Sports Briefs November 2, 2010
Basketball
Maurice Lucas, the fierce power forward known as "The Enforcer" who helped lead the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, has died after a long fight with bladder cancer. He was 58.
Lucas, who in later years was an assistant coach with the Blazers, died Sunday at his home in Portland, the team said.
Lucas joined Portland in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft and averaged a team-high 20.2 points and grabbbed 11.2 rebounds per game in the 1976-77 championship season. His No. 20 was retired by the Blazers in 1988.
Lucas served as an assistant coach with the Blazers for six seasons, but last year he left the team to undergo surgery before suffering a setback last November. He did not return to coaching this season.
The former Marquette player averaged 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in 12 NBA seasons with Portland, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers and Seattle. In two seasons in the ABA with St. Louis and Kentucky, he averaged 15.2 points and 10.8 rebounds.
• The Atlanta Hawks agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract extension with All-Star center Al Horford.
The team reached the deal with Horford just ahead of a deadline that would have opened the door for one of their stalwart players to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Last season, the Atlanta player averaged career highs in points (14.2) and rebounds (9.9) while becoming the first Hawks draft pick to make the All-Star Game since Kevin Willis in 1992.
Football
Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks left Oakland humbled by a 33-3 rout and significantly beat up.
Carroll rattled off a long injury report, topped by a concussion suffered by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and what sounds like a significant right knee injury to defensive end Red Bryant. Carroll deemed Hasselbeck's concussion as "slight" and sounded optimistic he would be cleared to play on Sunday when the Seahawks host the New York Giants.
Bryant's injury is more serious. Carroll says "he'll be out a while at best."
Other injuries for Seattle include offensive linemen Ben Hamilton (concussion), Tyler Polumbus (knee), defensive tackle Colin Cole (ankle), and receivers Mike Williams (knee) and Golden Tate (ankle).
• Boise State coach Chris Petersen is hoping Kyle Brotzman's leg will be healthy enough for him to resume his kicking and punting duties in time for Saturday's matchup with Hawaii.
Brotzman and his sore kicking leg have been on rest and rehabilitation for nearly three weeks. Petersen declines to share details of the injury and says the senior's status is day-to-day.
The No. 2 Broncos missed their kicking ace last week.
Backup kicker Jimmy Pavel missed a 30-yard field goal attempt on the game's opening drive. The punting game averaged 39 yards on three kicks, but that figure is offset by a 53-yard touchback by quarterback Kellen Moore.
Brotzman's 60 career field goals make him Boise State's all-time leader.
• The University of North Dakota and Southern Utah are joining the Big Sky Conference, effective in July 2012.
The league also says it's "on the verge" of announcing the addition of the University of South Dakota.
That will give the league 12 core members, with 14 football members. Cal Poly and UC Davis are joining as football-only schools.
Commissioner Doug Fullerton said school presidents want to position the Big Sky as a major player in the west in the Football Championship Subdivision.
UND, Southern Utah and USD currently compete in the Great West Conference for football.
- The Associated Press