Boone Scoffs At Big Hoopla Over Streak

Ron Boone never cared much for hoopla. He just played basketball, never missing a single game or even a practice during his entire college and pro career.

“Nobody made a big deal out of it,” he said Tuesday. “I was just doing my job.”

That’s why the hype surrounding A.C. Green’s bid to break Randy Smith’s record of 906 consecutive NBA games puzzles Boone, now a 51-year-old radio and TV analyst for the Utah Jazz.

Boone played in 1,041 consecutive games as a pro. The catch: 662 of those games were in the American Basketball Association. The NBA refuses to recognize statistics from the ABA, which sent four teams to the NBA in 1976.

“There’s a bit of selfishness involved,” Boone said. “But even during our glory days, the NBA had a bad attitude toward us.”

Green tied the NBA record for consecutive games Tuesday night when he played in his 906th in a row as his Dallas Mavericks visited the Sacramento Kings, who won the game 102-95.

Green has not missed a game since November 1986 He is expected to break the record Thursday night when the Mavericks host the Golden State Warriors.

Isiah ponders move

Toronto Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas said he is negotiating with NBC while trying to get a pay increase from Toronto Raptors majority owner Allan Slaight.

Fast breaks

Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley will miss at least three games and possibly more because of a strained left groin. He was hurt Sunday during a loss to the Phoenix Suns. … Roy Tarpley, 32-year-old former forward of the Dallas Mavericks, was arrested in Dallas and charged with burning his girlfriend’s stomach with a clothes iron, the latest legal problem for a player whose NBA career ended because of drugs.

On the courts

Kobe Bryant blocked Bryon Russell’s 3-point attempt with 5 seconds left and went in for an uncontested windmill dunk to seal the undefeated (9-0) Los Angeles Lakers’ 97-92 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

Rookie Ed Gray scored seven points in overtime as the unbeaten Atlanta Hawks (11-0) rallied in the fourth quarter and then shut out the Washington Wizards in the extra period for a 98-89 victory Tuesday night in Atlanta.