By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
In Indiana, basketball is treated like a king's sport. Stars are considered royalty and the Hoosiers still rule the state, especially now, just two wins away from their first Final Four trip since 2002 after one of the grandest comeback stories in its storied history.
The Atlanta Hawks suspended top-scorer Josh Smith for Wednesday night's home game against the Brooklyn Nets for "conduct detrimental to the team" following an incident in practice the previous day.
John Wall gave his teammates a lift with 14 points and four assists in his first game of the season, and the worst-in-NBA Washington Wizards have their first winning streak after a 93-83 victory Saturday night over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks wanted there to be no doubt this time. When the Wizards came to visit back on Nov. 21, they took the Hawks to overtime, and came within a split second of a winning on Martell Webster's catch and shoot at the buzzer.
Not content to stand pat after a fifth-place finish and first-round playoff exit, the Atlanta Hawks went through a wholesale makeover in the offseason. Danny Ferry was hired as the new president and general manager in June, after spending five seasons as the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and last season as president of the San Antonio Spurs.
Washington Wizards coach Randy Wittman normally begins his postgame news conferences by making a brief statement before taking questions. After the past couple of games, Wittman has been at a loss for words.
Joe Johnson says his left knee "feels 15 times better."
John Wall isn't taking his game overseas yet.
A former Wake Forest student said the school brushed off her allegations of a sexual assault by a basketball player to protect its athletic program.
For a team that knows its season could be one-and-done, the Atlanta Hawks are still feeling quite confident about their chances in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
There's a tape that Josh Smith's coach wants him to see.
Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich says his ailing right hamstring is finally starting to show some improvement.
Derrick Rose walked slowly out of the arena Saturday, large packs of ice wrapped around both knees.
Derrick Rose should be fine. Time will tell if the Chicago Bulls will be, too.
Derrick Rose should be fine. Time will tell if the Chicago Bulls will be, too.
"I think everybody grows up playing basketball here. There's a court on every driveway, a court in every backyard. It's just like a religion almost," he said. "They got into basketball (at Wake Forest), but here you go to an IU game and it's packed to capacity. At Wake Forest, you might not see as many fans, they don't get as loud, I don't think they're as passionate about it."
"I don't even remember," Teague said. "I think the whole practice was just a good day. I don't even remember what happened or how it went down or anything."
