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 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, 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.
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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
 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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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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