FIBA Basketball
SEN - Diop dominating for Dallas
PHOENIX (FIBA World Championship) - DeSagana Diop of Senegal is standing tall for the Dallas Mavericks. The seven-footer, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers who never lived up to expectations with the
:: WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend ::
PHOENIX (FIBA World Championship) - DeSagana Diop of Senegal is standing tall for the Dallas Mavericks.
The seven-footer, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers who never lived up to expectations with the Cavs, joined Dallas in the close season and what a pickup that has turned out to be for Dallas!
Diop, who may represent his country at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, has been the Mavs' defensive stopper in the low post against Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals, helping Dallas to a 2-1 lead.
He was also effective against the San Antonio Spurs in the deciding Game Seven triumph in semi-finals.
Diop suffered a broken nose in that game against the Spurs, but that hasn't stopped him being a force against the Suns.
With the team struggling to contain the Suns' French international Boris Diaw, Mavs coach Avery Johnson called Diop's name.
"He covers the whole, from lane line to lane line," said team-mate Keith Van Horn, whom Diop replaced at the start of the second half against Phoenix in Game Three's 95-88 Mavericks victory.
Diaw had scored 14 points by half-time, but when Diop was finished with him, he'd scored just two in the third quarter and four in the fourth.
"I just tried to make him use his weak hand," said Diop. "I'm so long (that) I can contest his shot."
Johnson, this year's NBA Coach of the Year, was full of praise for Diop, who blocked 146 shots during the regular season.
"Playing a center against this team (Phoenix) is very tough," said Johnson. "He's been able to come out and change ends of the floor very quickly for a center and help us around the basket when we get beat on penetration."
Senegal, surely, will be hoping that Diop is with them in Japan.
By PA Sport
PHOENIX (FIBA World Championship) - DeSagana Diop of Senegal is standing tall for the Dallas Mavericks.
The seven-footer, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers who never lived up to expectations with the Cavs, joined Dallas in the close season and what a pickup that has turned out to be for Dallas!
Diop, who may represent his country at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, has been the Mavs' defensive stopper in the low post against Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals, helping Dallas to a 2-1 lead.
He was also effective against the San Antonio Spurs in the deciding Game Seven triumph in semi-finals.
Diop suffered a broken nose in that game against the Spurs, but that hasn't stopped him being a force against the Suns.
With the team struggling to contain the Suns' French international Boris Diaw, Mavs coach Avery Johnson called Diop's name.
"He covers the whole, from lane line to lane line," said team-mate Keith Van Horn, whom Diop replaced at the start of the second half against Phoenix in Game Three's 95-88 Mavericks victory.
Diaw had scored 14 points by half-time, but when Diop was finished with him, he'd scored just two in the third quarter and four in the fourth.
"I just tried to make him use his weak hand," said Diop. "I'm so long (that) I can contest his shot."
Johnson, this year's NBA Coach of the Year, was full of praise for Diop, who blocked 146 shots during the regular season.
"Playing a center against this team (Phoenix) is very tough," said Johnson. "He's been able to come out and change ends of the floor very quickly for a center and help us around the basket when we get beat on penetration."
Senegal, surely, will be hoping that Diop is with them in Japan.
By PA Sport