Choking Dog team roster is filling up

• The Dallas Mavericks for gagging on their lead. After shooting out to a 2-0 advantage in their best-of-seven NBA Finals series, they promptly let Miami take back the momentum. Dirk Nowitzki and teammates were working with the precision of, well, a German car and then simply stopped. The best part of the Dallas collapse, though, was seeing Mavs' owner Mark Cuban all bunched up. Isn't it great when even billionaires can't buy something?

• Gary Payton for choking on his commitment — and his words. The Heat guard said in 2002 he would donate $3 million to Oregon State to help build a new basketball practice center. Four years later, no center and no donation.

Asked last week by a Portland columnist about the matter, Payton put him off several times, then said, "I don't know. What do you want me to say? Call my agent. I don't know what happened."

His agent, Aaron Goodwin, told the paper the $3 million amount was the school's suggestion, not Payton's. He added, "There was never a promise. He did say he would look into making a donation."

Which is weird, because in 2002 Payton was quoted on the OSU alumni Web site saying, "When we got all the quotes and all that stuff, I just decided $3 million would be a good, generous offer."

Don't you just hate when people take you at your word?

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com