INGLEWOOD Warriors guard Monta Ellis hasn't played Basketball outside since he was a kid playing pickup games at Mary C. Jones Park in Jackson, Miss. Guard Anthony Morrow, a senior in college at the time, played pickup ball outside at Georgia Tech once when the gym was locked. Warriors rookie Stephen Curry says he can't even remember playing outside.
"I always played in the gym," Curry said. "I grew up in the suburbs. We really didn't do the blacktop thing."
It stands to reason tonight will be a unique experience for many Warriors when they take part in the second outdoor game of the modern era tonight against the Phoenix Suns in Indian Wells. The Tennis Garden, home to the Pacific Life Open, is a 16,000-seat roofless arena in the scenic desert setting in Palm Springs.
Certainly, the Warriors' Stephen Jackson could use some fresh air after Friday's 110-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Forum.
He was visibly upset during a competitive matchup with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Jackson picked up five fouls plus a technical foul in nine minutes, 20 seconds of action. He went to the locker room from the bench and never returned, finishing with five points and three turnovers.
"I'm not going to comment on that," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. Jackson was unavailable for comment.
The Warriors didn't need Jackson to spoil the Lakers' first game at the Forum since 1999. Ellis, who left Wednesday's game early in the first quarter after spraining his ankle, had 24 points on 11-for-20 shooting with eight assists in 29 minutes. Forward Anthony Randolph finished with 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and added eight rebounds and two assists.
The Warriors shot 53.2 percent from the field Friday. Such a percentage figures to be lofty tonight, as the elements are expected to affect shooting.
That was the case last year when the NBA had its first outdoor game of the modern era a year ago Monday. The Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 77-72 in Indian Wells. But the views of the clear desert skies and the Santa Rosa Mountains were outdone by the evening chill.
The weather dropped into the 60s and the wind picked up late in the game. Both teams were cold from the field, combining for 34 percent shooting, including 3-for-27 from 3-point range.
The league's first outdoor game was played in September 1972 at a baseball stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Phoenix Suns, featuring Connie Hawkins and Dick Van Arsdale, scored a 116-103 preseason victory over a Milwauke Bucks team featuring Kareem Adbul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.
NOTES: Third-year forward Brandan Wright underwent successful surgery on his left shoulder, the team announced. The procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla. repaired a torn labrum. Wright's shoulder will be immobilized for up to six weeks, after which he will be re-evaluated before going to the next phase of his rehabilitation. ... Swingman Kelenna Azubuike, who missed Wednesday's game with a sprained left ankle, returned to action and scored 18 points in 25 minutes. ... Curry was 1-for-7 with six points. In three preseason games, he's shooting 8-for-32 from the field (25 percent), including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Warriors 110, Lakers 91TODAY: at Suns, 6:30 p.m., at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Palm Springs.TV: TNT
