Panthers get depth at QB

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SportSSunday, april 25, 2010

Section B

By BARRy WILNERap Football Writer

NEW YORK — Time to draft and time to trade... and trade... and trade.

NFL teams were almost as busy dealing veterans as they were making draft picks Satur-day. Jason Campbell, LenDale White, Kirk Morrison, Leon Washington and Bryant McFad-den all changed teams on the final day of the draft.

With Donovan McNabb now in Washington, Campbell became expendable and was sent to Oak-land for a fourth-round pick in 2012. Where that leaves JaMar-cus Russell, the top overall pick of 2007 who has struggled with the Raiders, is anyone’s guess.

The Tennessee Titans dealt White to Seattle, reuniting the running back with his college coach, Pete Carroll. Later, the Seahawks acquired another runner, versatile Leon Washing-ton, from the Jets — who also released standout guard Alan Faneca.

“Just a great one-two punch to add to our team,” Carroll

Raiders trade for CampbellRB White reunited with Pete Carroll

nfl draft

MagiC 90, BoBCats 86

Charlotte in an 0-3 hole

ap photo/Kathy KmoniceK

atlanta shortstop yunel escobar leaps over new york’s Jason Bay after forcing Bay out at second base and throwing to first for the double play in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game.

By RONALD BLUMap SportS Writer

NEW YORK — With just their third three-game winning streak since last May, the New York Mets got back to .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season.

Jason Bay hit a tying double in the sixth inning, Jeff Francoeur doubled in the go-ahead run with a drive off the 415-foot sign in the seventh and the Mets finally got to Jair Jurrjens in a 3-1 victory over the reeling Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

New York improved to 5-1 on a 10-game home-stand and at 9-9 evened their record for the first time since a 2-2 start.

Manny Acosta (1-0) won in relief of a wild Jona-thon Niese, Acosta’s first major league win since beating the Mets for Atlanta last July 16.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes made a leaping back-

Braves drop fourth straight

Mets 3, Braves 1

Fishing was good on Kerr Lake last weekend. I fished Eastland and Nutbush Creeks, landing some decent fish on both Satur-day and Sunday.

With the water dropping below 303 and out of most bushes, it looks like the fish may be setting up on secondary points, some on their way in to shallow water to spawn and many on their way out.

Most of the fish I landed on secondary points were in around 8 feet of water. I didn’t catch any real big ones, however I did see

a co-angler in last Saturday’s BFL event land a nice 5-pounder on a small spin-ner bait. His angler partner looked pretty shook up.

Crappies must be biting as evidenced by the crowds lining the bank in many

of the shallow cuts, especially near Williamsboro Wayside.

I also caught a small bass on a crank bait that was about the same size as he was. It must have been one of last year’s spawn, and he was confident he could swallow a Zoom small duck crank bait that was about one inch shorter than he was. It was a beautiful little fish.

The largest fish caught last weekend was around 3.5 lbs. and came on the same bait.

I took Friday this week off to practice for the weekend’s tour-naments and launched at Occo-neechee State Park in Clarksville at around 6:15 a.m. There was

Crappies biting on Kerr Lake

Walt BoWen

on the Water Weekly

ap photo/chucK Burton

orlando’s Jameer nelson drives past charlotte’s Stephen Jackson during the second half of the magic’s 90-86 win in Game 3 of Saturday’s game in charlotte.

By MIKE CRANSTONap SportS Writer

CHARLOTTE — In front of a boister-ous, hostile crowd and facing a team in desperation mode, the Orlando Magic showcased their depth, grit and poise when it mattered most.

Imagine how good they could be if their superstar center played more than half the game.

No Dwight Howard, no problem for the Magic, who got 32 points from sudden star Jameer Nelson to overcome another frustrating, foul-filled game by their big man in a 90-86 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.

Spoiling Charlotte’s return to the playoff stage after an eight-year absence, the Magic took a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round series despite being without Howard for the final 3:32 after he fouled out.

“You’ve got to admire them with Dwight getting foul trouble and fouling out how they still didn’t fold,” Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. “They were disciplined and executed. They got a well-deserved win.”

For the third straight game and two days after Orlando was assessed $70,000 in fines for complaining about the officiat-ing, Howard played about half the game, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds

and seven blocks.After Howard was sidelined for good,

Nelson had a key bucket and backup center Marcin Gortat hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to put it away.

The defending Eastern Conference champions can clinch a spot in the second

round with a win in Game 4 on Monday.“I think this is a big test for me, learn-

ing how to keep my composure in tough situations,” said Howard, who has played in only 83 of 144 minutes in the series because of chronic foul trouble. “Things may not go my way, but we’re playing for something bigger.”

Stephen Jackson scored 19 points, but was 6 of 18 from the field and missed a key 3-pointer in the final minute for the cold-shooting Bobcats, who face the pros-pect of a first-round sweep in their first playoff appearance.

Charlotte hadn’t hosted a playoff game since the Hornets’ last year here in 2002, and towel-waving, white T-shirt-clad fans arrived early for the team’s milestone moment.

But even with excited owner Michael Jordan squirming in his seat and relay-ing pointers to players from the end of Charlotte’s bench, the 6-year-old Bobcats wilted in a tight fourth quarter.

Gerald Wallace added 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting for Charlotte. Raymond Felton also scored 13, but shot 5 of 14 and again couldn’t contain Nelson.

“We’re not good enough to win with one or two guys playing at a high level,” Brown said.

Nelson’s floater in the lane with 1:32

Nelson leads Magic past Bobcats in Game 3

ap photo/chucK Burton

orlando’s Dwight howard dunks as char-lotte’s Stephen Jackson defends during the second half of Saturday’s game.

pleaSe See FISHING, paGe 2B

pleaSe See DRaFT, paGe 3B pleaSe See BRaVeS, paGe 3B

pleaSe See BOBCaTS, paGe 3B

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