OAKLAND, Calif. -- It was Chris Webber's first trip back here since being traded, and when he walked onto the court in his Washington Bullets uniform, he did so with a strut. However, when he left, he had to do so with assistance.
A game between the two teams involved in the blockbuster trade of the season was marred last night when Webber suffered a dislocated left shoulder in the Bullets' 107-87 loss before a sellout crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. He is expected to miss several games.
Webber was injured with 9:25 left in the third quarter when he came down on his left shoulder while battling for a loose ball with Golden State guard Latrell Sprewell. After lying on the floor for about 10 minutes Webber was taken back into the locker room, where Bullets trainer Kevin Johnson and the Warriors' trainers assisted in popping his shoulder back in place.
Webber was reported fine in the locker room. After the game, the team flew to Los Angeles, where Webber will have his shoulder X-rayed today to check for additional damage.
He rejoined his team on the bench with 1:52 left, and with the Bullets trailing 102- 84. There wasn't too much sympathy for Webber, who was booed by the fans who remained. A chant of "Webber, Webber" quickly began to fill the building.
What Webber missed at the end was the Bullets (6-16) losing their eighth straight game, representing the NBA's longest current losing streak. The Warriors had the longest skid going into last night at 10, but improved their record to 9-15.
The Bullets were able to respond well after Webber's injury. After he left the game Washington scored nine straight points, eventually taking a 63-56 lead.
But the run was short-lived, as early foul trouble and poor execution caught up with the Bullets. Kevin Duckworth (eight points, eight rebounds) fouled out with 5:19 left.
Webber's injury ruined the playoff-type atmosphere that filled the arena in a game that, because of the trade, was added as to the Thursday night national television schedule. It was evident early that there wasn't too much support for Webber from the fans, who booed him when he came out for the pre-game warm-ups.
Signs were abundant: "Big Baby" read one, with a drawing of Webber wearing a bib. "Hey Webber, ask Santa for a ring. It will be the only way you get one," read another. "No Whinin + No Crying + No Webber" read yet another.
But there were some fans supportive of Webber, with one holding a sign reading "Number two on your back, number one in our hearts."
The other player involved in the trade, Tom Gugliotta, had perhaps his best game with Golden State, scoring 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds.
Latrell Sprewell led Golden State with 25 points, and Scott Skiles led the Bullets with 19.
Webber didn't earn too many friends just before the jump ball when he began jawing with Rony Seikaly in the center circle. Seikaly has said that the players need to get on with the season after the Warriors' two trades that have changed the makeup of the team, an off-hand remark aimed at Sprewell, who is unhappy that Webber and forward Billy Owens were traded.
Webber had a good first half, scoring 12 points -- including a three-pointer before the first-quarter buzzer -- and grabbing seven rebounds. Gugliotta scored 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, including eight in the first quarter.
Duckworth opened the game with a dunk on a feed from Webber. But the Warriors scored the next 10 points, taking a 10-2 lead after a layup by Sprewell with 8:07 left.
Webber wouldn't get on the score board until just over seven minutes had passed, scoring on a dunk that had the fans jeering. At the time it pulled the Bullets within 18-14, and the Bullets got as close as 24-21 after Webber's layup and free throw with 2:47 left.
Golden State's lead was 30-21 after a layup by Chris Gatling with 45.2 seconds left, but Webber's three-pointer before the end of the first quarter had the Bullets within 30-26.
Webber took a seat at the start of the second quarter, and he watched as the Bullets took a 36-35 lead after a dunk by Gheorghe Muresan with 7:50 left. But fouls were beginning to mount for Washington, with Juwan Howard (eight points) and Calbert Cheaney picking up their third fouls in the second quarter.
Washington's lead was brief, with a dunk by Gugliotta starting the Warriors on an 11-5 run and a jumper by Sprewell giving the Warriors a 46-41 advantage.