Monday News and Notes

Monday, November 06, 2006

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NFL

Raiders-Seahawks

Mercury News

The Raiders are seeking their third consecutive victory. The Seahawks are trying to avoid their third consecutive loss. Go figure. Such a scenario surely isn’t what Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren envisioned two weeks ago, when the Raiders were 0-5 and his Seahawks were 4-1 and on the verge of getting back star running back Shaun Alexander. Then came an injury to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on Oct. 22 and news Monday that Alexander’s broken foot hasn’t healed well enough for him to play. Seattle’s Seneca Wallace will make his second NFL start tonight, against the league’s top-ranked pass defense. The Raiders figure to get after Wallace as often as possible. On offense, look for quarterback Andrew Walter to rely on running backs LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas, yet take a few shots deep for receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Porter.

NBA

Wizards-Magic

Washington Post

Coach Eddie Jordan used a smaller lineup for a chunk of the fourth quarter during Saturday night’s win over Boston after using a similar small lineup in the fourth quarter against Cleveland Wednesday night. Antawn Jamison played some center, Jarvis Hayes and Caron Butler played forward and Gilbert Arenas, Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson rotated at guard.”We’ll probably only do that when it’s a matchup situation,” Jordan said. “If we need more scoring on the floor.”

Spurs-Knicks

Associated Press

Sunday’s win gave the Spurs (2-1) consecutive road victories away to open the season. Since joining the NBA in 1976-77, San Antonio has never started a season 3-0 on the road.

Bucks-Bulls

Tuscaloosa News

These teams split their four-game season series last season, but Milwaukee has dropped eight of its last 10 visits to Chicago. The Bulls (1-2) have dropped two in a row since opening the season with a 42-point victory over defending champion Miami on Wednesday. Chicago lost its home opener on Friday, falling 89-88 to the Kings.

Pistons-Jazz

Detroit News

Winning the last two games makes it a little easier for the Pistons (2-1) to embark on a West Coast trip that starts tonight in Utah. The Pistons will play four games in seven nights.

Timberwolves-Kings

Sacramento Bee

The Kings have had their fill of the home-opener experience since Wednesday, having been the only team in the league to play the visiting role in three home openers. Now, finally, it’s their turn. Once again, the show that surrounds them for tonight’s rematch with Minnesota—the season-opening victor at Target Center—will resemble a Disneyland parade. But the only consistency the Kings are worried about is that of restarting a trend of home-opener dominance. Before last season’s loss to Detroit, the Kings had won seven consecutive home openers. Yet the invincibility factor at Arco Arena has deteriorated of late, with the Kings’ five-season streak of 30-plus-win home records stopped with their 27-14 mark last season. And after their 1-2 road trip to start this one, there is an even more immediate demand for consistency from an offense that has sputtered like a soggy bottle rocket and has a league-low 37.3 shooting percentage.