The
Dallas Mavericks fire head coach
Avery Johnson, who tallied a 194–70 regular-season record over three full years but lost in the first round of the playoffs the last two years. (
AP via Yahoo)
FIBA, the sport's international governing body, announces major rules changes, set to take effect for major international competitions in late 2010 and other competitions in late 2012, which will result in its court markings being much more similar to those of the
NBA. These changes are:
(FIBA)
FIBA will scrap its trapezoidal restricted area (free-throw lane) and adopt a rectangular area with the same dimensions as currently used by the NBA.
The
three-point line will move to 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in) from the center of the basket, compared with the current 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in).
FIBA will adopt the "no-charge semicircle" currently used in the NBA, by which an offensive player cannot be called for charging if the defensive player is within this semicircle near the defender's basket.
NBA team owners vote 28–2 in favor of allowing the
Seattle SuperSonics to move to
Oklahoma City. Although the team could potentially move for the 2008–09 season, the move is contingent on the settlement of a
lawsuit filed by
the city of Seattle in an attempt to force the team to honor its lease at
KeyArena, which does not expire until 2010. It may also hinge on a potential breach-of-contract lawsuit by former owner
Howard Schultz to reclaim the franchise.
Kansas wins its third official national championship. The Jayhawks lead at halftime, using their size to score consistently in the paint. Memphis stays close on the outside shooting of
Chris Douglas-Roberts, then goes ahead by nine with 2:12 remaining after
Derrick Rose gets a hot hand. But the Tigers' old Achilles' heel, poor free throw shooting, comes back to hurt them at the worst possible time, allowing Kansas to claw back within three in the final seconds.
Mario Chalmers' 20-footer with 2 seconds left sends the game into an extra period. Overtime is all Jayhawks, with Memphis hitting only one of eight shots.
Memphis sets an NCAA record with its 38th win of the season. The Tigers establish a quick pace early and maintain it by keeping fresh legs on the floor. Guards
Chris Douglas-Roberts and
Derrick Rose score 28 and 25 points, respectively. Memphis' frontcourt defense keeps the ball out of
Kevin Love's hands; the Bruins' star
freshman accounts for only four field goals and 12 points. The Tigers put the game away at the foul line, hitting 20 of 23 free throws.
In a game of extreme momentum swings, Tar Heels coach
Roy Williams loses to his former school. UNC opens extremely sloppily, committing 10 first-half turnovers and falling behind by 28 at one point. Kansas returns the favor, and North Carolina slowly crawls within four. But the Jayhawks pull away late behind
guardBrandon Rush, who finishes with 25 points.
Tyler Hansbrough, faced with extremely tight defense from Kansas' deep frontcourt, has a modest 17 points.