing streak against the Jazz.

Dunbar High School and Georgetown University product David Wingate, who was re-signed by the San Antonio Spurs after rape charges were dropped against him in Howard County, was not at the Spurs' game against the Washington Bullets yesterday at the Capital Centre.Spurs coach Larry Brown said Wingate has an appointment with the NBA in New York tomorrow, to receive clearance to rejoin the team."I don't want to talk about it until it's settled," Brown said. But center David Robinson said the team can't wait to get Wingate back on the court: "He's got his personal life taken care of and things are starting to fall in place for him. He's a hard-nosed defender and if he comes in and does half of the things he did for us defensively last year, then he's going to do more than help us. We're excited about that," Robinson said.

As taken from the pages of The Aegis dated Thursday, May 2, 1963: Bel Air's First Clean-Up Day began this week as city officials are fully cooperating in the effort to make Bel Air one of the nation's most progressive communities. More than 15 organizations put their membership behind the clean-up campaign. Mayor Buchal hoped that Bel Air would win a prize in the national contest. The highlight of the 10-day Bel Air Clean-Up, Fix-Up, Paint-Up campaign was a parade through Main Street.

Picture a one-sided tug of war in an Anne Arundel Community College parking lot: At one end of the rope is a group of students, digging heels against the asphalt to gain traction. The other end is tied to a delivery truck set in neutral, its 14,000 pounds making it a formidable challenger. The community college is primed for the return this week of the AACC Truck Pull, which began last year as one of the more intriguing spectacles on the sprawling Arnold campus. Hosted by the college's Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program, the event, scheduled for Thursday, involves teams of students, faculty and community leaders pulling delivery trucks and racing for the best time on a closed course.

As one of Maryland's manufacturing companies, we enthusiastically support The Sun's position on the offshore wind legislation now before the state Senate ("Wind picks up steam," Feb. 25). The Sun's position provides a realistic description of the balance between commercial investment uncertainties and the very large potential to create jobs, new manufacturing and renewable sources of energy. The state's role in offshore wind energy is as a catalyst for commercial investment. There is no assurance that such investment will occur in Maryland, but without the state's forward-looking strategy, the manufacturing jobs associated with offshore wind are likely to be captured by other states.

One law firm has rented out a conference room in the downtown Hilton and invited patients of a Johns Hopkins gynecologist to discuss their legal options. Other firms are taking out newspaper ads, urging his patients to contact them. Others are asking clients to spread the word to other potential victims. Baltimore lawyers have begun jockeying for a role in finding out what happened in the offices of Dr. Nikita A. Levy, who is accused of secretly photographing and videotaping patients.

When Phylicia Barnes' disappearance drew national attention two years ago, it prompted calls for stronger response to reports of missing children - particularly minorities. Some who made those pleas said Wednesday that Michael Maurice Johnson's conviction in Barnes' murder validated their efforts. The case spurred the General Assembly to pass "Phylicia's Law" in 2012, promoting better coordination of law enforcement and search efforts in the crucial first hours after children go missing.

Division I women's college lacrosse is in the middle of one of its biggest growth spurts in years, and several recent changes appear likely to spark even more expansion soon. This spring, the NCAA tournament bracket expands to 26 teams, and Division I grows to 100 teams with eight new programs, including Southern California. And a shifting conference landscape that includes some of the biggest women's lacrosse powers could prompt more schools to add the sport. Several Division I schools, including Maryland, recently decided to switch conferences in moves often driven by their football or basketball programs.

With rape charges in Howard County being dropped against David Wingate, the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA said they will decide in about a week whether to seek to re-sign the former player.Howard County State's Attorney William R. Hymes today opted not to proceed with a rape trial against Wingate, the former Dunbar High and Georgetown University basketball star, after the complainant decided to not continue to press charges.Wingate's agent, William L. Strickland, said he would contact the Spurs on Sunday when the team plays the Bullets in Washington.

Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 19 points and 14 assists, helping the Phoenix Suns to a 94-87 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs yesterday. Grant Hill scored 18 points, including a crucial baseline 20-footer with 1:15 to go, as the Suns showed why they thought they needed O'Neal to compete with the rugged Spurs in the West. Phoenix outscored the Spurs 14-2 in the final 3:40 to improve to 4-6 since O'Neal joined the team. Manu Ginobili scored 22 points but missed down the stretch for the Spurs.

The latest report from the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute makes a compelling case for raising the minimum wage, nationally and in Maryland. Legislation introduced last week in Annapolis would raise the minimum from $7.25 an hour to $10 in two years and keep it indexed to inflation - a move that EPI says will not only put $778 million more in the pockets of Maryland workers but create 4,280 new jobs from increased economic activity generated by the higher pay. We know that the reaction to many in the business community will be, as it has always been, unyielding opposition.

I read Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s column ("Obama economics: More government means more growth," June 20) with interest and disbelief. Well, not really. But his comment at the end about the "left's dangerous love affair with ever-higher taxes" brought a smile to my face. Is Mr. Ehrlich not aware that President Barack Obama followed the Republicans' call for lower taxes to fix the problems left by his predecessor? Mr. Obama cut taxes over and over again to the point that we now have the lowest tax rate seen in the United States in more than 60 years!