| The match of NBA “newbies” against “second-year players” as part of the “All-Star Weekend” in Atlanta ended in victory for the more experienced ones - 132:112. Golden State's Gilbert Erinas (30 points) and Jason Richardson (31 points) were key contributors to their team's first win since the tournament began in 2000. Russian Andrei Kirilenko, who played for the same team, scored 13 points. The best for the newcomers was Caron Butler from Miami - 23 points.
The NBA management also announced several important decisions. So, starting from this season in the first round of the playoffs, all series will last until four victories of one of the teams. Since 1984, in the first round of the playoffs, the winner has been determined in a best-of-three series.
Next season's exhibition matches will take place in Japan, South Korea, China, France, Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The NBA suspended all of its overseas projects after 9/11 and is now looking to make up two years of lost time. “We missed two seasons: in the first we canceled scheduled matches, and in the second we did not plan anything prudently,” Stern noted. Mikhail TRYUGAN
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