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SPORTS Friday 28 June 2019
KNICKS-NETS credit. Because the guys get RJ Barrett.
Continued from Page 17 that are free agents, all of At the news conference to
The Nets seem confident. them I would assume have introduce Barrett last week,
The Knicks sound cautious. spent the last year or two the Knicks didn't exactly tell
Game on. surveying the league," Nets their fans to prepare for big
Brooklyn is feeling good general manager Sean news.
about its chances of win- Marks said. "I think we're asking them
ning it. Having recovered "I mean, they know where to continue to be patient,"
from an ill-fated trade they want to go. They know Mills said. "We laid out a
with Boston in 2013 that what they want to be a plan when Scott came
cost the Nets years of high part of. I think our young on board and then David
draft picks, Brooklyn has guys have done a nice job joined us that we were go-
constructed a team that to put themselves in that ing to build this team the
surprisingly made the play- position." right way. We were going
offs. Even if it lets D'Angelo The Knicks were first to sig- to draft well and we were
Russell go after an All-Star nal their plans to look to going to be diligent about
season to pursue bigger free agency. During a 17-65 how we built this team and
fish, there are young core season — the worst in the not take any short cuts, and
pieces such as Caris Le- NBA — they traded star Kri- not follow a path."
Vert, Jarrett Allen, Spencer staps Porzingis to Dallas. The Their path could lead them
Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, deal also allowed them to in plenty of successful di-
along with a player-friendly move the contracts of Tim rections, even if they miss
style under Kenny Atkinson Hardaway Jr. and Court- out on the biggest targets.
that should be attractive to ney Lee, clearing nearly There is still a wide range of
many players. $70 million. The Knicks can All-Star players below the
Forced to build slowly and easily be positioned to offer top tier — including Jimmy
small for years, the Nets ap- two max deals. Butler, Kemba Walker, To-
pear ready to make a big Now, they have to see if bias Harris and Al Horford. If
move. A trade with Atlan- anyone wants them. the Knicks can't or won't get
ta to shed Allen Crabbe's The allure of Madison any of them, there would
$18.5 million contract for Square Garden hasn't be plenty of cap space
next season left the Nets in proven to be enough, and future first-round picks
position to go for two top not with the years of bad available to use in trades.
players, without having to play and bad press under But the easiest way to
gut a promising roster to do owner James Dolan and make a leap is with a quick In this April 19, 2019, file photo, Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving (11)
shoots against Indiana Pacers' Cory Joseph (6) during the sec-
so. Throw in a well-regard- a series of front-office ex- strike or two next week, and ond half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff se-
ed medical staff and a re- ecutives. The current lead- the fact that both teams ries in Indianapolis.
cently built training center ership of president Steve can make one has the Big Associated Press
with nice views of Man- Mills, general manager Apple buzzing. There was
hattan, and the Nets have Scott Perry and coach Da- hope that a rivalry could Williams in Brooklyn, it never got to not skip steps and
plenty to sell. vid Fizdale hoped landing be created when the Nets really took off before both take the slow road and
They believe someone will Zion Williamson would be moved from New Jersey in teams crashed. continue to build," Marks
want to buy. the first step to a big sum- 2012, but even with stars Now appears to be the said. "And I think we'll be
"All I can say is a team like mer and help interest free such as Carmelo Anthony time. able to make those judg-
Brooklyn, when they look at agents, but the lottery put and Amare Stoudemire in "Sometimes teams are able ments in a couple weeks'
us from afar, I think we've them third instead of first — New York, and Paul Pierce, to make those quantum time."
got to give them some though they were happy to Kevin Garnett and Deron leaps. Other times you've On both teams.q

Arike Ogunbowale makes

go-ahead 3, Wings beat

Sun 74-73

By The Associated Press with 5.1 seconds left to give
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas a four-point lead.
Arike Ogunbowale made Jasmine Thomas answered
a late go-ahead 3-pointer with a corner 3, but Gray
and finished with 23 points ran out the clock at the
to help the Dallas Wings other end.
beat the Connecticut Sun Isabelle Harrison added 13
74-73 on Wednesday night. points for Dallas (3-6).
Down 13 late in the third Alyssa Thomas scored a
quarter, Connecticut career-high 28 points for
opened the fourth on a Connecticut (9-3). Jasmine
15-2 run to take a 66-63 Thomas added 19 points
lead. and 11 assists.
Ogunbowale, a rookie who MYSTICS 81, SKY 74
had 25 points on Saturday CHICAGO (AP) — Elena
night in a loss in Las Vegas, Delle Donne had 22 points
banked in a long 3-pointer and seven rebounds, Ariel
with 1:23 remaining for a Atkins added 14 points, six
72-70 lead. Neither team rebounds and five steals
scored again until Allisha and Washington beat
Gray made two free throws Chicago.q