02-01-2006, 04:30 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Lover Not A Fighter...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Silk City, Jersey...
Age: 29
Posts: 5,850
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Stojakovic Paces Himself In First Game
Quote:
Stojakovic Paces Himself In First Game
By JOHN KEIM
He heard the rumors for months, finally was told he’d been traded, and then three hours later Peja Stojakovic was told the trade was off. He was staying in Sacramento.
And then it was back on.
“It was kind of weird,” said Stojakovic before last night’s game against Washington, his first with the Pacers since being acquired last week for R. Artest. “It was pretty dramatic. I’m glad it’s over.
“You try to ignore that but in the back of your mind it’s always there. Now I can go out and enjoy basketball.”
And give a boost to the Pacers. They had to deal with the talented, but troubled, Artest and his trade demand. And they’ve had to deal with injuries to All-Star center Jermaine O’Neal and guard Jamaal Tinsley. O’Neal is out for possibly eight weeks with a groin injur y, though he said Tuesday night he hopes to return by the end of February, which will greatly help their playoff positioning.
Stojakovic, a three-time All-Star guard/forward, is a career 18.3 points per game scorer. He’s a career 46.1-percent shooter and 39.8 percent from the three-point line. At 6-foot-10, he can post-up on occasion.
Mostly, though, he’s not Artest. The trade talk affected players, who weren’t sure whether or not they’d be included in a deal.
“By not knowing it wears you down mentally,” O’Neal said. “It wasn’t just Ron. We had issues amongst ourselves and now we’ll see just how good our team can respond.”
Said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, “It’s good that there’s a resolution. It took a while, but this is a new beginning.”
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http://www.dcexaminer.com/articles/2...allwizside.txt
Go PaCeRs!!!!
Last edited by PaCeRhOLiC : 02-01-2006 at 04:39 AM.
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Stojakovic Paces Himself In First Game
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