The Conquistadors avoided a sweep of their series with the Santurce Crabbers as the Conquistadors got a penetration shot from Carmelo Antrone Lee with just 7 seconds left in the game to beat the Crabbers 71-70. Guaynabo took the 1st quarter 19-14, but the Crabbers came back in the 2nd quarter to tie the game at the half 36-36. In the 3rd quarter the Crabbers took a 1 point advantage as the quarter came to an end 52-51. This set up the final quarter to be anyone's game as both team battled each other until the shot from Lee to give the victory to Guaynabo. For Guaynabo, Carlos Escalera (190-G-79, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Missouri So.) scored 25 points followed by Jack Michael Martinez with 20 points and 9 rebounds. For Santurce, Larry Ayuso (190-G-77, agency: Edge Sports, college: USC) scored 22 points followed by Ricardo Dalmau with 14 points.

Over at Arecibo, the Captains sweep their 3 game series against the Fajardo Cariduros as they beat Fajardo 98-83. The 1st quarter ended tied at 16 points, but then Arecibo went on an offensive run in the 2nd quarter to take a 16 point lead to end the 1st half 46-30. Fajardo would not be able to make up this difference in the 2nd half although they did play hard in the 2nd half they would never catch the Captains. For Arecibo, Angel Figueroa (196-G/F-81, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Dowling) scored 22 points followed by Brandon Hunter with 21 points and 10 rebounds. For Fajardo, Javier Mojica (190-G-84, college: Cent.Conn.St.) scored 21 points followed by Kevin Hamilton with 15 points.

Guillaume Sene (197-G/F-86) and Kevin Corre (202-F-85) signed in BC Boncourt for the 2008-2009 season with an option for 2009-2010.
Sene arrives from Angers BC 49 where he played in the French Pro B and averaged 9,7 ppg and 3,3 apg, while Corre played for Hermine Nantes Atlantique where he recorded 9,9 ppg and 7,2 rpg.

Steve Louissant (187-G-87) will be part of the senior-team after being aligned to it during the past season after evolving at the junior-level.
Marvin Pilot (180-G-90) from Luxemburg is also moving into the team after a season with the juniors.

Canadian Stephen Sir (198-G-82, college: N.Arizona) is leaving BC Boncourt despite a contract proposal by the club and Lufti Sakiri (194-F-87) is also leaving towards a team in the LNB.

Sdent BBC Nyon got a big name on the bench next season: Hugues Occansey is going to coach Sdent BBC Nyon in 2008-2009 with an option for another year. The same team extended the contract of Julien Rahier (193-G-83, agency: LBM Management) for another year.

JoJo Garcia (208-C-70, college: Louisville) signed for BC Lugano Tigers to play in the current play-offs, arriving from Cyprus where he played for Aspis Apoel Nicosia.

Bernex Onex Basket renewed the contract of coach Claude Ciani for another season.

Every title-worthy team has one -- a guy who embraces the thankless role of defensive enforcer. You know the type. More interested in taking a charge than being the star. Typically described by teammates as always being 'ready to battle' or 'doing whatever it takes to win,' which often is just opponent code for 'Man, that guy plays dirty,' the se guys would just as soon stick an elbow in your schnoz as make a jumper in the lane.

The Suns' Raja Bell (196-F/G-76, agency: Interperformances, college: Florida Intern.) uses more than elbows to do his job as a defensive stopper. Remember two years ago when he made like a clothes line and dropped Kobe Bryant in the playoffs? Bell's behavior earned him a suspension, and his tough talking -- he called Bryant pompous and said, 'I don't respect him' -- earned him a reputation as a guy not to be messed with. His style worked. Kobe averaged 24.2 points -- 11.2 under his season average -- in th e series when Bell played. In the game Bell was forced to sit, Bryant scored 50 .

Bell has been regarded as one of the league's top defensive wing players since that series and made an all-defensive team the past two seasons (first-team in 2006-07 and second-team in 2007-08). With Bryant tearing up the playoffs -- he's averaging 5.0 points above his 28.3 regular season average -- any remaining team would love to have Bell on its roster.

Taking on the toughest defensive assignment requires Bell to bring a certain attitude to every game. But how does he generate such intensity? Does he sit in a dark room, staring at walls and sharpening his elbows? Does he blast Guns N' Roses on his iPod? Does he go for a triple espresso with a Red Bull chaser?

Before the Suns' season ended in the first round (don't blame Bell -- he held San Antonio's Manu Ginobili below his season average), Bell gave us a behind-the scenes look at his game-day routine.



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Bell follows the same pregame ritual before every home game but also adds plenty of touches that best can be described as unique. Start with how he gets dressed. He arrives at U.S. Airways Arena at least 90 minutes before tipoff and changes into his uniform. Well, sort of. The first thing Bell does is take off his shirt and put on his game jersey. Then he finishes changing out of his civvies and into his game shorts, socks and shoes. Once he has his shoes on, he takes off his game jersey and puts on a warmup shirt.

