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  Tuesday, Mar. 14 8:30pm ET
Elliott returns as Spurs blow past Hawks
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Sean Elliott's basketball dream came true.

He completed his comeback to the NBA on Tuesday, seven months after a kidney transplant, and thrilled the Alamodome crowd with a dramatic dunk as the San Antonio Spurs defeated Atlanta 94-79.

Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott, playing his first game after undergoing a kidney transplant, slams in the third quarter for his only two points.

Playing 12 minutes and shooting 1-for-3 from the field, Elliott missed a 22-foot jumper and a layup in the third quarter. Then, with a quick step around defender Roshown McLeod, he drove the lane and slammed the ball in with his right hand.

It was the kind of play he'd envisioned for months during his rehab.

"Yeah, oh yeah. You always dream about that," Elliott said, adding that the shot may have been more memorable than his famous off-balance 3-pointer that helped the Spurs win a crucial playoff game over Portland last year in the Western Conference finals.

Spurs teammate Mario Elie joined in the applause after the dunk, clapping as he ran back down the court.

Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo simply smiled.

"I was surprised the way he dunked the ball," Mutombo said. "He has a lot of courage. I was really touched. The whole thing is amazing that someone can recover that fast to come back and do something they love -- play basketball."

Elliott's basket sparked a 6-0 spurt for San Antonio, though Atlanta quickly recovered and pulled ahead 66-64 by the end of the third quarter.

The score remained close early in the fourth, but the Spurs moved ahead 76-75 on a basket by David Robinson with 7:21 left. Robinson added the next five points, upping San Antonio's edge to 81-75 with 3:40 remaining.

Atlanta got no closer the rest of the way.

McLeod said Elliott looked like "the old Sean Elliott to me."

"I was thinking he wasn't going to be that quick. He surprised me," McLeod said.

Elliott was a little surprised at how good he felt on the court.

"I thought I wouldn't feel my legs to start the game," he said. "The biggest things that were in my way were my nerves."

Robinson led San Antonio with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Avery Johnson had 22 points and 10 assists and Tim Duncan had 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Jim Jackson scored 22 points for the Hawks, and Mutombo had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

As the final seconds of the game ticked away, the fans shouted, "We want Sean! We want Sean!"

Elliott became the first pro athlete in a major sport to return to competition after a kidney transplant.

Although Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had been saying he would use Elliott as a reserve, he started at small forward and played the first five minutes, grabbing a defensive rebound and recording one assist.

On the Spurs' first possession, he slipped slightly as he passed to Johnson. Later on, he fell again as he drew rough contact from Mutombo under the Spurs' basket.

But Elliott seemed unfazed and played until he was replaced by Jerome Kersey. Elliott started the third quarter, playing seven minutes that period.

Elliott, 32 and in his 11th season, received a kidney from his older brother Noel in transplant surgery Aug. 16. He said from the start he hoped to resume his career.

Elliott wanted to make his comeback at a home game in front of family, friends, his doctors and San Antonio fans. A total of 26,708 spectators showed up to watch, filling some upper sections of the Alamodome.

Popovich said he decided to start Elliott to avoid a disruption with lengthy applause if the player entered as a substitute. The coach said he liked what he saw and found himself getting emotional over Elliott's return.

"It was pretty thrilling," Popovich said. "It's going to be interesting to see what we do next, to see what he can handle."

Game notes
The National Kidney Foundation announced Tuesday that Elliott will serve as spokesperson for its 2000 U.S. Transplant Games in Orlando, Fla., June 21-24. The Olympic-style competition is for athletes who have had organ transplants. ... San Antonio shot 51 percent, to 42 percent for Atlanta, but the Hawks outrebounded the Spurs 42-39. ... Steve Kerr (right knee) and Terry Porter (left knee) were on the injured list for the Spurs.

 


ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Atlanta Clubhouse

San Antonio Clubhouse


Elliott makes miraculous return to Spurs

Lawrence: Elliott is a true champ


RECAPS
Toronto 85
Golden State 78

Philadelphia 98
Cleveland 97

Miami 108
Milwaukee 104

Orlando 107
Washington 98

New York 91
Houston 85

Dallas 111
Indiana 90

San Antonio 94
Atlanta 79

Phoenix 107
Minnesota 100

LA Clippers 110
Denver 106

Portland 96
Sacramento 91

AUDIO/VIDEO
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 Sean Elliott says he is coming to play hard.
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 The Spur's Sean Elliott says he feels lucky to have mature teammates.
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