THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams has left the team due to personal reasons, according to a post by the Deseret News. Williams, who is averaging 20.4 points and 9.9 assists, will not play when the Jazz visit the 76ers this evening at the Wachovia Center.
After Wednesday's 105-86 loss at Boston, Williams tweeted that the team was in need of change. Yesterday, he attempted to clarify, saying he wasn't looking for trades but just some changes in the lineup.
In a story by Ross Siler of the The Salt Lake Tribune, Williams said: "It's not the end of the world. I didn't mean to tweet like it was the end of the world. Just we've got to do something. I know the fans watching, I know the fans sitting at home, they're not happy with us right now. I'm not happy with us, either."
The loss to the Celtics dropped the Jazz to 3-5. In the game, Williams had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes of play.
Williams had been battling back and calf injuries, but had stated yesterday after practice that he would be okay to play against the Sixers tonight, though he did not participate in the full practice.
The third overall pick by the Jazz in 2005 out of Illinois, Williams has career averages of 16.3 points and 8.7 assists
Phil Jasner joined the staff of the Daily News in 1972. He has covered the 76ers and the NBA on a full-time basis since 1981. He won the 2004 Curt Gowdy Media Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport during his career; he was a finalist for the award in 2001, when he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the NBA Finals. He is a past president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and the Philadelphia College Basketball Writers Association. Along the way, he has covered high school sports, the Big 5, the Eagles and the NFL, the World Football League, the North American Soccer League and what was then the Major Indoor Soccer League. He is a proud graduate of Temple University, and spent his early professional days at the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, Montgomery Newspapers (Fort Washington, Pa.), the Norristown (Pa.) Times-Herald and the Trentonian.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for almost 20 years, working in the sports department the past 12 years. This is his first season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he has been the La Salle beat writer for the past six seasons.