'Maybe I forgot before I was going out to warm up one day, put on my jersey and didn't realize it,' Bell says. 'Knowing me, if I had a good game, I stuck with it. I can't even remember when it started.'

The routine then takes a turn toward normal. Bell checks with a Suns staffer to make sure his game tickets will get to the right folks. He grabs a cup of coffee, some cream, a few sugars. Once changed, he visits the training room so the medical staff can 'make sure my body's working.' Unlike most players, he doesn't have his ankles taped, but he needs a sometimes-balky back worked on. Bell stays in the training room until the countdown clock to tipoff reads 60 minutes.

Time for early shooting and, yes, he's a little uptight about this as well. Most players have an assistant coach they partner with to pass them the ball during these drills. Bell always hooks up with the same assistant. 'I have to make 10 jump shots from five spots in 2-point range,' he says. 'Then I make seven 3s from each corner, then five 3s off the move from three spots around the perimeter. If I don't make each set within a reasonable attempt, I'll start over. The goal is to find your groove, to start feeling confident with your shot.'

To get comfortable with his shooting typically takes Bell about 20 minutes. All the practice has paid off. Since signing with the Suns as a free agent in 2005, Bell has become known almost as much for his 3-point shooting as for his defense. In the past three seasons, he is second in the league to Ray Allen in made 3-pointers and eighth in 3-point percentage.

His pregame shooting completed, Bell returns to the locker room, typically with about 40 minutes left before tipoff. The Suns break into group meetings, with the big men gathering in a meeting room and the guards staying in the spacious locker room, which features a big-screen TV in the middle of two large greaseboards. On one are scouting tips for that night's game (Force Ginobili LEFT, says one). On the other is a running tally of individual hustle stats such as deflections.

Before Bell sprawls out to stretch during the guards' meeting, he puts ice in a cup and places it in his locker. 'For the Red Bull I'll drink later,' he says. 'You never know. I might not have time to get the cup ready between meetings.' After the 10-minute group meetings, the bigs join the guards in the locker room for final instructions from the head coach. While Mike D'Antoni delivers his pregame speech, Bell downs his Red Bull.

Then he's ready for the pregame layup line. The Suns gather in a circle outside their locker room for group hugs and high-fives. Point guard Steve Nash leads the charge through the tunnel onto the court, running past a gathering spot that has been cordoned off for high-end ticket holders. Right behind Nash is Bell, who makes a point of jumping up and 'pretending to do some kind of crazy dunk' on the tunnel overhang.

When the countdown to tipoff reaches 6 minutes, Bell is warmed and ready. Too warmed, in fact. 'I have a lot of extra energy at that point,' he says. To keep from burning out, he heads back to the locker room to chill out by himself. 'It started once when I had to pee, then it became a habit,' he says. 'If I'm out there, I am going to be warming up hard and I've done enough at that point. I want to calm down for a bit. I'm still pretty good and warm and on my second wind when the game starts.' Inside the locker room, he finds a quiet spot, grabs a water and slows his heartbeat. When you don't see him on the floor with his teammates for the national anthem, you know he's still chilling. He makes his way back to the court before the starting lineups are introduced.



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The early part of game day lacks some of the idiosyncrasies of the pre game routine, but it's just as structured. Bell rises at 8 for a breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt, joined usually by his wife, Cindy, and 1-year-old son, Dia. He leaves his Paradise Valley home at 8:45 to arrive at the arena in plenty of time for 10 a.m. shootaround .

After shootaround, Bell handles any media requests. Many players will talk to reporters after shootaround but then will not speak to the media again until after the game. Bell doesn't have such self-imposed rules. 'There's a lot of stars on this team,' he says. 'It's not like I'm sought after that often.'

Before heading home , Bell visits the hot and cold tubs for treatment. He slips into the icy water up to his chest. After 3 minutes in the cold, he goes 2 in the hot. Three more cold, followed by 2 more hot and then he ends with 3 minutes in the cold. 'That's the best way to make sure any swelling is down,' he says.

From the arena, he drives back home or meets his wife and son for lunch. They always dine at the same place -- an Original House of Pancakes restaurant not far from home -- at around the same time, 12:30. Bell does not always order the same meal. 'I'm not that anal,' he says. His order includes pancakes sometimes, or eggs and toast, juice but no coffee. 'No caffeine yet,' he says.

He spends the afternoon at home, going down for a 2-hour nap at 2. Cindy serves the same pregame meal -- whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, bread and water -- shortly after 4. For the typical 7 p.m. start, Bell is on the road by 4:45 to be downtown 90 minutes before tipoff. Upon arrival at the arena, he exchanges the same pleasantries and fist-bumps with the same group of arena employees.

'I'm a creature of habit,' he says. Indeed -- and some habits are a bit odder than others.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News

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