MIDWEST DIVISION.(basketball)(Brief Article)

DALLAS MAVERICKS: The team advanced to the second round because players learned from two first-round losses. Dallas dropped the opening two games of the series against Utah in large part because the Mavericks spent too much energy bellyaching about the officiating not enough on the business at hand. In Game 5, SG Michael Finley once again proved why he is one of the grittiest players in the league when he scored 33 points, carrying the Mavericks until his teammates got hot in the fourth quarter. Finley played all 48 minutes and demanded the ball when his team was in danger of losing contact with the Jazz. --Ken Sins

DENVER NUGGETS: Coach and president Dan Issel will not be fired, and he is not going to give up either of his jobs. The twist? The Nuggets will hire a general manager for sure, and they might hire a director of player personnel. Issel, however, insists he still will have the final decision on all basketball matters.... SG Tariq Abdul-Wahad is not happy in Denver. The Nuggets are not happy with Abdul-Wahad. The team will do all it can to move him in the offseason. Whether he will be sufficient bait to lure a third scorer remains to be seen. His huge contract and shooting difficulties will make him difficult to deal. --Michael BeDan

HOUSTON ROCKETS: A televised report said C Hakeem Olajuwon was headed to Miami in a sign-and-trade. Olajuwon could end up somewhere warm with a chance to advance in the playoffs, but the Rockets, who will be pursuing Kings PF Chris Webber in the offseason, are not interested in taking on any more salary. The Webber courtship won't start until the Kings are ousted from the playoffs. Until then, the Rockets won't allocate that money anywhere else. They still have their own free agents--SF Shandon Anderson, PF Maurice Taylor, PG Moochie Norris and SF Matt Bullard--to address. --Michael Murphy

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Coach Flip Saunders' words after the playoff loss to the Spurs carried the same theme fans have heard in the past: back to the drawing board. Problem is, the team has few options as it looks toward next season. PF Kevin Garnett's mega-contract, and to a lesser extent PG Terrell Brandon's, give the Wolves no room to work under the salary cap. They are ...