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sports Diaranson 5 Mei 2021

Welcome to Top 10, Melo: Elite NBA scoring list adds Anthony

ATLANTA (AP) — Car-
melo Anthony looked like "I knew this moment," he During his time with the
he was all done just a cou- said. "I didn't know those Trail Blazers, Anthony has
ple of seasons ago. other moments — 15, 13, 11. passed nine players on the ca-
But 10 is something I knew." reer scoring list.
Now, he's part of a truly ex-
clusive club in the NBA. It appeared Anthony was He knocked off Alex Eng-
headed for a forced retire- lish, Kevin Garnett, John
Welcome to the Top 10, ment after he played just 10 Havlicek and Paul Pierce last
Melo. games during the 2018-19 season. He has taken down
season. Tim Duncan, Dominique
Anthony scored 14 points Wilkins, Oscar Robertson,
Monday night in Portland's He parted ways with Hous- Hakeem Olajuwon and now
123-114 loss to the Atlanta ton, was waived by Chicago Hayes this season.
Hawks, moving him past El- and didn't hook up with Port-
vin Hayes for 10th place on land until the next season was Next up for Anthony: Moses
the career scoring list with several weeks old. Malone at 27,409 points.
27,318.
Even though he went more Melo's got a good chance at
"If you're in the top 10 of than a year without playing catching him, too, by the end
anything of all time, it's a spe- a game, Anthony found new of the regular season. a selfish player who was nev-
cial moment," said Anthony, life and a new role with the er quite good enough to lead "We need to acknowledge
who is in his 18th NBA sea- Trail Blazers. "For Melo to be out a year his teams — most notably, milestones," the coach said.
son and turns 37 before the and come back makes it even Denver and New York — to "This is a big one. Top 10 of
month is out. A starter his entire career, he more remarkable," Port- a championship. all time. That's big time."
is coming off the bench now, land coach Terry Stotts said.
Anthony cruised past Hayes playing a supporting role to "I always appreciate great- "I appreciate him more as a After his teammates finished
early in the second quarter, younger stars, players who ness, whether it's a player I'm friend than I do as a team- clapping, Anthony said: "A
hitting a 3-pointer while get- still look up to him, such as coaching or coaching against. mate, and I really appreci- couple of years ago, I didn't
ting fouled by Danilo Gal- Damian Lillard. Melo is a great player. He's a ate him as a teammate," Lil- think I was gonna be in this
linari and knocking down Hall of Fame player." lard said. "I think that really moment right now. I was out
the free throw to complete a "Being in the top 10 in a re- speaks to the kind of person the league for whatever rea-
4-point play. ally special accomplishment," Lillard went on and on about he is." son. I'm back. I persevered. I
Lillard said. "For him, it's what a pleasure it's been to stayed strong, I stayed true to
Anthony was fully aware of probably a little more special. have Anthony as a teammate, Afterward, Stotts presented myself and now I'm here in
how many points he needed A lot of people counted him disputing those who have de- Anthony with a game ball in the top 10."
to surpass Hayes. out and tried to finish him." scribed him over the years as the locker room.

Mets fire hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant Tom Slater

NEW YORK (AP) — Less year as well when the popular forto and Dominic Smith. previous three years with Se-
than five weeks into the Davis worked remotely from The Mets rank last in the ma- attle. He was the Mariners' Slater was in his fourth sea-
season, the New York his Arizona home because of jors in runs and homers, and minor league hitting coordi- son as New York's assistant
Mets are making signifi- coronavirus concerns. Sev- 27th in slugging percentage. nator from 2018-19 and their hitting coach.
cant changes. eral accomplished hitters are assistant hitting coach in the
off to slow starts — includ- "It was a difficult decision to big leagues last season. As a The timing of the moves
The scuffling Mets fired hit- ing $341 million newcomer make," acting general man- player, he spent four years in made them unexpected, es-
ting coach Chili Davis and Francisco Lindor, who is ager Zack Scott said. "It's not the minors with the Detroit pecially after the Mets finally
assistant Tom Slater on Mon- batting .163 and mired in an about 23 games of results. Tigers (2000-02) and Balti- broke out a bit and scored
day night following a 6-5 0-for-21 slump. He has two more Orioles (2003). 18 runs over their past three
loss in St. Louis that dropped extra-base hits, three RBIs "We just felt like the players games.
them to 11-12. and a measly .494 OPS. needed a different level of Howard, 39, spent the past
support and maybe some dif- six seasons with the Cleve- Scott said it was a baseball
New York has struggled badly The team has also lacked ferent skills brought into the land Indians, including 2019- operations decision and team
with runners in scoring posi- power at the plate, a big sur- mix." 20 as their minor league hit- president Sandy Alderson
tion (.207 batting average, prise for a lineup that features ting coordinator. He played was in agreement.
.582 OPS), a trouble area last Pete Alonso, Michael Con- Minor league director of professionally for 12 seasons
hitting development Hugh in the Reds, Yankees, Phillies, "This isn't about recent re-
Quattlebaum becomes the Dodgers, Mariners, Padres, sults. This is about the pro-
new hitting coach, and di- Blue Jays and Cardinals sys- cess behind the scenes," Scott
rector of player development tems, plus two years of Inde- said. "It's too early to be over-
Kevin Howard takes over as pendent ball. He played col- reacting to small samples of
assistant hitting coach under lege ball at Miami and won results."
second-year manager Luis a national championship in
Rojas. 2001. Davis played 19 seasons in
the majors from 1981-99,
Scott said Quattlebaum and The 61-year-old Davis was batting .274 with 350 home
Howard were appointed for in his third season as Mets runs, 1,372 RBIs and an .811
the rest of the season and hitting coach. Previously, he OPS with the Giants, Angels,
then the team will re-evalu- held the same job with Oak- Twins, Royals and Yankees.
ate. Both will be in St. Louis land, Boston and the Chicago The switch-hitter made three
on Tuesday, the Mets said. Cubs. All-Star teams, won three
World Series titles and was
The 42-year-old Quattle- Scott was in the Red Sox the first player born in Jamai-
baum joined the Mets this front office when they let ca to reach the major leagues.
offseason after spending the Davis go.